After four years of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tanoa Hotel Group awarded its employees across Fiji, Tonga and Samoa and three Samoans who are the backbone of the Samoan branch claimed awards.

The Tanoa Hotel Group held their employee of the year awards 2023 in Nadi, Fiji and the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel scooped three of the top four awards of the event.

The awards were categorised in three divisions: Front Of The House, Heart Of The House and Star Team Leader of the year from all eight hotels across Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.

The Star Team Leader Winner was won by Uelese Afoa Aumalaga from Vailele, also known as Afoa who is a father of two and a grandfather to two.

When Mr. Y. P. Reddy bought the hotel which is now called Tanoa Tusitala Hotel in 2008, Uelese and four of his boys were part of the renovation team that had worked tirelessly for a year until the opening.

He has grown himself from Maintenance Supervisor to Maintenance Supervisor and Landscaping and currently is Managing Gardens, Landscaping and Security.

He has spent 15years in Tanoa Tusitala Hotel and does not believe in moving or changing jobs. Like he says, “A rolling stone gathers no moss”, which means people who are always moving, with no roots in one place or another, avoid responsibilities and care.

The grandfather and one of the oldest employees of the Tanoa Tusitala enjoys training his staff and encourages them to move out from their comfort zone.

Apart from his dedication at work, Uelese is a weightlifting champion who has represented his country in competitions in Fiji, Hawaii, Tonga, Australia, New Zealand and Tahiti.

He won a silver medal in the 1994 Pacific Games which was held in Papua New Guinea. The 67-year-old who is also known as Iron Man hanged his shoes in 1997 after the Mini Games in Tonga.

He starts work at 6.00am daily with his team before sunrise. He is a well-respected person with his matai title and is a go-to person to resolve any cultural and community disputes.

General manager of Tanoa Tusitala, Jay Krishna described his elderly employee's win as a person who takes full responsibility with the right attitude.

There was also a surprise award for Manager Of The Year which was won by Mr. Krishna, as the Directors of the Tanoa Hotel Group felt it was befitting that hotel managers of respective hotels be acknowledged for their exceptional performance for the year 2022.

Despite a prolonged lock down from COVID-19 and extension of the border closure, Tanoa Tusitala Manager, Jay Krishna, managed to bounce back into full operation once the opening of the Samoa border was announced. He managed to steer his team to success amidst challenges such as shortage of supplies and migration of skilled labor. 

Mr. Krishna attributed his award to the unwavering support from the front-line team, heads of department with supporting managers and his mentor Jason Strickland, Area General Manager  for Tonga and Samoa.

The third award was the Heart of House Winner which was won by Faitala Matia from Salelologa and Vailele through great leadership, trustworthiness, always willing to work extra hours, and assist conference and events when needed.

According to his superiors, he has very good time management skills, is reliable, passionate, energetic, and he guides the team on tasks given daily, assists with informal training for his colleagues on the job during their shifts.

"He encourages team members to be on time and complete their tasks as instructed. He is a great leader, has great personality and he is very well experienced within the hospitality industry, providing that efficient service wherever possible," they said.

"He is very hardworking and works well with the team. He can work under pressure and provide his full support whenever needed."