Adopting east asian cultures and themes in hotel branding a study of the m mandarin

Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research ISSN: 1094-1665 (Print) 1741-6507 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rapt20 Adopting “East Asian” cultures and themes in hotel branding: a study of the M Mandarin Justin Matthew Pang To cite this article: Justin Matthew Pang (2020): Adopting “East Asian” cultures and themes in hotel branding: a study of the M Mandarin, Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, DOI: 10.1080/10941665.2020.1773881 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2020.1773881 Published online: 03 Jun 2020 Submit your article to this journal Article views: 20 View related articles View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=rapt20 ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH–13 https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2020.1773881 Adopting “East Asian” cultures and themes in hotel branding: a study of the M Mandarin Justin Matthew Pang School of Business and Management, RMIT University, Hanoi, Vietnam ABSTRACT The M Mandarin hotel has capitalised on a “East Asian” theme to differentiate itself in the Singapore hotel scene It has employed “East Asian-ness” in its service-scape, through its supporting product, facilitating product, information, implicit and explicit services The hotel has also adopted induction processes by which staff are orientated into its “East Asian” organisational culture This case-study allows readers and students to assess to what extent an Asian hotel should exemplify its Asian roots and traditions, that would be most beneficial to the establishment Introduction This case-study highlights a perennial issue that many local Singapore-based hotels are faced with The issue at hand would be the adoption of predominant “East Asian” themes, for example, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, etc., into its service-scape This adoption, in the past, had granted many hotels to capitalise on their Asian locations, by adapting its heritage, roots, culture and thus differentiated themselves from their Western counterpart hotels The definition of “East Asian-ness” would be the greater tangibility in hospitality characteristics, warmth and graciousness, as compared to Western cultures (Wan & Chon, 2010) Examples of such “East Asian-ness” are highlighted in this case study However, many such hotels have lessened their use of the “East Asian” theme in recent years Hotels in developed cosmopolitan Asian cities such as Singapore have seen many local establishments, such as the Shangri-La and Mandarin Oriental placing less emphasis on their origins, taking on a quasi-western cum “East Asian” theme in recent years Therefore, this case-study presents a local pseudonymous hotel, M Mandarin which has leveraged on its “East Asian” roots It has taken this cultural aspect and infused it into all aspects of its product, service offering and human capital However, in view CONTACT Justin Matthew Pang © 2020 Asia Pacific Tourism Association justin.pang@rmit.edu.vn KEYWORDS Hotels; marketing; Asianness; East Asia; culture; Singapore; reconceptualise; values; hybrid; eclectic of the recent changes made by other hotels, it has begun to question whether it has taken this “East Asian” theme to the extreme Statement of teaching objectives This case-study invites readers and students alike to review the M Mandarin hotel’s adoption of its “East Asia” theme and to validate whether they should maintain their current position as a “unique, diversified East Asian” themed hotel or to conform with similar competitor hotels and offer a hybrid concept By analysing this case-study, students will be able to: discuss the importance of thematic marketing to target markets, apply various degrees of cultural and heritage adoptions to accentuate distinctiveness and uniqueness in hospitality and tourism products, apply different philosophies of eastern and/or western styled management vis-à-vis to the guest target market, critique the importance of the service-scape of a hotel vis-à-vis the guest residential experience, and evaluate an establishment’s holistic marketing effort vis-à-vis the guest selection and acceptance of the product RMIT University, 521 Kim Ma, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Vietnam J M PANG Students who will best benefit from this case-study are the ones in their sophomore year with an understanding of marketing, tourism and/or heritage culture This case-study would best be utilised in modules that has an Asian cultural curriculum slant in its teaching of hospitality marketing and management It would also allow readers and students to apply the use of heritage and culture into any