Asia’s hotel industry has spent decades polishing the art of making difficult things look effortless. Bags appear in rooms, tables materialise at busy restaurants, crises are solved quietly, and guests are often blissfully unaware of the army of professionals making it all happen.
At Stelliers Asia 2026 in Bangkok, that usually unseen army finally stepped into the spotlight.
The Stelliers Asia Grand Awards Ceremony, presented by NORDAQ, was held on Friday, 25 September at Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, bringing together hotel executives, finalists, partners and hospitality professionals from across the region. Twenty-five winners were recognised across disciplines ranging from general management and culinary leadership to engineering, housekeeping, revenue management, security and wellness.
The location carried its own sense of theatre. Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok is marking its 150th anniversary in 2026, making one of Asia’s most storied hotels an appropriately grand setting for an awards program devoted not merely to glamorous properties, but to the people who keep them humming.
That distinction matters. Hotel awards often celebrate buildings, brands, suites and infinity pools all very photogenic, naturally. Stelliers turns the camera around. Its focus is the hotelier: the person at the desk, in the kitchen, behind the spreadsheets, on the engineering floor, managing the cellar or, in one memorable case, steering a boat along the Chao Phraya River.
A new home beyond awards night
This year’s ceremony also marked the launch of Maison Stelliers, a year-round professional community intended to extend the organisation’s work beyond an annual trophy presentation. Stelliers says the platform has been designed for hospitality professionals at all career levels to connect across hotels, brands, functions and borders, exchange ideas, discover opportunities and support professional growth.
“One year ago, we promised that Stelliers would continue to innovate how we support the people of hospitality,” said Stéphane de Montgros, Stelliers Co-Founder. “This year, we are delighted to announce the launch of Maison Stelliers – a home for hoteliers, by hoteliers – where the connection, recognition, and shared purpose at the heart of Stelliers can continue every day. Our driving purpose remains the same: to elevate hotel professionals – so they feel seen, valued, and inspired to lead.”
The idea is straightforward, and arguably timely. Hospitality remains a people-intensive business even as hotels embrace automation, artificial intelligence, mobile check-in and increasingly sophisticated revenue systems. Technology can make a room key appear on a phone; it has yet to master the raised eyebrow, remembered name or perfectly timed rescue that turns a routine stay into a memorable one.
Maison Stelliers is therefore pitched less as another digital noticeboard and more as a professional meeting place. Stelliers says members can connect, learn, grow and “recharge”, with complimentary access currently offered until 1 January 2027 for approved applicants.
Discover Maison Stelliers
Captain Paul steals the heart of the room
Among the 25 winners, one story neatly captured why recognising individuals matters.
Pornchai Savatsri, affectionately known as Captain Paul, was named Unsung Hero of the Year for his work as Boat Captain at The Peninsula Bangkok. For more than 25 years he has ferried guests along the Chao Phraya River between the hotel and city piers, becoming a familiar face to generations of returning visitors.
It is the sort of role that can easily be reduced to logistics on an organisational chart. In practice, it can become part of the guest experience itself. Stelliers has highlighted not only Savatsri’s warmth with guests but also his role in sharing skills and experience with younger people from his local community.
In an industry occasionally tempted to confuse luxury with marble acreage, Captain Paul provides a useful reminder: hospitality is remembered person by person.
The 25 Stelliers Asia 2026 winners
The complete winners list spans almost every operational corner of a modern hotel. The published Stelliers release confirms the following recipients.
- General Manager of the Year – Jean-Pierre Joncas, General Manager, Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort.
- Butler of the Year – Somporn Keaboot, Senior Reserve Host (Butler), Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve.
- Chef of the Year – Daniele Cason, Executive Chef, Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo.
- Concierge Hotelier of the Year – James Tiking, Concierge Service Leader, Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu.
- CSR Hotelier of the Year – Dieter Ruckenbauer, Former General Manager, Le Méridien Bangkok.
- Engineering Hotelier of the Year – Boonchuay Kiatbidakul, Director of Engineering, Chiang Mai Marriott Hotel.
- Finance Hotelier of the Year – Nutthanont Arya, Multi-Property Director of Finance, Courtyard by Marriott Phuket Town and Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach.
- Food & Beverage Hotelier of the Year – Anusit Wisetkan, Director of Banquet, Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok.
- Front Office Hotelier of the Year – Duangkamol Kongsuwan, Room Division Manager, Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort.
