Adopting east asian cultures and themes in hotel branding a study of the m mandarin

Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research

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Adopting “East Asian” cultures and themes in hotel
branding: a study of the M. Mandarin
Justin Matthew Pang
To cite this article: Justin Matthew Pang (2020): Adopting “East Asian” cultures and themes
in hotel branding: a study of the M. Mandarin, Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, DOI:
10.1080/10941665.2020.1773881
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ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH–13
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Adopting “East Asian” cultures and themes in hotel branding: a study of
the M. Mandarin
Justin Matthew Pang
School of Business and Management, RMIT University, Hanoi, Vietnam
ABSTRACT

The M. Mandarin hotel has capitalised on a “East Asian” theme to differentiate itself in
the Singapore hotel scene. It has employed “East Asian-ness” in its service-scape,
through its supporting product, facilitating product, information, implicit and
explicit services. The hotel has also adopted induction processes by which staff are
orientated into its “East Asian” organisational culture. This case-study allows readers
and students to assess to what extent an Asian hotel should exemplify its Asian
roots and traditions, that would be most beneficial to the establishment.

Introduction
This case-study highlights a perennial issue that many
local Singapore-based hotels are faced with. The issue
at hand would be the adoption of predominant “East
Asian” themes, for example, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, etc., into its service-scape. This adoption, in the
past, had granted many hotels to capitalise on their
Asian locations, by adapting its heritage, roots,
culture and thus differentiated themselves from their
Western counterpart hotels. The definition of “East
Asian-ness” would be the greater tangibility in hospitality characteristics, warmth and graciousness, as
compared to Western cultures (Wan & Chon, 2010).
Examples of such “East Asian-ness” are highlighted
in this case study. However, many such hotels have
lessened their use of the “East Asian” theme in
recent years. Hotels in developed cosmopolitan
Asian cities such as Singapore have seen many local
establishments, such as the Shangri-La and Mandarin
Oriental placing less emphasis on their origins,
taking on a quasi-western cum “East Asian” theme in
recent years.
Therefore, this case-study presents a local pseudonymous hotel, M. Mandarin which has leveraged
on its “East Asian” roots. It has taken this cultural

aspect and infused it into all aspects of its product,
service offering and human capital. However, in view

CONTACT Justin Matthew Pang
© 2020 Asia Pacific Tourism Association



KEYWORDS

Hotels; marketing; Asianness; East Asia; culture;
Singapore; reconceptualise;
values; hybrid; eclectic

of the recent changes made by other hotels, it has
begun to question whether it has taken this “East
Asian” theme to the extreme.

Statement of teaching objectives
This case-study invites readers and students alike to
review the M. Mandarin hotel’s adoption of its “East
Asia” theme and to validate whether they should
maintain their current position as a “unique, diversified East Asian” themed hotel or to conform with
similar competitor hotels and offer a hybrid concept.
By analysing this case-study, students will be able to:
1. discuss the importance of thematic marketing to
target markets,
2. apply various degrees of cultural and heritage
adoptions to accentuate distinctiveness and
uniqueness in hospitality and tourism products,

3. apply different philosophies of eastern and/or
western styled management vis-à-vis to the guest
target market,
4. critique the importance of the service-scape of a
hotel vis-à-vis the guest residential experience, and
5. evaluate an establishment’s holistic marketing
effort vis-à-vis the guest selection and acceptance
of the product.

RMIT University, 521 Kim Ma, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Vietnam


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J. M. PANG

Students who will best benefit from this case-study
are the ones in their sophomore year with an understanding of marketing, tourism and/or heritage
culture. This case-study would best be utilised in
modules that has an Asian cultural curriculum slant
in its teaching of hospitality marketing and management. It would also allow readers and students to
apply the use of heritage and culture into any hospitality and tourism establishments so that the learning
can be extrapolated.

