By Mr. Gregory, Lecturer, Faculty of Hospitality
SEGi College Sarawak’s students taking the Diploma in Hotel Management and the Diploma in Tourism Management visited Kuching Park Hotel on 23 September 2022, accompanied by their lecturers, Gregory Poh and Perseus Giter.
The purpose of the study visit was to bolster their knowledge, skills, and experience with industry experts, to bring them from the classroom to the real-life working industry, and to help them to appreciate their field of study more. It was also a fantastic opportunity for them to learn about the workings of a digital hotel. Kuching Park Hotel was chosen for the study visit because it is the first smart digital hotel to offer every guest a first-of-its-kind digital and hassle-free experience.
During the visit, Mason Ting, the Co-Founder and COO of Infinite Hospitality Group Sdn Bhd, briefed the students. Ting shared the story behind the hotel’s transformation process and the standard operating procedures (SOP) they needed to adhere to become a smart hotel. Ting said that the first three months of implementation were especially challenging when they encountered many problems with the system. However, the management found the right solutions to solve the problems effectively, and everything eventually fell into place.
Guests can make room reservations, order food, and purchase deals by utilising the application ‘Hello Worlds Rewards’. The smart rooms are equipped with smart IoT. The application allows guests to operate room automation, such as turning on/turning off the room lights, closing/opening the curtains, adjusting the room temperature and even playing music by speaking to the system. Instead of the usual room-service staff, Jill, the room-service robot, sends food and amenities according to guests’ orders. Kuching Park Hotel is Malaysia’s first and only hotel to deploy robots for room-service operations.
The students had the opportunity to experience the hotel ambience and room tour and also benefited from having their questions answered. SEGi College Sarawak thanks Kuching Park Hotel and Ting for this insightful learning session.
