Discover Worldwide - January 2023

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Message from our
Chief Executive Officer

Dear Colleagues,

Despite the challenging operating environment, 2022 has turned out to be a generally satisfying year. I am heartened that most of you have been appropriately recognised and appreciated for your contributions in terms of adjustment, annual increment and performance bonus last year.

I am excited to share a little more of myself in up close and personal and our 2022 WWH Core Values Survey results in this newsletter. I thank all of you for the constructive feedbacks and I assure the company will review and implement action plans to address most of them. The leadership team and myself are optimistic about the sustained recovery in the hotel industry. We are committed to improve work process efficiency, guest experiences and employee engagement this year. We look forward to your continual support.

Thank you once again and I wish all a Happy 2023!

Warm Regards,

Carolyn Choo

Worldwide Hotels Core Values

Worldwide Hotels Core Values & Key Drivers

Worldwide Hotels Core Values - Multiple Languages

English Chinese Malay Tamil

Worldwide Hotels and
6 Hotel Brand Promise & Attributes

Brand Promise: A Brand Promise is a promise we make to our stakeholders and we use it to shape everything we do, new products & services, how we behave, how we communicate... Everything!

Brand Attributes: Brand Attributes are the building blocks for our Brand Proposition. They articulate how we want our brand to be perceived by all our stakeholders. We use our brand attributes to ensure we’re delivering our brand proposition, so we use them as a benchmark for everything we do & say.

Please be well-versed with our Worldwide Hotels and 6 Hotel Brand Promise & Attributes.

Worldwide Hotels and 6 Hotel Brand Promise & Attributes PDF

Worldwide Hotels - Our Core Values Survey 2022

Thank you all for completing the 2022 Worldwide Hotels Core Values Survey.

Overall, within each of the Our Core Values modules the survey responses continue to be supportive. This demonstrates confidence in our baseline and signifies that Worldwide Hotels continues to head in the right direction.

In 2023, Our Core Values Survey results will determine the core areas where progress was made, and areas that may need further effort and focus.

Strategic Plans and Actions will be specifically addressed as we endeavour to make Our Worldwide Hotels a successful and a great inclusive work environment.

Your Opinion Matters

As per the commentary in Our 2021 Core Values Survey your responses and views are very important. Your valued opinions will continue to help shape Our Core Values and strengthen Worldwide Hotels. Your feedback will assist management to understand your concerns and address them in a timely manner. Please click on the link below and provide your constructive feedback for areas of improvement.

All submissions are anonymous and will be addressed by Head of Human Resources.

Submit Your Opinion / Feedback

Whistleblowing

For the purpose of good governance, the company encourages any employee to be free to make known or raise concerns about actual or possible improprieties.

Whistle-blowers can choose to write to your Department Head or Assistant Vice President, Group Human Resources (elainechan@wwhotels.com).

For serious incidents, if independence is deemed to be compromised, whistle-blowers may write to the CEO directly (CEO - carolyn@wwhotels.com).

In keeping with Our Core Values and to ensure we are all fully engaged please take the time to review "WWH Kahoot! Gamification".

"WWH Kahoot! Gamification" is an exceptionally user-friendly game and will create a completely different new atmosphere to promote Our Core Values. Click on the url below "WWH Kahoot! Gamification".

How To Play

Hall of Fame

WWH All Together Recognition Program

All of our Worldwide Hotels team members should endeavor to provide hospitality excellence in every aspect of service to our guests.

The WWH All Together Recognition Program recognizes individuals each quarter who have displayed in an exceptional manner Our Core Values such as going the extra mile to improve the guest experience, addressing an occurrence in an effective manner or exemplifying outstanding service with a supportive attitude.

It is our distinct pleasure to congratulate the following WWH All Together Program Award Recipients for Q4 2022 for outstanding performance.

