Top Ten Tips to build a Superior Service Culture - Hospitality Maldives

FREE COPY ISSUE # 13
HOSPITALITY
MALDIVES
Top Ten Tips
to build a
Superior Service Culture

Impressum
EDITOR’S NOTE
Published by
Beyond Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.
G. Comrade Hiya, L1
Dhonadharaadha Hingun
Male 20350
Republic of Maldives
www.beyondhospitality.com
Managing Editor
David Kotthoff
david@hospitality-maldives.com
Advertising
ads@hospitality-maldives.com
Design & Layout
Beyond Media Design Pvt Ltd.
www.beyondmediadesign.com
Print
Novelty Printers & Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
Contributors
Schihab A. Adam
APSWC
Rene Cavallari
Bette Daoust, PhD
Four Seasons
Mark Hamister
Jim Hlavin
Rick Johnson
Ron Kaufman
Doug Kennedy
Chris Longstreet, CHA
Leslie Lyon
Naladhu Maldives
Rachel McAlpine
Roberta Nedry
Per Aquum
PriceWaterHouseCoopers
Kelley Robertson
Shangri La Hotels & Resorts
Sidath De Silva
Patrick De Staercke
Tafelstern
Dave Wheelhouse, CHRE
www.ehotelier.com
Disclaimer
No parts of this magazine or its content
(photographs, articles or parts thereof,
design, layout) may be reproduced without
the consent of the respective owner.
Beyond Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. or any of its associates
cannot be held responsible for the
misuse of the information and intellectual
property provided in this magazine.
Opinions expressed in this magazine are
those of the writers and not necessarily endorsed
by the publisher.
Dear friends and colleagues,
Welcome to the 13th issue of Hospitality Maldives.
The Maldivian economy as we know it today is built on tourism, an industry that not
only contributes an average 30% to the nation’s GDP, but that has literally turned into
the country’s economical backbone. With tourist arrivals having tripled over the past
15 years and international travelers becoming ever more demanding, the government
is trying to cater to the demands by increasing bed capacities via the release of more
islands that are to be developed into tourist resorts.
Increasing the number of resorts means an automatic increase in demand for skilled
local manpower to at least the same extent. With a population of just over 300,000
scattered amongst countless isolated islands, hotel owners and operators are facing
immense difficulties in securing the services of sufficient numbers of trained Maldivians
to work in their resorts.
The government is trying to tackle this problem by committing resort owners to train
certain numbers of Maldivians per year; however, there is only so much the government
can do. Ultimately it comes down to you, the hoteliers (owners and managers alike), to
invest time, money and other resources into training Maldivians and teaching them the
skills of our wonderful industry. Training can bring a great wealth of benefits, from increasing
guest satisfaction ratios to decreasing costs due to less staff turnover; let alone
the satisfaction of having more local staff then you are obliged to have by law.
When was the last time you have reviewed your training policies, budget and efficiency?
If it has been a while, you better get going now, or else you will soon see your most
talented people run off to competitors with no replacement in sight. Once you’re done
with that, go and have a meal in your staff canteen or spend the night in a line-level
staff quarters – I’m sure you’ll learn a lot.
On this note I hope you’ll enjoy the contents of this issue and wish you Happy Reading!
Yours in hospitality,
David Kotthoff
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CONTENTS
CONTENTS
3
6
12
16
22
26
36
44
49
52
56
63
68
Editor’s Note
Motivation: Attending to the Basics
The Seven Deadly Sins of Marketing
Constructing your Spa’s Business Plan
Mentoring to the Max
Understanding Group Culture to Build a Team
Top Ten Tips to Build a Superior Service Culture
Green Floorcare in the Hospitality Industry
Email: Pause before you send
Hospitality Bites
Service Excellence: The Bottom Line of Leadership
Tourism and its Impact on the Marine Environment
Last Words
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HUMAN RESOURCES
Motivation
Attending to
the Basics
By Dave Wheelhouse, CHRE
and Chris Longstreet, CHA
The success of managers and their
companies is determined by the work their
employees do. Since motivated employees
are more productive, managers have
a clear interest in finding out what
motivates them. To learn what motivates
employees, we must first look at the work
environment in general, then ultimately
build relationships with employees
– understanding the unique qualities
that contribute to their motivation.
An important distinction must be made between
morale and motivation. Employee activities aimed at
raising morale, such as picnics, sports teams, or holiday
parties, aren’t motivators in themselves and do not
contribute to improved productivity. Motivation is the result
of a person’s own drive to satisfy personal needs, wishes, and
desires. Motivation is an aspect of one’s total outlook and is
based on many things – experiences, environment, wants, needs,
feelings, and perceptions.
Employees need to be able to see how they best satisfy their own
needs while achieving the objectives of the entire organization.
The manager’s role is to show employees how meeting the
company’s goals is the best way to realize their own goals.
Some aspects of the workplace are not effective motivators in
themselves, but they’re so basic to worker performance that
they can have a strong negative impact on motivation. The most
significant of these factors are:
- Security
- Salary
- Working Conditions
- Status
These factors must be handled properly before individual
motivation can be addressed.
Security
Most organizations offer the general security of insurance
benefits, retirement programs, and savings plans. Still, some
workplaces cause employees to feel insecure, anxious, and
stressed. Making employees feel secure goes beyond monetary
benefits. In a society that is placing a premium on performance
and productivity, downsizing of organizations is occurring at
a rapid pace. When people leave, positions aren’t being filled.
Assistant manager positions are being replaced by lower-paying
hourly supervisor positions. Workers are worried about whether
they will have jobs next week aren’t likely to be responsive to
employee participation programs.
Fear of job loss is source of stress for many workers. In some
ways, federal and state governments have alleviated this fear.
Companies are shifting away from the employment at will
philosophy where the employer can terminate an employee at
any time for any reason. Responsive employers are providing
published company policies of appropriate and consistent
discipline and alternative dispute resolution committees where
groups of line and management employees review disputes over
employment issues.
Arbitrary, inconsistent, unpredictable, or incompetent supervision
is another cause of insecurity and anxiety in the workplace. A
chaotic environment results when workers don’t know where
they stand or what the company’s goals are. For example, when
a supervisor or manager leaves an establishment, there may be
periods of time where there is an absence of a supervisor to lead
employees. These are times of “uncertainty” for employees, as
they may not have someone to answer their questions or go to
when problems arise. Employees need boundaries within which
to operate and must have confidence that they will be treated
fairly. Problems with company policies or administrative practices
should be handled through a fair and accessible grievance
procedure. In addition, workers want to know how they are
doing, and managers should tell them.
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Originally, the employment-at-will philosophy stated that either
the employer or employee can terminate the employment
arrangement at any time for any reason. It is now more commonly
used to refer to the idea that the employer can terminate the
employee at any time and for any reason.
Salary
areas where people spend so much time of their working day.
Art may improve also improve working conditions. In some cases,
art not only enhances the environment, but also has a positive
effect through the power of suggestion. Restrooms and locker
areas should be clean, secure, and well-maintained. If you are
providing employees with clothing to wear, employees should
look and feel comfortable in their uniforms.
HUMAN RESOURCES
What individual employees are paid must first be perceived as
fair. Wage and salary administration must be consistent and
equitable within the organization. In addition,
what you pay employees should be considered comparable
within the community and the industry general. Payday should
be one the happiest days of the week. The first priority of payroll
administration is to get paychecks processed correctly and
delivered to the workers on time and in a friendly manner. Few
managers realize how many paychecks either must be reissued
because of mistakes or are delayed because of procedures were
not followed correctly. If an employee’s paycheck cannot be
found or if employees have to wait in line for their checks, the
payroll administration process is not operating as it should.
In many organizations, managers hand out paychecks to
employees. This gives managers the opportunity to talk to
employees and thank them for a job well done.
Working Conditions
Low productivity is often incorrectly viewed as a motivational
problem. Working conditions can often be a cause of low
productivity. Employees need adequate equipment, space,
heating, lighting, and even ventilation in order to perform at
their best levels. Noise should be kept at a minimum – although
the right type of music may have a positive effect, particularly
in break areas or places of highly repetitive jobs, such as the
dishroom.
Color also has a significant impact on the work environment.
Management may spend thousands of dollars on the color
and ambiance of a dining room or guest room of a hotel, and
completely fail to consider the color when designing the employee
Status
Today’s workers believe that equal treatment is something that
everyone deserves. Most employees can readily accept the idea
of higher pay for positions of more responsibility or expertise.
However, employees do want to see the same rules applied to
everyone. If line employees are required to wear name tags,
managers should wear them too. Top manager’s should not be
getting bonuses if employees are getting laid off.
Today, managers are being called by their first names – the
typical status symbols of the past have been eliminated to create
a more conducive environment for teamwork. Some places have
eliminated time clocks to avoid sending the message that hourly
employees can’t be trusted or must be treated as second-class.
Removing the unnecessary obstacles that set up artificial barriers
and distinctions between line and management employees.
These status distinctions must be minimized if genuine employee
involvement and motivation are to take place.
Adapted from Managing Human Resources in the Hospitality
Industry by David Wheelhouse, CHRE (Educational Institute of
the AH&LA, Lansing, MI, 1989)
For more information on the SOCIETY FOR HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT,
visit our website at www.hospitalitysociety.org or call us at 616 457-
3646.
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SERVICE
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SALES & MARKETING
HOSPITALITY MALDIVES
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SERVICE
Most companies view customer needs, wants, and desires from
their own perspective or try to guess at them. This is unfortunately
the case with people who know their products exceptionally well:
they can’t see them from any vantage point but their own. Our
team prides itself on asking customers what their needs, wants,
and desires are. We actively listen to our guests and base our
product strategies on their responses.
For example, we recently asked some of our extended-stay guests
about their hotel expectations: they answered that they wanted a
clean room, a pleasant bathing experience, a comfortable night’s
sleep, and a hassle-free, secure environment. They also told us
that we already fulfilled these needs. So we asked what we more
we could do to improve their experience. These guests spend a
lot of time away from their families. What they most desired was
a better way to have more contact with their kids-something that
they didn’t think we could do anything about. So we installed a
complimentary video-conferencing system and now sell (without
profit) the corresponding equipment for their homes, if they do
not have it already. We ship it promptly to their home addresses,
and they can now see and speak with their families every day.
We have received a very positive and grateful response to this
new amenity.
Achieving
Excellence:
How to Truly Understand
and Fulfill Customer
Needs, Wants, and Desires
By Mark Hamister
My vision of how to lead a company has always been based on
three principles: know your product; understand your customer;
and don’t accept mediocrity.
Knowing your product is the easiest of the three, although we
all have encountered plenty of sales and management staff who
don’t. These people need to practice MBIWA (Management by
Interacting and Walking Around) and understand their products
from the front line. I advise my management staff to get out
onto the floors, talk to people in every department, and learn
how each part of the product works. I stay in my hotels as a
guest and take my spouse with me for a woman’s perspective.
After learning every aspect of our properties, we then take great
care to avoid falling into the trap of fixating on our products so
intensely that we can’t see them through our customers’ eyes.
Finally, we should never accept mediocrity. Most people measure
themselves against industry benchmarks-which are mediocre.
Truly great people find out what it takes to perform in the upper
10% of each industry metric and do whatever it takes to achieve
those results. Some time ago we realized that one of our assisted
living facilities had lost its competitive edge. Our customers told
us that they wanted more private rooms and more services,
things that we could not provide in the building at that time.
So, in order to perform in the upper 10%, we decided to
commence a $10 million renovation, the first phase of which
is about to be completed. We are building over-sized rooms
with king and queen-sized beds, a 12-seat movie theater, a new
recreation and IT center facing an inner courtyard and gardens, a
luxurious new lobby, dining room, and ice cream parlor, a 20-bed
memory care unit, and 15 independent living apartments. All of
this cost us a large sum of money, but our goal was excellence
and we were prepared to do whatever it took to achieve a
superior result.
Listening to one’s customers is the best way to make original
service and product enhancements. Differentiating your product
is easier than you think if you always remember that your
customers know what they want better than anyone else. Ask
them. Then it’s up to you to aim for the chopping block and
achieve something great.
Mark Hamister is the CEO of The Hamister Group, Inc. and The Hamister
Hospitality Group, LLC, a rapidly growing hotel management company.
The Hamister Group is actively seeking hotel acquisitions and management
contracts in the United States. For more details, please see our web sites:
www.hamisterhospitality.com and www.hamistergroup.com. Please feel
free to send comments or questions to Mark at: chairman@hamistergroup.
com.
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SALES & MARKETING
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SALES & MARKETING
I have had many marketing experiences since that time but it
seems that most companies I worked for are all doing the same
thing and I mean the exact same thing! The results tend to fall
into the same patterns just like using a cookie cutter to create
each campaign. If the results are good, there is no real reason to
change it but what if you could improve the odds and improve
on the results at the same time? This is only possible if you do not
commit the 7 deadly sins of marketing.
SIN #1
Relying on what works for others
By thinking what works for your competition will also work for
you may have some truth in it but you are setting a trap for your
company. By relying on someone else’s successful campaigns you
are not doing a thorough enough job. It may work in the short
term but in the long term you will not be able to make quick
changes because of the lack of knowledge. The knowledge you
will be lacking is what was actually tested to make the campaign
successful, you may not know the demographics in enough detail
even though your product may be very similar.
SIN #2
Assuming your product will be in demand and
needed by your audience
7 Deadly Sins of
Marketing.
By Bette Daoust, Ph.D.
When I started my first marketing job I was asked to prepare a
flyer and have it delivered to all the homes and businesses in
the area. The company would then track the response rate and
see if this number matched the norm for this type of marketing
campaign.
However, they measured the success by the number of sales from
the campaign rather than the number of responses. In fact, they
had no idea how many people responded but they did know
how many people bought. When they dropped the campaign,
the reasons were all wrong. They did not have a problem with
response, they had a problem with converting responses to actual
sales. The measurement tool they used did not fit the situation.
They measured based on what the sales department did with the
responses and not how effective their marketing tactics actually
were working. Sound familiar?
Never make assumption about what your audience will want.
They are not exactly like you and they have difference needs
and interests. Yes, you can create a new market but that takes
time and a lot of effort. You need to gather proof that there
is a need for your product. This can be accomplished through
surveys, doing test samples, interviews, and such. Don’t waste
your money on developing a marketing campaign if you are not
sure if there is really a market for your product.
SIN #3
Not defining the target audience in enough detail
Audiences should be narrowly defined to maximize the spending
for marketing. Audience details would ideally include (but not
limited to) demographics (age, gender, income, number of
children, etc.), psychographics (lifestyles, spending habits, sports
interests, hobbies, etc.), and geographics (location details such
as neighborhood, city, county, state, etc.). If you can pinpoint
your audience, you will likely see an increase in the results for
your campaign.
SIN #4
Creating a market for your product after the
product has been developed
You may think of this as not the function of the marketing
department, nothing could be further from the truth. Marketing
needs to be the first line of defense before a product is developed.
Marketing needs to do the research to make sure there is a market
for the product long before it comes off the drawing board and
into production. Spend dollars on feeling out the marketplace as
to needs and wants and then develop only those products that
people will buy.
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SIN #5
Spending the entire marketing budget on
one or two tactics
If you spend all of your marketing dollars on developing a
brochure to mail out, you will only get the response rate from
a direct mail campaign. You should always test several tactics
to find which ones work and then choose the ones where the
response rate is the greatest. Often companies simply develop
one type of marketing collateral and so with it without thinking
about other tactics that may outperform the current one. You
should be constantly testing tactics and if the budget permits,
using more than one tactic at a time.
improve the odds and improve on the
results at the same time?
SIN #6
Not paying attention to seasons or holidays
Too often organizations do not appropriate plan their campaigns
for seasons or holidays. I have seen very expensive campaigns fail
because it was executed over a long weekend. People were busy
spending elsewhere and did not pay attention to the campaign
(which was dated for that weekend). The marketing department
(which may just be you) should have a calendar marked with
special occasions, holidays, and anything that will have an effect
on response rates. You absolutely must know in advance so you
are not wasting your marketing dollars.
SIN #7
Thinking you know everything about marketing
Be careful not to fall into the trap that you everything you
need to know about how certain marketing campaigns are put
together. Yes, you may know a great deal, but times, methods,
response rates, and people change over time. You need to spend
time keeping abreast of the latest developments in marketing
and product development. There are plenty of free publications
through organizations such as tradepub.com to help you be on
top of your game.
Now where did sales fit into this discussion? It actually fits
into the planning process. If sales is not on board with what is
happening in marketing, they will sell the same old way and not
buy into how you are setting up your campaigns (and for that
matter - why you are doing it). Get them involved at the start
and then once the campaign is underway, they will be able to
increase the conversion rate from response to customer.
Bette Daoust, Ph.D. is a speaker, author (over 170 books, articles, and
publications), and consultant. You may contact Dr. Daoust at www.
BizMechanix.com You may also view her latest publications at www.
BlueprintBooks.com
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LOCAL NEWS
Naladhu, Maldives - Luxurious New Resort Named
“Hottest” in Conde Nast Traveler “Hot List”
April 24, 2007 - Naladhu, Maldives, has been named one of the
world’s hottest new resorts by Conde Nast Traveler in the 2007
“Hot List”. The list, featured in the May edition, comprises 138
hotels, and Naladhu, Maldives is the one of the “Hottest” new
properties worldwide.
The Conde Nast Traveler Hot List recognizes hotels and resorts
for design, service and ambiance, making it one of the most
coveted designations. Each year, an anonymous group of writers
evaluates new hotels and resorts around the world for the publication.
Naladhu was chosen as one of only 138 properties whose
offering surpass expectations. Of the chosen properties, each is
awarded a “Hot”, “Hotter” or “Hottest” title, Naladhu, Maldives
claimed the position as “Hottest” in the magazine’s listing.
In describing Naladhu, Conde Nast Traveler says “this intimate
resort provides a level of privacy and personal attention impressive
even in the Maldives”. In addition “Dedicated butlers, or
VGCs (Very Good Chaps), exceed expectations with quiet, smiling
service”.
The magazine concluded “Naladhu represents the Maldives’
most convenient exclusive destination yet”.
Located in the aquatic setting of the Maldives, one of the world’s
most celebrated tropical havens, Naladhu Maldives offers a
unique lifestyle to those who appreciate the sophistication and
charm of times past.
Naladhu has captured the elegant aesthetics of a slightly colonial
era, with hints of Sri Lankan regality in its design. However, the
resort also proffers every modern convenience imaginable to the
luxury traveller. Naladhu means “pretty little island”, and each of
the exclusive 19 Houses – each named after a Maldivian plant -
has been designed to make every guest’s wish become reality.
With a commitment to perfecting every detail, Naladhu fuses
modern facilities with a sense of the nostalgia. White-washed
timber wall panels juxtapose the zesty Indian motifs and colours
of the house upholstery. Antique furnishings, such as an early
20th century writer’s desk and the decorous bar cabinet conjure
up images of a romantic, bygone age.
Naladhu provides the canvass and colour palette to those who
wish to make their holiday picture perfect.
For reservations please telephone +960 664-4100 or email:
info@naladhu.com.
For media enquiries please contact:
Ms. Marion Walsh
Brand Director Public Relations
Email: mwalsh@naladhu.com
Tel: + 66 (0) 2877 5803 Ext. 28
Mobile: + 66 (0) 89 811 3829
www.naladhu.com.
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SPA
Constructing your Spa’s
Business Plan
By Leslie Lyon
Whether you are just starting up your Spa or you are a seasoned
veteran - you need to have a Business Plan At some time
or another - you will require either outside financing; a lease
agreement; be considering a partnership; or even looking for
investors. To achieve any of these, a formal presentation outlining
your business objectives and strategies must be in place.
But a point not to be overlooked, is that the value and benefits
that come to you as the Owner, from doing the research
and constructing a viable Business Plan, are often the most
important.
• Where are you positioned in relation to your business
offerings and opportunities?
• Why will your plan succeed - identify capabilities and
strengths
• When will you begin to see break-even, growth,
profit?
• How will you start, monitor, sustain and exit the
business?
A Business Owner needs to always have a clear picture of
the company’s past, present and future.Pssst...
Often, compiling a Business Plan takes a team of individuals. You
may wish to purchase a Business Plan prototype and even require
outside assistance from professionals in marketing, finances and
business creation. A common pitfall, or “catch 22”, is that in
these formative stages of developing the Plan, funds are often not
yet available and it is therefore difficult to pay for the assistance
that you may require. To ease you through this process, it may
be prudent to secure a small pool of funds for this purpose.Your
Business Plan should focus on potential and opportunity, while
generating interest and excitement in those you are targeting.
And whom are you targeting?
In an effort to construct a focused, realistic Plan, we can
sometimes forget to infuse our personality...our creativity...our
PASSION! Although the Plan needs to be thorough and sensible,
it should also showcase your talents and unique slant on life -
after all, it’s one thing to fill a need, it’s another to fill it with
FLARE and turn it into a commodity!
So, let’s begin at the beginning. Start with the Cover Page (Business
Plan Title, the Date, Company Legal Name, Company Logo and
full contact information). Be sure to make it eye catching! Next
you will need to compile your Table of Contents. Use the points
as set out below to guide you through this process.
1. Defining Statement - Your Business Idea & Goals
• If it’s a Lender you are presenting your Plan to, he/she
will want to see profitability and payback potential,
with a break-even analysis. They will also expect to
see collateral and cash flow to secure the loan;
• If you are targeting an investor, you will want to
demonstrate the ability for growth in both sales
and profits, as well as providing a good return on
investment;
• A prospective partner or promising individual to help
form your management team will want to see a
sound strategy, good company management and
potential for personal growth and profit. No matter
whom you are targeting however, always remember
to align your strategies with the six basic Plan
elements:
• Who are the individuals on the team responsible for
building and sustaining the business?
Here’s where you outline the opportunity and your philosophy.
You’ve found a need, and you now need to demonstrate how
you plan to fill it. Talk about your Caring Culture; the Mission
Statement; the “Opportunities of Employment” you will make
available at your place of business; and your friendly Staff Policies.
Without giving too much away, touch on your proprietary
advantages; trade secrets and/or business benefits that will give
you the edge you need.
2. Industry Background
This shows that you have done your research. Provide a history
and overview including:
• Features and industry highlights
• Size of the industry - expected volume of sales -
trends & growth factors
• Challenges - Vulnerabilities - Seasonality
• What will it cost?
• Observations and opportunities and future growth
potential.
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3. Target Market Research
Developing your target’s profile will instil a strong sense of security
into the reader. If necessary, use the services of a marketing
professional who is familiar with the industry
• Demographics cover such topics as gender, marital
status, age, education, and income;
• Psychographics provides an understanding of their
habits, lifestyles and personal preferences (where they
shop; what they read, watch and listen to; how they
spend their spare time);
Policies and Procedures and your Reporting and Monitoring
Systems will be of benefit.
7. Management Outline
Draw up an Organizational Chart. Provide your personal profile,
indicating what you have already researched and invested.
What milestones have you achieved? What are your strengths,
talents, goals and objectives? Provide references. List other key
management positions such as Principals, Managers and your
Board of Directors. Provide profiles, experience and expertise.
8. Staffing-Up Plan
SPA
• Geographics will provide information on location and
competitive influences in and surrounding your area.
4. Marketing Strategies
What are your staffing requirements and what is your logic on
staffing up? Provide individual profiles; required experience
and expertise; Job Descriptions; Evaluations Systems; and Staff
Compensation Structure.
Your marketing strategy will demonstrate how you will reach
your target consumer and what your image and message will be.
Discuss the marketing vehicles you will use:
• Print - Newspapers; Magazines; Website, eNews;
Brochures
9. Legal Structure
This includes Business Ownership; Insurance requirements;
Business Taxes; Business Registration; Licenses and Permits and
Employment Standards and Legalities.
• Broadcast - TV, Radio
• Talk about your Public Relations Plan, Media Events
and gathering Publicity
• Describe your ongoing sales strategy:
o Business alliances - Community involvement
o Packaging and pricing structures, promotional
events and campaigns.
5. Your Competition
Know your competition and their 4 P’s - Pricing, Product,
Promotional Techniques and Placement. Outline what your
competitive advantages will be (quality, convenience, innovation,
expertise). The reader will also want to see that you have
considered the risks. Describe possible obstacles; competitive
disadvantages and what challenges or barriers you might face.
Finish, however, by outlining your tactics for gradual market gain
and overcoming those obstacles.
6. Operational Plan
Includes drawings, blueprints, renditions, the size of the facility,
room’s layout, your mix of services, traffic flow and even your
maintenance requirements. As well, having the “behind the
scenes” structures, practices and protocols in place, helps to
solidify your commitment to the project and your ability to
manage the business. Include your Purchasing Plan - products,
equipment & technological requirements needed to service the
menu, as well as a preliminary Menu of Services. Any information
available on Guest Services and Handling; Facility Maintenance;
10. Financial Structure
This process may seem overwhelming, but it is the most important
component of your Business Plan and must be carefully thought
out and delivered. Your Financial Plan sets expectations, monitors
© Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa
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SPA
progress; guides decisions; and displays results. Whoever your
audience is, your projections for revenue, growth and profitability
are the main factors being considered. You may need to engage
the services of a Professional, but in doing so, you will be
assured that your Plan will be creditable and realistic - therefore
saleable.
Personal Net Worth Assessment
• Are your personal finances in order?
Business Assumptions (for Start-Up)
• Complete site set up requirements
• Products, equipment, furniture & fixtures,
technology
• Required financing - Sources and allocation
of funds
Staff Payroll Projections
• A helpful tool in designing and managing
your payroll model in relation to gross revenue.
Monthly Sales and Cost of Goods and Services Sold
Projections
• A clear demonstration of monthly sales projections
vs. monthly costs associated to making those sales.
Balance Sheet
• Annual Statements outlining Company
Assets, Liabilities and Owners’ Equity for business
year’s 1-5
Breakeven Analysis
• Predicts sales volumes required to cover the cost of
doing business
• Clarifies how long it will take to start operating at
a profit.
11. Business Risk Assessment - Exit Strategy
This should demonstrate your ability to anticipate and handle
potential business risks and a possible “Plan B” process. This may
be required due to increased competition; fluctuating industry
demands; negative economic impact (recession); supplier
problems; staff challenges, etc.
Your Business’ sustainability needs to be well planned. Don’t be
intimidated by this important assignment. The process and end
result will not only give you a soaring sense of accomplishment,
but will propel you to a new level of knowledge, understanding,
expertise and confidence - all characteristics of a Successful
Business Professional . . . and that’s YOU!
Spas2b is a full-service Spa Development, Consulting and Training company
based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Spas2b draws on the extensive
experience of its President, Leslie Lyon. Leslie has evolved with the Health
and Beauty Industry for more than 30 years and has participated in many
aspects of the Spa trade. An Aesthetician and Electrologist for 25 years,
today Leslie enjoys her profession as an International Consultant, Educator,
Key Note Speaker, Published Columnist and Freelance Writer. Over that
period of time, Leslie has gained a reputation as a creatively inspired,
conscientious industry professional.
www.spas2b.com
Income Statement
• Projected Profit and Loss for business
year’s 1-5
Cash Flow Statement
• Monthly Projected Cash Requirements
• Annual Statements outlining Inflows and
Outflows for business year’s 1-5
Financial Ratios & Graphs
• Utilizing established industry benchmarks,
ratios will help to determine if your business
is (capable of) meeting and/or
exceeding standards.
• Categories of ratios include Liquidity
Ratios; Profitability Ratios; Leverage
Ratios and Operating Ratios including Key
Performance Indicators such as Percent Utilization;
Average Ticket Price, etc.
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HOSPITALITY MALDIVES
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HUMAN RESOURCES
10 Morning Coffee Thoughts on Leadership
By Rick Johnson
People who get results are high impact leaders. They are
consistent, explicit and concise and they command a presence
when they walk into a room. They have enough charisma to turn
the dullest moment into a high-energy event. When they move
on, others want to go with them. Their openness and honesty
creates a legacy which people admire and look up to. They gain
commitment and foster trust.
1. An effective leader is only as good as the people
he/she surrounds themselves with.
2. Character is built around a true concern for the
people within the organization. It is based on fairness
and consistency.
3. Problems with staffing and retention may not be due
to bad hires or a low unemployment rate. In fact,
they may be related to poor leadership insight by not
recognizing employees as a core competency in the
business strategy.
4. “Profit is not a Dirty Word.” Profit is the driving force
that encourages a willingness to take risks and
taking calculated risks to generate profit requires
an adaptability to change. Profit is the lifeblood of
business success. Without it there are no jobs, no
promotions, no growth and no leadership. Leaders
have a unique ability to generate profit.
5. Success is defined by the quality of leadership at all
levels in the organization.
6. P.O.P. ----- The employees are the people with the
“Power of Profitability” Although profit is essential
for survival of the organization it must take its place
of importance behind the employees because they
hold the power to create profit or kill it.
7. Panic response management is more likely to occur if
growth objectives are Ego driven vs. Profit
driven which often leads to putting personal needs
ahead of business needs. This is a common symptom
of the lack of leadership in the organization.
Leadership is quite different then management.
8. Leadership without communication is like a gun
without a bullet. It looks impressive but it can’t do
anything.
9. In Reality --We often don’t give employees enough
credit for their intellectual capacity. Employees aren’t
stupid. It is amazing what they can accomplish, the
ideas they can come up with and the solutions they
can provide --- if only you give them a chance.
10. Excitement breeds excitement. Success breeds’
success, the more consuming the desire to succeed,
the more leadership is demonstrated and this draws
support from the employees and creates a team
environment.
e-mail rick@ceostrategist.com for a copy of the “Leadership Thought
Provoker Checklist” and “The Lead Wolf Leadership Creed”
20
HOSPITALITY MALDIVES
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HOSPITALITY MALDIVES
JUNE/JULY 2007

