Untitled - Hospitality Maldives

I m p r e s s u m 

Published by 

Beyond Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. 

H. Always Happy House, L2 

Asrafee Magu 

20034 Male’ 

Republic of Maldives 

www.bynd.co.uk 

Managing Editor 

David Kotthoff 

editor@hosmal.com 

Advertising 

Hassan Hisham 

ads@hosmal.com 

Design & Layout 

Hawwa Sithna 

info@bynd.co.uk 

Print 

Novelty Printers & Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 

Contributors 

Angsana Velavaru 

Bert Van Walbeek 

Chris Longstreet 

Dan Kutis 

Hassan Haneez 

Hassan Marine Engineering Service 

Hilton Maldives 

Jorely Mathew 

Kelley Robertson 

Mandarin Oriental 

Neil Salerno 

Osvaldo Torres Cruz 

Rick Johnson 

Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts 

Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa 

The National Learning Institute 

W Retreat & Spa Maldives 

www.ehotelier.com 

Cover 

Angsana Velavaru, located in the pristine South 

Nilandhe Atoll, is set to unveil new standards 

in resort living. In July 2009, it will launch 

the first standalone collection of water villas 

in the Maldives that is not on an island. This 

exclusive cluster of 34 InOcean Villas, together 

with a dedicated Italian restaurant and bar, is 

located one kilometre away from the island of 

Velavaru. Read more on page 56... 

Photograph (c) Angsana Hotels and Resorts 

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 & colleagues, 

Welcome to the 24th edition of Hospitality Maldives. 

With the International Monetary Fund finally having acknowledged that we are indeed 

facing the first worldwide recession in almost 20 years (according to IMF definition, the 

last took place in 1991), the Maldivian tourism industry certainly is feeling the economic 

downturn too at the moment. And if that wasn’t enough, the world now seems to be in 

swine flu fever, with the international news channels dedicating most of their airtime to 

covering this ‘new’ crisis these days. 

Yes, the economic situation around the globe doesn’t look too rosy right now, but hey, 

what’s new Let’s face it, there’ll always be some sort of crisis or catastrophe going 

on somewhere in the world and most of them do have a direct impact on our jobs and 

personal life, even if sometimes we barely notice it. Surely the next few months will be 

tough for everyone involved in the tourism industry here as arrival forecasts predict lower 

than usual figures, however, I for my part don’t believe that panic measures are the right 

answer. After all, looking at the statistics of the first quarter of this year, arrival figures into 

Maldives are only down by about 10%, which compared to Seychelles, Singapore or Fiji for 

example is still very reasonable. History will repeat itself and Maldives, much more than 

many other destinations, has shown that it always bounces back strongly from whatever 

happens in the world, be that a war, bird flu, SARS, the tsunami or something else. 

That said, let’s seize these times of comparatively low business and turn them into 

something positive. In my last note I mentioned that crisis situations are not the right 

time to restructure or conduct strategic planning activities unless absolutely necessary, 

but when was the last time you spent some quality time on reviewing your business 

procedures, brainstormed with your staff for new revenue generation opportunities, 

conducted in-house training sessions or team-building activities These and many more 

are effective initiatives which will not only help you be more competitive once the economy 

picks up again, they also won’t burn a hole into your bank account. 

Yours in hospitality, 

editor’s note 

David Kotthoff

CONTENTS 

38 

44 

52 

54 

60 

64 

66 

68 

Editor’s Note 

Total recovery = Customer Delight 

Dealing With Distractions 

Just How Important Are First Impressions 

How A Players meet Customer Expectations 

General Managers Don’t Call Back 

Customized Service: Key Strategy in Guest Service 

Do You Hate Preparing For Interviews 

Anatomy Of An Internet Savvy Hotel Manager 

The R Word 

Tough Times Call For Tough Leadership 

Who Built Your Career 

Why Learning How You Learn Is Important 

Proper Chemical Storage 

Every Hospitality Executive Is The Author Of His Own Health 

Last words 

03 

06 

08 

16 

20 

26 

30 

32

Total Recovery = Customer 

Delight 

Douglas, an elected delegate at the 

Democratic National Convention in the 

United States, dropped his Handspring Visor 

personal digital assistant (PDA) onto the 

stone floor of his downtown hotel lobby. 

The outer case of the PDA was chipped in one 

corner, but the software and the system still 

worked. He called Handspring to purchase a 

replacement cover. 

‘Nothing doing,’ Handspring customer service 

replied. They insisted that he needed a 

completely new Visor. 

‘No way!’, Douglas retorted. ‘Why should I 

buy a new Visor, costing hundreds of dollars, 

just to replace a plastic part worth a dollar or 

two at most’ 

‘Oh no,’ the representative assured him. 

‘The new Visor won’t cost you a penny. Your 

current Visor is still under warranty.’ 

The representative promised to ship a brand 

new Visor to him immediately, and then 

explained that Douglas could ship the old unit 

back in the very same box. She apologized 

that the deadline had passed for next day 

delivery, so the new PDA would arrive in two 

days instead. 

Two days later, as promised, a small package 

arrived for Douglas at the hotel. Inside was a 

brand new Visor – with complete instructions 

on how to transfer data from the old Visor 

into the new one, as well as a pre-addressed 

courier delivery slip. 

All Douglas had to do was transfer his data, 

put the old Visor with the chipped cover into 

the box, apply the pre-printed label and 

then call the toll-free number to arrange an 

immediate courier pick-up. 

Douglas is clear and expressive about his 

feelings: ‘This was truly delightful service. 

I define delightful as something completely 

beyond the expected, something that brings 

joy to the customer. And I certainly received 

it in this case. I give a big hand of applause 

to Handspring!’ 

Key Learning Point 

When things go wrong, you have a precious 

opportunity to completely `Wow!’ your 

customer. Do everything you can to solve 

the problem in a fast, generous and very 

convenient manner. 

Handspring understands the value of a truly 

delighted customer. Do you 

Action Steps 

What is a truly delighted customer worth to 

your business in repeat sales, active referrals 

and positive word-of-mouth Do your 

policies reflect this understanding Do you 

actively make the investment required Does 

everyone in your company agree 

Ron Kaufman is an internationally acclaimed innovator and motivator for partnerships and quality service. He is the author of the “Best of Active Learning!” 

newsletter (free at www.ronkaufman.com) and the new book “UP Your Service! Strategies and Action Steps to Delight Your Customers NOW!”

Dealing With Distractions 

Distractions are sometimes positive. A break away from 

work can clear your mind, give you the opportunity to 

refresh yourself, and increase your energy level. However, 

it is important to remember that you have a responsibility to 

yourself and your business to limit these distractions.

In today’s business world it is not uncommon 

for many sales people to work from a home 

office. At first this may seem like a great 

opportunity, however, it does create some 

unique challenges. One of the biggest 

obstacles is the number of distractions that 

can take us away from our work and prevent 

us from achieving our objectives. 

When you work from a home office it is easy 

to get distracted from work, especially if it 

is work that you do not particularly enjoy 

like prospecting or cold calling. Watering 

the plants, running errands or even doing 

laundry can be a welcome change from the 

daily drudgery of selling. And, if you have 

young children, the number of distractions 

increases dramatically. 

I, too, work from a home office and have 

had to deal with this challenge. Here are 

a few ideas that can help manage these 

distractions and improve your productivity. - 

Create an office. When I first began working 

from home almost a decade ago, I used to 

work at my dining room table. Unfortunately, 

this put me in the middle of our household 

action. My wife would turn on the television 

and I would be instantly distracted from my 

work. In other cases, she would talk to me 

or ask me a question simply because I was 

in the same room. As a result, it was often 

difficult to focus on my work. Now I have an 

office and do the majority of my work there. 

If you don’t have space to create an office, 

find somewhere in your house that has the 

least amount of traffic and opportunities for 

distractions. 

• Set specific “business” hours. This is 

particularly important if you have young 

children. It can be very difficult for 

children to understand that they can’t 

disturb us while we’re working. If you 

have an office, close your door and 

place a do not disturb sign on it. This is 

particularly important if you are making 

client calls because it prevents family 

members from inadvertently barging in 

on you during a critical call. 

• Use a “to do” list—everyday. Having 

a list of what you need to accomplish 

each day can help keep you focused; 

otherwise, it becomes too easy to do 

other things around the house. If you 

know that you need to accomplish a 

certain number of tasks by the end of 

the day, it can prevent you from getting 

distracted during the day. One of the 

challenges with this is that household 

duties or running errands are more 

enjoyable compared to work we have 

to complete. However, I have frequently 

found that once I get involved in my 

task, the desire to do something else 

fades. 

• Set deadlines for the projects you’re 

working on. Although I don’t have 

anyone holding me accountable to these 

deadlines, it find that this approach can 

help keep me on track. You can also 

share these deadlines with other people 

to help keep yourself focused especially 

if this type of accountability works for 

you. 

• Give your permission to relax from timeto-time. 

It’s okay to allow yourself to get 

distracted once in a while. As long it’s 

not a regular occurrence, you don’t have 

to worry too much about it. However, 

if your relaxation time overtakes your 

work time, then you need to reconsider 

your priorities. 

• Share your goals and objections with 

a group of advisors. This type of 

accountability works well for many 

people because they know they will 

have to report their progress on specific 

projects. 

• Recognize that the results you achieve 

are a direct result of the effort you put 

into your work. When I first started my 

private practice, it was easy to put aside 

work and do chores or run errands. In 

my first year, I treated work like a parttime 

job, clocking an average of 20-25 

When you work 

from a home office 

it is easy to get 

distracted from 

work, especially 

if it is work that 

you do not 

particularly enjoy 

like prospecting or 

cold calling. 

hours per week. When I evaluated my 

results at the end of the year I realized I 

couldn’t afford to maintain this mentality. 

So I started working more. And, I got 

better results. I eventually learned that 

the more effort I put into my work, the 

better results I achieved in terms of the 

revenue and income I generated. This 

made it easier to avoid the distractions 

and focus more on my work. 

• Lastly, you can try an approach I 

learned from Brian Tracy many years. 

When you find yourself procrastinating 

on a particular task or project, repeat 

the following three words to yourself 

over and over. “Do it now.” This can be 

a great way to prevent yourself from 

getting distracted by other things you 

would prefer to do. 

Distractions are sometimes positive. A break 

away from work can clear your mind, give 

you the opportunity to refresh yourself, 

and increase your energy level. However, it 

is important to remember that you have a 

responsibility to yourself and your business 

to limit these distractions. 

Kelley Robertson works with specialty retailers to help them capture more from each sale. He is the author of two books including the best-seller, Stop, Ask & 

Listen—Proven Sales Techniques to Turn Browsers into Buyers. Receive a FREE copy of 100 Ways to Increase Your Sales by subscribing to his free newsletter 

available at http://www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com.

Mandarin Oriental Announces 

An Exclusive Hideaway Resort 

In The Maldives 

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group today 

announced that it has signed a management 

agreement for an exclusive luxury resort 

currently under development on a pristine, 

private island in The Maldives. This 

exceptional retreat is scheduled to open in 

the next 12 months. 

Mandarin Oriental, Maldives is located 185 

kilometres north of the capital city Male, a 

journey of 45 minutes by seaplane. The 

luxurious hideaway is being developed on 

its own exclusive island, Maavelavaru in the 

Noonu Atoll, encircled by five kilometres of 

uninterrupted white sand beaches and the 

turquoise blue lagoons and colourful reefs 

for which the region is renowned. 

Offering the ultimate luxury of space and 

privacy, the resort comprises 114 spacious, 

stand-alone villas, including 20 water villas 

and four Presidential villas, ranging in size 

from 300 to 1,750 square metres. Each 

secluded villa is surrounded by generous 

landscaping, providing total privacy, while 

opening onto a private pool and the lush 

vegetation of a serene garden with sweeping 

ocean vistas. All are designed with exquisite 

and pampering interiors, with indoor and 

outdoor bathing options, using a combination 

of Maldivian architecture and internationallysourced 

materials. The largest of the villas 

have private spa facilities, and the water 

villas extend over a lively coral reef affording 

stunning sunrise and sunset views. Mandarin 

Oriental’s seamless technology and superior 

entertainment systems, for which the Group 

is renowned, are employed throughout. 

Alfresco and underwater dining with an 

eclectic selection of local and international 

cuisines will be available at seven restaurants 

and bars, including an all day poolside café 

and bar, a beachfront signature restaurant, 

an alfresco Maldivian grill, a comfortable 

lounge and a dramatic underwater wine 

cellar with private dining room. An authentic 

Lebanese restaurant and bar, as well as a 

Japanese restaurant will be built over the 

ocean. Meeting facilities include a spacious 

multi purpose function room, a business 

centre and a well-stocked library. 

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Maldives will 

be a destination in itself, focusing on the 

well-being of its guests by offering total 

rejuvenation and relaxation in a serene, 

meditative setting. A spacious spa which 

is situated within 13,000 sq metres of 

tropical gardens, will feature 14 expansive 

treatment villas and six treatment suites, 

situated around a lavish outdoor Jacuzzi. 

Each villa consists of four separate pavilions 

dedicated to Mandarin Oriental’s welcome 

rituals, signature treatments, water and 

heat therapies and relaxation areas, allowing 

guests to be guided through an intimate and 

personalised spa journey. 

There are endless leisure pursuits for those 

who tire of the transparent waters and 

remote beauty of the island, including a fully 

equipped fitness centre, a badminton court, 

tennis courts, squash courts, a soccer field 

and a beautifully appointed outdoor lap pool.

In addition, there is a comprehensive water 

sports centre with a full service diving school, 

catering for guests who wish to explore the 

abundant coral reefs that fringe the island. 

For added peace of mind, the resort also has 

a fully equipped decompression chamber and 

emergency medical clinic available on site. 

The project is being developed by Athama 

Investments Pvt. Ltd., a private Maldivian 

company with extensive and intimate 

knowledge of the destination. 

“Mandarin Oriental, Maldives will be a 

unique and extraordinarily private hideaway 

retreat that offers our guests tranquillity and 

seclusion in a stunning, natural setting. We 

look forward to bringing Mandarin Oriental’s 

renowned levels of service to this important 

leisure destination,” said Edouard Ettedgui, 

Group Chief Executive of Mandarin Oriental 

Hotel Group. 

“We are delighted to be working with Mandarin 

Oriental on creating the most exclusive resort 

in The Maldives,” said Ibrahim Abdul Latheef, 

Managing Director of Athama Investments 

Pvt. Ltd. “On opening, this luxurious retreat 

will embody Mandarin Oriental’s legendary 

service philosophy and the unique sense of 

place inherent to all its hotels,” he added. 

About The Maldives 

The Republic of Maldives consists of 1,190 

idyllic islands spread over 26 naturally formed 

atolls, each surrounded by a lagoon in the 

Indian Ocean. The sheer natural beauty 

of The Maldives combined with the warm, 

tropical climate attracts international leisure 

guests from around the world, who come to 

relax and enjoy the variety of water sports, 

sea life and unspoilt beaches. A number of 

international airlines operate regular flights 

to the capital Male, from where Mandarin 

Oriental guests will be escorted to the resort’s 

exclusive lounge at the seaplane terminal for 

a stunning 45 minute flight to Maavelavaru 

island. 

About Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group 

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is the awardwinning 

owner and operator of some of 

the world’s most prestigious hotels, resorts 

and residences. Mandarin Oriental now 

operates, or has under development, 40 

hotels representing over 10,000 rooms in 

24 countries, with 15 hotels in Asia, 15 in 

The Americas and 10 in Europe and North 

Africa. In addition, the Group operates, or 

has under development, 13 Residences at 

Mandarin Oriental, connected to the Group’s 

properties.

Q&A with Hussain Shahid, Assistant Director of 

Human Resources at Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort 

and Spa 

Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa has 

recently appointed Hussain Shahid as 

Assistant Director of Human Resources. 

Native from Maldives, Shahid has spent the 

last two years in Oman before returning to 

his home country. After 3 months in his new 

position, Shahid gives us his impression on his 

new challenging yet exciting appointment. 

1. How does it feel to be back in 

Maldives 

There is no better feeling than to be back 

home! I am really happy to be close to my 

family members again and so they are. It is 

also great to meet with my friends again as if 

I never had left home! 

2. How has your experience in Oman 

widened your perspective and how has 

it prepared you for your role at Shangri- 

La’s Villingili Resort and Spa 

I had the privilege of being an expatriate 

and meeting many people from all over the 

world from Middle East to South Africa and 

from Russia to Papua New Guinea, not to 

forget the many countries of Asia! Managing 

people with such a variety of cultures and 

skills has opened my mind, and helped me 

to be more patient and adaptable. I have 

also lived the opening of a resort, with its 

many challenges and opportunities! This preopening 

experience will definitely assist me 

in my new role here at Shangri-La’s Villingili 

Resort and Spa, Maldives. 

3. How have you settled in you new 

position at Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort 

and Spa 

From the welcome at the airport to my new 

found home, from the resort orientation to 

the office work, I have been very impressed 

with Shangri-La hospitality! There is so much 

about Shangri-La that I was touched with 

from the very beginning including the beauty 

of the resort, the importance given to the 

culture and the staff focus. I am surrounded 

by so many hospitality enthusiasts and people 

with passion. This will be a success story for 

many years to come and I am confident that 

Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa will be 

one-of-its-kind. 

4. What do you focus on in human 

resources at the moment 

The focus in Human Resources at the moment 

is recruitment and training. We have recently 

carried out several “walk-in interview days” 

in both Malé and Addu Atoll to search for 

potential local candidates. On another hand, 

36 local students are currently participating 

in the second Hospitality Course that began 

in January this year and will be completed 

in April 2009. For our 185 staff already on 

board, we are focusing a lot on operational 

and culture trainings including corporate 

Shangri-La culture training, trainer skills, 

Food hygiene and system trainings. 

5. What are your career goals for the 

years to come 

Caring about people and developing them is 

my goal. As a human resources professional I 

would be continuing to work either directly or 

indirectly in the hospitality industry. 

6. On a more personal note, what do you 

enjoy doing during your spare time 

Music makes me happy and drawing fills my 

time. I miss my drumming days when I used 

to play 3 to 4 times a week in a resort late 

in the afternoon and return to Male the next 

morning. I still enjoy catching up with my 

music friends and ‘jam’ once in a while! Art 

has been the hidden talent that I received 

from my family background of artists. I like 

to surprise my friends from work at times 

by gifting them a portrait on their special 

occasions. 

PRESS CONTACT: Leslie Garcia, Communications Manager, Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives, Tel: (960) 689 7888, Fax: (960) 689 7999 

E-mail: leslie.garcia@shangri-la.com, Website: www.shangri-la.com

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Just How Important Are 

First Impressions

Stung by the response to the three automotive 

CEOs flying in and out of Washington in their 

private jets, the CEOs are making different 

plans for their visit back to Washington this 

week. 

All three CEOs are driving to Washington in 

fuel-efficient hybrid cars. All have announced 

plans to sell their corporate aircraft. And 

Ford and GM plan to pay their CEO $1 per 

year if their companies take any government 

money. 

What do you make of this What’s your 

reaction Is your reaction different to what it 

may have been if these cost-saving decisions 

were made before the first visit by private 

jet 

As Andrew O’Keeffe, a noted expert in human 

instincts suggests, “Given human instincts, 

the answer to the last question will almost 

universally be a definite ‘yes’”. 

As O’Keeffe explained, “One of our instincts 

called ‘first impressions to classify’ is at 

work here. Humans make quick judgments 

from first impressions and use these quick 

judgments to classify experiences. Once 

people have classified their opinion, it’s hard 

to shift that opinion. We judge subsequent 

events by how we have already classified the 

information.” 

O’Keeffe continued “Given that people have 

already judged the CEOs as ‘wasteful’ or 

‘greedy’, people’s interpretation of this latest 

news will be negative or cynical - ‘I’ll bet they 

still get their bonuses’, ‘poor things will be 

down to their last billion’, or at best neutral - 

‘it’s the least they could do’”. 

If the CEOs had driven to Washington in the 

first place (or flew by commercial flight) and 

taken a serious pay cut, people would more 

likely judge them positively as that would be 

the first impression. 

Further, because they need to overcome the 

negative first impression, the automotive 

companies need to do more now compared 

to what they needed to have done at the 

start. 

O’Keeffe’s take on this is that “The CEOs 

were left in a no-win situation. They had 

to reduce their largesse, but will never get 

the traction they want from doing so. For 

example, it’s hard to recover once people 

hear and ‘classify’ what Ford’s CEO said at 

the recent Congress Committee hearing. 

Asked whether he would consider cutting 

his current compensation package of around 

$22 million, he answered, ‘I think I’m okay 

where I am.’” 

As O’Keeffe suggests, “The benefit of 

understanding instincts is that we know what 

will work and what won’t, and we can then 

make intelligent leadership choices.” 

Unfortunately, it seems as if these CEOs are 

not aware of the human phenomena of “first 

impressions to classify”. 

Compare these actions with those of the CEO 

of Japan Air Lines, Haruka Nishimatsu (whom 

I wrote about recently in “20 is the magic 

number”). Nishimatsu receives an annual 

salary of $90,000. 

Yes, that’s right, not $9 million, not even 

$900,000, but $90,000. And there are no 

bonuses or share options attached. In fact 

Nishimatsu gets paid less than his pilots. JAL 

is one of the world’s top 10 airlines. 

What’s more, he doesn’t receive any executive 

perks. In fact, he lines up in the staff canteen 

with his fellow workers for lunch each day 

and even catches a bus to work! 

Nishimatsu clearly understands the “first 

impressions to classify” principle. JAL was 

going through some very tough times in 

2007 when Nishimatsu was appointed CEO. 

Jobs were cut. People were asked to take 

early retirement. As he commented “The 

employees who took early retirement are the 

same age as me. I thought I should share 

the pain with them. So I changed my salary.” 

Now that’s really “walking the talk”. 

Before they 

stepped into their 

private jets to fly 

to Washington 

and beg for billions 

from the public 

purse, perhaps 

the CEOs of Ford, 

GM and Chrysler 

should have 

realised that first 

impressions matter 

What’s the message here for CEOs, and in 

fact all managers 

People do base judgements on their instincts. 

These instincts can be understood. The key 

for managers in stressful times such as these, 

is to ask oneself “What’s causing people the 

most pain at the moment” Or, “What are 

people most worried about” 

Being clear on these concerns, one can then 

pre-judge how key decisions will be seen by 

asking “What will be the likely response How 

will others see this” But most importantly, 

“If someone else did this, what would my gut 

reaction be” 

Bob Selden is the author of the newly published “What To Do When You Become The Boss” – a self help book for new managers. He is currently researching 

topics for his new book on teams. Please email your suggestions for inclusion to Bob via http://www.whenyoubecometheboss.com

How ‘A’ Players Meet Customer 

Expectations 

It’s not enough to achieve some or even 

most of your customers’ expectations-your 

objective is to meet them all. Yet, this can 

be quite a challenge during peak times when 

the counter is backed up, the phone keeps 

ringing and you are short personnel in willcall. 

Defining an ‘A’ player is not difficult, if 

we focus on meeting customer expectations 

and striving for service excellence. These 

objectives require specific skill sets. 

Remember, one of the key factors of 

success is building relationship equity. Good 

relationships set the stage for the development 

of ‘A’ player habits. Anything that could harm 

the relationship, misrepresent a product or 

aggressively push items a customer doesn’t 

want might damage the relationship and 

ultimately lose the customer. 

It’s much easier to help a customer buy 

something than it is to sell him something. I 

can almost read your thoughts, ‘What exactly 

does that mean’ Well, it means helping a 

customer buy is all about helping him figure 

out what he really needs and what will give 

him the best value. You gain his trust by 

offering him choices and letting him decide. 

Of course, you can make recommendations. 

In fact, determining his or her needs, 

problems and issues is part of the big picture 

service formula and becoming a total solution 

provider. That is what being an ‘A’ Player is all 

about. 

The ‘A’ Player Profile 

• The customer always comes first in his 

or her mind. 

• He or she understands and can explain 

the difference between price and cost. 

• He or she understands value propositions 

and can sell based on value overcoming 

price objections. 

• Listens carefully and asks questions to 

really understand customer needs. 

• Confidently embraces suggestive selling 

by offering additional products to 

complement or enhance an order. 

• Service excellence is a top priority. 

• Knows the top 20 customers 

• Willingly pitches in to help other 

personnel maintain overall service 

excellence. 

• Takes calculated risk in the interest 

of relationship equity. Isn’t afraid to 

think outside the box when servicing 

customers (e.g.-buying product from 

the competition). 

• Maintains a very low error rate. 

• Proactively seeks sales growth and 

margin improvements through new 

customer development and penetration, 

increasing existing customer share of 

spend.

How the ‘A’ Player Focuses on Service 

Excellence 

The actual tasks performed by customer 

service personnel vary widely from one 

company to the next. Job responsibilities 

depend upon industry experience, product 

knowledge and company size. The smaller 

the firm, the greater the tendency for 

customer service personnel to ‘wear 

numerous hats.’ The larger the company, 

the greater the potential for specialization 

where counter sales handle customer walkin 

traffic and follow-up with others handling 

inbound calls, purchasing, mailings, quotes 

or providing technical support, for example. 

No matter the level of specialization or 

lack of it, every inbound call and customer 

contact is an opportunity to enhance your 

sales relationship and prove you deserve a 

customer’s business. 

Actual Tips from ‘A’ Player Customer 

Service People 

#1: Pay Attention to the Relationship 

Details 

The problem with customers is: they’re just 

like us! They like dealing with people who 

are pleasant and smiling. Customer service 

personnel who appear to enjoy their jobs 

and who make customers want to deal with 

them achieve greater success. The perfectly 

processed and delivered order experience 

can be marred by a less than enthusiastic 

attitude. Even though customer service 

personnel handle many calls and walk-ins 

each day, every contact should demonstrate 

an energetic and positive ‘can do’ attitude. 

Personnel attitudes can be discerned from 

customer remarks. For example, one 

customer says, “They do a good job handling 

orders, but they make me feel like I’ve just 

interrupted something important or that I’m 

asking for the impossible whenever I walk 

in.” 

Don’t underestimate the power of your tone 

of voice or facial expression. Like it or not, 

we judge others and customers judge us this 

way. Do you sound harried, bored, bothered 

or too busy to care Or does your voice, 

your face and your body language project an 

attitude that encourages customers to build 

a relationship with you 

#2: Quality Products and Quality 

Service Begin with Quality Thinking 

Service excellence is built around a series 

of ‘moments of truth’ that your customers 

experience during their interaction with you. 

Every person in the organization, even those 

you may not think of as customer service

personnel, has the ability to make a positive 

impact on service excellence. From the way 

the telephone is answered, use of voice mail, 

error-free orders, accurate billings, realistic 

promises made and kept, to the integrity 

of the information you providethese are all 

moments of truth affecting service excellence. 

You, however, are on the front line and the 

first level of ‘offense.’ You are the customer’s 

primary contact, and customers expect you 

to help them do business with your company 

and make it a pleasant experience. They also 

want you to solve problems and coordinate 

with other people and departments. 

• “What’s the reason for the price 

difference between this order and my 

last one” 

• “Who should I talk with about a billing 

problem” 

• “How should I handle this return” 

• “Do you have a catalog you can mail 

me” 

• “Can you send me a sample of that” 

• “Can I get freight paid on that order” 

These are all questions you’re expected to 

answer. Quality thinking means focusing on 

the customer’s needs and making sure those 

needs are met. 

#3: Take Care of Your Customers and 

They Will Take Care of You 

You’ve probably heard of the KISS principle: 

keep it simple stupid. As funny as it may 

sound, it’s really just good business practice. 

When customers find it easy to do business 

with you, they keep coming back for more 

because people do business with people they 

like. Consider why you select the suppliers 

with whom you do business. Why do you go 

to one bank versus another Why do you 

have your car serviced by one dealer versus 

another who may be closer to you Why do 

you prefer a certain restaurant Why do you 

select a particular dentist or doctor or favorite 

retailer Chances are your selection criteria 

parallel that of your customers. You probably 

like the people or know you can depend on 

their thorough service. Or, perhaps you enjoy 

the fact they recognize you and remember 

your name and make you feel important, 

or you consider them to be professionals 

who know their business, understand your 

needs and take care of them. There’s no 

secret to what keeps customers coming 

back for more, thereby contributing to the 

growth and profitability of your company. If 

you don’t provide service excellence, if you 

don’t build relationship equity, if you really 

don’t sincerely care about your customers’ 

needs, rest assured someone else will. In 

essence, Not caring means you will lose that 

customer. 

#4: Do It Right the First Time 

What’s the cost of an order entry error What 

does it cost the company for a return goods 

authorization because the customer got the 

wrong product What does an order pricing 

error cost What is the real opportunity 

cost of a lost customer due to poor quality 

or lack of service excellence Each time an 

order is handled more than once, handling 

costs increase through what is called costredundancy, 

i.e., doing the same task 

over again. Mistakes mean corrections are 

necessary, work is duplicated, a credit may 

need to be issued, another delivery must be 

made, the wrong product must be returned, 

and the customer is generally annoyed if not 

angry. Errors can lead to the ultimate loss for 

a company: a lost customer. 

Remember this guiding principle: It’s not a 

travesty to lose an order. But, it’s never OK to 

lose a customer. 

