Traveling is part of our job at Ladyironchef, and our lodging changes from one hotel to another. Many times, we check in to luxurious rooms and suites – big beds with pressed sheets, clean and vacuumed floors, a mini bar full of drinks and snacks… and sometimes, we take for granted all that are put in place nicely for our experience.

Have you ever wondered what goes behind the scenes? How are your rooms cleaned? How does the hotel facilitate the numerous check-ins and check-outs daily? Sometimes, we would stop and talk with housekeeping staff when we bump into them along the corridors, but all that we could learn and understand from such transient conversations are but superficial information.

This month, we had the privilege to attend a tour behind the scenes of Sheraton Towers, and learned in-depth the various backend procedures and systems. And because it was such an educational and enriching tour, we would like to share some insights with you.

We learned that the Labour Movement has been actively helping the hotel industry to embark on job enhancement efforts, and one of the initiatives at Sheraton Towers is the upgrade of the laundry machineries. The hotel pumped in S$1.3 million in April 2013 for the laundry department to upgrade their equipment which reduces employees’ risks to potentially harmful chemicals. Moreover, the machines such as the automated shirt pressing machines also help to increase the productivity by letting staff iron shirts in less than 5 minutes each.

We witnessed the use of the machines, and it was very impressive as the associates in the laundry department are able to do the laundry in a more efficient manner, and if they finished their work 1 hour earlier, they could go home early without any pay cut. In fact their productivity rose till they received a 10-15% pay increase!

With 420 rooms, Housekeeping is a key department in turnover of rooms for guests who check in and out daily. Many hotels are still using physical report sheets and documents, with the associates going around to track the progress of rooms that are being turned over, and this is very time-consuming and physically demanding. However, alongside some other hotels in Singapore, Sheraton Towers tapped on the Inclusive Growth Programme (IGP) and introduced an e-housekeeping system which made housekeeping jobs easier, smarter and safer.

With the new system in place, everyone in housekeeping uses a tablet which has all the details that they require for the respective duties. From clocking in their timings when cleaning the rooms, to updating the mini bar consumption, to reporting defects in the rooms – the housekeepers no longer have to submit physical hard copies of their reports, which is very tedious, time-consuming and inefficient.

The process saves a lot of time and makes it easier and smarter for them to perform their duties, which in turn increases the efficiency and work satisfaction.

The E-housekeeping system also improves the communication and liaison between the housekeepers with their team leaders, as well as the front desk and security associates. With the connected hand-held devices, the progress of the rooms are being recorded instantaneously via a few clicks on the tablet, and the front desk gets a clear summary of the various states of the rooms – whether they are cleaned and ready for new guests to check in, or whether they are still occupied and dirty. The number of rooms cleaned per hour increased and front desk is able to check in guests faster.

The instant availability of information which rooms are cleaned and vacant also reduces unnecessary mistakes and overlooks, which would eventually result in customer dissatisfaction. With this system put in place, the staff are more confident and efficient in their work, and in the long run, it is definitely more cost-effective for the hotel to work with this cheaper, better and faster model.

Another interesting thing that we learned is the implementation of Ezi-Maid Bed Lifting System. This is also an initiative by the Labour Movement to encourage hotels to make the work easier, smarter and safer for housekeeping staff. It is essentially a steel frame which raises the bed to waist height, allowing the housekeepers to clean the area without having to lift the bed physically. Before the implementation, the housekeepers had to constantly bend down to clean the floor, or lift up the heavy beds. But with the Ezi-Maid Bed Lifting System, it significantly reduces the time taken to clean the room from 45 minutes to 25 minutes, and housekeepers can clean more rooms in an hour so guests can check in faster. And most importantly, this system encourages a safer working environment and minimises the risks to injuries, allowing housekeepers to continue working even after retirement (our encounter with one 72 year old housekeeper put testament to that).

Sheraton Towers drafts out a career pathway for each staff and provides education grants to staff who wish to upgrade their qualifications and skills. By integrating the NTUC’s Progressive Wage model into their staff career paths, Sheraton Towers aims to raise the pay of their lowest paid staff from $1,200 to $1,500 in a few years’ time.

