International hospitality veteran Audra Arul will drive revenue generation and brand engagement for integrated resort destination, including SAii Lagoon Maldives and Hard Rock Hotel Maldives.
MALÉ, MALDIVES – CROSSROADS Maldives, the country’s largest integrated leisure and lifestyle destination developed and operated by S Hotels and Resorts, has announced the appointment of Audra Arul as Cluster Director of Sales and Marketing for the complex, with responsibilities encompassing its two newly opened hotels: SAii Lagoon Maldives, a Curio Collection by Hilton, and Hard Rock Hotel Maldives.
Audra Arul comes to CROSSROADS Maldives to continue a successful career which has focused on hotel sales and marketing with internationally recognised hospitality companies such as Accor, Marriott, Hyatt, and most recently, with Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts. In her new role, Ms. Arul will be responsible for the overall commercial objectives of CROSSROADS Maldives and the two resorts, including achieving goals in revenue generation, yield management and brand engagement.
“We are delighted to welcome Ms. Audra Arul to the CROSSROADS Maldives family in her new position as Cluster Director of Sales and Marketing. With her dedication and proven track record in leading sales transformation and revenue acceleration, her focus on commercial execution and innovative brand strategies, we have no doubt that she and her team will succeed in delivering growth to CROSSROADS Maldives,” said Thiti Thongbejamas, Chief Operating Officer of CROSSROADS Maldives.
An international hospitality veteran with more than two decades of experience, Ms. Arul began her career journey by establishing a solid track record in hotel sales for various local and international hotel management companies, including Hyatt and Marriott, in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. After ten successful years, Ms. Arul relocated to Bali, Indonesia, joining Accor in her capacity as Director of Sales and Marketing for Le Meridien Nirwana Golf and Spa. A year into this role, her duties expanded and overlapped with concurrent pre-opening responsibilities for another Le Meridien property, located on Hainan Island in southern China. In the next several years, she subsequently pursued further hotel commercial challenges, with successive successful stints in Director of Sales and Marketing roles in Hanoi, Vietnam, Yangon, Myanmar and Phuket Thailand.
In 2016, Ms. Arul joined Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts as Area Director of Sales and Marketing based in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. After two years, she then relished the challenge of relocating out of Asia and moved to northern Africa, assuming the position of Director of Sales and Marketing for Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay, Morocco.
“It is a thrilling privilege to be in a position to tell the world about CROSSROADS Maldives, truly one of the world’s most unique and incredibly beautiful destinations. I am beyond excited to share the myriad charms and diverse attractions of our two stunning resorts, SAii Lagoon Maldives and Hard Rock Hotel Maldives, with our friends in the global travel industry and to contribute to the success of the overall resort. I am grateful to the CROSSROADS Maldives family for this opportunity,” said Ms. Arul.
Nestled within the idyllic Kaafu Atoll and the Emboodhoo Lagoon, CROSSROADS Maldives is the country’s game-changing, first and only multi-island integrated resort. Eventually envisioned as a lifestyle destination comprised of a total of nine islands, CROSSROADS Maldives has already generated worldwide media buzz with the opening of its first two islands in late 2019. The first island features the 198-key SAii Lagoon Maldives resort, which also marked the debut of Curio Collection by Hilton in South East Asia. The second island features the 178-key Hard Rock Hotel Maldives, the brand’s first Maldivian outpost.
Centrally located within the lagoon and directly accessible to both island resorts is The Marina @ CROSSROADS, a 30-berth yachting marina and vibrant lifestyle district with extensive retail, food & beverage and events and entertainment facilities, including the Maldives’ first and only Hard Rock Café and Café del Mar. The PADI-certified Watersports & Dive Center provides regular excursions and private tours into the underwater world. The Marine Discovery Centre teach guests about the resort’s extensive conservation activities, including a Junior Coral Curator program and clownfish release initiatives, and the Maldives Discovery Centre will showcase the country’s captivating culture via art exhibits and cultural events. The Marina @ CROSSROADS also houses the Crossroads Event Hall, which can be accessed directly from both SAii Lagoon Maldives and Hard Rock Café Maldives via a footbridge. The first dedicated conference centre in the Maldives, this state-of-the-art facility will provide options for all types of business functions, whether it be large-scale corporate events or innovative team building breaks.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