The M. Mandarin and the dilemma of the
general manager
Matthias Ling was no stranger to the concepts of marketing and general management-ship of hotels in the
Asian region. The 53-year old veteran studied hotel
management in a Swiss hotel school and rose
through the ranks of the marketing departments of

several flagship Asian-based hotels, such as the
Shangri-La, Mandarin Oriental, ANA hotel and the
Dusit-Thani hotel chains in the South-East Asia region.
His experience and ability to understand and infuse
culture into an establishment’s marketing and operations have placed him as the choice candidate to
take on the stewardship of the M. Mandarin. Currently,
Matthias has held the role of the General Manager of
the property for the last 2 years.
During Matthias’ tenure, the M. Mandarin has continued to maintain its good standing among the
hotels in the Marina Square Bay Front area. The
hotel’s 575 guest rooms, 3 restaurants, a bar-lounge
and over 20,000 square feet of meeting space, comprising of 2 ballrooms and several function rooms
have always been a selling point for overseas and
local guests. One of the unique features of the hotel
that has awed visitors is the airborne Asian flower
sculpture hung in the middle of its 21-storey atrium.
Recently, Matthias was informed by the
M. Mandarin Hotels Group’s Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) that the chain’s “East Asian” image could be perceived as being too traditional and “old-fashioned,”
from the surveys they have conducted especially
among their younger clientele. The CEO’s intention
is to revamp the entire chain of hotels to portray a
more modern theme and the M. Mandarin hotel has
been chosen as the experimental pilot site for this
new concept, adapting its processes and the objectification of its hotel products and services to a hybrid
Western cum “East Asia” concept. If successful, this
project would be rolled out for the rest of the hotels

within the chain. While Matthias understood that
this new concept could be the way forward for the

M. Mandarin, he was uncertain whether this approach
would dilute and erode the image, product and
service that the hotel has consistently stood for. On
the other hand, he was also aware that many hotel
chains have continued to personify a pseudo “East
Asian” image, having done away with many “East
Asian” practices and processes and chosen a
Western-inclined concept and philosophy in management and operations. Examples of such hotels having
taken an eclectic approach in their theme and concept
were the Shangri-La, Singapore and the Mandarin
Oriental, Singapore. Having worked in these hotels
back in his formative years, Matthias recalled that
these hotels originally adopted similar thematic practices like the M. Mandarin, but later de-emphasised
their “East-Asian” themes, taking on a more westernstyled approach and obtained global success in the
process. Matthias felt that the “East Asian” theme
which the M. Mandarin has so closely been associated
with could have a detrimental effect on his hotel’s
future success and perhaps it would be a good opportunity for a change of its product, service and management offering so as to foster both Asian values and
modernity to create a new successful hybrid product.

The five dimensions of a hotel product
Gathering his Executive Team, comprising of the
hotel’s heads of departments at their weekly
meeting, Matthias invited them on board the project
of adopting an eclectic approach for the
M. Mandarin hotel. He shared with them pictures of
the Shangri-La, Singapore and the Mandarin Oriental,
Singapore on their adoption of themes that were considered less “East Asian” and more western-inclined, as
shown in Figures 1–8. The receptions and lobbies of
the mentioned hotels were more contemporary and

modern, which were accentuated by the use of
natural and mood-lighting. Guest rooms hardly featured any Asian themes or aesthetics. Toiletries in
the guest rooms were supplied from commercial corporate brands, with minimal “East Asian” brandings
and staff uniforms were generally influenced by European dressing styles, emphasising typical western
hotel form and function.
After his sharing on these hotels, Matthias gave an
overview of the five dimensions of the hotel product,
which has a direct impact on a guest’s choice of stay
and his residential experience. These five dimensions


ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH

Figure 1. Lobby of Shangri-La, Singapore.

Figure 2. Reception of Mandarin Oriental, Singapore.

were the supporting facility, the facilitating products,
information from the establishment, the implicit
service and explicit service, all driven by the hotel’s
standards and practices.1 He defined each of these
dimensions and gave a clear description of each
aspect as detailed below.
The supporting facility element comprised of the
tangible aspects of service, including features such as