hospitality and tourism establishments so that the learning can be extrapolated The M Mandarin and the dilemma of the general manager Matthias Ling was no stranger to the concepts of marketing and general management-ship of hotels in the Asian region The 53-year old veteran studied hotel management in a Swiss hotel school and rose through the ranks of the marketing departments of several flagship Asian-based hotels, such as the Shangri-La, Mandarin Oriental, ANA hotel and the Dusit-Thani hotel chains in the South-East Asia region His experience and ability to understand and infuse culture into an establishment’s marketing and operations have placed him as the choice candidate to take on the stewardship of the M Mandarin Currently, Matthias has held the role of the General Manager of the property for the last years During Matthias’ tenure, the M Mandarin has continued to maintain its good standing among the hotels in the Marina Square Bay Front area The hotel’s 575 guest rooms, restaurants, a bar-lounge and over 20,000 square feet of meeting space, comprising of ballrooms and several function rooms have always been a selling point for overseas and local guests One of the unique features of the hotel that has awed visitors is the airborne Asian flower sculpture in the middle of its 21-storey atrium Recently, Matthias was informed by the M Mandarin Hotels Group’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) that the chain’s “East Asian” image could be perceived as being too traditional and “old-fashioned,” from the surveys they have conducted especially among their younger clientele The CEO’s intention is to revamp the entire chain of hotels to portray a more modern theme and the M Mandarin hotel has been chosen as the experimental pilot site for this new concept, adapting its processes and the objectification of its hotel products and services to a hybrid Western cum “East Asia” concept If successful, this project would be rolled out for the rest of the hotels within the chain While Matthias understood that this new concept could be the way forward for the M Mandarin, he was uncertain whether this approach would dilute and erode the image, product and service that the hotel has consistently stood for On the other hand, he was also aware that many hotel chains have continued to personify a pseudo “East Asian” image, having done away with many “East Asian” practices and processes and chosen a Western-inclined concept and philosophy in management and operations Examples of such hotels having taken an eclectic approach in their theme and concept were the Shangri-La, Singapore and the Mandarin Oriental, Singapore Having worked in these hotels back in his formative years, Matthias recalled that these hotels originally adopted similar thematic practices like the M Mandarin, but later de-emphasised their “East-Asian” themes, taking on a more westernstyled approach and obtained global success in the process Matthias felt that the “East Asian” theme which the M Mandarin has so closely been associated with could have a detrimental effect on his hotel’s future success and perhaps it would be a good opportunity for a change of its product, service and management offering so as to foster both Asian values and modernity to create a new successful hybrid product The five dimensions of a hotel product Gathering his Executive Team, comprising of the hotel’s heads of departments at their weekly meeting, Matthias invited them on board the project of adopting an eclectic approach for the M Mandarin hotel He shared with them pictures of the Shangri-La, Singapore and the Mandarin Oriental, Singapore on their adoption of themes that were considered less “East Asian” and more western-inclined, as shown in Figures 1–8 The receptions and lobbies of the mentioned hotels were more contemporary and modern, which were accentuated by the use of natural and mood-lighting Guest rooms hardly featured any Asian themes or aesthetics Toiletries in the guest rooms were supplied from commercial corporate brands, with minimal “East Asian” brandings and staff uniforms were generally influenced by European dressing styles, emphasising typical western hotel form and function After his sharing on these hotels, Matthias gave an overview of the five dimensions of the hotel product, which has a direct impact on a guest’s choice of stay and his residential experience These five dimensions ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH Figure Lobby of Shangri-La, Singapore Figure Reception of Mandarin Oriental, Singapore were the supporting facility, the facilitating products, information from the establishment, the implicit service and explicit service, all driven by the hotel’s standards and practices.1 He defined each of these dimensions and