Singapore – Five Filipino hoteliers from the Philippines won 5 of the 17 top awards in the fifth annual Hotelier Awards Asia held recently at the Sofitel Singapore City Centre. The winners were Yasmine Hidalgo, Robert Viana and Larsey Guieb from Sofitel Philippine Plaza and Francis Ledesma and Jeffrey Adlawan from Marco Polo Davao.
Considered the Oscars of the Hotel industry, Hotelier Awards Asia aims to recognize outstanding individuals’ professional excellence across the hospitality sector in Asia. The Filipino hoteliers were among the 578 applicants from 12 countries, 100 properties and over 70 international hotel brands. Winners of each category were determined through applications, interviews and collection of testemonials presented to an expert judging panel in a two-round process.
Hidalgo, PR Director at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, bagged the much coveted Marketing & Communications Hotelier of the Year. She was also adjudged ‘’Highly Commended PR and Marketing Person of the Year’’ by the Hotelier Middle East Magazine in 2009. A well-travelled and multilingual hotelier, Hidalgo has worked in hotels in Dubai and other industries in Budapest, Copenhagen, and Helsinki. She loves to share her passion for hospitality by being a resource speaker to inspire more students to join the industry.
Viana, Executive Floor Butler at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila won the Concierge Hotelier of the Year. He has been an Executive Floor Butler for the past 16 years and has served countless VIPs, including celebrities, visiting royalties and world leaders. His keen attention to detail, ability to anticipate the needs of guests, personalized approach, and mindfully discreet service execution, serves as a benchmark for incoming ambassadors.
Guieb, Learning and Development Manager at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila was awarded the Human Resources Hotelier of the Year. Larsey has worked in the learning and development sector in the hospitality industry for more than 10 years. With Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, she overlooks training for 600 employees, but she makes sure that she listens to every individual’s needs. She also works with different universities in a variety of provinces across the Philippines to provide internship opportunities to the students.
Ledesma, owner at Marco Polo Davao, proudly took home the Owner Representative of the Year. Francis is a seasoned hotelier who has played the role of Owner Representative for more than 17 years. His diverse experience has helped Marco Polo Davao maintain its reputation for many years. He is known to be a kind leader who provides a lot of guidance and solutions to his team. He treats everyone with respect and he himself is very well respected.
Adlawan, Chief Engineer at Marco Polo Davao, was given the Engineering Hotelier of the Year. Jeffrey gives 100 percent to everything he does at work and he motivates his team every day by sharing his journey as a hotelier, working his way up to where he is today. In just over a year as Chief Engineer, Jeffrey has enabled Marco Polo Davao to achieve remarkable and unprecedented goals in green and sustainable tourism. His team describes him as committed, humble, professional, and positive.
Other finalists from the Philippines were Sofitel Philippine Plaza’s Director of Finance Shirley Sinlao and Director of E-Commerce Dave Pimentel, Marco Polo Davao’s General Manager Dottie Wurgler-Cronin, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila’s Chief Concierge Marcelo Ripa III and Chief Engineer Eric Enriquez, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila Owner Representative Lily Te Pedrosa and Conrad Manila Executive Vice President-SMHCC- Peggy Angeles.
The Hotelier Awards provides recognition to the most talented and hardworking professionals that breathe life into a hotel, whilst also inspiring the younger generation to join this ever-growing industry. The awards will continue to draw attention to these exceptional professionals in years to come, giving them the recognition and praise that they deserve. To further develop this, and to ensure that the spotlight lands on as many people as possible, The Hotelier Awards is proud to announce that in 2019, the platform will move into India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, opening up the opportunity to a greater number of hotelier heroes.