HUMAN RESOURCES
Mentoring To
The Max
By Doug Kennedy
It is definitely arguable that the role of supervisor or assistant manager
in a hotel environment is perhaps one of the most stressful positions
on the organizational chart. While everyone has superiors and
subordinates, frontline supervisors and assistant managers are often
caught in the middle of competing needs of stakeholders ranging
from executive-level managers through frontline employees, not to
mention being called upon to handle the most difficult guests.
That being said, frontline supervisors and managers simultaneously
have the best opportunity to close the gap between hotel standards
and procedures that exist in memos and training manuals versus what
transpires daily on the frontlines. Even more importantly, they have
the chance to mentor new associates and inspire the next level of
hospitality recruits onward and upward.
Demonstrate
by example.
Your every
action is being
scrutinized daily by the frontline team; your performance sets the real
standards much more so than those in any manual or handbook.
I remember well the faces of people like Ralph, my bell captain when
I was a budding young bellman at the Lexington Marriott Griffin Gate
Resort. Ralph not only taught me the paperwork and processes, but
also encouraged me to tell the g.m. I thought I was ready for the next
open front-desk management training position.
This, despite the fact that several other employees were more qualified
on paper. Fortunately for me, that g.m. believed me! Unfortunately,
most first-level supervisors are automatically promoted to their
position without proper training or indoctrination, usually for the
sole reason that they were an excellent producer in their frontline
position.
Requisition the resources your team needs. When you need additional
systems, equipment, or even staff, document your need in advance
before requesting it. Show upper management how these resources
can improve service or enhance profits.
Avoid ‘reading the headlines’ and knee-jerk reactions to atypical
incidents. Look at each associate’s overall performance long-term.
Research even seemingly obvious situations before jumping to a
conclusion about who dropped the ball or why. Be consistent in
applying standards. Avoid ‘superstar slippage’ that can occur when
top performers are allowed to routinely cut corners based on their
legendary service of the past.
By focusing training and career development on essential, but often
overlooked, role-players, you can ensure your supervisors and assistant
managers reinforce the principles of hospitality on a daily basis. Here
are some training tips for your next supervisory-level meeting or
workshop:
Pitch-in as needed during peak demand periods. Stay tuned into
the daily cycle of service and anticipate the potential bottlenecks
and gridlocks in advance. By pitching-in momentarily during these
situations you can not only improve guest service efficiency but also
demonstrate moral support for your troops.
22
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Complete performance reviews on time and with proper consideration.
Remember what an impact the review has on each associate’s
individual career and be diligent in completing them. Log notes about
staff performance in a book or file over the course of the year versus
trying to remember it all come review time.
Manage upward effectively to secure long-term change. Frontline
supervisors are the connection between the ivory towers of
management and daily life in the trenches. Make sure that upper
management is kept aware of not only the daily successes but also
the daily challenges occurring for the staff, versus telling them only
what they want to hear, only when they are asking to hear it.
Try not to get called on your day off. One might think that the
supervisor who receives calls day and night at home to help out his
staff gives the most to his hotel. But a truly successful supervisor is
the one whose team is so effective at getting by on their own that
they don’t need to call for help.
Most importantly, leave your own personal brand service mark.
Wherever you are working at this moment, do everything you can to
assist your hotel on its journey to excellence, right here, right now.
Whether expecting to be there six years or six months, contribute
every shift, every week, every month in every way you can to making
your property better upon your departure than it was on your first
day.
Avoid ‘reading the headlines’ and knee-jerk
reactions to atypical incidents
Maximize every chance to mentor those who report to you, and know
that the rewards can be great when you one day look back at the
number of successful hospitality careers that have been launched
under your watch.
Doug Kennedy, President of the Kennedy Training Network, has been a fixture
on the hospitality and tourism industry conference circuit since 1989, having
presented over 1,000 conference keynote sessions, educational seminars,
and on-premise training workshops for diverse audiences representing every
segment of the lodging industry. His articles have also appeared worldwide
in more than 17 prominent international publications including the HSMAI
Marketing Review, eHotelier, 4hoteliers, Hotel News Resource, Hotel
Online, Human Assets - Dubai and Hong Kong, Hsyndicate worldwide,
BAHA Times - U.K., Hospitality - Maldives, and the Hotel Expert Magazine
Hong Kong.
Visit www.kennedytrainingnetwork.com for details or e-mail him at:
doug@kennedytrainingnetwork.com.
Originally published at www.hotelmotel.com
HOSPITALITY MALDIVES
JUNE/JULY 2007

