Charlie Dang – general manager
07:45 – Arrive at the hotel and head down to my office to turn on my computer before heading out for my walk around the lobby and public areas. Keep an eye on my Blackberry as I make the rounds
09:00 – Morning briefing with all my department heads about the previous day’s operations and for the week.
10:00 – Take the lift up to the 26th floor to our Executive Club. Pause for 10 seconds to take in the view of the Forbidden City then head back down to my office for another meeting.
12:00 – Walk down to the lobby to meet and greet some VIP guests that are arriving at the hotel to make sure they are settled and checked in. Inspect our restaurants Prego, Jewel and Senses. Chat with some regular guests that are here for lunch.
13:00 – Finally sit down to lunch with my hotel manager and order something light. We discuss hotel operations as we eat.
14:00 – Walk around the "heart of house," chat to staff for a couple of minutes in our staff canteen. Walking back to my office, I send off a couple of emails on my Blackberry.
16:00 – Go with chief engineer for a walk around the hotel, which means heading outside. I’m quite happy to get some fresh air. We inspect all the meters, boilers and equipment. Check in with security and staff working on the driveway.
18:30 – Meet in the lounge with visiting media and show them around.
20:00 – Meal period, which means I’m off to inspect all three restaurants. It’s a busy night again. Sit down and am immediately joined by two of my department heads.
21:00 – Head back up to the office to check my emails one last time. Fire off 10 responses, turn off my computer and go home.
Phuah Chooi Soon – all-day dining chef
06.00 – Arrive at the hotel and start th day by checking the buffet breakfast set-up in the Senses lounge. Meet and greet guests as they arrive for breakfast, making note of their special requirements and asking about any food allergies they may have.
09.00 – Head down to our receiving dock to spot-check all the goods.
09:45 – Attend the banqueting coordination meeting together with the banquet chef. Another big event is coming up.
10:00 – Check the food and presentation of a coffee break table in one of the meeting rooms.
10:30 – Busy turnover time as it’s time to clear away the buffet breakfast and set up for lunch. Head into the back and have a quick taste of the food to make sure its up to scratch before being placed on the buffet.
11:30 – Observe guests and associates in the restaurant eating. Greet guests and get their feedback and comments, which will be handy for future menu planning.
14:00 – Finally get to sit down for some lunch myself and discuss topics for the upcoming chef’s meeting.
14:30 – Sous Chef meeting in the chef’s office.
15:00 – Check emails and send off a proposed menu for our December promotions for approval. Then head back to the kitchen to train the team how to whip up Malaysian salads and Indian sweets.
17:00 – Check on buffet dinner in Senses, go over all the restaurant reservations for the night. The Senses restaurant starts filling up early, keeping us busy.
20:00 – Go back to the office and check emails. It’s already time to start work on the menu for Chinese New Year.
21:00 – Head home.
Jeff Zhang – chief concierge
06:00 – An early shift day. Arrive at the hotel, take a shower in the locker room and head to the staff canteen. Chat with associates over breakfast.
07:00 – Go to the concierge desk in the lobby and complete a 10-minute handover with the associates that worked the overnight shift. Do a quick email check.
08:00 – The busiest part of the day for our department begins. Guests need assistance with their luggage, transportation, sightseeing arrangements and general plans for the day. It’s always interesting to meet guests from all over the world.
12:00 – Most of our guests have gone out for the day, so we can start rotating our breaks. Have lunch in the staff canteen and take a 30-minute breather.
13:00 – Back to the lobby where new guests are beginning to arrive for check-in. Depending on whether they’re here for business or leisure, we’ll give our recommendations where needed.
14:30 – The afternoon shift arrives, and we hand things over. After a briefing, I check for any new emails before heading out the door at 15:30.
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