Stephen O’Grady, the General Manager of the luxurious and award winning five star hotel, The Caravelle Hotel, has been awarded the ‘Ho Chi Minh City Medal’ for outstanding achievement to the citizens of Ho Chi Minh City by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee.
Selected from the numerous nominees, Stephen O’Grady, a British national, was recognized for his exceptional contribution to the hospitality industry of Vietnam- through innovative management and quality service provision. He is the first foreign national to receive this award.
Since his arrival in Vietnam, Stephen O’Grady has applied his 24 years of experience in the hospitality industry to effectively cultivate his own service culture at the The Caravelle Hotel, during which time the hotel has seen both its average room rates and its occupancy levels increase exponentially.
Leading a 400-strong team of well-trained and motivated individuals, Stephen O’Grady is acknowledged by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee to be the industry leader in sustaining high staff morale, nurturing growth and fostering potential for employees future well-being through ongoing training. The award also distinguishes his accomplishment for making the Caravelle the premier luxury hotel for two years running.
The historic 335-room Caravelle Hotel, which is generally acknowledged to be the best hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, is located on Lam Son Square, right in the heart of the business, shopping and nightlife district of Ho Chi Minh City and overlooking the historic Opera House.
Opened on Christmas Eve 1959, the hotel was the trusted accommodation of foreign businessmen, dignitaries, ministries, and in particular, the Australian foreign ministries. For many foreign correspondents, this was also the official news headquarters for them. They gathered and exchanged news right here at Caravelle before the hotel was renamed Doc Lap Hotel after the Vietnam war.
Following a substantial renovation completed in 1998, its spacious rooms and suites have state of the art facilities including in-room fax machines and satellite TV. However the team of architects, led by top hotel designer Hirsh Bedner, have preserved the charm of the original
Caravelle.
Facilities include an outdoor rooftop swimming pool, one of the city’s best fitness clubs, and the Saigon Saigon jazz bar with al fresco terrace which is the city’s most popular meeting spot. The hotel’s restaurants, which include Asian Reflections, the leading Asian and fusion restaurant in the city, are also popular with resident expatriates as well as hotel guests.
The Hotel is managed by Hong Kong based Furama Hotels & Resorts Internatonal, which also operates the Furama Resort
Danang.
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