Maria Manlulu-Garcia has been appointed as the very first female General Manager for international brand Accor in the Philippines.
Manlulu-Garcia began her career in the hotel industry in 1992 as a Front Office Agent. She eventually rose from the ranks and subsequently became Rooms Director of the Ramada hotel in Portland, Oregon, USA in 1995. She was part of the pre-opening team of three hotels in downtown Portland, namely Hotel Lucia and Paramount Hotel both under West Coast Hotels and Intercontinental Hotel prior to returning to the Philippines.
Manlulu-Garcia has been awarded Manager of the Year by the Philippine Association of HR Managers in the Hospitality Industry through the Mabuhay Awards in 2008 during her assignment with Sofitel Philippine Plaza as executive assistant manager of rooms.
Next, she became general manager of Pico De Loro Country Club and Pico Sands Hotel Batangas and rejoined Accor at Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua, Indonesia prior to joining Novotel Manila Araneta City as executive assistant manager. Eventually, she was promoted resident manager in 2016 and then hotel manager in 2019.