Well, the question was asked on an English-language forum populated by people who travel all over the world, so I don't know why one would dismiss the responses received so far. :confused:

At a 5-star luxury hotel in Thailand, it stands to reason that English speakers and/or Westerners in general (not that we're all Westerners) would be an important-enough market segment that they'd want to listen to the feedback. Especially when that feedback doesn't preclude the hotel from delivering tailored service for other market segments.

The idea of digital key / digital checkout certainly doesn't preclude a guest from getting full-service from the front desk if they want it. While I appreciate a great concierge at a luxury hotel, I'm never going to want an inefficient check-in or check-out process.

FT is a frequent flying demographic patronizing the front cabin on widebody aircraft, so why would that be incompatible with clientele of a "luxury brand international business hotel" ?

I just got back from Thailand and can perhaps give a fresh idea for your son.

It would be nice to have suites have a Buffet Breakfast setup as well as a Buffet Dinner Setup included in the cost of the stay so that way if you are going out for a meeting you don't have to wait in those long buffet lines and then when you return on nights that you are too tired to go out to dinner a nice Thai Dinner Buffet awaits you back in your room.

Another idea would be to offer a Customized SmartTV with content that the guest would be inclined to watch from CNN International to Netflix along with streaming movies etc. A day before the guest arrive they would login to the Hotel Portal with their preferences and register their payment info and when they arrive the mini bar would be setup as would their Smart TV.

Also having a ensuite Washer/Dryer that the Hotel Staff can operate as opposed to sending it out it would be done on your schedule along with Dry Cleaning and Pressing. A Hotel Butler would coordinate with the staff to do your laundry when you are away. You could register your away hours using the Smart TV and your needs would be met during your time away.

The Hotel also could provide a Thai Orchid Lounge for their Executive Club where Thai Airways operates the lounge with massage, food, beverage and a private Spa Suite with Turkish Hamams , Jacuzzi Suites and a Jet Lag Recovery Suite with the proper lighting, music and massage.

For late departures and early arrivals guest on the Executive Floor could use resting rooms and access the pool area as well. When the room is assigned a porter could take the luggage to the room.

One last idea is to have a VIP Tuk Tuk service stocked with Complimetnary Drinks and Snacks instead of a limo the Tuk TUk could have luxury seating, TV and Mini Bar.

I hope these ideas can help your son,

Since the OP has never returned with input are we talking to ourselves?

Better yet why not offer checkin done the day of arrival and your Limo Driver has the Key ready for you and for those not using a Limo a kiosk at the Customs Exit allows you to checkin and the kiosk would inform the hotel of your cehckin and when you arrive you go directly to the Luggage Porter who has your keys ready to go.

Thanks to everyone who has given their time to offer their individual thoughts and perspectives! He welcomes all of them. I have passed on to him what everyone here has suggested.

To answer a few of your statements, he does currently work in Thailand, but Accor hotels have an international footprint, so he is not interested in solely Southeast Asia properties.

Also, he has actually asked for more specific areas of enhancing the Guest Services area...meaning he asks you to think outside of the box especially when it has to do with technology. The ideas about lighting and TV specific content was really interesting!

Again, thank you to everyone for taking the time to answer!

MB

I really like not having to repeat myself! My best hotel stay experiences (all over the world, including SE Asia) are the ones where they listen and take notes. For example, at one Asian hotel recently, I mentioned at my first meal at the hotel to the waiter that I am vegetarian. From that moment on (at every food service point in the hotel) it was known that I was vegetarian, so when I sat down the waiter would bring me the menu, point out the items that were suitable for me, and on several occasions, the chef would offer to make me something not on the menu. On other occasions, if I ask for additional towels on my first night, don't make me re-request them each day (know that if I asked for 4 the first day, keeping 4 stocked for the duration is what I would like). The same thing applies to my non verbal requests - if I have clearly moved something in the room (say, moved the waste paper bin to the desk area rather than by the TV) assume that I did it because that is where I needed it, not make me move it back every day. I also got driven insane by a maid who insisted on unplugging my chargers from beside the bed, and putting them over at the desk area. WHY??????

I would say the single best thing a hotel can do though, is to empower the individual staff members to help guests. The most genuine experiences I have had are when a single staff member has done something additional for me - last month, when I was sick, the F&B manager of a hotel sent up a tray with a flask of hot water, honey, lemon and ginger. No charge on my bill for his caring gesture. On other occasions, I remarked upon something (say the fragrance of the massage oil during a spa treatment) and returned to my room later to find a small vial of bath oil in the same fragrance for me to use that evening. These things stick in my mind far more than the grand gestures - a small remark, or noticing that I had a second helping of a macaron at afternoon tea (and a small saucer of macarons being left at turndown) are what really marks out a property as 'something special'.

YES!!!! :):)

I read an article while I was at the BKK airport about Accor Hotels expanding in Southeast Asia. I wish your son all the best and I would love to work in the Guest Experience department of a luxury hotel sounds fun and challenging at the same time.

It would help if your son actually slept in the hotel rooms varying the Deluxe, Superior and Luxury rooms so that way he knows if there are any issues after reading the guest comment cards. Perhaps the mattress is too firm etc.