Every single member of the Marina Bay Sands’ 10,000 strong team that I saw around the hotel had one very obvious thing in common; they were all busy but incredibly efficient.
Everyone had a role to perform; there was nobody skulking in a corner. Significantly though, when technology could be used to do a job as well as a person, it was. The wake up call system was automated, which I have not experienced in the Middle East.
What a relief not to have to be chipper at 6am after a networking event the night before!
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After four nights at Marina Bay Sands, I checked into Ritz-Carlton Singapore, famed for its bathtubs with a view over the city. Here, the flawless service continued and the staff went out of their way to make my stay perfect. Somehow, they even found a grumble on my Facebook about the microfibre robe I didn’t like and the next day, I was offered a choice of toweling or waffle robes, just so I was comfortable!
As Ritz-Carlton’s longest serving member Hervé Humler tells me (p32), this level of service can only be achieved with clear guiding principles that are reiterated to staff daily. He admits that not all of his hotels are perfect and that some are sitting in the “red or yellow zone”, with defects to be addressed.
The important thing he says, is that problems have been noticed and will be fixed. If the legendary Humler can acknowledge that aspects of his hotels could be better, perhaps it is worth taking a closer look at your own challenges to find the solution. And if you need ideas, I’d recommend a trip to MBS.
Louise Oakley, group editor
louise.oakley@itp.com
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