Doing Business - Our Relationship with the Hotel Industry - Part 3

Once we had become part of the Vistana family, we were able to do some business with the hotel. This took on two forms: teaching English to the hotel staff, and proofreading hotel documents.

As YTL Hotels were not keen on paying us money for our services, we engaged in an exchange of services instead. I would proofread hotel SOPs (Standard & Procedures), calculate how much I would charge based on our proofreading charges, then arrange with Wayne how many nights stay at the hotel that price would represent.

I taught two batches of Vistana Hotel staff English lessons, which comprised around 8-10 total months. In return we negotiated to have use of a function room for a full day, 4 times that year. We organised English Workshops for our students with a small price to attend, and held 3 sessions per day. That made a total of 12 sessions that year with a maximum of 20 students per session. So we were able to make a nice return.

English Workshop at Vistana Hotel Kuantan in March 2012

We have also done, and continue to do, proofreading jobs for The Majestic Hotel, getting free stays in return each time. It certainly makes our KL trips even more splendid!

The grand Majestic Hotel has become a second home for us

Dining at The Coffee House, Vistana Hotel Kuantan

It has been a while since we paid a visit to Vistana Hotel in Kuantan. We had a very good friendship with the former Hotel Manager before he was transferred to a different property. I also taught English to groups of staff during 2012 under the new Hotel Manager. Since those classes came to an end, I have missed the food at The Coffee House.

The Coffee House is Vistana Hotel's only restaurant and is located on the Ground Floor beside the swimming pool. We enjoy many items on the menu.

The staff are very well presented, friendly and welcoming, yet at the same time, not over-intrusive. The Coffee House is neat and tidy with calming music playing quietly.

We sat in our usual place and selected our food. A waiter took our order and informed the kitchen.

Mango juice

Crispy DJ Chicken

Spaghetti Bolognese, my personal favourite

Chicken Nuggets for Lauren

We had a very pleasant meal. I also love the Caesar Salad, which I had on a previous meal with friends, and I recommend that one for a nice healthy boost.

We will have to stay a night at Vistana Hotel again some time soon, we do miss the suite!

Vistana Hotel - Behind-the-scenes

Today I'm taking you behind-the-scenes at the Vistana Hotel Kuantan.

These are places in a hotel the usual guest never gets to see, but which, accompanied by Hotel Manager Wayne Lee, I had the privilege of exploring.

All of the behind-the-scenes action at Vistana Hotel Kuantan takes place in the basement. Staff offices, canteen, uniform room, laundry room and so on, are all down under the hotel.

Here is the workspace of the Front Office. These people deal with all the email reservations and telephone enquiries

This is the Hotel Manager, Wayne Lee's office. He was kind enough to let Lauren sit in his chair!

Lauren may just be the future Vistana Hotel Manager!

Here is a self-portrait of Nadia Bertrand. She has hung on the walls of Vistana Hotel, numerous paintings she worked on here for 5 months earlier this year. Everywhere you look, Nadia's work can be seen. Her blog is www.nadiabertrand.blogspot.com Have a quick look at her abstract work she has been doing all around Asia.

The staff canteen

Staff uniform room

Bedsheets fall down into the laundry room from the chute

The laundry room was the most interesting place behind-the-scenes for me. The piles of laundry, the night shift workers, the huge washing machines and steam dryer, the professionalism required to work in the laundry room.

Here is the laundry room at 10pm, just as the night shift begins:

Look at those piles of laundry reaching over 2 metres high!

Wayne explained everything to me. This washing machine comes at a price of RM200,000 and has a life of 15 years. It is capable of washing a load of 60kg! Wow! And I thought we sometimes had big laundry jobs!

Here's a look at the chemicals which are fed into the washing machines, different ones for different types of washes. It was all quite amazing to me. The laundry workers really know what they are doing and are prepared for any accident that may occur with these chemicals. Engineers are often in the laundry room to check the chemicals and the washing machines

And here is the steam dryer. Bedsheets are fed into this machine and come out the other side hot and crease-free! 

Amy is the good member of staff who escorted us down to the laundry room at 10pm and took this picture of us. It was really warm and gripping down here and after 10 minutes Lauren was already too hot!

CPB members, vote for my photos here