Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai and Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle have announced the appointment of Ivan Giles as General Manager of both properties, marking a new chapter for these addresses nestled among the rice paddies and mountains of northern Thailand.
An international career built across the Americas and Asia
With more than twenty years of experience in international hospitality, Ivan Giles arrives in northern Thailand from the Four Seasons Resort Langkawi in Malaysia, where he served as General Manager and led the property through a significant period of growth and transformation.
Born and raised in Mexico, Ivan Giles began his hospitality career close to home, holding roles in Acapulco, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta and Cancún. He joined Four Seasons in Costa Rica in 2004, the starting point of a career path that would take him from Lanai, Hawaii, to the Maldives, where he held leadership positions at Kuda Huraa, Landaa Giraavaru, Four Seasons Explorer and the private island of Voavah. Throughout this journey, food and beverage has remained a constant thread, alongside a growing focus on team development and creating memorable guest experiences.
Langkawi: a tenure marked by repositioning and Michelin recognition
Ivan Giles returned to the Four Seasons Resort Langkawi as General Manager, having previously served there as Resort Manager from 2015 to 2017. During this tenure, he led the resort’s repositioning within the luxury leisure segment, oversaw an extensive villa renovation programme, and guided the team to record commercial performance, culminating in the property’s recognition with two Michelin Keys.
A management approach centred on human connection
Ivan Giles’ leadership style is hands-on and approachable, shaped by several years working closely with teams in intimate resort settings. Whether with guests, colleagues or the local community, he believes the most memorable experiences stem from genuine human connection.
The move from the shores of Langkawi to the rice paddies and mountains of Chiang Mai marks a change of scenery, though Ivan Giles has found an unexpected familiarity with his native Mexico there. He said that guests, teams and the surrounding community sit at the heart of Four Seasons, and that Chiang Mai holds something very special: surrounded by mountains and rice fields and deeply connected to Lanna culture, the property has a rhythm all of its own. He added that he hopes to preserve what regular guests already value about the destination, while finding new ways for guests to connect with the culture, community and people that make northern Thailand so distinctive.
An expanded mandate at the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle
Ivan Giles said he is equally enthusiastic about leading the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, a destination he describes as one of a kind. He explained that the Camp offers a completely different experience — adventurous, authentic and deeply connected to its environment — and said it is a place where guests can slow down, reconnect with nature and discover another side of northern Thailand in a truly meaningful way.
This dual appointment forms part of a broader pattern of internal leadership mobility at Four Seasons, with the group regularly drawing on internal talent with deep knowledge of its corporate culture to lead its most iconic properties, as part of its wider global development strategy.
A new role rooted in listening
As he settles into northern Thailand, Ivan Giles has set out a simple goal: to listen, connect and build on the sense of place that has long defined the Resort, while writing a new chapter alongside its teams and the surrounding community.
Ivan Giles said he hopes guests will leave feeling more connected — connected to the destination, to the people they met, and perhaps even to themselves — adding that these are the experiences that stay with people long after they return home.
At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
Ivan Giles named General Manager of Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai and Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle
Appointment: General Manager, dual mandate over two properties in Northern Thailand
Previous role: General Manager, Four Seasons Resort Langkawi, Malaysia (since 2022)
Experience: 20+ years in international luxury hospitality across the Americas and Asia
Career path: Mexico, Costa Rica (Four Seasons since 2004), Hawaii, Maldives, Malaysia
Langkawi legacy: Repositioned the resort in the luxury leisure segment, led a major villa renovation programme, achieved two Michelin Keys
Focus: People-centred leadership and deeper community connection in Northern Thailand
