A hospitality veteran with three decades of industry experience across Europe, Asia and Africa has been named cluster director of sales and marketing for the first two Meliá Hotels International properties to be launched in Thailand.
In his new role, German-born Christian Lueke will oversee sales and marketing at luxury hotels Meliá Koh Samui, which opened in January this year on the shore of Choeng Mon Beach on Koh Samui’s north-eastern coastline in the Gulf of Thailand, and Meliá Chiang Mai, slated to open early next year in the Kingdom’s mountainous north.
Both properties are part of a nationwide roll-out of hotels and resorts by the prominent Spanish hotel group in partnership with Thailand’s leading integrated lifestyle real estate group Asset World Corporation.
Lueke has worked in Thailand for 14 years, including most recently as Minor Hotels & Resorts’ regional director of sales for Southeast Asia. Beforehand, he was the Bangkok-based cluster director of sales and marketing for Hyatt Hotels, overseeing Park Hyatt Siem Reap, Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa and Hyatt Regency Phuket.
He has also been the director of sales and marketing for Destination Properties, the cluster director of sales and marketing at Courtyard By Marriott responsible for resorts in Surin, Patong, Kamala and Hua Hin, and the group director of sales and marketing for the Onyx Hospitality Group, formerly Amari Hotels and Resorts.
Lueke launched his hospitality career as an apprentice at Renaissance Düsseldorf Hotel in his native Germany in 1991 before moving on to the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel Gera and Marriott International in Frankfurt and Cologne. He also worked for Diani Hotels in Leipzig, Germany and Kenya, Africa.
“With his proactive leadership style, strategic ability and extensive sales distribution network built up over many years, Christian has a proven track record in Thailand and internationally that places him in excellent stead in his new role propelling Meliá Koh Samui and Meliá Chiang Mai into 2021,” said Stephen Nunan, Senior Director of Business Development Asia Pacific at Meliá Hotels International.
Meliá Koh Samui’s world-class facilities include 159 rooms, 41 suites, two restaurants, a swim-up bar, a lagoon pool, a two-level infinity pool, an executive lounge, spa, fitness centre, ballroom and conference facilities and, for families, a kid’s club, outdoor playground and mini water park.
With 260 rooms, Meliá Chiang Mai will soon cut the ribbon on a host of amenities including a sky bar and lounge, an executive lounge, two restaurants, a pool bar and lobby bar, spa, gymnasium, ballroom and other function venues, kid’s club and more.