The real loss to the company is not just the 

value of the order in question. It’s the lifelong 

value the customer represents to the 

company, presuming repeat business with 

the customer is maintained. Oftentimes, 

situations or errors that cause accounts to 

become inactive go unnoticed for some time 

by the company. No one realizes the customer 

is unhappy. In fact, sometimes no one notices 

that the customer is gone and no one works 

to get the customer back. As a matter of fact, 

most unhappy customers don’t complain, 

with only about five percent of dissatisfied 

customers actually aggressively voicing 

their dissatisfaction with the company. The 

majority of the customers may identify the 

problem, but say nothing about their total 

dissatisfaction with the company. Eventually, 

this frustration builds to the point that the 

customer just goes elsewhere. Not only do 

they leave, but on average, the dissatisfied 

customer will tell up to 20 others about his or 

her negative experiences with your company. 

Don’t fail to recognize that negative word-ofmouth 

is more influential than advertising. 

#5: Always Give Customers More 

Than They Expect to Get (The “WOW” 

Factor) 

How do you define your competitive 

advantage What is it What’s the 

difference between your company and your 

competition ‘A’ Player customer service 

personnel can answer that question distinctly 

without a second thought. However, many 

counter personnel reply: “We’re about the 

same. We all have about the same products. 

Sometimes we have something in stock 

that the competition doesn’t, so that’s one 

difference.’ 

Your primary competitive advantage lies in the 

hands of your customer service employees. 

You must recognize that and be proactive 

in leveraging it. If what you are selling is 

really good but your employees don’t focus 

on service excellence eventually you will lose 

because the competition that recognizes the 

role the employees play in customer loyalty 

and retention will take your business. 

Nowadays, customer service personnel 

must be problem solvers able to generate 

solutions for customers in their time of 

need. Therefore, they must possess a great 

deal of knowledge about your customers’ 

business. They must actually define what 

those needs are because the customer may 

not know, nor take the time to explain if they 

do know. Customers expect you to have the 

knowledge and intelligence to comprehend 

and analyze their problems and provide 

solutions. Customers will listen and buy from 

the customer service people that understand 

their “pain” and take it away.’ 

Rick Johnson, expert speaker, wholesale distribution’s ‘Leadership Strategist’, founder of CEO Strategist, LLC a firm that helps clients create and maintain competitive 

advantage. Need a speaker for your next event, E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com. Don’t forget to check out the Lead Wolf Series that can help you put 

more profit into your business.

General Managers 

don’t call back ! 

Evil Erik is furious, and nearly “ killed “ his 

secretary, for letting guests know how to 

reach him and to promise them that he 

will call back .“ Don’t you understand how 

important I am and how valuable my time is 

“ and “ Make sure you keep the lines open 

for the Owners “ are his major arguments, 

combined with some unprintable expressions 

of discontent. 

In Erik’s opinion, and in many of his peer’s 

views too, phone calls are always a nuisance 

and getting thorough to him is not only made 

difficult, but nearly impossible. 

So, dear E-Hotelier reader what was the last 

time that you checked how easy, or how 

difficult, it is to get through to you, if at all ! 

Calling Evil Erik in his hotel lately resulted in 

the following tragedy : 

Operator 1: 

Guest: 

Operator 1: 

APYGLHO , KA 

Good morning, is this 

the Happy Go Lucky 

Hotel 

APYGLHO, Yes 

Guest: 

Can I speak with 

Mr. Erik 

“Fuer Elise”, electronic version 

85 seconds later 

Operator 2: Yes !!! 

Guest: 

Good morning is this 

the Happy Go Lucky 

Hotel 

Operator 2: Justaomen ..... 

in background panic “ 

Call for GM..... “ 

“The sting”, electronic version 


Operator 3: 

Guest: 

Operator 3: 

Guest: 

Operator: 

Guest: 

Operator 3: 

Guest: 

Whattauwant 

Can I please speak to 

Mr. Erik 

Whattauname 

John Rich 

Howdouspell 

R from Rome 

Ah,you call from Rome 

Mr. John 

Operator 3: 

Guest: 

Operator 3: 

Guest: 

Operator 3: 

Guest: 

Operator 3: 

Guest: 

Operator 3: 

Guest: 

Operator 3: 

Guest: 

Operator 3: 

Guest: 

Operator 3: 

Guest: 

Operator 3: 

Howdouspell 

J, O, H, N 

Heeee 

J from Jakarta, O from 

Ahhh, Mister Jones 

Yes, that’s great. 

Whatsucompny 

The Winning Edge 

Heeeee 

T from Tokyo, H from 

Ah, you call Tokyo 

No, from Bangkok 

Whatduwan 

Can I please speak 

to Mr. Erik 

What is the purpose 

of your call 

I would like to talk to 

him about a complaint 

Heeee Justaomen 

“The yellow rose of Texas”, electronic 

version 

30 seconds later

Operator 3: Hold the line, let me 

check if he is in! 

Guest: Thank you ! 

“ The yellow rose “, second part 


Operator3: 

I connect you 

“ The yellow rose “, first part again 


Secretary: Office Mr. Krike, 

can I help you 

Guest: Good morning , 

can I speak to Mr. Erik 

Secretary: This is not office 

Mr. Erik ,this is office 

Mr. Kirke !!!!! 

Guest: 

Yes I hear, can I please 

speak with Mr. Erik 

Secretary: Whattauname 

Guest: 

John Rich 

Secretary: Howdouspell 

Guest: R from Rome, ... 

Secretary: Ah,you call from Rome 

Guest: 

Mr. John 

Secretary: Howdouspell 

Guest: 

J, O, H , N 

Secretary: Heeee 

Guest: 

J from Jakarta, O from 

Secretary: Ahhh, Mister Jones 

Guest: 

Yes, that’s great 

Secretary: Whatsucompny 

Guest: 

The Winning Edge 

Secretary: Heeeee 

Guest: 

T from Tokyo 

Secretary: Ah, you call from Tokyo 

Guest: 

No, from The Winning 

Edge 

Secretary: Whatduwan 

Guest: 

Can I please speak to 

Mr. Erik 

Secretary: What is the purpose of 

your call 

(I would like to talk to Mr. Erik!) 

or 

He is not in ...... 

(What time does he come back He is out 

of country!) 

or 

I don’t know if he is in the office... 

(Oh, he just stepped out .....) 

or 

Is it regard with advertisement! 

(No, about complaint! Oh, you must send 

letter) 

or 

He has a small meeting with his PR 

Manager..(Lucky him ! No this is Happy Go 

Lucky Hotel) 

or 

He is out for lunch 

(at 4 PM He always come back late from 

lunch) 

or 

Are you a personal friend 

(No, I am guest ! He no have guests today) 

or 

Our Duty Manager is handling that .... 

(No, don’t... Too late , already connected) 

or 

He has no time, he has many visitors 

from overseas! (Another VP trying to be 

important) 

or 

He is on the phone with his wife ! 

(Yes, of course , another “ who-gets-thecar” 

battle) 

Guest: 

Secretary 1: 

I would like to talk to 

him about my 

complaint. 

Heeeee Justamomen 

“ We are the future” electronic version 


Secretary: 

Guest: 

He says you must call 

back later, he no have 

time now! 

No, thank you , I’ll start 

using another hotel 

Now, who is complaining about time wasted 

in meetings 

Did you know that daily, in any medium sized 

organization, around 1,000 times, 3 minutes 

are squandered on listening to electronics 

versions of The Sting, Fuer Elise and other 

songs, that’s : 

3,000 minutes, or 50 hours, or 5-10 hours 

working days. 

Time measurements in the office will show 

you that you too, spend at least 120 minutes 

per day on “ around “ your phone, about the 

same time as the average daily “ waste “ 

during your meetings, on the internet or in 

traffic jams. 

Did you know 

that daily, in any 

medium sized 

organization, 

around 1,000 

times, 3 minutes 

are squandered 

on listening 

to electronics 

versions of The 

Sting, Fuer Elise 

and other songs, 

that’s 3,000 

minutes, or 50 

hours, or 5-10 

hours working 

days. 

That is of course if you don’t have, like Evil 

Erik, operators and secretaries to defend 

you against annoying callers that spoil your 

otherwise tranquil and serene day! 

But in that case, why care anyhow about 

listening to the customers, after all you are ( 

still) the ever so important General Manager 

of the “ HAPPY GO LUCKY HOTEL” 

Sorry for having dared to call you, Evil Erik 

Bert “Bow-Thai” van Walbeek has been an Hotelier for 45 years and Marketer of Tourism for 35 years, a Motivator for 20 years, a Master of Disaster for 15 and a 

Lecturer for 15 years. He can be reached at bert@twe-winningedge.com

Customized Services: 

Key Strategy in Guest Service 

Service has to be adapted to each individual guest. This is a major 

factor to be considered when creating new services, ensuring that 

they offer an acceptable range of adaptability. 

It is often heard that one of the best ways for 

a hotel to be successful and stand out in the 

increasingly competitive hospitality industry 

is to offer customized services. 

The question is how to approach customers 

and learn what they want and how they want 

it. 

The answer is: by customizing services. 

Some hotel chains have understood the 

significance of getting to know the preferences 

and needs of their guests. However, by failing 

to determine which data should be collected 

and the way in which this should be done, 

they have come to the conclusion that the 

concept is wrong or that it cannot be applied 

to the industry. 

Customized services have been instrumental 

in attracting guests and establishing a longterm 

relationship with them, for they have 

a positive effect on the guests’ level of 

satisfaction and on the degree of comfort 

experienced during their stay. 

When a guest lacks something, this is 

translated into a need that must be met 

through a specific service. In turn, the guest 

has certain requirements as to the manner in 

which such service should be provided. 

Customized service is based on both adapting 

the qualities and properties of a service to a 

specific guest and determining the guests’ 

expectations regarding the way in which 

such service should be provided. 

Customized service demands more time and 

dedication, as well as permanent contact with 

the guests, so as to be able to get to know 

their requirements and their expectations 

regarding the services offered. The persons 

in charge of offering customized service must 

have at their disposal all the theoretical and 

practical tools needed for such purpose. 

Let’s analyze some of the characteristics of 

customized service: 

1. 

Close contact with the guest: It is 

necessary to have as much information 

on the guest as possible before, 

during, and even after the guest’s 

stay; therefore, the person in charge of 

delivering customized service must be 

allowed the time and resources needed 

to such end.

EDITION MM 

35 YEARS OF TOURISM 

MALDIVES 

PHOTOGRAPHED BY MICHAEL FRIEDEL 

Postcards and Posters 

2. 

3. 

4. 

Flexibility: Guests’ needs often generate the creation of a 

new service or the introduction of changes that had not 

been contemplated; therefore, they may modify existing 

regulations and policies. The secret lies in flexibility: 

looking for ways to satisfy the guests’ needs without 

significantly affecting the business. 

Creativity: A key element of customized service is offering 

something that no one has offered before, or doing it in 

a different way. This requires ongoing market research 

on international business trends as well as the analysis of 

the guests’ opinion on the services offered and of guest’s 

suggestions. 

Adaptability: Service has to be adapted to each individual 

guest. This is a major factor to be considered when 

creating new services, ensuring that they offer an 

acceptable range of adaptability. 

Customized services offer the following advantages, among 

other: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

The description of the primary and secondary qualities of 

service for each guest. 

The determination of the level or degree of service quality 

for each guest. 

Service homogenization 

Knowledge of the guests’ needs, so that they can be 

anticipated 

Increased knowledge of the guest 

Positive effect on guest retention rates and brand loyalty. 

Variety of over 60 postcards and 15 posters 

Books, Magnets, Calendar and Map 

German English French 

Map folded 

Map Poster 

Hotel Islands 

marked in red 

SATELLITE 

MAP OF THE 

MALDIVES 

Osvaldo Torres, Hotel Butler, hotelps@gmail.com 

Calendar 

www.michael-friedel.com/akirishop-maldives 

GENERAL AGENT: AKIRI UNLIMITED · LOTUS GOALHI · MALE 

TEL: 331 77 00 · FAX: 331 28 06 · E-mail: akiri@netbox.com

Do You Hate Preparing for 

Interviews 

These Surefire Preparation Tips Will Help You 

Win The Top Candidate 

Thorough interview preparation is one of the 

most important aspects of successful hiring. 

Even busy managers can increase their 

company’s recruiting power and differentiate 

themselves by diligently following a 

preparation checklist. 

Preparing the Candidate 

The pre-interview stage should be a multistep 

process. I prefer to hold two phone 

conversations with each candidate before we 

meet in person. 

During the first call, my objective is to provide 

information and build rapport. I introduce 

myself, describe my position and role with the 

Hamister team, and establish the purpose of 

my call. I also give a brief overview of The 

Hamister Group, Inc., its business sectors, 

and history. While discussing the position in 

question, I gauge the candidate’s interest and 

advise her to have a look at our website. 

The second call is my opportunity to ask a 

few preliminary questions and gain a general 

impression of the candidate. Did he look 

over the website What did she like about 

our team Can he discuss any of our articles 

with me What did she think of our company 

values Before proceeding to the next step, 

I need to see evidence of research and a 

connection with our culture. 

Preparing Myself 

By the time I set up an in-person interview, 

the candidate and I have already set the 

foundation for a warm conversation. I know 

that he understands the basics of the position 

and we have both considered whether The 

Hamister Group is a good fit for him. 

Whenever appropriate, I email our application 

and additional background documents before 

the interview. I hate arriving at an interview 

and being asked to sit down and fill out forms 

for 30 minutes before the actual meeting. 

It’s a real energy drain. If you don’t want to 

make candidates feel like they’re waiting for 

a medical appointment, it’s best to send the 

paperwork ahead of time. And, if they don’t 

arrive with the documents already completed, 

you get a few more clues about their level of 

professionalism. 

Candidates who have invested time in 

the interview process deserve an equal 

effort from the hiring company. While most 

managers take just a few minutes to look 

over a candidate’s resume before the initial 

interview, I perform serious due diligence. 

A good hiring manager can put the resume 

aside and discuss the candidate’s background 

from memory. Just as an interviewee does 

not make a good impression when she brings 

notes to the interview, hiring managers can 

weaken their position by consulting resumes 

frequently. 

It is also important to research the companies 

at which the candidate has worked previously. 

Instead of asking, “what are these companies 

and what do they do” (which does not make 

me look like the smartest guy in the world), 

I show a solid understanding of the person’s 

background. This creates a strong, unique 

impression. 

Show Time 

In addition to intellectual readiness, 

interviewers must also pay attention to some 

physical details. First, the obvious: tell your 

receptionist to hold your calls and turn the 

flipping cell phone OFF. And the email, and 

the blackberry, and the pager, and any other 

technological wonder that can interrupt the 

interview and distract you from the most 

important person in the world: the candidate. 

Yes, during an interview, the person in front 

of you must be the center of your universe 

(and hopefully my wife won’t read this). 

You need to show candidates their significance 

in every way possible, including your attire. 

Wear your Sunday best, no matter what you 

usually wear in the workplace, and even if 

it’s 110 degrees outside. Men, please: ties 

and jackets. Ladies, please: blazers. If you 

normally wear a branded shirt, change for the 

interview. You don’t make a good impression 

when the candidate is dressed better than 

you are. 

