Ong Chin Huat sets aside some time to get to know Simon Barnett, the new General Manager of the Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur.
With over 30 years in the hospitality industry, having worked in five Four Seasons Hotels, starting with the one in Sydney, the new General Manager of the Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur is a veteran hotelier who brings a wealth of experience, including a combination of operational know-how and sales and marketing knowledge to his latest posting.
Fresh from the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya, where Barnett spent the last two years executing multiple successful initiatives, including the launch of a new restaurant, a sustainability programme and a calendar of cultural experiences, he speaks with Chin about trends he sees in the hospitality industry and what he would like to bring to the Four Seasons in Kuala Lumpur.
Luxurious Magazine: Tell us about your impressions of Kuala Lumpur and the Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur.
Simon Barnett: There are a lot of similarities between Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, where I was working, besides the Four Seasons brand and the luxury we try to encompass; the team culture is very similar, and the warmth of our employees.
Walking into our staff cafeteria, I see people chatting and joking with one another, and that’s the kind of work environment we try to foster because it creates a positive vibe and a nice work culture to belong to.
LM: What would you like to bring to the Four Seasons Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, drawing on your extensive experience in hospitality?
Simon: The current team has already done a fantastic job, so it’s really just exploring some additional opportunities around guests’ experience. KL offers so much for any visitor, like stand-alone restaurants and bars, so there is an opportunity for us to redefine some of our F&B outlets.
We have a new Executive Chef joining us from the Four Seasons Nam Hai in Vietnam, bringing extensive experience and a unique perspective to our outlets and offerings.
LM: Are all Four Seasons hotels different in terms of design, service and ethos? Do you see a common thread running through each Four Seasons property?
Simon: What’s essential for us is creating a sense of place for each property. So, when international guests check in or visit us, they know they are in Malaysia. I think that is really important. But having said that, if you look at most of our hotels that have opened in the last five years, they are very cutting-edge in their design.
The designers the Four Seasons are working with now are really the best in the world. But the common thread of all our hotels is the vision, which is to create memorable moments with a genuine heart. It’s all about the guests and how we can elevate their experience while they are staying with us.
LM: What do you think makes a great hotel and a memorable stay?
Simon: It really comes down to attention to detail and understanding the purpose of why the guests are staying with us, always being cognisant that not every guest values the same thing equally, so having that pre-emptive service or intuition where we can pick up on their preferences from general conversation and then turn this information into something memorable and special for the guests.
LM: Where do you see the 5-Star hospitality headed in the future?
Simon: At the Four Seasons, we are focused on ultra-luxury, and to that end, we just have one product catering to one segment of customers. We have a private jet and are just about to launch another one.
We are also about to launch a Four Seasons yacht later this year, which will be absolutely stunning. It will cruise the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the Bahamas and the Atlantic.
LM: What trends do you see in hotels in Asia and worldwide?
Simon: The local knowledge, the understanding that people want to experience things like the locals do. There will always be a place for the signature restaurants and rooftop bars, but more and more guests are looking for local places outside the hotel. The storytelling that we do for our guests enhances their appreciation and enjoyment of their time with us.
LM: What plans do you have in store for the Four Seasons in KL?
Simon: We are currently cataloguing all the artwork in our hotel and would like to offer a tour for our guests to view these art pieces. We would also like to have some artists-in-residence in the hotel who will create art to share with our guests.
We are planning to expand our wellness offerings by partnering with a longevity clinic, which will be located within our spa. We will continue the great work our culinary work our team has already done, provide different experiences and promotions, and give people more reason to visit our hotel.
For further information on the Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur, please visit www.fourseasons.com/kualalumpur.
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