<![CDATA[The hospitality industry confronts significant challenges in human resource management, most notably elevated employee turnover rates that adversely affect service quality and customer satisfaction. This study aims to explore the lived experiences of hotel employees regarding job satisfaction, employee well-being, work engagement, and performance outcomes. A descriptive phenomenological qualitative approach was employed to uncover the profound meanings embedded in employee experiences meanings that resist being captured through conventional quantitative methods. Data were collected via semi-structured in-depth interviews with ten purposively selected participants employed at star-rated hotels in Semarang Regency, Indonesia. Data analysis adopted reflexive thematic analysis integrated with Giorgi's phenomenological principles. Four principal themes emerged from the analysis: (1) the meaning of job satisfaction, dominated by positive interpersonal relationships, recognition and appreciation, and perceived compensation adequacy; (2) well-being dimensions encompassing work-life balance, mental and physical health, and self-acceptance and purpose in life; (3) work engagement manifestations in the form of vigor, dedication, and absorption; and (4) performance dynamics expressed through service quality excellence, proactive initiative, and work consistency. These findings corroborate the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Theory framework, positioning job satisfaction and well-being as personal resources that activate motivational processes through work engagement. This study contributes theoretical insight into the contextual dynamics of human resource management in the Indonesian hospitality industry and offers practical implications for hotel management in designing evidence-based strategies to enhance employee welfare and performance.]]>
