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| Swingin' hot spot |
| Written by Regina William | |||
| Monday, 08 June 2009 11:24 | |||
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Hard Rock Hotel Penang general manager John Primmer says Hard Rock Hotel Penang, originally scheduled to open in June or July, will offer an experience that Hard Rock Café fans will never forget. The hotel, complete with its famed Café, is one of two out of the 12 Hard Rock Hotels in the world run by the same management, the other being the Hard Rock Hotel and Café in Pattaya, Thailand. “How are we different from the other hotels? Our product is not what the others offer as we are an entertainment hotel; everything we do revolves around this concept and we want to turn the Batu Ferringhi night scene upside-down. The Hard Rock culture is about being irreverent and living for the moment, so you can expect Hard Rock Hotel Penang to offer an experience that abounds with limitless energy, unparalleled creativity and quality service, which is a far cry from the typical sun, sand and sea  vacation,” says Primmer in an interview with The Edge.By September, at least 50% of the rooms, public areas, café, merchandising club and a few restaurants will be opened. Already, online bookings have exceeded several hundred, and this has surprised even Primmer. “The response has been overwhelming and our recently launched website has had many hits even though we have yet to start our advertisement blitz. The enquiries have been mostly from Australia, Singapore and, surprise, surprise, from locals in Penang,” says Primmer. Initially, the hotel hopes to zoom in on the Singaporean and Malaysian markets and then start aggressive promotions in Australia, the UK and the Middle East. Primmer says the hotel will tie up with travel agencies abroad and also event management companies to hold music-related events at the hotel. Targeting families and young couples, the hotel boasts the latest in technology, with iPod docking stations and free WiFi Internet services in rooms. Die-hard music fans will be pleasantly surprised at the number of Hard Rock memorabilia which will be displayed all over the hotel. “We will have 70,000 original pieces displayed and two Hard Rock merchandise stores for fans to buy back home as souvenirs or gifts,” says Primmer. Located on the former Casuarina Beach Hotel grounds, the previous hotel has been stripped, with only the walls remaining, and another floor with suites being added on the top of the six-storey hotel’s main building. The top floor, which will be the executive wing, will feature a Rock Star suite and 15 sea-view studio suites with a kitchenette. The hotel rooms range from 32 to 57 sq m, 70% of them with sea-view and the rest lagoon-view, all of which come with direct access to an oversized 26,000 sq ft pool complete with sand islands, water slides and eight poolside cabanas for rent. There will be five food and beverage outlets, including the world famous Hard Rock Café, an all-day dining restaurant known as Starz Diner, The Shack swim-up bar, a lobby lounge and a Pizzeria by the poolside. There will also be a full-service Hard Rock luxury spa, a fully equipped gym, a specialised Lil’ Rock Kids Club, a Teens Club, a business centre and a Kings Club lounge. Even the 300-pax capacity ballroom is different from other normal ballrooms with four walls. This one is shaped like a marquee, with glass walls on two sides. There are three smaller meeting rooms and also teambuilding facilities in place for companies seeking a difference. Primmer is confident that with rates ranging from between RM300 and RM400 to the RM3,000 per night for the Rock Star suite and its novelty facilities, the hotel will be a hit among Malaysians and those from overseas. “We are Hard Rock, and as far as we are concerned, we’re different and there are no competitors who can come close to what we have to offer,” he adds. Even the staffing of the hotel is taken seriously, with a “Vibe Manager” being hired to speak to guests and garner their comments. At least 247 employees will be recruited by July with a mixture of both local and expats taking up various positions. “For 20 key positions, we had 600 applications and 2,200 applications for the rest. We know we have the best people in the industry and we are not looking for normal hotel staff. Anyone who can tell a story and be different, no matter what race, sex or creed he or she is, if they have the personality, they will be hired,” says Primmer. This article appeared on the Live it! page, The Edge Financial Daily, June 8, 2009.
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