Introducing: Jelena Bojanic Hotel General Manager A by Adina Canberra. 

For Jelena, who steps into her ‘dream role’ as A by Adina Canberra Hotel General Manager, raising the flag on a premium suite of A by Adina properties – aptly starting in the nation’s capital – there’s no question the opportunity means so much more than ‘a job’.

“I’m living the dream… the Adina brand is part of my heart and soul,” says the 26-year-old, who found her ‘life’s calling’ the very first day on the job with TFE Hotels.

Her ear-to-ear grin pays testament to the fact, widening even further when she explains ‘that first day’ – and life-affirming Eureka moment – happened close to a decade ago. She was 18 and hasn’t looked back.

“I get goosebumps every time I think about it,” Jelena said of a journey that fittingly started with TFE Hotels flagship Adina brand, initially working on reception at Adina Apartment Hotel Wollongong, in tandem with university study (Bachelor of Commerce).

Truth be known, her Adina journey started long before.

Indeed, Jelena’s entire family has a strong connection to the brand, which historically launched TFE Hotels onto a global market, starting with Australia’s first purpose built serviced apartments in Randwick, back in 1982. Since expanding to more than 36 properties in five countries, with another 12 in development.

After emigrating to Australia from Serbia, in 1997 (when Jelena was three), her father became involved in the construction of Adina Apartment Hotel Wollongong. Upon its completion, her mother worked at the property in executive housekeeping. Even her brother gained work experience on reception.

“So, I have a big family tie to Adina from as early as I can remember,” Jelena said.

“I was fortunate to get a casual job at Adina Wollongong and went into it thinking, ‘Let’s see what happens…’. Of course, what happened is I loved it, and as soon as a full-time position came up, I spearheaded myself for the role.

“Adina became my family, not just the place I worked. Every day is different and exciting, and I grew so much through meeting a diverse collective of people, understanding what makes each individual tick, and ensuring absolutely everyone feels welcome.

“Looking back, I’m eternally grateful to have been surrounded by such an incredible culture and team of authentic ‘people people’, who mentored and taught me the importance of being true to myself and letting my personality shine.”

The rest is history.

Jelena naturally shone and, as she jokes, quickly learned the importance of ‘time management skills’ while juggling full-time work and study, before commuting between Wollongong and Sydney for promotions that took her to Adina Apartment Hotel Sydney Airport (Duty Manager; Reservations & Conference Coordinator; Assistant Hotel Manager), alongside Relief Assistant Hotel Manager secondments to Adina Sydney Central, The Calile Hotel (Brisbane) and, most recently, Hotel Kurrajong Canberra.

Playfully describing herself as a ‘TFE lifer… only in the best way possible’, there’s arguably not a side of the business – front or back of house – that Jelena doesn’t understand, including crisis management in the face of bushfires and COVID-19 response procedures while at Hotel Kurrajong Canberra.

Her biggest learning curve?

“People always comes first,” she said matter-of-factly. “At TFE, we share the same common goal and passion, putting guests at the heart of everything we do. They are our focus and being there for them is what makes us tick.

“For example, on Christmas Day I was bartending at Hotel Kurrajong Canberra. It’s the best day of the year and I wanted to help out and be a part of that experience.”

“At the end of the day, that’s why we’re all here. That incredible feeling – and privilege – to be able to brighten the lives of others. There’s simply no better feeling when you know what you’re doing is just right.”

Serendipitously, Jelena’s secondment to Canberra also opened her eyes – and heart – to a buzzing gateway city that doubles as the nation’s political and cultural capital, ranked No. 3 on Lonely Planet’s global ‘Best in Travel’ guide (2018).

Turning heads ever since, Canberra is home to a treasure trove of Australia’s most iconic museums, galleries and institutions including the National Gallery of Australia, National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Australia, National Arboretum, Australian War Memorial, Questacon Science Museum, and Royal Australian Mint… to name just a few.

“I’ve fallen in love with Canberra,” said Jelena, who considers the city the perfect launchpad for A by Adina’s promise of hotel living. “It’s a vibrant city that has everything you could wish for and more. Close enough to everywhere, but also an escape like no other.”

Leading a team of A by Adina Canberra ‘guest curators’, Jelena is keen to showcase Canberra’s classic, on-trend and off-beat sides, from vintage markets to farmgate adventures, truffle hunting, vineyard sojourns, ballooning and nature encounters. As she says, ‘anything and everything guests could possibly wish for’.

Above all, she’s excited to deliver guests the ultimate freedom to redefine house rules and stay their own way at A by Adina Canberra – even extending to re-arranging apartment layouts, perfectly suited to individual needs, thanks to the property’s thoughtful, cutting-edge design.

“The real beauty about A by Adina Canberra – aside from its standout location – is the fact that its rooms set a new benchmark when it comes to exceptional use of space, including sliding panels that enable one-bedroom apartments to be opened into expansive spaces or enclosed into rooms within rooms for privacy.

“All apartments are artfully designed – whether studio, one or two-bedrooms. They share the same premium standard and simplicity of design, with floor to ceiling windows, stunning entry corridors punctuated by rendered concrete, and inclusion of walk-through robes instead of standard hotel closets.

“Spaces where you just want ‘to be’… and breathe. The feeling that everything is intuitively right.”

Guaranteed to win the public vote for comfort, accessibility and detailed simplicity, the Bates Smart designed property also breathes new life into Canberra’s heart.

Commanding prime real estate on the illustrious Vernon Circle side of the capital’s arts and cultural hub, London Circuit, it forms the centrepiece of Capital Property Group’s highly anticipated $300m mixed-use precinct, Constitution Place.

Best of all, Jelena loves the fact A by Adina Canberra’s clever design, as one of two contemporary glass-fronted towers, creates a unique ‘theatre laneway’ leading to Canberra Theatre Centre, blessed with an eclectic offering of retail outlets and foodie havens. Not least being the introduction of acclaimed Meat and Wine Co. to Canberra.

Herself an alumni of Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts – which produced graduates of the ilk of singer/actress, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, and globally celebrated abstract artist, David Aspden – Jelena has a deep appreciation of the arts, but prefers to let guests take centre stage.

In hindsight, her school motto ‘Age Quod Agis’ (Whatever you do, do it well) holds true.

“One hundred percent!” said Jelena, with the biggest smile. She gives that and more…


Find a job you enjoy, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life. So said Mark Twain. “One hundred percent!” agrees Jelena Bojanic, without a second’s hesitation. A people person to her core, excited and enlivened by her role in TFE Hotels game-changing introduction of ‘hotel living’, with the arrival of A by Adina.

Think high-end residential apartment living, wrapped up in a full-service premium hotel. A sublime embodiment of contemporary Australian style, space and values that the rest of the world aspires to – purposely side-stepping any concept of a ‘hotel category’ to elevate individual guest experience into a class of its own.

Fun Fact: Outside of work, Jelena – who speaks fluent Serbian, maintaining a close connection to her cultural heritage – also has a penchant for Serbian dance, which she practised (and performed) for 10 years as part of a folkloric group. “I’m always the first person up on the dance floor at a Serbian wedding, but that’s probably the only party I’ll liven up!”