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The Story of Raffles People
The Story of Raffles People
At each of Raffles’ eleven
hotels and resorts, we know that true luxury is not just about what people get
from our hotels, it’s about how they feel - both when they are
staying with us and after they have checked out. Each member of staff
is the face of this emotional luxury, as we call it. They work
consistently and unfailingly, to make every guest feel valued, cared for and
appreciated. We celebrate individuality – and the following are just
some of the individuals who deliver what our guests expect from us…
Hem Sopheap, Pool attendant, Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, Siem Reap
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Raffles Grand Hotel
d’Angkor has one up on the other hotels in Siem Reap, and the rest of
Cambodia: it is home to the largest swimming pool in the country. Inspired
both in design and size by the ancient bathing pools of the Khmer Kings in
Angkor Wat, and set at the heart of the hotel’s private tropical gardens
the pool at Raffles is one of the finest spots in Cambodia.
And key to
preserving the colonial charm and relaxed atmosphere of the pool is Hem
Sopheap, a Pool Attendant of the very finest kind. Gentle and discreet, yet
totally attentive, Hem anticipates the requests of his guests, however
large or small.
“I treat my guests like family – we aim to make them
feel as though Raffles is a home away from home, at the same time as
sharing the Khmer culture,” he says. Working with Raffles is
a rewarding experience for Hem;“Getting to meet so many different
people every day has given me a much more international perspective on
life, which inspires me to continue to learn the hospitality industry, and
see more of the world for myself.”
Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor ticks
all the Cambodian boxes… atmosphere, colonial charm, delicious food… and
the finest service – especially around the pool.
www.raffles.com/siem-reap
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Chef I Wayan Mawa, Executive Chef, Raffles Hotel Le Royal Phnom Penh
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Phnom Penh is a melting pot
of Cambodian and international cuisine. I Wayan Mawa, Executive Chef,
Raffles Hotel Le Royal faces the challenge of ensuring that both Restaurant
Le Royal and Café Monivong are top of the list for visitors to the city.
An
elegant French salon style restaurant – all crystal chandeliers and picture
windows, overlooking the gardens – Restaurant Le Royal has exclusive
permission to use original recipes from the Royal Palace of Cambodia,
granted to the hotel by King Father Norodom himself. Meanwhile, Café
Monivong is known for its a la carte menu of Western and Pan-Asian dishes.
An exceptionally experienced chef with 30 years’ international culinary
experience, Chef Mawa ensures that the Khmer food stays light and fragrant,
full of the flavours of Cambodia, and that the international cuisine is as
good as in its native country.
“I love hearing what our guests say
about our food – whether it’s from diners directly, or through comments
picked up by the rest of the team,” he says. “It makes our hard
work come together, and strengthens the team in the kitchen too – we really
use that as energy for perfecting each dish, and maintaining our high
standards of service.”
Chef Mawa’s top tip is to choose the Executive
Chef’s degustation menu at Restaurant Le Royal, to try a complete myriad of
traditional dishes in one meal.
www.raffles.com/phnom-penh
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Chef Roland Eitzinger, Head Pastry Chef, Raffles Dubai
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Roland Eitzinger is a
complete pastry expert. Head Pastry Chef at Raffles Dubai – and with more
than fifteen years’ experience in the pastry kitchen – Roland is an endlessly
creative character, charged with inspiring his talented team to be
constantly on the look-out for new trends, the latest flavour combinations
and most modern techniques to keep wowing the guests of the hotel.
This
challenge is nowhere more apparent than in the ‘The Collection – Afternoon
Tea by Raffles’ – Dubai’s first fashion afternoon tea. Roland is tasked
with creating a new afternoon tea menu for each catwalk season, translating
the latest designer collections straight from the shows into pastry, and
disguising decadent cakes as accessories.
Roland says, “Working with
Raffles feels like working for the best. After fifteen years in pastry
kitchens all around the world, Raffles Dubai feels like home. I push my
team every day to come up with new concoctions in pastry… it’s fast paced
and exciting. At the moment we are working on creating signature dishes for
new menus and the next "collection" using rare, single origin
organic chocolate from South America – it’s that constant search for originality
which really makes me tick.”
www.raffles.com/dubai
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Julie Eugène, Art Concierge, Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris
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Julie Eugène holds a unique
role in Paris; she is Art Concierge at Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris –
the only job of its kind in the city.
Whether it’s casting a critical eye
on the latest Parisian exhibitions, creating bespoke itineraries for
cruising around the capital on the street art trail, or even lending a
serious hand in negotiating prices for artistic purchases, Julie has the
Paris art scene at her fingertips. A graduate in History of Art from the
University of Paris, and with stints as artistic director at an advertising
agency and contemporary galleries including Parisian 55 and the Patricia
Dorfmann Gallery behind her, Julie is an art obsessive through and through.