3

the architecture, structure, furnishings of the hotel.
The facilitating product element referred to the amenities or items that would be consumed by the consumer in the process of extending this service. The

information element referred to the data that was collected by the establishment, so that the service provided could be of a higher quality and to increase
operational effectiveness and efficiency. This information also included the messages that were conveyed
to the guest using signage, be it direct or through a
subtle and indirect form. Services were categorised
into two distinct areas, that is explicit and implicit. Explicit services were services that can be perceived by the
guest. These were usually attuned to his/her five
senses. Implicit services were the ones that are indirectly
perceived by the guest, and these could be attributed to
the environment (atmospherics) or aesthetics and could
have a psychological effect on a guest’s well-being.2
Matthias challenged his Executive Team to assess
the hotel’s theme of “East Asian-ness” based on the
five dimensions of the hotel product in the weeks to
come. He hoped that by analysing these dimensions
within the scope of the M. Mandarin product, the
Executive Team would be able to evaluate their
impact on their customers and bring about changes
in the hotel and other properties within the hotel
group in the future.

“East Asian-ness” in the M. Mandarin’s
product
After several weeks of compilation, categorisation and
evaluation, Matthias was presented with the information on the hotel’s “East Asian-ness” theme based
on the five distinctive dimensions of its hotel
product, as mentioned earlier. These findings were
highlighted below.

Supporting facility

Figure 3. Shangri-La, Singapore Hotel Room.

Firstly, in terms of the supporting facility dimension,
the M. Mandarin is decorated with distinctive traditional Chinese furniture. Chinese “long bed” sofas
are used instead of contemporary sofas as highlighted
in Figure 9. The hotel also displays traditional Chinese
art pieces to highlight the rich Chinese heritage of the
hotel, as depicted in Figure 10. To ensure that guests
are able to relate specifically to the Chinese element,
two statues depicting revered ancient Chinese scholars, Li-Bai and Confucius have been placed at the
main entrance of the lobby, as shown in Figures 11
and 12. Adding to the “East Asian-ness” feel, the


4

J. M. PANG

Figure 4. Mandarin Oriental, Singapore Hotel Room.

Figure 6. Toiletries of Mandarin Oriental, Singapore.

hotel’s designers have ensured that Chinese arts forms
also subtly displayed not only on furnishings but
carved on the superstructure of the hotel. Figure 13
displayed Chinese motifs imprinted on the pillars of
the hotel.
Symbol association also plays an important role in
the conveyance of ideas, belief, and actions.3 People
who identify strongly with symbols usually manifest

these feelings in traits such as interest, values and
loyalty vis-à-vis to the symbol.4 In the case of the
M. Mandarin, they have used two logos – a stylised
“M” and a Chinese scholar’s hat as depicted in Figure
14. This former symbol resonates with “East Asianness” like an Oriental motif. Moreover, the rounded
symbol looks like a traditional Chinese seal of authority used by Chinese scholars and traditional imperial
ministers. The latter symbol resembling a Chinese
scholar’s hat denotes “East Asian-ness” and translates
the value of merit (or worthiness of the hotel). The
parent company of the hotel, whose name is stylised
by the alphabet “M” is derived from the word “Merit.”

The orchid is Singapore’s national flower and in
Chinese culture, it symbolises nobility and integrity.
Leveraging on the symbolism, the M. Mandarin displays an airborne static sculpture of an orchid, aptly
named “Orchidia.” This art-piece further denotes an
“East Asian” feel as the orchid is a flower that is
highly revered in the East. Moreover, this sculpture
“successfully blends Asian service with a dramatic
international design.”5 The suspended sculpture is
shown on Figure 15.
The uniform worn by the staff is also differentiated
from most conventional hotels. Most hotels adopt
western business uniforms for their staff. However, in
the case of the M. Mandarin, the hotel has adopted
the Chinese “cheongsam,” as depicted in Figure 16.
This garment enables “the iconic M. Mandarin ambassador cuts a graceful silhouette in her red cheongsam,
as the embodiment of the revered tradition of Asian
hospitality.”6 Other variants are also used for other
departments of the hotel as shown in Figure 17. In

consistence with their female service counterpart
and the “East Asian” feel, male front line staff wear a
male “sam-foo,” a gentleman’s outfit worn in traditional China, as depicted in Figure 18.

Figure 5. Toiletries of Shangri-La, Singapore.

Figure 7. Staff uniform of Shangri-La, Singapore.


ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH

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Figure 8. Staff uniform of Mandarin Oriental, Singapore.

It has been noted that most guests spend up to
80 percent of their time at the hotel in their
rooms.7 Therefore, the rooms need to be equipped
with the necessary products that will convey a
sense of “East Asian-ness” as well. In the rooms,
bed sheets and bed runners are adorned with
Asian symbols, depicted in Figure 19. Furnishings
also have Chinese carvings and paintings are
placed in the rooms to accentuate the “East Asian”
feel, as shown in Figure 20. Furthermore, as the
hotel is situated in an Asian country, guests’
welcome fruits are tropical Asian fruits, such as rambutans and mangosteens. The hotel even provides
pictorial classifications highlighting the different categories of the fruits and their places of origins within
Asia. Lastly, as welcome gifts for the visiting dignitaries, the hotel endeavours to retain its oriental
feel, by giving Chinese chopsticks, tins of Chinese

tea or compact disc of Chinese music pieces,
unlike western hotels that present more generic
gifts such as standard pens and stationery.

Figure 9. Long bed.

Figure 10. Lobby paintings.

Facilitating products
The facilitating products are items that are used and
consumed in the production of the service. These
are often referred to as amenities. There are many
amenities which support the M. Mandarin in its 5star service; however certain facilitating products
accentuate its “East Asian-ness.” Examples of such products would be its range of toiletries as depicted in
Figure 21. These products employ the use of the
M. Mandarin symbol on its packaging. Moreover,

Figure 11. Li Bai sculpture.


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J. M. PANG

Figure 14. Symbols.

Figure 12. Confucius sculpture.

these products are obtained from China, so that it is
aligned to its core offering. Washing products, such

as shower gels and soaps highlight aromas associated
with Chinese culture, such as lotus flowers and
bamboo.

Figure 13. Superstructure Asian motif.

Asia is known for its plethora of food offerings and
each region within Asia is often recognised by its
specific and unique food-types.8 Using this concept,
the M. Mandarin sells “Asian-ness” through its food
offerings. Breakfast, unlike western hotels includes a
line-up of “East Asian” Chinese food, such as Chinese
“siew-mai” (meat dumplings) and congee. The hotel
has even created its own cocktail, known as the
“Oriental Warmth.” The hotel also highlights its Hainanese Chicken Rice dish as a form of this of “East Asianness.” This dish has traditional links to Hainan Island,
off the southern coast of China, and is synonymous
with Singapore’s Chinese ethnic food culture.

Information
As for the third element of service, information, the
M. Mandarin predominantly sells itself as an “East
Asian” hospitality establishment. Information refers

Figure 15. “Orchidia” sculpture.


ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH

7

Figure 16. Main (female) uniform.

Figure 18. Main (male) uniform.

to the message and image that is conveyed to the
guest. Moreover, information can be separated into
explicit and tacit information.9 Explicit information is
information that is articulated, codified and stored in
media. This form of information can be easily communicated. Tacit information, on the other hand, is harder

to communicate. For the explicit form of information,
the M. Mandarin uses signs in multiple languages to
depict its “Asian-ness,” as highlighted in Figure 22.
The hotel business cards are also printed using Mandarin on one side, and in English characters on the
other. English and Mandarin collateral, such as brochures, are used in the selling of the hotel. In terms
of its alliances and affiliations, the M. Mandarin used
to be part of the now-defunct Asian Hotel Alliance.
The Asian Hotel Alliance used to consist of five Asian

Figure 17. Variant (female) uniform.

Figure 19. Bed-runner.


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J. M. PANG

Figure 22. Signages.
Figure 20. Decorative Chinese plates in the rooms.

chains, which are Dusit Hotels and Resorts, Landis
Hotels and Resorts, Marco Polo Hotels, New Otani
Hotels Group and M. Mandarin Hotels, had more
than with more than 50 properties under its umbrella.
These chains supported each other in term of reservations referral till its merger with Global Hotel Alliance in 2006. M. Mandarin was a founding member
in the alliance since its inception in 2002, when it
decided to associate itself with the group to espouse
a shared philosophy of “East Asian” hospitality
service. In terms of tacit information, the hotel
implicitly uses softer “touches” to sell its Asian
values. This can be seen in the hotel’s corporate
website design. The touch of “Asian-ness” is consistent
throughout the construct of the website and it has the
option of changing the web-hosting language, from
English to other Asian languages, such as traditional
Mandarin, simplified Mandarin, Japanese etc.