LOCAL NEWS
Huvafen Fushi Maldives Listed In Condé Nast
Traveller 2007 Gold List for Best Service
23rd December, 2006, Maldives – The results are out, and
this years Best Service, goes to the trendsetting Huvafen Fushi
Maldives with a score of 91.47. Condé Nast Traveller, a magazine
which provides the experienced traveler an array of diverse travel
experiences encompassing art, architecture, fashion, culture,
cuisine and shopping included Huvafen Fushi Maldives in their
2007 Gold List – a compilation of the hotels around the world
that have the best service, rooms, food, ambience & design,
location and leisure facilities.
EAR CANDY for CD’s and DVD’s, SLIPPERY WHEN WET for soap
and shampoo, FLUFF for extra pillows and towels and MIDNIGHT
MUNCHIES for In-Bungalow Dining. Totally in a league of its own,
Huvafen which translates as ‘Dream’ in Dhivehi, the Maldivian
language, is indeed a waking dream. Set within its own lagoon,
it is a pristine island resort offering 43 naturally-modern
bungalows and pavilions and home to the world’s first underwater
spa. Huvafen Fushi is also listed in Conde Nast Traveller 2005 Hot
List.
Starting with the properties that received the highest ratings in
the Readers’ Travel Awards 2006 survey and adding the Editors’
choices and the stand-out quality for each hotel, the result
yielded the ultimate guide to the world’s hotels featuring those
establishments which set the Condé Nast Traveller Gold List
standard.
Mark Hehir, Area General Manager Maldives, commented on this
wonderful news: “We are delighted to be recognized in the Gold
List, especially in the category for Best Service. It reflects the hard
work and dedication of the team at Huvafen Fushi. It is service
from the heart. Every hotel operates on service standards and that
is what we have implemented here. From Food and Beverage to
Housekeeping, Front Office, Kitchen and all other departments,
everyone plays a part to ensure the operation is run smoothly and
all guests’ needs are met or exceeded in expectation”. Recently
implemented, FISH ( Fast Island Service Host ), which consists of
Food and Beverage, Front Office and Housekeeping specialists,
working together as a team to provide our guests with anything,
anytime, anywhere”. “With just a touch of a button, expect to
get extra towels, pillows, restaurant reservations, pick-up, CD’s &
DVD’s, In-Bungalow Dining and so much more!”, says Mark. The
Pavilions on the other hand come with a 24-hour Butler service.
The brainchild of Mark Hehir himself, FISH is conceptualized
around the idea of providing guests with a one-touch access
to anything, to be delivered anywhere and at anytime. Guests
communicate with only one team member and the action takes
place behind the scenes to get the food and beverage request,
delivered within 30 minutes and everything else within 10
minutes. Even the FISH collateral has a life of its own, written
with a touch of quirkiness.
Huvafen Fushi is managed by Per Aquum Resorts • Spas
• Residences, a division of Universal Enterprises, which is
extensively involved in the tourism industry of the Maldives.
Tom McLoughlin, CEO of Per Aquum, attributes Huvafen Fushi’s
deserved recognition to The Per Aquum Difference. “From the
beginning we decided that we didn’t want to be another big
brand with ‘cookie-cutter’ resorts. We are a young company with
a lot of fresh ideas, passion and enthusiasm and we wanted this
zeal to come through in our properties. Our passion is within
our belief that we make a difference, not only to guests and
shareholders but to our team members as well. This Per Aquum
Difference is what really sets us apart.
The Per Aquum Difference is made up of four key elements -
Passion, Vision, Naturally Modern Design and Imagination. These
elements ensure we offer the utmost in guest experience which
in turn means that our partners and stakeholders will realise
unprecedented returns from this vision.” When asked about the
way forward for Per Aquum, Tom McLoughlin reiterates, “This
is just the beginning. We will continue to refine the original
Huvafen Fushi concept, while constantly pushing the boundaries
in delivering the ultimate guest experience.”
A Universal Enterprise, Per Aquum Resorts • Spas • Residences is a
specialist luxury resort, spa and residence management company that
offers a different kind of company ethos: one that is passionate, visionary,
imaginative and naturally modern. Each property embodies regional
tradition and combines luxurious fittings and furnishings in a culturally
sensitive way. No two properties are alike. Literally translated, Per Aquum
means ‘through water’, and the vision of the company is to develop
and manage properties in desirable locations using naturally modern,
ecologically responsible design. Per Aquum currently manages properties
in Maldives, Sri Lanka, Dubai and Seychelles and is looking at additional
locations in the Indian Ocean region, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia,
Morocco and the Middle East.
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HOSPITALITY MALDIVES
JUNE/JULY 2007

HUMAN RESOURCES
Understanding Group Culture
to Build a Team
By Dave Wheelhouse, CHRE, & Chris Longstreet, CHA,
Merriam-Webster defines teamwork as “work done by several
associates with each doing a part but all subordinating personal
prominence to the efficiency of the whole.” If a team is effective,
it will be able consistently to achieve results that are higher than
the combined total of individual efforts.
This increased effectiveness through joint action is what makes the
team the best avenue for achieving high productivity. To build an
effective team, a manager must understand the basics of group
development and behavior. Employees tend to place themselves
in loosely structured work groups, sometimes called “cliques.”
Work group formation is mainly the result of common interests
and objectives. Servers who work together and have common
interests tend to form groups. Housekeepers, because they work
together, can form groups based on ethnic background. Front
desk employees form groups by the shifts they work and when
substitutions are made and a person works a different shift,
sometimes this creates and uncomfortable environment.
If a department is large enough and employees have choices,
they will try to associate with others they like, and by whom they
are liked. Employees will migrate to groups that share similar
attitudes and feelings because they will feel more comfortable
and they have the ability to converse and discuss these common
opinions.
The need for friendship, personal contact, and a sense of belonging
to a group shouldn’t be underestimated. Few employees will be
able to stay on the job without becoming part of a group. Each
group will have its own norms – the common attitudes, opinions,
and feelings that may determine their actions.
They’ll develop and share uniform values, standards, and rules
of acceptable behavior that will dictate how work will be done.
Often, they’ll also have inside jokes and a special vocabulary.
Managers will walk by and members of the group will start
laughing for no reason. This is an indicator that an inside joke has
been established by the group members – a joke managers may
never know about. Interaction of members tends to strengthen
the group. Change also affects its strength and cohesiveness, as
well as the morale of its members. A group that is stable and has
little turnover is likely to be tightly knit. In fact, when one member
leaves, other often follow suit soon afterwards. The addition of
several new members at once may threaten the group, causing
a tightening of the original group. The result could be difficulty
in assimilating new employees, and their exclusion could lead to
higher turnover among them.
The stronger and more cohesive the group is, the likelier its
members are to be influenced by its norms and the more pressure
will be put on members to operate within accepted norms.
Because this peer pressure is much stronger on line employees that
it is on managers or other staff positions, line create a relationship
with a targeted customer and present why this potential client
would want to buy. Employees may see their relationships with
their peers as more important than their relationships with their
managers.
The people who are most susceptible to group pressures and
norms are those who feel least accepted or secure, have low
self-esteem or inadequate job skills, have previous failure on
the job, or have had a negative experience as a result of a past
experience with deviating from the group norms. Kelly, a front
desk agent, used to work at a hotel where there wasn’t a good
“fit” with the other employees. Now, in this hotel, Kelly desires
that group acceptance and will do almost anything to make sure
that acceptance is gained.
Regardless of whether these people privately accept the group
norms, they will generally give the appearance of agreement.
In most groups, some ranking will occur by status. Compliance
to norms tends to increase among those with lower status or
prestige. They may feel they have more to lose by deviation,
or they may be more vulnerable to criticism, embarrassment, or
rejection.
The most effective and productive teams are those groups
that have aligned their own goals with those of the company.
Managers need the cooperation of the majority of the groups
within the department to function with any success. Obtaining
their cooperation requires effective and open communication.
In the absence of adequate and accurate information, group
members will exercise their own interpretations, and undesirable
norms may emerge. If the company and the managers are unclear
or inconsistent about the mission and values, group members
will develop their own shared objectives, which may not support
those of the company. Identifying Group Leaders Every group
has informal leaders. The influence of these individuals will
increase as the strength of the group increases.
Managers must be able to identify existing leaders and either win
their cooperation or neutralize their effectiveness. Sometimes,
someone who is very vocal and something of an agitator may
seem to be the group leader. In fact, such an individual is usually
a less secure member of the group trying to attract attention
and win acceptance. Spotting the actual leader may be more
26
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“The bond that holds
the department or
organization together is
mutual respect”
group norms aren’t consistent with the company’s mission and
values, modification must also be handled through the group
rather than just through individuals. Just asking employees to
accept a change is unlikely to have much effect.
The manager who uses power or authority to break up a group,
prevent its formation, or undermine prevailing norms, fails more
often than not. The manager’s actions may actually strengthen
the group’s bonds by providing a common cause. The group may
become resentful or even vengeful. Morale and productivity may
both fall significantly. Similarly, firing a popular leader because
of the group’s norms could create a martyr whose significance
you can never overcome.
If you can’t win leaders over, transfer the individual to another
shift or department. If a clique must be broken up, transfer
some of its members to a large group of workers that has a
strong positive work standard or combine the two groups. Then,
promote interaction and open communication among them.
Show strong support for the informal leader who represents the
standards you want to reinforce.
HUMAN RESOURCES
difficult, so the manager has to watch for more subtle signs.
Group members polarize around the group’s informal leader and
in many cases imitate the leader’s behavior and body language.
People will even sit in the same spots as the leader does, say
the same phrases, and make similar gestures. Group members
go to the leader with their questions and concerns (many
times complaints), and most often, the leader’s opinions and
statements, even the leader’s work standards, are adopted by
others in the group.
The person who emerges as the leader generally represents the
group’s norms and is also well-informed and knows the duties
of the job very well. Managers can help influence the group’s
choice of leaders and norms by providing the employees who
represent company standards with information and appropriate
training. Caution, however, must be used if leaders become
too much more skilled or achieve a high status level. When this
occurs, the group may begin to exclude them. Making Group
Membership Work
The bond that holds the department or organization together is
mutual respect. Develop a sense of belonging and a climate that
reduces defensiveness by providing recognition, encouragement,
and reward. Encourage creativity, flexibility, and sensitivity to
others in the group.
Train employees for participation in decision making, problem
solving, and goal setting, as well as in job skills. The importance
of group membership is a fact of life in the workplace. When
Using Group Influence Managers need to use group influence
to modify a group norm. The group pressure will then influence
individual behavior to change. Present the problem frankly
and factually to all members of the affected group. Then, ask
them together to identify the cause of the problem and the
solution, including specific changes to the operations and work
procedures. Be prepared to provide evidence of the problem by
citing particular instances, because participants are likely to react
at first by denying responsibility and placing blame elsewhere.
Some group members may also react with anger.
They should be given time to express it, since progress won’t be
made until the air is clear. Listen quietly and use phrases like,
“I understand why you feel that way – so let’s work together to
solve the problem. I’m sure we will all be happier.” If possible,
get people in the group who are well respected to introduce the
idea that group standards need to be changed. Consider using
a “what if” approach rather than an accusatory approach where
problems are simply pointed out and change therefore required.
Start the change as an idea versus a mandate This diplomatic
approach will encourage group consensus and support.
The willingness of people to join together and share common
objectives can help build teams as long as individual skills and
differences are also recognized and appreciated. Encourage
employees to think independently and challenge undesirable
norms by promoting individuality and initiative as values.
Adapted from Managing Human Resources in the Hospitality
Industry by David Wheelhouse,
Adapted from Managing Human Resources in the Hospitality Industry by
David Wheelhouse, CHRE (Educational Institute of the AH&LA, Lansing,
MI, 1989). For more information on the SOCIETY FOR HOSPITALITY
MANAGEMENT, visit our website at www.hospitalitysociety.org or call us
at 616 457-3646.
HOSPITALITY MALDIVES
JUNE/JULY 2007
27

LOCAL NEWS
Friedel’s Maldives
Friedel’s second visit to the Maldives was also in 1973 and this
time he was commissioned by the German lifestyle magazine
Stern to do a photo shoot. At the time Stern had a weekly circulation
of 2 million copies in Germany alone and was the leading
German magazine.
After spending 2 weeks researching, Friedel took another 3
weeks to complete his first extensive shoot of the Maldives. And
within this duration he also learnt to scuba dive and produced
some of the most memorable underwater images of the Maldives
to date. When the shoot was published in Stern later in the year,
it proved highly popular and suddenly lots of German tourists
began arriving in the Maldives - when Friedel first came to the
country, only small groups of Scandinavian and Italian tourists
were visiting the Maldives.
Maldives from the air – one of the most breathtaking visual experiences
you will ever have in your life - and possibly the most
famous images of the Maldives. If ever an individual is responsible
for the discovery and popularization of these magnificent
views of the archipelago it must be Michael Friedel, the highly
accomplished and well-known German photographer.
Now synonymous with aerial views of the Maldives and several
other magical photographs that have made the destination famous
worldwide, Friedel’s first visit to the Maldives was in 1973.
While on an assignment in Nepal he was contacted initially by the
German tour operator Neckermann to visit Maldives to take some
photographs. Friedel was at the time working for Lufthansa and
Condor as a specialist in discovering new holiday destinations.
At the time Condor was owned 100% by Lufthansa and was the
holiday and charter airline.
The trip made on Neckermann’s request did not yield any results
as Friedel nor the tour operator were able to organize the logistics
of doing an extensive aerial photo shoot of the country. At
the time, travel by air to the Maldives was only via Colombo,
Sri Lanka. Even tourists who wanted to visit the country had a
waiting period of 3 to 4 months due to unavailability of seats on
planes flying to the region.
When asked about his ‘sudden discovery of the Maldives’ and
the wide acclaim it brought him throughout the world, Friedel
is modest in his response; ‘At the time I did my first shoot of
the Maldives, several factors were just right to make these aerial
views of the archipelago so popular around the world. With the
commencement of the operations of large airplanes by Boeing
in the early ‘70s, a search for holiday destinations throughout
the world had begun. And people in the Western countries were
beginning to travel for leisure, to ‘find the eternal summer and
warm weather’, mainly in winter. The Maldivian tourism industry
was just beginning, and photographs – in the form of postcards
– happened to be the perfect medium to market the Maldives
abroad.’
Although it was the story that ran in Stern magazine that initially
popularized the Maldives as an exotic travel destination, Friedel
soon followed it with a series of post cards of his pictures in
1974. And they became instant hits selling in the millions over
the years. The first set of Friedel’s post cards of the Maldives were
also later produced as a Maldives’ stamp set. The post cards became
such a ‘hit’ among tourists and the souvenir sellers in the
resorts and other islands that Freidel and his family used to barter
them with other items in the shops.
After working with Stern magazine as a staff photographer for
eight years, Friedel returned to working freelance but continued
contributing his pictures for Stern, GEO and other international
magazines. Having won the Photokina prize in Cologne in 1954
and with his pictures of Sophia Loren and Elvis Presley published
on the covers of Stern and Der Spiegel, Friedel’s career was now
well-established and had a growing international reputation.
Friedel has traveled extensively and produced feature stories on
most countries of the world. His work often promotes tourism
while they have also dealt with social, political and scientific
themes. His photos have been exhibited in over 20 cities and
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countries including Berlin, Cologne, Hong Kong, Mexico and
the Maldives.
In 1968 Friedel married Marion Friedel, a journalist and writer
from Hamburg. Since then they have jointly produced 18 different
books, mostly for their publishing company ‘MM Photodrucke’
– the initials MM stand for Marion and Michael.
MM Publishing focuses on major tourist destinations including
the Maldives, Mexico, Dominican Republic, the Seychelles and
Mauritius. The books are updated regularly and published in
different languages. They are mostly sold in the destinations
themselves and have been reprinted many times.
Apart from books on various destinations, Friedel has also
produced a range of souvenirs and related merchandise on
the Maldives. They include maps, postcards, posters, stickers,
puzzles and calendars. They are all very popular with tourists
visiting the country as they serve as a perfect memento of
their holidays.
Maldives from the air –
One of the most breathtaking visual
experiences you will ever have in your life.
Michael Friedel has also actively contributed to promoting the
Maldives as a tourist destination in the world. He regularly
contributes his books and posters for the travel and tourism
fairs in which the Maldivian tourism promotion authorities
participate. In 1993 Friedel was awarded a special prize on the
occasion of 20 years of tourism in the country by the President
of the Maldives in recognition of his services to promoting
Maldivian tourism.
Friedel still visit the Maldives every year with his wife Marion.
The distributors for his range of Maldives’ souvenirs and merchandise
is AKIRI Shop, Male. Tel: (960) 3317700
HOSPITALITY MALDIVES
JUNE/JULY 2007