Be punctual. An interview that is scheduled 

for 11AM must begin at 11AM. If a candidate 

arrived 20 minutes late for an interview, you 

would probably cross him off your list. If you 

make candidates wait in the lobby for 20 

minutes, they may be doing the same thing 

to you. Plan your schedule to accommodate 

unexpected events and be on time for every 

meeting. 

And finally, breathe, smile, count to ten, and 

focus. It’s show time. 

Dan Kutis is the Corporate Recruiter of The Hamister Group, Inc., a hotel and health care management company based in Williamsville, NY. Feedback can be sent 

to him at news@hamistergroup.com . For more information on The Hamister Group, Inc., see www.hamistergroup.com

Grilled Grouper With Herb Risotto, Spaghetti 

Vegetables, Tomato Compote. 

Hassan Haneez 

Executive Sous Chef 

Banyan Tree Royale Hayat 

Kuwait 

For the fish: 

For tomato compote: 

Method: 

Grouper 

Salt pepper 

Olive oil 

For spaghetti vegetables: 

zucchini 

Eggplant 

Carrot 

Bell pepper red 

Bell pepper green 

Bell pepper yellow 

For risotto: 

180g 

3g 

20ml 

10g 

10g 

10g 

10g 

10g 

10g 

Chicken stock 

400ml 

Fresh cream 

15g 

Freshly grated 

Parmesan cheese 

10g 

Butter 

10g 

Fresh parsley (chopped) 2g 

Fresh chive (chopped) 2g 

Fresh basil (chopped) 2g 

Risotto rice 

60g 

Garlic 2.5g 

onion 2.5g 

Olive oil 

15ml 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to 

taste 

Tomato 

100g 

White onion 

25g 

Thai red chili 

4g 

Sugar 

75g 

Salt 2.5g 

Cinnamon stick 2.5g 

Cloves 2.5g 

Star anise 2.5g 

White vinegar 

75ml 

For garnish: 

Deep fried basil leave 

Spring onion or chive 

1 g 

1g 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

Season the fish with the lime juice and 

salt. Crush all the peppercorns and rub 

over the Grouper. Grill until cooked medium 

risotto Heat oil in a saucepan over medium 

heat. Cook onion and garlic for 3 

minutes, until softened. Stir in rice and 

cook 1 minute. Add broth little by little 

and cook, stirring, at gentle simmer. Add 

cream & herbs during last 3 minutes of 

cooking. The process should take 15 to 

20 minutes. Remove pan from heat and 

stir in butter cheese, salt and pepper. 

Julienne cut all the vegetables and sauté 

with crushed garlic in olive oil 

Cut the tomatoes in half; mince the onions 

and small chilies. Then sauté the 

onions, tomatoes and chili. Add the 

dry ingredients including the sugar and 

continue to cook for 1 hour on medium 

heat. Add some of the vinegar to taste, 

add enough to balance the flavor, you 

may not need the whole bottle. Continue 

to cook for at least 1 hour more 

or until a proper and consistent flavor 

is reached. Let the sauce cool completely 

before packing and storing in 

the cooler.

Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort And Spa, Maldives 

Signs Agreement With Hithadoo Regional 

Hospital 

Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, 

Maldives, signed an agreement with the 

Hithadoo Regional Hospital on 9 April 2009 

allowing all of the resort’s employees to 

access local medical treatment at the resort’s 

cost. 

The agreement signing ceremony was 

held at the office of the Hithadoo Regional 

Hospital (HRH) in Hithadoo, Addu Atoll, and 

attended by Mr. Fathuhulla Naseem, director 

of HRH, and Mr. Jens Moesker, general 

manager of Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and 

Spa, Maldives. The agreement permits all 

of the resort’s employees to seek, within the 

guidelines defined by the resort’s policy, both 

in-patient and outpatient medical services at 

HRH and Feydhoo Clinic without having to 

provide any advance payment. 

The agreement with HRH is part of the 

resort’s commitment to provide a healthy 

work environment to its employees. 

“The well-being of our staff is a top priority 

here at Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, 

Maldives and I am delighted that, thanks to 

this agreement, medical assistance will be 

easily accessible to all employees,” said Mr. 

Moesker. 

Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, 

Maldives will be the first luxury resort in 

the southern Maldives, on Addu Atoll. The 

resort will feature 142 villas with views of the 

ocean or the island’s natural lush vegetation. 

The Maldives’ second international airport, 

Gan International Airport, is an eightminute 

boat ride away from the resort and 

Malé International Airport is 70 minutes by 

domestic flights operating around the clock. 

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and 

Resorts currently owns and/or manages 62 

hotels under the Shangri-La and Traders 

brands with a rooms inventory of over 

28,000. Shangri La hotels are five-star 

deluxe properties featuring extensive luxury 

facilities and services. Shangri-La hotels 

are located in Australia, mainland China, 

Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, 

Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sultanate of 

Oman, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Arab 

Emirates. The group has over 40 projects 

under development in Austria, Canada, 

mainland China, France, India, Macau, 

Maldives, Philippines, Qatar, Seychelles, 

Thailand, United Kingdom, United Arab 

Emirates and the United States. For more 

information or reservations, please contact a 

travel professional or access the website at 

www.shangri-la.com. 

PRESS CONTACT: Leslie Garcia, Communications Manager, Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives, Tel: (960) 689 7888, Fax: (960) 689 7999 

E-mail: leslie.garcia@shangri-la.com, Website: www.shangri-la.com. For digitised pictures of the group’s hotels, please go to 

http://www.shangri-la.com/imagelibrary.

Anatomy of 

an Internet-Savvy 

Hotel Manager 

In these uncertain times, 

the Internet can produce a 

large portion of a hotel’s 

overall business. Become 

Internet-savvy, it could 

become the difference 

between success and 

mediocrity. 

It’s 1:20 am and the hotel manager is 

reviewing last month’s profit & loss statement, 

room revenue is below planned budget and 

expenses were higher than ideal. That’s not 

great news, but the really bad news is that 

forecasted revenue looks weak for the next 

several months. Something has to be done 

quickly. This scenario is not uncommon, the 

challenge is to drive more business and/or 

cut expenses but deep cuts in expenses will 

usually begin to negatively impact service 

levels. This could easily start the dreaded 

downward spiral, poor service levels would 

lead to less business, which would lead to 

further cuts and on and on. After months and 

months of boom business, gas prices and the 

economic downturn are beginning to catchup 

to the hotel industry. 

The conundrum is that the hotel industry has 

always been reactive, rather than current, to 

the economy, often enjoying good business 

levels for months after a downturn begins and 

suffering that downturn for months after the 

economy recovers. Smart hoteliers know that 

last month’s revenue is more likely the result 

of what marketing was done, or not done, 

several months ago, positive changes made 

today can take months to show substantial 

improvement. 

Many years ago, when I was a sales pup, this 

scenario was more depressing than it is today. 

We simply had no sales or marketing vehicle 

which could or would produce quick results. 

Most hoteliers have never been advocates 

of advertising, few hotels have the money 

with which to advertise on a scale which 

would be beneficial. Advertising programs 

are expensive and provide no benchmarks 

or promises for producing results and could 

take months to show those results. 

The answer is to have a strong Internet 

marketing program. But, before you flinch, 

it doesn’t have to cost a fortune and the 

payback is relatively quick. The fact is that 

many hotels are paying far too much for web 

site design and allocate too little or nothing 

for generic search and sales promotion. The 

savvy hotel manager understands that an 

attractive site isn’t necessarily a productive 

site and any site needs to be promoted to 

be successful. 

The most unique and wonderful element of 

Internet marketing is that results are almost 

totally measurable, something we could never 

achieve with media advertising. Sometimes, 

even a small change or addition can make a 

huge improvement in reservation production. 

The ability to quickly measure the impact of 

that change is priceless.

The true function of any kind of promotion 

is to produce incremental business. The 

Internet savvy manager isn’t satisfied with 

simply knowing how many people sees 

his/her ad (web site), it’s the number of 

reservation conversions that count, that’s 

measurable too. 

Using the Internet during Difficult 

Times 

Faced with these challenges, the Internet 

savvy manager turns to the Internet. Due 

to the sheer nature of the Internet and the 

ways, in which people use it, the Net has the 

ability to produce quick and lasting results. 

The Internet-savvy manager knows that a 

properly designed web site is the foundation 

of any successful online sales effort. The big 

question is ‘what is a properly designed web 

site’ There are those who believe that all one 

needs is a web site which demonstrates hotel 

facilities, amenities, and services, with plenty 

of photos. The fact is that this information 

alone does nothing to help make your site 

searchable. Before you commit to paying for 

a new site, make certain that the company 

knows why and how people select hotels on 

the Internet and what sales elements are 

necessary. 

The Internet savvy hotel manager knows that 

the best place to start is to have someone 

analyze and evaluate the ‘workings’ of your 

hotel’s web site. This makes sense even if 

you have already decided to have a new site 

developed, this analysis will act as a guide 

or blueprint to avoid mistakes on the new 

site with the how’s and why’s to incorporate 

certain necessary elements. 

Third-Party Travel Aggregators 

The Internet savvy hotel manager also knows 

that Third-Party sites still play a huge role on 

the Net. Hotel franchise sites have improved 

greatly and some are finally participating in 

pay-per-click advertising and generic search 

protocol, but third-party sites still hold the 

advantage with the unique ability to sell total 

travel, air, hotel, and car rental. 

It may be painful, for some owners and 

managers, to actually pay a commission to 

help fill vacant rooms, but this is makes far 

more sense than reducing rates on all your 

rooms, which never works. Most, if not all, 

business derived from online agencies would 

not have been booked directly with the 

hotel. Stop thinking of third-party sites as 

competition and start recognizing them as an 

additional sales source. 

Social Media Dilemma 

Our industry is still struggling to find ways to 

utilize the sales potential of social media. The 

one area of social media which is currently 

viable for hoteliers is travel oriented social 

media such as TripAdvisor. This area of social 

media has become a valuable collaborator 

with the hotel industry. 

One of the results of the popularity of 

Internet and electronic sales has been to 

create a void in the personalization of travel. 

When it was necessary to call to make a hotel 

reservation, travelers had an opportunity to 

ask questions and ‘feel good’ about their 

reservation choice. TripAdvisor provides the 

valuable service of allowing travelers to read 

comments from satisfied travelers to validate 

their reservation choice. 

Hoteliers should closely monitor travel social 

media sites like TripAdvisor. Good, even bad, 

comments from your guests will provide you 

with valuable information to improve your 

product and services. Comments from former 

guests can also provide hoteliers with insight 

into new marketing opportunities to build 

business. 

Destination-Focused Marketing 

The Internet savvy hotel manager understands 

that the selection of a hotel almost always 

comes after the decision to travel to a specific 

area. Knowing this, a savvy hotel manager 

decides to provide the ‘reasons’ to travel to 

where the hotel is located. This can be done 

in the form of destination-focused marketing 

and the listing of activities and attraction on 

the hotel’s site. 

Travelers search the Internet for activities 

and places to visit, D/F marketing can help 

them to also find your hotel. 

The Bottom-Line 

The Internet savvy hotel manager recognizes 

that, properly used, the Internet can provide 

valuable market exposure and incremental 

business for his/her hotel. In these uncertain 

times, the Internet can produce a large 

portion of a hotel’s overall business. Become 

Internet-savvy, it could become the difference 

between success and mediocrity. 

Neil Salerno, CHME, CHA, Hotel Marketing Coach, www.hotelmarketingcoach.com, NeilS@hotelmarketingcoach.com

Hospitality Bites 

Mr. Shiyam – Concierge of HIH receiving appreciation 

letter from Mr. Utkarsh Faujdar – General Manager 

of Hulhule Island Hotel and Mr. Ali Shakir – Human 

Resources Manager 

Ahmed Shiyam of Hulhule Island Hotel 

selected to attend exchange program 

in Japan Mr. Ahmed Shiyam, Concierge 

of Hulhule Island Hotel, Maldives has been 

selected to attend to the program “Japan – 

East Asia Network of Exchange for Students 

and Youths training for University Students 

Studying Japanese” for the period February 

25, 2009 to March 25, 2009 from the Japan 

Foundation Japanese – Language Institute, 

Kansi, Japan. This is due to Mr. Ahmed’s 

interest and initiative on learning Japanese 

language by attending language school at 

Male’. Mr. Ahmed became one of the three 

participants from Male’ selected for this 

program. 

Mr. Ahmed Shiyam joined Hulhule Island 

Hotel on May 5, 2002 as Laundry attendant 

and due to Mr. Ahmed’s communication skills, 

performance and hard work the Management 

had promoted him as a Concierge in Front 

Office Department. 

Mr. Ahmed has been receiving praises from 

the hotel guests regularly for his exceptional 

services. Mr. Ahmed also attended the 

Outward Bound Training - Team Development 

Program held at Bangalore, India in 2007. Mr. 

Ahmed was awarded Employee of the Year 

2005, Employee of the month during 2005 

and awarded perfect attendance certificates 

in past years. 

“We are indeed proud to have such stars like 

Mr. Ahmed and as a part of our team that 

works as a cohesive unit and we certainly 

look forward to Mr. Ahmed’s continued 

contribution” said Mr. Utkarsh Faujdar – 

General Manager of HIH 

Desert Palm celebrated its culinary 

excellence with two prestigious award 

wins and one ‘Highly Commended’ 

accolade at the fifth annual Time Out 

Dubai Restaurant Awards 2009. Rare 

won ‘Best Steakhouse Restaurant’ and also 

came ‘Highly Commended’ in the ‘Best New 

Restaurant’ category, while Epicure was 

named ‘Best International Restaurant’. 

Per AQUUM is delighted to announce 

the appointment of Noel Cameron to 

the position of general manager of 

Huvafen Fushi, one of the Maldives’ leading 

resorts. Noel joins Huvafen Fushi from the 

world-renowned Singita Grumeti Reserve 

in Tanzania, where he held the position of 

senior general manager. 

Kiwi Collection proudly announces the 

addition of Jean-Jacques Gauer and Bill 

Heinecke to their prestigious advisory 

board. The strength and authority of this 

expert panel continues to elevate Kiwi 

Collection as the ultimate luxury hotel forum 

for the discerning traveler. 

Amanresorts has announced the 

opening of the Aman New Delhi, a 

luxurious city resort within reach of Delhi’s 

bustling center and just minutes away from 

numerous iconic sites such as Humayun’s 

Tomb, Purana Qila and India Gate. Designed 

by Australian architect Kerry Hill, Aman New 

Delhi houses 31 rooms and 36 one-, two- and 

three-bedroom suites, located in the main 

nine-story building or in an elegant five-story 

structure overlooking a manicured courtyard 

and hotel pool. 

The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island 

has been voted the overall winner in 

the renowned German Spa Magazine, 

‘SENSES’ annual wellness awards. The 

SENSES Wellness awards have been running 

for 11 years and are co-ordinated by the 

SENSES editorial staff together with a select 

panel of experts. Competing against over 350 

hotels and resorts, the lush twin-island resort 

was chosen the ‘Overall Winner’ for 2009. 

