Stelliers Asia 2026 Celebrates the Region's Leading Hoteliers at Grand Awards Ceremony in Bangkok

Honouring 25 outstanding hospitality professionals and celebrating the launch of Maison Stelliers, "a home for hoteliers, by hoteliers."

BANGKOK, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Stelliers, the leading hotelier awards platform dedicated to recognising hotel professionals across Asia, has named the 25 winners of Stelliers Asia 2026 at its Grand Awards Ceremony, held on Friday, September 25, 2026, at the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok.

Presented by NORDAQ, the award ceremony brought together hotel leaders, industry experts, finalists, and hospitality partners from across the region to celebrate the people who make memorable stays possible, from the teams guests meet to those who work behind the scenes.

Stelliers also launched Maison Stelliers at the ceremony, extending its mission beyond the annual awards. The new year-round community gives hotel professionals – from those starting out to those leading entire hotels – a place to connect across properties and borders, exchange ideas, discover opportunities and support one another's growth. Built around the belief that every role in hospitality matters, it aims to help hoteliers feel seen, valued and inspired to lead in their daily work.

"One year ago, we promised that Stelliers would continue to innovate how we support the people of hospitality," said Stéphane de Montgros, Co-Founder of Stelliers. "This year, we are delighted to announce the launch of Maison Stelliers – a home for hoteliers, by hoteliers – where the connection, recognition, and shared purpose at the heart of Stelliers can continue every day. Our driving purpose remains the same: to elevate hotel professionals – so they feel seen, valued, and inspired to lead."

Please click here to learn more about Maison Stelliers.

Stelliers Asia awardees went through a rigorous evaluation by a distinguished panel of experts, assessing candidates on their professional achievements, leadership skills, and impact on their properties, guests, and local communities.

Among this year's winners was Pornchai Savatsri, known as Captain Paul, who received the Unsung Hero of the Year award. For more than 25 years, the boat captain at The Peninsula Bangkok has welcomed guests on the Chao Phraya River, ferrying them between the hotel and the city's piers. Generations of returning guests know him for the warmth he brings to every journey.

Stelliers Asia 2026 Award Winners:

1. General Manager of the Year: Jean-Pierre Joncas, General Manager at Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort
2. Butler of the Year: Somporn Keaboot, Senior Reserve Host (Butler) at Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
3. Chef of the Year: Daniele Cason, Executive Chef at Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo
4. Concierge Hotelier of the Year: James Tiking, Concierge Service Leader at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu
5. CSR Hotelier of the Year: Dieter Ruckenbauer, Former General Manager at Le Méridien Bangkok
6. Engineering Hotelier of the Year: Boonchuay Kiatbidakul, Director of Engineering at Chiang Mai Marriott Hotel
7. Finance Hotelier of the Year: Nutthanont Arya, Multi-Property Director of Finance at Courtyard by Marriott Phuket Town & Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach
8. Food & Beverage Hotelier of the Year: Anusit Wisetkan, Director of Banquet at Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
9. Front Office Hotelier of the Year: Duangkamol Kongsuwan, Room Division Manager at Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort
10. Green Hotelier of the Year: Pisarn Karnjanavanich, Director of Engineering at Capella Bangkok
11. Hotel Manager / Resident Manager of the Year: Ian Ding, Resort Manager at Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
12. Housekeeping Hotelier of the Year: Naoaki Okamoto, Executive Housekeeper at Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills
13. Human Resources Hotelier of the Year: Dama Adhyatma, Director of Human Resources at Bvlgari Resort Bali
14. Hygiene & Food Safety Hotelier of the Year: Photcharapun Raksapakdee, Hygiene and Quality Assurance Manager at Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
15. Information Technology Hotelier of the Year: Joy Rodrigo, Senior Director of Technology Innovation & Data at Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi
16. Marketing & Communications Hotelier of the Year: Dan Schacter, Regional Director of Public Relations and Marketing at Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River
17. Mixologist of the Year: Chunyanuch Yodsuwan, Head Bartender at Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River
18. Owner of the Year: Eric Tan, Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Interhill Hospitality
19. Pastry Chef of the Year: Kevin Lee, Executive Pastry Chef at The St. Regis Jakarta
20. Revenue Management Hotelier of the Year: Ha Nguyen, Director of Revenue & E-commerce at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
21. Sales Hotelier of the Year: Christopher Kang, Director of Commercial Strategy at Mandarin Oriental, Singapore
22. Security Hotelier of the Year: Pongsathorn Chularat, Director of Loss Prevention at Capella Bangkok
23. Sommelier of the Year: Bella Jankaew, Head Sommelier at Swissôtel The Stamford
24. Unsung Hero of the Year: Pornchai Savatsri, Boat Captain at The Peninsula Bangkok
25. Wellness & Spa Hotelier of the Year: Evelien Louise Akerboom, Director of Equine at NIHI Sumba

More information on this year's winners can be found here.

Reflecting on this year's edition, Simon Hansson Yu, Managing Director of Stelliers, said, "Bringing Asia's hospitality community together in Bangkok to celebrate these hospitality heroes is a powerful reminder of what makes our industry so special. The remarkable talent across all categories continues to inspire us, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who made this edition such a success."

Stelliers Asia 2026 is supported by industry partners who share its commitment to celebrating hospitality professionals. This year's programme was made possible by Title Partner NORDAQ, Silver Partner MJAI, PR Partner FINN Partners, and Media Partner PR Newswire, alongside Beverage Partners Barons de Rothschild Champagne and Mouton Cadet, and Supporting Partner, JUMAstudio.

