JW Marriott Seoul has named veteran hotelier Matthew Cooper as its new general manager, the hotel said on Monday.

Starting as a banquet waiter in Australia, Cooper has built a professional career in hospitality of 16 years with Marriott International.

He previously served as the general manager in India at Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield and at Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon.

He has been involved in the preopening stages of several hotels and was awarded the Marriott International “Prestigious Global General Manager of the Year 2010.”

In the same year, the hotel he assisted was awarded Marriott International’s “Global Best Opening Hotel.”

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)