Mr. Mohammad Norazmi Bin Jumahat - Hotel Manager, Hotel 81 Princess
Ms. Philomena D/O Jestas Miranda - Front Office Manager (EAM),
V Hotel Bencoolen
Mr. Desmond Chan Chin Peng - Front Office Supervisor, V Hotel Lavender
Ms. May Goh Kar Mei - Sales Co-ordinator, Sales Department
Mr. Robin Kek Chew Yong - Maintenance Team

Please join us in congratulating them. Thank you for making decisions based on Our Core Values and endeavouring to make Worldwide Hotels a successful and a great inclusive work environment for all of us while providing exceptional guest service during these challenging times.

Name

Details

Mr. Azmi

A charismatic manager, Azmi is receptive to new ideas and leverages them when needed. He put in his utmost effort in reopening H81 Premier Princess and even personally checking that the guestrooms’ floor traps are unblocked by placing his hands in them. Despite the labor shortage during reopening, Azmi handled everything he could and only requested assistance when required.

Ms. Philo

Philo is dedicated to developing Opera's SOPs and worked closely with the HQ finance department on the best practices for OPERA operations. She has also gone out of her way to share her knowledge and mentor colleagues at HMI ever since they started using Opera. External vendors also sang high praises of Philo as she ensured that the information provided was accurate.

Mr. Desmond

Dedicated and committed, Desmond handled bookings efficiently and left work only after ensuring all critical matters were resolved. Despite the increased workload while his team member went on maternity leave, he strived hard to cope and handled the department alone. Since the hotel resumes regular operation, Desmond and his team have worked tirelessly to ensure all reservations are in order and ready to deal with any situation reliably and quickly.

Ms. May

May has shown respect, teamwork, and commitment in her five years in the Sales department. During COVID, she took up dual responsibilities after the sales coordinator of TA left while being seconded to the leasing department. Currently, she supports the BD team (maternity cover) and continues assisting the sales team while serving as a mentor to the new TA Sales Coordinator.

Mr. Robin

Robin can take on different roles whenever operations require it. He is currently Mr. Benson's assistant, traveling around the hotel collecting sales. With strict inventory control practices, he always ensures that hotel inventories are well stocked and prevents overstocking. Occasionally, he would play the role of Handyman and try to fix the guest's room facilities, such as the electric kettle, before replacing them. He will sometime serve as a room attendant if needed.

More info on WWH All Together Recognition Program & Winners.

Spotlight

Overseas Acquisition:
Oakwood Serviced Apartments in Bangkok

Recently, WWH has acquired a newly completed serviced apartment complex along Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Road. The purchase of the property managed by CapitaLand’s The Ascott Ltd division from SET-listed developer Boutique Corporation marks our third hotel purchase in Thailand over the past five years.

Q4 2022 ATP Winners Session With CEO

Get-together dinner with Q4 2022 ATP winners, held at Jubilicious, Hotel Boss. We are proud that they have stepped up and rose to the challenging environment with commitment to emerge stronger. It is also encouraging to know the efforts of the other nominees and we hope to receive more nominations in the upcoming quarters.

Congratulations to all the winners!

F1 Lucky Draw

During the F1 period, staff who were positively mentioned on all guest experience platforms, such as TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Agoda, Trip.com, and Expedia, had their names dropped into a hat for a lucky draw. Picked winners received F1 apparel.

Congratulations to all winners for going the extra mile with your unwavering commitment and outstanding service. Kudos!

WWH Privileges

We would like to invite you to sign up for the "WWH Privileges" to enjoy WWH discount privileges as well as to keep abreast of the latest promotions on our promotions and staycation deals.

To sign up, please click on this link: http://eepurl.com/hnGRWj and fill-out your details as required. All personal data will be kept confidential per the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA).

Follow WWH's Facebook & Instagram Page

In support of our business operation, we invite you to like our company's Facebook Page (FB) and Instagram Page (IG).

