Groups of waiters serve each other in the never before used restaurant overlooking the silver waters escaping from the Pearl River, while downstairs a casino full of croupiers play pretend baccarat to the music of a rehearsing saxophonist and keyboard player.

The Ponte 16 Casino Hotel in Macau is preparing for its February 1 curtain-call. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly and the workers are enjoying the only occasion they will be on the receiving end of the venue’s hospitality.

The scene in front of the 20-storey Inner Harbour development is a little more frantic. Delivery vans dropping off kitchen utensils and groceries make their way through a team of workers nailing together a platform and set for the opening ceremony, made to resemble traditional Portuguese architecture.

Teams of new gaming staff are being ushered up escalators into their new place of work.

On the fifth floor of a wooden panelled office sits the general manager of the resort’s hotel. Robert Rippon is responsible for delivering five star “upper-up scale” luxury to the soon to arrive guests of the Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16.

However the pressure on his staff is a little less. While the casino part of the complex has announced its opening, Mr Rippon doesn’t plan of throwing open the doors to his hotel just yet.

“We’re going to be receiving invited guests of the casino that night but we won’t be open to the public,” he said.

Staff are seeing to the final touches while their bosses check that they also are up to scratch. Employees and friends are playing the part of guests, sleeping over and checking if the maids, porters and desk staff are doing their jobs as required.

Yesterday the hotel’s 24 hour restaurant served it’s first covers, to staff.

Mr Rippon hopes to open some of the hotel “softly” for guests on February 2 and slowly build up to full operation. He began preparing one year ago from last Tuesday.

Upon reflection a number of expected stumbling blocks have bee cleared “more easily” than expected, he told the Macau Daily Times.

Following the government’s instructions and given enough time, the hotel received permission for all of its necessary foreign labourers. Some 350 staff will be charged with servicing the hotel’s 408 room. The majority are from the mainland, although a “good proportion” are local recruits as well as intakes from the Philippines.

The French originated Sofitel hotel chain is owned by the hospitality giant Accor, which has over 3,800 hotels world-wide. A number of the staff have come from the 63 Accor hotels in Greater China.

The rising labour costs bemoaned by many a hotel manager, also have a positive side, according to the Australian Rippon. The higher wages for lower and middle managers help him attract talent from countries such as his own, the UK and New Zealand. An assistant food and beverage manager can earn between 15,000 and 20,000 patacas a month, considered a decent wage in the industry.

In August the hotel set up a training school in Zhuhai where new recruits with limited experience were taught to make beds and clean rooms.

The Sofitel intends to overcome customer service problems experienced by other new hotels with leadership.

“As a manager you need to spend 90 percent of your time out of the office and in the hotel,” said Mr Rippon.

“If you greet customers and open doors with the staff they will gain more confidence with what they are doing.”

The hotel will offer 364 regular, 37 square metre rooms, 25 deluxe suites from 72 to 80 square metres and 19 mansions from 124 to 225 square metres. Pricing will change with the season, however during the opening period, a regular room will be priced at 1,350 patacas per night.

The 24 hour restaurant is called Mistral and serves French cuisine. The hotel will also have two bars, Rendezvous and Vin Bar.

The approximately 630 square metres of convention and meeting space is already proving popular with inquiries already coming in from all over the world

The hotel’s main clients will be VIP gamers attracted by the Sociedade de Jogos de Macau operated casino, expects Mr Rippon. He is also counting on the 49 percent stake holder in the development, Macau Success Limited, to bring in a number of guests. One of the Hong Kong stock exchange listed company’s core businesses is travel services.

However, it is what makes the Sofitel unique in Macau that Mr Rippon believes will draw in the guests eager to see the city.

The hotel is located in the heart of the old Macau. The Ponte 16 development is the only new resort in the old Inner Harbour area. From his office the general manager can see Senado Square. On the other side of the building many of the hotel rooms offer a view of the Inner Harbour waters complete with fishing fleet.

“Where else are you going to see this in Macau,” said Mr Rippon, arms outstretched as he walked the pool deck (with yet to be filled pool) that also offers views of the harbour and Zhuhai, “we’ll be having quite a number of functions out here when the weather gets a bit warmer.”

Courtesy :: Macau Daily Times

Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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