NEWS
Jumeirah announces
new global spa brand ‘Talise’
Talise is set to transform the way spas are defined today Jumeirah
Group, the dynamic and rapidly growing luxury hospitality
group and member of Dubai Holding, has revealed ‘Talise’ - a
pioneering spa concept set to revolutionise the industry. Talise
will be available in selected Jumeirah hotels and resorts with the
first spa now open at Madinat Jumeirah – The Arabian Resort,
Dubai.
At the forefront of relaxation, rejuvenation and luxury, Talise will
offer a selection of treatments and spa experiences to suit all
guests – whether they are looking for a life-changing programme
or tranquility and pampering for just an hour at a time.
In line with the Group’s ambitious expansion plans to grow its
portfolio of luxury hotels and resorts to 40 by the end of 2009
and its promise to ‘Stay Different’, Jumeirah has developed
the innovative Talise spa concept and three key models to roll
out Talise within the company: the Urban model for Essential
Wellness, the Resort model for Exceptional Wellness and the
Destination spa model for Extraordinary Wellness.
Anni Hood, Director of Spas for Jumeirah Group, said: “Talise is a
contemporary spa brand and model focused on the cohesion of
selected modalities, innovation and luxury. Talise is designed to
create a one-of-a-kind experience in integrated wellbeing luxury.
The concept challenges the notion that a spa should take only
one approach, one concept or one idea to create its identity. This
dynamic, evolving and eternally modern spa philosophy will see
the Talise model set for global growth.”
The signature spaces and facilities offered in Talise spas will
provide contemplative, meditative and therapeutic environments,
designed to aid each guest on their journey of self-discovery.
These surroundings will be uniquely designed and styled to suit
each spa location and type.
The first Talise spa opened on 01 February at Madinat Jumeirah.
Future openings include the Jumeirah Beach Club Resort and
Spa when it re-opens following a complete redevelopment in
December 2007, Jumeirah Business Bay, Jumeirah Bab Al Shams
Desert Resort & Spa and HanTang Jumeirah Shanghai in 2008.
“Lifestyle transcends the moment; Talise transcends the visit”
Jumeirah properties are regarded as among the most luxurious and
innovative in the world and have won numerous international travel
and tourism awards. The fast growing Dubai based luxury international
hospitality group encompasses the world renowned Burj Al Arab, the
world’s most luxurious hotel, the multi-award winning Jumeirah Beach
Hotel, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Madinat Jumeirah and Jumeirah Bab
Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai, the Jumeirah Carlton Tower and
Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel in London and the Jumeirah Essex House on
Central Park South in New York.
The group’s activities are however, not restricted to hotel and resort
management. The Jumeirah Group portfolio also includes Wild Wadi,
regarded as one of the premier water parks outside of North America
and The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, the region’s only
third level academic institution specializing in the hospitality and tourism
sectors.
Building on this success, Jumeirah Group became a member of Dubai
Holding in 2004, a collection of leading Dubai based businesses and
projects, in a step that aims to initiate a new phase of growth and
development for the group.
Jumeirah’s ambitious expansion plans to grow its portfolio of luxury hotels
and resorts worldwide to 40 by the end of 2009 are well underway with
projects currently under development in Dubai, Aqaba, Doha, Phuket,
Shanghai and London.
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31

ACCOUNTING & FINANCE
The four cornerstones of revenue
optimization
By Renie Cavallari
Traditionally - hotels separate the sales - marketing - revenue
management and reservations disciplines. As they are all revenuegeneration
functions, it is imperative they are fully integrated
so that they complement each other and allow for revenue
optimization, RevPAR and GOPPAR growth, as well as optimal
market share.
In more progressive operations and business models, one person
oversees all of these related functions. We predict that in less
than five years, leading hotel performers will have a director
of revenue who will oversee the integration of all revenue
generation disciplines, ensuring maximum revenue capture and
market share.
Let’s all say it together:
they buy. Strong marketing has a deep understanding of your
customers and then defines a consistent, differentiating and
deliverable message—all of which stimulate your targeted
customers to buy.
2. Sales
Sales own the relationships. Relationships are why people buy and
remain your customers. They may buy due to their relationship
with your brand, or a past experience, or a connection with
a salesperson. What is most important to remember is that
people do not want to be sold to, rather they want to buy. It
is important that your sales efforts focus their time on how to
create a relationship with a targeted customer and present why
this potential client would want to buy. Great sales efforts are
customer-focused not product or self-focused.
In-te-gra-tion (pronounced: n- t-grey-shun)*
1. An act or instance of combining into an integral whole.
(* “integration.” Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1). Based on
the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House,
Inc. 2006.)
Having a comprehensive and integrated approach allows for clear
and coordinated responsibilities towards the same goal. So, who
owns what responsibilities in a revenue integration strategy?
Here are the 30,000-foot basics:
1. Marketing
Marketing owns the message. Marketing goes way beyond
advertising and public relations. Marketing starts with defining
who your customers are, then analyzes what, why and how
3. Distribution
Distribution owns the management of channels. Channels are
the way your customers find you—which then leads to them
buying (hopefully). They include reservations, electronic channels
(Travelocity, Hotwire, Expedia), consortia-mega agencies,
Web sites and search engines, to name a few. Your effective
management and partnership with distribution channels gives
you a larger customer reach and therefore expands your potential
capture of demand.
4. Revenue Management
Revenue Management owns demand. Revenue management
is the process of capturing, analyzing and applying business
intelligence against potential demand. It takes the efforts of
marketing, sales, channel management, reservations, market
intelligence, trends and segmentation to forecast potential
demand and make strategic and tactical decisions around this
information.
By using an integrated approach, your revenue optimization
team can leverage the market opportunities to position you for
both top-line and bottom-line success.
Renie Cavallari is founder and director of inspiration for Aspire, the premier
provider of customized and innovative revenue optimization solutions for
the hospitality industry across the globe.
For more information visit www.aspiremarketing.com or call Renie directly
at (602) 392-0700.
First appeared in Hotel & Motel Management
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Sourcing Bali
Launches ‘Hospitality
Essentials’®
SALES & MARKETING
An exciting and extensive range of distinctive accessories for
the hotel industry is now available in Bali – with the launch of
‘Hospitality Essentials’®.
The complete Hospitality Essentials® collection includes a variety
of different ranges with a wide choice of complementing items.
It includes table top décor, bathroom and guest room accessories
and a selection of operating and service equipment for hotels,
resorts, spas and villas. (Trays, ice buckets, room directories,
waste bins, soap dispensers, towels and linens etc)
A collaboration of ideas, each item is selected for proven quality,
creative design and competitive pricing.
Visitors to the new website www.sb-he.com or to the showroom
at Gunung Salak 31A, Kerobokan will be able to select from a
full complement of products and an in-house design service is
available for special projects.
‘Hospitality Essentials® is a division of PT Sourcing Bali – one of
Bali’s leading Sourcing and Buying agencies. The company opened
in 2000 and, combined with its sister company, RIM CARGO (PT
RIM EXPRESS INDONESIA) employ more than 70 local staff.
For further information:
Desmond James
Director
PT Sourcing Bali / Hospitality Essentials
Jl Gunung Salak 31A
Kerobokan,
desmond@sb-he.com or visit www.sb-he.com
www.sourcing-bali.com
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RECIPE
Ratatouille layered in Spinach Cracker
quenelle Crème Fraîche & Raspberry Red
Bell Pepper Jus
Schihab A. Adam
Executive Pastry Chef
Vilu Reef Beach & Spa Resort
Ingredients
Spinach Cracker
160 g brinajl
100 g cucumbers
100 g zucchini
150 g tomato
50 g onion
6 No Cloves garlic
50 g bell pepper red
50 g bell pepper green
50 g bell pepper yellow
20 g tomato paste
100ml olive oil
11 g caster sugar
8 g Salts
5 no. fresh basil plus Pinch of oregano
400g flour
150g spinach and fenugreek with (w/garlic)
40 g Butter
9 g salt
23 g Olive oil
50 g crème fraîche for quenelle
For the a cracker
Mix the dough and cool in the fridge for a few hours. Roll
out very thin. Then cut in to the rectangle shape. Bake till
light golden brawn at 180 °C
Method:
Brinjal, Zucchini, bell peppers cut into small dices then lightly
deep fried. Leave on the side. Chop the garlic and onion add
in to sauté in a little stock pan & cook for a few minutes. Add
the dice tomatoes, herbs and tomato paste. Cook for a while
then add the caster sugar for sweetens Bring to the boil with
rest of ingredients along with fried item and simmer
uncovered for 10 minute.
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SERVICE
Top Ten Tips To Build a Superior
Service Culture
By Ron Kaufman
1. CREATE A UNIQUE SERVICE PHILOSOPHY
Promising to provide “excellent service” is no longer enough for
your customers or your staff. Excellent at what?
Excellent service in a hospital is warm and caring, but that’s not
what you want at a computer store or car wash. Some restaurants
are fast and inexpensive, but that may not be what you want
when you go out for dinner.
The Japanese have twenty different words for “quality” - each
with a different meaning: durability, craftsmanship, design,
efficient use of materials, packaging, presentation and more.
Your customers have as many different words and meanings for
“service”.
Find out what version or style of service your customers VALUE
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most, and then match your service philosophy to meet their
needs.
2. CONSTANTLY EXPLAIN AND PROMOTE YOUR SERVICE
PHILOSOPHY
Build it into your Mission, Vision and Values, your newsletter,
training, recruitment, orientation and rewards program.
Singapore has been working for years to upgrade service skills and
uplift the service mindset in the nation. There is even a national
movement called “GEMS: Go the Extra Mile for Service”.
But service providers also need uplifting goals and a motivating
rationale. So we wrote the “Singapore Service Champion’s
Pledge”.
Take a look at http://www.UpYourServiceSingapore.com
You are welcome to adapt this Pledge for yourself, your group or
your organization.
3. HIRE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMMITTED TO YOUR SERVICE
PHILOSOPHY
Everyone must be committed to live your service values every
day.
UP Your Service! College has three core values. You can read
them at www.UpYourServiceCollege.com As the College grows,
Sim Kay Wee coached me to insist on new staff alignment with
these values. He warned that high-performers who are not
aligned with the values can damage your reputation and hurt the
morale of your team. So what do you do with a high performing
salesperson or brilliant technician who behaves contrary to your
values?
You help them change, or let them go.
4. ORIENT YOUR NEW STAFF TO SUPERIOR SERVICE
Texas Instruments conducted an experiment to measure the
impact of new staff orientation. One group got the usual
induction: workplace rules, employment benefits, office
equipment, passwords.
A similar group received the same, plus two months of occasional
meetings with service leaders, top customers and senior
managers.
Twenty years later the two groups were compared. The second
group scored higher in every category, including positions,
promotions, pay, longevity and contributions to the company
culture.
Make the early investment. Make sure new staff experience the
best of your service culture in action during their first months on
the job. Buddy them with your best service providers. Introduce
them to your best customers. Take time to mentor, manage and
motivate the new service players on your team.
5. CONTINUOUSLY TRAIN AND RETRAIN YOUR SERVICE
TEAM
When you train someone to use a software package, they tend
to get better over time. When you train someone in a technical
procedure, their performance will improve the more they use
it. But why does “customer service training” tend to wear off?
Why do customer service workers need continuous training and
retraining?
Because providing customer service requires that you work
with other people, not only with software and procedures.
Other people can get angry, or be in a bad mood, or simply not
appreciate your efforts and the service you provide.
That means “wear and tear” on the service provider. That’s why
top service organizations continuously train and retrain their
team members and support them with a robust service culture
6. RECOGNIZE AND REWARD SERVICE PROVIDERS
In a strong service culture, “recognition and reward” must come
frequently from the company. Why? Because it doesn’t come
very often from the customer. A service provider who calms an
angry customer, listens patiently to his complaint and acts quickly
to resolve the issue surely deserves appreciation. But how often
does an angry customer say, “You did a great job of calming
me down and taking care of my needs. Thanks for such great
service!” (Answer: Not very often.)
Recognition is a powerful form of reward. Salespeople respond
to financial incentives. Product engineers work hard to prove a
new technology. But most service people are “people people”.
Personal recognition from their managers and peers means a
lot.
Recognition can be given many ways: in private or in public,
in person or in writing, with or without a physical or financial
component.
Recognition can be given to external service providers, for most
customer compliments, extra-mile efforts, best service recovery.
Recognition can also be given to internal service providers, for
most improved department, most helpful colleagues, best effort
to upgrade service, systems or standards.
Recognition can be given to others, too; best service from a
supplier, most appreciative customer, most helpful and responsive
government agency, most supportive family members at home.
Want your team to give better and more creative customer
service? Then get better and more creative with your service
recognition and rewards!
SERVICE
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SERVICE
7. BRING THE VOICE OF YOUR CUSTOMER INTO YOUR
ORGANIZATION
In a strong service culture, everyone understands what customers
need and value. They know what customers want to achieve;
their hopes, dreams and ambitions. They know what customers
want to avoid; their concerns, anxieties and fears.
Excellent service providers know that all customers are not alike.
And they know what each type of customer prefers, and their
priorities, in different service situations.
This deep understanding of customers does not happen by
chance. It comes from bringing the voice of your customer deeply
into the organization, and bringing members of the organization
frequently to your customers.
Customer contact should start from the very beginning. Southwest
Airlines involves loyal customers in their staff selection process.
Singapore Press Holdings sends new staff to interview customers
during their management orientation program. Emirates Airlines
invites new and old customers to participate in company activities,
staff service awards and other special events.
Customer complaints and compliments are the real-time voice
of your customer. These outspoken comments should be heard
throughout your organization.
Singapore Airlines publishes customer compliments and
complaints in every issue of their monthly newsletter.
Compliments boost morale and remind everyone what actions
must continue. Complaints are even more carefully read! Every
staff member reads each month what must be changed, updated
or improved.
There are more ways to bring the voice of your customer into the
body of your organization.
8. CREATE & SUSTAIN A SUCCESSFUL SERVICE SUGGESTION
PROGRAM
A superior service culture requires a constant flow of good
ideas to improve internal and external service. Everyone in your
organization can be a potential contributor.
But how many people will take the time to think through and
then submit their best ideas?
In many places the “Staff Suggestion Program” has earned a bad
reputation. It’s the empty “Suggestion Box” hanging on the wall.
It’s the “Suggestion Hotline” that no one ever answers. It’s the
mandatory requirement of “one idea per person per month” that
rips all spontaneity out of the process. It doesn’t have to be this
way.
Leading service organizations create more effective programs.
Here are some best-practices you can use:
1. Give your suggestion program an appealing
name. Singapore Airlines calls theirs “Staff Ideas
in Action”, or S.I.A. That’s the same acronym
for the airline itself.
What is your program called?
2. Make it easy to submit a suggestion.
Put “Suggestion Cards” and collection boxes
in the pantry, lounge or cafeteria. Set up a
web page or blog with examples of previous
suggestions. Dedicate an e-mail address. Set up
a voice recorder and publicize the telephone
number.
How many channels do you have open right now?
3. Set up categories to help people think with greater
focus: Improving Customer Service, New Service
Idea, Rewarding Loyal Customers, Recapturing Lost
Customers, Better Internal Procedures, Welcoming
New Staff, Saving Company Costs, Boosting
Sales, etc.
When was the last time you asked for suggestions or ran a
contest on any single topic?
4. Respond to suggestions quickly. If the answer
is no, say so. If the answer is yes, say
“by when”. If the answer is maybe, then
provide an explanation.
If your staff submitted a suggestion last week, are
they still waiting for an answer?
5. Publicize the suggestions you receive, and
your responses. Each idea can lead to more
ideas. Every response can trigger new and
better thinking.
Where are the best suggestions you received in the
past six months? Posted on the Intranet, or buried
in a file?
6. Reward great ideas. Give $50 for the best
idea, $20 for second, and $10 for 3rd, 4th
and 5th. Want to accelerate the process and
completely shift your culture? Then give out
these awards every week! And celebrate your
winners with more than money; them give
recognition, prizes and praise.
How much have you spent to encourage and
celebrate suggestions in the past 12 months? If
you double that amount, would you get more
than twice the value?
7. Implement good suggestions quickly. Nothing
makes staff feel more powerful and effective
than seeing their own good idea come to life.
Can you name three changes in the past three
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months as a result of staff suggestions?
8. Invite customers and suppliers to participate
in your program, and reward them
along with the staff.
Wouldn’t your customers and suppliers have a
different point of view? When was the last time you
asked for their suggestions? Are there more ways to
build a successful suggestion program where you
work? Of course there are. What’s YOUR best
suggestion?
9. WALK THE TALK. LEADERS MUST BE EXAMPLES OF
EXCELLENT SERVICE.
It is essential that leaders, managers and supervisors be SEEN
giving excellent service to customers and to staff. Employees may
know the Vision, read the Mission and memorize the Values, but
they will only BELIEVE in your service culture when they see it
and hear it from the people at the top. (And they will mock your
proclamations if they don’t.) The manager who tells the team
“Get out there and serve!” while he stays comfortably in back
is not a service leader at all. The real service leader gets out on
the frontline to help whenever she can, especially when times are
busy, customers are angry or staff are overloaded.
At a leading hotel in London, the General Manager spends one
day every three months dressed in a bellman’s uniform and doing
the bellman’s job. Here’s what happens:
• The General Manager meets customers in
a completely different way. He asks
real questions, and gets honest answers.
The bellman hears a lot of unvarnished
feedback that guests may be reluctant to
share with the General Manager.
• The General Manager gets a first hand taste
of what it’s like to work on the frontline. He
wears the uniform, stands by the door, carries
the bags, and eats in the staff cafeteria. This
first hand experience means small things that
might irritate staff get noticed quickly, and
fixed quickly.
• Most of all, the hundreds of other
staff working in the hotel see their General
Manager doing frontline work with dignity
and respect for the customers, and
their colleagues. This respect is returned
with a shared dedication to providing
superior service.
SERVICE
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39