It is heartening to learn that hotels like Sheraton Towers proactively finds ways to value every worker and the management works closely with the union to constantly seek new initiatives and taking efforts to improving the lives of their employees by making their work environment easier, smarter and safer.

The Learning Journey with Sheraton has given us more insights on the hospitality industry, and we hope that everyone will give more credit to the unsung heroes working hard behind the scenes – all to ensure a pleasant experience for us when we are staying in a hotel.

This message is part of a ladyironchef x Labour Movement project where we seek to share with you insights on the different initiatives by the Labour Movement to give workers in Singapore better jobs, better pay and better work-life balance.

There are many new-aged travellers who have taken a liking for glamping – glamorous camping is what it really means. For those who are seeking an adventure in the wild while staying in your comfort zone, Wildman Wilderness Lodge is the destination for you to embrace the wilderness without compromising on the modern lodging standards.

The highlights include making friends with wild wallabies roaming just at the foot of our lodge, cruising along the billabong to look for wild crocodiles, popping champagne while watching the beautiful sunset, and taking an airboat across the wetlands. Tourism Northern Territory kindly arranged the stay as part of our itinerary to explore Darwin, we went there with zero expectations and we were blown away by the experience.

Just less than two hours’ drive from Darwin, Wildman Wilderness Lodge is a small property with 10 air-conditioned cabins (habitats) and 15 safari tents. It operates for about 9 months a year – opens its door on the Easter weekend, and closes in November during the wet season. What makes Wildman Wilderness Lodge so special is its goal is to help the indigenous people by hiring them as employees, re-educate and integrate them into society. Without this, structural unemployment of indigenous people would rise as they may not be able to adapt to the changing Australian job market.

“One of the main challenges for Wildman is helping our indigenous staff settle down. We currently have two of them working for us, and we are looking to increase the number slowly but surely,” Wildman’s General Manager Jason Yule told us. “You have to understand that most of them have not worked in a society before, and they have very little interaction with people outside of their tribes,” he continued.

Besides having cultural awareness training for the staff, Jason also understands the Aboriginal culture fairly well – his team and him are always there to offer peer support and guidance for the indigenous staff. Small efforts like these to value every worker by redesigning the working environment help the indigenous workers integrate into the team. By understanding what drives each worker and how to communicate with him, Jason could increase the efficiency and productivity of each staff.

Jason’s comprehensive knowledge of the property not only ensures that daily operations run smoothly, but they are also vital for the safety of the staff and guests. In order to make the working environment easier, smarter, and safer (exactly what NTUC has been saying back at home) Wildman emphasises on staff welfare and safety. One example is having clear standard operating procedures – including the daily need to put on non-slip shoes to facilitate proper walking within the compound, and to wear hats, sunscreen and insect repellants to stay protected and free from bites.

We noticed another example of staff welfare just as we were chatting with Jason, when we spotted the housekeeping staff going around in a red truck to clean the lodges, and Jason told us that because the Wildman staff are constantly exposed to the sun, they cannot have them pushing the usual housekeeping trolley around. With that in mind, they were given special trucks so as to make it easier to drive from one lodge to another to do their routines. Also, every truck is stocked with ample supply of iced water, so that the staff can refresh themselves in between chores – to stay hydrated and well. It struck us that such a simple thought to staff welfare can make the staff happier and more alive, and this is such a basic thing that we should put more emphasis on in Singapore.

Given that Wildman is located in the wild, there are certain issues to deal with – like the potential threat of wild animals, and natural disasters such as bushfires and cyclones.

Besides having refresher courses and drills for the staff on how to use the equipments in the event of disasters, Wildman conducts trainings to familiarise themselves with the local areas, and the proper ways to handle wild animals – like buffaloes, snakes, wild boars, and crocodiles – in the event of emergencies. Our trip on the Home Billabong Cruise (A$60/adult, A$40/child) exemplifies this.

