By Amanina Mohamad Yusof
THE Covid-19 pandemic has brought the world to a grinding halt as governments imposed sweeping measures to stem the spread of the virus.
The devastating impact has left the hospitality industry down to its knees, forcing many hotels in major cities to cease operations, while some are struggling to stay afloat.
Against the backdrop of the global pandemic, hotels which are still operating under these challenging times, are adapting and reinventing themselves by introducing options to save their business.
Taking the crisis in a stride, Movenpick Hotel and Convention Centre KLIA (Movenpick KLIA) which is located minutes away from KLIA, explored ways to raise the bar in the industry amid the challenges.
Movenpick KLIA General Manager Wan Enderi Mohd Saad told Bernama, the hotel, which started its operation on Oct 1, 2018, felt the brunt of the pandemic from the onset when the movement control order (MCO) was implemented on March 18, 2020.
He said pre-Covid-19 business was brisk, drawing overwhelming demand from corporate and government clients to organise events or conferences at the convention centre or local guests during the hajj season.
The five-star hotel, which is located minutes away from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), is owned by Lembaga Tabung Haji, also known as Tabung Haji (TH). The hotel is the departure point for haj pilgrims.
He said with tighter restrictions, the hotel management had to look for innovative ways to generate income or to minimise expenditure in a bid to sustain its operation while ensuring staff welfare was not neglected.
Frozen marinated lamb
Movenpick KLIA responded swiftly to pivot its business to delivering frozen marinated lamb from the hotel’s Temasya kitchen to customers located around Cyberjaya, Sepang, Salak Tinggi and Bandar Enstek.
Branded as Kambing Perap Temasya or Temasya Marinated Lamb, the frozen meat, which made its debut in February this year, comes in two flavours — Mongolian and Honey Glaze.
Its frozen marinated lamb is specially curated by Movenpick KLIA’s Chef Sous Firdaus Atan Din. It comes in 500 gramme and one kilogramme packs together with black pepper sauce and oven-roasted potatoes. Delivery within 30 km radius is available or customers can self-pick up their orders.
“Our marinated lamb is one of our signature dishes on our buffet menu, especially during Ramadan, and has always been popular among our hotel patrons,” said Wan Enderi.
“So far, over 150 packs of the frozen marinated lamb have been sold. Demand is rather lacklustre given that the hotel is not located in a residential area,” he added. The hotel also sells fish head curry which is directly delivered to the customer’s house or office.
Meanwhile, Chef Sous Firdaus said the Kambing Perap Temasya is a fusion of Mongolian and South American flavours. Blended to suit the Asian palate, he takes three hours to prepare the spices until it is ready to be marinated.
“The lamb is from the White Dorper breed from Australia, which is chosen for its premium quality, tender texture and fresh meat. The lamb meat has a low-fat content with equal amounts of (saturated and monounsaturated) fats, making it easier for marinating,” he said.
Firdaus said Movenpick KLIA’s marinated lamb is savoury, with a combination of all the flavours in one; it is spicy, sour and sweet, which makes it unique and special as against those available in the market.
The Mongolian Marinated Lamb is specially prepared by strictly maintaining the original meat taste with minimal use of spices and herbs while the South American Honey Glazed flavour is popular among Malaysians who prefer the stir-fried aromatic style of cooking.
“To ensure consistency, the ingredients and techniques in preparing the marinade are preserved,” he said, adding that the vacuum meat tumbler technology produces tender and tasty meat.
He said both Mongolian and Honey Glazed flavours were picked as a result of encouraging demand from the hotel patrons.
On the difference between the frozen marinated lamb and grilled lamb that is usually popular on festive occasions, Firdaus said both have different tastes, noting that preparation for the Kambing Perap Temasya unleashes the exquisite taste of a well-blended marinade.
On the other hand, the kambing golek or grilled lamb is spicier and is grilled in the open with its recipe adapted from the Middle East, he said.
Cost-saving
To consolidate its operations, Wan Enderi said the hotel has undertaken cost-cutting measures, which include prudent and efficient use of electricity as well as halting the intake of new staff.
The hotel is now left with a workforce of 125 employees at various units and departments as against 189 previously.
“We have not retrenched our staff, but some have left the hotel for various reasons and the vacant positions have not been filled,” he said.
To optimise its resources, he said, the hotel has deployed its sales personnel, who were unable to meet up with clients due to the control measures, to other departments which were short of manpower.
Wan Enderi said the management has assured that the cost-saving initiatives, which include minimising electricity consumption, would not disrupt the hotel operation.
At the three-block hotel, electricity and air-conditioner at those unoccupied premises will be switched off, he said, noting that the cost-saving initiatives have been well-received by the staff.
“We also encourage our staff to use the stairs instead of the lift. Besides saving electricity, climbing or going down one flight of stairs is good for the health,” he said.
Other initiatives and future plans
Wan Enderi said given that Movenpick KLIA no longer receives visitors, it has applied to the government to turn the hotel into a quarantine centre especially for those who have just returned from overseas, starting July 1.
So far, the convention centre which is located adjacent to the hotel has also been rented out to the state government at a minimum rate as a mega vaccination centre since July 5.
To a question, Wan Enderi said the postponement of haj pilgrimage for two consecutive years since 2020 due to the global pandemic has no major impact on the hotel.
“Under the terms of our agreement with Lembaga Tabung Haji, for 45 days in a year, the convention centre has to be handed over to TH management for use by our Malaysian haj pilgrims,” he said.
Looking ahead, Wan Enderi foresees demand will be slow as guest expectations are likely to change in a post Covid-19 environment, with tourists opting for attractive packages offered by hotels.
“Demand for hotels will be there but not as robust as the pre-crisis level in 2019. Room rates will definitely go down, as the market will not accept the 2019 rates. Say, for a RM300 bedroom, people are just willing to pay RM250 in 2022.
“To secure business, hotels will have to reduce its room rates. Hence, a price war is expected to take place in the next five years,” he added.
Wan Enderi, who has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry said, the pandemic caught everyone off-guard, noting that one of the valuable lessons learnt is a call for preparedness.
“No one expected the pandemic to stretch for more than a year. Honestly speaking, when the government announced the MCO last year, I thought it would last for only three months, but it has now dragged on for two years, with no signs of the virus abating.
“For me, it is a new learning experience. As general manager, the responsibility rests on my shoulders to generate income for the hotel, no matter how small,” he added.
He opined that even after the herd immunity is achieved, standard operating procedures (SOPs) such as mask-wearing and physical distancing by one metre, should be observed.
“In my view, although the situation is back to normal, we still need to maintain the SOPs. We need to learn to live with the virus as it may not be totally wiped out,” he said.
Sited on a 7.2-hectare land, Movenpick KLIA is a Muslim-friendly hotel with syariah-compliant equipment and facilities. It features 333 rooms and suites including luxurious suites, plus an executive lounge and five restaurants.
The hotel also offers separate recreational facilities such as swimming pool, gymnasium and spa for female guests. There is also a children’s swimming pool, playground and tennis court.
Movenpick KLIA serves as a major host venue for upscale international exhibitions and conferences. It boasts two convention halls, a spacious ballroom and 17 meeting rooms. The convention hall can accommodate up to 2,500 delegates. – Bernama