Instagram
Facebook

WWH Orientation Refresher

The Learning and Development Department is pleased to roll out the orientation refresher program for all Headquarters staff. The refresher sessions are designed to reiterate to employees’ important things they may have forgotten or didn't know about the company. Through the refresher session, our employees gained insight into the company's goals and core values, as well as the current state of the company. Feedback from our colleagues included "new impressions” of the company, being inspired by tenacity and boldness of our founder at work and learning more about the company's growth and expansion plans. This provides a great opportunity to bridge the gap between the company and its employees.

WWH Diversity

Worldwide Hotels is an inclusive Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We have a strong inclusive culture where everyone belongs. We embrace differences and value the freedom to be ourselves in an environment where everyone is, treated fairly, with respect, and can share ideas to improve the workplace culture continuously.

Housekeeping Week (V Hotel Lavender)

11 - 17 September is International Housekeeping Week (IHW) and the team at V Hotel Lavender has initiated a mini-celebration during the week by gifting them snacks, personalised appreciation notes and a “makan” session.

Thank you and Happy International Housekeeping Week to those celebrating!

Up Close With...

Worldwide Hotels boasts a community of employees who hail from all walks of life. Other than being passionate about hospitality, our people have diverse interests and pursuits outside work. Let’s bring the spotlight to…

Carolyn Choo

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer - Worldwide Hotels

Note: Some photos are taken prior to COVID-19

What interesting fact about yourself that most of your colleagues are not aware of?
I actually love studying and taking exams and am a strong advocate of lifelong learning. I graduated with first-class honours Bachelor of Business from Nanyang Technological University in 1999 and was the Top Master of Professional Accounting Graduate from Singapore Management University in 2012. I am also a Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Accountant, Singapore. Thanks to the support of my leadership team, I am grateful to be able to fulfil my childhood dream of studying at Harvard Business School (Owner/President Management Program 2022-2024).

Please share 1 proudest moment or memory?
My personal proudest moment is definitely the celebration of Worldwide Hotels 25th Anniversary!

Whom do you admire most and why?
I admire our chairman Mr Choo the most. He has always been my role model for his extraordinary strategic vision, razor-sharp business acumen, perseverance to improve continuously and overwhelming humility. I am also inspired by his commitment to the cause of education to help less privileged children.

What drives you / what motivates you?
What drives me is the passion to do more for Worldwide Hotels and our people. Since joining the company as Financial Controller in 2002 (this year marks my 20th year), my passion for bringing the company to new heights has been unrelenting. I am committed to being better so everyone around me is better.

Your hobbies?
I don’t actually have time for hobbies but I love travelling and trying out new food. My favourite food is Japanese and Da Dong Prawn Noodles in Joo Chiat Road.

We Are Hiring!

In support of our growing business needs, we are looking for talented people, just like you to join our hotels! If you know someone whom you think would be a good fit here in our organization, please refer them to join us.

Positions Hiring:

Senior Front Office Executive

Front Office Executive

Guest Service Officer

Maintenance Technician

Hotel Attendant

Room Attendant

Laundry Operator

Refer a friend to join us and earn up to $500 Referral Bonus for every successful placement. Terms and conditions apply! Please contact our HR Department for more information on this programme!

Overseas Properties

Discounts for our overseas properties are extended to all Worldwide Hotels employees. Please find the privileged rates below. All room includes WiFi.



Swiss Garden Hotel Bukit Bintang Kuala Lumpur Room nightly rate: RM 160 NETT Includes daily breakfast for 2 pax	Travelodge Bukit Bintang Room nightly rate: RM 120 NETT Optional breakfast at RM 20 NETT per person per day



Travelodge Sukhumvit 11, Bangkok Room nightly rate: THB 1,000 NETT Includes daily breakfast for 2 pax	Travelodge Pattaya Room nightly rate: THB 800 NETT Includes daily breakfast for 2 pax



Ibis Budget Osaka Umeda Room nightly rate: JPY 5,500 NETT Optional breakfast at JPY 1,100 Nett per person per day	Travelodge Dongdaemun, Seoul Room nightly rate: KRW 55,000 NETT Includes daily breakfast for 2 pax



Holiday Inn Perth City Centre Room nightly rate: AUD 100 NETT Optional breakfast: Full Buffet - AUD 36.00nett per person per day Continental - AUD 28.00nett per person per day	Ibis Styles Brisbane Elizabeth Street Room nightly rate: AUD 100 NETT Includes daily breakfast for 2 pax

Terms and Conditions:

For bookings: All room bookings will require to be made through Business Development for processing via QR code (above).