When we were cruising along the billabong looking for wild crocodiles, we were very impressed by the staff. He is very experienced and knowledgeable when it comes to his sitting posture, the impact of his movement, his control over the vehicle, and the various reactions should guests onboard accidentally gestured or alerted the crocodiles. Even though we were riding on a small boat in a river infested with crocodiles, we felt very safe throughout the journey.

There are several activities that you can partake when staying at Wildman, and the Leichhardt Point Sundowners Tour (A$65/Adult, A$40/Child) is one of them. Enjoy a slow drive through forests and along the edge of the billabong to Leichhardt Point to watch the beautiful sunset while having a glass of champagne and canapés.

Another highlight was taking a ride on an airboat (A$165/pax for a 45 min) in the wetlands. The airboat, for the uninitiated, is a flat-bottomed vessel propelled by an aircraft-type propeller, and its flat-bottomed design allows it to venture into marshy and shallow areas where the standard boats/cruises are not able to go. It was a fantastic experience and I would highly recommend you to try it.

As mentioned earlier, there are two types of accommodations at Wildman. For those who seek adventures in style, the safari tents offer a luxe camping experience.

Located on the other end of the resort are the air-conditioned habitats, which are well-furnished and superbly-designed. These are perfect for couples that are seeking a romantic getaway.

We also had the chance to sneak into the restaurant’s kitchen to pick up cooking tips and the use of native ingredients from Chef Dean.

Granted, it is not cheap to stay at Wildman Wilderness Lodge. But how often do you get the chance to be out in the wild, yet stay in a very comfortable and luxurious accommodation? Wildman Wilderness Lodge offers an out-of-this-world experience.

Wildman Wilderness Lodge
Point Stuart
Tel: +61 8 8978 8955
reservations@wildman.com.au

This post is in conjunction with ladyironchef x Labour Movement Project.

For more recommendations, read our guide on 10 Things to do in Darwin.

FairPrice Foundation has pledged to donate S$9 for every loaf of FairPrice house brand bread sold at all FairPrice and Cheers stores. Through the campaign, FairPrice Foundation targets to donate up to $1.5 million to U Care Fund to help low-income union members and their families. This meaningful initiative will last until 19 August, I hope you guys will show your support and grab a loaf of bread when you go grocery shopping this week.

This post is in conjunction with ladyironchef x the union.

Besides famous national parks such as Kakadu and Litchfield, and activities like fishing and camping, Darwin is perhaps most well-known for the crocodiles. So, what better way to explore the city than to hop on a boat and look for wild crocodiles lurking in the rivers?

The good people from Tourism NT kindly arranged an excursion for us with Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise, and it was quite an experience as we went up close with the salties (saltwater crocodiles), which is the world’s largest reptile.

Upon boarding, the crew explained some of the basic rules to us, including to never to stick our heads or hands out of the boat lest the crocodiles mistake us for their dinner. Even before we had time to settle down and enjoy the view, we spotted the first crocodile for the day. It swam over quickly, and we watched on as it attempted to jump for the dangling meat. This cruise took us through the Adelaide River as we watched them dangle chunks of meat just above the water surface to attract the crocodiles.

Some of you probably think it sounds dangerous to be in such proximity to the wild crocodiles. But we actually did not feel any danger throughout the tour because the crew were all well-trained and equipped with knowledge to handle both the passengers and salties.

The crocodiles are actually trained in advance and controlled by the cruise company via monitored feeding sessions and familiarising the crocodiles with the sound of the ship’s engine.

We were told that the crocodiles were trained since young to recognise the crew. The crew would give small chunks of meat to the crocodiles on a regular basis so as to instill in the crocodiles the understanding that the crew are not harming them but instead, feeding them.

The crew would also start the engine shortly before the commencement of the tour. As the crocodiles are trained to recognise the sound of the engine, they associate the sound of the engine with food by the river cruise.

With this foresight to train and tame the crocodiles, together with the familiarisation of the engine’s sound, the crocodiles know how to look for the cruise ship instead of the reverse, and will not attack the ship as they recognise that the ship is a source of food.

