Tuesday, March 31, 2015 :: Short Retreat At The Fullerton Bay Hotel


A couple weekends ago, John and I found time to get away from the daily grind and we decided on a staycay at one of hidden treasures in town. Being regular guests at the MBS hotel, we always wonder about the buildings opposite, the comfort and ambience within, and marvel at the strategic location of The Fullerton Bay Hotel on the waters of Marina Bay. When we finally found a chance to take a breather before the crunch for the Lunar New Year, we packed our bags for a staycay at The Fullerton Bay Hotel which has gained recognition worldwide for its stylish design, luxurious hospitality, unsurpassed views and waterfront dining experiences. 

Prominently positioned in the heart of Singapore's Central Business District and within The Fullerton Heritage precinct, The Fullerton Bay Hotel presents a statuesque image with its breathtaking architecture and remarkable interiors with a spectacular view of Marina Bay waterfront to boot. Found out from The Fullerton Bay's Facebook page that The Fullerton Hotel was formerly known as The Fullerton Building, and the majestic Cavenagh bridge used to be known as "husband and wife" by seafarers in the olden days. Besides it being a romantic and historically meaningful backdrop for wedding photos, legend has it that if a woman throws an orange into the river on the last day of Lunar New Year, she will find a good husband! Haha, but first, will i get fined for throwing an orange in?


Credit: The Fullerton Bay Hotel

Stepping into the hotel lobby, it came as no surprise why it was the recipient for Best Hotel Experience at last year's Singapore Experience Awards. We were overwhelmed by the grandeur architecture which gives a luxurious and elegant atmosphere. High ceilings, wide spaces and bespoke furnishings always win me over. I understand that the hotel is designed in such a way so as to combine the historical with the contemporary to add vibrancy to the area's rich cultural heritage. It also features one of the longest waterfronts in Singapore, offering unrivalled views of Marina Bay.

After being received by a concierge staff, we walked through the Landing Point restaurant to reach the check-in counter. The Landing Point is one of four eateries in the hotel. We were awed by the beautiful rich marble in the varying tones of mineral greys and complimenting bespoke furnishings in soothing and lush olive greens, burnt orange and deep aubergine shades. It kinda built the anticipation of us arriving at our room so we could start indulging on our weekend.

Not knowing what to expect at the check-in counter, we were pleasantly surprised to be greeted by our names and due to the exclusive number of rooms they have in the hotel, the check-in procedure was peaceful, hassle-free and quick as compared to other hotels we have been to in town.

Credit: The Fullerton Bay Hotel


Credit: The Fullerton Bay Hotel



Credit: The Fullerton Bay Hotel

(The bespoke furnishings are so beautiful, aren't they?)

Once we checked in, we were accompanied to our room by a pleasant lady from the concierge.


To say we felt exhilarated when we first entered our hotel room is an understatement. With the floor to ceiling glass windows (can't emphasize how much I love floor to ceiling windows) which allows natural light to stream into the room and the sense of space, it is so luxe and yet cosy for a weekend stay. 

Credit: The Fullerton Bay Hotel

Having my very own mini tour in the room



The warm and subdued hues in the room and can I mention, the finest Egyptian cotton quality bathrobe (the best I have ever worn in so many hotels) exudes comfort and sophistication and was the perfect place for us to get away from the buzz and recuperate in luxury. We were also given complimentary fresh fruits and desserts as a welcome gift. We found ourselves lounging on the couch, enjoying the fresh fruits and indulging in the experience; which was a nice break from the usual routine of checking in and immediately rushing to unpack our bags.

There was much to discover in the room. The attention to detail is immaculate with in-room coffee machine, wide selection of Gryphon Tea (my favourite Tea brand aside from TWG), flat-screened television at the foot of each bathtub and branded shower accessories like the range of bath amenities from the Bvlgari Red Tea collection. The collection creates an experience of warmth and absolute indulgence. I rarely use bath amenities from hotel and tend to bring my own along but this well-appointed range from Bvlgari really takes the cake. In fact, the scent from my shower lingered on my long into the night.



For those of you who are fussy sleepers, you'll be pleased to know that The Fullerton Bay Hotel actually provides a Pillow Menu! There were a few types to choose from; such as contour neck, micro-gel, latex and even a jade pillow. John and I actually considered it but the original pillows they gave us were already very comfortable!


