Once told by a superior that being a woman could limit her chances of moving up the corporate ladder, the hardworking, well-rounded and outspoken hotel manager of Raffles and Fairmont Makati is not allowing her gender and nationality to limit her growth. Neither did she buckle under pressure when one of her children fought and survived leukemia.
By Francine Y. Medina
Photography by Mark Chester Ang
A stone’s throw away from Makati’s Central Business District, Raffles Makati offers a much-needed sanctuary. Brimming with understated luxury from its art-filled ground floor, its French restaurant and exquisite offers, to its all-suite rooms, the hotel instantly resonates with well-traveled business people, as well as discriminating guests who really just want to be spoiled for a few days.
Aubrey Ada, Raffles and Fairmont Makati hotel manager, makes sure that their establishment delivers.
With her eye for detail, Aubrey makes sure that every corner and room within the hotels, including its indulgent amenities, are kept spic and span, and that operations are running without any hitches. It’s a job meant for the meticulous, as it also includes overseeing such departments as food and beverage, security and engineering.
Aubrey assumed the post two years ago, at the height of the pandemic, when many hotels either made room for guests in quarantine or closed their operations for safety reasons. There was a slump in the number of guests coming in, resulting in a period of uncertainty and great economic and social upheaval for the industry and the country.
Raffles and Fairmont Cluster general manager Bernd Schneider moved to appoint Aubrey, shattering the proverbial glass ceiling on many fronts. Aubrey’s climb up the corporate ladder extracted from her a lot of hard work, focus, diligence and patience. And the recurring memory of someone telling her once that only white male expats make it to the top in the local hotel industry. Being general manager of a hotel may be an impossible dream for women hoteliers, she was further told.
Long way up
Aubrey was part of the hotel’s pre-opening operations in 2012, which makes her among the most tenured employees in the property at 11 years. The property opened the following year.
In 2014, she became director of rooms for the luxury property. In October 2020, she was given the additional job of managing the engineering, security and residences departments. Then in June 2021, she was tasked to oversee the food and beverage as well as the culinary departments.
“During the pandemic, we lost a lot of foreign guests and expats who had to return to their countries. Many of our colleagues also resigned and became entrepreneurs. But still, we were receiving a lot of local residents. I was being given additional jobs until I was assigned by my GM to take up the role of hotel manager.”
And so, as destiny would have it, in the middle of an uncertain period, the best man for the job turned out to be a Filipino woman: Aubrey.
More than three years on, the industry is bouncing back and Aubrey is upskilling herself through an online leadership program offered by Cornell University. “Business is really bouncing back. That’s why quality is my main focus right now — whether it’s improving operations or services, for instance. Guests have higher expectations with their return.”
Her desire for self-improvement comes with her career goal to be general manager someday, she says. “I only know of three women GMs right now who are handling five-star hotels [in the country]. The rest are all male expats. I believe women should be more represented in that area.”
A mother’s challenge
Aubrey surmises it’s probably her being the eldest in a family of five that shaped her sense of independence. She says, “I don’t easily back down from an argument or when I’m being put down, especially when I know I’m right. I have the urge to prove myself.”
In a previous job, she shares, there was a time when she felt looked down on, “or disappointed at least, because I was pregnant. I was challenged and able to prove to them that even if pregnant, I can do my job and be present at work.”
Being a mother also plays a factor in her willful attitude. Married with four kids — ages 18, 13, 11 and 7 years-old, Aubrey says she’s a hands-on mom.
When her second child, Joel, turned four years-old, he was diagnosed with leukemia, which is a type of cancer that hits the white blood cells, beginning in the bone marrow. Her son is now in remission, but the cancer has affected his brain.
Aubrey was in her second year at Raffles Makati when Joel had a relapse. That experience, instead of weakening her resolve, made her even stronger. But, of course, there was support coming from her office, which gave her a flexible work schedule to allow her to look after her son.
“It was really a challenging year in my life. So that experience really made me strong. He was done with his chemotherapy, but he had a relapse that affected his speech and paralyzed half of his body, which is why he is now in a wheelchair. He also has seizures. But if it wasn’t for my faith in God, I know I wouldn’t have survived the challenges and gone through the motions with clarity,” she shares.
Yes, there was a lot of crying, but it was always done in solitude. Aubrey recalls, “Honestly, I always cried at night. I normally sleep with him in the hospital and that’s when I cry, when he’s about to sleep. That’s when I pray deeply and ask God to make my son survive his pain and illness.”
Her prayers, as we now know, have been answered. Aubrey continues to make her deep faith the center of her work and life: “My son is a warrior. He is a cheerful child despite his situation. I know I can’t do it alone with the many roles I play. Divine intervention and my faith in God kept me grounded during those times.”
Doing good
Aubrey believes there’s always room for kindness and expresses this belief in her work. !e hotel can have a positive effect not only on its guests but also for communities around it needing help.
“When I needed support because of the situation I was in, God worked His way and surrounded me with caring people — including my colleagues. I feel very blessed and I feel I should give that kindness and my gratitude back,” she continues.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she set up a Facebook group, dubbed “EmpowHer” for women across Accor properties in the Philippines. In those sessions, they shared their experiences of coping with the uncertain times, as well as health tips. Aubrey, the intrepid speaker, gave inspirational talks as well.
On a company-scale, the hotel is supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a non-profit group that aims to fulfill the wishes of children with critical illnesses. Last year, the hotel was able to make two kids’ dreams come true. “One of the kids, a 16-year-old boy, wanted to be an engineer so we brought him here and we made him an engineer for a day. ! The other one wanted to experience having a debut so we threw her a birthday party here,” a smiling Aubrey tells us.
Moving forward
Aubrey reports that, on its 10th year, both Raffles and Fairmont are the market’s top-of-mind choice. “I’m happy to say we’re the leader in the market in terms of financial performance. We have also been welcoming VIPs and partnering with luxury brands for their events. It shows that our team can handle their requirements no matter how meticulous these are.”
Aubrey, the hotel manager who was once told that being a woman could limit her chances for moving up, is driven and passionate about proving them wrong again. “We’re looking forward to the hotel’s further growth in the coming year. Raffles has global luxury standards that I’m committed to following. But I’m also very proud of our Filipino team. We have the edge — we have the skills and the malasakit (empathy),” she concludes.
Art direction by Dexter Francis De Vera
Makeup by Owell Cinco for Estee Lauder
Hair by Xean Nucum for Estee Lauder
Styling by Mike de Guzman and George Palmiano of MGP, assisted by Ysabelle Bianca Viray
