|
The Dusit Thani Hotel is the flagship for Thailand’s most renowned
hotel company, the Dusit Group. Opened in February 1970, The Dusit
Thani immediately achieved widespread popularity, setting new standards
for hospitality creating something of a revolution in the Thai hotel
industry. Since then, despite increased competition and the unprecedented
scale of new hotel construction, The Dusit Thani has remained at
the forefront of Bangkok’s quality hotels.
The man entrusted with the job of maintaining this staunch reputation
is Mr. Stanley Pao, a local Bangkok boy of Chinese descent. His
career began upon graduation from the School of Hotel and Restaurant
Management at the University of Hawaii in 1973. He remained in the
tourism driven Hawaiian Islands gaining valuable experience with
renowned companies such as Hilton and Westin hotels.
Mr. Pao returned to Thailand to manage the Montien hotels in Pattaya
and Bangkok before accepting his first post with the Dusit Group
at the Pathumwan Princess in 1997. After another four successful
years, he transferred to take the office of General Manager at the
premier Dusit Thani Hotel. In a recent Q&A session, Mr. Pao
spoke of his beloved homeland, tourism and the efforts involved
in maintaining The Dusit Thani.
1. From your experiences in Hawaii and Thailand,
are there any similarities between these countries in terms of tourism?
Both regions are catering to a large number of Asian guests and
service is of the utmost importance. A lot of emphasis is placed
on the courteous and gracious manner normally associated with Asian
hotels and less on self-service as their Western counterparts.
2. Thai culture is famed for having its own
special brand of hospitality. How does it compare to other destinations
you have experienced and what elements do you find most endearing?
The warmness and sincere charm of Thai hospitality makes it a pleasure
to work here.
3. What have guests come to expect from a
city hotel? What are the expectations of Dusit Thani guests?
Guests will expect a city hotel to be conveniently located, with
up to date facilities in communication technology. The hotel should
also offer a high standard of cleanliness, excellent service quality
and a good variety of entertainment outlets. The Dusit Thani offers
all the above, while exuding the Thai hospitality and charm. We
are proud of our Thai heritage and tradition and this fact is communicated
into all aspects of the service. We also offer one of the largest
selections of food & beverage outlets available in any major
hotel in Bangkok with eight restaurants and four bars.
4. How do you ensure excellent service quality
throughout the hotel and how do you manage to maintain and improve
this level of service?
Obviously, the only way to maintain top quality service is constant
monitoring in all areas, from Rooms to Food & Beverage outlets.
We sample the service ourselves and manage by making a presence
in the hotel, allowing the staff to see top management regularly
and consistently.
5. What percentage of Dusit Thani guests
are Thai? Foreign? What percentage of guests are business people?
In the room’s side, foreign guests take over 90% with over 60% classified
as business guests. Business guests are on short time schedules
and need basic services and fast and reliable communications technology.
They need excellent entertainment facilities with a larger variety
for their business guests. Leisure travellers are on a more relaxed
pace, concentrating on the local culture and shopping. Leisure guests
require more staff attention and communication.
 |
|
The Food & Beverage outlets welcome approximately 60% Thai guests,
while the remaining 40% are foreign nationals. Local clientele for
The Dusit Thani is our primary concern. We feel that we have to
be known as a hotel of the local community in order for them to
support us. Our Food & Beverage outlets work on promotions primarily
for the locals and hotel guests are considered an additional benefit.
We are quite happy that many of the local community view the hotel
as a true Thai landmark, and organize or arrange functions with
us consistently.
6. What is the most challenging aspect of
your position as hotel manager of The Dusit Thani?
Management and motivation of people.... staff and guests. We try
to organize promotions within the hotel, which motivate guests to
learn more about Thai culture and tradition. We aim to have more
aspects of Thai life and culture evident in the hotel, i.e. Thai
musical instruments in the Lobby, Thai cooking classes and traditional
Thai massage. I motivate the staff by giving them as much direction
and information on the hotel as possible. I also try to involve
them in many of our managerial decisions.
|
|
|
7. Tourism in Thailand has already been affected
by terrorist attacks in the U.S and Bali and the war in Iraq. How
will your hotel be affected by current world events and how will
you compensate for this?
In the short term, The Dusit Thani will be affected by the world
events. We will focus on the group of travellers who continue to
travel, and will concentrate in these areas, i.e. Asia, Australia,
& parts of Europe. When the situation is conducive to return
to the major areas, we will then switch our focus.
8. What are your feelings on the future of
tourism in Bangkok?
The future remains bright, as Bangkok is perceived to be a safe
place in terms of terrorism, and health. There are too many natural
wonders in the country for tourism to ignore, and the charm and
friendliness of the Thai people will be a major attraction, as well
as the very competitive prices as compared to the rest of the world.
9. What advice would you give to young Thai
people aspiring to work in the hotel industry?
Start from the beginning, and learn all aspects of the industry.
There are no short cuts, and if you are looking for one, you will
fail. Those that have a good grasp of the entire picture will be
in the forefront.
10. What is the next step for The Dusit Thani
Hotel?
Major renovations are planned for 2003, of all rooms, the lobby
and several F & B outlets.
|