There was this little bear in the room which we learned was one of three 'signature' bears that each Fullerton Hotel has. There is the sea-faring Captain, representative of the Fullerton Bay's past, the Postmaster Bear, to signify The Fullerton Hotel's history of being home to Singapore's General Pot Office back in the day, and the classic Porter's uniform of the hotel. The bears can actually be bought and you would be pleased to know that for each sale, a portion of the proceeds goes to the MILK (Mainly I Love Kids) Fund, which helps disadvantaged children and youths in the society.

Credit: The Fullerton Hotel

To us who love having a balcony in comfort of our home, it is an absolute luxury and definitely a coveted one to enjoy an exclusive balcony with the majestic skyline for a view in our hotel room. We decided to soak up the view so John and I ordered room service for dinner and this spot right here became a cosy corner for us while we enjoyed the Marina Bay light show and had a good heart to heart talk.


The majestic view from our balcony before nightfall

Our front row seats to the Marina Bay light show

John and I in our Egyption robes that we stayed in the entire time when we were in the room.



We woke up the next morning to explore the hotel for a bit and carried out a mini VGY photo shoot. With such a reputable location, how not to snap a few shots! We decided to hold the shoot at different locations in the hotel, of which some were at its eateries.


Fullerton Bay Hotel has 4 eateries; Clifford Restaurant, Clifford Pier Restaurant, Lantern and Landing Point. We only managed to dine at Clifford Restaurant but here is some information for those of you who are interested in dining at these established restaurants.

Clifford Restaurant

Breakfast was served at Clifford Restaurant, a sanctuary of elegance and epicurean excellence. I cannot marvel enough on the delish French take on "Egg Of The Day" with foie gras and truffle hollandaise.

The restaurant was lit up by natural morning light streaming in from the majestic ten metre high floor-to-ceiling windows, and the giant gorgeous dual patterned curtains cascading down from the ceiling to the oak floors.

Credit: The Fullerton Bay Hotel

Isn't this brasserie just beautiful beyond words? 

Credit: The Fullerton Bay Hotel

Even the entrance of the restaurant had elegant furnishings on the walls.

My table captured in the morning light, unedited and raw as it is. It is arguably one of the most romantic restaurants I have been to. 




I would strongly recommend this place as a dining destination for couples looking for a romantic restaurant to celebrate a special occasion.

Clifford Pier Restaurant

Not to be confused with Clifford Restaurant, the Clifford Pier Restaurant and its alfresco dining area (as seen below) were newly unveiled in May 2014. This would be the most prominent of restaurants as it is the first thing you will see as soon as you step into the hotel. Came to learn from the hotel staff that this restaurant is often booked for events; the most recent being the launch of Huracan for Lamborgini Singapore.

A view of Clifford Pier Restaurant from inside the hotel lobby

So I'm sure most of you can guess what Clifford Pier Restaurant was named after. Clifford Pier in the past was a busy landing and departure point during the pre-air travel era! Today, Clifford Pier has been replaced by Marina South Pier and is conserved and redeveloped as part of Downtown Marina! 

This is how it used to look like in the 1930s

Credit: Google Images

And this is how Clifford Pier (or should I say Marina South Pier) looks like today!

Credit: William Cho


Credit: The Fullerton Bay Hotel

To retain the history of Clifford Pier, the restaurant incorporated certain elements such as these two red lanterns. In the past, the two red lanterns served as directional and warning signs for incoming ships. This is how it looked like

Credit: Google Images

This definitely looks like a nice place to enjoy a quiet morning over tea. One more thing we learnt from the staff here is that this is a great place for fireworks as it overlooks the Marina Bay floating platform!

Lantern

For those of you who like a good view, Lantern is a stylish rooftop bar which gives enthralling views on the city skyline. According to them, it is recognized as one of the top best hotel bars in the world! Other than enjoying some tapas and cocktails, guests can also enjoy a relaxing dip in the 25-metre wide pool. For those of you who cannot decide between The Fullerton Bay Hotel and The Fullerton Hotel for its facilities, something interesting for you to note is that guests are actually able to use facilities from both hotels during their stay. If I had more time during my visit, I would have loved to have popped by The Fullerton Hotel to see their iconic swimming pool with huge Doric columns as well.

