INDUSTRIAL

ATTACHMENT
PROGRAMME
INSTITUTE OF TECHNICAL
EDUCATION
ITE COLLEGE WEST
SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY
HIGHER NITEC IN HOSPITALITY OPERATIONS

A REPORT ON INDUSTRIAL ATTACHMENT AT UNLISTED COLLECTION

WRITTEN BY:
AFIQAH BTE SIDEK

S9443597H
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank my supervisors and colleagues from Hotel 1929 and New Majestic,
Mr Tori Ahmad, Head of Front Office, Ms Deine Mariano and Mr Zairi Malek, Assistant
Manager of Front Office. They have tremendously helped me throughout my attachment
in the company. I thank them for always giving me encouragement and teaching me a lot
of valuable lessons if I would like to ever pursue a career in the hotel industry. I am
thankful for the care and concern they provide and the supportive workspace they
allowed for me to develop. I would also like to thank my ITE lecturers for constantly
emphasizing on the importance of attendance and punctuality. It helped me a lot during
my attachment and serves as a reminder to me to be a working adult. The lessons I have
learnt during this attachment period is indispensable and will help me in my lifelong
journey to become a working adult that provides an income for her family. The problems
I faced makes me realise that school is a place for you to learn and room for mistakes are
vast but in a working environment, mistakes are not meant to be compromised and what
seems to be trivial to us may be critical to others.

Content Page
1. Introduction
2. Description
2.1. Description of hotel
2.2. Description of job
2.3. Description of colleagues and work environment

3. Observations and lessons

3.1. Observations
3.2. Lessons
4. Summary
4.1. Problems encountered during attachment
1. INTRODUCTION
Former lawyer turned hotelier and restaurateur, Mr. Loh Lik Peng is one of Asia's leading
creators of boutique hotels. After buying a derelict building in Singapore's red light
district and transforming it into the ultra hip Hotel 1929, he has gone on to open the New
Majestic Hotel and Wanderlust in Singapore, the Town Hall Hotel & Apartments in
London and The Waterhouse at South Bund in Shanghai. With no design background but
a penchant for historical buildings (all of his hotels are conversions) and an eye for
quirky, eclectic contemporary design, Mr. Loh Lik Peng has developed idiosyncratic
hotels that represent alternative lifestyle choices located in culturally-diverse,
unconventional locations, such as London's East End and Singapore's Little India. With
an ever expanding list of accolades that include the RIBA Award 2011 for Town Hall
Hotels & Apartments as well as the Architectural Review Emerging Architecture Award
2010 for Neri & Hu, the designers of The Waterhouse at South Bund, Mr. Loh Lik Peng
is proving that he not only possesses a keen sense of business but also an astute
discernment of contemporary design.
Unlisted Collection features a stable of unique, high quality boutique hotel properties and
restaurants in Singapore, London and Shanghai. Our hotels are set within heritage listed
buildings which have been sensitively restored and re-adapted into radical, cutting edge
lifestyle concepts that culminate into an unforgettable experience for our guests.
Seven boutique hotels and fourteen restaurants in three major cosmopolitan cities, owned
by hotelier and restaurateur Loh Lik Peng , Unlisted Collection an umbrella brand that
binds all of his design-driven boutique hotels and restaurants in Singapore, London, and
Shanghai together.
Unlisted Collection was founded in 2011, totaling to 12 properties to date since its first
property in year 2000.
The collection's whimsical and quirky take on each of their hotel inspires the use of
Dadaism in the brand identity and collateral, where images are picked and paired with
deliberate irrationality. Designed by Singapore-based design firm, Foreign Policy, the
colon in the logotype gives room for imagination of the hotel by the guests, leaving it
open for their own interpretation.

