BANGKOK Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, has unveiled a concept for a hotel within a hotel that is exclusively dedicated to serving employees.
Dubbed “O-Zone,” this newly renovated space extends over the entire second floor of the hotel’s River Wing and contains all the elements of a real hotel. Divided into 10 distinctive zones, the space includes a staff concierge and employee assistance program, a relaxation and entertainment area, a bilingual lending library, hi-tech meeting venues, a restaurant, a retail outlet, state-of-the-art locker rooms and resting facilities.
“We recognize our employees as our most valuable asset in delivering a truly legendary guest experience, and we wanted to provide an area where they can interact freely and creatively and also learn from their peers,” says General Manager Jan Goessing.
Welcoming colleagues to the second floor is the “Hand on Frames” art installation, which displays 48 plaster handprints from the hotel’s longest-tenured employees, totaling more than 1,700 years of loyalty and service commitment.
O-Zone’s restaurant, concierge desk, library and retail outlet are staffed with students from the Oriental Hotel Apprenticeship Program, providing a way to train them behind the scenes while also giving them practical experience. “We are proud of the fact that O-Zone provides staff with facilities that are on par with real guest facilities, making this literally a ‘hotel within a hotel’ experience for all,” Goessing says.