● Staff must check in themselves (ie cannot book for friends and family).

● Staff are entitled to book up to 2 rooms per reservation as the rates offered are exclusive.

● All reservations will be on pax account (pay upon check-in).

● To ensure the Staff Rate is not being abused, Staff Rate will not be honored if any bookings are made directly with the hotel without verification from the Business Development.

● GM/HM in each individual hotel are accountable to verify the employee’s eligibility.

● Any changes to the rates will be updated soon.

Overseas Properties Visit

MD/CEO Carolyn took some time off her busy schedule to visit two of our overseas assets in Malaysia and Australia, respectively and met with the Swiss Garden Hotel Bukit Bintang and Ibis Styles Brisbane leadership team.

Property Feature

Hotel 81 Osaka

When did Hotel 81 Osaka start its operations?
Hotel 81 Osaka started operations in 2009, a few years before the opening of the famous Tiong Bahru Bakery café and the rest of the hipster joints, shops and street murals.

Explain what our colleagues do daily at the Hotel?
We do our best to ensure our guests feel comfortable, including taking reservations, cleaning guestrooms, ensuring room cleanliness, checking and maintaining the building. This includes day-to-day management of the hotel, such as housekeeping, maintenance, and front desk tasks, to managing bookings and personnel to ensure that each step of the guest's journey is cared for, from the time of booking to check-in and check-out.

What did you or your colleagues do to ensure that guest satisfaction or needs are met?
While we look for new ways to exceed customer expectations, collecting customer feedback is part of our work toward fulfilling customer satisfaction. Calling guests to ensure they are happy with the room after they check-in.

Simplify the booking process by creating a smooth and seamless process to minimize travel fatigue.

Interesting Fact

Getting To Know Your Neighbourhood - Tiong Bahru

Our colleague, David, has gone around Tiong Bahru to show us some hidden gems but first, did you know?...

Tiong Bahru is the oldest housing estate in Singapore, and when you visit this quaint community, you’ll immediately notice an intriguing mix of old and new.

While many older residents have lived in the shophouses and flats here for decades, the younger generation flocks here for the food, shops, and culture.

The neighbourhood is one of the hippest places in Singapore today, but it’s also a neighbourhood steeped in fascinating history. Tiong Bahru means ‘new cemetery’ – Tiong means ‘end’ in the Chinese Hokkien dialect, and Bahru means ‘new’ in Malay – because it used to be a burial ground. The lowlands were used to cultivate crops in the 19th century, while Pearl’s Hill housed a fortification for military personnel.

The neighbourhood’s transformation from swamp to swank began in the 1930s, and some landmarks from that era, including the residential blocks, still stand today. Take for instance, the Qi Tian Gong Temple (齐天宫), which is over nine decades old. This place of worship is nicknamed the Monkey God Temple as it’s dedicated to the main character from the Chinese literary classic Journey to the West.

Now, let’s move on to some hidden gems in Tiong Bahru itself!

1. Tiong Bahru Bakery
2. Edith Patisserie
3. Sin Hoi Sai Seafood Restaurant
4. Tiong Bahru Market (Halal & Non-Halal Offerings)
5. Qi Tian Gong Temple (Monkey God)
6. Cat Socrates
7. Tiong Bahru Walking Trail

Local Places of Interest
Rifle Range Nature Park

Located just within a minute's walk away from Beauty World MRT, is the Rifle Range Nature Park; the newest addition to the Bukit Timah Nature Park network. This park serves as a green buffer to protect Bukit Timah Nature Reserve from edge effects and abutting developments; it also enhances ecological connectivity and provides complementary habitats for the Nature Reserve's biodiversity.

