In the highly competitive hotel industry today, luxury hotels try to cultivate customer loyalty by giving regular clients more of that which has been tried and tested. They also seek to carve out new markets for themselves by reconstructing a fresh appeal and relevance.
In the second of a three-parter, hotel reviewer, Jeffrey Lee, examines how some of Singapore's luxury hotels distinguish their products and services from their rivals'.
Sheraton Towers
Butler service
This is the only hotel (apart from the Raffles) that provides personalised
butler service for each and every guest in any room. Specially-trained male and
female butlers lend finesse to the service. If other hotels write this off as
unnecessary on the grounds that all their staff are trained to a high standard
anyway, they miss the point already. The philosophy here is that a hotel is only
as good as the guest's last encounter with any hotel staff. Even the best
employees cannot always repair the damage caused by a single careless colleague.
So a rigorous pro-active upkeep of standards as instituted by the butler
programme does wonders for the consistency of quality service.
In this category, Sheraton Towers without doubt offers one of the best
service among the
Singapore luxury hotels. I made
numerous requests, including one to help me stir fry organic spinach which I had
bought for my baby daughter ('on a special diet' was the reason). The spinach
was perfectly turned out and every other request was carried out graciously and
promptly.
The Sheraton's recent renovation of its rooms and soft refurbishment of its lobby at a cost of S$30m has better equipped it to face competition from the newer hotels with their spanking new facilities. What remains dated are its pool and business centre, which are in desperate need of revamping.
High time
The artificial flowers overhanging the Terraza Café in the lobby must go. No self-respecting hotel should ever permit a wisp of fake stalk or a whisper of plastic leaf, let alone row upon row of fake orchids.
Rasa Sentosa Resort
Beachfront vantage
The property has recently completed
a S$15m upgrading of all its rooms and will be upgrading its lobby soon.
Although better known as a family-friendly hotel, it actually has reasonable
business facilities for the corporate traveller as well as resort-style
features. I recommend the beautifully revamped Premier suite which has a huge
veranda and a view of the beach. The room's white tones are perfectly set
against the blue sky and shimmering sea, glimpses of which can be had from the
bed and the bath.
There is no mystery to be experienced and little evocation of romance at the Rasa Sentosa. But in its straightforward way, it exudes charm and a great deal of friendliness. It remains Singapore's only beachfront hotel. Mixing business with sand and sea can be an appealing prospect for some businessmen.
Looking Down
The lobby's rustic Filippino look is long overdue for an overhaul. The various excellent vantage points around the property could be better used for restaurants or cafés. Its attempt to re-position itself as one of Singapore's premier business hotels with resort facilities depends critically on the direction to be set by its on-going renovation.
Four Seasons Hotel
Small is beautiful
Set on remarkably small grounds,
this city hotel makes up for its physical limitations by, well, being small.
With only 254 rooms, it is able to offer a level of attentive service which has
catapulted it to the ranks of first-rate hotels worldwide.
Expect double doors to swing open to welcome you as you step up to its entrance. Its practically flawless service puts it ahead of all its competitors. Requests are promptly attended to; none of my littlest needs was ever neglected. From hot water to varying types of pillows and even supplying a wooden board to put beneath the too-soft bed mattress - everything was done with savoir fare and a smile.
The finishings and fittings of the
hotel are quite exceptional. From the wood and paintwork, to the marble and
chrome, everything is fitted up beautifully. The rooms are perhaps the most
elegant in Singapore, with décor reminiscent of traditional English homes. Do
not expect even a hint of avant-garde modernism or minimalism here.
High-flier
The reputation of the Four Seasons brand is so impeccable that it is a
priority hotel for many
businessmen. But can a single
boardroom and two computer terminals in the business centre really cater to
conflicting demands of guests?
The absence of a private club floor was also sorely felt by myself. Most city hotels today offer an executive lounge to relax, read magazines and have informal business discussions, usually with a sweeping view of the cityscape. Here, the limitations of size make it impractical to offer too many facilities which may be underused.
Inter-Continental Hotel
Eclectic flavour
This hotel, built in 1995,
interweaves traditional designs with contemporary lines. The driveway to the
entrance is self-enclosed and reminiscent of an old world European hotel (like
the Savoy) which allows arriving patrons to step out grandly from a chauffeured
limousine in evening finery. The façade design above seems vaguely
Moorish-inspired, especially when lit up at night.
Within, the Peranakan and art-deco influences are evident in the furniture and fittings, and styling of the lounge. But the fussiness of Peranakan motifs is pared down considerably with clean and clear perspectives in the cornices, painted ceilings and staircases.
The hotel enjoys a linkage to Bugis shopping centre which has a covered air-conditioned walkway that re-creates a typical street of shophouses. The hotel also offers what it calls the shophouse room, which is decorated in traditional Asian shophouse style. Standard rooms are reasonably appointed in European style but suffer from a poor outlook onto Bras Basah Complex or the Rochor area.
Thick and deep with ...
The drawback to easy access to the shopping area means that the lobby is often thronged with Bugis shoppers (who come in all shapes and sizes, believe me). This takes a bit of the shine from any luxury hotel that is trying to cultivate an exclusive image.
Jeffrey Lee