New hotel trains employees to cater mainland guests

Rauf Malik, vice president, operations of JW Marriott Macau and Ritz-Carlton Macau

The senior management of JW Marriott Macau and the Ritz-Carlton Macau said that the local human resources issue is currently a challenge for the two hotels. They are expected to open in the first half of next year. Both general managers also revealed that they have provided special training to cater for the needs of various types of guests, including those from mainland China.
Speaking on the sidelines of a cocktail party, Rauf Malik, vice president, operations of both JW Marriott Macau and Ritz-Carlton Macau, said that the two hotel projects currently under construction in Cotai are “happening in the right direction”. He said that senior management personnel at both hotels are working hard to attract Macau-based specialists to work there so that they can hire as many locals as possible.
Mr Malik also dismissed the recent downturn in local gaming revenue as a short-term issue, as he did with the protests currently taking place in Hong Kong. “I think with China really booming and Chinese travelers really enjoying Macau, we are not going to have an issue”, he said.
Meanwhile, Brian Tong, the general manager of JW Marriott Macau, believes that recruitment has always been a challenge in Macau. With other new resorts reaching completion in the upcoming years, he believes that recruitment is always competitive.
As is the case with vice president Malik, Mr Tong said that they are trying to maximize their local recruitment. “This is our key focus because we want the locals from other properties to come to us and really learn about the luxury service standard. As you know, there are so many hotels in Macau, but the service standard is still behind”, he said.
Moreover, the general manager said that they offer special training and workshops to employees on how to cater to guests from the mainland. He said that the training sessions will allow his associates to understand the Chinese culture and the cultural differences to which they have not been exposed to before.
Meanwhile, the general manager of the Ritz-Carlton Macau, Juan Samso, revealed that 80 percent of the people already recruited for the upcoming hotel are locals. He said that they are looking for employees with passion. “With passion and knowledge and good training, [we can] develop good leaders for the future”, he said.

First all-suite hotel in the world

Vice president Rauf Malik said that one of the highlights of Ritz-Carlton Macau is that it will be the first all-suite hotel in the world. This means that all rooms will include a living room. The JW Marriott in Macau will also be the largest of the Marriott hotels in the Asia-Pacific region. He believes that both of his hotels, which cater for affluent clientele and MICE (meeting, incentives, conference, exhibition) market guests, will yield high returns for stakeholders.