A growing but still rare commodity in the male-dominated world of executive hospitality leadership, these successful women hotel general managers prove that the feminine perspective enhances the guest experience and staff satisfaction, reports Duangporn Choktippattana
Running a luxury five-star hotel is a multi-faceted job, demanding immense commitment and responsibility to ensure all the property’s functions run smoothly every day of the year. Due to the unusually long working hours, hospitality industry management jobs have historically been dominated by men who are considered better able to handle the round-the-clock work schedule. Even more so the post of the general manager – the head of operations that oversees all of the hotel’s internal divisions – is taken up by senior-level men typically of American or European nationalities. However, in the last decade or so this deeply entrenched human resources custom and gender stereotype has been evolving with the emergence of female hoteliers, both Westerners and Asians. While some women GMs are choosing to fly solo to put their careers on track, others are discovering that it’s possible to be working mothers in this demanding industry. In Thailand there are at least four women GMs representing international hotel chains, all of whom have proven to be no less seasoned in their crafts than their male peers.
Frequently, a hotel GM is compared to male-dominated roles like the captain of a ship or conductor of an orchestra. Estelito Sebeto, GM of Phulay Bay, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve, describes her duties as, “Setting a direction while being a role model and driver for the team such that plans can be executed with passion, enthusiasm and commitment to achieve yearly goals.” Collaboration with the property owner is essential for the GM to control expenses, not to mention the equally important tasks of keeping associates motivated and hotel guests happy. Internally, the heads of each division, from HR and food and beverage to rooms, report directly to the GM while consulting him or her when problems arise in the daily running of the hotel. “You must be tactile, not technical, be creative and quick-acting on problems before they cause too much damage. The job is so varied; not a day is ever the same as another. I love it,” says Janet McNab, Four Points by Sheraton’s general manager. “The hotel runs 24/7 and although I can’t be there all the time I put the right people in charge because I’m responsible for the safety of the guests and associates.”
McNab arrived in Bangkok in late 2009 for the pre-opening phase of Thailand’s first Four Points hotel, which is Starwood’s Sheraton sister brand. For four months in 2010 the lady GM recruited and trained employees, or associates, as the industry refers to them, on Four Points’s core values as a medium-priced, honest, uncomplicated and comfortable brand. Every detail needed tending to, such as how associates greet guests with a simple “hi” instead of a formal wai in light of Four Points’ young, casual identity. The recruits were introduced to different Starwood standards – from hygiene and customer service to IT systems – several months preceding the hotel’s launch in December 2010. McNab came up with the concept and name of the Beer Vault, a bar that serves 48 types of beers from around the world. Rather than wait for ideas brainstormed by the marketing department, the GM gave direct input to conceptualising the bar. And her contribution is valued due to her marketing background. Indeed the Australian was a member of catering sales at the Sheraton Brisbane Hotel & Towers more than 20 years ago. By 2006 she was regional director of sales and marketing for Starwood in Southeast Asia. Her first posting as a general manager followed shortly afterwards at Le Meridien Nirwana Resort & Spa in Bali where she lived in the hotel for two years. Now she lives just a few doors away from Four Points on Sukhumvit Soi 15. “When I signed on to become a GM I made it a part of my life. Either accommodation arrangement on or off site doesn’t bother me since I don’t have children, but that has nothing to do with the job as it’s my personal decision,” she states.
The experienced hotelier has lived in five countries and dealt with seemingly innumerable crises of many types. “In 2001 the 9/11 bombing in the US caused a massive drop in occupancy rates when I was working in Australia. I was in China when SARS broke out in 2004 and also in Bali during the bombing in 2005,” she says. The leader does not feel that her gender has inhibited her career growth, but admits that in some places women are somewhat submissive to males. “I could feel it in China while I was with Sheraton Nanjing Kingsley Hotel & Towers in 2002, maybe because I was in a junior position, too. I worked around it by being respectful of the country’s culture and traditions. As long as one builds honest and sincere relationships I don’t foresee many problems.” Soon she aims for Four Points to be Bangkok’s most successful hotel in its category. “We’re enjoying lovely business. Of course, we don’t get things 100 percent right all the time, but I sure don’t pound the desk when my associates make mistakes. The moment you rule by fear the informality of the brand is lost,” McNab stresses.
Indeed, GMs all agree that the success of a hotel is predicated on teamwork and cooperation from all divisions. Sebeto recounts the challenges she faced during the pre-opening of Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in December 2009. On Krabi island, the area known as Phulay Bay is home to Ritz-Carlton’s inaugural boutique resort under the Reserve brand. “After working for the hotel group for 17 years I knew how to launch a hotel. Still, I had to present not the ordinary, but the ultimate Ritz-Carlton experience that blends the indigenous heritage of the destination with intuitive service. My quest was to make Thai culture the star of Phulay Bay by allowing the staff to express its own style of service,” Sebeto elaborates. Having never worked in Thailand before the blonde Argentine’s priority was to learn and understand Thai culture in order to effectively communicate with all staffers and weave it into the hotel’s service prerogative. Together as a team, notes the GM, “We put a lot of thought into every step of the service sequence so guests feel like it is personally designed only for them.” This bespoke experience is delivered via 24-hour butler service and top-notch VIP treatment. Indeed, Phulay Bay has no lobby as registration is conducted in the comfort of the guest’s villa. The resort’s architecture, with 54 opulent villas, boasts a distinct design and personality unique to the locale. “Ritz-Carlton adopted the name Reserve for this brand extension, inspired by a winemaking process that determines the end quality of the wine. Likewise, it is up to the creativity of the Reserve team members to create a one-of-a-kind luxury retreat for discerning travellers,” she shares.
