It’s a bright sunny day on Sentosa island as I wait for Steffie Honadi at LATITUDE Bistro and an acrylic signage resting on the table catches my eye—it’s a QR-code backed feedback form. Installing these were one of the first initiatives the 30-year-old Service Quality Assistant Manager took upon herself.
“Most of the feedback we receive—on Tripadvisor and the like—are usually from our hotel guests. However, the Club handles a very niche market—Members who value what Sentosa Island has to offer and its maritime lifestyle, which is very different from a typical hospitality establishment,” says Steffie, explaining that with the marina covering a large part of the operations, there was a need to make feedback forms easily available at places frequented by Members. This gets auto-redirected to Steffie’s email.
This was one of the most glaring contrasts for Steffie when she joined in 2019—the Club placed a lot of importance on service, yet there were no comprehensive guidelines in place for implementing them. Coming from a hospitality background, Steffie had worked in luxury resorts overseas and had years of experience in quality management—which
made her the perfect fit for the role. However, she was a total newcomer to the marina industry—so she had to hit the ground running on how to apply these standards while learning all about the specific demands of the industry and a marina atmosphere.
Growing up in Palembang in South Sumatra, the Indonesian’s childhood was a far cry from what it is now. Despite their a humble background, her family encouraged her to think big, for which Steffie remains grateful.
“Even though I came from a very small town, I’ve always had this global mindset and my family encouraged me to pursue my interests,” she says. And for that reason, they agreed to send her to Malaysia to study Hospitality and Tourism Management. Even before graduation, Steffie landed a job at a luxury resort in the Maldives.
In a matter of just a few years, the seldom-travelled Steffie went from “Where is Maldives?” to score a scholarship in Switzerland, and then to work with the sponsor company in Thailand, before joining the Club.
“I’ve been very fortunate, I never imagined that I would be where I am today, and travel to the places that I’ve been. It’s been a roller coaster of a journey,” says Steffie, adding that she is now looking to settle down in one place.
As humble as she sounds, her success has a lot to do with her perseverance and will to succeed in life.
Shortly after Steffie joined the Club, the pandemic hit, leaving many colleagues stranded overseas, and the Club shorthanded. Thanks to some of the government initiatives however, the hotel occupancy was at its highest. Steffie found herself switching between various roles—from a front desk agent to even a bellboy to ease the load on her colleagues.
“This year, we have a little bit of stability so I can really do the job that I’m supposed to do,” she says—which is ensuring service and quality standards are maintained. One of her first tasks of the day is checking customer feedback, addressing whatever complaints and resolving them. One would still see her at the front desk, talking to customers checking
in—“it’s always important to see how our team welcomes them”—and equally with those checking out to ensure they had a pleasant stay.
Being very aware of the manpower crunch, she doesn’t think twice about pitching in—even help carry guests’ luggage if need be.
“We have to work together. What is wonderful is that this runs across all departments—we have each other’s backs,” says Steffie. “These past two years, they have been my family. This is like an extended family.”
For this reason, Steffie steps beyond her role and rolls out small incentives in appreciation for hard work, and a good job done. Moving around amid different cultures have posed their own challenges, but her experiences have taught her to be more patient and empathetic while also increasing her ability to find creative solutions.
“My job is not all a fairytale, there are challenges and bad days, but it’s important to maintain a positive mindset and be solution driven,” explains Steffie, adding that being a consummate extrovert helps.
What has also helped is the support and encouragement from upper management and having the assurance that they were working towards common goals. She hopes to carry that vision forward and one day have more visibility across the regional clubs as well. “I would like to see myself growing along with the company,” she enthuses.
Ambitions aside, Steffie remembers to take pause and reflect on her achievements as well. “Hospitality is my passion and I have a lot more to achieve. But I recently went back home—after two years. Looking around me, at where I had come from, it made me appreciate the fact that I have come a long way. ”
