With a career that started out in food and beverages and has taken all kinds of interesting turns on the way, Asia Dreams talks to Philip Ommen, General Manager of AYANA Midplaza JAKARTA, about his career, hospitality and being back in Jakarta.
Q: What made you decide to go into the hospitality industry?
A: The hotel business is all about people, it’s people-oriented and creative. You are creating a product – be that food, drink or an experience. The hospitality world is vibrant, lively and always interesting, which is why I decided to go into this industry.
Q: What twists and turns has your career taken over the years?
A: I started out as a waiter, then on to room service and butler, even having the opportunity to learn how to provide proper butler services by working for royal families. That was an amazing experience, learning palace etiquette and how to deal with heads of state.
Later on, I was part of the opening team for Shangri-La’s Traders hotel in Singapore. It was a new brand then and gave me the opportunity to learn a lot, as well as opening my eyes to the possibilities of becoming more creative. I opened Ah Hoi’s Kitchen there, which went very well. After a while, I needed new challenges and decided to open my own bar with friends.
Q: How did that work out for you?
A: Well, it didn’t happen in the end because the hotel persuaded me to try sales rather than venture out on my own! I had no experience in sales and my first set of accounts was disappointing. Then I thought to myself, the only way to do great work is to love what you do.
This was actually a great experience and a blessing as it made me more determined and more passionate. The more I was rejected, the more I pushed myself to achieve. It made me grow and within that year, I won an award as the best salesperson of the year.
Q: So how did you end up in Jakarta?
A: I had moved up the ranks in sales and was posted to Jakarta in 2002 when the Shangri La Hotel, Jakarta was re-opened after a period of being closed. I was head of sales for two years there, building the business back up.
After a period helping to reposition the Grand Copthorne Waterfront hotel and conference centre in Singapore, I started looking for new challenges again and moved to Hotel InterContinental Jakarta, right here in this building! I spent my first year in sales, but was then promoted to executive assistant manager, which I did for three years.
Q: So what did you do for your next challenge? You seem to enjoy new experiences a lot.
A: I decided to try casinos. All my friends were telling me that casino management was a lot of fun so I became vice president of casino operations for Non Gaming in Cambodia. I had a lot of new experiences in that role, learning about high-end luxury services, fine dining and flying in private jets.
I helped develop the plan to build Naga 2, the second part of NagaWorld Hotel & Entertainment Complex, and was assigned to buy two Airbus A-320 for casino operations. So I had to learn about purchasing planes, fitting out aircraft and staffing them. Eventually, I got tired of the high-paced casino lifestyle so I moved into hotel consultancy in Singapore for a while. I have taken all my moves as blessings, new opportunities to explore.
Q: You’re back in Jakarta rebranding what was an InterContinental Hotel into AYANA Midplaza JAKARTA, how is that going?
A: We have embraced the AYANA essence of service. We strongly believe in and implement Indonesian hospitality. I always tell our team to act as though we are welcoming guests into our own home so we can provide a true home away from home experience. That’s why the Lobby and JimBARan Lounge are somewhere for guests to sit and relax. We have bookcases, sofas, smiling staff, afternoon tea, a bar.
We are creating a warm, welcoming lifestyle concept, for all markets, where people can have fun and enjoy themselves. We even have our own very relaxing theme song just for this hotel.
Q: Was it strange coming here to rebrand this hotel when you had been involved with it as the InterContinental?
A: At first, yes. But it was a great opportunity to be part of this innovative luxury hospitality brand and the overall transformation of the hotel. Inspired by AYANA’s legendary hospitality in Bali, we create memorable and enriching experiences at every touchpoint for our guests, which is what I’ve been trying to do since I was young. AYANA allows me to demonstrate my passion, sharing the brand with our team and our guests.
Q: What do you think about hospitality in Indonesia?
A: I am constantly charmed by the Indonesian hospitality. The people here are warm, sincere and friendly with a positive attitude that is contagious. Ensuring that guests have memorable experiences is at the heart of authentic Indonesian hospitality. To me, there will always be a place for hotels with premium service and a warm welcome.
AYANA Midplaza, JAKARTA
Jalan Jenderal Sudirman,
Jakarta 10220, Indonesia
T: + (62) 212510888