Spanning over 66 hectares with a 700m long barrier-free route between the Visitor Pavilion and Quarry Wetland, the park is the newest green spot in Singapore. Enter the park via the Rambai Boardwalk and Gliders Boardwalk before arriving at the Quarry Wetland and Colugo Deckto, where you can enjoy a panoramic view of Singapore!

Getting there
By MRT: Beauty World (DT5)
Take Exit A and head to Beauty World Centre Level 4. The overhead bridge links directly to Rambai Boardwalk, which leads you to the Visitor Pavilion.

By Bus:
184, 852, 961: Alight at Opp Beauty World (Bus stop ID: 42109)
41, 52, 61, 77, 157, 174, 184, 852, 961, 970, 985: Alight at Opp Bt Timah Plaza (Bus stop ID: 42089)

Park opening hours: 7am – 7pm daily
(entering or remaining in the park after 7pm is not allowed)

What To Bring?
Take along your water bottles, sunscreen, insect repellent, tissues, and plastic bags for your trash will also come in handy. Bring binoculars if you're into wildlife observation. Wear comfortable clothes in neutral colours (long pants, long sleeves and cap), and put on comfortable walking shoes.

Stay in shelters and observation hides during a thunderstorm. Do bring ponchos or umbrellas in the event of wet weather!

What To Do At Rifle Range Nature Park?
Gliders Boardwalk: A barrier-free elevated boardwalk which links the Visitor Pavilion to the Quarry Wetland. You can view animal crossing features such as rope bridges and colugo poles from a section of the boardwalk which is above Rifle Range Road. They have been implemented to allow wildlife such as the Long-tailed Macaque and Sunda Colugo to cross safely.

Forest Exploration Trail: In this play area, logs and boulders create a material connection with nature and enable children to hone their balancing skills as they climb, balance, or jump over the logs.

Rambai Boardwalk: Learn about Rifle Range Nature Park’s rich history as the site of the previous Singapore Gun Club and Sin Seng Quarry from the interpretive signage along the boardwalk.

Quarry Wetland: Transformed from the former Sin Seng Quarry, the wetland makes full use of the existing terrain and provides habitats for wetland animals, Kingfisher and migratory birds.

Colugo Deck: Sitting 31m above the quarry, you'll get an aerial view of the quarry and the city skyline.

More Info On Rifle Range Nature Park

Latest Development

Hotel 81 Premier Princess Renovation

After four months of closure, Hotel 81 Princess resumed operations on 11 November 2022 and has rebranded to Hotel 81 Premier Princess.

ESG Updates

Worldwide Hotels is committed to long-term business sustainability by being responsible to our environment, people, and communities.

Bath Dispensers (Body Wash & Shampoo)
Hotel Mi and V Hotel Bencoolen are two pilot hotels replacing the current single-use of 30ml bath tubes with bath dispensers from Vanity Group (supplier of quality hotel amenities). With this conversion, there will be an estimated cost saving of about 30%.

Hotel Mi – Urban Skincare (Theme: Urban Sleek – Lemongrass, Orange, Ginger)
V Hotel Bencoolen – Zambeli (Theme: Wild Leura - Floral Citrus)

Under Sink Water Filtration System
Replacing the current practice of single-use bottled water in guestrooms, we have pilot Hotel 81 Premier Princess with under sink water filtration system. Under-sink water filters are filters that are installed underneath your sink to filter your water for drinking, cooking, and more. This will significantly reduce plastic waste.

Tripzilla & Trip.com Award

Tripzilla Excellence Awards
TripZilla Excellence Awards returns to honour the finest travel brands for delivering the most brilliant experiences and propelling the industry to greater heights. After an intensive round of online voting on the TripZilla.com platform, which reaches over 20 million travellers a month, Hotel 81 has been awarded the Best Budget Hotel title.

Trip.com Annual Partner Appreciation Event
Two awards were presented to Worldwide Hotel during the Trip.com Annual Partner Appreciation Event in November 2022.

