Minor Hotels has announced the appointment of Winston Gong as General Manager of Avani Kota Kinabalu, ahead of the hotel’s scheduled opening in Q2 2026. The appointment comes as the property enters its final pre-opening phase and accelerates preparations across operations, commercial strategy, and guest experience delivery.
Winston Gong joins Avani Kota Kinabalu with extensive international hospitality leadership experience spanning Australia, Asia, and the Middle East. His career includes multiple hotel openings, operational turnarounds, and performance-driven commercial leadership roles. He has been recognised for driving revenue and profit growth, strengthening brand standards, improving guest satisfaction, and managing complex owner and stakeholder relationships across both city and resort properties.
Most recently, Gong served as General Manager of Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay, where he led year-on-year performance growth and market share gains while reinforcing brand standards and strengthening owner alignment. His previous senior leadership roles include Holiday Inn Sydney St Marys and Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, where he also oversaw several pre-opening and renovation projects.
In his new role, Gong will lead end-to-end operations for the 352-key Avani Kota Kinabalu, including 22 suites, alongside the hotel’s diversified food and beverage portfolio and meetings facilities. Integrated within The Logg mixed-use development in Luyang, the hotel is positioned to serve both leisure and corporate demand, offering proximity to retail and dining and approximately 13 minutes’ drive from Kota Kinabalu International Airport.
Commenting on his appointment, Winston Gong, General Manager of Avani Kota Kinabalu, said:
“I’m excited to join Avani Kota Kinabalu at a pivotal moment. The priority is clear: deliver consistent service excellence, sharpen our commercial focus, and build a high-performance culture that creates standout guest experiences and strong returns for our stakeholders.”
Avani Kota Kinabalu will feature a Chinese restaurant with an adjoining Tea Room showcasing regional flavours, an all-day dining venue serving international cuisine, a lobby lounge, and a SEEN Rooftop Bar, as well as a rooftop infinity pool, 24-hour gym, and four meeting rooms.
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