The Genting Highlands Resort

Introduction

Genting Highlands Malaysia is a city known as the ‘Fun City above the Cloud’, as it is quite similar to Las Vegas which isn’t actually all that close. The primary draw is that, Genting is one of the hotspot in Malaysia where you can gamble legally. Whereas, there is also a theme park to keep the kids amused. The atmosphere located at that area is cooler than the steamy lowlands.

Theme Park

The cool air makes it an exhilarating experience to enjoy many outdoor rides. Whether taking leisure drives in the Antique car or experiencing the adrenaline pumping Space Shot, it’s a wonderful and magical adventure of fun and excitement for the family.

Casino

The casino at Genting offers a host of exciting international-level games, among the most popular games like for an example, Roulette, Baccarat, Blackjack, and Caribbean Stud Poker. Jackpot machines are one of the tourist attractions too. International class shows and live entertainment provide the accompanying glamour.

Hotels

Genting Highlands resort has approximately six hotels, which is First World Hotel, Genting Hotel, Highlands Hotel, Theme Park Hotel, Resort Hotel, Maxims Hotel and Awana Genting Highlands Golf & Country Resort at the mid-hill which is total up offering up to approximately 10,000 hotel rooms. The prices for these hotels are approximately affordable where First World Hotel is one of the cheapest among all.

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History

The story of Genting, is that most Malaysians will recognize it as synonymous with the rise of its name, Hill Resort and Genting Highlands Resort are the most popular hotels in Genting Malaysia up until now. Many may not have truly appreciated the mammoth task involved in the construction and the resources and reserves mobilized to ensure what it has proven up to today to be an unprecedented successful in resort development itself.

In the beginning stages, the idea of a hill resort was brought up by the late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong amidst the crisp air of Cameron Highlands in 1963. Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong was working on a project on hydro-electric power at the most popular hill resort, which is patronized mainly by the British colonials seeking cool refuges from the tropical heat itself, as when he foresaw a prosperous Malaysia of the future desiring a cool-air mountain holiday resort within the reach of all Malaysians, this is when the great idea was brought upon.

Besides that, on 18 Aug 1964, a technical and construction team began the task that would take approximately four years to complete the access road between Genting Sempah towards the peak of Gunung Ulu Kali. By ensuring the sound pollution and prompt construction of the hotel-resort, Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong has to spend all of his time, capital and resources, including the reserves of his family company, Kien Huat Bhd towards the making of his so called “dream resort”.

Furthermore, since after the opening of their first hotel in 1971, Genting Highlands Resort has continued to grow from strength-to-strength. Whereas, the development of that area has continued to this present day to enhance Genting Highlands Resort as one of the premier holiday destination in the Malaysia/Asia while ensuring that the natural beauty of the rain forest is taken care of.

In 1996, Genting Highlands Resort further developed its facility attraction by constructing a transportation shuttle service which is called “Genting Skyway cable car” which is as long as 3.38km transportation towards the hill-top. Genting Skyway is recognized as one of the “World’s Fastest Mono Cable Car” in 2002 with an optimum speed of 20.7km per-hour, plus it is the “Longest Cable Car in Malaysia and towards SEA region”.http://www.genting.com/images/history4a.jpg

Their mission is to be committed towards innovation and the adoption of new technology to achieve great competitive advantage and to pursue personnel policies and by rewarding employees which that has great performance in their montly/yearly job and contributions and also provide proper training for employees, development and opportunities for career advancement.

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Business

Genting Highlands Resort

Genting Resort is one of Southeast Asia’s major holiday destinations in Asia and a holiday desired destination in Malaysia, attracting visitors from all over Malaysia, Singapore and all over the world, mainly the Asia-Pacific region.

Hotels

The six hotels at the Resort itself – Maxims, Genting Hotel, Theme Park Hotel, First World Hotel, Highlands Hotel and Resort Hotel with approximately total of about 10,000 hotel rooms, an overall occupancy rate of 68% in 2003. Also, It particularly attracts tourist from all over countries like Singapore, China, Indonesia and Taiwan.

Conventions

Genting international convention centre is a place dedicated for Incentives, Meeting, Conventions and Exhibitions at the resort itself. Approximately over total of 2,208 functions were held at the convention centre during the year of 2003.

Shopping and Food & Beverage (F&B)

Shopping and F&B like First World Plaza is a special-cooling shopping paradise in Malaysia, it comes with an offer for visitors to have an experience of dining, shopping and entertainment. First World Plaza has exactly 49 F&B outlets, 87 retail shops and kiosks, 21 rides and attractions and 6 leisure and entertainment outlets under one area. A range of merchandise and products are sold at many branded retail outlets, such as Camel Active, B.U.M Equipment, Dockers, Apex Pharmacy, Levi’s, Nike, Addidas and many more.

