Managing the property, under the ownership of Agung Sedayu Group – a leading Jakarta based property developer, is Annika Worth as General Manager. Annika is a hospitality veteran of 30 years, graduated in travel & tourism in the UK, then returned to Australia to work in her first Hilton hotel. Since then, she has developed extensive experience in food & beverage, room division, sales & marketing, and revenue management.
15 years ago, following a move to New Zealand, Annika was part of the pre-opening team of the cluster properties of the Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton in Queenstown. Following this, she was given the opportunity to become Hotel Manager of the Hilton Lake Taupo, becoming the first female General Manager for Hilton in New Zealand.
Hilton, a fantastic brand that promotes inclusion and diversity in the work place and provides equal training and development opportunities, encouraged Annika to challenge her professional capabilities and move to South East Asia, this time as the first female General Manager for Hilton in Indonesia. Indonesia is in fact Annika’s favourite destination, where she usually comes for a holiday every year.
“I feel confident that with the growth of the brand portfolio in the coming few years we will see more female leaders. People in Indonesia, for me, they have a genuine sincerity and that’s why I choose to have career here. I feel that I have a responsibility to share my experience with the team members to ensure that they can have an exciting and interesting career in hospitality. While Hilton provides training and all the things you need to be part of the hospitality industry, I’ve learned that you can teach a person skills, but you can’t teach a person what that passion is,” she explains.
Although popular in the Asia Pacific region, the brand is still new to the Indonesian market. The HGI Promise is simple: Our goal is to make your stay better and brighter. If something isn’t just the way you like it, simply let any hotel member know, and we will make it right. Guaranteed. “I do believe that we have a responsibility to uphold the brand promise, because that’s what Hilton is all about, it’s what we stand for. I have also experienced that people return to us because of the brand, because they trust the brand name. We have a duty to deliver that brand promise. In this case, with HGI, people want value for money”, she adds.
Specific to Hilton Garden Inn Jakarta Taman Palem, aside from its strategic location close to Soekarno Hatta International Airport and connecting to Green Sedayu Mall, is ‘The Shop’ a 24/7, grab-and-go retail space that gives guests enhanced menu options; The Garden Grille & Bar Restaurant, where guests can start their day with a cooked-to-order breakfast, availablein either the indoor or outdoor area. Adjacent to the restaurant, guests can find a breathtaking outdoor pool and fitness center. Rooms are from 24 sqm space for the guestrooms up to 61 sqm for suites, and the hotel provides a unique room type, a Family Suite with a separate, cute kid’s room. Meeting facilities consist of 5 meeting rooms and 1 ballroom, with a capacity of up to 700 persons. Another advantage of Hilton Garden Inn Jakarta Taman Palem is its involvement in the Hilton Honors, the award winning guest-loyalty program for Hilton’s 18 world-class global brands, where members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits.
Furthermore, in the next six months Hilton Garden Inn Jakarta Taman Palem will be more focused in offering meeting and conference facilities called ‘Re-connect with Hilton’. As Indonesia continues to open up the borders, hopefully not only domestic but also international travel will increase. “And soon, when people start to hold meetings and gather again, we will be ready to welcome families and companies back together here in Hilton with a target for meetings on weekdays and weddings or social events on weekends,” Annika explains.
In closing, Annika was keen to add, “The HGI is one of Hilton’s focus service brands and we’re concentrating on exactly that. Service is our number one priority, delivering a great product at a good price, and we think we do that really well. Agung Sedayu have built a quality product for Hilton to manage and our great team members are here to deliver exceptional guest experiences.“