This makes it easier, smarter and safer for the crew to attract the crocodiles to appear and ensure there will always be a show for every passenger who goes on board

With the crew facing the crocodiles in such close contacts on a daily basis, we also learned that the cruise company has several measurements in place to make it a safer environment for the crew to work in. All crew are well-trained to understand and analyse the characteristics of the crocodiles through their body language, and this gives passengers an assurance that the crew would know how to deal with unforeseen situations.

If you are in Darwin, you should definitely go on a crocodile cruise and observe the wild crocodiles in their natural habitat.

Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise
Adelaide River, Arnhem Highway, Darwin, Northern Territory,
Tel: (08) 89789077
Daily: 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm
spectacular@jumpingcrocodile.com.au

This post is in conjunction with ladyironchef x the union.

It has often been said that one must stay at W Retreat & Spa when in Bali. We had the immense pleasure of staying there during our recent trip and we wholeheartedly agree. W Bali has that “X-factor” that cannot be replicated and this is why everyone goes to W Hotel when they are in Seminyak.

When I choose a hotel, one of the critical factors is the presence of good F&B establishments. At W Retreat & Spa, the restaurants and bars in the property are effortlessly chic and complete the true W experience.

Starfish Bloo is a gorgeous restaurant and seaside beach club, which delivers Pan-Asian cuisine in a classy and stylish setting. Highlights include Asian signatures with a twist such as the Roast Pork Belly Steamed Buns and Crispy Fried Salt and Pepper Lobster, and Western main courses infused with Asian flavours like Penang Curry of Slow Braised Wagyu Beef and Grilled Baby Chicken Balinese style.

There is also Fire, a stunning casual grill restaurant that is known for its carnivorous menu, and the star is undoubtedly the steaks from the wood-fired grill. We sampled a number of dishes prepared by Director of Cuisine, Richard Miller, including his foie gras chawanmushi and 48 Hour Beef Oyster Blade Steak.

WooBar, widely accepted as Bali’s premier party spot, is where the cool crowd hangs out and parties like that is no tomorrow. Ice and W Lounge are also equally popular for a well-made cocktail and some light bites.

Also, no one leaves W without a pampering session at their iconic and world-famous AWAY Spa. There is a reason why it has continuously been awarded with so many best spa awards. While there are no doubt cheaper options on the island, AWAY Spa is one of the best and definitely worth the splurge.

Of course, W Retreat & Spa is not just about restaurants and bars. What sets them apart is the culture of the workplace and the attitude of the talents. Service is not only attentive and intuitive, but it is also sincere and genuine. All the talents are very fluent and speak good English, and they take pride in everything they do.

The impression that we received is that the talents truly believe in the W brand, and they are there not just to work, but also to deliver the W experience to the guests. As we all know, wages in a country like Indonesia are not exactly the highest. Yet, at W Retreat & Spa, the talents are very motivated in delivering the best customer service and experience.

We found out that W practises a “Hire for attitude and train for skill” mantra. It values each talent’s unique abilities and empowers them to make independent decisions to solve customer issues. As every talent knows his/her work very well, not only can they ensure that everything goes smoothly, but they can also give a hand in any unforeseen situations.

One particular experience that left a huge impression on us was that when we went to the ocean-facing “sofa-tents”, the pool attendant offered to lay a huge towel on the seat for us, but we refused because we did not want to trouble him. However, he told us that it is for our safety in case there were any insects or sand particles on the seat, and that by having the towel, it would make his job easier and smarter as cleaning up after we leave would be more efficient for him.

Everything that we have experienced in the resort sets new benchmarks for us. Once you have stayed at W, your perception of luxury hotel will never be the same again.

W, you are indeed the talk of the town.

W Retreat & Spa Bali
Jalan Petitenget
Kerobokan, Seminyak
Denpasar Bali, Indonesia
Tel: +62 361 4738106
Note: This was an invited media stay.

This post is in conjunction with ladyironchef x the union.