A group that also promises high-standard service as well, Unlisted Collection is also
armed with an impressive list of awards and accolades. Here are some of the notable
mentions that the group has amassed - Time Magazine Best Budget Hotel (Asia) in 2004
for Hotel 1929, Conde Nast Travellers Hot List (UK), (US) in 2006, 2011 for New
Majestic Hotel, Wanderlust, The Waterhouse at South Bund, Royal Institute of British
Architects (RIBA) Award in 2011 and RICS 2011 London Project of the Year Award for
Town Hall Hotel & Apartments, World Gourmet Summit Award of Excellence (various
categories) in 2004, 2005, 2010 and 2011 for Restaurant Ember and Majestic Restaurant,
Travel and Leisure Design Awards for Best Restaurant in 2011 for Table No. 1 and oneMichelin Star in 2011 to Viajante.
Unlisted Collection has come together at an exciting time as we continue to look for
ways to improve guest interaction and experience; and also to incorporate future
properties into the group. The intention always is to ensure that each property retains its
unique identity and individual spirit but allowing our guests to see what other choices
they have within the group, says Founder and Director, Loh Lik Peng.
2.

DESCRIPTION

2.11 DESCRIPTION OF HOTEL

HOTEL 1929 @ 50 KEONG SAIK ROAD
Despite its name, the hotel was not built since 1929 but its actually the shop house
building itself that has the history. Before being converted into Singapores first boutique
hotel in 2003, it was used at separate times as a trading house, rental apartments and a
budget hotel. It was a Regal Inn Hotel with 40 rooms. Now, Hotel 1929 beckons with a
whimsicsl mix of old world architecture and a nouveau chic interior. The hotel consists of
five conservation shop-houses built in 1929 and features 32 rooms decked in a mix of
classic designer and retro vintage furniture. After Mr. Loh Lik Peng and his mother, Dr.
Loh Pek Har bought the building, Hotel 1929 opened to public and travelers in 2003.
Stepping in to Hotel 1929, the lobby displays an array of unique chairs, which belongs to
the collection of the owner, Mr. Loh, as well as those in the rooms. As the building had
recently undergone renovation works, structural conditions were relatively good at the
onset. The main structural work done involved the replacement of the existing triangular
shaped second-story metal roof at the rear portion of the building with a new reinforced
concrete flat roof and a landscaped garden. Hotel 1929 was the 1st hotel that has open-air
jacuzzi in Chinatown. Now, the Jacuzzi area has been changed with an open air space
called, The Patio for hotel guests to relax and enjoy the weather.
The hotel is located in the heart of Chinatowns business district. Surrounding the area are
bars and restaurant, which some are co-owned by Mr. Loh. For example, the Keong Saik
Snacks, a small snacks bar, is located just across the street. Theres also a few others like
Esquina and Burnt Ends. Not to forget, theres also a secret bar called The Library,
where they have an interesting concept of requiring a password given to the librarian to

get into the bar. The hotel is located in a convenient place as the nearest MRT is only 3-5
minutes walk, which is the Outram Park. For travellers that prefers to do a little more
sightseeing around the area can walk further down and the nearest MRT station would be
Chinatown.
In the hotel itself, it houses the Restaurant Ember on the first floor, which offers exquisite
European cuisine with a tinge of Asian and Japanese influence. The man behind the
kitchen and this dining concept is Chef Sebastian Ng, hailing from the Marmalade
groups Pierside Kitchen & Bar. With culinary skills honed previously at the Four
Seasons Hotel, Raffles Hotel and pasta training at Piedmont Italy as well as training stints
at Hotel De Mikuni in Tokyo, his fastidious nature when it comes to finding the perfect
ingredient for the perfect dish is well known in the industry. His wife, Sabrina is the
marketing guru at the forefront of the restaurant.
Chef Sebastians signature culinary focus on pasta, game meats and seafood continues at
Ember. The decor is minimalistic, yet a strong statement on its own - modern and clean
lines accentuated with interesting designer furniture pieces.
Moving on to the hotel rooms, it consists of 32 rooms with 5 categories; Superior Single,
Superior Double, Deluxe, Junior Suite and Terrace Suite. There are a total of 9 single
rooms, 15 double rooms, 5 deluxe rooms and 3 suite rooms with only 1 Junior Suite.
Some rooms comes with windows and others, do not. The Superior Single is the smallest
and measures only 9 square meters while the biggest, which is the Terrace Suite,
measures 28 square meters. Each room comes with basic amenities like, IDD facilities,
complimentary WI-FI, LCD TV, Philips stereo with Ipod dock, in-room safe deposit box,
complimentary beverages at the reception and complimentary tea and coffee. While the
room grapples with size, it still does not fail to provide cleanliness and the comfort that is
equivalent to a home, especially as hotels are supposed to be accommodations that
provides you the home away from home.
The hotel also provides services like, facsimile (fax) service, laundry services, transfer
service and daily newspaper at the reception. Check-in time is at 3pm and check-out time
is 12noon.

