Hotel Seri Malaysia aims to provide a memorable experience for its guests through Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition
BUSINESS
16 | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER . 2023
An unforgettable experience
Hotel Seri Malaysia aims to provide a memorable experience for its guests through Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition
Hotel Seri Malaysia ' s room interior .
BY DANIAL FAUZI
FOR THE tourist or globetrotter , part of the travel package is experiencing the hospitality and services hotels provide at travel destinations . Whether it is the friendliness of the staff , the immaculate hotel environment or the delicious cuisine , the hotel experience is part and parcel for the traveller .
In addition to the usual guests received by hotels , there is a growing trend of Muslim travellers and tourists who wish to explore the world and experience the local cuisines but wish to do so without jeopardising their faith and beliefs .
With the growing market for Muslim travellers , hotels that wish to take advantage of this lucrative opportunity would be wise to implement halal standards and practices to ensure that the needs of Muslim travellers are well taken care of .
As part of its journey in proving Muslim- Friendly Tourism and Hospitality ( MFTH ), Hotel Seri Malaysia ( HSM ) recently invited the Islamic Tourism Centre ( ITC ) to provide training programmes for HSM hotels to achieve Muslim-Friendly Tourism and Hospitality Assurance and Recognition ( MFAR ).
In an interview with @ Halal on this MFAR journey , HSM ’ s General Manager , Datuk Syed Kamarulzaman Syed Zainol Khodi Shahabudin , said Muslim-friendly accommodation is something that HSM can benefit from their hotels .
UNDERSTANDING THE HALAL CONCEPT
To implement and uphold halal standards for Muslim guests , HSM ’ s hotel employees attended training programmes hosted by ITC to learn more about MFAR .
“ The idea was that not only are they there to learn more about the requirements of MFAR , but to also monitor the progress of MFAR throughout all of our hotels later down the line in this journey ,” said Syed .
“ We have 20 outlets across the country . We believe that the Muslim-friendly accommodation is something that HSM should be working on , so we invited ITC to give us
One of Hotel Seri Malaysia ' s hotel entrances .
We have 20 outlets across the country . We believe that the Muslim-friendly accommodation is something that HSM should be working on , so we invited ITC to give us some inputs on MFAR . We know that MFAR would give us a competitive advantage over other hotels that lack MFAR .” – Datuk Syed Kamarulzaman
some inputs on MFAR . We know that MFAR would give us a competitive advantage over other hotels that lack MFAR .”
As prayer is an essential part of a Muslim ’ s life , HSM sought to ensure that those needs are met in a timely manner . Syed mentioned that HSM hotels would provide the necessary accommodations for Muslim travellers , such as the azan ( call to prayers ) and readying praying mats in their rooms for prayers .
“ Understanding MFAR is essentially providing the necessary facilities which comply with the needs of Muslims ,” he expressed .
In addition , Syed also touched on the aspect of cleanliness within HSM hotels . He assured that when it comes to the cleanliness of the hotel ’ s laundry , such as bath towels and bed sheets ; the laundry is sent to halal cleaning services to ensure that the cleaning process is done correctly .
Being a hotel for all walks of life , not only Muslims , Syed had also mentioned that other guests may bring in items that are forbidden to Muslims , such as liquor . However , HSM had prepared plans to tackle these problems , such as purifying the hotel rooms through the process of " sertu ".
“ These are the aspects that we do to ensure that Muslims ,
Hotel Seri Malaysia ' s swimming pool .
they do not have any doubts on what we provide at the hotels ,” he added .
“ Under MFAR , it is about the halal concept as a whole , not only the cleanliness . We need to ensure that when a guest arrives , we do not hesitate to provide for them and assure them of the things we do for them .”
“ The most important thing is that we have to understand the needs of our guests and try to comply with them in a gentle manner . Hotel Seri Malaysia is a hotel for everyone . There are always complaints , but we will address them accordingly ,” he added .
MFAR AS A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY
Implementing MFAR would give HSM a competitive edge in the hospitality and tourism industry .
“ I believe MFAR is something unique which can encourage foreigners to stay at our hotels ,” Syed expressed .
He reasoned that neighbouring countries such as Thailand have an online application that essentially informs visitors and tourists of the location of halal establishments such as restaurants and hotels within the country . This is a massive boon for Muslim tourists as they do not have to worry about where to eat or stay .
“ When we talk about MFAR , we are looking at how we can use the guidelines that ITC gives ,” he added . “ It is on how we use the idea of MFAR to do something different . The guide is there , but it is how you make it a better experience for people who visit your hotel .”
“ At the end of the day , when one visits a hotel , it is about the service , the friendliness and the environment that welcomes the guests . If these aspects are present in a hotel , then there are no issues ,” Syed concluded .
Indeed , although much of the travel experience boils down to visiting landmarks or tasting the exquisite cuisine within a given destination , staying in a hotel that provides immaculate hospitality services may be the thing that enriches one ’ s travelling experience for the better . — R & R