Hotel Boss Singapore - Top Producing Hotel
Worldwide Hotel - Top Engaged Group

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is also called the “Spring Festival” and “Lunar New Year”. It falls at the beginning of the spring season in the northern hemisphere. Chinese New Year is observed by Chinese communities scattered all over the world and has a history going back thousands of years.

Here is to wishing you and your loved ones a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year!

Investment Scam

You receive a message from someone claiming to be stockbroker or bank or financial company employee on social networking sites like Facebook, WeChat or Line. They ask you to share personal details like NRIC and passport numbers for an investment form. You are then asked to transfer money to banks in Hong Kong and China and pay hefty administrative and security fees and taxes to receive the profits and returns.

You may also receive phone calls from people claiming to be from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority or Hong Kong Overseas Control Centre, asking for a deposit before profits can be released.

In other cases, you may be asked by an online friend to invest in cryptocurrencies, which are highly volatile and unregulated in Singapore.

How to stay safe

1. Do Your Own Checks
Always check with a licensed financial advisor before making any investments, or do a thorough check on the company and its representatives using resources such as the Financial Institution's Directory, Register or Representatives, and Investor Alert List, which can be found on the MAS website.

2. Do Not Give Out Personal Information
Never provide your name, identification number, passport details, contact details, bank account or credit card details to anyone you do not know well.

3. Beware Stranger Danger
Be wary of befriending strangers on social media platforms who promises to make you rich.

More Info

Lifestyle

5 Rules for Email Etiquette

In 2015, a study by Adobe Systems found that an average worker spends 6.3 hours each day sifting through and responding to emails. That’s more than 30 hours per week, which adds to 63 full days each year.

Email etiquette dictates what’s appropriate when sending a message to a prospective customer, business partner, co-worker, manager, or acquaintance. These guidelines help you avoid miscommunications and mistakes which can reflect poorly on you and the organization you represent.


Tip #1

Answer Use a Direct and Professional Subject Line People’s decision to open the email are usually based on the subject line. Keep the brief, descriptive, and whenever possible, action-oriented.


	Tip #2

	Proofread Every Email You Send Do not fully rely on the computer’s auto-correction. Occasional typo errors happen to everyone, but repeated mistakes and misspellings can look sloppy.


Tip #3

Double-check the Recipient Addresses There is nothing worse than sending an email to the wrong Jess or a confidential document to the wrong client or company.


	Tip #4

	Ensure You CC All Relevant recipients It is unprofessional to leave out a colleague or client from a relevant email chain. Be mindful of who should be informed about a given matter and respect that.



Tip #5

Use the Appropriate Level of Formality Begin with “Dear _____”, use “please” and “thank you” where necessary, and always end your email with the appropriate phrase, “Kind regards”, “Thank you”, “Sincerely” and so on.

Tips - How to Write Better Emails at Work

Learning the unspoken rules for writing professional emails can improve how competent you appear in the eyes of colleagues.

Congratulations to the Winners of
October 2022 Pop Quiz

V Hotel Bencoolen

Eric Hew
Executive Housekeeping Manager

Hotel 81 Premier Princess

Amirul Asyraf
Front Office Executive

HQ	May Goh Sales Coordinator

HQ	Nancy Koh Reservation Officer


	Pop Quiz! Take our Pop Quiz and stand a chance to win a 2D1N Staycation for 2 with breakfast + meal voucher at participating outlets! Contest ends 15th March 2023. Winners will be announced by April 2023. Take the quiz here!

Worldwide Hotels currently owns and manages 6 hotel brands in Singapore; Hotel Boss, V Hotel, Hotel Mi, Value Hotel, Venue Hotel and Hotel 81. These brands culminate in more than 6,500 rooms spread across 38 properties, making Worldwide Hotels the largest home-grown mid-scale hotel group in Singapore.

Owned & managed

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Message from our Chief Executive Officer

Message from our
Chief Executive Officer