Genting Theme Park

The main satisfaction comes from Genting Theme Park itself, which comprises exactly 51 rides and attractions up to 600 video games simulators at the Resort’s Outdoor and Indoor Theme Parks and at the First World Plaza, continues to live up to its theme of giving endless and excitement fun time at the peak of Genting Malaysia.

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S – Strengths

Genting Malaysia Has a strong brand name in the local market and good reputation among customers.

Great location which is located in a hill-top where people can enjoy cooler weather and the breathtaking views which is wonderful. It is easy to be accessed by either car or bus about an hour drive from KL. It is also accessible by the world’s fastest and SEA’s longest cable car called “Genting Skyway” which is 3.38km long

Genting Group provides a wide range of facilities and services including hospitality and leisure business and its activities cover seaside resorts, hotels, gaming, theme parks and entertainment for the total comfort of all customers/guests.

W – Weakness

High maintenance and cost of repairs of broken stuffs/leakage

Lack of financial resources.

Lack of information provided regarding the rooms rates and details in their official website.

The Customer related processes are not efficient enough

O – Opportunities

Improving their current system and offering more features and services is good chance for Genting Hotels Group to increase sales and attract more customers locally and globally.

Use of Internet, social networks and blogs to attract new customers and maintain the loyalty of the excising once.

Alliances with travel agencies are good opportunities for Genting Highlands to attract more guests globally.

Growth of Internet users in Malaysia which brings opportunities for new market strategies

T-Threat

Increasing the number of hackers and unauthorized accessed through internet and some Customers still afraid of transact money through internet, they do not trust online payment because of credit card fraud.

The economic is slowing down and all exterior changes.

Increased the number of competitors due an expanding in the gaming market in the same region. For instance, Macau and Singapore.

The highly competitive challenges in the hotels industry and the increasing the number of stronger competitors as well as the price war and the lower costs provided by competitors.

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Physical evidence

For physical evidence, the main important part is the service itself. Which is by providing good products, the company should also provide good services, for an example, the casino, and hotels.

For hotels, First world hotel is as low as RM127 per night and the facilities they provide is business center, casino, coffee shop, concierge, disabled facilities, meeting facilities, restaurant, safety deposit boxes, shops.

For Tune Hotel, it is RM150 per night. The facilities they provide are Air conditioning, breakfast OR 2 people room provided on hourly basis, Gym, Swimming pool, 24 hours security.

There are NO casino competitors out there in the whole of Malaysia.

Product

For Genting Highland, they have quite a few main key products, which is that their products are separated into four categories of products. One of the types is, Theme parks for those who love to have excitement and adventure. There are also casinos, for those who are very attracted to gambling. There’s also the Genting international convention center, for those who is serious about work can held meetings there. And lastly, for every customer that goes to Genting Highland, their hotels.

Place

By having a good location in a business point of view is the most important of all. Genting Highland have the best strategic location anywhere else in Malaysia for relaxing, mostly it’s because of the cold weather only us as Malaysians can experience. It is one of the key points that will attract customers who love cold weathers in Malaysia.

Pricing

For pricing, there is not an issue at all. Genting Malaysia Bhd monopolizes the whole of Genting Highland. For example, if anyone were to visit Genting Highland, there would be no choice but to stay in their hotel’s, because they are the only hospitality service provider. In fact, if Genting Malaysia rises the prices of hotel’s, we would have no choice but to stay in them.

Promotion

For promotion, Genting Malaysia emphasize so much on their advertising that they covered everything there is to advertising. Their campaign for the company of advertising are, newspapers, TV commercials, radios, magazines, and website. They even have promotional packages that is only particular to that one season of festive. Genting Malaysia also have a member card, called “World Card” this card is only for members only. What privileges that members can get it’s by getting discounted hotel prices, and food. 7

People

For people, Genting Malaysia Bhd is mostly based as a hospitality service provider for example, hotel check-in and check-out, ticket selling, and room services. These are the operations that provide with first contact to the guests or customers which will involve the staffs and facilities. It is so crucial to treat guests or customers with politeness, and friendliness, because this will help create values to guests or customers by increasing their satisfaction level. For example, their hotel lobby’s are big enough so that it get crowded when there is a lot of people walking in and out, and with a lot of ticket counters there will not be a problem of slow service.

