Hospitality professionals shortlisted from over 70 international hotel brands for their professional excellence; 2018 saw a 117% increase in applications, from over 100 properties across 12 different countries.
Singapore – The fifth annual Hotelier Awards held a spectacular event on 23rd May 2018, at the Sofitel Singapore City Centre to recognise individuals’ professional excellence across the hospitality sector in Asia.
As a benchmark for professional excellence in Asia, the awards have grown in prominence over the years to become an unmissable event in the industry calendar. The celebration brought together over 350 hoteliers and industry professionals, who gathered for the fifth edition to await the announcement of this year’s award winners.
2018 saw a 117% increase in applications, from over 100 properties across 12 different countries. Winners of each category were decided by the expert judging panel through a two-round process and based on a combination of facts presented in the applications, interviews, and testimonials.
The 17 award winners were presented with their prestigious trophies by one of the five judges alongside a representative from the partnering companies. This year’s partners included Nespresso who were supporting the platform for the fourth year running, as well as Pernod Ricard, BMW, Hertz and The Show company. The judging panel was comprised of experts who, between them, hold a significant amount of industry specific skills and knowledge. Those judges were, Alison Gilmore, Portfolio Director of International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM), Christophe Laurent, Values Ambassador of Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), Jenny Soo, Head of Workplace Experience APAC, Jones Lang LaSalle Property Consultants Pte, Christine Gamarra, Senior Operations Lead for LRA by Deloitte and Michel Lamunière, Chairman & CEO, Edipresse Asia.
Taking home the “General Manager of the Year” Award for Asia was Matthew Cooper, General Manager- JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square. “Wow what a surprise! On behalf of the associates at Dongdaemun Square, it is not my awards, these guys that I work with are simply stars, they are my family. Tonight I am super proud to work with Marriott International. Everyone thinks it’s this big monster company, but deep down we are all about our associates and our families and looking after each other. I would like to shout out to the associates at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square, they are everything to me. Thank you very much.”
2018 also marked the debut of The Hotelier Awards Asia hosting its awards ceremony in Singapore. The evening was as dazzling as one could expect from the newly opened hosting venue – Sofitel Singapore City Centre, providing an exquisite fine dining menu created by Executive Head Chef Jean-Charles Dubois and paired with fine wines.
Co-Founder, Stephane de Montgros, shared his inspiring opening notes “Five years ago, we founded the platform with one objective: to show appreciation to the most dedicated hoteliers across the region. Hoteliers, who are contributing to creating the most meaningful experiences for their guests. Hoteliers, who are delivering the best financial results for their owners. And maybe most importantly, hoteliers, who are making a positive impact on the lives of their team members and the communities around them.”
The Hotelier Awards prides itself on providing true 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.
The Hotelier Awards Asia 2018 winners are:
General Manager of the Year
Matthew Cooper – General Manager- JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square
Chef Hotelier of the Year
Azizskandar Awang, Executive Chef- Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort
Concierge Hotelier of the Year
Robert Viana, Executive Floor Butler- Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila
Engineering Hotelier of the Year
Jeffrey Adlawan, Chief Engineer- Marco Polo Davao
Finance Hotelier of the Year
Peter Toi Huat Heng, Director of Finance- Conrad Centennial Singapore
Food & Beverage Hotelier of the Year
Ngakan Made Artana Yasa, Dava Restaurant Manager- Ayana Resort And Spa, Bali
Front Office Hotelier of the Year
Ni Nyoman Rekayanti, Director of Rooms- Mandapa, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Hotel Manager/Resident Manager
Kristanti Tannady, Hotel Manager – Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort
House Keeping Hotelier
Susan Lam, Director of Housekeeping- The St. Regis Singapore
Human Resources Hotelier of the Year
Larsey Guieb, Learning and Development Manager- Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila
Information Technology Hotelier of the Year
Danny Lim, Director of IT- The Fullerton Hotel and The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore
Marketing and Communications Hotelier of the Year
Yasmine Hidalgo, PR Director- Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila
Owner Representative of the Year
Francis R. Ledesma, Owner- Marco Polo Davao
Sales Hotelier of the Year
Lillian Tan, Director of Sales and Marketing- Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort
Sommelier Hotelier of the Year
Satoru Mori, Executive Sommelier- Conrad Tokyo
The Unsung Hero of the Year
I Wayan Dyana Antara “Smiley”, Recreation Supervisor- Le Méridien Bali Jimbaran
Wellness & Spa Hotelier of the Year
Elva Zhao, Spa Manager- Swissôtel l Merchant Court Singapore
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