Explicit service
The service element can be divided into explicit and
implicit aspects.10 These respects of service are also
known as tangibility and intangibility respectively.
Tangibility refers to the services being physically
experienced by the guest through the five senses,
hence explicit; whereas intangibility or implicit
would be that where services are not “felt” in a physical sense.11 An explicit service element which is
offered by the M. Mandarin, would be that of the
serving of welcome tea. This “East Asian” practice is
a unique ritual that is given to visiting dignitaries.
The customer is presented with a cup of welcome

tea, unlike in conventional hotels where a fruit
punch or a cocktail is served instead. Tea-originated
from Yunnan, China12 – is regarded as a Chinese
national drink under the rule of Emperor Qin-ShiHuang-Di, circa 221–210 BC.
Another Asian practice that is uniquely carried out
in the M. Mandarin would be that of their telephone
greetings. Unlike conventional hotels, the hotel
employs Chinese greetings. Opening phrases such as
“Good morning” are always said in Mandarin, prior
to using English as a form of communication medium.

Implicit service

Figure 21. Toiletries.

For implicit service, the M. Mandarin employs subtle
ambience techniques to bring about an inclinedAsian feel. One of the methods used is that of its
smell. Chinese furnishings have always been associated with rosewood and teak scents. As such, the
hotel has contracted scent experts to create a rosewood fragrance. This fragrance is pumped into their
air-vents to further create an Asian atmosphere
throughout the establishment.


ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH

Music is also an important aspect in the creation of
ambience. During the weekends, the hotel employs a
Chinese string quartet to play the “erhu” (two-stringed
spike fiddle) to create a Chinese environment, similar to
the ancient Oriental Imperial courts.

One of the unique implicit services that are used
would be that of the employment of Chinese songbirds, as shown in Figure 23. These songbirds are
placed around lobby during the day. The birds’
singing and chirping adds an “East Asian-feel” to the
environment.
Therefore, from the above practices, rituals and
symbols, it can be observed that the M. Mandarin
strongly attempts to create an all-rounded approach
to creating an atmosphere where guests will be able
to better appreciate the graciousness and warmth of
“East Asian” hospitality.

An “East Asian-ness” orientation among the
staff
While the five dimensions of the hotel product exemplifies the core theme of the hotel, Matthias was also
aware the staff training and orientation are important
in accentuating the “East Asian” concept to guests.
Therefore, for the M. Mandarin to espouse Asian concepts and values to their staff, new employees are
put through an “East Asian-ness” induction programme
as part of their orientation. This programme entails
using philosophy books on Asian values, as part of
the training. These books depict training and service
scenarios, with an “East Asian” slant. The books come
in bilingual Chinese format, where new staff are able
to learn better with the direct translation of the
Chinese words used. During orientation programmes,
staff are introduced to the hotel’s core values detailed

Figure 23. Chinese songbirds.

9

in its mission statement, vision and values that are
aligned to “Asian-ness.” A copy of this credo, as
shown in Figure 24, is given to the staff in the form of
a pocket-card, stating these values. Moreover, during
the induction programme over a period of six
months, they will be taught basic mandarin words on
how to properly greet guests. Furthermore, as part of
a continuous effort to increase their oriental approach,
both English and Mandarin language classes are made
available to staff to upgrade their linguistic abilities.

Understanding Eastern and Western
philosophies in hospitality management
and operations
With the completion of the assessment, Matthias
wanted his Executive Team to understand how
culture not only affected the product and service of
the hotel but also the management styles, so that
this team could execute the revamp. Given his
western education and experience working at both
international hotel chains and destinations, Matthias
highlighted to his staff the differences in Western
and Eastern styles of hotel management, so that
they could infuse the best practices of each philosophy into the revamped M. Mandarin, giving it the
right organisational capabilities and management
which would bring about future financial success
(Lam et al., 2015).