Capella Singapore, an ultra-luxury 

hotel on Sentosa Island welcomed its 

first guests today. The opening ceremony 

was graced by Singapore’s Professor S. 

Jayakumar, Deputy Prime Minister and 

Coordinating Minister for National Security. 

Professor Jayakumar was hosted by Mr Horst 

Schulze, Chairman and CEO of West Paces 

Hotel Group (parent company of Capella 

Hotels and Resorts), Mr Kwee Liong Tek, 

Chairman of Pontiac Land Pte Ltd and Mr 

Michael Luible, General Manager of Capella 

Singapore. Michael Luible, General Manager, 

Capella Singapore, commented “As the first 

Capella in Asia, it is our intention to set a new 

standard of personalised service. Our guests 

are invited to determine the experiences 

they desire, and we will do everything to 

facilitate it. Our personal assistants, a Capella 

hallmark, are well equipped to facilitate 

every need - from planning a culinary tour of 

Singapore specialties, to booking a corporate 

meeting, to arranging a romantic dinner, 

children’s birthday party, deep sea fishing 

or even a private jet.” The hotel has opened 

with two high-profile events in its first days. 

Iconic luxury brand Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is 

previewing its new 200EX model, while Gucci 

will be showcasing their spring/summer 2009 

collection with a fashion show lounge event 

in the ballroom. 

The opening of One&Only Cape Town 

on 3 April 2009 will mark the beginning 

of a new synergy between art and 

hospitality in South Africa. Drawing 

on his own passion for collecting art, Sol 

Kerzner, world renowned interior designer 

Adam D. Tihany, Liza Essers of the Goodman 

Gallery and leading South African art 

historian Michael Stevenson, commissioned 

several prominent South African artists to 

create works for the resort and personally 

sought out thought-provoking pieces to 

form a unique environment of creativity and 

individuality. By tapping into the country’s 

cultural landscape, spaces within One&Only 

Cape Town will be given over to eye-catching 

installations and cutting-edge canvasses, 

while the mezzanine level of the resort will 

launch a new branch of the contemporary art 

gallery, Goodman Gallery.

Hilton Hotels is expanding its hotel 

network in Asia despite the downturn. 

It plans to double its presence in the region 

over the next three years. Despite the tough 

economic climate, Hilton said it is planning 

for the longterm and sees India and China 

as markets with high growth potential. With 

53 hotels under its brand in Asia, the hotel 

operator is hoping to double its properties by 

2012. So it is targeting to open 58 new hotels 

in China and India. Source: China Economic 

Review 

The Kuoni Group’s net profit increased 

by 12.1% year-on-year to a record 

152.1m Swiss francs (£93.1m) in 2008. 

Turnover rose 3.3% to CHF4.86bn (£2.97bn), 

including 4.4% organic growth and 5.9% 

from the seven acquisitions made during 

the year. Unfavourable currency movements 

eroded a ‘substantial’ 7% of turnover. Costs 

were cut by 3.9% to CHF3.8bn (£2.33bn), 

resulting in gross profit of CHF1.06bn, 1.4% 

ahead of 2007. However, gross profit margin 

slipped to 21.8% from 22.2%. Earnings 

before interest and taxes (EBIT) improved 

by 8.6% to CHF151.5m. The EBIT results 

included CHF5m in costs related to the 

group’s ongoing restructuring process and 

CHF9.5m of depreciation no longer required 

following the sale of Edelweiss Air’s aircraft 

to SWISS. Cash flow from operating activities 

amounted to CHF108.7m in 2008, down 

from CHF256.9m in 2007, primarily due 

to a reduction in advance payments from 

customers as a result of ‘more hesitant’ 

booking behaviour. The group’s UK division 

saw turnover decline by 14.2% to CHF661m 

(£404.6m), while EBIT dropped to CHF31.5m 

(£19.3m) from CHF43.9m in 2007. Kuoni said 

the division had been hit by the weakening 

of sterling, which fell 17% versus the Swiss 

franc, and the continuing economic crisis. 

Source: e-tid.com 

Mr. Gerd Steeb, President of Centara 

Hotels & Resorts recently announced 

the appointment of Mr. Grant Jefferies 

as General Manager of Centara Grand 

Island Resort & Spa Maldives. Grant’s 

career in hospitality began at the tender age 

of 6 by cleaning glasses at his parent’s hotel 

in Southeast Queensland, Australia. From 

humble beginnings, Grant began a journey 

of traveling and working in hotels and resorts 

around the world. Grant has over 20 years 

of experience in the hospitality industry 

working in Australia, New Zealand, New York, 

UK, Singapore, Maldives and multiple world 

cruises on the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2). Such 

an expansive career has enabled Grant to 

develop an ability to view issues from many 

perspectives whilst remaining focused on the 

fundamentals of good management. With a 

penchant for pre-openings, Grant will embark 

on another journey in opening the Centara 

Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives. 

Hilton Colombo’s Executive Chef Rohan 

Fernandopulle was recently named 

“Chef of the Year” at the prestigious 

2nd Travel & Tourism Awards 2008. 

Organized by the Ministry of Tourism and the 

Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, 

the Travel and Tourism Awards recognize 

excellence among industry stakeholders in 

Sri Lanka, which further aids to encourage 

their contribution to the sustainable 

development of the tourism industry. Chef 

Rohan said: “It is a great honor to win this 

award, especially when I am recognized by 

the industry in my homeland. Going forward, 

I hope to delight guests with more unique 

culinary experiences, such as the revamped 

lunch concept at Hilton Colombo’s Spoons 

Restaurant and a new menu at the popular 

Sunday Brunch.” One of Chef Rohan’s strong 

specialties is his ability to inject local flavors 

into international preferences, providing 

guests with the opportunity to taste first class 

gourmet fused with the authentic flavors of 

homegrown ingredients. 

Luxury boutique hotel operator, Alila 

Hotels and Resorts, is set to expand its 

footprint in Asia with six new properties 

slated to open this year, which will include 

the launch of three Alila Villas properties, 

the new generation of resorts that deliver 

ultra luxury in design, space and bespoke 

hospitality combined with innovative lifestyle 

concepts. “These upcoming properties 

represent a significant milestone in the growth 

of Alila in both established and emerging 

destinations across the region,” says Frederic 

Flageat-Simon, Managing Director and Chief 

Operating Officer of Alila Hotels and Resort. 

Source: btbtravel.com 

Asia Luxury Travel Market (ALTM), the 

region’s leading showcase for the luxury 

travel industry, returns to the Shanghai 

Exhibition Centre from 15-18 June with 

a strong turnout of both returning and 

new exhibitors. “ALTM is pleased to see 

continued support and commitment from 

leaders in the global luxury travel industry. 

This year we are also proud to welcome a 

host of new exhibitors from around the world 

and spanning the industry”, said Christina 

Wood, Exhibition Director. 

A team of three UK environmental 

experts will make a return visit to the 

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island between 

12 April and 12 June to continue their 

groundbreaking ‘Maldives Whale Shark 

Research Programme’. The Not for Profit 

organisation has established new whale 

shark protection guidelines in the country, 

with the Maldivian Government providing 

directions on establishing community and 

tourism industry guidelines to protect the 

vulnerable species. During the team’s visit, 

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island will once 

again provide sponsorship and equipment 

including a research vessel, dive kit, food, 

fuel, maintenance and accommodation to 

support the team’s efforts as part of their 

ongoing commitment to protect the fragile 

paradise setting of the resort. 

Courtesy of ehotelier.com

The ‘R’ 

Word 

Change is 

imperative in a 

‘Tough Profit’ 

market. Most 

companies 

will thrive on 

the concept 

of change, 

achievement, 

responsibility and 

accountability. 

In order to survive or even thrive facing 

today’s economic conditions, which may 

even see gas prices hit five dollars a gallon, 

it will require sticking to the basic principles 

of running a well managed business. Some 

economists say we are definitely in a recession 

even though the actual numbers don’t really 

validate their opinion. The question is.... Does 

it really matter Personally, I believe what 

really matters is what is actually happening 

in the market place. We are going through 

a mortgage crisis meltdown in the housing 

industry, gas prices are going out of sight and 

that fact alone is impacting the cost of nearly 

everything we purchase in this country from 

our vacations plans to the food we eat. 

Facing Reality 

Let’s face it. During the past five years prior 

to flirting with the ‘R’ word --- Recession, it 

wasn’t extremely difficult to make a profit. 

The market forces have been very kind to 

the majority of us through 2005, 2006 and 

2007. However, 2008 is a brand new year and 

the wave we have all been riding has shrunk 

in size at varying levels in our industry. The 

success we have enjoyed in the past will not 

be as easy to accomplish in 2008 & 2009. In 

fact, we may have to adjust our expectations 

as the rising energy costs will have an impact 

on every aspect of business in general. Past 

successes may have camouflaged internal 

problems and annoyances that could become 

a crisis in 2008 and 2009 under different 

circumstances. 

To not just survive in 2008 and 2009 but 

to maintain acceptable levels of growth 

and profitability is a goal that I am sure is 

shared by virtually 100 % of the individuals 

and companies that read this article. So,

Guard your customer service initiatives with a passion. This is the absolute 

last place that you can afford to lose focus. If customer service starts to 

slip..... Customers will soon follow and that could lead to a death spiral. 

let’s review some principles that can help us 

maintain our focus, uncover some of those 

sins that may have become covered by 

profitability and create the kind of success 

that you can be proud of: 

1. Go back to basics in managing your 

business 

2. Understand your role in the market place 

3. Develop or refine your strategic plan 

4. Continue to develop and train employees 

(Don’t scrimp here) 

5. Upgrade your sales force and all support 

services 

6. Don’t let up on your drive to provide world 

class customer service 

7. Insist upon sales territory plans that target 

accounts based on potential for growth 

8. Create change based on changes in your 

markets and your industry 

Basic Best Practices 

Take the time to review best practices as 

they apply to your business. Look at your 

processes, your procedures and your policies. 

Do they reflect good management principles 

or do they become a little spongy due to past 

practices 

What is Your Role 

Has your role changed in the market 

place Are your business segments still the 

best match for your core competencies 

What has changed and more importantly, 

what changes do you need to initiate 

Do an internal SWOT analysis (Strengths, 

Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) 

with your management team and initiate a 

brainstorming or scenario planning session 

to reflect upon your changing role in 2008 

and beyond. 

Strategic Planning 

If you don’t have a strategic plan, make it 

a priority to create one in 2008. It is money 

well spent. If you do have one, go through 

an extensive review of all the initiatives. Do 

they still make sense Has anything changed 

that will make a significant difference on 

your focus. Do you need to change your ‘End 

Game’ or Vision for the Future 

Employee Development is Essential to 

Profitability 

Don’t cut training and development dollars. 

Continue to focus on people development. 

This will maintain employee respect, trust 

and will create a culture that will maximize 

employee efforts and willingness to do 

whatever it takes to create success. 

Upgrade - Upgrade 

While employee development is critical to 

success, so is making sure that you have 

the right employees performing the right 

functions. The opposite of the ‘Easy Profit’ 

market forces that cover-up employee 

incompetence is the ‘Tough Profit’ market 

that will highlight employee incompetence. 

Economic conditions like those we face 

today eliminate places for under performing 

employees to hide. Don’t let too much 

compassion for long tenure employees cloud 

your judgment. Make sure expectations are 

clear, employees are trained and have the 

proper resources. However, if they can not 

perform you must act swiftly. 

Sales Effectiveness 

It’s really fun being a sales person in an ‘Easy 

Profit’ market. It is not difficult to do well and 

sometimes we can be lulled into a sense of 

eternal success that doesn’t require a 100% 

effort. It can lead to a comfort zone that is 

not healthy for long term success. Make sure 

your sales force practices a sales effectiveness 

discipline that requires documented action 

planning for specific targeted accounts that 

support individual territory plans. Of course, 

these plans must be in alignment with 

strategic initiatives as well. 

Maintain World Class Customer Service 

Guard your customer service initiatives with 

a passion. This is the absolute last place that 

you can afford to lose focus. If customer 

service starts to slip..... Customers will soon 

follow and that could lead to a death spiral. 

Create Change 

Creating, instigating and managing change 

takes passion and courage. It’s not for the 

weak of heart. It is not for those who embrace 

simple traditional expectations. Effective 

leaders reach beyond these expectations. 

They become agents of change. Change is 

imperative in a ‘Tough Profit’ market. Most 

companies will thrive on the concept of 

change, achievement, responsibility and 

accountability. Make it part of your culture 

in 2008 and you will not only be a survivor 

but you will perform in the upper quartile of 

your industry. 

Rick Johnson, expert speaker, wholesale distribution’s ‘Leadership Strategist’, founder of CEO Strategist, LLC a firm that helps clients create and maintain competitive 

advantage. Need a speaker for your next event, E-mail rick@ceostrategist.com. Don’t forget to check out the Lead Wolf Series that can help you put 

more profit into your business.

Do You Have 

The Diesel Advantage 

Mercury Commercial Boats are designed by 

world renowned Mercury Marine according 

to strict CE standards and are being built 

in Vietnam using the latest boat building 

techniques. These vessels have been 

specifically designed for commercial usage 

in the passenger transportation and tourism 

industry. 

In the case of the Maldivian tourism industry, 

high speed passenger transportation and 

tourism industry vessels have remained petrol 

powered due to speed and manoeuvrability 

requirements that traditionally could not be 

met by inboard diesel powered vessels. 

Yet, petrol propulsion has remained highly 

fuel consuming in an industry where cost 

efficiency in transportation is crucial as the 

Maldivian tourism industry relies heavily 

on sea transportation and water based 

recreational activities. The lack of alternative 

options that could potentially compete with 

petrol propulsion has meant that the industry 

is almost fully dependent on petrol power for 

high speed transportation and recreational 

activities. 

Now however, with the introduction of 

Mercury Commercial Boats to the Maldives, 

the Maldivian tourism industry finally 

has a viable alternative, providing the 

superior manoeuvrability and performance 

generally associated with outboard engines, 

with outstanding fuel efficiency, range 

and durability. These vessels have been 

specifically designed to be powered by the 

Cummins Mercruiser Diesel Commercial 

Stern-drive propulsion package. 

Cummins Mercruiser Diesel is a joint venture 

between two legendary names in marine 

propulsion, Cummins Inc and Mercury 

Marine, which brings together a combination 

of world-class research and engineering 

expertise, an exceptional range of products 

and unparalleled expertise in the industry. 

This means that Mercury Commercial Boats 

couple the fuel efficiency and sturdiness of 

Cummins Marine Diesel Engines with the high 

performance and manoeuvrability of Mercury 

stern-drives, giving you the best advantages 

of both inboard and outboard propulsion. 

Coupling Mercury stern-drives, the 

undisputed world leader in the production of 

commercial stern-drives, with the legendary 

reliability of Cummins diesel engines leads to 

maximum performance and torque through 

commercially rated stern-drives while 

requiring minimum engine horsepower to 

attain these standards. 

