Steven Wong, Chief Concierge at The Langham, Hong Kong
Steven Wong, Chief Concierge at The Langham, Hong Kong, shares with us his experience in the hotel industry
CityLife: Can you tell us how you got started in the hotel industry?
Steven: I studied hotel management at university and was an intern before I graduated. I really enjoyed the job and have been working ever since – for 12 years now.
CL:What is your favourite part of the job?
Steven: I like interacting with guests and helping them with their problems and requests. In my job, every day is a new day: we face different challenges based on our guests’ needs. I get real satisfaction from being able to help them.
CL:Have you observed any changes in guests’ service needs?
Steven: Yes, even in my time the changes have been substantial. Our guests now are much more familiar with Hong Kong and they are already quite well-informed before they come to us for help, Besides shopping and sightseeing, many come for other activities such as hiking, exploring Hong Kong’s history and culture, and enjoying nature. So their standards are becoming higher and higher and that’s a challenge for us.
CL:Any memorable requests from guests you can share with us?
Steven: One guest arrived late at night and needed to go to Macau early in the morning for a meeting. Around midnight, he found out his suit didn’t fit properly and needed alterations. All the tailor shops were closed and I finally got hold of a tailor that I knew who agreed to go back to the shop to do the necessary work. Our guest was very happy – he wrote us a thank you letter and now always stays with us, and always finds me to say hello.
CityLife: What do you do to relax after work?
Steven: I enjoy hiking; the Dragon’s Back is a nice scenic trail. If it’s good weather I may go to Tung Chung and hike from there. I also like to try out different places to eat; and Hong Kong has so many good restaurants to offer.
STEVEN RECOMMENDS
Favourite local Hong Kong food: First-time visitors should explore Hong Kong’s great restaurants. For dining, I highly recommend our own three-Michelinstar Tang Court which serves traditional Cantonese food. And visitors should definitely try out local foods such as egg tart, pineapple bun, roast goose and congee.
A two day itinerary for his hotel guests:
First Day: Dim sum at Lin Heung Tea House in Central and order food from the traditional carts being pushed around. Then take the Escalator from Central to Mid-Levels and see how locals live. Stroll along Hollywood Road, visit PMQ and Man Mo Temple and check out the many galleries and antique shops in the area. Have lunch in Soho where good restaurants abound. Herbivores is a vegetarian restaurant serving healthy food – it's worth trying. Then visit Sheung Wan – famous for its dried seafood and Chinese folk medicine shops – there are hundreds of them lined up along the main streets.
Second day: Visit Chi Lin Nunnery in Kowloon's Wong Tai Sin. The whole building, in traditional Chinese architectural style, was built with a single nail. Then go to the flower market, Goldfish Street, and Ladies Street in Mongkok. Try a local eatery in Mongkok for lunch and for the evening have drinks at our hotel bar or a bar nearby.