Western philosophies in hospitality
management and operations
Matthias highlighted that the western hospitality
management was centred on developing quality and

Figure 24. Copy of employee values pocket card.


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J. M. PANG

customer satisfaction by building a personal ownership of service excellence (Mwaura et al., 1998). This
has been espoused in values such as being practical,
having social mobility, achieving personal excellence,
and having greater productivity (Peters & Waterman,
2012). He supported his teaching from Ritz Carlton’s
book on service excellence which is developed from
a western serviced philosophical standpoint (Michelli,
2008). Matthias explained that service rendered from
western philosophy is seen as “play hosting” to the
customer where the customer and the service provider are on equal status footing, thereby emphasising
Solomon’s (2007) theory that westerners adopt an
egalitarian approach to service. He also mentioned
that the western hospitality operators are more
inclined to be decision-makers compared to their
eastern counterparts (Wan & Chon, 2010), and supported his teaching with a study conducted by
Huyton and Baker (1991) highlighting that western
philosophy-inclined staff felt that they were more
empowered to assist customers in their hotels.

Eastern philosophies in hospitality
management and operations
In the case of the eastern philosophy of hospitality
operations, which the M. Mandarin was currently
steeped in, Asians view hospitality differently. Matthias mentioned that Asian cultures look upon
service or the having to serve another, as a “loss of
face” or from a point of servitude (Pang et al., 1998).
This was due to the reason that Asians have higher
perceptions of formalisation as compared to western
cultures. However, with greater commercialization
and modernity, more Asian cultures are coming to
terms with the needs of service. On this note, Matthias
mentioned that service from an Asian perspective is
taken at a personal level compared to the western
philosophy, which takes a corporate stance (Tsang,
2011). Matthias explained that Asian rituals are also
more elaborate, have greater personal-vested interest
and were a collective representation of the establishment and organisation (Ahn et al., 2013). An
example given by Matthias was that of a handshake.
A handshake in the western context is seen as being
transactional and a norm within the business
context. However, in Asia, a handshake greeting has
a more personal attachment rather than just being
transactional. These rituals are woven into the fabric
of the service providers’ customs, culture, traditions
and religious beliefs. Moreover, certain practices

have ritualistic steps with each denoting a certain cultural significance. Matthias cited the example of a
Japanese tea ritual ceremony which has symbolic

meanings at each preparatory stage. In terms of the
individualism, Matthias explained that Asian operators
are more collective. They generally put the goals of the
organisation above their own and loyalty to the organisation was held in high regard in their value system
(Hofstede et al., 2010). However, he mentioned that
having a collective outlook could have a negative
impact where staff are unwilling to stand-out and
make decisions for the organisations.

Limitations of the M. Mandarin’s Eastern
Asian philosophy
Having conducted a thorough assessment and sharing
on the different styles of management, Matthias
recognised that the hotel’s concept of espousing
“East Asian-ness” has both advantages and limitations.
While the current practices, systems and culture
clearly defined the property, granting it a unique
product which could be an advantage for certain
target segments, the limitations were less succinct.
The primary strategy of the M. Mandarin was about
selling an East Asian theme to the business and corporate guests. However, these two aspects are not
necessarily aligned. Corporate guests’ primary need
for a stay in a hotel are centred on the need for
efficiency. They are also utilitarian, and desire facilities
that will support their business needs (for example,
business centres, and gymnasiums to keep fit while
working). These aspects might not be suited for an
“East Asian” theme. “East Asia” values exude warmth,
gracious, and a sense of hospitality. This is generally
associated with a sense of gentleness, graciousness

and slowness, where efficiency and productivity are
not a priority. Generally, the priorities of business travellers are ranked with speed, location of hotel and
functionalities in the choice of hotel.13 Moreover, the
choice of uniform for female staff, the “cheongsam”
was a poor choice of utilitarian function as it inhibits
movement (being tight-fitting) and could lead to a
loss of modesty, with its high slit cutting on the
dress, potentially exposing oneself.
Furthermore, as Singapore moves to become a truly
international city, more travellers are coming to Singapore to experience internationalisation, rather than to
see a specific “East Asian” theme. With China being
more open and having greater accessibility, more visitors would rather visit China to experience authentic


ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH

Chinese hotels, hospitality and culture. One of the
markets that the M. Mandarin tapped into is that of
the Chinese market. However, there are growing segments within the Chinese out-bound market adopting
a more western-centric tourism experience.14 These
tourists shied away from desiring a Chinese experience
while travelling; rather, their intention was to expose
themselves to western and other ethnic cultures and
experiences.15 They have a growing preference for visiting western countries.16 Hence the “Asian-ness”
theme of the M. Mandarin might seem to these
Chinese travellers to have a false faỗade and might
be deemed as unauthentic or trifling. They might
even consider the M. Mandarin as having over-played
its “East Asian” concept to the point where it has
become cheap and distasteful to them.

11

also been changed from the warm yellow lights to
blue neon ones, to infuse a sense of modernity.
With all these upgrades in the M. Mandarin and an
evolving market of discerning customers, Matthias felt
that there is a need to revamp the hotel in accordance
to change customer needs and desires. Nonetheless,
he was concerned about the extent to which he
could change the concept of the hotel, without alienating his current clientele and running against the
grain of the entrenched theme and management
style, one which has proven to work well over the
years. He was also mindful how the change could be
phased in progressively, without overly “rocking the
boat.” Regardless of his decision, he knew that the
M. Mandarin is synonymous with exceptional service
and was keen to maintain these high standards,
throughout the change process.

Possible evolution for the M. Mandarin
As Matthias pondered on the degree of adopting
Western and contemporary concepts and management, he acknowledged the current strengths of the
M Mandarin. The hotel has a unique selling characteristic, which is its “East Asian” theme. This theme continues to differentiate the hotel from its
conventional competitors in the Marina Bay area,
such as the Conrad Centennial Hotel, the J.W. Marriott
and the Fairmount Raffles City – Singapore.
However, considering its highlighted limitations,
Matthias wondered how he could draw from the
examples set by similar East-Asian associated hotels

such as the Shangri-La, Singapore and Mandarin
Oriental, Singapore, by connoting an Asian brand
name, while striking a balance between adopting a
contemporary modern concept and yet maintaining
its “East Asian” feel cum fusion approach. Matthias
was also aware that the hotel has seen more Gen-Y
guests who are more functionally inclined, with less
appreciation for tradition.17 In his time spent at the
M. Mandarin, he has seen a slight decline in this
younger market over the years. He remembered that
several years ago, prior to his appointment as
General Manager of the hotel, the decorative oriental
dancing troupe lion-head lobby centrepiece, as shown
in Figure 25, was replaced by a crystal sculpture,
depicting a more “zen-like” visage, due to customer
feedback that it was “too oriental and traditional.”
The furnishing in the lobby-lounge was also
changed to depict a more eclectic, minimalist environment after their last renovation, to cater to new evolving markets. The evening lighting of the lounge has

Conclusion
Essentially, Matthias understood the M. Mandarin has
always leveraged on its singular and central concept
of being “East Asian.” This constant theme has permeated all aspects of the hotel, ranging from its operations to its marketing. It was also its unique selling
point in standing-out from her competitors.
On hindsight, Matthias felt that being overly
steeped in tradition might pose a concern to the

Figure 25. Former lobby centrepiece (Chinese Lion-head).

12

J. M. PANG

hotel in current times, especially for one located in Singapore, a city–state known for its internationalisation,
modernity, efficiency and pervasive use of technology.
Guests nowadays are more sophiscated in their
choices and demands in selecting hotels and the functions they offer to their customers. They might find
contemporary themes more appealing in a modern
city such as Singapore, thus proliferating avantgarde hotel environments.
With hotels taking greater interest in the confluence of eastern and western philosophies in management, Matthias was optimistic that the M. Mandarin
Hotel Group would want the M. Mandarin to take an
eclectic approach with a fusion of these two
different cultures and adopt a hybrid version of “East
Asian-ness” cum contemporary western philosophy
of management to continue to be successful. With
the high probability of these changes happening in
the near future and with a new concept to match, Matthias was certain that the hotel would need to redefine
and develop new marketing strategies, execute the
aligned changes within the framework and dimensions of the hotel product, without alienating their
loyal guests in a progressive and constructive manner.

