Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel

This report is based on my internship at The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel. My internship commenced from 6/10/2010 to 15/01/2011. This is a five star luxury hotel which is situated at the heart of Kuala Lumpur which is also known as ‘The Golden Triangle’ area. I was assigned to few different departments in the hotel such as The Lobby Lounge, Carlton Gourmet, Housekeeping and Front Office. I have gained more knowledge and also widen my network with people from all walks of life.

I also feel that The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel is a great place to gain experience as I have acquired about new techniques and skills which I have never known. Furthermore, being able to work in one of the world’s most prestige hotel really gave me a chance to test my skills and ability to cope with the harsh environment of the hotelier’s life. In my report, I will include my working experience with The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel, my views during training and overall success of the hotel.

Company Profiles

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. was founded in August, 1983 following the purchase of The Ritz-Carlton, Boston and the rights to the name Ritz-Carlton throughout the United States. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. maintains its corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Although the Company was officially formed in 1983, its history and traditions date back to the 1800s.

Regarding the famous logo of the Ritz-Carlton, the crown was a symbol of British Royalty and the lion was actually the logo of an insurance company. The founder of the Ritz-Carlton hotels, Cesar Ritz decided to combine the two symbols together and in 1968 the logo was redesigned from a normal looking tamed lion to a look that was more elegant and yet sophisticated. This has made a change in direction for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. in the years to come.

The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel in particular is owned by a company called YTL CORPORATION BERHAD. YTL stands for YEOH TIONG LAY. This company is one of the biggest corporation in Malaysia and it is very well known for its award winning world class hotels and resorts such as JW MARRIOT , THE RITZ-CARLTON,PANGKOR LAUT AND VISTANA KUALA LUMPUR .

Located within the famous Golden Triangle district, The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur has won multiple 5 Star Awards with its 250 guest rooms including 30 suites, 25 meeting rooms totaling up to 30,000 square feet and four exceptional restaurants such as The Lobby Lounge, Carlton Gourmet, Cesar and award winning Li Yen.

Map to The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur Hotel.

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The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel is located at No. 168, Jalan Imbi 52100 Kuala Lumpur. It is interconnected with Starhill Galery and the J.W. Marriot Hotel. This hotel is situated at a very strategic place because it is near to shopping malls such as Pavilion, Lot 10, Sungei Wang and the Menara Times Square.

TYPES OF FACILITIES

Facilities at The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel include a general swimming pool and also a personal swimming pool for every penthouse. The operation hours for the general swimming pool are from 6.00 A.M to 8.00 P.M. The hotel also provides a gymnasium which runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The hotel’s Jacuzzi, Sauna and Steam Bath operate from 6.00 A.M to 10.00 P.M daily.

Massage and Spa services are available at Spa Village which is one of Malaysia’s most renowned Spa centre. Their signature treatments are the Sensory Exploration and ‘Campur Campur’. Spa Village also has their own private swimming pool catered for Spa guest and residence only. Their operating hour is from 9.00 A.M to 9.00 P.M. All of the above facilities mentioned are located on the 4th floor of the hotel wing.

A Business Center can be found on the 1st floor of the hotel wing which caters mostly for businessmen, Internet users and gift shop for guest. Meeting room which can fit up to 6 person maximum is available for rental for RM 120++ per hour .As for the Suites Wing site, there are 25 more meeting rooms available for rental. For hotel guest who needs to use the internet, Internet usage is chargeable at RM 40 per hour. Other services such as fax, printing, photocopy and binding is also available at the same floor. In addition, hotel guest who wants to buy souvenirs such as postcards and hotel amenities, a gift shop is available also at the business center. Business center is open from Monday to Friday at 8.00 A.M to 10.00 P.M and Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays at 9.00 A.M to 5.00 P.M. This is a luxury hotel so therefore the facilities are very limited.

ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

Mr. Stephen Andrew Cokkinias (General Manager)

Ms. Aishah Khalid (Rooms Division Manager)

Mr. Paolo Savi (Rooms Manager)

Mr. Carlos De La Barra Lascurain (Director of Food and Beverage)

Ms. Cheryl Loo Su-Ann (Director of Sales)

Ms. Lim Chui Fung (Director of Human Resources)

Mr. Joshua Lim (Suite Wing Manager)

Ms. Katrina Ong Peik See (Financial Controller)

Mr. Vincent Wong (Maintenance Manager)

~DEPARTMENTS~

Organizational Chart for Carlton Gourmet

Outlet Manager

Assistant Manager

Waiter (x3) Chef (x2)

Waitresses (x1)

Steward (x1)

Cashier (x1)

This is the organization chart for Carlton Gourmet. With revenue of more than RM 80,000 a month this outlet has really pushed its limits and raised the standards. Carlton Gourmet is a very relaxed yet refined place to be at. The operation hours are from 7.30 A.M. to 6.00 P.M. This outlet concentrates mainly on breakfast, lunch and high tea. The morning shift crew which consists of the Manager, one chef and two waiters and one cashier whose shifts start at 7.00 A.M. to 3.00 P.M. As for the afternoon shift crew it consists of the Assistant Manager, one chef, and three waiters whose shifts start at 10.00 A.M. to 6.00 P.M. Only the steward stays from the start of the operation till the end.

For breakfast, it is a semi-buffet selection which consist of a continental bar and a selection of Eggs and Omelet’s or ‘From the Griddle’. The continental bar consists of items such as fruits, salads, compote, cereal and many others. In the ‘Eggs and Omelets’ menu there are six different types of selection to choose from which are ‘two eggs any style’, ‘western omelet’, ‘smoked salmon omelet’, ‘egg white omelet’, ‘eggs benedict’, and ‘corned beef hash with two eggs’. All of those six choices will come with a hash brown. As for the ‘From the Griddle’ menu, you could choose from the ‘silver dollar pancakes’ or ‘French toast with Belgian waffles’. The breakfast menu will only be served from 7.30 A.M. to 10.30 A.M. after that continued by the lunch menu until 6.00 A.M. which serves a variety of salads, pastas, sandwiches and wraps, sausages and ‘from the grill’ such as burgers and grilled meats.

At Carlton Gourmet, a variety of snacks, drinks, pastries, bakeries, chocolates and tea are sold there. They use the finest coffee from Italy which is ‘illy’ coffee and serves a range from cappuccino to latte or even espresso. Sunkist oranges are used to make juices for the guest and in a day almost a whole box of oranges will be used. Carlton Gourmet also specializes in hamper packing. Hampers for occasions such as Arab Season, Hari Raya, Christmas, and Chinese New year will be packed for the hotel and suite guests. Roughly 200 hampers are handmade by the staff of Carlton Gourmet for each and every occasion mentioned.

This are the duties needed to be carried out by the morning shift crew:

• Collect petty cash money from Accounts Department
• Collect newspapers and In House Details from Front Desk
• On all the lights in the outlet
• Overturn the coffee cups
• Prepare milk and butter for each table
• Prepare the breakfast semi-buffet bar
• Collect bakeries from Cesar restaurant
• Prepare Mise-en-place
• Count and send all their dirty napkins to laundry during their lunch break
• Fold all clean napkins and store in cupboard
• And most importantly attend to the guests

This are the duties needed to be carried out by the afternoon shift crew:

• Collect bakeries and pastries from J.W. Marriot
• Clear morning setting on table to replace with lunch setting
• Ensure the drinks stock is at par
• Serve guests and make drinks
• Peel oranges for juices
• Wipe dry cutleries, cups, glasses and saucers
• Do table setting for the next day breakfast
• Sweep and mop the floor during closing time
• Arrange bills into orderly manner
• Log off cashier and return money back to Accounts Department
• Ensure all the lights are off except the entrance light
• Ensure all doors are locked and return keys back to Security Department

My experience at Carlton Gourmet

I have been training at this Food and Beverage outlet since 06/10/2010 to 17/10/2010. Working for two weeks at the Carlton Gourmet has given me an inside look on how to run a small yet successful dining outlet. The experience that I have gained over the days working there had made me a more knowledgeable person. Although this outlet is small and not really busy during normal days, I still managed to input a huge amount of working skill in me. Learning the different types of pastries and bakeries from names such as chicken pie, to names that my tongue cannot even pronounce, this is the one place where I learnt about food from all over the globe.