The wide range of Mercury Commercial Boats 

ensures that there is a vessel for almost every 

commercial tourism industry requirement. 

From the Baracuda Parasail boat and the 

Bluefin Dive Boat that are ideal for watersports 

and diving excursions at a commercial 

level, to the Victory, which can transport forty 

passengers in full-cabin, individually seated 

comfort at a breathtaking top speed of forty 

knots. 

Now that the Maldivian Government has 

pledged to cut import duty completely for 

diesel fuel imported into the Maldives, the 

price of diesel fuel will decrease significantly 

in the local market, meaning that high-speed 

diesel vessels will enjoy an even stronger 

cost advantage over common petrol powered 

speedboats. 

Mercury Commercial Boats have a fuel 

efficiency of over fifty percent when compared 

with outboard motor powered vessels of the 

same size and performance ratings. Combined 

with the decrease in price of diesel, the fuel 

efficiency that Mercury Commercial Boats 

offer will amount to significant cost savings 

for tourism establishments while ensuring 

that quality, safety and the comfort of your 

valued clientele are not compromised. 

HMES, the authorised sales and service 

dealer for Mercury Commercial Boats and 

Cummins Mercruiser Diesel in the Maldives, 

has over a decade of experience in the 

marine engineering industry with two active 

Service Centres in the heart of Male’ and 

mechanics who work daily in the field of 

speedboat propulsion troubleshooting and 

maintenance. Our mechanics have been 

trained to troubleshoot and repair the CMD 

Commercial Stern-drive propulsion package 

and the equipment installed on the Mercury 

Commercial boats when the first vessels were 

introduced to the Maldives in 2008. 

Furthermore, the HMES marine equipment 

shop maintains stock of all parts required for 

the maintenance of the Mercury Commercial 

Boat models currently running in the Maldives. 

When a new model is introduced to the 

market, HMES ensures that sufficient stock of 

parts for that particular model is maintained 

for the requirements of any particular client 

at all times. Therefore, operators of Mercury 

Commercial Boats are assured that they have 

a reliable local partner who specialises in this 

industry and will ensure that the vessels are 

always in operating condition with the HMES 

team always standing by to assist when 

needed. 

Each one of the Mercury Commercial Boat 

models comes with a one-year warranty for 

all manufacturing defects which will be upheld 

in the Maldives by HMES in cooperation with 

Mercury Marine Singapore so that you can 

be assured there is a world-class guarantee 

backing up your vessel. 

High-speed diesel marine transportation is 

now here in the Maldives...do you have the 

diesel advantage 

Hassan Marine Engineering Service [HMES] ,11 Fareedhee Magu, Male’, Rep. of Maldives, Tel: (960) 331 2733 Fax: (960) 331 2133 Email: info@hmes.org

Lights Out! Sheraton Maldives Full Moon 

Resort & Spa And W Retreat & Spa - 

Maldives Celebrates Earth Hour 

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Around the Globe Observe 

Environmental Awareness Event 


and W Retreat & Spa - Maldives participated 

in Earth Hour, a global environmental 

awareness event organized by the World 

Wildlife Fund (WWF), on March 28, 2009, 

together sent a powerful global message 

about environmental awareness and caring 

for the planet. Sheraton Maldives Full Moon 

Resort & Spa and W Retreat & Spa - Maldives 

observed Earth Hour by turning off its lights 

and taking other energy-saving measures 

for one full hour further underscoring 

Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ commitment to 

environmental sustainability. 

Earth Hour is drawing strong support from 

Starwood hotels around the globe. 

“We are very proud to participate in this 

global initiative. Sheraton Maldives Full 

Moon Resort & Spa invites our guests to get 

together as a community and participate in 

this special occasion. By participating in this 

momentous event while enjoying a once in 

a lifetime holiday, our guests will definitely 

find their stay with us a spectacular & unique 

experience.” said Justin Malcolm, Hotel 

Manager, Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort 

& Spa. 

“Everyone must do their part in order to 

tackle climate change. We at the W Retreat 

& Spa-Maldives feel very fortunate to live 

in such an unspoiled paradise that we 

have measures in place to help create a 

sustainable environment. Our participation 

in Earth Hour is a small, but significant, 

highlight of our commitment and also gives 

our guests a chance to do their part, even 

while on holiday.” said Coetzer Deysel, Resort 

Manager for W Retreat & Spa-Maldives. 


and W Retreat & Spa - Maldives took several 

measures such as turning off non-essential 

power for both resort and associate areas, 

including lighting, air-conditioning, laundry, 

computers and music for one hour. 


has created an evening under the stars 

for the guests in Atoll Grill restaurant and 

Anchorage Bar. Atoll Grill was set up with 

candles, fire pits and torches for the Earth 

Hour themed dinner and served a special 

designed buffet menu with green cocktails. 

Anchorage Bar was highlighted by oil burners 

for guests to spend a nice evening out. Full 

Moon Restaurant, Baan Thai, Sand Coast 

Café, Drifters bar and fine dining restaurant 

Casa Luna were closed on the evening of 28

Starwood made history in 2006 when it 

launched Element Hotels, Starwood’s green 

trailblazer and the first major hotel brand 

to mandate that all U.S. properties pursue 

the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED 

certification. Across its entire portfolio, 

Starwood is rolling out initiatives that aim 

to conserve energy and water, reduce waste 

and enhance indoor environmental quality 

for Starwood guests and associates alike. 

About Earth Hour 

Earth Hour began as an awareness effort in 

Sydney, Australia in 2007 when more than 

two million homes, businesses, and the city’s 

largest landmarks shut off their lights for 

one hour, resulting in a significant energy 

reduction across the city. Quickly evolving 

into a global phenomenon, Earth Hour drew 

an estimated 50 million people in 35 countries 

and 370 cities in 2008, and this year one 

billion homes, businesses and countries are 

expected to take part. For more information 

and video on the genesis of Earth Hour visit 

www.earthhour.org. 

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts 

Worldwide, Inc. 

March 2009. Guests were informed about the 

resort’s observation of Earth Hour and were 

encouraged to participate in this momentous 

occasion through in-room messages. 


has saved approximately 50% of energy 

consumption compared to same time other 

nights. 

W Maldives closed KITCHEN restaurant for the 

evening, but offered eco-friendly alternatives 

for their guests. In FISH, the island’s 

signature seafood restaurant – the guests 

dined on a 5-course set menu including king 

fish tataki, scallop carpaccio and barramundi 

all prepared with minimal power. This menu 

was paired with equally planet-friendly 

cocktails including organic wine and hand 

pressed cocktails. In FIRE restaurant, they 

extended their jungle-meets-beach BBQ 

concept and presented international cooking 

stations amongst a bonfire and tiki torches 

while local musicians filled the air with their 

acoustic tunes. 

Additionally, hundreds of Starwood 

hotels around the world are coordinating 

supplementary awareness events such as 

walk-a-thons in their local communities, 

public candlelight unplugged concerts and 

receptions for guests featuring signature 

green cocktails. 

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, 

Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure 

companies in the world with more than 940 

properties in approximately 97 countries 

and 145,000 employees at its owned and 

managed properties. Starwood Hotels 

is a fully integrated owner, operator and 

franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences 

with the following internationally renowned 

brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, 

W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, 

Four Points® by Sheraton, and the 

recently launched AloftSM, and Element 

SM. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood 

Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the 

premier developers and operators of high 

quality vacation interval ownership resorts. 

For more information, please visit www. 

starwoodhotels.com. 

Media Contact: 

Cyrus Im, Marketing & Communication Manager, Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa, Phone: +960 664 2010, 

Email: cyrus.im@sheraton.com, www.sheraton.com/maldivesfullmoon 

Rosemarie Domdom, Director of Marketing, W RETREAT & SPA - MALDIVES, Telephone: + 960 666 2208, 

Email: rosemarie.domdom@whotels.com, www.whotels.com/maldives

Tough Times Call For Tough 

Leadership

They can reduce operational costs and defer 

capital expenditure. That’s the approach 

adopted by mining giant, Rio Tinto, which 

is cutting operating costs by $2.5 billion 

per year and more than halving its capital 

expenditure to $4 billion. 

They can review operating procedures, tighten 

controls and upwardly delegate decisionmaking 

approvals so that expenditure is 

tightly controlled. 

They can narrow the business scope or 

reduce prices on products and services in the 

hope that people will buy more. 

Or they can cut staff numbers, something 

that companies such as Sony are beginning 

to do as it announced plans to cut 8,000 

jobs and shut one in 10 of its electronics 

manufacturing sites. 

Looking at these leadership strategies, it is 

striking that they are all-top down decisions. 

There seems to be a thinking among business 

leaders that leadership is best displayed by 

taking the approach of “call the shots”, “carry 

the ball”, “Make decisions!”. 

So do these type of strategies work 

Well, the stock markets seem to think so, 

particularly in the short term. It’s quite 

noticeable that shares in companies that take 

these measures invariably rise. For example, 

Rio Tinto share’s rose 10 per cent when its 

new measures were announced. 

But what happens in the long term 

Price Water house Coopers reported that 

following the 2002 downturn, nearly 60 per 

cent of global CFOs conceded that the costs 

they were then currently cutting, would 

creep back into the business within two to 

three years. 

approaches we see being taken. Rather 

a style of leadership that is inclusive and 

cooperative, but still tough might be the way 

to go. 

In this month’s Harvard Business Review, 

Tamara J. Erickson argues that leaders need 

to take a quite different approach. 

• Ask great questions - “Challenge the 

organisation to respond (to the current 

situation) by setting intriguing and 

complex goals. Articulate a compelling 

mission that will get people to rally” 

• Build trust across the organisation - 

“Don’t cut out meetings, or intensify 

internal competition, or reduce 

investments in learning. Increase your 

firm’s collaborative capacity by building 

relationships and encouraging the 

exchange of knowledge” 

• Challenge the status quo - “Ensure 

that your team is regularly exposed to 

diverse points of view and experiences” 

How might such leadership strategies work 

in practice 

The simple answer is to ask the people. What 

might happen for instance, if the company 

leadership said “We need to reduce costs by 

20 per cent - what are your suggestions for 

doing that” 

They just might find that employees come 

up with some stunning suggestions. Suppose 

that staff said “We can reduce costs 20 per 

cent by taking a reduction in pay - working 

four days a week instead of five”. 

Unbelievable, you might say Well, employees 

and management at Corus, the huge UK 

steel maker (owned by Tata of India) have 

suggested a 15 per cent cut in pay as a sop 

against job losses. 

Now, take Sony’s 8,000 electronics job 

cuts - the equivalent of five per cent of its 

workforce. How much more would they save 

if the 160,000 employees decided to take a 

10 per cent, 15 per cent or 20 per cent pay 

cut 

And think of the 8,000 jobs this would save. 

Would staff be motivated to suggest such 

initiatives Well, in today’s uncertain times, 

which would you prefer, a cut in pay or 

a loss of job Today, job security is a key 

motivator. 

The question is, are leaders tough enough to 

take the risk to involve their people 

What do business leaders do when 

confronted by a downturn Now, just 

as in previous recessions, their responses 

tend to fall into four main areas. 

And that’s just the cost creep. What happens 

when the economy starts moving again - are 

these organisations flexible enough to rehire, 

re-train and re-develop lost markets 

What’s needed in times like this are not the 

sort of short-term, top-down balance sheet 

Bob Selden is the author of the newly published “What To Do When You Become The Boss” – a self help book for new managers. He is currently researching 

topics for his new book on teams. Please email your suggestions for inclusion to Bob via http://www.whenyoubecometheboss.com

Who Built Your 

Career 

Jobs are the 

building blocks 

whereby a career 

is the finished 

structure with 

which you 

refurbish and 

redecorate your 

dreams. A career 

entails everything 

you learn and 

grow with during 

your lifetime. 

Jobs are the building blocks whereby a 

career is the finished structure with which 

you refurbish and redecorate your dreams. A 

career entails everything you learn and grow 

with during your lifetime.Take a moment and 

look back at your career. Who was in charge 

of the journey I have had this discussion 

with many of my friends, colleagues and 

some hospitality industry leaders on several 

occasions. The responses were interesting 

and attributed to different reasons. 

Personal / Public Relations: PR and 

networking are good and associations of 

convenience can do wonders! A senior 

hospitality professional once confessed to me, 

“You may be a superstar, but what you need 

to know is how to press the right button at 

the right time,” this was his secret quick-win 

formula and it did work in his advantage. 

God Father/Mother: My professor at 

the university, a walking encyclopedia 

and management expert in organizational 

behavior, during his informal sessions of 

sharing his personal views remarked how 

management is so different from B-school 

modules or scholarly books. He gave 

examples of individuals who built careers 

only because they were close to the power 

centers or channels of power. He also warned 

about the ill effects of being to close for 

comfort. 

The Human Resource Director of a reputed 

International Hotels Chain once said ”Why 

I could not manage a transfer from the 

Maldives for several years was just because I 

did not have a “god father” in my company” 

(this gentleman of course moved out of the 

company for greener pastures). He also 

recollects the creative designations he had to 

carve out to accommodate certain individual’s 

personal interests and adjustments in the 

manning guide. 

Personal Interest: One of my batch mates 

shared his personal experience: His manager 

spotted his latent talents in nanoseconds 

over a meeting to ensure an auto eject for 

himself to a higher branch by promoting 

the homebred resource to replace him. This 

manager’s promotion and transfer abroad 

was also based on a successful replacement.

My friend honestly remarked that his Manager 

had always been ungrateful of his works, 

but my friend is happy about the sudden 

paradigm shift for mutual benefit. 

A Learning Director for a reputed organization 

confessed to me that he was forced to start 

a special program for developing supervisors 

by his boss. Implementing a supervisory 

program was part of his goals for that year 

and achievement of that target was the 

single motive for this program, which was 

short sighted and not with a clearly defined 

purpose. 

When a disappointed hospitality professional 

admits that he was helpless when glaring 

gross racial discrimination was spotted 

when promotions were considered by senior 

management, yet another individual mocks 

about the lost opportunities being a man! 

Coincidence: A sweet accident turned a tea 

estate manager into a General Manager of a 

five star hotel. However, he proved himself 

to be effective without any professional 

qualification in hoteliering, though the only 

connection was that he had few opportunities 

to visit five star hotels previously. 

A senior executive of a leading international 

hotel says, “I had great plans on paper. I had 

three bosses in two years and unfortunately, 

I am in the cross roads having listened to 

the endless promises that were made. My 

present boss is in no mood for any promises 

for unappealing reasons.” 

Mentors: They could be bosses, parents, 

teachers, friends and all well wishers who 

could influence or inspire you to take the 

right decision and/or coach for better 

performance. “I am always thankful to my 

earlier Executive Chef Mr …( lets call him X) 

who identified the talent in me. He was very 

strict and gave me all encouragement and 

has a big role in what I am today”, says a 

successful Sous Chef. 

