Living up to the heavenly standards of its illustrious namesake, Shangri-La has its feet firmly on the ground in terms of enviable customer service. Delighted is the usual business traveller reaction to the news that Shangri-La is opening or planning to open a property on his or her patch in North America, Europe or the Middle East. Happy that any competition, however well established, will be forced to raise its game for the ultimate benefit of otherwise jaundiced or careworn road warriors. Pleased that in future their area will have a top ranking luxury city, business hotel or resort on which to rely implicitly, forever on the ball come shifting local fashions or
economic trends.
Forget, for a moment, the regular Shangri-La adornments of crystal chandeliers, rare artworks and fine tapestries. Forget the skyrise shimmer, gloss and glitter or the glamorous spas, restaurants and bars; all the essential trappings of high-yield taste and demand.
Consistency of service delivery is instead the insider hallmark of Asia’s leading hotel group now nearly 50-strong and rapidly extending its global wings with both its 5-star Shangri-La and 4-star Traders brands. Consistency in product quality and keeping up to date with every guest demand, detail or nuance; in managerial proficiency and professional staff, each properly trained, incentivised and responsible for the optimal
performance of his or her own department.
The name may spell romance, born of a 1930s James Hilton novel depicting heaven on earth. Yet Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is far more prosaic and perspicacious in attitude and outlook, having cut its teeth on the fickle corporate treadmill and constantly being shaped and honed to adapt, stay ahead and profit from changing tastes and demands.
Itself born of pragmatism little more than 30 years ago to assuage recalcitrant Asian politicians while supplementing the pioneering real estate and industrial tentacles of billionaire founder Robert Kuok, Shangri-La operates strictly to its own set of principles.
Although borrowing from more established US/European hotel concepts, it doesn’t do
‘traditional grand’, ‘boutique’ or ‘budget’ in the accepted sense. Notwithstanding that it sells luxury, it overall prefers the simple and straightforward to the fanciful or fawning in service Living up to the heavenly standards of its illustrious namesake, Shangri-La has its feet firmly on the ground in terms of enviable customer service. Jonathan Hart reports
Shangri-La Investing in the future approach, contracting and distribution. It also prefers new build properties to shape from scratch, with multiple rooms for economy of scale and the founder's core belief in volume equalling profit.
The next three years will see Shangri-La's distinctive style being introduced in Vancouver, Miami, Chicago and Las Vegas; in Paris and London, and in Muscat and Doha.
At the same time, it will be consolidating its regional position with 14 more properties or extensions in China and Mongolia, plus new hotels in Chiang Mai, Macau and Bangalore. There will be new Traders in Kuala Lumpur, Urumqi, Bangalore and Macau, plus resort and spa properties in Penang, Seychelles, Maldives, Borocay, Bangalore and Zhousan.
Launched in Penang and with its management initially outsourced to Westin, the concept of the executive floor was introduced at Shangri-La's first major city hotel in Singapore in the early 70s. Today, among the group's current 48 properties, 41 have a Horizon Club or Traders Club, expanded due to popularity in some locations from an initial one, or two, floors to up to five. Horizon Club/Traders Club
Club Room:
Deluxe on a (usually) upper floor with butler service, top of the range bathroom amenities, private fax machine, personal voice mail, executive writing desk,
broadband and/or wi-fi, enhanced data connections
Club amenities:
Lounge or lounges with private meeting room (complimentary 2hr use); business services and personal assistance; wide range of newspapers, magazines and business directories; daily complimentary (hot and cold) buffet breakfast plus all day complimentary tea/coffee, fruit juice and soft drinks; complimentary evening cocktails
and canapes; access restricted to Club Floor guests and their guests
Other benefits:
Complimentary suit pressing and shoeshine; daily fresh fruit selection, snacks and choice of newspaper(s) delivered to room; Club Concierge to handle onward travel/hotel reservations, shopping and entertainment arrangements
Check-in and Check-out:
Fast and private; Guest Relations Officer arranges luggage delivery and personally escorts Club floor guests to and from the lobby
Loyalty programme:
Golden Circle, an award-winning scheme providing a range of extra benefits, privileges and personal preferences; enrolment is by hotel invitation only. For qualification details and the latest partner airlines or affiliates, e-mail golden.circle@shangri-la.com, call (852) 2197 5600 or fax (852) 2331 9103. Three membership tiers – Classic, Executive and Elite – are based on the principle of the more you stay, the more privileges you enjoy. Classic, the entry level, provides benefits including upgrades and 50% discounts on meals. Benefits increase by increment through Executive to the top tier Elite. Basic criterion for Executive is 20 qualifying room nights at a minimum of two hotels during a single membership year. Elite membership requires the accumulation of 60 qualifying room nights at a minimum of three hotels during a single membership year.
Cost:
Average US$75 above other room categories, depending on location
Website:
www.shangri-la.com
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