In the competitive Asia-Pacific hospitality market, stepping into a first-time general manager role is a significant career milestone. For Angelina Kueh, newly appointed General Manager at Novotel Living Singapore Orchard, that milestone is historic: she is leading the launch of the very first Novotel Living property in Asia, a brand extension of Accor's midscale portfolio into extended-stay residences.
In an exclusive interview with Inspiring Women in Travel Asia, Kueh shared the operational blueprint behind her 20-year journey, from starting as an 18-year-old hospitality novice to becoming a high-performing sales leader and brand trailblazer. Her insights are particularly relevant for hoteliers, tour operators, and travel-tech vendors eyeing the growing serviced-apartment segment.
The Paradigm Shift of 'Unlearning'
Transitioning from traditional midscale and luxury hotels to serviced residences required a fundamental operational shift. Managing an 85-room extended-stay property means catering to long-staying residents, which introduces distinct licensing, community compliance, and relationship-management dynamics. Kueh advocates for a professional philosophy she terms 'unlearning.'
Reflecting on her previous experience orchestrating the pre-opening of Accor's first luxury MGallery property in Singapore, she noted: 'I had to unlearn what I've learned in the mid-scale, which was consistency, reliability, and giving the best value, and move into guests paying for experiences and stories... We should unlearn, take a step back, and look at it from a different point of view.'
This approach is critical for hospitality leaders navigating brand debuts or operational pivots, such as those seen in Frasers Hospitality's recent expansion in Wuzhen. Kueh's emphasis on localized community-building over standardized consistency offers a template for extended-stay success.
Servant Leadership and Ground-Level Empathy
Managing a lean, highly effective team of 40 requires exceptional emotional intelligence. Rather than managing strictly from behind an executive desk, Kueh practices visible corporate leadership. On any given day, she can be found clearing tables during the breakfast rush or assisting housekeeping teams in reviewing rooms.
'To lead the team, I have to know what they go through,' Kueh explains. This ground-level approach builds organizational empathy and a cohesive culture capable of resolving service bottlenecks quickly. When strategic hurdles emerge, Kueh advises executives to take a physical step away from the office—even for a brief moment—to reset and pivot from analyzing mistakes to designing active solutions.
Her leadership style aligns with broader industry trends toward inclusive hospitality, as seen in Araneta Hotels' recent honors for inclusive practices. Kueh's hands-on methodology ensures that operational excellence is built from the ground up.
Strategic Advice for Future Industry Leaders
As an executive balancing a high-stakes commercial footprint with family life, Kueh actively encourages the next generation of women in travel to assertively enter traditionally male-dominated sectors, such as hotel engineering. Her tactical roadmap for leadership development centers on three main tenets:
- Embrace Ambiguity: Never shy away from milestones that demand stepping entirely outside your commercial comfort zone.
- Cultivate Open Communication: Ask the right questions and routinely verify findings across departments to maximize operational clarity.
- Fail Forward: Operational mistakes are unavoidable data points that ultimately refine commercial acumen and personal resilience.
By blending sharp asset-management expertise with a deeply empathetic, hands-on leadership methodology, Kueh is setting a new benchmark for operational excellence and female executive representation across Southeast Asian hospitality. Her story offers a compelling case study for travel professionals looking to balance brand innovation with human-centered leadership.
