News & insights / Case studies / 12.06.26

Treat Staff Fairly: New World Saigon Hotel

Ly Anh Tuan, Hotel Manager at New World Saigon Hotel, can easily sum up the hotel’s perspective on people management. "Hospitality is fundamentally a business of people. When team members feel respected, supported and treated fairly, they are more engaged and motivated to deliver genuine service experiences,” he says. “Supporting employees strengthens team culture by building trust and belonging. It also directly impacts the guest experience, because engaged colleagues create warmer interactions, better service consistency and stronger problem-solving. From a business perspective, investing in people improves retention, productivity and long-term operational performance.”

Supporting teams at New World Saigon Hotel

Tuan talks us through what this looks like in practice at the hotel.

Fair compensation and benefits. “We maintain salary and benefits policies that are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure compliance with legal requirements and alignment with market benchmarks,” he says. “Our compensation framework is supported by a structured salary and benefits grid based on position, person and performance (3P) principles, ensuring fairness, transparency and merit-based decisions, rather than favouritism.”
Learning and development. Career development is too often overlooked in hospitality, but it plays a vital role in retention and motivation. “We invest in continuous learning by providing not only technical training aligned with job requirements, but also service mindset development, business knowledge enhancement, and competency-building programmes that support long-term career progression,” Tuan says. Furthermore, internal promotion opportunities are actively encouraged and strengthened through leadership development initiatives. The hotel has also put systems in place for cross-exposure, providing valuable opportunities for employees to learn from other people and properties. “Over the past two years, one of our key initiatives has been providing international exposure opportunities by sending associates to learn at sister properties in other countries, alongside promoting cross-training across sections and departments,” he explains. “These experiences broaden perspectives, strengthen capabilities and better prepare associates for future growth opportunities within the organisation.”
Diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity practices. The hotel has policies and management systems in place to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) across the organisation, ensuring equal opportunities for all associates. “We support this through regular training and refresher programmes on topics such as unconscious bias, power dynamics and allyship to foster a more inclusive workplace,” says Tuan. “We also organise awareness and engagement initiatives, including Pride Month activities, celebrations of International Women’s Day and Men’s Day, and educational sharing on LGBTQ+ topics. These efforts help us strengthen a workplace culture where everyone feels respected, valued and empowered to contribute.”

Communicating this approach to the team takes several forms. Detailed staff handbooks are uploaded to the hotel’s online learning platform, where all associates are required to review and acknowledge them. “Our onboarding programmes also include sharing the Rosewood Impact vision and strategy, along with New World Saigon Hotel’s key initiatives,” he says. Policies and initiatives are reinforced through regularly scheduled departmental and leadership meetings, employee engagement surveys and follow-up discussions, ensuring consistent understanding and alignment across the organisation.

The biggest challenge is ensuring fairness and consistency across different departments and shifts. “We address this through leadership development, regular listening channels, transparent communication, and data-driven employee feedback to understand where improvements are needed,” says Tuan.

Reaping the benefits

Tuan is clear that this people-first approach has led to positive impacts across team engagement, retention, operations — even improving the guest experience. “New World Saigon Hotel has consistently achieved strong employee engagement results, reflecting a positive workplace culture and sustained investment in our people,” he says. “Based on surveys by Gallup (2017–2024) and Mercer (2025), our engagement performance has remained well above internal and global benchmarks. In 2025, Mercer reported an exceptional employee engagement score of 99%, demonstrating a highly committed workforce and a culture built on trust, openness and involvement.”

He also points to the property’s strong retention performance, with an average monthly turnover rate of 1.4% over the past three years — significantly below the industry benchmark of 2%. “This stability strengthens teamwork, operational consistency and service quality.”

Most importantly, he shares, the connection between employee experience and guest experience is clear. “In 2025, we achieved a 97.5 TrustYou score, reflecting strong guest satisfaction. New World Saigon Hotel was also recognised among the Top 10 Best City Hotels in Vietnam by DestinAsian Readers’ Choice Awards 2025 and received the Traveller Review Award 2026 from Booking.com — reinforcing that when people feel valued and supported, guests feel the difference, too.”