credit: http://guidepal.blob.core.windows.net/article-mainimages/aphoto96719.jpg
The above picture is the exterior of the hotel.
Some of the awards the hotel has obtained are:
2012
2004
2003

Trip Advisors Travellers' Choice 2012 Trendiest Hotels

Time Magazine Best Budget Hotel Asia
Architectural Heritage Award

NEW MAJESTIC HOTEL @ 31 - 37 BUKIT PASOH ROAD

This revamped historic hotel shop-house faade blends perfectly with the neighbourhood,
but inside, the juxtaposition of antique and modern, interior and exterior, provides a
theatrical environment where guests can indulge their imaginations. The building,
structured in the 20s and then in 2006, was restored as once a decrepit row of shophouses into New Majestic Hotel. Before turning into New Majestic Hotel, the building
was once a church and then a girls school. The hotel consists of four conservation shophouses and features 30 individually designed rooms full of character and attitude. The
rooms are designed by 5 invited artists and each of the New Majestics 30 rooms is
different, from the mix of vintage and designer furniture through to the customised baths.
The hghlights include rooms with private gardens, attic-style rooms with loft beds in sixmeter high ceilings.

Similar to Hotel 1929, the lobby in New Majestic Hotel also displays unique chairs and
vintage furnitures like the trishaw and vintage Compton fans. The lobby also has a
dramatic stairway which leads to the pool. The lobby also houses the Space Program,
which takes an unassuming space, one that is commonly overlooked or one that is just
there fulfilling its current function, where they then re-program, re-activate and
rejuvenate. Conceived to be a part museum, retail and installation, The Space Program
was adapted to help the New Majestic hotel to significantly raise their guest experiences
and to stay ahead of their game. We explored contextual elements of the hotel to
compress and deliver 3 elements to the guests of the hotel DESIGN, INTELLECT and
CONTEMPORARY CULTURE compressed into nugget size for easy consumption for
the hotel guest. The primary building block of this installation is the wash board, an icon
of the grit and hard work of the Singapores founding fathers, is now re-interpreted in a
new way engaging the modern travelers to Singapore today.
The rooms in New Majestic Hotel is an experience all by itself. Each room comes with
amenities like Nespresso in-room coffee maker, Kiehls toiletries, Samsung Smart TV,
Ploh bedding and bath robes and complimentary high-speed internet access. There are 6
categories; Majestic Premier Pool, Majestic Lifestyle Junior, Majestic Premier Garden,
Majestic Aqua Double, Majestic Lifestyle King, Majestic Attic Suite. The premier pool
rooms overlook the pool, which feature unique art installations by different Singapore
artists and queen-sized beds. On the attic, there are 3 suites and Each of the 3 loft room
features a dual his-and-hers vintage cast-iron bathtubs, separate living quarters, and
ladders access to a queen-sized loft beds.
New Majestic Hotel is located in a corner in Chinatown. While the shopping mall might
be a little further to some, there are several restaurants around the area like Andre.
It is conveniently located near the MRT also which is the Outram Park. The area is also
easily accessible for taxis and it only take 10 minutes to reach the town area. In the hotel,
it houses the award-winning Majestic Restaurant and the man behind the kitchen is Chef
Yong Bing Ngen who was also the Exucutive chef for Jade restaurant in Fullerton Hotel.
Some of the awards the restaurant has obtained are:
2011
World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence for Asian Restaurant of the Year
(Regional Category)
2011
Gourmet & Travel Magazine G Restaurant Awards for Most Innovative Menu
(Asian) and Best Business Lunch (Asian)
2011
Singapore Tatler Singapores Best Restaurants for Hall of Fame Award
2010-2011 Wine & Dine Singapores Top Restaurants 1 star
2010-2011 The Miele Guide
2010
Singapore Tatler Singapores Best Restaurants
2010
CNNGO.com Best Eats Awards for Singapores Best Hotel Restaurant
2010
World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence for Asian Restaurant of the Year
(Singapore Category)
2010
Gourmet & Travel Magazine G Restaurant Awards for Most Innovative Menu
(Asian)
2009
Wine & Dine Singapores Top Restaurants 1 star