Truly passionate about her profession, Julie’s vivacious manner enlivens
the artistic spirit of the hotel. “I am extremely lucky to get to share
my passion for art with our guests – all day, every day,” she says.
“The biggest luxury I can share with guests is time – in every sense.
From spending plenty of time with a guest asking my advice to make sure I
create the best tailor-made programme I can, and saving guests valuable
time during their visit, to taking the time to accompany guests to
exhibitions around the city, and sharing the moment with them. It’s a
really special thing – that’s what inspires me.”
Julie’s Art Concierge service is complimentary for guests of Le Royal
Monceau – Raffles Paris. www.raffles.com/paris
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Ziad Daoud, Culinary Director, Raffles Makkah Palace
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As Culinary Director of
Raffles Makkah Palace, Ziad Daoud creates cuisine to match the wonder of
the hotel guests’ spiritual experience as they visit the most holy place on
earth. Leading a hand-picked team of 75 chefs from 16 different countries,
Ziad’s culinary vision works as an international journey through more than
nine countries.
“The flavours of the Middle East work as the perfect
platform for any serious chef,” he says. “It’s a constant source
of inspiration – almost never ending - and the location of Raffles only
extends this. Overlooking the Grand Mosque and the Ka’aba square, at the
confluence of so much history, gives a real energy to me and my team.”
But it’s not just the Middle East from which Ziad draws his inspiration.
His next trip will take him to France on a quest in search for some of the
finest chocolate in the world to bring back to Makkah.
www.raffles.com/makkah
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Tarek Mourad, General Manager, Raffles Istanbul
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Tarek is one of the newest
members of the Raffles family, leading a ‘dream team’ to open the doors of
Raffles Istanbul to its first guests in September 2014. Raffles Istanbul
will be the perfect embodiment of the ‘new’ face of Istanbul: cutting-edge,
eclectic and energetic.
The hotel is at the heart of the Zorlu Center, a
new hub for fashion, food and the arts on the European shore in Beşiktaş -
overlooking the Bosphorus and the Princess Islands. This is a
next-generation bazaar, where fashion, performance and art converge at the
centre of Turkey’s most compelling city – a global hotspot for 2014.
Tarek, who has opened six incredibly successful properties for Four Seasons
Hotels, says “Passion is the essence of success and, when combined with
a smile, a positive attitude, plenty of common sense and consistency, that
is when we get what we at Raffles call ‘emotional luxury’. I’m very lucky
to be working with a team of people who are full of passion – even before
we’ve opened – and who are going to set Raffles Istanbul apart”.
Many members
of Tarek’s closest family were hoteliers, so he is well versed in the
industry. The chance to join the Raffles family in his home city – at such
a pivotal time for Istanbul – is a dream come true.
Raffles Istanbul will open to guests on 1 September 2014. www.raffles.com/istanbul
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Piason Kane, Junior Assistant Manager - Pool Restaurant Bar & Pti Zil
Beach Bar, Raffles Praslin Seychelles
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Piason Kane probably has
one of the most enviable jobs in the world: he gets to spend his days
shaking cocktails in the Seychelles. Originally from Zimbabwe, and having
lived in buzzing cities from Cape Town to Dubai, the calm of Raffles
Praslin and the Indian Ocean is quite a change.
But it is this stunning
setting – all granite rock forms, sandy beaches and big blue sea – which
inspires Piason every day. “No stay at Raffles Praslin would be
complete without a cocktail or two - it’s a real privilege to literally
create memories for our guests,” he says.
This is more apparent than
ever this spring, as Raffles Praslin opens its Pti Zil Beach Bar – all
tables made from local Takamaka wood and low-slung seats overlooking the
Indian Ocean, and an irresistible collection of mojitos made with local
rum. Piason’s latest cocktail creation is the Strawberry Balsamic Mojito,
matching rum with sweet strawberries, balanced by dash of balsamic – ideal
for sundowners by the sea.
“Guests are welcomed at Raffles as our
friends, and many leave as part of our family, and I feel a real sense of
pride in helping to make that happen. I love the challenge of creating
tailor-made cocktails to match a particular dish – and seeing the smiles
from that first sip...”
The Pti Zil Beach Bar is open to all visitors to Praslin – as well as
hotel guests – daily. www.raffles.com/praslin
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Cindy Pimentel, Raffles Butler, Raffles Makati
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Following the example of
the legendary butlers at Raffles Hotel, Singapore, Cindy Pimentel is a
much-loved touch-point for guests at Raffles Makati. Cindy is the only
female butler at the hotel, and thrives on the challenge of anticipating
the needs of her guests and being on-hand to offer advice – and share her
local knowledge – wherever she can.