Credit: The Fullerton Bay Hotel
 


Credit: The Fullerton Bay Hotel

A view of the extravagant 25-metre long pool at Lantern

Landing Point

The Landing Point restaurant derived its name from the long passage way which the settlers had to walk on upon stepping foot at the pier. Some of you may have heard of this restaurant as the go-to-place for high-tea. Prior to this hotel stay, John and I have always tried to book a table for high tea on Sundays at Landing point (on Sundays itself) after hearing so many rave reviews but it was always fully booked. We still have yet to try it but definitely will not give up! Having experienced the hotel's great service and food at Clifford, I can't wait to spend another Sunday afternoon with John here.

Credit: The Fullerton Bay Hotel


Our stay was rather short (one night) but it was still a great experience for us. We will definitely be back for another staycay (a longer one hopefully) because the experience was exceptionally different. What makes a hotel stay even more memorable is definitely the ambience, the environment, the decorations which all plays a part in creating the best experience. One extra touch that made our hotel stay magical was the discreet and personalised service in this hotel as compared to big and overly commercialised hotels. The other main factor was the strong symbolic history that the hotel had. During that stay, I learned quite a bit about our country's history and it reinforced how much Singapore has grown through the years.

P.S.: A staff at The Fullerton Bay Hotel informed me that heritage tours are conducted upon request so guests can learn about the historic setting of The Fullerton Heritage precinct wherein lies 7 establishments namely (1) The Fullerton Hotel (2) Fullerton Waterboat House (3) One Fullerton (4) The Fullerton Pavilion (5) Clifford Pier (6) The Fullerton Bay Hotel and lastly (7) Customs House. Even as a local, there are things about our history that I still find myself learning till today. I think the tour is a great additional service as it helps enrich guests with the deep tradition that lies within the very walls of The Fullerton Bay Hotel and that dates back to the early years of Singapore.

Can't wait to be back and very thankful for the restful weekend. xx

Labels: , , , , ,

With Love,
Tricia

0 comments

Post a Comment


~


Saturday, February 28, 2015 :: Spending a day with Ridzwan, concierge staff of Orchard Central


In the relentless pursuit of learning ways to improve the quality of customer service in the www.vgystore.com and in our flagship store in Haji Lane, where books do not suffice, I decided to spend some time with one of the finalists in the Customer Service (Retail) category of the 2014 Singapore Experience Awards. This finalist, Muhammad Ridzwan Bin Ramly, creates great experiences for shoppers at Orchard Central by being engaging and goes as far as to build relationships with the shoppers!

To give you a short background on Singapore Experience Awards and why are these awards given out, here is an extract from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong,

“To keep Singapore special and to keep the tourists coming, we must grow the tourism industry by raising the quality of the experience and value of each tourist, rather than solely by increasing visitor numbers.”

Simply put, experience creation and delivery is more often than not, planned, communicated and delivered by the service staff to customers. By investing in upgrading of the capabilities of the service staff and awarding deserving recipients, it serves to increase the quality of the tourism industry as a whole with healthy competition. 

If you have not read my previous post on one of the 2014 finalists of the Singapore Experience Awards under 
"Best Travel and Learning Experience", you can read the post here. 

I met Ridzwan from Orchard Central to understand more about his day to day activities, quality of service in Orchard Central, and my shopping experience. Being in his work environment at Orchard Central where the mall is very young is a plus point because it gives so much room for growth as compared to established malls. 


Orchard Central is a place I always frequent because it is just next to 313 Somerset where John works. In fact, of all the shopping malls in Singapore, I frequent 313 Somerset, Orchard Gateway and Orchard Central the most because I am able to do most of my shopping here while waiting to pick John up from work! 




Once a week, I will make it a point to visit the long row of flea market stalls located at the first level of Orchard Central where I love taking my time to enjoy admiring the knick knacks sold at different stalls. The stalls usually feature aspiring shop owners hoping to bring their passion forth in their crafts/hobbies and let more people know about them!







Occasionally, there are gems among these stalls with delicious confectionary all baked by local growing entrepreneurs! 



A check with Ridzwan revealed that the shop in Orchard Central with the highest amount of traffic is Cold Stone Creamery. Have you tried it before? It is always so hard for me to find a seat there during the late noon! 



The concierge at Orchard Central is located at the very end of building.  The counter was overwhelmed with customers redeeming gifts and making enquiries during the holiday season and a thought struck me. I have always imagined concierge staff to have a lot of free time on their hands - where they can hide behind the counter and simply answer general enquiries to where so and so shop is located. I thought the hardest part of their job is to remember exactly where all the shops are. 