Process

Lastly, process. This is like behind the scene of how Genting Malaysia are able to get good staffs to operate in a daily basis. Basically there are three stages in this process, which is recruiting, training and development. About recruiting, Genting Malaysia get’s their recruitment from web based, and also walk in, they will then sort out their recruitment by age, academic background, and working experience. After that, even though new or old employees will undergo training, this is to have them master their skills in facial and body language talk, and communication skills. This is somewhat the most important skills to learn of all, because if there is good customer service, there are always happy customers. Lastly, the development stage. What the development stage does is to transfer or rotate job’s around the company, this will help staffs to learn different things and develop different skills, and of course to keep the staffs excited when changing into new roles in the company.

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Customer service issues on Genting Malaysia

Internet – In Genting Malaysia, when internet access is free in almost every restaurant, hotels, customers are annoyed that Genting Malaysia is continuing to charge for the fees. After the customers paid for the fees, the connection are either unreliable or very slow.

Untidy room – Cleanliness must be a top priority as a dirty room does not only spoil the hotel reputation but turns the customer’s stay into an inconvenient one. Bedbugs have been found in some of the rooms at First World Hotel. It may be due to the signs of untidiness, or dusty and smelly rooms, or unclean bathrooms. In order to gain customers loyalty, the cleanliness of hotel rooms is a top priority.

Uncooperative and rude staff – By having uncooperative and rude staffs, it will ruin the image of Genting Malaysia. Customer wants to be treated with pleasure and kindness. Showing bad attitudes from staffs is a major dissatisfaction

Noise – One of the main purpose customers stay in hotel is, relaxation. Noise pollution will make customers dissatisfied as they will not be sleeping well. Whereas, the image of the hotel will be downgraded towards customer’s perspective

Extra Room Charge – In First World Hotel, sometimes the hotel are overcharging the rooms price. Extra Room Charge is one of the most hated things that customers have to hear when they are staying in hotels. Who would want to pay for something they unknowingly spent for? Complaints in hotel never do end as long as they charge the customers for something that they do not need in the first place. Hotels must clearly indicate the cost of every service or feature that must be paid for be it the use of the television, or the food.

Housekeeping Ignoring the “Do Not Disturb” Sign – Invasion of privacy is one usual hotel complaints that customers do when they feel like the housekeeping staff is checking what they are doing in the comforts of their hotel room. The customers pay for the room to relax and not a pain in the neck. Unfortunately, housekeeping personnel follow a strict schedule when making rounds and doing room cleaning so they have no choice but to do it even if the room is currently occupied. They need to peek in to check it out whether the guest is occupying the room or not.

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Latest Venture

Genting Malaysia announce acquisition of the echelon site on the strip and outline plans to build a 2$ billion hotel-casino complex on the 87-acre development halted by the onset of the recession almost five years ago. This will help Genting Malaysia to expend their business throughout the world, and people will take notice of their business and the company will have a high reputation towards their customers. Genting Malaysia will also benefit from business from around the world, from earnings and recognition.

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Conclusion

As a conclusion, with various strengths and strategies that Genting Malaysia has, it has a high ability to take advantages of every opportunity that can bring Genting Malaysia one step ahead. Their strengths and strategies can help them to encounter any threats that come across them. It is believed that it could help Genting Malaysia in building a stronger brand name and image, also to capture a bigger market share in the hotel and theme park industry.

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Recommendation

Resort World Genting is known for city of entertainment. It is recommended for travellers who likes to gamble and so on. There are more than six hotels at Resort World Genting, the hotels consists of Genting Grand, Highlands hotel, Resort Hotel, Theme Park Hotel, First World Hotel, and Awana Genting Highlands. And there also budget motel which is located near the Theme Park, so budget travellers doesn’t need to worry about spending too much money. Besides that, the Casino De Genting is another main attraction of the whole Resort World Genting. Casino De Genting is Asia’s Best International Casino Resort, Casino De Genting is the perfect place to be when it comes to sophisticated gaming and excitement. So for people who likes to play slots, table games, and electronic table games, Casino De Genting is the perfect place for them to hang out. For people who likes adventure, Genting outdoor theme park, water park, and First World indoor theme park is the recommended place for them. The cool mountain air makes it an exhilarating experience to enjoy the rides at the outdoor theme park. Whether taking leisure drives in Antique car or the adrenaline pumping Flying Coaster, it is a magical adventure of excitement and fun for the guests. Besides that, the First World Indoor Theme Park features thrill rides, family rides, children rides and many other rides. It is recommended that customer who likes to play golf should pay a visit to Awana Genting Highlands Gold & Country Resort. For customer who likes to hang out at night, there will be night entertainment available at Resort World Genting. For local Chinese travellers who likes culture, the Chin Swee Caves Temple will be a perfect spot for them to explore. It is located at the most scenic site of Genting Highlands. Within the temple is seated a black statue of the Reverend Master Chin Swee who has long been referred to as a deity in Fujian province for his supernatural abilities to summon rain and drive away evil spirits.

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