gave a clear description of each aspect as detailed below The supporting facility element comprised of the tangible aspects of service, including features such as the architecture, structure, furnishings of the hotel The facilitating product element referred to the amenities or items that would be consumed by the consumer in the process of extending this service The information element referred to the data that was collected by the establishment, so that the service provided could be of a higher quality and to increase operational effectiveness and efficiency This information also included the messages that were conveyed to the guest using signage, be it direct or through a subtle and indirect form Services were categorised into two distinct areas, that is explicit and implicit Explicit services were services that can be perceived by the guest These were usually attuned to his/her five senses Implicit services were the ones that are indirectly perceived by the guest, and these could be attributed to the environment (atmospherics) or aesthetics and could have a psychological effect on a guest’s well-being.2 Matthias challenged his Executive Team to assess the hotel’s theme of “East Asian-ness” based on the five dimensions of the hotel product in the weeks to come He hoped that by analysing these dimensions within the scope of the M Mandarin product, the Executive Team would be able to evaluate their impact on their customers and bring about changes in the hotel and other properties within the hotel group in the future “East Asian-ness” in the M Mandarin’s product After several weeks of compilation, categorisation and evaluation, Matthias was presented with the information on the hotel’s “East Asian-ness” theme based on the five distinctive dimensions of its hotel product, as mentioned earlier These findings were highlighted below Supporting facility Figure Shangri-La, Singapore Hotel Room Firstly, in terms of the supporting facility dimension, the M Mandarin is decorated with distinctive traditional Chinese furniture Chinese “long bed” sofas are used instead of contemporary sofas as highlighted in Figure The hotel also displays traditional Chinese art pieces to highlight the rich Chinese heritage of the hotel, as depicted in Figure 10 To ensure that guests are able to relate specifically to the Chinese element, two statues depicting revered ancient Chinese scholars, Li-Bai and Confucius have been placed at the main entrance of the lobby, as shown in Figures 11 and 12 Adding to the “East Asian-ness” feel, the J M PANG Figure Mandarin Oriental, Singapore Hotel Room Figure Toiletries of Mandarin Oriental, Singapore hotel’s designers have ensured that Chinese arts forms also subtly displayed not only on furnishings but carved on the superstructure of the hotel Figure 13 displayed Chinese motifs imprinted on the pillars of the hotel Symbol association also plays an important role in the conveyance of ideas, belief, and actions.3 People who identify strongly with symbols usually manifest these feelings in traits such as interest, values and loyalty vis-à-vis to the symbol.4 In the case of the M Mandarin, they have used two logos – a stylised “M” and a Chinese scholar’s hat as depicted in Figure 14 This former symbol resonates with “East Asianness” like an Oriental motif Moreover, the rounded symbol looks like a traditional Chinese seal of authority used by Chinese scholars and traditional imperial ministers The latter symbol resembling a Chinese scholar’s hat denotes “East Asian-ness” and translates the value of merit (or worthiness of the hotel) The parent company of the hotel, whose name is stylised by the alphabet “M” is derived from the word “Merit.” The orchid is Singapore’s national flower and in Chinese culture, it symbolises nobility and integrity Leveraging on the symbolism, the M Mandarin displays an airborne static sculpture of an orchid, aptly named “Orchidia.” This art-piece further denotes an “East Asian” feel as the orchid is a flower that is highly revered in the East Moreover, this sculpture “successfully blends Asian service with a dramatic international design.”5 The suspended sculpture is shown on Figure 15 The uniform worn by the staff is also differentiated from most conventional hotels Most hotels adopt western business uniforms for their staff However, in the case of the M Mandarin, the hotel has adopted the Chinese “cheongsam,” as depicted in Figure 16 This garment enables “the iconic M Mandarin ambassador cuts a graceful silhouette in her red cheongsam, as the embodiment of the revered tradition of Asian hospitality.”6 Other variants are also used for other departments of the hotel as shown in Figure 17 In consistence with their female service counterpart and the “East Asian” feel, male