This outlet normally caters to suite wing guest rather than hotel guests. There are many long term guests at the suite wing so one of my hardest challenges was one- remembering their names and how to address them correctly, two- remembering their room number and how many complimentary breakfast do they have, and three- remembering their food and drink preferences. For example, Ms. Mink Ong is a lady who is in her late 40’s and she owns three shops at the Starhill Gallery. Every morning roughly around 10.00 A.M. she would come to Carlton Gourmet and no questions asked, she should be served her croissants and fresh cut of papaya (with a bowl of hot water for her to wash it in). After eating her fruits, clear her soiled plates and serve her one cup of coffee and a small jug of hot milk.

What I have realized and noticed is that the little things that you take initiative to care about the guest make a very big difference. Because other than the staff of the hotel, the guests are also the ones who could make or break the revenue of the hotel and eventually the pay that goes into our pockets.

Organizational Chart for The Lobby Lounge

Outlet Manager

Supervisor

Bar Captain

Bartender Server (X4)

This is the organization chart for the Lobby Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur. With revenue of more than RM 120,000 monthly, this is an outlet where working standards had to meet with quantity and quality. The operation hour for this outlet is from 10.00 A.M. to 1.00 A.M. Morning shift staff and trainees starts at 9.00 A.M. to 3.00 P.M. The afternoon shift trainee comes in at 3.00 P.M. to 11.00 P.M. where by the afternoon shift staff comes in at 5.00 P.M. to 1.00 A.M. The manager of this outlet only comes in from 11.00 A.M. onwards.

This outlet can be quite slow in the morning because normally all the guests that comes in will only have tea or coffee. But when he sun sets and night approaches, usually the Lobby Lounge will be packed with guests. At the Lobby Lounge, we serve a variety of FOURTHY different types of tea which are broken down into 4 categories which are “Black Tea”, “Fruit Tea”, “Green Tea”, and “Herbs Tea”. All of the teas are imported from different countries such as Europe, USA, China, Japan, India and many other places. The bar consists of more than 30 brands of wine. The liquor served at the bar is based on a full bar set up which has vodka, rum, whisky, cognac, gin, liqueurs, and bitters. We have more than 20 different types of whisky brands ranging from single malt whiskies to blended whiskies.

As far as beverages goes, we serve our famous “Afternoon Tea”. It is a very exquisite English tea tradition carried out by English people back in the days. It starts from 3.00 P.M. to 5.00 P.M. from Mondays to Saturdays. There is this watch/ jewelry shop in Starhill Galery named Mouawad. They signed a one year contract for us to deliver the “Afternoon Tea set” to their shop everyday from Mondays to Saturdays. Usually the Afternoon shift staff will send it to them.

We also have an occasion called “The Sunday Roast”. It is a very elegant event which is strictly conducted by our F&B Director Mr. Carlos De La Barra Lascurain. This event only takes place on every Sunday and no staff can take off for this weekend event. The Sunday Roast starts from 11.00 A.M. to 3.00 P.M. which will be accommodated by a three-piece jazz band consisting of a grand piano, double bass and a saxophone. This event is serves a semi-buffet style. With one main course to choose from which could either be the Angus Prime Black Beef, Scottish Salmon or Darling Roast Lamb. The main course will be placed on a portable trolley which the chef will push to a guests table and cut in front of them. As for the buffet counter, it consists of cheese from around the world, sausages, chocolates, salads, puddings, seafood, soup and sushi. The Afternoon Tea will not be served on this day.

This are the duties needed to be carried out by the morning shift crew:

• Take petty cash money from Accounts Department at 2nd floor
• Opening of cash register
• Set up the bar and arrange all the alcohol beverages.
• Wipe all the glass tables and bar top.
• Prepare Mise-en-place and garnishes for drinks.
• Arrange magazines and daily newspapers.
• On the coffee machine.
• Ensure enough hot water is boiled for tea.
• Make welcome drink (to be placed at hotel wing lobby).
• Do cigar and cigarette inventory.
• Ensure all cups and glasses are clean and arrange neatly on shelf.
• Collect ice cubes for bar from main kitchen (Cesar, 1st floor).
• Tidy up the pillows and sofas.
• Write down inter-transfer list for ‘Afternoon Tea’.
• Send soiled napkins to laundry at 3rd floor.
• Collect ‘Afternoon Tea’ from cold kitchen and pastry kitchen.
• Send a set of ‘Afternoon Tea’ wit cutlery and plates to Mouawad by 2.30 P.M.
• Serve guest.
• Do inventory for sales closing.
• Do handover of cash register to afternoon shift staff.