Vacancy: A housekeeper at a reputed resort 

got promoted simply because his boss left, 

which paved an auto jump for him though 

not through succession planning. He did 

not have a career/professional development 

plan and yet he secured it because he was 

simply seen aspiring for it. Moreover, it was 

in the interest of others to showcase it as 

professional growth, cut recruitment cost and 

lowers the turnover ratio. Isn’t it amazing 

how a quick fix career could be made with 

just gut feeling 

The self factor: Many employees are not 

in control of their careers. The powerful 

“self factor” is often forgotten since it may 

not reward instant successes compared to 

other modes. Many employees get frustrated 

when they are put down by the boss or their 

colleagues. Most people experience rejection 

at work when their ideas are not being heard 

or simply being ignored, when they do not 

get a raise or promotion, are not a part of 

the ‘in’ crowd in the office or don’t get the job 

that they applied for in the first place.All this 

can take its toll on them emotionally. 

The above mentioned rejections and lost 

opportunities should be taken as a point of 

reflection. Yes, it is more than normal to 

feel low or terrible, but you should not let 

that affect you for a longer period, perhaps 

not beyond the end of the day. Most often 

employees do not hunt for an explanation 

and calmly ask the potential employers or 

management the reason for their decision 

that did not go in the individual’s favor. Most 

often, this decision has no correlation with 

the individual’s ability, but rather with the 

company’s limitations. And if the reason is 

individual related, this should be the pivotal 

point for self awareness and change. 

In today’s scenario, the credit crunch, reduced 

tourist inflow leading to lower occupancy 

percentages and lost revenue in all quarters 

may force downsizing, freeze promotions 

and delay recruitments for certain positions 

to balance the bottom line. This may cap the 

aspirations of employees and may spark job 

changes seeking better career. 

”There are many occasions where the 

applicants are overconfident, at times 

not convinced within themselves with a 

rationale for their career ambitions. There 

are individuals who don’t know their own 

value and it is in our interest to get a better 

deal for our clients, of course also due to our 

professional interest involved,” says a well 

known hospitality recruiter. 

Essentials to Career Planning 

• Soul searching to reconcile with that big 

dream. 

• Honest assessment of one’s knowledge, 

skills and attitudes. 

• Identify the career anchor. At times, 

it may be half way through the 

professional life! 

• Right Investment: time and effort more 

than money. 

• Follow through with right decisions at 

the right time. 

Jorely Mathew, BHM, CHE is the Training Manager at Soneva Gili by Six Senses, Republic of Maldives. 

How To Manage Negative Influences 

• Realize that a job is just one facet of 

• 

your life. 

Accept rejections gracefully. (You 

are above the last cocktail party you 

attended and the number of digits in 

your salary slip) 

• Consider that your talents may not be 

suitable for that higher position. 

• Accept your limitations and challenge 

those who try to limit you by 

demonstrating positive results. 

• First look forward to a change in you; 

as only you have the power to truly 

influence yourself and stop feeling like 

a victim. 

Negative emotions may pile up from 

over expectations and miscalculated self 

assessments. Employees demand promotions 

with the sole criteria of seniority at work 

place. Most of them do not keep the learner 

in them alive. It is a faculty that needs to 

be kept well-fed with challenges like any 

other, thereby growing professionally to build 

careers. Often hoteliers compromise and 

take short promoting from within in order 

to retain an employee, although this bears 

potential hazards in sustaining the standards 

and morale of other employees. Naturally 

there are undue influences and biased 

decisions at any workplaces that are quite 

universal and there is no unique formula to 

overcome these, however, what one can do 

is to take more control of one’s own growth, 

even though this may not offer immediate 

achievements. Don’t wait for accidents or 

god fathers to emerge. If you don’t have 

someone to market you at workplace, don’t 

cultivate a lazy mindset; be a silent steamer 

but get rid of the old contrary beliefs and 

unpleasant emotional memories through 

perseverance and self discovery. 

Success is about careful planning to reach 

your goals, even if it takes a change of job or 

occupation. It is not what others say or think 

about you that count, it is your belief and 

perseverance with the focused determination 

that matter. This is indeed the secret formula, 

but only for those who dare to dream and size 

up opportunities and pursue them sticking to 

the plan when they have the passion and 

commitment towards the long-term goal. 

Who stole the cake, baker and the bakery 

A seasoned hotel professional said, “My 

General Manager made a professional 

development plan for the senior team 

members at the year end so that he had 

some data on record to justify his full score 

in the balanced score card for the PDPs and 

succession planning initiatives he had driven 

year round!”

Angsana Velavaru Innovates With 

Inocean Villas In The Maldives

Angsana Velavaru, located in the pristine 

South Nilandhe Atoll, is set to unveil new 

standards in resort living. In July 2009, it 

will launch the first standalone collection of 

water villas in the Maldives that is not on an 

island. 

This exclusive cluster of 34 InOcean Villas, 

together with a dedicated Italian restaurant 

and bar, is located one kilometre away from 

the island of Velavaru. A first in the Maldives, 

the “floating resort” is perched in the middle 

of the Indian Ocean, creating a unique 

castaway experience where guests never 

need to venture far from their retreat to 

enjoy the Maldives. Introductory rates start 

from USD 750++ per night per villa, inclusive 

of daily breakfast for two. 

Arrive in Style 

Angsana Velavaru is accessible via either 

a scenic 40-minute seaplane journey or a 

leisurely eight-hour cruise onboard a Turkish 

Gulet originating at Malé island. Upon 

disembarking, a quick speedboat ride will 

bring guests to the dedicated jetty serving 

the InOcean Villas, where they will be warmly 

welcomed by the resort hosts. Meanwhile, 

colourful reef fish dart underneath the 

boardwalk connecting the jetty and reception 

area to the InOcean Villas. 

A Series of Pleasurable Discoveries 

Await 

Ranging in size from 175 square metres to 

290 square metres, each of the spacious 20 

InOcean Villas, 11 Premier InOcean Villas and 

three Sanctuary InOcean Villas offers guests 

an intimate oasis for blissful enjoyment and 

unparalleled solitude. 

Upon entry, guests will be greeted by a 

panoramic view of the Indian Ocean through 

the sliding glass doors along the living, 

sleeping and bath areas. Reminiscent of stylish 

city lofts and accented with contemporary 

coral designs, each two-storey villa comes 

with a spacious outdoor deck, an infinity pool 

of at least 21 square metres, and a hammock 

suspended over water. The Premier InOcean 

Villas and two-bedroom Sanctuary InOcean 

Villas also feature an extended deck into 

the ocean, complete with a cosy pavilion for 

leisure lounging or yoga practice. 

On the upper deck, guests can bask in the 

warm sunshine on the sun beds or take shelter 

and read a book in a plush sofa lounger. For 

further relaxation, indulge in some pampering 

Asian-inspired massages deftly delivered by 

the resort’s skilled Angsana Spa therapists. 

In the evening, wine and dine under the 

stars or indulge in hearty Maldivian curries as 

the sun dips into the horizon. 

Modern amenities to complement this resort 

chic lifestyle include a flat screen TV, stereo 

system with iPod docking station, a full-sized 

bath tub, and wireless Internet connection. 

Considerate touches include two sets of 

snorkelling gear placed in the villa for marine 

exploration whenever desired, as guests are 

mere steps from the clear lagoon waters and 

its colourful inhabitants. 

Guests who wish to take meals outside of the 

villa may walk over to Azzurro, the gourmet 

Italian restaurant and bar located towards 

one end of the InOcean Villa cluster. Aside 

from delectable Italian classics, Azzurro will 

offer an extensive international wine selection 

showcased in floor-to-ceiling wine racks. 

A Unique Two-In-One Proposition 

Guests staying at the InOcean Villas also 

enjoy complete access to the facilities and 

services available at Velavaru island where 

there are 79 beachfront villas. Whenever 

desired, guests have the option to retreat to 

the discreet privacy of the InOcean Villas or 

enjoy the convenience of full resort services 

and amenities at the main resort. 

At Angsana Velavaru, the facilities and 

services on the island include: 

• Eclectic dining options at Funa and 

Kaani restaurants, and exotic cocktails 

at Kuredhi Bar 

• Chef’s culinary classes 

• Angsana Spa treatments in an outdoor 

spa pavilion or air-conditioned treatment 

room 

• Kids’ Club – open from 10am to 8pm 

• A dedicated Marine Lab which organises 

hands-on eco activities like coral 

planting, reef cleaning, and marine 

biology class 

• Water sports like diving, guided 

snorkeling safari, wakeboarding 

• A selection of local crafts and spa 

amenities at Angsana Gallery 

For reservations and enquiries, please contact 

Angsana Velavaru at +960 676 0028 or email 

reservations-velavaru@angsana.com. Onestop 

reservations at the best rates can be 

made online at angsana.com. 

About Angsana Velavaru 

Known also as ‘Turtle Island’ in the local 

Dhivehi language, Angsana Velavaru is feted 

for its turquoise lagoon and spacious pool 

villas, being one of the few resorts in the 

secluded southern reaches of the Maldives. 

The resort is a scenic 40-minute seaplane 

journey from Malé island, and provides 

guests with a back-to-nature experience 

complemented with a wide range of activities 

for friends, loved ones and the whole family. 

Angsana Hotels and Resorts 

Angsana is a hotel brand that caters to the 

modern traveller seeking style and authenticity. 

Comprising contemporary and chic retreats., 

Angsana properties are designed to create 

and deliver vibrant enlivening experiences 

for guests at work and at play. Each Angsana 

hotel, resort, spa and retail gallery exudes 

the spirit and conscience of its environment, 

while offering a strong sense of individuality 

infused with our Asian heritage. Facilities 

and services at all Angsana properties are 

focused on enabling guests to draw the most 

of every moment. 

Managed by the Banyan Tree Group, Angsana 

Hotels and Resorts operates over 10 resorts 

and hotels, over 40 spas, and in excess of 40 

retail galleries. 

For further information please contact: Ms Tracy Lui, Manager, Regional PR – Southeast Asia, T +65 6849 5876, tracy.lui@banyantree.com

Why Learning How You 

Learn is Important 

How do you learn What impact does how 

you learn affect your performance on the 

job How does your learning style affect how 

you approach learning 

Over the past several years, I have required 

students in an introductory hospitality 

management course to take an assessment 

to determine their learning preferences. 

I did this so I could analyze the classroom 

environment and therefore determine the 

best way to lead the class. Without providing 

the numerical raw data, it was clear that the 

preference of most students entering the 

hospitality management program were visual 

and kinesthetic learners – that is, they learned 

best by seeing and doing. Every person was 

different. Every person was unique. 

What are learning styles and why are 

they important 

Learning styles are different ways people 

learn. Learning styles classify ways people 

learn and how they approach and process 

information. Marcia Conner, learning expert 

and author of Learn More Now, states, “You 

learn and process information in your own 

special way, though we all share some learning 

patterns, preferences, and approaches.” 

What types of learning styles are 

there 

Many studies and assessments have been 

conducted on how people learn. However, in 

its simplest form, people learn in one of the 

following ways: 

People Learn Through Seeing – Visual 

Learners 

Visual learners think in pictures and learn 

best from visual displays including diagrams, 

charts, illustrations, overheads, Powerpoint 

presentations, videos, flipcharts, and handouts. 

During a lecture or classroom discussion, 

visual learners often prefer to take detailed 

notes to absorb the information. 

Marcia Conner describes visual learners as 

people who “prefer seeing what they are 

learning. Pictures and images help them 

understand ideas and information better than 

explanations. A drawing may help more than 

a discussion about the same. When someone 

explains something to a visual learner, he 

or she may create a mental picture of what

the person talking describes. If you are 

a visual learner, you may find it helpful to 

see the person speaking. You may watch a 

speaker talk, as well as listen to what he or 

she says. 

People Learn Through Hearing And 

Listening – Auditory Learners 

They learn best through verbal lectures, 

discussions, talking things through and 

listening to what others have to say. Auditory 

learners interpret the underlying meanings 

of speech through listening to tone of voice, 

pitch, speed and other nuances. Written 

information may have little meaning until 

it is heard. These learners often benefit 

from reading text aloud and using a tape 

recorder. 

Marcia Conner characterizes these learners 

falling into two categories. Auditory learners 

prefer spoken messages. The less understood 

auditory learners need to hear their own 

voice to process the information. The more 

prevalent type, ‘Listeners,’ most likely 

did well in school. Out of school too, they 

remember things said to them and make the 

information their own. They may even carry 

on mental dialogues and determine how to 

continue by thinking back on the words of 

others. Conversely, those who need to ‘talk 

it out’ often find themselves talking to those 

around them. In a class setting when the 

instructor is not asking questions, auditoryverbal 

processors (talkers) tend to mutter 

comments to themselves. They are not trying 

to be disruptive and may not even realize 

they need to talk. Some researchers go so 

far as to call these learners ‘Interactives.’ 

People Learn Through Doing – Tactile/ 

Kinesthetic Learners 

Tactile/kinesthetic persons learn best through 

a hands-on approach, actively exploring the 

physical world around them. They may find 

it hard to sit still for long periods and may 

become distracted by their need for activity 

and exploration. 

Marcia Conner describes tactile and 

kinesthetic learners different, but very 

similar. “Kinesthetic learners want to sense 

the position and movement of what they are 

working on. Tactile learners want to touch. 

‘Enough talking and looking,’ they may say. 

‘Let’s work with this stuff. Let’s get our hands 

dirty already.’ 

Even if kinesthetic or tactile learners don’t 

get much from the discussion or the written 

materials, they may catch up and exceed the 

lesson plan by working through scenarios and 

labs. Often, they don’t thrive in traditional 

schools because most classrooms don’t offer 

enough opportunity to move or touch. Most 

assessments group kinesthetic and tactile 

styles together, though they mean different 

things. Their similarity is that both types 

perceive information through nerve ends in 

the skin, as well as organs through muscles, 

tendons, and joints. 

(There are many other classifications of 

learning styles. Refer to the notes at the 

end of the article to discover other resources 

which outline these subjects.) 

Why is understanding learning styles 

important How will it help me 

“Learning style assessments,” states Marcia 

Conner, “provide you an opportunity to 

learn how you are likely to respond under 

different circumstances and how to approach 

information in a way that best addresses 

your own particular needs. Knowing your 

own style can also help you realize that other 

people may approach the same situation in a 

way that’s different from your own.” 

Understanding learning styles allows 

professionals the opportunity to seek out 

educational experiences that maximize time 

and effort. Going to a lecture might not 

be appropriate to learn how to use a new 

computer system. In this case a workshop 

might be more appropriate. When looking 

for professional development opportunities, 

matching a program or learning experience 

with the learning preference or style will 

maximize time and effort and provides 

assurance that learning will occur. 

Knowing the learning 

preferences of an 

employee may help 

you determine whether 

an employee should 

watch a video, read a 

manual, or be trained 

by another individual 

From a training perspective, understanding 

the learning styles of your employees will 

have a positive impact on your training. 

