[KS] Shilla - Schiller?
Frank M. Tedesco
tedesco at uriel.net
Thu Jul 16 12:06:59 EDT 1998
> [Hotel] Shilla Provides Best Services
> 07/13
> By Yoon Yeong-mi
>
> Staff Reporter
>
> For many connoisseurs and VIPs who simply want the best, they
> look no further than the Shilla Seoul.
>
> A distinguished procession of royals, presidents and
> financial tycoons like George Soros as well as world-renown
> entertainers like Michael Jackson have streamed into the
> magnificent hotel.
>
> ``We have been open for 20 years and we are proud to be
> receiving recognition. When asked to name Korea's best hotel,
> many say `Shilla,''' says Lee Young-il, vice-president and
> general manager of the Shilla Seoul.
>
> Winning accolades from various groups, the Shilla makes no
> idle boast. It has been ranked among the world's best hotels
> by Institutional Investor 11 times since 1986, the best hotel
> in Seoul by Fortune Magazine and Finance Asia in November
> 1997 and the top 10 hotels around the world by the U.S.-based
> Leaders magazine.
>
> Yet, despite the praises heaped on the hotel, Lee is not
> content to let the Shilla rest on its laurels. ``We don't
> consider our goals to have been reached yet, and I think that
> mind-set is very important to how we operate the hotel.''
>
> Ever striving and reaching for excellence, the hotel's
> guiding philosophy is to represent the best in Korea, do the
> best job and try to be the best, Lee explained.
>
> ``We were also lucky to build on the site of the Yeong Bin
> Gwan, a former state house, so I think we have been able to
> reflect some of that image on top of our top-class service,
> food and facilities,'' stresses Lee.
>
> Yet, success has not always come easily for the hotel which
> first opened its doors in March 1979. ``At that time, no one
> knew what the `Shilla' was. There were some who referred to
> the hotel as the `Schiller,' (the German dramatist and
> poet),'' says Lee.
>
> Overcoming initial hardship, the five-star hotel, owned by
> the Shilla Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary of the Samsung
> Group, concentrated on unrivaled excellence to live up to its
> namesake, the ancient Shilla Dynasty (57 BC - 935 AD),
> considered the golden age for Korean art and culture.
>
> Exuding elegance, the unique ``Korean'' feel is attributed to
> the meticulous attention to details. The construction
> materials were all local, including the granite walls and
> floors. The lobby ceiling has a graceful slant,in a play on
> the traditional style of construction. Women in hanbok, the
> traditional Korean costume greet guests in the lobby lined
> with art work and reliefs etched into the wall. The elevator
> door is engraved with delicate native designs as are the plush
deep-pile carpets on the lobby floor.
>
> And, of course, the ancient Yeong Bin Gwan, now a unique
> banquet annex, stands majestically next to the main building.
> A serene sculpture garden surrounding the hotel also boasts
> of an ancient stone wall built in 1395, that once connected
> to the city's East Gate. Not only is this designated as
> historical site number 10, but the native foliage and art
> works by local artists are inimitable.
>
> As an independent and fiercely domestic hotel, the Shilla is
> unlike the international chain hotels in Korea. ``While the
> international chains have marketing power, they are all the
> same throughout the world. They do not show the true
> fragrance of the locality,'' says Lee.
>
> But perhaps the most important aspect of the hotel nestled in
> 23 acres of beautiful park-like grounds is its impeccable
> service.
>
> The legendary Shilla service begins even before guests arrive
> at the front gates. Guests are met at the airport and
> escorted in the hotel's complimentary limousine bus service.
> At the hotel, those staying on the Executive Floor are
> treated to express check-in, eliminating the need to go
> through the front desk.
>
> Once inside, guests are welcomed by some of the most
> rigorously trained employees in Korea. After a six months
> mandatory training for all new employees, there is additional
> basic training after each promotion. Additionally, staff are
> sent to Hong Kong and the U.S. to learn additional skills and
> techniques. The vigorous training all adds to top-notch
> customer satisfaction. The hotel's training is so effective
> that even employees who leave to work for other hotels are
> famed for their excellent background.
>
> ``We emphasize `tailor-made service,''' stresses Lee.
