Source: Aryaduta Hotel Group

A respected name in Indonesian hospitality, Aryaduta Hotel Group, is currently undergoing a bold and vigorous transformation that includes corporate rebranding and renovations amongst its nine existing properties while adding five hotels and two lifestyle clubs to its portfolio in the coming 18 months with further in development.

Leading the charge with what Aryaduta executives say is an uncompromising revamp of its service and product standards, operations, food and beverage concepts, and the implementation of a paperless, cloudbased management system, is pedigree hotelier, Anthony Ross. A Melbourne native and respected hotel industry executive, Anthony made the recent move to Jakarta from Preferred Hotels & Resorts where he held the Executive Vice President position for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. Before that, he acted as Area General Manager for Swire Hotels in China.

"It is an exciting time to be working in Indonesia and for the Lippo Group, as they ready themselves to further invest in the hospitality business so that it assumes the leadership position enjoyed by their hospitals, malls and property developments," said Anthony.

"And my role is made even more gratifying with such a polished executive team that includes CFO, Sunil Ithikatt, our VP for Sales and Marketing, Dorinda Chua, and VP of Human Resources, Jahja, who joins us from the talent acquisition and development team at Lippo Karawaci."

Originally hailing from India and now a US citizen, Sunil spent over 20 years with Marriott International in USA, Europe and Asia, his final position being Senior Director of Finance Operations for International Hotels in Marriott headquarters.

Born in Jakarta and relocating to New Zealand in her youth, Dorinda was Assistant Vice President for Global Sales at Dusit International and assumed the same title and role as Director of Sales and Marketing in Asia Pacific for both Starwood and Marriott.

As Group Director of Operations, German national Sebastian Goldmann, honed his skills over a decade with hotel management stints in Indonesia, China and the Middle East while Group Director of Food and Beverage, Robert Cunningham, brings more than invaluable experience and food concepts to the table. Working in executive chef roles in swish dining venues from Sydney to London, the Australian's cooking credentials include Zest in Sydney, Rive in Melbourne and East Hotel in Beijing where he teamed up with his then and now boss, Anthony Ross.

After graduating from the University of Oregon, Group Director of Marketing Communications, Elisabeth Winiartati went on to secure key digital marketing positions in the USA before moving back to the Indonesian capital where she acted as Account Director for Cohn & Wolfe. And implementing revenue management strategies is Angga Sarahq Putra, Group Director of Revenue Management who joins Aryaduta from Unity Hospitality Management where he held a similar title after a position with Shangri-La hotels.

A Bali native, I Nyoman Sutanaya, has assumed the position of Group Director of Technical Services following a healthy career run throughout the region including W resort in Koh Samui, Thailand and Park Hyatt in Siam Reap, Cambodia. And bringing the "new" Aryaduta to life is Group Director of Design Development, Dharmawan Diani, who divided his architecture career between New Zealand and Indonesia for the past 15 years. Working as Design Architect for Auckland based Walker Architects and Head of Project Architect & Project Management for Lippo Karawaci has given Dharmawan the conceptual skill set to integrate design and sustainability for a new kind of guest experience.

"Aryaduta was one of the iconic names in Indonesian hospitality barely a generation ago so that's the idea, to rekindle that spirit as one of the most distinct and inspiring lodging offerings in the country, and I might add beyond, along with diverse and entertaining concepts fashioned for the Y Generation as well as that interesting demographic of travelers today who blur the lines between business and pleasure," said Anthony.

"So take those notions and add the distinction of classic-contemporary Indonesia in the mix and you get the 'new' Aryaduta that I am talking about… and heh, not to mention the launch of a sister hotel brand that we'll tell you about soon enough."

About Aryaduta

Since 1976, Aryaduta Hotels, the Indonesian-based hospitality arm of Lippo Group, has been a name synonymous with classic Indonesian hospitality, providing authentic experiences and excellent service standards at its nine distinct hotels in eight cities throughout the Indonesian archipelago. The recognized hotel group is today managed by a global team of hospitality professionals committed to revitalizing the Aryaduta brand and taking its Indonesian blend of hospitality beyond its borders for a planned regional expansion. In 2017, the group will furthermore launch its second hotel brand, Dali by Aryaduta, as well as contemporary dining concepts with brand traits developed in conjunction with celebrated Indonesian artists and designers.