SERVICE
The country of Singapore is striving to upgrade quality service and
improve the image of service providers. Singapore wants “giving
service to others” to be embraced as a noble profession. This is
important because Singapore’s future is a service future. Many
manufacturing and back-office jobs have migrated to China,
India and other lower-cost locations. Meanwhile, more resorts
and entertainment, universities, financial, research and medical
facilities are coming to Singapore. To motivate local service
providers and encourage professional pride, service awards are
given every year; Gold Awards, Star Awards, Extra-Mile Awards.
After each awards ceremony, the service winners enjoy tea with
top government leaders. There are many smiles for TV cameras
and photographers from the newspaper.
Here’s one way Singapore’s leadership could “walk the talk” and
shift the national attitude towards service overnight: At the next
awards ceremony, have top Government Ministers “serve tea” to
the frontline service award winners.
This simple gesture of respect from the very top to the very best
at the frontline of service would make everyone in the nation
take notice. It would become a national talking point and a
terrific example of the nation’s most senior leaders “walking the
service talk”.
What is your best idea to “walk the service talk”? How can you
build a stronger service culture where you work?
10. CREATE RITUALS TO REINFORCE YOUR SERVICE
CULTURE
One business manager told me her staff enjoyed when someone
left the company because everyone held a “going away” party in
their honor. What kind of cultural reinforcement is that?!
A more constructive ritual would be to hold a party welcoming
new staff members. Or a gathering to acknowledge staff
members on their anniversary of joining the company, thanking
them for giving another great year of SERVICE.
There are many ways you can reinforce your culture with rituals:
“Service Hall of Fame”, “Compliment of the Month”, “Service
Provider of the Week”, “Uplifting Service Awards”, “Dinners
with Our Service Winners”.
You create it, you name it, and you build it up by repeating it
again and again.
Do you want a stronger service culture where you work? Then
create better rituals to promote and reinforce your SERVICE.
Copyright, Ron Kaufman. Reprinted with permission.
Ron Kaufman is an internationally acclaimed innovator and motivator for
partnerships and quality service. He is the author of the bestselling “UP Your
Service!” books and the FREE monthly newsletter, “UP Your Service!”®
For more information and a sample monthly newsletter, visit http://www.
RonKaufman.com
Every strong culture has rites and rituals. These activities anchor
individuals to the collective and reinforce what the group
deems acceptable, admirable and important.
Think “National Day”, “religious service”, “dining habits”,
“wedding ceremony” and “tribal dance” to see how
deep, diverse and enduring our rituals can be.
World-class service organizations create strong
rituals to constantly reinforce the importance of
providing excellent service.
At Raffles Hotel, the daily “line-up” briefing
is not to remind waiters about what’s on
the menu. It’s a daily ritual to reinforce
SERVICE as the main ingredient of their
success.
At Singapore Airlines, the “roundup”
with cabin crew before each flight
is not to remind them where the plane
is going. It’s a carefully scripted, participatory
ritual requiring every member to offer a SERVICE tip
and commit themselves to fulfill it.
At World of Sports, a brass bell hangs near the cash register. A
colorful sign invites customers delighted with the service they
received to “Ring the Bell!” and express their satisfaction. Every
time that bell rings, this customer-involving ritual reinforces the
staff’s passionate commitment to SERVICE.
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SALES & MARKETING
Assumptions
The Hidden Sales Killer
By Kelley Robertson
Assumptions can kill a sale. In my sales training workshops, I
frequently discuss the importance of not making assumptions about
a person before, during, or after the sales process. Participants
frequently nod and tell me that they NEVER make assumptions.
One person (Doug Maquire, www.MaquireMarketing.com) sent
me this story of a situation that occurred in a department store
he worked in many years ago.
Exactly three weeks later the customer came back. He walked
through the front door and made a beeline for me. “I need more
of them wool socks”, he said. “The boys at camp want to know
where I got them and want some too. How many have you got?”
I checked the display area, the stockroom, and our new stock
shipment and told him I had 58 pair. He paid cash and bought
them all.
“I was the ‘young kid’ who had signed on to take the 9 month
Management Training course for a department store chain. Sales
people were generally assigned specific areas to cover within
the store but being a ‘management trainee’ I had to learn all
departments.”
One day, a rough looking middle aged fellow entered the store.
He was dressed in wellworn workpants, work boots, and a soiled
red and black plaid shirt just like you’d expect a lumberjack to
wear. No one approached him (I guess he didn’t look like a good
sales prospect) and he didn’t move from the front entrance; he
just stood there surveying the store from left to right. I walked
up to him and asked if I could help. He said, “I need a pair of
wool socks. No nylon, no cotton, just wool socks.” We went
to the Menswear Department and both watched as the sales
person assigned to that department walked away from us so he
wouldn’t have to waste his time going through the full selection
of hosiery just to find a single pair of wool socks.”
I then started asking questions about style, colour, size, price
range, etc., to help narrow down exactly what the customer
needed. “It don’t matter.” he replied, “Just wool socks. I work
back in the bush and we only come to town every three weeks.
Nylon makes my feet sweat. Cotton’s okay but it don’t last long. I
need socks I can wear at work everyday and that’s wool.”
So, I checked the content label of every style and colour of sock
that we had in stock and eventually found a pair of 100% wool
socks. “Good”, he said, and we walked up the checkout counter
to ring in the $3.95 pair of wool socks. The man left and I got a
bit of ribbing from the sales person in the Menswear Department
about my ‘big sale of the day’ and how ‘not to spend my
commission all in one place!’
Three weeks later the customer returned. He then walked over
to me and said, “I need more wool socks like that last pair”. This
time he decided that he’d take 6 pair. We took the socks up to
the checkout counter and rang in the six pair of $3.95 socks.
The customer paid cash, said thanks, and walked away with his
purchase. This time I didn’t get quite as much ribbing from the
sales person in the Menswear Department.
I never found out exactly how many people he worked with,
but every three weeks he’d show up at the store and ask what
I had in the way of tee-shirts, long johns, plaid wool shirts,
work boots, gloves, caps, toques, coveralls, work jackets, etc.,
and each time he arrived, he’d walk right up to me for service
and we’d both go to the proper department and select what he
needed for himself and for the guys he worked with. He always
paid cash and always thanked me for my help.”
If Doug had made the mistake of following his coworker’s
footsteps and made the same assumptions about the customer,
he would have lost thousands of dollars in sales.
It is easy to make assumptions about our customers and
prospects. A person’s appearance, age, gender, nationality, or
role within the company, often influences us. I have made this
mistake when speaking to companies in the past. Upon learning
that they only had a few salespeople, I made the assumptions
they would not be willing to pay my standard fee. I later learned
that this assumption was completely inaccurate and that they
were fully prepared to invest in their teams’ development.
As a consumer, I have often noticed that most sales people will
approach well-dressed customers before they talk to people who
are attired in jeans or casual clothing. Avoid this fatal mistake
and go into every sales interaction with an open and clear mind.
This will definitely have a positive impact on your sales.
Copyright 2004 Kelley Robertson, all rights reserved.
Kelley Robertson, President of the Robertson Training Group, works with
businesses to help them increase their sales and motivate their employees.
He is also the author of “Stop, Ask & Listen – Proven sales techniques to turn
browsers into buyers.” Visit his website at www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.
com and receive a FREE copy of “100 Ways to Increase Your Sales” by
subscribing to his 59-Second Tip, a free weekly e-zine.
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ENVIRONMENT
Green Floorcare in the
Hospitality Industry
By Jim Hlavin
Most everyone has heard of Green cleaning but not everyone is
familiar with Green floorcare - Floorcare costs can account for up
to 30 percent of the hotel housekeeping budget. Considering
the cost and impact floorcare has on appearance, safety, indoor
air quality, and staff/guest health, it should not be overlooked
when implementing a Green cleaning program.
Green floorcare involves the use of preventative measures, more
environmentally protective or Green certified chemicals, and more
advanced floorcare equipment. It also includes cleaning processes
that help reduce the need and frequency of more hazardous
and time-consuming restoration procedures such as, sanding,
grinding, or stripping and refinishing hard-surface floors.
Green cleaning products, which are necessary in a Green floor
care program, contain less or no petroleum materials, as well as
zinc and other metals., They also use less environmentally harmful,
naturally derived extracts from plants such as soy, corn, citrus
or seeds and trees.
Key Elements of Green Floorcare
There are key elements that play a significant role in helping to
Green floorcare. Among these are:
1. Soiling Prevention
• Place twelve feet of entry matting inside/outside of
all entries and exits or other areas where soil may
accumulate or be generated.
• Focus on the high traffic areas; the first 30 feet in
and outside a building. Frequent dust mopping,
vacuuming, wet mopping, and burnishing capture soil
at its entry source.
2. Scheduling
• Do not over-do it. Floorcare is very strenuous work.
Expend only the appropriate amount of effort
necessary to obtain desired results. Additionally,
excessive floor care cleaning often means more
chemicals may be necessary than needed, which runs
contrary to a Green cleaning program.
• Establish a written yet flexible schedule based on
pervious experience and actual floorcare needs.
3. Training
• Of all cleaning task, floorcare requires some of the
most thorough training. Involve employees, and
supervisors in an ongoing education program.
• Capture and remove soil at its source, the
basic line of defense—and the least expensive and
easiest to do—yet the most under utilize.
• Outside classes, offered by various cleaning
associations and organizations should also be
attended by supervisory personnel to learn about new
techniques and programs in floorcare.
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4. Safety
• Every program must include filing Material Safety
Data Sheets (MSDS), the wearing of protective
clothing (PPE), record keeping, and safety meetings.
• Use wet floor signs, barricade tape, and avoidance
scheduling to make floorcare safer.
5. Documentation
• Establish quality assurance guidelines, inspect to
verify compliance and make corrections if necessary.
• Document the process, watch for trends, and
improve.
• Use quantitative tests to validate results.
• Use environmentally preferable purchasing.
• Validate your Green cleaning program with an
independent third party auditor.
6. Chemicals
• Reduce the number of chemicals used in floor care
to three or four items, or less.
• Use products certified Green chemicals by
recognized organizations such as EcoLogo, EPA, or
Green Seal.
• Use neutral pH products for daily cleaning.
• Eliminate finishes that contain heavy metals or
solvents.
• Eliminate hazardous acids, alkaline and bleach.
Astute housekeeping supervisors should select floor machines
with passive filtration systems and shrouds that cover the base
of the machine. These systems help collect dust and debris that
are generated when using the machine, so they do not become
airborne. The shroud also helps minimize the amount of contaminants
that can be released into the air.
Additionally, some hotels are switching to cylindrical floor machines,
a new technology to the U.S., which has become quite
commonplace in Europe. Cylindrical machines use less water and
chemical, which helps make them a Greener alternative.
They also use brushes, not pads as with a rotary machine, which
counter-rotate underneath the machine. This helps minimize the
amount of dust that can become airborne. Additionally, one set
of brushes can last as long as 100 rotary pads, placing less of a
burden on landfills.
FLOORCARE TRENDS
Green floorcare is indeed one of the “hot” trends in building
maintenance industry. New equipment, chemicals, and systems
are continually being introduced that make floor care safer, easier,
and Greener. Hospitality facilities looking for ways to Green
their floorcare program should keep current with these trends so
they remain on the cutting edge of environmental issues within
the cleaning and hospitality industries.
Jim Hlavin is head of business development for Tornado Industries,
a leading manufacturer of professional floor and carpet
care equipment.
GREEN RESOURCES FOR HOTELS AND OTHER FACILITIES
• Greenhotels.com provides information on applying
Green processes to the hospitality industry.
• environmentalchoice.com Certifies Green cleaning
products
ENVIRONMENT
• Use natural disinfectants vs. quats and phenols.
• Greenseal.org Certifies Green cleaning products
• Use concentrates with automated dilution systems.
• Use dry vapor cleaning as a sanitization process.
• usgbc.org Information on the Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED) certification
program.
• Properly dispose of wastewater and slurries in
sanitary sewers; never dump on ground, in parking
lots, or storm sewers.
FLOORCARE EQUIPMENT
In order to protect indoor air quality, an essential component of
a Green cleaning program, floors should be vacuumed instead of
swept or dry mopped. Additionally, the actual floor equipment
used, buffers and burnishers to strip, clean, or polish a floor can
play a significant role in a Green floorcare program.
• epa.gov Information on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ),
mold, and Green issues.
• carpet-rug.org Information on Green carpeting, and
the CRI’s Green Label and Seal of Approval testing
program for vacuum cleaners and carpet spotters,
extractors, and cleaning chemicals.
Jim Hlavin is head of business development for Tornado Industries, a manufacturer
of professional floor and carpet care equipment.
http://www.tornadovac.com
HOSPITALITY MALDIVES
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45