> ``Before, we would teach the difference between good versus
> bad service. However, we teach that you can't give the same
> kind of service to everyone because everyone is different. We
> listen to the guest's preference to give the very best.
> Essential is the follow-up we do after listening to what the
> customer says.''
>
> Examples abound of the tailor-made service such as
> rearranging the furniture to a customer's satisfaction before
> he enters the room, giving a certain type or style of room
> with a view of Namsan, or the Han River valley and city,
> depending on an individual's preference. One Spanish
> executive is always given a specific room each time he
> visits.
>
> Such service has earned the Shilla a high return rate of 80
> percent. Most of the guests are financiers from institutions
> like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
>
> ``Bankers are ideal guests because they're clean, they have
> the leeway to spend money and they are frequent travelers.
> They will come back if they're happy. When they stay at our
> Executive Floor, they are treated by friendly and efficient
> secretaries that are on par with their own back home.''
>
> The Executive Floor is one of the many examples of excellence
> and amenities offered by the super deluxe hotel.
>
> Comprising six floors with private lounges and reception
> areas, the floors also have conference rooms for up to 10
> people along with amenities like dual telephone lines with
> voice-mail facilities, computer/fax outlets, Internet access,
> silent personal fax machines, personal safes, and luxurious
> marble baths. A device in the phone automatically lowers the
> volume of the television when it is answered. Executives can
> also surf the Internet for the price of a local phone charge
> with GIAS (Guest Internet Access System). Other extras
> include breakfast, cocktails and snacks. A full range of
> international newspapers and magazines and a music center
> with video and CDs are available.
>
> The 400 square foot Business Center on the fifth floor also
> provides the most technically advanced facilities. A
> veritable showcase for Samsung's pioneering computer and
> communications technology, the center is equipped with three
> state-of-the-art meeting rooms, the largest of which is
> equipped with a wide multivideo screen for video-conferencing
> technology. This very technology has been used over the last
> few years in the drive to find a matching marrow donor for
> Brian Baumann, the Korean-American Air Force adoptee stricken
> with leukemia.
>
> Another favorite is the Shilla's ultra-modern fitness club,
> which boasts the most up-to-date computerized weight and
> aerobic equipment and includes both a small indoor track and
> an outdoor one. Other amenities include a medical clinic,
> indoor and outdoor pools, double tennis courts, Jacuzzi,
> sauna and massage center. There is even a special hot spring
> stone imported from the Hokkaido spa in Japan.
>
> Golf lovers can enjoy the hotel's own driving ``range'' and
> improve their scores while shopaholics can take part in the
> Shilla's vast duty-free store downstairs.
>
> Many foreign corporate and leisure guests have been coming to
> the Shilla in droves this year, encouraged by the favorable
> foreign exchange rate and the draw of possible mergers and
> acquisitions.
>
> Although banquets are down by 30 percent in line with other
> hotels in the city, the Shilla has enjoyed a 5 percent
> increase in the food and beverage business, unlike other
> hotels which are suffering 10-15 percent losses.
>
> ``People know that they have to eat, and if they're going to
> be dining out, they might as well choose a place that tastes
> good and has great service. So, the Shilla is still very
> competitive,'' says Lee.
>
> Nonetheless, to cater to those with shallow pockets in the
> wake of the recession, the hotel has implemented various IMF
> menus and has even began a popular joint program with Hotel
> Inter-Continental Seoul with a Double Choice deal.
>
> The Shilla's growing popularity and good name has made it a
> world-renown hotel, despite being a completely domestic
> enterprise. Part of its prosperity is attributed to being the
> only hotel in Seoul to be affiiated with the hotel marketing
> and reservation association LHW (Leading Hotels of the World)
> as well as UI (Utell International) and HOC (Hotel Okura
> chain). To be considered a member for LHW, the hotel must be
> the top hotel in its city.
>
> Whether through its magnificent facilities or its superb
> service, the Shilla is undeniably a premier hotel. Founded
> under former Samsung chair Lee Byung-chull' idea that it should
'`contribute to the national prosperity''
> and ``develop competent employees,'' the Shilla's success can
> be enjoyed by all guests who come to the elegant five-star
> establishment.
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> (C) COPYRIGHT 1998 THE HANKOOKILBO
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/14_9/9807/t495155.htm
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