Recent appointments have helped to shift the needle in Hong Kong's hospitality industry, which has long lagged others when it comes to appointing female hotel general managers (GM). According to the Hong Kong Hotels Association, around one in five GMs across the city's 300-plus hotels is now female. Kristina Snaith-Lense, General Manager, The Upper House, highlighted that the GM role is heavily operational, with hours that do not necessarily appeal to everyone regardless of gender. Traditionally, hotel GMs have even lived on-property – a lifestyle that is difficult with children. Snaith-Lense further added that the COVID-19 pandemic has provided an opportunity for The Upper House to experiment with new offerings and engage guests through community-driven activities while supporting local brands. She added that The Upper House has launched a series of home-grown F&B pop-ups, including Matchali, Cookie Department, Teakha, Mother Pearl, Between Coffee and Awa Awa, and curated quarterly house markets.