front line staff wear a male “sam-foo,” a gentleman’s outfit worn in traditional China, as depicted in Figure 18 Figure Toiletries of Shangri-La, Singapore Figure Staff uniform of Shangri-La, Singapore ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH Figure Staff uniform of Mandarin Oriental, Singapore It has been noted that most guests spend up to 80 percent of their time at the hotel in their rooms.7 Therefore, the rooms need to be equipped with the necessary products that will convey a sense of “East Asian-ness” as well In the rooms, bed sheets and bed runners are adorned with Asian symbols, depicted in Figure 19 Furnishings also have Chinese carvings and paintings are placed in the rooms to accentuate the “East Asian” feel, as shown in Figure 20 Furthermore, as the hotel is situated in an Asian country, guests’ welcome fruits are tropical Asian fruits, such as rambutans and mangosteens The hotel even provides pictorial classifications highlighting the different categories of the fruits and their places of origins within Asia Lastly, as welcome gifts for the visiting dignitaries, the hotel endeavours to retain its oriental feel, by giving Chinese chopsticks, tins of Chinese tea or compact disc of Chinese music pieces, unlike western hotels that present more generic gifts such as standard pens and stationery Figure Long bed Figure 10 Lobby paintings Facilitating products The facilitating products are items that are used and consumed in the production of the service These are often referred to as amenities There are many amenities which support the M Mandarin in its 5star service; however certain facilitating products accentuate its “East Asian-ness.” Examples of such products would be its range of toiletries as depicted in Figure 21 These products employ the use of the M Mandarin symbol on its packaging Moreover, Figure 11 Li Bai sculpture 6 J M PANG Figure 14 Symbols Figure 12 Confucius sculpture these products are obtained from China, so that it is aligned to its core offering Washing products, such as shower gels and soaps highlight aromas associated with Chinese culture, such as lotus flowers and bamboo Figure 13 Superstructure Asian motif Asia is known for its plethora of food offerings and each region within Asia is often recognised by its specific and unique food-types.8 Using this concept, the M Mandarin sells “Asian-ness” through its food offerings Breakfast, unlike western hotels includes a line-up of “East Asian” Chinese food, such as Chinese “siew-mai” (meat dumplings) and congee The hotel has even created its own cocktail, known as the “Oriental Warmth.” The hotel also highlights its Hainanese Chicken Rice dish as a form of this of “East Asianness.” This dish has traditional links to Hainan Island, off the southern coast of China, and is synonymous with Singapore’s Chinese ethnic food culture Information As for the third element of service, information, the M Mandarin predominantly sells itself as an “East Asian” hospitality establishment Information refers Figure 15 “Orchidia” sculpture ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH Figure 16 Main (female) uniform Figure 18 Main (male) uniform to the message and image that is conveyed to the guest Moreover, information can be separated into explicit and tacit information.9 Explicit information is information that is articulated, codified and stored in media This form of information can be easily communicated Tacit information, on the other hand, is harder to communicate For the explicit form of information, the M Mandarin uses signs in multiple languages to depict its “Asian-ness,” as highlighted in Figure 22 The hotel business cards are also printed using Mandarin on one side, and in English characters on the other English and Mandarin collateral, such as brochures, are used in the selling of the hotel In terms of its alliances and affiliations, the M Mandarin used to be part of the now-defunct Asian Hotel Alliance The Asian Hotel Alliance used to consist of five Asian Figure 17 Variant (female) uniform Figure 19 Bed-runner 8 J M PANG Figure 22 Signages Figure 20 Decorative Chinese plates in the rooms chains, which are Dusit Hotels and Resorts, Landis Hotels and Resorts, Marco Polo Hotels, New Otani Hotels Group and M Mandarin Hotels, had more than with more than 50 properties under its umbrella These chains supported each other in term of reservations referral till its merger with Global Hotel Alliance in 2006 M Mandarin was a founding member in the alliance since its inception in 2002, when it decided to associate itself with the group to espouse a shared philosophy of “East Asian” hospitality service In terms of tacit information, the hotel implicitly uses softer “touches” to sell its Asian values This can be seen in the