The O-Zone Experience at Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok (Thailand)
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The O-Zone Experience at Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok (Thailand)
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Category: Asia Pacific - Thailand
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2011-01-12
Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok continues to be a pioneer in identifying trends before they happen, and has recently launched another new initiative: the O-Zone Experience.
Best described as a “hotel within a hotel”, this newly renovated space extends over the entire second floor of the hotel’s River Wing and contains all the elements of a real hotel. The difference however, is that it is solely dedicated to employees. The venue, which aims to create a new benchmark in the hotel industry, also serves to further underline Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok’s status as an employer of choice.
O-Zone is divided into 10 distinctive zones: Sell, Fashion, His, Hers, Health, Café 48, Talent, Mind, Dream and Relax, and has a unique contemporary design featuring a staff concierge and employee assistance programme, a relaxation and entertainment area, a bilingual lending library, hi-tech meeting venues, a “Café 48” restaurant, complete with a retail “Kiosk 48”, plus state-of-the-art locker rooms and resting facilities for employees.
“We recognize our employees as our most valuable asset in delivering a truly legendary guest experience, and we wanted to provide an area where they can interact freely and creatively and also learn from their peers,” said Jan Goessing, General Manager of Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok.
Team work and transparency are the two key priorities on which the O-Zone Experience has been designed. The office areas dedicated to Sales, Public Relations and Human Resources, are lit generously and share windows, creating a feeling of intimacy, yet openness amongst colleagues. The employees have their own bilingual monthly newsletter Sup Sip, with articles written by staff members for fellow staff members, thereby further instilling a family environment within the workplace.
Welcoming colleagues to the second floor is the “Hand on Frames” art installation. This select group of 48 plaster handprints showcases those employees who have worked at Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok for the most number of years, totalling more than 1,700 years of loyalty and service commitment. As a leader in the hotel industry Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok continues to honour those who are responsible for delivering the hotel’s legendary service and excellent customer relations.
Students with the Oriental Hotel Apprenticeship Programme (OHAP) have also been integrated into the O-Zone experience demonstrating the importance placed on practical training within Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok. Students assist in Café 48 and Kiosk 48, the staff concierge desk and lending library. “We are proud of the fact that O-Zone provides staff with facilities that are on par with real guest facilities, making this literally a “hotel within a hotel” experience for all,” added Mr Goessing.
O-Zone has been designed by Tandem Architects 2001, an innovative Thai-based design company, well-known for their contemporary interpretations of Asian influenced architecture and design. Their portfolio includes resorts, residential buildings and retail facilities throughout Bangkok and Thailand.
As part of the hotel’s dedication to attention to detail, all facilities offer carefully chosen amenities and technical parts. For example the locker room showerheads are from Kohler and use a special “racetrack” waterway that delivers a full and steady water fall, regardless of water pressure. The His and Her Zones, respectively, provide shower gel and soap from Davidoff for men and from Dior for women.
Not simply a physical renovation, O-Zone is a testimony to the dedication and passion of the 1,300 individuals who call Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok their “home away from home”.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is the award-winning owner and operator of some of the world's most prestigious hotels and resorts. Mandarin Oriental now operates, or has under development, 42 hotels representing over 10,000 rooms in 27 countries, with 18 hotels in Asia, 12 in The Americas and 12 in Europe, Middle East and North Africa. In addition, the Group operates, or has under development, 13 Residences at Mandarin Oriental, connected to the Group’s properties.
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