Marriott International has appointed Sander Looijen as Market Vice President for Vietnam, effective June 22, 2026, placing the long-serving hospitality executive in charge of one of the company’s fastest-growing markets worldwide.
Based in Ho Chi Minh City, Looijen will oversee Marriott’s operations across Vietnam, including a portfolio of 32 hotels and resorts comprising more than 9,900 rooms under 11 brands. He will also help guide the company’s continued expansion, with more than 50 projects currently in the development pipeline.
The appointment comes as Vietnam continues to play an increasingly important role in Marriott’s Asia Pacific growth strategy. Managing both an established hotel portfolio and a substantial pipeline will require operational leadership, owner engagement and experience in bringing new properties to market.
Looijen brings more than 25 years of hospitality experience across Asia Pacific. Since joining Marriott International as a management trainee in 2001, he has held leadership positions spanning food and beverage, hotel management and regional operations.
Most recently, he served as Area General Manager for Bali (Premium & Select Properties), overseeing a portfolio of 22 hotels and resorts while leading the opening of eight new hotels. Earlier in his career, he held General Manager positions in Thailand, Hong Kong and Indonesia, and also served as Area Director of Operations for South Korea.
A graduate of the Hotel Management School Maastricht in the Netherlands, Looijen was appointed Marriott’s Director of Restaurants & Bars for Asia Pacific in 2012 before taking on his first General Manager role at Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa in 2015. During his tenure there, he received Marriott’s General Manager of the Year – Asia Pacific award in 2017.
His background in multi-property operations and hotel openings aligns with Marriott’s continued investment in Vietnam, where branded hospitality continues to expand across both urban and resort destinations.
Looijen’s appointment also reflects Marriott International’s long-standing focus on internal leadership development, having progressed through the company over more than two decades from trainee to senior regional executive.
With responsibility for 32 operating hotels and resorts and one of Marriott’s largest development pipelines in Asia Pacific, Looijen will lead the company’s next phase of growth in Vietnam while supporting operational performance across its expanding portfolio.
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