Scott Hodgetts appointed General Manager of Starwood’s New Nha Trang Hotel

Two years after leaving Vietnam for a stint as general manager of the Sheraton Bandung Hotel and Towers in Indonesia, Scott Hodgetts has returned to launch the 281-room Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel and Spa.

The 30-storey tower on the Bay of Nha Trang is expected to open in July 2009.

“So much of the spotlight in recent years has focused on what’s happening in Danang, and what’s been going on in Mui Ne,” said Hodgetts. “Nha Trang, with its rightful claim as the most beautiful bay in Vietnam, its proximity to Saigon and its depth of cultural assets, is on the verge of a major comeback.”

In his first Vietnam post, Hodgetts worked three-and-a-half years at the Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers, initially as the hotel’s operations manager and then as the executive assistant manager.

The Australian kicked off his hospitality career with Sheraton as an accountant at the company’s Hobart hotel, and subsequently rose through the ranks with additional postings in Australia, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong and New Zealand. He only relinquished his focus on financial analysis when he made the jump to EAM in Saigon. But he reckons his background as a controller is ever more important these days.

“With the global economy in the midst of unprecedented turmoil, there’s very little predictability to the coming year. But we’ve found reason to be sanguine in Nha Trang,” said Hodgetts. “Within a country that still enjoys a reputation as a ‘new’ destination, Nha Trang is one of the next best discoveries for travelers.”

With towers in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the Nha Trang hotel stands as the Sheraton’s third property in Vietnam. Its eight categories of accommodation range from deluxe rooms to 70 square-meter executive suites and a single, 182-square-meter presidential suite. Its food-and-beverage outlets include Feast, a 180-seat international buffet; Steam n’ Spice, an upmarket, 102-seat dim sum and noodle restaurant; the Wine Bar and a deli.

For business and leisure travelers alike, the hotel’s full-service spa offers nine treatment rooms, as well as separate locker rooms for men and women, each with steam, sauna and whirlpool. The 21-meter lap pool will be complemented by a children’s pool. And a state-of-the-art health club is shaping up as Nha Trang’s most ambitious fitness center.

Given the proximity to Ho Chi Minh City by air (45 minutes), the hotel anticipates robust business traffic.

The Sheraton’s nine meetings rooms - including a ballroom and an equally large function room - open up to 1,600 square meters. The Executive Club Lounge will also offer ocean views. 

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