The Stelliers Asia 2026 ceremony ended by guests celebrating the winners and reconnecting with peers across the region. Maison Stelliers will carry that spirit forward, giving hoteliers a way to stay connected, share knowledge and support one another beyond the annual awards.

About Stelliers Asia
Established in 2014, Stelliers is the leading hotelier awards platform dedicated to recognising the people of the hotel industry across Asia and Greater China. Derived from the words "stellar" and "hotelier", Stelliers celebrates the people behind the scenes – those who make unforgettable guest experiences possible.

At the heart of Stelliers is a mission to elevate every hotel professional – so they feel seen, valued, and inspired to lead. Through a rigorous judging process and regional awards ceremonies, Stelliers provides a platform for professional recognition and industry-wide inspiration, ensuring that hoteliers receive the acknowledgement and encouragement they deserve.

Please visit www.stelliers.com for more information.

About Maison Stelliers
Guided by our Just Cause to elevate every hotel professional so they feel seen, valued, and inspired to lead, Maison Stelliers extends the spirit of Stelliers beyond the awards. Created as a home for hoteliers, by hoteliers, it is a community where hospitality professionals can connect, learn, recharge, grow, and belong across properties, functions, brands, and borders. Every day.

Please visit www.stelliers.com/maison-stelliers for more information.

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Stelliers Asia 2026 Celebrates the Region's Leading Hoteliers at Grand Awards Ceremony in Bangkok

Dr. Drew Feng shares findings showing no propagation to adjacent modules or cabinets, with no sprinkler activation during the test.

SINGAPORE, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ampace, a provider of advanced lithium-ion energy storage solutions, today presented results from a large-scale fire test (LSFT) of its PU100 UPS battery system at Data Centre World Asia 2026. In a conference presentation titled "LSFT for UPS Battery System: Last Key Piece toward Ultimate Safety," Dr. Drew Feng examined evolving fire safety requirements and shared findings from Ampace's testing.

Under the tested conditions, thermal runaway remained confined to the initiating module, with no propagation to adjacent modules or target cabinets. No sprinklers activated during the test, the fire self-extinguished after approximately 40 minutes, and no re-ignition was observed during the subsequent 24-hour observation period.

Assessing Safety Beyond the Initiating Module

For data center operators, battery fire safety depends not only on reducing the likelihood of failure, but also on limiting its consequences if thermal runaway occurs. Large-scale fire testing evaluates how an event develops and whether fire spreads to surrounding equipment under defined installation conditions.

Dr. Feng's presentation examined the installation-level LSFT provisions in the sixth edition of UL 9540A and the importance of evaluating fire propagation, thermal exposure and re-ignition. It also highlighted how battery design and installation layout influence the outcome of a severe fire event.

Testing Under Dense Installation Conditions

Ampace tested the PU100 in a configuration representative of dense data center installations. The setup included a 3-meter ceiling height, zero side-by-side cabinet clearance, 20-millimeter back-to-back clearance and 850-millimeter face-to-face clearance. All cabinets were at 100% state of charge.

Heaters initiated thermal runaway in the trigger module, which was then ignited to establish sustained combustion. The test tracked fire development, propagation and sprinkler activation, followed by observation for re-ignition and post-test teardown analysis.

The results presented included:

• No thermal runaway propagation to adjacent modules and no fire spread to target cabinets.
• No sprinkler activation throughout the test.
• Self-extinguishment after approximately 40 minutes and no re-ignition during the following 24 hours.
• No burning debris escaping the cabinet.
• Wall temperature rise below 80°C and ceiling steel beam temperature below 250°C.

According to Ampace's comparison presented at the conference, the test met the UL 9540A sixth-edition LSFT criteria assessed and demonstrated additional margins on several measures. These included wall temperature rise below the cited 97°C limit and ceiling steel beam temperature below the cited 538°C limit. The 24-hour observation also extended beyond the 12-hour re-ignition period referenced in the presentation, with no sprinkler activation during the test.

Safety Engineered at Module and Cabinet Levels

Designed to support dynamic AI workloads and reliable backup power, the PU100 incorporates multiple layers of protection. These include all-metal module and cabinet enclosures, ceramic thermal insulation in the modules, high-voltage box and cabinet, and thermal barriers designed to limit fire propagation.

Post-test teardown provided further evidence of containment. Modules adjacent to the initiating module showed no thermal runaway and retained normal voltage readings of 53.2 V. The initiating cabinet showed discoloration but no significant structural damage or collapse, while the adjacent cabinet retained its mechanical integrity and was reported to remain operational.

Dr. Feng brings extensive experience in battery safety standards development to this work. He recently became the first expert from China's lithium-ion battery industry to receive the UL Standards Outstanding Contribution Award and was also awarded the TC Members Five-Year Honorary Medal. As a voting member of UL technical committees, he has contributed to the development of 19 UL standards, including UL 9540 and UL 9540A, which are directly relevant to energy storage system safety and thermal runaway fire propagation testing.

By sharing the test configuration, measured results and teardown findings, Ampace aims to give data center operators and infrastructure partners a clearer basis for evaluating UPS battery fire safety. Combining practical testing with active participation in standards development, the company continues to advance battery systems that support dependable backup power and limit the impact of thermal runaway.

** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **

Ampace Presents PU100 Large-Scale Fire Test Results at Data Centre World Asia 2026

Ampace Presents PU100 Large-Scale Fire Test Results at Data Centre World Asia 2026