This are the duties needed to be carried out by the Afternoon shift crew:

• Do 2nd cigar and cigarette inventory of the day.
• Check for stock of bottled beer and juices.
• Light tea-light candles at 7.00 P.M. and to be placed on each table.
• Dim down the lights at 7.00 P.M.
• Push out the cup cake trolley.
• Ensure enough hot water is boiled for tea.
• Serve guest.
• Do closing of cash register.
• Do inventory for sales closing.
• Hand over petty cash money to Accounts Department (in an Elsafe)
• Bundle up all customer receipts of the day and placed at pigeon hole at Accounts Department.
• Clean up for next day.

My experience at The Lobby Lounge

I have been training at this Food and Beverage outlet since 18/10/2010 to 06/11/2010. My experience at the Lobby Lounge was a fantastic one. I felt very comfortable when I was doing my internship there. Yes there were some rough and pressured times but the staff at the Lobby Lounge felt like a little family to me. Everyone was so knowledgeable regarding the beverage that was sold at The Lobby Lounge. I had the privilege to study cocktail and mocktail making by the bartender. I also learnt how to pour a perfect glass of beer by the Captain. I also learnt how to make Latte and Cappuccino. I learnt about the different types of alcohol, wine and its origins too.

There was abundant of things for me to learn in so little time. I also learnt that standing behind the bar and being a bartender, one has to have a very joyful and friendly attitude. Because for the guest sitting at the bar counter, they expect to be conversed with. There was this one time where this guest name Josh from the US came to the bar everyday to have a few drinks because he felt comfortable sitting and chatting with me. Working front of the house meant you have to have a positive attitude and attend to guest professionally while thinking “What would I want if I was in the customers shoes?”.

As for the way of serving food and beverages to the guest, I learnt that the method practiced over there was ‘Serve from the right, clear from the right’. Many things I learnt at Tunku Abdul Rahman College, did not really apply to the work method in this outlet. But still, I was very thankful because now I know different ways of serving a guest/ customer.

Having done my internship here at The Lobby Lounge thought me that I would WANT to be in this line of duty. Serving and mingling with the customers and guest of the hotel. It was a great pleasure working with my little family at The Lobby Lounge. They are the best at what they do.

Organizational Chart for Front Office

Front Office Manager

Assistant Front Office Manager

Duty Manager (X6)

Guest Service Assistance (X 11) Concierge (X3) Bell Men (X9)

Rooms Controller

Door Man (X5)

This is the organization chart for the Front Office Department at The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur. Basically this department is broken down into 3 groups which are Concierge counter, Bell Counter and the Reception. Only for the Bell counter (which includes the Door Men) and the Reception group operates continuous on a 24 hours basis. As for the Concierge, it only operates from 7.00 A.M. until 11.00 P.M. As for the working shifts in this department, only four shifts are provided which are:

A.M. Shift – 7.00 A.M. to 3.00 P.M.

P.M. Shift – 3.00 P.M. to 11.00 P.M.

Night Shift – 11.00 P.M. to 7.00 A.M.

Relief Shift – 12.00 P.M. to 8.00 P.M.

My experience at Front Office

My intern at this department began from the 7th of November 2010 to the 12th of December 2010. I had five weeks in this department and first week of this department started off at being a Door Man and a Bell Man. Being a Door Man is quite simple because all you have to do is open and close the lobby door for the guests as they walk in and out of the hotel, call for taxi which are on standby opposite the hotel for the guests and sometimes help the Bell Man to carry some luggages. Being a Bell Man has thought me to be sharp on the job because we had to tag and watch after guest luggages. We had 2 types of tags. One was for the Arrival Tag whereby when the guest checks into the hotel, the name and room of the guest will be written on the Arrival Tag so that the Bell Man can bring the luggages up for the guest. As for the Departure Tag, it could be used for either during guest check out or storing the luggages for guest.