hotel’s corporate website design The touch of “Asian-ness” is consistent throughout the construct of the website and it has the option of changing the web-hosting language, from English to other Asian languages, such as traditional Mandarin, simplified Mandarin, Japanese etc Explicit service The service element can be divided into explicit and implicit aspects.10 These respects of service are also known as tangibility and intangibility respectively Tangibility refers to the services being physically experienced by the guest through the five senses, hence explicit; whereas intangibility or implicit would be that where services are not “felt” in a physical sense.11 An explicit service element which is offered by the M Mandarin, would be that of the serving of welcome tea This “East Asian” practice is a unique ritual that is given to visiting dignitaries The customer is presented with a cup of welcome tea, unlike in conventional hotels where a fruit punch or a cocktail is served instead Tea-originated from Yunnan, China12 – is regarded as a Chinese national drink under the rule of Emperor Qin-ShiHuang-Di, circa 221–210 BC Another Asian practice that is uniquely carried out in the M Mandarin would be that of their telephone greetings Unlike conventional hotels, the hotel employs Chinese greetings Opening phrases such as “Good morning” are always said in Mandarin, prior to using English as a form of communication medium Implicit service Figure 21 Toiletries For implicit service, the M Mandarin employs subtle ambience techniques to bring about an inclinedAsian feel One of the methods used is that of its smell Chinese furnishings have always been associated with rosewood and teak scents As such, the hotel has contracted scent experts to create a rosewood fragrance This fragrance is pumped into their air-vents to further create an Asian atmosphere throughout the establishment ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH Music is also an important aspect in the creation of ambience During the weekends, the hotel employs a Chinese string quartet to play the “erhu” (two-stringed spike fiddle) to create a Chinese environment, similar to the ancient Oriental Imperial courts One of the unique implicit services that are used would be that of the employment of Chinese songbirds, as shown in Figure 23 These songbirds are placed around lobby during the day The birds’ singing and chirping adds an “East Asian-feel” to the environment Therefore, from the above practices, rituals and symbols, it can be observed that the M Mandarin strongly attempts to create an all-rounded approach to creating an atmosphere where guests will be able to better appreciate the graciousness and warmth of “East Asian” hospitality An “East Asian-ness” orientation among the staff While the five dimensions of the hotel product exemplifies the core theme of the hotel, Matthias was also aware the staff training and orientation are important in accentuating the “East Asian” concept to guests Therefore, for the M Mandarin to espouse Asian concepts and values to their staff, new employees are put through an “East Asian-ness” induction programme as part of their orientation This programme entails using philosophy books on Asian values, as part of the training These books depict training and service scenarios, with an “East Asian” slant The books come in bilingual Chinese format, where new staff are able to learn better with the direct translation of the Chinese words used During orientation programmes, staff are introduced to the hotel’s core values detailed Figure 23 Chinese songbirds in its mission statement, vision and values that are aligned to “Asian-ness.” A copy of this credo, as shown in Figure 24, is given to the staff in the form of a pocket-card, stating these values Moreover, during the induction programme over a period of six months, they will be taught basic mandarin words on how to properly greet guests Furthermore, as part of a continuous effort to increase their oriental approach, both English and Mandarin language classes are made available to staff to upgrade their linguistic abilities Understanding Eastern and Western philosophies in hospitality management and operations With the completion of the assessment, Matthias wanted his Executive Team to understand how culture not only affected the product and service of the hotel but also the management styles, so that this team could execute the revamp Given his western education and experience working at both international hotel chains and destinations, Matthias highlighted to his staff the differences in Western and Eastern styles of hotel management, so that they could infuse the best practices of each philosophy into the revamped M Mandarin, giving it the right organisational