Face-to-Face: Peter Mainguy, General Manager, The Ritz Carlton Millenia Singapore
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1) There is great competition in Singapore’s luxury hotel sector; how does Ritz Millenia Carlton differentiate itself?
Established on a legacy of service excellence, The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia continues to dominate the luxury hospitality landscape in Singapore. We take pride in the company’s philosophy and culture which promotes the fact that the genuine care and comfort of our guests is our highest mission. We will also continue to provide service excellence to our guests, strengthen its brand loyalty and perpetuate its legacy as Asia’s premier luxury hospitality leader.
In addition to offering luxury facilities, elevating the service delivery is equally important. It is not just about meeting the basic needs of the customers but exceeding them and bringing them back repeatedly. Anticipating and fulfilling our customers’ needs are critical to our business as it builds customer loyalty, generates revenue and ensure continued financial success.
Guests are so diverse that no ‘one size fits all’. There is a lot more casualness coming into luxury that we have to refocus our training on listening to our guests’ needs rather than just focusing on the process itself. By continuing to nurture relationships and showing genuine care and concern we will ensure that each experience continues to be relevant and value-added.
Guest engagement training is important as it provides us with the tools to engage our guests. Every employee is empowered to handle guest problems and make decisions without having to consult their managers. Empowerment allows guests’ problems to be resolved as quickly as possible.
2) Like the majority of Asian cities, Singapore has suffered from a drop in tourism arrivals. What measures has Ritz Carlton taken to maintain occupancy levels?
The hotel has always priced appropriately by providing exceptional guest experiences. We also constantly ensure that we provide service excellence to guests and every touch point has to provide value for money. Additionally, with our large meeting facilities coupled with the hotel’s meeting planners, we also customise room and meeting packages.
As such, the hotel rolled-out two accommodation and meeting packages which will enable business travellers and meeting planners to enjoy cost savings and value-added experiences. The ‘Road Warrior’ package where Singapore-bound business executives can save 40% of their accommodation costs, while the ‘Meet with Success’ package which enables meeting planners to rely less on having additional corporate team members on site, resulting in a more cost-effective experience.
3) Your hotel features an extensive contemporary art collection, including works by Andy Warhol among others. How much does this artistic side reflect on the property as a whole, and is it something that you will continue to develop?
Our extensive 4,200-piece modern contemporary art collection comprises of art pieces and sculptures which represents the heart and soul of the hotel. They offer guests a museum setting within a hotel environment and also enhances the well-being of our guests, many of whom are art collectors and aficionados.
Located in the emerging art hub in the Marina Bay district, The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia offers art and history enthusiasts easy access to a host of museums, galleries and the up and coming National Art Gallery in the neighbouring Civic District. In line with Singapore Tourism Board’s support of the local arts and artists, our hotel recently launched “A Celebration of Art and History”. Designed to offer our guests a unique palette of national history and artistic perspectives, we have partnered with the National Museum of Singapore and award-winning artist, Ong Kim Seng, to establish our hotel as the “arts central” in the area.
4) What changes, if any, are you noticing in guests’ patterns of stay since the onset of the economic downturn?
We see a shorter lead period for reservations made and our guests are looking for value added experiences that are value for money.
5) What developments are we likely to see at the Ritz Carlton Millenia Singapore in 2009?
Besides constantly innovating the experience through room and dining packages, the hotel will stay on course with our current operations.
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