Treating staff fairly: advice for Other hospitality leaders

The team at New World Saigon Hotel believes that building a strong workplace culture starts with leadership, genuine listening and transparent communication. “Leaders play a critical role in shaping the employee experience by listening to their teams, communicating openly, recognising contributions and consistently investing in people’s growth and wellbeing,” Tuan says. “We strongly value transparency within the team, as it helps build trust, encourages collaboration and creates a sense of belonging among employees.”

He also points to the importance of having the right type of leaders in place in order to build a positive, nurturing and supportive environment. “Workplace culture is not built by policies alone; it is shaped by the daily interactions and experiences employees have with their leaders and colleagues,” he says. “Strong cultures are created when leaders model the values they expect from others and demonstrate them through everyday actions. Creating an environment where employees feel respected, heard and supported is essential to building strong, happy teams and a positive workplace culture.”

To support the long-term success of both individual businesses and the wider industry, Tuan also believes it’s extremely important for hospitality businesses to invest in and mentor the next generation entering the workforce. “Hospitality is a people-driven industry that relies on future talent. Investing in young professionals through internships, structured learning, coaching, and mentorship helps develop future leaders while bringing fresh perspectives and innovation into the business. Creating meaningful career opportunities also strengthens the industry's long-term sustainability.”

Looking at the bigger picture of Vietnam's hospitality industry, he says that greater government support and stronger collaboration between educational institutions and hospitality businesses in talent development, skills training and industry-academic partnerships would bring significant long-term benefits to the hospitality sector.

Food Made Good at New World Saigon Hotel

The team at New World Saigon Hotel signed up to the Food Made Good Standard in 2025, completing their first evaluation with an impressive two stars. “The Food Made Good Standard aligned naturally with our ongoing commitment to sustainability and responsible hospitality. We care deeply about the environment, actively support local farmers and locally sourced products whenever possible, and strive to contribute positively to the community through our operations and partnerships. Sustainability has been a key focus driving many of our decisions across the Food & Beverage division,” says Tuan. “The process provided a valuable opportunity to review our practices more holistically, recognising our strengths while identifying areas for continuous improvement.”

He shares that the team was impressed by the holistic nature of the Standard. “Sustainability in F&B goes beyond sourcing and environmental initiatives; it is also about people. How we support, develop and treat our associates fairly plays an equally important role in building a truly sustainable business for the long term.”

So, how has the Standard impacted operations at New World Saigon? “The assessment provided meaningful insights and a structured framework to guide continuous improvement. It also encouraged meaningful discussions within our team and reinforced the importance of balancing environmental responsibility, community engagement and employee wellbeing as part of a sustainable hospitality culture,” he says.

“It reinforced areas where we are performing well while highlighting opportunities to strengthen sustainability efforts further. The process encouraged stronger cross-functional collaboration and helped embed sustainability considerations more deeply into daily operations. Beyond operational improvements, it also strengthened team awareness and engagement by helping employees understand how their work contributes to broader sustainability goals.”

Tuan wraps up with the assertion that New World Saigon is far from finished on its sustainability journey. “We are proud of the recognition of the Food Made Good Standard, but we see it as encouragement to continue improving rather than a final destination.” Current focus areas for the team include strengthening employee wellbeing initiatives, enhancing learning and career development opportunities and using employee feedback more actively to shape workplace improvements. "Moving forward, we will continue investing in leadership capability and engagement initiatives, specifically in creating an environment where employees feel respected, supported and empowered.”

“[Food Made Good] provided meaningful insights and a structured framework to guide continuous improvement. […] It reinforced areas where we are performing well while highlighting opportunities to strengthen sustainability efforts further. The process encouraged stronger cross-functional collaboration and helped embed sustainability considerations more deeply into daily operations. Beyond operational improvements, it also strengthened team awareness and engagement by helping employees understand how their work contributes to broader sustainability goals.”

Learn more about New World Saigon Hotel on their website.  

Our goal in sharing case studies from our Food Made Good network is to help you discover new actions you can take in your own business. If you’re looking for further inspiration, don't miss our 2026-27 global sustainability insights report, "Hospitality Rising: Global Challenges, Local Solutions”. Exploring the latest trends and influences shaping the sector, it’s packed with examples of smart sustainability initiatives from businesses of all shapes and sizes across the world. Download your copy here!   

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All images courtesy of New World Saigon.