2005

The hotel they had hired to make the wedding arrangements failed them – it had not done any of the paperwork needed for foreigners to get married on Malaysian soil. Their hopes dashed, the couple retreated to another hotel, and here, lady luck smiled upon them. This hotel saved the day for them.

Malaysia

Langkawi

Penang

KL

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There was no beach wedding but the Davies were delighted by the turn of events that culminated in a poolside wedding at the Sheraton Imperial.

T.Chandran scored a point for his hotel, and indeed himself, when he drove overnight to Penang to get a pair of shoes to a guest.

In an e-mail they sent back, they said: “Everyone went out of their way to help us arrange (at very short notice) our very special day, and we will have many happy memories of Kuala Lumpur to treasure for years to come.”

Recalls Ferhad Abdul Rahman, the hotel’s concierge manager, “When we found out about the couple’s dashed wedding plans, we went all out to let them get married right here.

“Our biggest challenge was time and our unfamiliarity with the official procedures involved. We had to apply for a marriage licence with the Malaysian Registrar of Marriage, and the British High Commission had to give its confirmation that the couple was free to marry.

“We fast-tracked the paperwork and managed to get everything done in four days (it normally takes three weeks). The wedding and a small reception was then held by the poolside, and we were invited as guests. There was a band and tarian joget performance for that touch of Malaysia. We hung the ‘Just Married’ sign on the door of the bridal suite, scattered rose petals on the bed, and filled the bath with essential oils, not forgetting the bottle of champagne for that celebratory sparkle!”

Gareth Davies, who works for Cadbury, had chocolates delivered to Sheraton Imperial’s staff to show his appreciation. And the couple plan to come back for their first wedding anniversary.

For the Davies, it was a case of all’s well, that ends well. But it is also showed that there are hotels and then there are hotels, even among the five-star establishments. Some blunder and cause distress, while others shine and make all the difference between a disappointing stay and a great one.

Five-star hotels are like the glamorous movie stars who frequent them. And like movie stars, they too have to pull out all the stops to win over the guests and remain at the top. They also have to continually re-invent themselves to be noticed.
 

Five-star service  There are some things you can expect from five-star properties. Here are some examples:  Butler service: Usually confined to the executive floor and suites. There are both male and female butlers who serve as personal assistants taking care of anything from travel arrangements, breakfast preferences and polishing shoes to setting up business presentations, and packing and unpacking the bags.   Birthdays: Be prepared for a personalised greeting card, a birthday cake and staff singing the birthday song!  Honeymoon and wedding anniversaries: A bouquet of flowers and chocolates are standard with most five-stars.  Translators: Japanese translators have been a mainstay for a while. Now, with the Middle-East market growing, Arabic translators too have joined the five-star outfits.  Lost luggage: Take comfort in the emergency kit that contains a set of basic change – T-shirt, shorts/pants, pair of socks, disposable underwear and toiletries. The hotel will also follow up with the airline on the status of lost luggage.  Medical care: Hotel staff will visit guests when they are hospitalised. Flowers are also sent. When a guest is not feeling well, hotel staff will arrange for medical consultation and visit the guest in the room every three to four hours.  Special diets: It can be arranged. (Naturally, there’s a price to pay for such five-star service!)

In Malaysia, the five-star landscape is getting more and more crowded, with more than 80 properties registered as members of the Malaysian Association of Hotels, the umbrella organisation for hotels. In the Klang Valley alone, there are 18 establishments.

Many other five-stars are in different phases of expansion and refurbishment. When we contacted the Rasa Sayang Resort in Penang in November last year we were informed that the resort was closed for renovation. We can expect this grand dame of Penang to rise again and continue reigning on the beachfront.

But what makes one five-star hotel better than the other? The answer: guest-appeal. This is not about the size of the swimming pool, health spa or bedroom. It is that special intangible quality that is more than the sum total of all their frills and facilities. This has contributed in some measure to boosting visitor arrivals that have more than doubled since 1998 and made tourism the no. 2 revenue earner in the country.

“You can have the facilities and hardware, but it is the software, or staff, that makes the biggest impression,” says Maleia Marsden, general manager of the boutique hotel Cyberview Lodge Resort & Spa.

“The more high-tech and slick the hotel industry gets, the more people long for the human touch.

Sheraton Imperial stepped in after another hotel failed to fulfil Gareth and Amanda Davies’ wedding wish. The couple were very happy with their ‘alternative’ wedding, complete with traditional Malay band and dances.

Sheraton Imperial’s Ferhad talked about staff doing things that are clearly not in their job specification.

Ferhad remembers the time when a Middle-Eastern airline crew had difficulties because they could not get a cab to take them to the airport (the city streets were closed to traffic because of the Tour de Langkawi race).

“We stepped in quickly and six of our staff helped them carry their bags to the monorail and then accompanied them on the ERL to KLIA. They arrived on time for their flight.”

His colleague, T. Chandran, the hotel’s assistant executive housekeeper, once made a midnight dash to Penang to deliver a pair of shoes to a guest who had flown there for a business meeting.

“The guest left behind his pair of expensive leather shoes in his haste to fly off for a business meeting in Penang. He was heading out of the country. What to do? It was too late in the night to organise a courier, so Chandran drove up to Penang to deliver the shoes at 3.30am!” Ferhad related.

Across the city at Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, the hotel once despatched a limousine to Ipoh to buy 200kg of pomelos to meet the request of a Sultan. Popular with royalty and celebrities, Shangri-La KL prides itself on being able to meet the requests of its guests.

“When we get special requests from celebrities and royal guests, we might even source for the items from abroad if they are not available here,” says communications assistant William Tan.

For hotels like the Sheraton Imperial and Shangri-La KL, it is the soft touches, the fine finishes, and their willingness to go the extra mile that set them apart from the others. All five-star properties look great and ooze luxury, of course, but it is the personalised service they provide that ultimately helps them to win guests over.

Says Cyber Lodge’s Marsden, “We are fortunate that most of our staff have been with us for quite some time and a lot of our guests are repeat guests.

“This combination allows staff to really know the needs of guests and build a continuous relationship with them. Many of our guests comment that they feel like they are returning home – balik kampung – when they check in with us.

“Once, one of our staff chose to give a sarong as a gift to an international guest. She even taught him how to wear it. Next thing we knew he was walking all over the property in his new sarong!”

Cyberview’s repeat guests include F1 teams who converge at the resort once a year during the Sepang Grand Prix.

“Each year, we take the time to obtain Smart Tag and Touch n Go’ readers and cards in advance for our Formula One guests. It saves them a lot of hassle as they are continually going to and from the circuit,” says Marsden.

“Many guests frequently travel back and forth between Malaysia and other countries in the region. We understand that this can be stressful and do our best to make them feel as though they are at home. We run errands for them, store items and get things repaired between visits so that their time here is as productive as possible.

“It is the little touches and the willingness of the staff to go out of their way to take care of guests. This must also come naturally to the staff. You can teach them to master the basic service standards but it is difficult to teach initiative and perception. This must come from within!”