Ritz-Carlton’s first female general manager in the Asian region observes that her feminine qualities are strengths for running this debut resort. “I was able to create a home-away-from-home environment for customers and employees,” she relates. Just as females have shifted from taking a supportive role to a leading one in society, the hospitality industry during the last decade has witnessed a rise in female representation, contends Sebeto. “This trend is pronounced in Asia where the hospitality field is rapidly evolving. To think that we are in a male dominated industry is a mindset from the past.” A former receptionist at Ritz-Carlton in Cancun, Mexico in 1994, the Bueno-Aires native advanced steadily within the hotel group. She worked her way up to become an executive assistant manager of the rooms division at Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, and then the hotel manager at Hotel Villa Padierna in Spain. Prior to Phulay Bay she was the GM of Hotel Villa Padierna, Thermas de Carratraca in 2006. “In any competitive environment you have to make sacrifices. At the end of the day, what matters is what we want to achieve in life,” Sebeto muses. “My dream has always been to succeed as a leader in the luxury service industry, for which I have forgone living close to my family in Argentina, but I also gained a second family at Ritz-Carlton.”
The growing status of women in today’s society has empowered some to embrace the dual roles of mother and career woman. Choo Leng Goh, general manager of Plaza Athenee, A Royal Le Meridien hotel points out, “Some women give up in the middle of their careers because of pregnancy. I’m very lucky because I have two children and can still keep my job. The two-month maternity leave was no problem because other colleagues helped to fulfill my duties. It really all comes down to organising your working system.” A Singaporean by birth, Goh speaks fluent Thai, the result of living in Bangkok for 20 years and being married to a Thai. Her career at Starwood took off 12 years ago as the director of sales and marketing for Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, after which she was promoted to regional sales and marketing director. In 2008 she switched to the operations side and was appointed hotel manager of Royal Orchid Sheraton. The GM stint at Plaza Athenee started at the end of 2009. These days Goh’s working hours can go from 7 am to late hours at night if the hotel hosts evening functions. “The children save the weekends for mom and dad, that’s why I try hard to have weekends off,” she asserts. As it turns out, her eight-year-old and 12-year-old have learned to take care of each other, knowing that their parents are busy working. “Fortunately my husband has a flexible work schedule. And when the kids can’t do their homework, they call to ask if one of us can come home a little early.” But what will she do if she is assigned to run a hotel in another country? Goh replies, “My motto is based on the Chinese saying, ‘A boat when it goes to the pier, it will dock.’ When the time comes, there will be a solution. There is no point in worrying.”
Operating a hotel is not complicated, the boss assures, if one has the right attitude. “The number-one role is to look after the associates. If the team is happy it will provide good service and continue to attract guests back to the property. With service there are no written steps; it has to come naturally from the heart of the associates.” However, all was not rosy for the hotel last year. The prospect of a clash between the army and red shirt supporters last May forced the GM to evacuate guests from Plaza Athenee, with only 20 associates and herself remaining on board for two weeks until the crackdown ended. “We shut down the lower floors, moved our workplace to the upper levels and set up a command centre to coordinate with other regional offices. Luckily, there was no violence in our area.” Instead of letting 14 days idly pass, the GM took the reins and split her team up to thoroughly clean the hotel. “We’re in a people industry; the important factor is to ensure they work as a team,” she comments “Being a female does help in connecting with guests and the associates. We are stronger in communication in a sense that we don’t feel shy using words, which naturally provides more opportunities to bond with people.”
Titiya Chooto, the first Thai general manager of Four Seasons Resorts Chiang Mai and Four Seasons Tented Camp, Golden Triangle in Chiang Rai concurs, adding, “Women have a high emotional intelligence quotient but they must also show the same leadership skills as men to command this position. The question is how many women are prepared to do so?” Of all the Four Seasons GMs worldwide, only three are female, with Titiya being the only Asian who is married with a child. Initially, the Thai national honed her skills by working in hotels in London and Moscow. Later she moved back to Thailand, subsequently gaining exposure in the human resource and rooms divisions at another international hotel chain. In 2005 she joined Four Seasons. Within six years Titiya has moved from being the resort manager of Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai to being the first Thai hotel manager at Four Seasons Bangkok before assuming her current position in August 2010. She notes, “From the beginning I asked to not be transferred abroad since I wanted to start a family here, even if it slowed my career.” From Monday to Friday she and her four-year-old daughter live in Chiang Mai while her husband pursues a career in the military. Intermittently, the GM flies to Chiang Rai to oversee the Tented Camp. “Every weekend,” she explains, “my husband and I make an effort to be with our daughter. It’s not only me; he also has to adjust a lot to keep up with this arrangement.” The mother finds time to spend with her little girl every day, sending her off to school and tucking her into bed, after which she will resume her work at night. “I keep work clearly segregated from family time. When I get home my time is devoted completely to my daughter,” she says.
Many of Titiya’s female colleagues look to her for inspiration. “I hope I’m paving the way for many more local women to be GMs,” the willful lady asserts. Men, too, were impressed with the GM’s stance last year as angry red shirt crowds surrounded the Four Seasons Bangkok. “I was at the hotel until staff suggested that I go home because I am a woman. As much as I was touched by their concern I decided to stay on because no matter my gender, the responsibility is the same. It was my job to safeguard the hotel,” she says. Titiya admits that initially colleagues doubted her ability to perform well in her position. “Understandably, I couldn’t garner instant confidence from others since I was the first Thai – and also a female – in these roles. I have to work to gain the team’s trust in my leadership,” she asserts. Her goal, aside from ensuring that each of the properties in her care maintains its market-leading position, is to “create a team spirit, seeing to it that my associates bond, work hard and have fun.”
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