Knowing the learning preferences of an 

employee may help you determine whether 

an employee should watch a video, read a 

manual, or be trained by another individual. 

How do I discover my learning style and 

the learning styles of my employees 

Here is a list of learning style assessments 

that can be taken free on-line: 

Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire (ILS) 

http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ 

ilsweb.html 

The VARK Questionnaire 

http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page. 

aspp=questionnaire 

“What’s Your Learning Style” by Marcia 

Conner 

http://agelesslearner.com/assess/ 

learningstyle.html 

LdPride.Net Learning Style Assessment 

http://www.ldpride.net/learning_style.html 

Consider having your employees take one of 

these assessments. Learning how you learn 

and how your employees learn will allow you 

to use this information to make your training 

more effective. Match your learning style to 

the programs you participate in and maximize 

the effectiveness of your learning. 

Chris Longstreet is President & CEO of the Society for Hospitality Management. He also serves as a visiting instructor for the Hospitality & Tourism Management 

Program at Grand Valley State University. For more information, visit the SHM website at www.hospitalitysociety.org or 

contact Chris at clongstreet@hospitalitysociety.org.

Hilton To Expand Offerings In The Maldives 

The Hilton Maldives / Iru Fushi Resort & Spa Is Set To Entice 

The Yachting Community, Nature Lovers, Spa Seekers And 

Honeymooners 

Hilton Hotels Corporation has announced 

that its subsidiary has entered into an 

agreement with Sun Travels and Tours Pvt. 

Ltd, to manage the Hilton Maldives/Iru Fushi 

Resort & Spa. A conversion hotel project, 

the property currently known as the Irufushi 

Beach & Spa Resort is scheduled to open as a 

Hilton Worldwide Resort in July 2009. 

Martin Rinck, President Hilton Hotels 

Corporation – Asia Pacific, commented, “The 

beauty of the Maldives, its pristine white 

beaches, turquoise waters and fascinating 

underwater world continues to entice 

yachting and diving enthusiasts, spa seekers 

and honeymooners looking for an island 

hideaway. This is one of the most exotic and 

idyllic island destinations in the world, and 

we are delighted to add the Hilton flag to the 

Conrad brand already present”. 

Comprising 220 villas, the Hilton Maldives/ 

Iru Fushi Resort & Spa will sprawl over 52 

acres of powdery white sands and abundant 

tropical vegetation on Medhafushi which is 

nestled within the unspoilt Noonu Atoll. 

Traditional Maldivian architecture and 

materials are used to dramatic effect to 

create luxurious villas for discerning travelers. 

The resort will offer a range of room options, 

from beach villas that open onto private 

shores and are surrounded by rich tropical 

foliage, to over-water villas with private 

whirlpools and sundecks from which guests 

can take in uninterrupted views across the 

Indian Ocean. 

Four unique restaurants will enable guests 

to embark on an epicurean journey during 

their stay. From an alfresco restaurant with 

live stations and grills serving freshly caught 

seafood to a fine dining restaurant blending 

local and international flavours. A selection of 

distinctive bars and an over water wine cellar 

will allow guests to unwind with beverages 

and watch the famous Maldivian sunsets. 

HILTON TO EXPAND OFFERINGS IN THE 

MALDIVES 

A stunning spa sanctuary with 21 private spa 

pavilions will be complemented by a fitness 

centre, swimming pool, tennis courts and a 

range of water sport activities, while book 

lovers can curl up at the resort library and 

Internet cafe. 

Famed for its beautiful and rare underwater 

reefs, warm water temperatures and high 

visibility, the Maldives enjoys a reputation 

as one of the best diving destinations in the

About Hilton Hotels Corporation 

Hilton Hotels Corporation is the leading global 

hospitality company, with more than 3,200 

hotels and 545,000 rooms in 77 countries, 

with more than 135,000 team members 

worldwide. The company owns, manages or 

franchises some of the best known and highly 

regarded hotel brands including Hilton ® , 

Conrad ® Hotels & Resorts, Doubletree ® , 

Embassy Suites Hotels ® , Hampton Inn ® , 

Hampton Inn & Suites ® , Hilton Garden 

Inn ® , Hilton Grand Vacations, Homewood 

Suites by Hilton ® , Home2 Suites by Hilton, 

the Waldorf AstoriaTM, Waldorf Astoria 

Collection and Denizen Hotels. 

The Hilton Family of Hotels adheres to 

founder Conrad Hilton’s philosophy that, 

“It has been, and continues to be, our 

responsibility to fill the earth with the light 

and warmth of hospitality.” The company put 

a name to its unique brand of service that 

has made it the best known and most highly 

regarded hotel company: be hospitable ® . 

The philosophy is shared by all brands in the 

Hilton Family of Hotels, and is the inspiration 

for its overarching message of kindness and 

generosity. For more information about the 

company, please visit www.hiltonfamily.com. 

About Sun Travels and Tours Pvt. Ltd. 

world. The Hilton Maldives will have a diving 

centre on property to enable guests to learn 

to scuba dive with qualified trainers as well 

as enable dive enthusiasts to make the most 

of their experience of the house reef and 

crystal clear waters of Noonu Atoll. Over 30 

dive sites are available to explore within an 

hour from the island, all with an abundance 

of marine life and a rich variety of colourful 

corals. 

“We’re thrilled to welcome the Hilton 

Maldives/Iru Fushi Resort & Spa to our 

portfolio,” said Jeff Diskin, senior vice 

president - Brand Management, Hilton Hotels 

& Resorts. “This beautiful location, coupled 

with our unique brand of Hilton hospitality is 

sure to make this hotel a favorite among the 

world’s travellers.” 

Located approximately 60 kilometres north of 

Malé International Airport, the resort is easily 

accessed by a 45-minute seaplane flight. The 

management contract will further enhance 

Hilton Hotels’ presence in the Maldivian 

archipelago, where the company will have 

several of its Hilton Family of Hotels Brands. 

The Hilton Maldives will build on the success 

of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island which 

opened in 1997 (originally as a Hilton hotel 

before being rebranded to the Conrad in 

2007). The Doubletree by Hilton Malé is also 

scheduled to open in the Republic’s capital, 

Malé, in 2011. 

Sun Hotels & Resorts Pvt. Ltd. has a portfolio 

of products including the highly successful 

Sun Travels & Tours, one of the most 

established and respected tour operators in 

the Maldives; and the Sun International Diving 

School, which was created for providing safe, 

professional, and exiting diving in one of the 

most sought after diving destinations in the 

world. 

The company currently owns and operates 

over 500 beds in the Maldives and enjoys 

strong ties with the resort owners and tour 

operators worldwide. In addition to the 

Irufushi Beach and Spa Resort in Noonu Atoll, 

its collection of exclusive resorts include Vilu 

Reef Beach & Spa Resort in South Nilandhe 

Atoll; Olhuveli Beach & Spa Resort in South 

Male Atoll; and The Beach House, a luxury 

resort in Manafaru. The company also owns 

a luxury cruiser Sunset Queen. 

Press Contacts: Faith Thoms, Communications Director – Asia Pacific Tel: +65 6833 9762 ; Email: faith.thoms@hilton.com

in food prep areas. Chemicals should not be 

stored above food, equipment, or utensils, 

unless they are used specifically to clean and 

sanitize warewashing areas. 

To ensure the proper use of cleaning 

and sanitizing chemicals, review the 

manufacturer’s directions for use on the 

labeling, as well as the accompanying 

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). Labels 

and MSDSs will include handling practices 

and any personal protective equipment for 

foodservice employees to follow and use. 

Manufacturers of chemicals for foodservice 

use are required to send MSDS information 

with their products in order to help promote 

chemical safety in the workplace. 

Proper 

Chemical Storage 

In restaurants, a clean and sanitary 

environment is imperative. Clearly, cleaning 

and sanitizing solutions play an important role 

in the success of any foodservice operation. 

But, when cleaning and sanitizing products 

are stored or used improperly, the results can 

be dangerous or even devastating. Damage 

to equipment, workplace injuries, foodborne 

illness and accidental poisoning can all 

result from improper storage and handling 

of cleaning and sanitizing chemicals. And 

the incident of improper use and storage is 

probably larger than you think. The U.S. Food 

and Drug Administration recently reported 

the out of compliance rate at more than 30 

percent of quick-service restaurants and at 

almost 40 percent of full service restaurants. 

How can foodservice operators help protect 

their business and their employees from this 

risk As a first line of defense, operators 

should choose only chemicals that are 

approved for their establishments. Chemical 

sanitizers and other chemical antimicrobials 

that are applied to food-contact surfaces, 

such as fruit and vegetable washes and 

drying agents, also must meet requirements 

for use in foodservice restaurant. Operators 

must then ensure that the chemicals are 

being stored and used properly throughout 

their facilities. 

Cleaning and sanitizing chemicals should 

be stored in their original containers with 

a legible manufacturer’s label. Working 

containers used for storing cleaning and 

sanitizing chemicals should be clearly marked 

and individually identified with the name of 

the chemical or product, the manufacturer’s 

name and address, and the potential hazards 

of the chemical. Chemicals should also be 

stored away from food and food prep areas so 

they cannot contaminate food or equipment 

The manufacturer labels and MSDSs are 

the best sources of information for specific 

storage and use requirements of individual 

cleaners and sanitizers. When disposing of 

chemicals, foodservice employees should 

again follow the instructions on the label, as 

well as any local regulations that apply. 

Containers that were previously used to store 

cleaning and sanitation chemicals should 

never be used to store, transport or dispense 

food. 

Proper storage and use of cleaning and 

sanitizing chemicals will go a long way in 

helping to prevent chemical emergencies. 

If a chemical emergency does occur in 

your foodservice establishment, review the 

product label and MSDS to find the proper 

steps to take. All foodservice operations 

should also have an easily accessible firstaid 

kit that is clearly marked and stored in 

a container and location that prevents the 

contamination of food. 

A clean environment is critical to the ongoing 

success of any foodservice operation. 

Choosing approved cleaning and sanitizing 

chemicals for foodservice use and training 

foodservice employees on the proper 

storage, handling and emergency procedures 

for approved chemicals will help ensure the 

safety of your guests, your employees and 

your reputation. 

This article reprinted with permission by Daydots 2009

Every Hospitality Executive Is 

The Author Of His 

Own Health !

Evil Erik had a stroke, then recovered more 

or less and is now looking for a new job, so 

managers around the world, think twice 

Mark Twain once said “ the only way to keep 

your health is to eat what you don’t want to 

eat, drink what you don’t want to drink and 

do what you’d rather not“ 

Evil Erik spend his health gaining wealth and 

ended up borrowing money to regain health, 

since he didn’t have the wealth himself. 

What only a few leaders in our industry realize, 

is that we have to improve the knowledge 

and understanding of occupational health 

and safety issues related to our industry. It 

should be the responsibility of the employers 

to educate their employees, junior and 

senior, about the challenges in working in the 

hospitality industry. 

All of them should know about : 

• emergency evacuation procedures 

• hazard identification 

• drugs and alcohol 

• manual handling 

• slips and falls 

• machinery and equipment 

• noise and light pollution 

• electricity 

• hazardous substances 

• heat stress 

• handling of wounds 

responsibilities towards you, and that 

employees also have responsibilities towards 

them. 

Health and safety at work is everyone’s 

responsibility. It is important that everybody 

has a general understanding of health and 

safety for the industry in which they will be 

undertaking their work experience or work 

placement. 

While they are at a workplace the employer 

is responsible for ensuring the workplace is 

safe, including: 

• providing safe work areas, machinery 

and equipment; 

• providing information, instruction, 

training and supervision 

• providing personal protective 

equipment. 

The employer must ensure that your health 

or safety is not harmed in any way and the 

employee must take responsibility for looking 

after their own health and safety, and make 

sure not to put others at risk. 

But that means also staying away from 

drugs and alcohol, both so easy available in 

our international orientated workplaces and 

many executives being too busy to take care 

of their health, becoming like a mechanic too 

busy to take care of his tools. 

What Evil Erik doesn’t realize is that health is 

not simply the absence of sickness and that 

to preserve health is a moral duty, for health 

is the basis of all virtues. He can, and is, no 

longer useful since he is not well ! 

The bottom line of this article is that health is 

not a condition of matter, but of mind ! That 

is of course if you live, like Evil Erik, without 

realizing that health of mind is of far more 

consequence to success in the workplace 

than the health of the body, although both 

should deserve much more attention then 

either of them receive. 

Soccer players are hired, providing their 

physical tests are positive, shouldn’t 

Hospitality Managers being tested too, before 

they are employed ! 

Good health and good sense are two of life’s 

greatest blessings, so next time you hire a 

Senior Executive, don’t only look at the CV, 

but also at the greatest possession of all : 

Health ! 

Evil Erik, sorry for having dared to mention 

that the health of hospitality employees is 

really the foundation upon which happiness 

of our customers depends. 

So Erik, “ be well “ as Dr. Cocteau in the 

Demolition Man says, unfortunately I can’t 

put in writing John Spartan’s answer, but is 

starts with “ be f..... “ 

But when was the last time you had a training 

session about occupational safety and health 

hazards and laws or were provided with some 

practical solutions to common health and 

safety problems in the Hospitality Industry 

Eric’s job and those of all his associates, 

whether full-time, part-time, casual or an 

apprenticeship, can be an exciting and 

demanding experience as new responsibilities 

and expectations are placed on them in an 

exiting working environment. 

the only way to keep your health is to 

eat what you don’t want to eat, drink 

what you don’t want to drink and do 

what you’d rather not 

Employers will provide employees with 

valuable opportunities to gain experience 

in the workplace, but it is important 

to understand that employers have 

Bert “Bow-Thai” van Walbeek has been an Hotelier for 40 years and Marketer of Tourism for 30 years, a Motivator for 20 years and a lecturer for 15 years. 

In 1993 he became the Founder and still is Managing Director of The Winning Edge, (www.twe-winningedge.com) a boutique consulting company, offering 

marketing audit, sales and service training and consultancy services mainly to the Hospitality & Tourism industries. He is also lecturing the “next generation” at 

Universities in Asia and Europe and speaks on leadership, crisis management and marketing subjects during industrial and academic conferences.The company is 

presently handling projects in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand. 

He can be reached at bert@twe-winningedge.com

“David, great magazine! I read it this morning and was impressed with the amount and 

quality of the information. Nicely done!” 

Kelley Robertson, President, Robertson Training Group (USA) 

“Every issue of Hospitality Maldives has helped me develop my career in one way or the 

other. Thanks to everyone behind the magazine.” 

Mohamed Arshad, Guest Relations Supervisor, Irufushi Beach & Spa Resort 

“Honestly the best and most practical mag in the industry.” 

Kenn G Munyeki, Resident Manager, Irufushi Beach & Spa Resort 

Whatever you have to say, 

we want to hear it! 

Email us your feedback today to 

editor@hosmal.com 

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