A walk through Renaissance

Reported by President Gregory

Date: 27th August 2006
Time: 2.00pm
Venue: the Renaissance Melaka Hotel

What a privileged lot we are as we had the opportunity to conduct our 4th GM at the Renaissance Melaka Hotel, with a rather exciting agenda. Thanks to IPP Wee Yik Chuang, we were lucky to get the insiders’ view of Malacca’s most prestigious hotel. A total of 12 members and guests took a peek at the behind-the-scenes of the running of a five-star hotel; a walk through Renaissance Melaka Hotel.

Our visit started at 2.00pm in the hotel lounge, where we were introduced to our gracious hosts, Miss Julianna and Encik Jamal. After a quick drink, we proceeded to the 24th floor, the highest floor of the hotel, to the Club Level. At the Club Lounge, exclusive guests can rest and relax while enjoying a bird’s eye view of the tranquil Malacca town while being pampered with free flow of drinks and goodies. The 24th floor also housed the Deluxe Suite and the Presidential Suite, patronized by visiting Royalty and dignitaries as well as Hollywood stars, like Sean Connery who stayed there once during the filming of the movie “The Entrapment” in Malacca. During the time of our visit, the room was being primed for the stay of former Minister of Transportation, Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik.

our first stop - the Club Lounge on the 24th floor

the view from the Club Lounge - the colourful zink rooftops add-on to the rustic charm of historic Malacca

We took advantage of the visit to peek into the Presidential Suite, which cost a staggering RM900+++ a night. Indeed the room was grand with a living area, private dining room and king size bed but the part that impressed us most, was the bathroom, complete with the newly installed Turkish bath and a Jacuzzi.

(fr left to right): the Presidential Suite; the living room; Rtr Calvin getting cozy

(fr left to right): Sean Connery brushing his teeth; the great Turkish Bath; check-out the knobs on this Jacuzzi!

While visiting the Deluxe Suite, the hotel also gave us a demonstration on how the beds are made. There are actually many layers in making the bed, starting with a bed and a topper. This layer of the bed is covered with, not one but two layers of bed sheets. As the Housekeeping Supervisor masterly demonstrated how to fold the perfect corners, we realize how making a bed is truly an art form that requires patience and skill. He then proceeded to placing the duvet in its casing. With a few swift hands movement, he expertly slipped the duvet into the casing, neat and trim. He arranged it carefully on the bed, folding and tucking in the edges to ensure that the bed is taut and topped it with a bed liner.

(fr left to right): the many layers of bedding; put on the bedsheets; fold the edges

(fr left to right): make the duvet; then tuck it in; and presto the perfect bed!

Moving on, we visited the many types of rooms in the hotel. This included the Junior Suite, with a smaller living area but still ever so impressive; the Deluxe Room, situated on the corners of every floor with king sized beds and finally the Superior Room, which overlooked the Straits of Melaka.

After visiting the various rooms and suites, we proceeded to everybody’s favourite, the kitchen. We were brought around for a quick tour around the kitchen by the chef in charge, Chef Tim. The kitchen, which prepared the food for the hotel’s famous Summerfield Restaurant and the room services, was divided to 4 parts, cold preparations, local Malay food, the Asian food and western food.

the climax of the tour... the kitchen!

Moving on we ventured into the basement area, the ‘actual’ behind-the-scene of the hotel. It was particularly interesting to see the pastry kitchen, where cakes are baked and decorated, and the laundry, with their huge 60kg washing machines and giant ironing rollers that made sure all linen are warm and crisp. We also took time to visit Selera Ria - the staff cafeteria, the housekeeping department that managed all the uniforms, and the engineering room, which maintains all the hotel’s facilities.

the final touches to that perfect cake

Lastly, we dropped by the Business Centre and the back office. The Business Centre is an area of conference rooms and computers, available to guests who might require them for quick meeting during their stay in the hotel. The back office, located, literally, at the back of the Reception and Cashier, is where the hotel guest management activities take place. Here is where they track all their guests and ensure to all their needs and expectations. It also housed the telephone operators and the controls to the hotels centralized sound systems.

The walk through the Renaissance Melaka Hotel was truly amazing. It was also an eye-opener to what a hotel is. Not only did we manage to see the posh suites and heavenly bathrooms, we learnt that running a hotel requires a lot of patience and courtesy. Quality is a virtue at the hotel, with various quality systems in place and emphasis going to the training of their staff. Being service orientated, the staff in the hotel seemed ever courteous and willing to go the extra mile to meet their every customer’s expectations. The hotel also organized team building activities, social functions and community service projects for their staff, ensuring a close knit among the staff.

We would like to thank the management and staff of the Renaissance Melaka Hotel for the delightful tour of the hotel and for opening your hearts to our presence. Thank you!

thank you for your hospitality, Renaissance!