FOOD & BEVERAGE
Table Dressing Tips
By Patrick De Staercke
Today, when style and form define top restaurants at least as Standard table setup for breakfast
much as culinary function, operating a restaurant means a lot
more than just serving food. Design — including the way tables
are topped — is an important part of the dining experience.
Design is one leg on a triangle: design, food and service. They
have equal importance, and if one bends the whole triangle
collapses.”
Eliminate clutter
If the tabletop items take over too much of the table space, it is
inevitable that you are taking away from the dining experience.
Using too many far-out or innovative tabletop items at a time is
overwhelming and distracting to the guest. Moderation is the
key.
Make sure products are durable and available
Buying products that don’t hold up under commercial use is one
of the biggest mistakes restaurateurs make. If in doubt, test it first,
also check availability. Companies have a habit of discontinuing
items. The reputations of the vendor and restaurant supply store
are important.
Budget for loss.
• A Napkin
• B Luncheon Plate
• C Cereal Bowl
• D Bread and Butter Plate
• E Cup and Saucer with spoon
• F Water Glass
• G Juice Glass
• H Fork
• I Knife
• J Teaspoon
Standard table setup for a formal dinner
Dishes and glasses can break or even be stolen, so make sure
your budget includes money to replace those items,
Choose flatware based on the food concept and ease of
use
Sometimes it’s beautiful but difficult to hold. Make sure it is not
too light — heavier seems more luxurious!
The way you dress tables is a major part of the marketing push,
because guests experience your design before your service
or food. Once seated, their impression of the tabletop sets
expectations for the meal to come.
Patrick De Staercke is the Food & Beverage Manager of Meeru Island
Resort.
He can be reached via email to food&beveragemanager@meeru.com
• A Napkin
• B Service Plate
• C Soup Bowl on a liner plate
• D Bread and Butter Plate with Knife
• E Water Glass
• F Beverage Glass
• G Beverage Glass
• H Salad Fork
• I Dinner Fork
• J Dessert Fork
• K Knife
• L Teaspoon
• M Soup Spoon
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SALES & MARKETING
HOSPITALITY MALDIVES
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E-mail: pause
before you send
By Rachel McAlpine
HUMAN RESOURCES
Writing e-mail feels like chatting, but much is at stake. Pause
before you send, because you risk offending, irritating or insulting
your customers or colleagues. You may even break the law.
Communication by e-mail is so quick and easy that people
become careless. The trend is to be far less formal, which is
friendly but risky.
Often, e-mail is undisciplined, unprofessional and a poor
advertisement. Some people care about this—a lot. Some feel
guilty. Some feel irritated. Others wonder what all the fuss is
about.
The e-mail culture polarises people. You might be amazed at how
upset some people get over the e-mails you send. Or you might
be amazed at how reckless and rude are the e-mails you receive
from other people.
Most people do business with both types. The fusspots will judge
you by your errors. The slackers won’t even notice your spelling.
So this decision is a no-brainer: try very hard to avoid making
errors! Better be sure than sorry.
Hold that message
When writing a difficult or sensitive message, I’ll often draft
it by hand or in a different application, such as Tex-Edit Plus. I
recommend this practice, which protects me from myself.
Here’s another nifty trick to outwit that twitching digit. If replying
to a difficult e-mail, temporarily delete the ‘To:’ address and paste
it back only when you are confident your reply is satisfactory.
Ridiculous? Works for me.
Your organisation should have a style guide. The trouble is, e-
mail feels less like a letter than a friendly chat, where style guides
don’t apply.
At the very least, use complete sentences. And please use
complete words, as they appear in the dictionary. Why write myst
abbrvs 2 yr bz cstmrs? Surely it doesn’t save any time. Txting is
a completely different medium, and even then, skipping vowels
is for kids. (Grown-up mobile phones have predictive text with
vowels supplied.)
Your professional reputation is at stake when you do business
by e-mail, so always double-check what you have written, and
never send an e-mail in anger or haste. Ancient e-mails that you
have deleted can be retrieved from your computer and used as
evidence in court. What you write in an e-mail has as much legal
significance as the contents of a paper letter.
E-mail is as public as the Web
Forwarding is just too easy.
Before you click Send, just ask yourself: ‘What if someone else
reads this?’ Your boss. Your competitor. The media. Your team
mates. Your spouse. Does it still seem OK? If not, don’t send it.
To forward another person’s business e-mail usually requires
permission from the sender. Issues of privacy and confidentiality
should loom large but are often ignored.
With just one little click you can forward an e-mail to thousands.
It’s very tempting. Does the message seem amusing? relevant?
useful? That’s no excuse. Remember that your organisation’s e-
mail system is a business tool. With mindless forwarding you can
damage your organisation’s reputation and possibly even break
the law.
When sending one e-mail to two or more people, you shouldn’t
automatically reveal all the addresses, which in itself can be
a breach of privacy. ‘Cc:’ is where you list e-mail addresses
legitimately shared, like those of your colleagues. For other
situations, list addresses under ‘Bcc:’ (meaning blind carbon
copies). Then recipients see only their own address.
Above all, be courteous
In an e-mail, without facial or vocal cues, a joke can seem like
an insult. Presumably that is why the smiley face is so popular. :-)
means ‘Don’t get upset, I’m saying this in a friendly voice.’
If your words are courteous, you won’t need the smiley, which is
often too casual for a business e-mail. If you are really worried
about how your message comes across, why not pick up the
phone instead?
As you see, there are many reasons to pause before hitting
Send.
©Rachel McAlpine Trust August 2005
HOSPITALITY MALDIVES
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49

LOCAL NEWS
The Apprenticeship Programme at
Four Seasons Resorts Maldives
Originally launched in 2001 at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at
Kuda Huraa, the Apprenticeship Programme is a vocational training
programme for young Maldivians who wish to enter the hotel
industry and intend to make this exciting industry their career.
Designed and managed by Four Seasons Resorts Maldives, the
programme’s objective is to provide apprentices with a firm platform
of theoretical knowledge and practical skills to perform successfully
in the fast growing tourism industry in the Maldives.
The Apprenticeship Programme is open to Maldivian nationals
aged between 16 to 20 years with O-level certification, fluent in
both written and spoken English, and with an outgoing personality
infused with enthusiasm for the service industry. Through a
combination of intensive practical on-the-job training and theoretical
classroom sessions, apprentices are trained throughout the
course of a year to become professionals in areas ranging from
F&B Preparation to Safe Maritime Transport and Housekeeping.
Intense specialisation courses are taught alongside many other
facets of hospitality studies.
As the Maldives’ tourism industry continues to expand, so too
does the Apprenticeship Programme. From the five graduates
who benefited from the scheme in its inaugural year, the number
of graduates has increased considerably:
Class of 2002: 5 graduates
Class of 2003: 10 graduates
Class of 2004: 15 graduates
Class of 2005: 30 graduates
Class of 2006: 45 graduates
On May 26, 2007 at 8:00 pm at the Dharumavantha School at
Male City, there will be a Graduation Ceremony for the Class
of 2007 with a total of 21 graduates from Four Seasons Resort
Maldives at Kuda Huraa and Four Seasons Resort Maldives at
Landaa Giraavaru
One of the highlights of the Class of 2007 is that this special
batch of graduates has garnered invaluable pre-opening experience
from both resorts. Instead of the usual “classroom” learning
environment, the apprentices then, were exposed to the rare
opportunity of being part of the amazing opening teams of both
Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa which reopened
on September 15, 2006, and Four Seasons Resort Maldives at
Landaa Giraavaru which opened on November 1, 2006. By being
involved in opening projects such as the creation of F&B menus,
setting up of basic operational standards, to putting together the
finishing touches in the new rooms, this group of graduates is
equipped with experience that will be very useful to their future
in the hospitality industry.
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Rather than developing these young hoteliers exclusively for its
Maldivian Resorts, the aim of Four Seasons is to find young men
and women with a keen interest in the hospitality world and
provide them with the theoretical and practical skills required to
feed the rapidly expanding hotel industry of the Maldives. Apprentices
are not bonded to work at Four Seasons Resorts Maldives
although most of them do. Students are selected by a team
of senior management staff from a series of hundreds of one-toone
interviews held at up to twenty islands each year.
Successful students all share a sincere desire to grow and reach
their highest potential – a fundamental prerequisite for Four Seasons
employees, viewed by the company as the standard bearers
for the intuitive, highly personalised service for which it is widely
acclaimed. Classroom sessions, designed to cover materials being
taught in practice, are presented by senior hotel managers with
many years of international experience in the deluxe hotel, dive
and marine industries.
Shangri-La Maldives
welcomes new
General Manager
Jens Moesker assumes his position as the General Manager of
Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa, Maldives commencing 1st July
2007.
Jens has for the last 7 years been with Shangri-La hotels and
resorts. For most part he has been in China with a stint in
Indonesia and is looking forward to his new challenge with
Shangri-La in the beautiful Maldives.
LOCAL NEWS
The Apprenticeship Programme of Four Seasons Resorts Maldives
is very much in line with the human resources philosophy of Four
Seasons – select motivated people, train them to be the best
they can be and offer them an environment in which to flourish.
Once they have been inducted into the Four Seasons environment,
they will encounter a management approach based on
respect and the company’s Golden Rule which is - to treat others
as we would wish to be treated. This ethical code of behaviour
has created an environment where employees are treated with
dignity and respect. This has in turn boosted staff morale and
productivity and motivated them to give their best.
For its efforts and commitment to developing the human resources
of the country, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda
Huraa has received the “President of Maldives Award for Human
Resource Development in the Tourism Industry” for the years
2001, 2002 and 2004
As the world’s leading operator of luxury hotels, Four Seasons
Hotels and Resorts currently manages 74 properties in 31 countries.
Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa reopened
on September 15, 2006 while Four Seasons Resort Maldives at
Landaa Giraavaru opened on November 1, 2006. Both resorts
offer a vacation experience of unlimited variety, and the highly
personalised, anticipatory service that Four Seasons guests expect
and value around the world. Information on the company
and on Four Seasons Resorts Maldives can be accessed through
the Four Seasons Web site at www.fourseasons.com.
For further information, please contact:
Juliana Ang
Director of Public Relations
Four Seasons Resorts Maldives
Sales & Marketing Office
583 Orchard Road, Forum, #12-03
Singapore 238884
Tel: (65) 6514 8281
Fax: (65) 6835 9839
Email: Juliana.ang@fourseasons.com
Web: www.fourseasons.com/maldives
Jens Moesker
General Manager of Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa.
In line with Shangri-La’s drive to be a good corporate citizen,
Jens was awarded with the Honorary Citizenship of Changchun
located in the North-East of China. This was due to a series of
charitable and social initiatives implemented by the hotel, so as
to give back to the society and the local community.
Jens in his speech at the cocktail function held recently stated
that Shangri-La is firmly committed to the success of the project
which is moving ahead quite rapidly.
He further said that bringing Shangri-La’s hospitality to the
Maldives has been declared as the priority from the highest
levels of the Shangri-La group and that people at all levels in and
outside of Shangri-La are enthusiastic about creating one of the
most fascinating resorts in the world.
Jens is looking forward to learning the ins and outs of the tourism
industry in Maldives and working closely with all concerned in
order to deliver Shangri-La’s promise to the Maldives.
HOSPITALITY MALDIVES
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51

HOSPITALITY BITES
Hospitality Bites
Courtesy of ehotelier.com
Banyan Tree Gets Nod For US$270 Million Vietnam Resort
Banyan Tree Holdings has obtained formal approval to develop
a US$270 million resort near the beachside city of Danang on
Vietnam’s central coast, cementing an earlier memorandum of
understanding. The Laguna Vietnam will include a Banyan Tree
resort and spa, an Angsana resort and spa, a golf hotel and 18-
hole golf course. Two more hotels will be operated by other
brands. Residential villas and other housing will also be offered
for sale. Banyan Tree has already begun the master-planning
and design work, and construction is expected to start within
12 months. It will take place in three phases and could span up
to 15-18 years. The 200-hectare site is 35 km north of Danang
International Airport.
Thailand Still Tops Asian Tourism Destination Despite Civil
Unrest
Thailand remains the top destination in Asia-Pacific for travelers
despite civil unrest in the country, according to an online survey
conducted by VISA Asia Pacific and PATA, the Pacific Asia
Travel Association. Of the 5,050 respondents in 10 countries, 20
percent named Thailand as their most likely destination. About
two-thirds of those surveyed had already visited Asia, and 47
percent of those had been to Thailand. Thailand was again rated
as the number one destination on travelers holiday lists, followed
by Japan and China, the statement said. The survey found that
of those intending to make an international trip in the next two
years, 52 percent are considering Asia as their next travel destination,
a nine percent increase from 2006.
Accor has opened its 300th hotel in Asia Pacific
Accor has opened its 300th hotel in the Asia Pacific region with
the launch of the Grand Mercure Xidan Beijing in China. The
re-branding of Grand Mercure Xidan Beijing follows a record
2006, during which the group’s Asia Pacific hotel network grew
by 21%, adding 53 hotels in 12 countries. Main countries for
growth were China, Thailand, Indonesia and Australia.
The expansion included significant new hotel openings covering
all seven hotel brands that Accor operates in the region: Sofitel,
Grand Mercure, Novotel, Mercure, All Seasons, Ibis and Formule
1. Accor also has a further 95 hotels committed to open over the
next two years, with China and India being two of the principal
growth markets.
Six Senses Resorts & Spas to operate Vatulele Island Resort,
Fiji
Six Senses Resorts & Spas has taken over as the operator of the
iconic boutique resort - Vatulele Island Resort - located on the
spectacular Fijian island of the same name. Vatulele is a 25-minute
light aircraft trip from Nadi International Airport, six hours
south-west of Hawaii and four hours north-east of Sydney. Vatulele
island itself is one of more than 300 islands that makes
up Fiji, and are spread over 1.3 million square kilometres in the
heart of the South Pacific. Opened in 1990, Vatulele Island Resort
- known simply as Vatulele - was named Fiji’s top resort by the
AAA Tourism Awards in 2005, following its award the year earlier
as the Best Boutique Resort in Fiji. It was honored as Small Luxury
Hotel of the year in 2000.
Vatulele is made up of just 19 accommodations comprising 17
beach villas or bures, plus the Grand Bure and The Point - the
premier accommodations with private pools and dedicated staff.
Fortune magazine named The Point #2 in the Top Ten Barefoot
Resorts in 2002. “We are extremely proud to be able to include
Vatulele into our portfolio” said Six Senses’ Chairman, Sonu Shivdasani.
“The concept and spirit of Vatulele run parallel to the brand values
of our Evason and Soneva properties in the Maldives, Thailand
and Vietnam. For example, in our Maldives properties we
have the philosophy of No News No Shoes, which also applies to
Vatulele”, he added.
Emirates Airline to invest US$736 Million in Hotels
The Dubai-based Emirates Airline will invest 2.7 billion dirhams
(736 million U.S. dollars) to develop its hotel portfolio in a bid to
expand its share in Dubai’s hotel industry, local newspaper Gulf
News reported on Wednesday.
As the second largest and most profitable Arab carrier, Emirates
Airline carries the largest number of passengers to and from
Dubai and also takes care of their accommodation during their
stopover in the city, the report said.
“We are the largest providers of businesses to Dubai’s hotel industry
and will continue to be. The new division is our responsible
contribution to the Emirate of Dubai,” the airline’s vice-president
Hans E. Haensel was quoted as saying.
Emirates’ hotel projects include the Emirates Park Towers, a twin
tower complex with 900 guest rooms and 300 serviced apartments,
the Emirates Green Lakes, a 350-apartment complex, and
the Emirates Marina Hotel and Residence, a complex with 261
rooms and apartments to be opened in September.
Established in 1985 by the Dubai government, Emirates Airline
currently operates services to more than 80 destinations in Europe,
the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Oceania and North America.
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New luxury leisure consortium launches
Debuted at WTM 2006, the Great Hotels Luxury Network has
received a universally positive response from luxury hotels, tour
operators and agents alike.
Launching officially in June 2007, the popularity of the new
luxury leisure consortium, similar to Virtuoso, has seen a large
number of agents, operators and hotels already signing up, with
just a few membership opportunities now left in the network’s
target countries.
The network’s popularity is two-fold, with GHLN acting as the
central contracting and negotiation point between small niche
tour operators, travel agents and quality assured luxury hotels
around the globe. Currently recruiting for a limited number of
select network partners in the USA, GHLN is free to join and
provides members with a host of exclusive benefits.
The new Banyan Tree Residences are now available at Banyan
Tree properties in Phuket and Bangkok, Thailand, The Seychelles,
Lijiang, China and Bintan, Indonesia.
The concept of Banyan Tree Residences is to allow investors to
buy their own signature villa, townhouse or apartment which becomes
part of the inventory of these exclusive resorts, and receive
an annual guaranteed return of 6% per annum for six years,
with options to renew or share in revenues generated by the
property.
“Banyan Tree Residences enable investors to diversify their portfolios
whilst receiving guaranteed returns, without worrying
about managing the property when they’re not there. Of course
all of our owners enjoy the lifestyle benefits which have become
synonymous with the Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts brand,”
stated Richard Skene, Assistant Vice President, Banyan Tree Residences.
HOSPITALITY BITES
A specialist in negotiating the best net rates for ultra luxurious
5* and 5* deluxe hotels, GHLN is able to offer travel agents and
tour operators both the profit margins and luxury hotel allocations
that are otherwise difficult to obtain.
Using a revolutionary and specially designed G-wiz technology
platform, agents and operators will have online access to over
300 quality assessed luxury hotels; all with live availability. Offering
the ultimate in simplicity, G-wiz is for all reservations, amendments
and cancellations and provides instant confirmations for
all transactions.
New Banyan Tree Residences, encompassing the now traditional
elements associated with a truly luxurious lifestyle, have been
conceptualised and designed by Architrave Design and Planning,
Banyan Tree’s in-house architectural arm, whose numerous
award-winning properties often grace the pages of travel and
design publications worldwide.
Owners are entitled to 60 days complimentary use of their Residence
every year, membership at the exclusive Banyan Tree Residence
Club and privileged access to the Banyan Tree Private Collection
– Asia’s first Destination Club.
Member luxury hotels are given access to new and significant
revenue streams by being able to distribute rates and inventory
through a single contract to a network of smaller operators and
agents.
Marizanne Roos, Key Account Manager, Great Hotels Organisation,
commented: “GHLN is able to assist luxury hotels, agents
and tour operators in their ultimate aim of selling travel experiences.
Due to its free membership, simplicity and consequently
obvious business benefits, GHLN is already proving universally
popular, with the positive response only expected to continue.”
http://www.ghorg.com/ghln.html
Banyan Tree Launches Ultra-Exclusive Private Villa Brand
- Banyan Tree Residences
Singapore-listed Banyan Tree Holdings Ltd (“Banyan Tree”), a
leading developer, designer and operator of luxury resorts, hotels
and spas, has announced the launch of a new luxury brand targeting
top tier travellers and investors - Banyan Tree Residences.
Banyan Tree currently manages and operates 21 premium hotels
and resorts in highly sought-after city, beach and mountain resort
locations, as well as 58 spas, 68 galleries and 2 golf courses.
Approximately 30 new Banyan Tree Group hotels and resorts are
slated to open by 2010 in destinations that will include Mexico,
Barbados, India, China and Greece.
The strength of the Banyan Tree brand provides buyers with confidence
in the quality of development, services, management and
superior income for the property. Along with ownership of a Banyan
Tree luxury property comes peace of mind as well as hasslefree
maintenance, cleaning, landscaping, security, plus access to
hotel amenities and services.
An open exhibition of Banyan Tree Residences will be held in
Hong Kong on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 June 2007 from 11am
to 7pm at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
Prior to Hong Kong, an open exhibition of Banyan Tree Residences
will also be held in London on Friday 1 and Saturday 2 June
2007 from 11am to 7pm at China Tang at The Dorchester hotel.
Executives from the property arm of the Banyan Tree Group will
be on hand and available to meet with interested parties looking
to invest.
Founded in 1994, prestigious Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts
launched with its flagship resort in Phuket, Thailand. With a
corporate philosophy and mandate to provide a Sanctuary for
the Senses, each subsequent Banyan Tree property is purposefully
designed to blend seamlessly into its natural surroundings and to
provide discerning guests with a sense of place.
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HOSPITALITY MALDIVES
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echochem ad