capabilities and management which would bring about future financial success (Lam et al., 2015) Western philosophies in hospitality management and operations Matthias highlighted that the western hospitality management was centred on developing quality and Figure 24 Copy of employee values pocket card 10 J M PANG customer satisfaction by building a personal ownership of service excellence (Mwaura et al., 1998) This has been espoused in values such as being practical, having social mobility, achieving personal excellence, and having greater productivity (Peters & Waterman, 2012) He supported his teaching from Ritz Carlton’s book on service excellence which is developed from a western serviced philosophical standpoint (Michelli, 2008) Matthias explained that service rendered from western philosophy is seen as “play hosting” to the customer where the customer and the service provider are on equal status footing, thereby emphasising Solomon’s (2007) theory that westerners adopt an egalitarian approach to service He also mentioned that the western hospitality operators are more inclined to be decision-makers compared to their eastern counterparts (Wan & Chon, 2010), and supported his teaching with a study conducted by Huyton and Baker (1991) highlighting that western philosophy-inclined staff felt that they were more empowered to assist customers in their hotels Eastern philosophies in hospitality management and operations In the case of the eastern philosophy of hospitality operations, which the M Mandarin was currently steeped in, Asians view hospitality differently Matthias mentioned that Asian cultures look upon service or the having to serve another, as a “loss of face” or from a point of servitude (Pang et al., 1998) This was due to the reason that Asians have higher perceptions of formalisation as compared to western cultures However, with greater commercialization and modernity, more Asian cultures are coming to terms with the needs of service On this note, Matthias mentioned that service from an Asian perspective is taken at a personal level compared to the western philosophy, which takes a corporate stance (Tsang, 2011) Matthias explained that Asian rituals are also more elaborate, have greater personal-vested interest and were a collective representation of the establishment and organisation (Ahn et al., 2013) An example given by Matthias was that of a handshake A handshake in the western context is seen as being transactional and a norm within the business context However, in Asia, a handshake greeting has a more personal attachment rather than just being transactional These rituals are woven into the fabric of the service providers’ customs, culture, traditions and religious beliefs Moreover, certain practices have ritualistic steps with each denoting a certain cultural significance Matthias cited the example of a Japanese tea ritual ceremony which has symbolic meanings at each preparatory stage In terms of the individualism, Matthias explained that Asian operators are more collective They generally put the goals of the organisation above their own and loyalty to the organisation was held in high regard in their value system (Hofstede et al., 2010) However, he mentioned that having a collective outlook could have a negative impact where staff are unwilling to stand-out and make decisions for the organisations Limitations of the M Mandarin’s Eastern Asian philosophy Having conducted a thorough assessment and sharing on the different styles of management, Matthias recognised that the hotel’s concept of espousing “East Asian-ness” has both advantages and limitations While the current practices, systems and culture clearly defined the property, granting it a unique product which could be an advantage for certain target segments, the limitations were less succinct The primary strategy of the M Mandarin was about selling an East Asian theme to the business and corporate guests However, these two aspects are not necessarily aligned Corporate guests’ primary need for a stay in a hotel are centred on the need for efficiency They are also utilitarian, and desire facilities that will support their business needs (for example, business centres, and gymnasiums to keep fit while working) These aspects might not be suited for an “East Asian” theme “East Asia” values exude warmth, gracious, and a sense of hospitality This is generally associated with a sense of gentleness, graciousness and slowness, where efficiency and productivity are not a priority Generally, the priorities of business travellers are ranked with speed, location of hotel and functionalities in the choice of hotel.13 Moreover, the choice of uniform for female staff, the “cheongsam” was a poor choice of utilitarian function as it inhibits movement (being tight-fitting) and could lead to a loss of modesty, with its high slit cutting on the dress, potentially exposing oneself Furthermore, as Singapore moves to become a truly international city, more travellers are coming to Singapore to experience internationalisation, rather than to see a specific “East Asian” theme With China being more open and having greater accessibility, more visitors would rather visit China to experience authentic ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH Chinese hotels, hospitality and culture One of the markets that the M Mandarin tapped into is that of the Chinese market However, there are growing segments within the Chinese out-bound market adopting a more western-centric tourism experience.14 These tourists shied away from desiring a Chinese experience while travelling; rather, their intention was to expose themselves to western and other ethnic cultures and experiences.15 They have a growing preference for visiting western countries.16 Hence the “Asian-ness” theme of the M Mandarin might seem to these Chinese travellers to have a false faỗade and might be deemed as unauthentic or trifling They might even consider the M Mandarin as having over-played its “East Asian” concept to the point where it has become cheap and distasteful to them 11 also been changed from the warm yellow lights to blue neon ones, to infuse a sense of modernity With all these upgrades in the M Mandarin and an evolving market of discerning customers, Matthias felt that there is a need to revamp the hotel in accordance to change customer needs and desires Nonetheless, he was concerned about the extent to which he could change the concept of the hotel, without alienating his current clientele and running against the grain of the entrenched theme and management style, one which has proven to work well over the years He was also mindful how the change could be phased in progressively, without overly “rocking the boat.” Regardless of his decision, he knew that the M Mandarin is synonymous with exceptional service and was keen to maintain these high standards, throughout the change process Possible evolution for the M Mandarin As Matthias pondered on the degree of adopting Western and contemporary concepts and management, he acknowledged the current strengths of the M Mandarin The hotel has a unique selling characteristic, which is its “East Asian” theme This theme continues to differentiate the hotel from its conventional competitors in the Marina Bay area, such as the Conrad Centennial Hotel, the J.W Marriott and the Fairmount Raffles City – Singapore However, considering its highlighted limitations, Matthias wondered how he could draw from the examples set by similar East-Asian associated hotels such as the Shangri-La, Singapore and Mandarin Oriental, Singapore, by connoting an Asian brand name, while striking a balance between adopting a contemporary modern concept and yet maintaining its “East Asian” feel cum fusion approach Matthias was also aware that the hotel has seen more Gen-Y guests who are more functionally inclined, with less appreciation for tradition.17 In his time spent at the M Mandarin, he has seen a slight decline in this younger market over the years He remembered that several years ago, prior to his appointment as General Manager of the hotel, the decorative oriental dancing troupe lion-head lobby centrepiece, as shown in Figure 25, was replaced by a crystal sculpture, depicting a more “zen-like” visage, due to customer feedback that it was “too oriental and traditional.” The furnishing in the lobby-lounge was also changed to depict a more eclectic, minimalist environment after their last renovation, to cater to new evolving markets The evening lighting of the lounge has Conclusion Essentially, Matthias understood the M Mandarin has always leveraged on its singular and central concept of being “East Asian.” This constant theme has permeated all aspects of the hotel, ranging from its operations to its marketing It was also its unique selling point in standing-out from her competitors On hindsight, Matthias felt that being overly steeped in tradition might pose a concern to the Figure 25 Former lobby centrepiece (Chinese Lion-head) 12 J M PANG hotel in current times, especially for one located in Singapore, a city–state known for its internationalisation, modernity, efficiency and pervasive use of technology Guests nowadays are more sophiscated in their choices and demands in selecting hotels and the functions they offer to their customers They might find contemporary themes more appealing in a modern city such as Singapore, thus proliferating avantgarde hotel environments With hotels taking greater interest in the confluence of eastern and western philosophies in management, Matthias