Herald Suites honors and celebrates women behind its hotels
MANILA, Philippines — Herald Suites has always been comitted to motivate its women hoteliers and employees to be active, take on new challenges and conquer personal goals, which have helped consistently deliver its hotels' brand of service.
Today, Herald Suites honors four women who are movers and leaders in their various positions within the hotels. Meet Liza San Juan, Anne Lapena, Judith Esluzar and Marrian Rull—hardworking, focused, dedicated and commited to the day-to-day operations and smooth running of all three properties:
With the best of a creative and analytical mind, Liza San Juan brings over 20 years of sales and marketing leadership experience to the Herald Suites Hotels.
As Director of Sales and Marketing, she oversees and trains a team of young women and helped the department navigate the department through a global pandemic that brought the hotel industry to its knees.
The most important custodians of a hotel brand are the housekeepers. Housekeeping is the single most important factor behind guest experience and safety, brand image and even the operational costs of any hotel.
Well-trained and efficient housekeepers, such as Anne Lapena, deliver on these promises of comfort and safety. If they fail to deliver on the commitment of the Herald brand experience, the guests' trust is lost. The Housekeeping Department is the crucial interface between the brand and a guest.
Historically a male-dominated profession, the barriers that women faced in this profession—like masculinity, gender roles and stereotypes on skills and capabilities—have blurred. Today there are female chefs that have faced these barriers and are enjoying what they are doing while not having to prove themselves as equal to men.
Judith Esluzar's food philosophy very much still lies in-home cooking and traditional techniques. She started off her cooking career in the kitchens of Sign of the Anvil under seasoned chef, Myrna Segismundo.
Moving up the ranks she progressed and worked in fine dining restaurants before getting her position as executive chef for the restaurants of Herald Suites' three properties: Coca Cafe, Cafe Mondo and Aurora Lobby Cafe & Restaurant
The friendly, well-trained and impeccably groomed Marrian Rull is also currently the hotel's Employee of the Year. She sets the tone for every check-in at the Front Desk.
Often being the first, and sometimes the last, person a guest talks to. These encounters however brief set the tone for their stay. A well-trained front desk officer is the start of a Herald Suites hotel experience.
Indifference cannot exist at the front desk. It is the command center of operations and demands a total 360-degree awareness to not only identify customer service and productivity issues but must also be forward-focused enough to anticipate challenges before they occur.
These are the women of Herald Suites Hotels. Their contributions have given other women hope and confidence to follow their dreams and aspire to be whatever they want to be, no matter what.
