Shangri-La Hotels, where service is still king

The Shangri-La Manila is truly one of the world’s greatest hotels.

It’s a bit like moving back in time to an era when service was still king, yet at the same time, it’s a trip to the future with an array of new services and amenities.

According to Greg Dogan, COO of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, stepping into the Shangri-La is like stepping into the country. “The Filipino warmth and natural hospitality is exceptional” and is immediately felt upon entering the huge yet surprisingly warm lobby.

An array of Filipina greeters is the guest’s first contact with the hotel. A seamless, in-room check-in follows, something only Asians seem to do and get right.

Location is important in Manila, a city known for its traffic congestion. The Shangri-La Makati’s location is ideal, as it is in the heart of Manila’s business district and affords guests easy accessibility.

It’s also a quick walk to the Greenbelt shopping and leisure entertainment area. As the name would suggest, Greenbelt is a string of malls neatly connected around landscaped gardens in the heart of Manila. It’s an oasis of green amidst the many office skyscrapers that populate Makati.

The hotel offers 699 spacious and beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites, each with views of Makati’s famous avenues and the city beyond. The four international restaurants and private lounges are known throughout the Philippines for their quality and the same gracious service found in Shangri-La hotels throughout the world.

Recently, I sat down with Greg Dogan to get his perspective on the hotel as well as future plans for the Philippines. Here are some excerpts from that conversation:

Shangri-La’s commitment to the Philippines

Question: Shangri-La Hotels is investing heavily in the Philippines in the construction of new hotels as well as continuously upgrading existing ones. I can only assume you must have a very positive outlook for the future of the Philippines economically and politically. Can you comment on your expansion plans, as well as where the country is heading?

Greg Dogan: I believe business for Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, and the hotel industry in general, has been picking up in the past years. We have seen a notable rise in foreign visitors, brought about by the growth of the local economy, particularly the BPO sector. The increase in government spending for infrastructure development, triggering GDP growth, has steadily gained renewed investor confidence in the country. At the same time the Department of Tourism has been very successful in promoting the country as a favorable tourist destination. The challenge now is the definite shortage in the supply of rooms in the Philippines. There is a need to fill the huge demand for deluxe accommodations to service the international market searching for those facilities.

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has established itself in the Philippines precisely for this reason. We have strong confidence in the country and its potential. We are set to lay the ground for Shangri-La at the Fort, complementing the four existing Shangri-La properties in the Philippines and the Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa, scheduled to open at the end of 2008.

Q: Shangri-La is about to break ground on a new project in the Fort Bonifacio area of Metro Manila. What are your reasons for building there, given that the area is still largely underdeveloped?

Greg Dogan: The Bonifacio Global City is one of the country’s fastest growing business and recreation centers. It sits at a very prime location, just a few minutes away from the financial district of Makati, and offers an alternative to the growing influx of business travelers. Since its turnover to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), the area has seen the development of shopping centers, commercial establishments, high-rise residential and commercial buildings, along with international schools. There are more plans underway for the Fort, and although yet unseen, we see a huge potential in the area. The Bonifacio Global City is going to be a bustling hub in the next five years, and we are extremely privileged to be the first hotel to be breaking ground there.

Q: How do you manage to hold and maintain such an excellent level of service at the Shangri-La Makati Manila given that it is such a large hotel (more than 600)?

Greg Dogan: The Filipino warmth and natural hospitality is exceptional. Any guest who walks in the Shangri-La, or steps into the country for that matter, is welcomed by the friendly Filipino smile that instantly makes one feel at home. The Filipinos are also very fluent in English and can communicate well with guests from all parts of the world. Excellent service comes as second nature to the Filipinos. The Shangri-La further maximizes this asset with extensive training that it extends to the staff. Training is the number one priority when it comes to our employees, and each member of the Shangri-La group is committed to this tenet.

Q: Do you foresee an increase in business from the U.S. Market now that Shangri-La is finally opening hotels in the United States? Do you think this will serve to create more name recognition for Shangri-La in the United States?

Greg Dogan: Yes. Currently we’re already serving American travelers in the Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts around Asia and Australia. We hope to further strengthen the Shangri-La, not just as a hotel but as a brand of exceptional luxury and graceful service in North America and Europe with our expansion into these continents.

Q: Are there more expansion plans afoot for Shangri-La in Asia?

Greg Dogan: We continue to build Shangri-La Hotels in China that are scheduled to open in the next three years. Macau is proving to be another booming tourist center in Asia and we are looking forward to the completion of our property there as well. Shangri-La Resorts are also on the horizon in the beautiful countries of Thailand, Maldives and Seychelles.