Inspiring the Future Hoteliers: Service with Pride
Authored by:
Jane Park,
PATA Face of the Future 2024 Grand Winner; Assistant Manager of F&B Revenue and Operations, Hotel ICON.
I’m Jane Park, Assistant Manager of F&B Revenue and Operations at Hotel ICON, a unique and innovative hotel that serves as a living laboratory for hospitality education and research. Winning the PATA Face of the Future 2024 award has been a powerful reminder of the impact we can have on the hospitality industry. I’m excited to share my journey, one that reflects our dedication to empowering our teams and shaping a more sustainable future for everyone involved.
In this article, I will share with you my story of becoming the PATA Face of the Future 2024, an award that recognizes young professionals who demonstrate excellence and leadership in the travel and tourism industry. I will introduce you to Hotel ICON, a unique and innovative hotel that serves as a living laboratory for hospitality education and research. I will also tell you how I have been able to empower my team, shape a more sustainable future, and inspire others to find pride and joy in the hospitality industry.
PATA Face of the Future 2024
It is with great honor to receive this prestigious award. I see countless possibilities to inspire staff to find pride and joy in the hospitality industry through our single independent property, Hotel ICON. I'm grateful to the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) for acknowledging service personnel like me; it allows me to reflect on my career, driven by a strong dedication to empowering my team and creating a sustainable future for all participants.
The Journey
My journey began at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. It was during my studies that I had the opportunity to join Hotel ICON's Elite Management Program, a unique initiative that allowed me to experience the industry firsthand. I specifically requested to rotate through every role in F&B, eager to gain a comprehensive understanding of the operation. I learned about the challenges and opportunities of each position, from designing menus to serving guests in the restaurant. I also developed a strong rapport with my colleagues, who shared their insights and passion for their work. I believe that service staff are the heart of a hotel, the ones who create lasting impressions and shape a guest's overall experience. Their ability to deliver exceptional service is crucial in building guest loyalty, enhancing brand image, and ultimately driving business success.
Leading Change: The Delight Your Guest Program
To shift this perception and empower our service staff, I launched the "Delight Your Guest" program, a key initiative within Hotel ICON's "We Love To Care" philosophy. This program wasn't just about implementing new policies or procedures; it was about fostering a culture of ownership and creativity among every team member. We wanted to empower everyone, from the kitchen staff to the front desk, to contribute ideas for creating memorable experiences for our guests. To achieve this, we conducted workshops and brainstorming sessions, where staff could share their suggestions and feedback on how to delight our guests. We also created a recognition system, where staff who received positive comments from guests or colleagues would be rewarded and acknowledged. The program's success is evident in Hotel ICON being recognized as the most reviewed hotel in Hong Kong in 2022. This achievement wasn't only about receiving positive feedback but also it was about creating a culture where every team member felt empowered to create lasting memories for our guests.
Innovation and Sustainability: Optimizing F&B Operations
I also took the initiative to collaborate with the Director of Revenue and Marketing to develop a more sustainable and sophisticated approach to planning and forecasting for our F&B outlets. This initiative, implemented in April, has resulted in exponential growth in bookings for The Market, our signature restaurant, while many Hong Kong hotel buffets have struggled with low business. This success demonstrates the power of data-driven decision-making and our commitment to finding innovative solutions for the challenges facing the hospitality industry.
Hotel ICON is a teaching and learning hotel, a part of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (SHTM). The hotel serves as a platform for students to gain hands-on experience in the hospitality industry, under the guidance of seasoned professionals and academics. The hotel also collaborates with SHTM in researching and investigating innovative solutions to overcome obstacles in the hospitality industry. By integrating education, research and practice, Hotel ICON aims to foster a culture of lifelong learning and excellence among its staff and students, as well as to provide guests with a unique and memorable experience.
As the PATA Face of the Future, I am honored to be a part of Hotel ICON's vision and values. Hotel ICON is more than just a hotel, but a place where we strive to create a positive impact on our guests, our industry, and our society. We do this by embracing sustainability, innovation and excellence in everything we do, from our F&B operations to our education and research collaborations. We also aim to nurture the next generation of hospitality leaders, who will continue to challenge the status quo and drive positive change in our region and beyond. I hope to share this vision with the PATA community and inspire others to join us in our journey of lifelong learning and service excellence.