was optimistic that the M Mandarin Hotel Group would want the M Mandarin to take an eclectic approach with a fusion of these two different cultures and adopt a hybrid version of “East Asian-ness” cum contemporary western philosophy of management to continue to be successful With the high probability of these changes happening in the near future and with a new concept to match, Matthias was certain that the hotel would need to redefine and develop new marketing strategies, execute the aligned changes within the framework and dimensions of the hotel product, without alienating their loyal guests in a progressive and constructive manner Notes From “Creating a framework for the Asian paradigm of hospitality management,” by M Ahn, G Ho, Y Chen and K Chon, 21–23 May 2013, 11th ApacCHRIE Conference Macau SAR, China: University of Macau Copyright 2013 by University of Macau Reprinted with permission From “Atmospherics as a marketing tool,” by P Kotler, 1974, Journal of Retailing,49 (4), p 48 Copyright 2020 by the Elsevier Reprinted with permission From Symbols and Meanings: A Concise Introduction, by M Womack, 2005, Walnut Creek, CA.: Altamira Press Copyright 2005 by Altamira Press Adapted with permission From Symbols: Public and Private, by R Firth, R, 1973, Oxon: Routledge Copyright 1973 by Routledge Adapted with permission From Hotel Design: Planning and Development (p 375), by W Rutes, R Penner, and L Adam, 2001, New York: Norton and Company Copyright 2001 by Norton and Company Reprinted with permission From “Meritus Hotels and Resorts celebrates Asian heritage,” by Buzz.travel, 2012 (https://www.eturbonews com/53630/meritus-hotels-and-resorts-celebrates-asianheritage) In the public domain From “Holidaying Brits spend ‘majority’ of time in their hotel,” by P Davies, 2008 (http://www.travelmole.com/ news_feature.php?id=1128660) In the public domain From “Hybridity, Ethnicity and Food in Singapore,” by B Chua and A Rajah, in D Wu and C Tan (Eds.), Changing Chinese Foodways in Asia (p 161), 2001, Hong Kong: 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Chinese University Press Copyright 2001 by Chinese University Press Adapted with permission From “The role of tacit and explicit knowledge in the workplace,” by E Smith, 2001, Journal of Knowledge Management, (4), p 311 Copyright 2001 by Emerald Publishing Reprinted with permission From Services Management: The New Paradigm in Hospitality, by J Kandampully, 2002, Australia: Pearson Education Copyright 2002 by Pearson Education Adapted with permission From “Theory in hospitality management,” by P Nailon, 1982, International Journal of Hospitality Management, (3), p 135 Copyright 1982 by Elsevier Reprinted with permission From The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide, by M Heiss, M and R Heiss, 2007, Berkeley, CA.: Ten Speed Press Copyright 2007 by Ten Speed Press Adapted with permission From “An importance-performance analysis of hotel selection factors in the Hong Kong hotel industry: A comparison of business and leisure travellers,” by K Chu and T Choi, 2000, Tourism Management, 21 (4), p 363 Copyright 2000 by Elsevier Printed with permission From “The Asian wave and critical tourism scholarship,” by T.C Chang, 2015, International Journal of Asia Pacific Studies, 11 (1), p 83 Copyright 2015 by USM Press Printed with permission From “Chinese Tourists’ Westward Wanderlust: How China’s Booming Outbound Tourism Is Changing The Global Travel Industry,” by M FlorCruz, 2013 (http:// www.ibtimes.com/chinese-tourists-westwardwanderlust-how-chinas-booming-outbound-tourismchanging-global-travel) In the public domain From “When east meets west: An exploratory study on Chinese outbound tourists’ travel expectations,” by X Li, C Lai, R Harrill, S Kline and L Way, 2011, Tourism Management, 32 (4), p 741 Copyright 2011 by Elsevier Printed with permission From “Getting to know the Y generation,” by D Pendergast, in P Benckendorff, G Loscardo, & D Pendergast (Eds), Tourism and Generation Y (p 14), 2010, Oxfordshire: CABI Copyright 2010 by CABI Adapted with permission Disclosure statement No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s) References Ahn, M., Ho, G., Chen, Y., & Chon, K (2013) Creating a framework for the Asian paradigm of hospitality management In 11th ApacCHRIE Conference, 21–23 May University of Macau Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G J., & Minkov, N (2010) Cultures and organisations: Software of the mind McGraw-Hill Huyton, J., & Baker, S (1991, 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Singapore and Mandarin Oriental, Singapore, by connoting an Asian brand name, while striking a balance between adopting a contemporary modern concept and yet maintaining its ? ?East Asian? ?? feel cum fusion