W Coffee Talk Lars Kerfin, GM Le Méridien Saigon: “Competition is a great motivation to perform better and stronger”

As Ho Chi Minh City emerges as Southeast Asia’s next luxury travel hub, industry leaders are no longer just participants; they’re shaping the future of high-end hospitality.

At the forefront is Le Méridien Saigon, with its bold vision to become a true F&B destination. In this edition of W Coffee Talk, we speak with Mr. Lars Kerfin, General Manager, to explore the city’s untapped potential, evolving traveler expectations, and how local identity and talent are driving the next chapter of luxury.

Having managed several properties across the region, how would you assess Ho Chi Minh City’s potential to become a leading luxury destination in Southeast Asia?

Ho Chi Minh City has great potential and with some of the ongoing developments and a thriving restaurant and bar scene it has every opportunity to become even more attractive to luxury travelers. 

In recent years, how have the behaviors and expectations of high-end travelers to Ho Chi Minh City evolved? And how is your hotel adapting to meet these changing demands?

The focus is really on delivering unique and personalized experiences. The one-size-fits-all approach and mainstream offers are not good enough to build excitement and loyalty. Companies have to use their resources better to create an individualized experience. The focus on localization and sustainability has increased significantly, especially from the luxury market.

We are adapting to this in different ways, for example with an internationally recognized sustainability certification from Green Globe, which we were awarded for the first time last year. Our food and beverage offerings now place stronger emphasis on local sourcing and regional identity. For example just recently we are now launching our new cocktail menu at our popular BARSON bar, each cocktail features a strong story and connection to the various districts of Saigon.

Ho Chi Minh City is positioning itself as a MICE and high-end urban tourism hub. In your view, what are the city's key advantages, and what barriers must be addressed to turn this vision into reality?

Ho Chi Minh City is a vibrant city and combines an amazing city center with modern, eye-catching buildings, with the charm of historic storytelling residential houses and shops. The Saigon River adds another layer of allure and opens up new opportunities for activities. So, it has a great mix of history, activity and future dynamics. The local culture embraces hospitality and friendliness.

A key barrier remains easy accessibility through flight connections and visa restrictions or processes. Current access through Tan Son Nhat International Airport and its immigration processes is a significant point of friction for many travelers. Enhancement of e-gates and simplified visa processes would make our destination more attractive.  

Ballroom

Premier King Bed

Presidential Suite

Club Lounge

While Ho Chi Minh City boasts a vibrant high-end hospitality ecosystem and a dynamic workforce, it still seems to lack luxury experiences rooted in authentic local identity. As a leader with a clear F&B vision, do you think crafting a “Vietnamese-infused luxury” experience is achievable, and where should it begin?

I absolutely support this and in a combined effort this is achievable. The current riverside is under-utilized and has the potential to develop some great high-profile events combining the city with its river.

You’ve previously shared your ambition to establish Le Méridien Saigon as a true “F&B destination” in the city. How is that vision currently being realized?

You have to keep the focus on building a team that is passionate about creating experiences around F&B and not just serving meals.

Our Michelin-starred Akuna restaurant has certainly been a key cornerstone of this vision, but our BARSON Bar & Lounge is also contributing through high-quality offerings in a beautiful atmosphere.

But as I mentioned, we have a strong focus on having passionate people in place leading this, no matter if this is Chef Sam in Akuna with his boundary-pushing experience, Sommelier Huyen, one of the very few local Sommeliers that has achieved a WSET 3 certification and is working on WSET 4, our award-winning BARSON mixologist Solomon, having just won a national competition or Executive Chef Cong, being awarded the title of Chef of the Year last year thanks to his creative and high quality approach… just to name a few. And we do not stop there – we’re continuously growing our talents and looking for new ones.

Chef Sam Aisbett

One-starred Michelin Restaurant - AKUNA

How do you expect the local culinary scene to evolve after the Michelin Guide 2025 awards ceremony in Vietnam?

Vietnam is very competitive. And competition is a great motivation to perform better and stronger.

I believe Michelin is an inspiration for many and will encourage more establishments to rise to the challenge, creating extraordinary experiences in Vietnam for current and future culinary explorers. 

Leading a multicultural team comes with both opportunities and challenges. What guiding principles define your leadership philosophy?

You have to be passionate about what you and your team are doing. At the same time, especially in a multicultural environment, you have to take the time to listen and learn and be open-minded. Only if you lead with passion will you inspire people to excel. 

Based on your experience in team development, what are the essential skills that luxury hotel managers must cultivate in the next decade?

The willingness to change… fast and often. You cannot survive if you think that today’s success is good enough for the next decade… or year… or couple of months. Be ready to celebrate today’s success while already thinking about how to change your approach and delivery. 

BARSON

Setting aside current limitations, if you could propose one bold initiative to elevate Ho Chi Minh City’s competitive edge on the regional luxury travel map, what would it be?

Look at high-profile events like sport and entertainment. Singapore did an amazing job with F1 and elevated this to a completely new level. Similarly, securing an exclusive stop on Taylor Swift's tour resulted in a massive influx of high-profile visitors. Events like this significantly bolster the destination's international prominence.