- Green Hotelier of the Year – Pisarn Karnjanavanich, Director of Engineering, Capella Bangkok.
- Hotel Manager / Resident Manager of the Year – Ian Ding, Resort Manager, Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve.
- Housekeeping Hotelier of the Year – Naoaki Okamoto, Executive Housekeeper, Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills.
- Human Resources Hotelier of the Year – Dama Adhyatma, Director of Human Resources, Bvlgari Resort Bali.
- Hygiene & Food Safety Hotelier of the Year – Photcharapun Raksapakdee, Hygiene and Quality Assurance Manager, Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok.
- Information Technology Hotelier of the Year – Joy Rodrigo, Senior Director of Technology Innovation & Data, Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi.
- Marketing & Communications Hotelier of the Year – Dan Schacter, Regional Director of Public Relations and Marketing, Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River.
- Mixologist of the Year – Chunyanuch Yodsuwan, Head Bartender, Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River.
- Owner of the Year – Eric Tan, Chief Operating Officer, Interhill Hospitality.
- Pastry Chef of the Year – Kevin Lee, Executive Pastry Chef, The St. Regis Jakarta.
- Revenue Management Hotelier of the Year – Ha Nguyen, Director of Revenue & E-commerce, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi.
- Sales Hotelier of the Year – Christopher Kang, Director of Commercial Strategy, Mandarin Oriental, Singapore.
- Security Hotelier of the Year – Pongsathorn Chularat, Director of Loss Prevention, Capella Bangkok.
- Sommelier of the Year – Bella Jankaew, Head Sommelier, Swissôtel The Stamford.
- Unsung Hero of the Year – Pornchai Savatsri, Boat Captain, The Peninsula Bangkok.
- Wellness & Spa Hotelier of the Year – Evelien Louise Akerboom, Director of Equine, NIHI Sumba.
View the Stelliers Asia 2026 winners
Winning takes more than a nomination
Stelliers’ judging structure is considerably more involved than handing someone a champagne flute and waiting for an envelope.
The organisation says it first vets applications for eligibility before judges independently assess candidates. Finalists then undergo interviews, while General Manager finalists face an in-person interview with the judging panel. Judges reconvene for the final decision, with points allocated among finalists in each category.
Stelliers also reported an unprecedented number of applications for the 2026 awards, giving this year’s winners a particularly strong field to emerge from.
“Bringing Asia’s hospitality community together in Bangkok to celebrate these hospitality heroes is a powerful reminder of what makes our industry so special. The remarkable talent across all categories continues to inspire us, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who made this edition such a success,” said Simon Hansson Yu, Managing Director of Stelliers.
People remain the real luxury
The ceremony was supported by Title Partner NORDAQ, Silver Partner MJAI, PR Partner FINN Partners, and Media Partner PR Newswire, with Barons de Rothschild Champagne and Mouton Cadet as beverage partners, and JUMAstudio as a supporting partner.
Yet the more important message from Bangkok was not the sponsor board, the ballroom or even the trophies. It was the breadth of jobs being recognised.
A great hotel stay may begin with a general manager’s strategy, but it can just as easily be saved by an engineer, elevated by a housekeeper, protected by a security professional, sharpened by a revenue manager or remembered because a boat captain greeted a returning guest as though no time had passed.
Stelliers, established in 2014 and taking its name from “stellar” and “hotelier”, has built its proposition around that human machinery of hospitality. With Maison Stelliers now extending the conversation year-round, its 2026 Bangkok gathering was as much about community as competition.
Asia has no shortage of spectacular hotels.
What Stelliers Asia 2026 argued, rather convincingly, is that real luxury still walks through the staff entrance.
By: Kanda Limw – © 2026.
Read Time: 6 minutes.
Author Bio:
Kanda Limw is one of those rare people every office quietly depends on. She doesn’t fuss or fanfare her way through the day; she simply notices what needs doing and gets on with it, often before anyone else has drawn breath.
Years behind the scenes have taught her that good administration isn’t about control; it’s about care. Diaries align, tensions soften, loose ends disappear. When the day threatens to tilt, Kanda steadies it without drama.
There’s something reassuringly old-fashioned about her reliability. She listens properly, remembers the small things, and does what she says she will.
Kanda has no appetite for the spotlight. Yet ask anyone who works alongside her, and they’ll tell you that when she’s there, everything runs just a little smoother.
