Singaporean Hospitality

I think it’s fair to say that from a tourist point of view, day two of my Singapore adventure has been less exciting.  From a business point of view I’m pleased to report that the event I am running here is going well, the client is very happy and the delegates extremely interested in the material they are being presented with.  Given the lack of excitement this may incite in my readers, I shall concentrate on the overwhelming hospitality that the people of this fair city seem unable to downplay.

As a guest of this comfortable, full service hotel I am of course being treated with extreme kindness, courtesy and – after only two days – recognition, by everyone I have interacted with.  I suspect they are trained to remember names, but even so, it is flattering to be remembered.  It’s also the case that I make a point of smiling, interacting and showing my very sincere gratitude – I don’t take service for granted (I think it’s fair to say that British hospitality is often underwhelming) – and am genuinely delighted by the sense of privilege that good service, given willingly, provides me with.

In the Club Lounge, where I am now considered a regular, I am welcomed with a smile, and a “champagne or Singapore Sling Ms Dancy?” A (very small) part of me thinks I should be concerned that the question is not “tea or coffee”, but it’s an indication of how well I am being looked after that they don’t bother with silly questions.  They remember that I am running an event 31 floors below them, and ask how the preparation is going, and whether they can help me relax in my off time, and remind me that, should I get any spare time, I will always be welcome.  It’s worth saying at this point that although my room is beautifully appointed, with a fabulous view, as a lone traveller I find the lounge more companionable, so I have variously used the space to work, read, sew or just watch as the view changes outside.  None of these options has been considered either strange or out of place, and the service is gentle and unobtrusive, whatever I spend my time doing.  Incidentally, they do an extremely good Malbec here.

As an event organiser I have been almost overwhelmingly well served.  I have my own personal event supporter, who helps with everything from filling gift bags to shifting heavy boxes, and again, has been unobtrusive and courteous.  There is tea and coffee on tap – a wide variety of each – and during the break times embarrassingly voluminous quantities of food are supplied.  This perhaps is where my only criticism lies – the minimum catering was for thirty people and we only had twenty, however, there was enough food to feed sixty or more.  We barely made a dent in it, and, since this is the kind of hotel where food is unlikely to be “warmed up later”, there was a huge amount wasted. Whilst on the surface Singapore appears unilaterally wealthy, with an average GDP of S$52,000 per year, more than 105,000 families here live in poverty, and, as when I’ve visited other countries where the gap between rich and poor is more obvious, I can’t help feeling guilty at the amount of waste, with a sense that I’ve contributed to it.

Without being flippant, back to the luxurious hotel I’m staying in.  I’m not unconscious of the irony, but I’m here to do a job, do it well, and please my clients.  I try to keep a sense of balance – my charitable giving is something I consider private but it is regular – and I know that the work I do, particularly with governments who rely heavily on the ability to exploit and export their natural resources, does have a place in contributing, in a small way, to those in need.

When you first arrive in opulent, well serviced hotels you think you could live like this forever.  I certainly would rather stay here than in an apartment I stayed in recently in London – an upcoming post – but I did find myself, while being presented with an extraordinary buffet ranging from baby octopus to mango cheesecake, opting for a plate full of fresh fruit.  Now that’s truly extraordinary!