Notes
1. From “Creating a framework for the Asian paradigm of
hospitality management,” by M. Ahn, G. Ho, Y. Chen
and K. Chon, 21–23 May 2013, 11th ApacCHRIE Conference. Macau SAR, China: University of Macau. Copyright
2013 by University of Macau. Reprinted with permission.
2. From “Atmospherics as a marketing tool,” by P. Kotler,
1974, Journal of Retailing,49 (4), p. 48. Copyright 2020
by the Elsevier. Reprinted with permission.

3. From Symbols and Meanings: A Concise Introduction, by
M. Womack, 2005, Walnut Creek, CA.: Altamira Press. Copyright 2005 by Altamira Press. Adapted with permission.
4. From Symbols: Public and Private, by R. Firth, R, 1973,
Oxon: Routledge. Copyright 1973 by Routledge.
Adapted with permission.
5. From Hotel Design: Planning and Development (p. 375), by
W. Rutes, R. Penner, and L. Adam, 2001, New York: Norton
and Company. Copyright 2001 by Norton and Company.
Reprinted with permission.
6. From “Meritus Hotels and Resorts celebrates Asian heritage,” by Buzz.travel, 2012 (rbonews.
com/53630/meritus-hotels-and-resorts-celebrates-asianheritage). In the public domain.
7. From “Holidaying Brits spend ‘majority’ of time in their
hotel,” by P. Davies, 2008 ( />news_feature.php?id=1128660). In the public domain.
8. From “Hybridity, Ethnicity and Food in Singapore,” by
B. Chua and A. Rajah, in D. Wu and C. Tan (Eds.), Changing
Chinese Foodways in Asia (p. 161), 2001, Hong Kong:

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

Chinese University Press. Copyright 2001 by Chinese University Press. Adapted with permission.
From “The role of tacit and explicit knowledge in the
workplace,” by E. Smith, 2001, Journal of Knowledge Management, 5 (4), p. 311. Copyright 2001 by Emerald Publishing. Reprinted with permission.
From Services Management: The New Paradigm in Hospitality, by J. Kandampully, 2002, Australia: Pearson Education.
Copyright 2002 by Pearson Education. Adapted with
permission.
From “Theory in hospitality management,” by P. Nailon, 1982,
International Journal of Hospitality Management, 1 (3), p. 135.
Copyright 1982 by Elsevier. Reprinted with permission.
From The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking
Guide, by M. Heiss, M. and R. Heiss, 2007, Berkeley, CA.:
Ten Speed Press. Copyright 2007 by Ten Speed Press.
Adapted with permission.
From “An importance-performance analysis of
hotel selection factors in the Hong Kong hotel industry: A
comparison of business and leisure travellers,” by K. Chu
and T. Choi, 2000, Tourism Management, 21 (4), p. 363. Copyright 2000 by Elsevier. Printed with permission.
From “The Asian wave and critical tourism scholarship,”
by T.C. Chang, 2015, International Journal of Asia Pacific
Studies, 11 (1), p. 83. Copyright 2015 by USM Press.
Printed with permission.
From “Chinese Tourists’ Westward Wanderlust: How
China’s Booming Outbound Tourism Is Changing The
Global Travel Industry,” by M. FlorCruz, 2013 (http://
www.ibtimes.com/chinese-tourists-westwardwanderlust-how-chinas-booming-outbound-tourismchanging-global-travel). In the public domain.

From “When east meets west: An exploratory study on
Chinese outbound tourists’ travel expectations,” by X. Li,
C. Lai, R. Harrill, S. Kline and L. Way, 2011, Tourism Management, 32 (4), p. 741. Copyright 2011 by Elsevier. Printed
with permission.
From “Getting to know the Y generation,” by
D. Pendergast, in P. Benckendorff, G. Loscardo, &
D. Pendergast (Eds), Tourism and Generation Y (p. 14),
2010, Oxfordshire: CABI. Copyright 2010 by CABI.
Adapted with permission.

Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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