Then came to the second week of being at Front Office where I spent two whole weeks at the concierge counter. I really gained a lot of information about Malaysia that I did not even know about. Did you know that the Petronas Twin Tower serves a luxury lunch and dinner at the 86th floor which overlooks the city skyline? Well now I know. Being in the concierge had widened my knowledge regarding the little wonders that Malaysia has to offer and I had to learn about almost anything and everything in Kuala Lumpur regarding all the tourist sights. Every day, the staff at the concierge counter has to print out the arrival and departure list some guest arrive at the hotel with their own mode of transport but for those who like to be pampered, a Mercedes Limousine transport can be arranged for the guest but for those who wants a more cheaper but yet luxurious alternative, a VIP Train Service can be arranged to pick up guest all the way from the airport to KL Central followed by a limousine pick up directly to the hotel.

Wai Kong Tours is a tour company where by it works in conjunction with the Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur Hotel. Wai Kong Tours would provide the concierge counter with their broachers for us to promote their tours for them. What would happen is, if the guest would want to go for a tour from the broacher, we (the concierge) have to ask Wai Kong Tours whether there is any available tour that the guest wants for that that day. Because sometimes the tours may be full and the policy for Wai Kong Tour is that if a guest wants to go for a certain tour, it has to be two person and above. Basically being in the concierge meant you had to have a vast amount of knowledge regarding the area that surrounds you, not only that but also have knowledge about the operating hours of tourist locations and new promotions. For the first few days when I was in concierge, I was even too scared to answer the phone. But as the days progressed, I started to gain a certain amount of confidence in myself. As for the staff of the concierge, hats off to them because they are the ones that thought me a lot.

After my training at the concierge, I moved on the reception counter where I was to be as a Guest Service Assistant. I had to learn the HIS System and learn how to check in guest. To check in a guest, I had to fill in their particulars on the registration card (which will be printed by the afternoon shift staff the day before). Guest particulars included their home address, mobile number, e-mail address, double check the name, credit card details (if they were to pay with it) and last but not least, get the guest signature. Once I have collected all the information that I needed, I would ask the guest how his or her mode of payment would be. If he or she is using a credit card, we had to explain that an amount of RM200 per night will be blocked from the credit card so that the guest can just sign the bill if he or she is ordering in room dining or paying for laundry. For example, if Mr. Guth’s room rate is at RM600 per night and is staying for three nights, so all together a Guest Service Assistant (GSA) has to hold an amount of RM1,200 of the credit card. If a guest pays cash for their room, then we have to write the words ‘COD’ on the registration card and alert all the outlets such as the Food and Beverage outlets and laundry department that the guest would and should pay cash for anything purchased. After collecting the mode of payment from the guest, we issue a key card to them and escort the guest to their room. While escorting the guest, the GSA’s would brief them regarding the facilities at the hotel and some famous tourist spots around Kuala Lumpur. The GSA’s would then open the room door for the guest and explain about the room’s complimentary internet and mini bar or the ‘Kiblat’ sign for Muslim guest.

We also had to do departure calls to know what time the guest is leaving and whether they would need any luggage assistance or transportation upon departure. As for guest wake up calls, it will be recorded down and at the end of the day handed over to the operator. If there is a VIP checking in, an express check in is done where by the GSA would pre-check in the guest, escort the guest up to his or her room with the credit card machine and take down the guest particulars in the room itself. At the end of every shift, the GSA’s will submit all their check out receipts to the Duty Manager for inspection in case there has been any mix up.

Being at the reception was somewhat pressuring because you had to face the guest day in and day out even matters that is not your fault but the guest just wants to let all his frustrations out on you. But on the sunny side up, the Front Office crew is a bunch of people that really knows how to work under pressure yet they can maintain to be lively and cheerful each and every day. The Front Office may be a small department but it is a powerful one. The whole hotel mainly relies on it to generate more income. The Front Office IS the brain of the hotel industry.