Originally Posted by
arlflyer
Interesting review of the Pen. In my book it would be pretty tough to screw up that hard product. Wow - even if I just had to throw up the DND sign the whole stay I think I'd be happy with that setup! But I also do not really dine at on-property restaurants or bars (unless it is free
) so that part of the experience is less important to me.
I wonder if the service issues are specific to the property or if it is difficult to find good staff in the area - perhaps the market is very competitive?
Yes. Pretty much anyone who has the charisma and foreign language skills to meet the standards of 5-star hotels in Beijing or Shanghai at the entry level can make a lot more money outside of the hospitality sector. While some stick with it and move up the ranks, turnover is very high.
You might be thinking that the hotels could solve the attrition problem by simply increasing wages, but this just isn't practical for a variety of reasons. As such, the status quo remains: 1) recruit green horns in far flung cities; 2) train them; and 3) try to hang on to them as long as possible... repeat.