‘Hutschenreuther Hotel’ is becoming ‘Tafelstern
professional porcelain’
NEWS
tabletop AG in 1997 for a period of ten years will expire at the
end of 2007, the company has decided to rebrand itself.
‘Hutschenreuther Hotel’ will soon be changing its brand name
to ‘Tafelstern professional porcelain’. With the new name the
brand underlines and consolidates its position in the premium
sector. This is a logical consequence of developments which have
taken place in recent years, seeing an upwards shift in the quality
level of the brand’s products and services. As a result, the brand
image has also undergone a positive shift – it is now universally
associated with independence and a modern product and service
portfolio.
In recognition of this, and due to the fact that the licence for the
rights to the brand name ‘Hutschenreuther Hotel’ issued by BHS
Changing to ‘Tafelstern professional porcelain’ will mean no longer
depending on a competitor to run the brand. The new brand
will make its first appearance as the successor to Hutschenreuther
Hotel at the Internorga in March 2007, sending the market a
strong and unmistakeable message that the brand will operate
completely independently from now on. The official brand name
change is set for 1 April 2007.
Apart from the product portfolio and the existing distribution
and delivery networks, the customer-oriented service and corresponding
expertise will remain unchanged as integral features
of the Tafelstern brand. There will be no change to the formal
product statement, just a new maker’s stamp on the base.
The brand’s decision to adopt a German name was taken consciously
and deliberately. German porcelain is internationally
renowned for its quality, and all the products in the Tafelstern
range are made in Germany. The name is also easy for foreign
clients to pronounce, simple to remember and free of any negative
associations.
The explanatory tag ‘professional porcelain’ also clearly identifies
the brand as belonging to a manufacturer of porcelain for use
in the hotel and catering industry. Along with the brand name
itself, which will become increasingly important as an ‘umbrella’
for the collections, a new key visual will also be introduced. This
will form a link between the brand name and the commitment of
the Tafelstern product range to upholding the cultural tradition
of serving good food on excellent tableware. The logo, featuring
a serviette folded in the form of a star, is also associated with the
stars which critics award to top-quality hotels and restaurants. In
future, the trade name will be:
TAFELSTERN
• Professional Porcelain
• A BHS tabletop AG brand
• Ludwigsmühle
•95100 Selb
info@tafelstern.de
www.tafelstern.de
www.tafelstern.com
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SERVICE
Service Excellence: The Bottom Line of Leadership
our specific needs, baby and all, seemed to be a priority from
gardeners to housekeepers to bartenders to front desk staff.
In spite of and despite economic hardships of the island and a
less optimistic tourism atmosphere due to worldwide events, the
hotel staff seemed trained and motivated to deliver exceptional
service.
Consistent and constant good service like this, at all levels, is rare
in today’s world and hard to maintain, especially on an island
with less educated and less experienced personnel from whom
to choose. Even in major cities, where experienced hospitality
employees are more available, keeping those employees
continually excellent at each point of contact requires focused
attention. Hiring, training, retaining and leading employees
with the attitudes that will create the desired guest experience
represents a constant challenge.
Usually there is one reason and one reason only for consistent
and constant service success—the man or woman at the top.
My hunch proved correct. “ A red carpet attitude starts from
the top.” Employees continually cited the property’s General
Manager as their inspiration and the reason for their enthusiasm
and longevity. They were not forced to deliver service excellence;
they sincerely wanted to make guests happy. They were equipped
with service skills and more importantly attitudes befitting a
luxury resort. Most came to the property with no training or role
models and ended up being shining service stars.
By Roberta Nedry
Imagine arriving in a lush yet primitive island environment with a
new baby in tow…the first real family vacation since adjusting to
parenthood. As might be expected in a less developed country,
island services led to several initial frustrations, mostly due to
untrained personnel and limited resources. As we bounced
along roads decorated with potholes, we quickly surmised that
our anticipated, relaxing vacation might not end up that way.
We began to lower our expectations.
After all, we did choose this less civilized island environment and
we were ready to roll with the punches.
Yet, when we arrived at a recommended island resort something
happened…. something wonderful.Making each guest feel
special and appreciated seemed to be a natural instinct for each
employee we met, no matter what time of day. Addressing
After I met this General Manager, I was even more delighted.
He genuinely cared about his employees and made them feel
important even when he was with guests. He’d spent a lot of
time getting to know them and empowering them with a strong
service sense. He was a property role model and walked the
service talk. And the most powerful part of all, his occupancy
numbers and repeat guest statistics were up while almost
everyone else’s in his market were down. Service excellence does
and will impact the bottom line.
The attitude and service spirit of any organization absolutely
reflects management’s philosophy and actions. To lead employees
in proactive customer service behaviors and encourage their
active commitment, management must recognize, understand
and practice those same behaviors. General Manager Anthony
Bowen and his team at The Windjammer Landing, St. Lucia, in
the West Indies did just that and created an experience for our
family that far surpassed our expectations.
An effective leader, an evangelist who believes the customer and
guest will provide the bottom line profits they need, begins by
understanding what to do. Next, he or she accepts, believes,
values and internalizes the key concepts they expect of their
employees. When both of these take place, these same leaders
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can “walk the talk.” Desired behaviors only will take place when
each leader and their respective managers and supervisors start
modeling these behaviors to those they manage.
When employees see their leaders actually leading by example,
they feel good about their work and are more motivated to satisfy
their guests. Guests and customers in general feel good when
they deal with companies who seem to treat their people well.
Employees respond to respect, caring and communications just
as much as guests do. Satisfied employees are more likely to
produce satisfied guests. Satisfied guests make the employees
experience more satisfying. Satisfied employees stay longer and
give more. Satisfied guests stay longer and come back.
Employees can also be an invaluable source of market data and
on the impact of service standards based on their day-to-day
experiences with guests and even fellow employees. Employees
can be management’s eyes and ears on what makes guests most
happy and what causes guests the greatest anxiety. They can
help define specific services, tools or resources employees need
to better serve guests. Management should determine how to
gather this data on a regular basis as well as encourage employees
to share their observations through defined communication
channels. It is critical that management and the employees they
supervise perceive service delivery in the same way and that
communication is a constant two-way process.
“The attitude & Service spirit of
any organization
absolutely reflects management’s
philosophy and actions”
guests. Everyone wants to feel acknowledged and know that
his or her role, no matter how small, makes a difference in the
overall guest experience. Beware the “Iceberg of Ignorance”.
The majority of the structure lies beneath the surface. So do
the majority of problems AND opportunities with employees
and in turn, with guests. Hold employees accountable for
communication and empower them to “self report” thoughts on
how to improve the guest experience as well as their jobs. Define
the most desirable guest experience and train employees on
each step of delivery. Analyze each point of contact to see how
service can flow more smoothly and positively. Find out where
the “wow” factor can be added to the service chain of events
and reward employees who are doing it. Remove or retrain those
that aren’t. Be a “wow” leader with employees and guests.
Acknowledge employee concerns, don’t ignore them. Let them
know management cares about them as much as guests.
Hold frequent team meetings with all levels of employees and
review current standings and team/company goals. People do
what is expected when it is inspected.
Treat employees as the best customers and they will treat guests
to the experiences that matter most. Be a service role model
from head to heart before expecting employees to do the same.
Executives who embrace the mantle of service leadership will see
benefits to the bottom line, the rewards of loyal and motivated
employees and the guests that keep on coming back.
Roberta Nedry is President of Hospitality Excellence, Inc., consultants in
guest experience management and audits, service excellence training for
management and frontline employees and concierge development. To
learn more about the programs her firm offers and their service expertise,
visit www.hospitalityexcellence.com She can also be reached at 954 739-
5299 or roberta@hospitalityexcellence.com
SERVICE
On the other hand, when needs are not met, uncovered, satisfied
or ignored, both guests and employees experience a sense of
loss. Perception of loss leads to complaints, turnover and even
worse indifferent performance. Employees feel empty and it
shows. Guests sense the disconnection and leave disenchanted.
Leadership makes the difference in standards and expectations
for service delivery. Even when things do go awry, employees
should be prepared and empowered to address guest concerns
with realistic service solutions and know that their management
will stand behind them.
“Acknowledge employee concerns,
don’t ignore them. Let them
know management cares about
them as much as guests”
How can those in charge be even greater in their service
success through leadership?
Define a specific service philosophy for the property or
organization. Once defined, make sure employees understand
how to incorporate it into their daily roles. Keep it alive and
reinforce its value in all employee communications and meetings.
Be a living example on property and off.
Know the employees and what makes them tick. Even if knowing
each employee is impossible, find ways to make management’s
contacts personal which will cause employees to do the same for
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SERVICE
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Appointments
TAJ EXOTICA RESORT & SPA
HULHULE ISLAND HOTEL
APPOINTMENTS
New appointments
Mr. Santhosh R. Kutty - General Manager
Hulhule Island Hotel has the pleasure to informing that as recognition
of the hard work, sincerity dedication and potential, the
below members have been promoted during May 2007:
Santhosh Kutty - relocated from Taj Holiday Village, Goa. Santhosh
has seven years of experience with Taj Hotels and has, in
his previous two positions, handled the position of an Executive
Assistant Manager, Taj Malabar, Cochin, and General Manager,
Taj Holiday Village, Goa, very successfully.
Mr. Subas Lamichhane
Mr. Moosa Rameez
Mr. Naafiz Yoonus
Mr. Mohamed Shareef
Mr. Abdulla Niyaz
Commis III to Commis II
Commis III to Commis II
Trainee to Steward
Public Area Cleaner to Room Attendant
Public Area Cleaner to Room Attendant
Ibrahim Jameel
Moosa Naseer
V.Srinivasan
Rajesh Dolas
Food & Beverage Assistant
Kitchen Steward
Kitchen Assistant
Security Assistant
NALADHU
Promotions and Re-designations
Ismail Abdulla
Nadeem Adam
Ahmed Isam
Hassan Amshooz
Ahmed Saleem
Dennis Zacharias
Villa Services Assistant to Butler
Villa Services Assistant to Butler
Villa Services Assistant to Butler
Villa Services Assistant to Butler
Villa Services Assistant to Butler
Asst. Engineer to Asst. Executive Engineer
Mr. Cyrille Stegmann, Sr. Hotel Manager
MEERU ISLAND RESORT
Ibrahim Adam
New Assistant Chief Engineer Marine since May 1st 2007
Cyrille completed his Hospitality Management Degree in Switzerland
in 1995, and soon after did a trainee internship with
Bellevue in Gstaad, Switzerland for six months. He then went to
America and worked with Radisson Marco Island, Florida, USA,
for two years as Management Trainee in F&B and Rooms Division.
There after, moved on to Dubai, Al Maha run by Emirates Airlines,
part of the opening team, as restaurant manager. He’s worked in
many destinations in various capacities; in Scotland, the land of
bagpipes and kilts at the Westin Turnberry Hotel & Spa as Events
and Bar Manager for a year; South Africa as Asst. General Manager
at the Lake Pleasant Hotel belonging to the Mantis Group
of South Africa for a year, Tanzania as Food & Beverage Manager,
at The Arusha Hotel, Arusha; in Vietnam as part of the pre-opening
team as Resident Manager for one and a half years at Life
Heritage Resort Hoi An, later assisted in the refurbishment of Life
Wellness Resort Quy Nhon, part of the same group in Vietnam
for a year and a half more until the sun, sand and azure seas of
Maldives lured him to join Minor as Senior Hotel Manager at
Naladhu.
ANANTARA MALDIVES
Mohamed Saleem
New Assistant Housekeeper since May 1st 2007
Mr. Soumitra “Boby” Pohari has been promoted to the position
of Wine Guru for Anantara Maldives and Naladhu. As the master
of the properties’ cellars, he will play a significant role in their
development as premier resort destinations of the Maldives.
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59