Having grown up in Manila, Cindy knows
the city inside out, allowing her to share insider tips with her guests. “No
two guests are the same – it’s a blessing and a challenge at the same time.
I never know what’s around the corner,” says Cindy. “There’s
nothing more satisfying than a beaming smile to make my day, and spur me
on. Manila is a fascinating city, and I love being able to watch guests
discover that for themselves.”
Cindy’s best recommendation for a taste
of local flavour is to order Taal Lake Tempura in the Long Bar – the
authentic Filipino interpretation of fish and chips – and to embrace all
things shoes – nearby Marikina is the shoe capital of the Philippines, with
a museum dedicated to the finest feet, and an annual festival for footwear
each September.
www.raffles.com/makati
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Stephane Soret, Wine Director, Raffles
Singapore
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It’s no secret that
Singaporeans take their wine seriously. As Wine Director for Raffles
Singapore, Stephane Soret oversees an impressive cellar of more than a
thousand labels – one the most impressive in the city.
Stephane’s wine
career has taken him all over the world – from New York to San Francisco,
London to Paris, Dubai to Delhi – but it has been a long-term ambition to
be a part of the Raffles family. He now thrives on leading a wine programme
unique in Asia, taking responsibility for wine lists in nine restaurants,
and sourcing and introducing interesting new wines to Singapore.
“I’m
able to share some of the finest wines in the world with the guests at
Raffles,” he says. “It’s a real challenge to carry on finding new
and original labels which match up to the wow-factor of stepping into the
haven of the Raffles Singapore lobby. The hotel sets the scene, and we
start the story – and hopefully play a part in making it one to remember.”
Stephane loves to share his passion for wine with his guests, and share the
127 year history of the hotel through wine.
www.raffles.com/singapore
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Charlie Zhang, Chief Concierge, Raffles Hainan
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Charlie Zhang is extremely
popular with guests at Raffles Hainan, regularly receiving high praise for
going the extra mile for guests during their stay. From arranging
water-sports at the drop of a hat to recommending the best activities at
the hotel each day, Charlie prides himself on beinginvaluable for guests at
Raffles Hainan.
Pleasant, efficient and sincere, Charlie ensures that he is
a key member of the Raffles family in Hainan, inspiring the concierge team
to share the secrets of the island – China’s answer to the French Riviera.
Charlie’s top tip is to unwind into the Hainan way of life with a Hainan
Sling in the Long Bar, a tribute not only to the original bar at Raffles in
Singapore, but also to Ngam Tong Boon, the Hainanese bartender who created
the Singapore Sling.
www.raffles.com/hainan
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John Spooner, Raffles Ambassador, Raffles Beijing
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As Raffles Beijing Hotel's
official ambassador, John Spooner is well-versed in welcoming residents to
Beijing's only luxury heritage hotel and sharing the city’s best-kept
secrets. John has spent more than forty years in the hotel industry; he’s a
true encyclopaedia on both the city, and the needs of his guests.
‘Every day I look to share the essence of our hotel – and this
incredible city – with our guests. It’s not necessarily about what guests
get, it’s about how they feel… whether that’s the feeling of being
completely at home in a foreign city, or of being truly pampered during
their stay. That’s what I’m aiming for,’ he says, defiantly.
This
stretches to sharing truly unique snapshots of Beijing, which many visitors
don’t get to see. Twice a week John and his team invite guests of Raffles
Beijing Hotel to join him at the break of dawn to witness the traditional
and atmospheric Flag Raising Ceremony at Tian An Men Square, the largest
city square in the world.
While most tourists are still sleeping, John
leads guests through the city’s streets as he shares his insights into the
people, scenes and stories of Beijing. Upon arrival at Tian An Men Square,
guests watch the raising of the national flag accompanied by a marching
military band.
And of course, John will share his local tips on how
to see the very best of the city – from bargain shopping spots to
celebrated authentic Hutong restaurants… this is the way to see Beijing.
www.raffles.com/beijing
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Stays at Raffles hotels around the world are available with
"The World and You – A Global Offer from Raffles"
www.raffles.com/offers
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About Raffles Hotels & Resorts: Raffles Hotels
& Resorts is an award-winning, luxury international hotel company with a
history dating back to 1887 with the opening of Raffles Hotel,
Singapore. The portfolio currently comprises ten luxurious properties, from
secluded resorts to chic hotels in key locations around the world: in
Singapore, Cambodia, the Philippines, China, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles
and Paris, each one is an oasis of calm and charm. The company is
embarking on a new phase of expansion, with openings in Istanbul and
Indonesia scheduled over the year.
With a compelling mix of
cultures and styles, every hotel in the Raffles family has its own individual
personality, with its own story to tell and its own sense of place.
However, each one is proud to draw on the timeless essence of Raffles – to
deliver thoughtful, personal and discreet service to well-travelled
guests. www.raffles.com
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