2009
Singapore Tatler Singapores Best Restaurants
2008-2009 The Miele Guide
2008
Wine & Dine Singapores Top Restaurants 1 star
2008
Singapore Tatler Singapores Best Restaurants
2007
Wine & Dine Best New Restaurant
2007
Singapore Tatler Singapores Best Restaurants
The hotel has also obtained several awards which are:
2012
Trip Advisors Travellers' Choice 2012 Trendiest Hotels
2011
Trip Advisors Trendiest Hotel
2011
Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards (Three-Star Lodgings)
2008
Presidents Design Award Design of the Year
2007
Gourmet Traveler's Best New Hotels
2007
Gold Key Awards for Excellence in
Hospitality Design Best Hotel Room
2007
Tablet 10 Top Ten New Hotels in Asia
2006
Architectural Heritage Award
2006
Presidents Design Award Design of the Year
2006
Conde Nast Traveler's Hot List

The Space Program at New Majestic Hotel lobby

Picture credit: http://foreignpolicydesign.com/v4/projects/the-space-program/space-atnew-majestic-hotel/

One of the more popular rooms, which is the Fluid room.

Picture credit:
http://d3q4n1mitqw7ms.cloudfront.net/images/gallery/full/luxe_new_majestic_singapore
_fluid_hotel_139_1327.jpg

2.21 DESCRIPTION OF JOB

Front Office - Guest Services Executive Trainee
As a Guest Services Executive in Unlisted Collection, we are expected to provide service
with a smile and to the best of our ability. We are also expected to be initiative and
creative in providing services and to meet and anticipate the guests expectations and
needs.
As a trainee, we are required to fill up the shift checklist at the start/end of every shift. It
acts as a guidance as to what we are supposed to complete during every shift. For
example, during A shift, we have to take over and count the cash float, as well as for
every shift. Then we have to count the back office keys at the back office. After that, we
have to read and verify the FOM, communications log and traces In the hotel, we
communicate through the communications (COMMS) log. It consists of things we have
to follow up from the previous shift or things to take note in the upcoming days,
therefore, it is important that we update the logs so that our colleagues does not miss out.
At the end of every shift, we will also have to print the front desk shift report so that in
case of emergency and in the event that we have to evacuate the hotel, we can account for
every in-house guest. For C shift, we have to run the night audit and print out the night
audit report. We also have to print out the FOM log if there are any morning meetings the
next day. We also have to do the job of a concierge and bell-boy as we are a small-class
hotel.
Check-in and check-out procedure is very similar to what we learnt in school. The
property management system is also similar to the one we use in school, which is the
Opera v5. We are required to room every guest if we are able to. During the check-in
process, we are expected to interact with the guests to provide them a welcoming
experience and at the same time, look approachable so they do not hesitate to ask you for
help. The uniform for a guest services executive in a boutique hotel is fairly casual as the
uniform for the girls consists of a dress, tights and black shoes while the men, they wear a
white t-shirt, black jacket and jeans. The most unique thing I find about the uniform is
actually the name tag. It is a dog tag chain with your name engraved on it but the
downside is that it is not really visible to others.
Housekeeping
I was attached to the housekeeping department for 2 weeks We have to clean the rooms
and the standard timing for each room is 45 minutes. During my attachment to the
housekeeping department, I had to clean the toilet and make the bed within the time
frame given. When the occupancy is high, housekeepers are expected to work a little
faster. This shows the relationship between the front office department and the
housekeeping department.