NEWS
New concepts targeting
Gen-Xers
By PricewaterhouseCoopers
There were a total of 24 new hotel brand launches in 2005 and
2006, which is the largest number of brand introductions in a
two-year period since 1989, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The new brand launches represented non-U.S. brands affiliating
with hotels in the U.S., new concepts targeted at Gen-Xers and
Millennials, independent brands, brands affiliated with established
lodging companies and brands at many price levels.
2006 Brand Introductions
Luxury
• Waldorf=Astoria Collection (Hilton Hotels)
• Le Crillion (Starwood Capital)
• Blue (Taj Hotels & Resorts)
Upscale
“Accelerating demand, the increasing representation and influence
of Gen-Xers and Millennials, globalization and the trend
for major brands to offer a range of service and price levels -- all
occurring at the same time that supply growth is accelerating --
is resulting in a record number of brand introductions,” explains
Bjorn Hanson, Ph.D., and principal in PricewaterhouseCoopers’
Hospitality & Leisure practice.
The following tables summarize 2005 and 2006 brand introductions
in the U.S.
2005 Brand Introductions
Luxury
• Capella (West Paces Hotel Group)
• Gansevoort (Gansevoort Hotel Group)
• Graves Hotels (Graves Hotels and Resorts)
• LXR Hotels (WHM, LLC)
• Montage (Preferred Hotel Group)
• Solis (West Paces Hotel Group)
• Taj Hotels (Taj Hotels & Resorts)
• Twelve Hotels (Novare Group)
• Solage Hotels & Resorts (Auberge Resorts)
• James Hotels (Lifestyle Hospitality, LLC)
• Stay Social (LXR Luxury Resorts)
• Palomar (Kimpton Hotels)
All Suites / Extended Stay
• Element (Starwood Hotels)
• CitiStay Hotels (CitiStay Hotels, LLC)
Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP from various sources.
Among the brands introduced in the US in 2005 and 2006, ten brands
were introduced by new companies, two brands were international brands
new to the US lodging market and one was a brand extension. Further,
four of the nine brands introduced in 2006 were primarily targeted towards
the Gen X population.
Upscale
• Alden Hotels (Alden Hotels)
• Aloft (Starwood Hotels & Resorts)
• Aqua Boutique Hotels (Aqua Hotels and Resorts)
• Nylo (Nylo Hotels)
All Suites / Extended Stay
• Cambria Suites (Choice Hotels)
• Extended Stay Deluxe (HVM, LLC)
• Hyatt Place (Global Hyatt Corp.)
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ENVIRONMENT
The Tourism Industry and its Impact on the
Marine Environment
By Sidath De Silva
Maldives is a proud and historically unique nation, made out of
nearly 1,190 tiny islands scattered across the Indian Ocean. All
of us are aware that the country has been blessed with some of
Mother Nature’s most precious creations. Crystal clear, emerald
green water surrounding these tiny islands, white sandy beaches
and the fascinatingly mysterious underwater world are just a few
of these wonderful creations to be mentioned.
It is undoubtedly the seemingly endless underwater kingdom
which had made this atoll nation one of the great tourist
attractions around the world and a house hold name (especially
in Europe) for “dream come true” vacations. Colorful corals, reef
walls, exquisite marine life, famous shipwrecks, etc. contribute in
a great extent to make this more colorful and attractive to divers
all over the world.
Being an atoll nation, tourism and fishing industries would
invariably become the Maldives’ main bread winners. Incidentally
these two industries have been the back bone of their strong and
stable economy which had achieved an incredible rate of growth
compared to most of the other developing countries over the
past decades. That itself is a remarkable achievement for a nation
that depends entirely on imports for their existence, except for
fish of course. Well, they have every right to be a proud nation,
haven’t they?
Coral Reefs
The first sight one would experience when flying over Maldives at
low altitude is the vast structures of coral reefs surrounding the
islands. These corals not only add splendor to the underwater
world but also form a natural defense line against wind (not sure
about the defense against wind) and waves. Created by a tiny
creature called “Polyp”, these delicate, branching corals grow
over several years at a rate of 20 – 25 cm per year and finally,
when they’re fully blossomed, the multitude of colors found on
these corals are an unbelievable sight to any diver. (It’s not only
branching corals that form the reef. The growth rate is ok for
branching corals but for other types of corals such as massive
corals and encrusting corals, it’s much slower)
These colorful corals naturally shelter a vast variety of marine
life ranging from small reef fish, various types of shrimps,
lobsters and sea anemones to deadly predators such as moray
eels, barracudas or manta rays, who hunt for their prey among
these corals. According to a marine biologist who has carried out
extensive research on marine life, there are nearly 1,200 species
of fish living in Maldivian waters and there’s much more left to
be identified.
The sight of a lonely white tip reef shark emerging from a cave in
a coral wall or behind a school of reef fish is not an uncommon
sight in this under water world. Though it sounds like a terrifying
experience to swim with sharks, these reef sharks are not
aggressive at all.
In fact they are the most common shark species found in
Maldivian waters and spend most of their time hovering in
shallow water to evade falling prey to their own big brothers.
Therefore, snorkelers have a better chance of spotting these
reef sharks than divers. groupers are another large species of
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ENVIRONMENT
fish living in close vicinity to coral reefs that attract divers. A
fully grown grouper can weigh up to several hundred kilos and
hand feeding a giant grouper in its own habitat is a unique and
rare opportunity one can experience. However, lately these large
groupers have become a popular target of fishermen as there
is great demand for grouper fish in China and East Asia. As a
result, large grouper fish are not such a common sight anymore
in Maldivian reefs at present.
Frogfish, scorpionfish and stonefish are three vicious looking
creatures capable of camouflaging themselves superbly to avoid
detection by prey and predators alike. They are capable of
changing colors to match the surrounding coral reefs and even a
professional diver will find it hard to detect these fish unless they
make a false move.
The parrot fish is yet another variety of fish that depends on coral
reefs to a great extent. With their powerfully flushed teeth, they
feed by scraping algae off the reef. This habitual action of parrot
fish not only controls the growth of algae, it also contributes
enormously to produce sand, the much needed ingredient in
formation of islands.
Shipwrecks
There have been hundreds of shipwrecks in Maldives throughout
the century. However, out of all of these, only a handful stand out
like gigantic ornaments adding additional beauty and majestic
looks to the sea beds. Just like any other natural coral reef, these
shipwrecks too provide many species of marine life with an ideal
living ground, breeding ground and also an ideal hunting area
for predators. Sting rays, moray eels or reef fish are a common
sight in the waters surrounding these shipwrecks. It has even
been reported from Halaveli Holiday Village in North Ari Atoll
that a young turtle has taken up residence in a shipwreck close
to the resort.
These shipwrecks make up a great part of Maldives as a diving
paradise. A vastly experienced professional diver, whom the
writer once met and had a little dialogue with, confirmed that
the Maldivian underwater world provides much more spectacular
scenarios to divers than even the much fancied Great Barrier
Reef of Australia. Therefore it is not a surprising sight at all to
see professional divers come over and over again to indulge in
pleasure diving in Maldives.
Environmental Issues
Destiny is such, even this magnificent underwater kingdom is
not spared and it too has its own share of environmental hazards
and threats, forced on to it by the human beings and left to cope
up with. Owing to rapid development of the tourism industry,
the demand for fishing (to cater all holiday resorts) has taken
an upward trend over the past few years and reaching a all time
high at present. If not monitored properly, this factor could cause
a long term problem for the marine environment indeed.
reefs. Same as resorts, the number of safari boats in operation
too has increased several folds during the past few years. Easy
disposal of garbage into open seas from these boats make the
things worse. This is one of the most visible signs of human impact
on the marine environment. Despite numerous efforts by the
concerned authorities to create environmental awareness among
the people, safari boat operators and those who are involved in
the tourist industry, this continues to be a clearly visible problem
on so many inhabited islands and resorts.
Anchor damages at dive sites and large scale coral mining for
the building industry are two other common problems affecting
the marine environment. However, most of the people are now
aware of the damages anchors can cause to these beautiful coral
reefs and adopt different techniques.
When accumulated, all these issues create a macro-environment
scenario and the Maldivian Government had to act swiftly to
avert any catastrophic situations. Consequently, on the World
Environment Day; the 5th of June 1995, the Maldivian Government
under the patronage of His Excellency the President, took a giant
step forward to protect the marine environment by declaring 15
protected dive sites within the major tourist atolls. This is in fact
the very first step taken in protecting marine life from detrimental
effects of over-fishing, coral mining and disposing of garbage.
Several other restrictions followed subsequently clamping down
all possible avenues of vandalism in order to protect the marine
environment. The dive sites are like paper parks which are only
protected on paper. No management plans exists for these sites
and no measures have been implemented or enforced.
Maldives and the sea that surrounds it always go hand in hand
and apparently, the majority of Maldivians are either directly or
indirectly dependant on the sea for their day to day living. In such
a backdrop, it was a courageous decision by the Government to
enforce all these restrictions curtailing the way of life of their
own people in order to protect the marine environment. If not
dealt with at the appropriate time, much greater damage to
nature and economy could have been caused. Hence, salute of
all nature lovers around the world to Maldivian Government for
their act of bravery.
Under the new restrictions imposed, a quota system has been
introduced to the aquarium industry to protect the species that
are considered rare in Maldives and those that do not survive
well in aquariums. At last, giant Grouper fish can once again
roam freely in their natural habitats. (I don’t see a link between
the aquarium fishery and the giant grouper as the grouper is not
exported as part of the aquarium fishery). A ban on scuba diving
too has been introduced to stop over-fishing of sea cucumbers,
which are considered as the vacuum cleaners of the ocean floor.
Collecting black corals for jewelry too was banned and coral
mining for building industry has been restricted for certain areas.
Also, divers are not allowed to harpoon fish, collect lobsters,
shells whether dead or alive.
Garbage is a general problem all these tiny islands face today
with no proper system or adequate facilities to dispose the same.
Trash is often seen floating on the open sea and washed up onto
Despite all these restrictions enforced by the government,
slaughtering of marine life and polluting of marine environment
continue in a big way and the souvenir shops in Male’ are clear
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evidence of these barbaric acts. Almost all of them are well
stacked with jaws and fins of sharks, turtle shells (selling of turtle
shells or anything made out of them has been banned), various
types of exquisite sea shells and handicrafts made out of the
same. Some are stacked up to the ceiling and selling openly to
anybody who can pay the price. Even though some of these are
legally not barred, yet it is total annihilation of such a marvelous
and innocent marine lives in the most unkind manner. The author
believes that this is where patriotic sons and daughters of the
nation along with all nature lovers around the world could join
hands and come forward, in order to safeguard the marine
environment from these destructive forces.
Certainly there are ways and means that one could effectively
take the message to the masses in order to either minimize or
eradicate this menace altogether. However, by no means this
would be an easy task as it is their bread and butter that would
be dealt with. The first and foremost step would be to create a
solid environmental awareness and its consequences among the
people who are directly involved in the hospitality industry (and
more importantly the souvenir hunters who prefer to buy marine
products). Once this primary objective is achieved, it will provide
a solid launching pad for the second and final phase: a nation
wide boycott of all jewelry and various handicraft items made
out of black corals, turtle or shark products, shells etc (selling
of anything made out of black corals and turtle shells has been
banned and you don’t see these items anymore in the souvenir
shops). Most of the western nations are well advanced and far
ahead of Asian counterparts in their fight for human rights,
protection of animals and environment etc. and tourists from
these countries are well and truly aware of such campaigns and
their consequences. Therefore, it would not be a difficult task to
convince tourists to select a traditional Maldivian handicraft item
made out of wood or environment friendly material as a souvenir
instead.
The economic aspect behind the whole issue simply is “Supply &
Demand”, whereby supply is directly proportional to the demand.
In other words: one could manipulate the characteristics of one
factor influencing the other factor. Likewise, through all those
proposed awareness campaigns and embargos, if one could
ensure there is no such demand for marine products, the supply
too, in return will take a nose dive and finally stop. The mission
would be accomplished. If there is a will, there is always a way
and henceforth, why not everybody think about it seriously. Be
self-confident that it could be achieved. Discuss with your family
members, with neighbor, with your colleagues etc., and take the
message to the people in whatever the capacity you can. For the
sake of this marvelous gift of nature, why not take a shot at it?
Everybody who has been to Maldives has undoubtedly seen the
magnificent underwater kingdom, has admired and enjoyed it.
Hence, let us pass it over to the next generation the same way
for many generations to come.
Sidath De Silva is the Maintenance Engineer of Summer Island
Village Holiday Resort.
ENVIRONMENT
HOSPITALITY MALDIVES
JUNE/JULY 2007

NEWS
Asia-Pacific Spa & Wellness Council (Apswc) Marks Its First
Anniversary With An Invitation Only Strategic Planning Forum
Hosted At The Conrad Bali Resort In Bali, Indonesia
Asia-Pacific Spa & Wellness Council (APSWC), the region’s
leading proactive spa industry council, marked its first anniversary
with a strategic planning forum revealing ground-breaking
new developments. APSWC council members representing 18
countries in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East formed the back
bone of the leadership forum. Present were senior management
of large companies that influence the industry through their
regional presence, individuals or companies that lead the industry
through innovation
and fresh approaches.
Over the 9th & 10th March, 72 industry leaders from 16 countries
met in Bali to discuss and chart the future of the Asia-Pacific
spa and wellness industry. The Strategic Planning Forum was
organised by the Asia-Pacific Spa & Wellness Council (APSWC) to
bring together the heads of national associations with the heads
of business, including leading operators (from all types of spa),
suppliers and consultants. The goal was to create a strategic plan
to ensure the continued growth and health of the business for
all.
VISION FOR THE FUTURE
In creating a vision for the future, break-out groups were formed
by industry segment. Hotel & Resort Spas defined a future
where successful business is also socially and environmentally
responsible. Holistic & Medical Spas identified the need to improve
the credibility and accountability of therapies (especially in the
eyes of government and non-spa industry) by professionalising
and integrating with orthodox science.
The Day Spa segment realised the need for greater definition and
differentiation, while the Products team developed ideal criteria
for spa products, and proposed the need for audits of quality
and ethical source. People Development focused not only on
education, but on empowering staff through improved conditions
and the creation of career paths and greater opportunities.
Finally the Design & Consultants team identified the need for
establishing guidelines for ethical practice.
THE OUTCOME: ‘FIVE PILLARS’
CURRENT STATE OF THE SPA INDUSTRY
The initial task was to determine the current state of the
industry. To stimulate thought and discussion, seven industry
leaders were invited to comment from their particular area of
expertise, including: design, operations, people development,
products, treatment menus, and therapeutic approach. A
statistical snapshot was also provided by Intelligent Spas. These
perspectives were then supplemented by looking at the current
market from a country by country view. Peter Sng provided an
update on ISPA activities, which was followed by reports from
many of the countries that make up the APSWC network.
Having described the current state of the industry, break-out
groups were then formed to investigate the various forces that
exert influence on spa operators, as these forces will impact
future direction. Forces considered included: competition,
suppliers, staff, customers, government, economic influences,
social trends and changes in technology. Before considering its
long-term position, the group first took stock of the particular
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that face the
industry in the Asia-Pacific. While it is clear that the region shares
many challenges and opportunities with the rest of the world (e.
g. : industry growth, lack of consistent standards and shortage
of qualified staff), there are many elements that have special
relevance in the Asia-Pacific, such as the heritage of traditional
therapies, service-oriented cultures that are aligned with spa/
holistic philosophy, rich natural resources and burgeoning
populations (for both supply and demand).
In developing a tangible programme, key actions were identified
and grouped under ‘Five Pillars’ for which industry task forces
will be formed:
I. Professionalisation – developing a regional system
of accreditation, including health and safety. Also
the documentation and protection of traditional
therapies.
II. People – including establishing core competences,
minimum skill sets, contract guidelines, rights of
global workers, and initiatives to improve the
perception of spa as a career.
III. Products – establish audit systems for quality and
ethical source, and improve professional education
about spa products and ingredients.
IV. Profit – improving industry information, including
establishing benchmarks and KPIs.
V. Planet – various initiatives, including preparation of
a ‘toolkit’ of standards and guidelines to bring the
spa industry into line with international best practice.
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NEXT STEPS
• Following the forum, APSWC immediately
commenced the process of formal registration as an
association based in Singapore, which is expected to
be complete by end April, 2007.
• The next step is to form task forces for the above
pillar programmes. Any individual or company is
invited to participate in any one or more of the
task forces, as desired. We are seeking a good mix of
industry and association participants, from all types of
business.
• Successful implementation of the pillar programmes
and all APSWC activity will depend to some extent on
funding. APSWC will commence fundraising efforts
from June 2007.
Asia-Pacific Spa & Wellness Council (APSWC) is a regional body which links
the national spa associations of the Asia-Pacific nations. The Council was
formed to meet the challenges presented by the evolution and growth of
the Asian Pacific spa industry. In addition to gathering and communicating
market information and resources, APSWC’s planned activities for the
region include: identifying and recommending appropriate standards,
training resources, and performance benchmarks and establishing a
code and best practices format to be adopted throughout the region. It’s
important that local representation becomes a focus while looking at the
region guides in it’s entirety including a range of topics relevant to Asia-
Pacific countries.
Council will act behind the scenes - establishing, guiding and supporting
national associations so that they can provide maximum benefit to their
members. The Council is developing strong partnerships with like-minded
industry leaders, and utilises a united voice to educate consumers,
regulators and industry professionals, and thereby create positive force
for change. The Council will operate as a group of interested parties and
will actively seek input and guidance throughout the Industry at all levels
while working on various assignments.
EDITOR NOTES:
ASIA-PACIFIC SPA & WELLNESS COUNCIL
CARINA CHATLANI | Media Relations | www.spawellnesscouncil.com
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