This is Ridzwan, and I was extremely interested to meet him as he is only in his early 20s but has been in this industry for 5 years now! He feels that there should be more young people coming into this dynamic industry as there is so much to learn and the satisfaction derived from delivering personalized service and building relationships with new people is priceless. 

(Yes that’s Tintin in tow! Thanks to OC for allowing her to accompany me shopping this time round)

In the midst of our conversation, Ridzwan excused himself when he saw a mall shopper who looked lost and offered assistance to him. Come to think about it, how often does that happen? Not even in big commercialized malls has a concierge staff walked up to me and asked if I needed any help. Being a frequent mall shopper, I have never seen concierge staff making rounds in other malls. 




According to Ridzwan, the role of a concierge staff goes further than what I had imagined. This includes patrolling the entire mall and keeping a lookout for customers who may be lost and providing immediate assistance to them. Right now, you may be having the same thoughts as I do - "If the onus and responsibility to approach customers and provide assistance lies on the concierge staff, then there may be staff who may not fulfil this aspect of their job satisfactorily because there is no supervision". 

And this was the same question posed to Ridzwan as I am an employer facing these issues as well. 

Ridzwan gave a very inspiring reply. He mentioned that if the employee is passionate in providing good customer service, then "going the extra mile" does not make sense because a person with a burning passion in his job will carry out his roles responsibly and in his case, making sure every customer walks off with a smile or even better, to nurture friendships with customers within the mall.  In his case, he has a passion in the customer service line and could be considered a veteran in the industry.



When I threw him a question regarding challenges in his job, I have to admit I felt sad for him when he mentioned one encounter where he faced racism on the job. As the Singapore government works to deepen the engagement with Singaporeans like building up our tourism industry with star attractions and enhancing the skills of service staff in related industries, we Singaporeans have to feel proud of our attractions and acknowledge the quality of service that deserving employees provide far and beyond the challenges they face daily in their work. 

Fortunately, Ridzwan formed a personal friendship with this customer who now drops by the mall to visit him and share his overseas expeditions. 

How enlivening to hear that!

Another challenge Ridzwan faces is a language barrier, which he tries to overcome by being patient and simply being a listener. He mentioned that there are often common questions posed by shoppers so he tries to understand and identify the issues faced by the shopper by being more sensitive to their body language and hand signs. Most of the time, he is able to help out the shopper and break past the language barrier by spending more time with each shopper, to better understand what kind of help the shopper might need.




I always watch the micro expressions on people's faces while they speak and all I can see in Ridzwan is the glint in his eyes as he spoke animatedly about his job and made me understand why he was willing to work for a new mall as compared to an established one. 

From him, I learnt that the role of a concierge is many things and that includes being a listener, a talker, a problem solver, a quick thinker, a skilled multi-tasker and on crazily busy occasions; a miracle maker haha. 

I also learnt that the hallmark of a concierge staff is one with passion and thirst of knowledge. Then, service excellence will come in naturally with a genuine desire to look after the needs of customers in the mall. Service excellence can be achieved when it is engrained into the core values of the company and most importantly in every staff in the company, from the front-line to the managerial level. The greatest takeaway from my meeting with Ridzwan is that building relationships and connecting customers/shoppers on an emotional level is the key to establishing lasting relationship with the brand. Shoppers specially pop by the mall to look for Ridzwan and share with him their exciting holiday experiences. As an employer hearing that, I felt Ridzwan has exceeded my expectations of a concierge staff. 






At the end of the day, Ridzwan, derives his satisfaction from seeing smiles from customers' faces be it when they have their enquiries answered or problems solved and each smile he received is his driving force to service excellence. 

I see similarity in the level of commitment and passion Ridzwan and the staff at S.E.A. Aquarium which I wrote about previously. All of them have so much passion in their work and these are the people who contributes to bettering the quality of customer service in Singapore - and these are folks who will help to place Singapore on the map as a tourist destination because of the experience they created and the value for each tourist. 



Thank you for bringing me around on a tour around Orchard Central and sharing your experiences and insights, which I can share with my staff. I wish you all the best for future editions of the Singapore Experience Awards and you are already a winner in my heart! :) 


Labels: ,

With Love,
Tricia

0 comments

Post a Comment


~