2.31 DESCRIPTION OF COLLEAGUES AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment in Hotel 1929 is slightly different to New Majestic Hotel. In Hotel
1929, we practice co-operation and teamwork. It is a very friendly and relaxed
environment as compared to New Majestic as the office is just right behind for New
Majestic. Once in a while, we have someone from the management looking at things in
our hotel but overall, it is relaxed. The system in New Majestic is slightly different from
Hotel 1929. For example, in New Majestic, we have to order newspapers and deliver
them to every guest that requested for it but in Hotel 1929, we only give them from the
reception when guests ask for it. In Hotel 1929, it is also easier to see guests that are
arriving as the reception is facing the street.
Working in both hotels allows you to grow as a person as colleagues provide you a
supportive workspace. Both hotels practice the thought, you never know if you never
try. I find myself in a situation where I have to face the guest and answer their inquiries
even when I do not know the answer most of the time. However, with this, it allows me to
gain confidence and teaches me the importance of knowing your product.
3.

OBSERVATIONS AND LESSONS

3.1 OBSERVATION
From my observations, guests in Hotel 1929 are much more relaxed and easier to handle
as compared to New Majestic Hotel because of the difference in the price they pay. The
market in Hotel 1929 are more of leisure travelers and FITs while in New Majestic Hotel
are more of business travelers.
3.2

LESSONS

During my attachment in Hotel 1929, I learned to be more independent and to take

initiative. I also learned the importance of communication and teamwork in a small
establishment. Even if the hotel is small, there are times where the message gets
misunderstood and meant differently. It is very important as a guest services agent to be
clear and confident in their answers, therefore I gained confidence while handling guests
inquiries and to know my product very well. I learned to do cashiering when Im doing
front office. In order to not make mistakes for cashiering, it is very important that we
check our work before closing the cashier. When there is a cashiering mistake, it can be
very serious. For example, when checking the credit cards transaction, we also have to
make sure that the credit card number and amount tallies with the one in the system and
in the slip. When dropping cash, we have to ensure that the amount is correct before
dropping it into the cash drop. We do encounter guests that do not or speak limited
English and as a result of the language barrier, we are unable to meet the guests needs. As
we receive a lot of guests from China and Taiwan, they require people who speak
mandarin. As for me, I used the iPad to translate what is being said and what I want to
say. I learned a lot during the attachment that would help me should I choose to continue
to stay in the industry.

4. SUMMARY
4.1. PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED DURING ATTACHMENT
Some of the problems I faced are guests that are unhappy with their room, room that are
not available upon check-in and party rooms. There are also guests that dispute the
amount they are supposed to pay. For guests that are unhappy with their room, I would
perform upselling or move them to another room of the same category if they are not
willing to pay the extra charges. There are also times where rooms that they request for
are not available and some guests become unhappy. We would then apologise to the guest
and offer them a room to rest in until their room is available. However, it is not advisable
as it would trouble the housekeeper. If they are fine with staying in another room, we
would give the room that is available or perform upselling. There are also times where
party rooms get noisy. We will have to call the main guest and inform them that there has
been a complain. If the guest fails to comply with our policy, we have the rights to ask
them to leave.