Crafting a culture of well-being in Grand Hyatt Singapore style

SINGAPORE – While most hotels around the world focus their makeovers on glitzier lobbies, luxe rooms and tricked-out spas, Grand Hyatt Singapore has chosen to also train the spotlight on the intangibles of hospitality – the stay experience.

And it does this by combining aesthetics with its own brand of hospitality centred on a “culture of well-being”.

The hotel reopened on July 10 after closing in late 2022 for extensive renovations after more than 50 years in Singapore.

It unveiled the first of a phased reopening with a new nature-inspired Terrace Wing, jointly designed by Tokyo-based design studio Strickland and NAO Taniyama, in collaboration with British landscape architecture practice Grant Associates.

The urban sanctuary comprises two distinct concepts. The first is Grand Wing – A Grand Living Room, where guests can come together and celebrate at seven dining outlets and 16 event spaces across three floors.

The second is the Terrace Wing, a garden oasis and wellness haven comprising a spa, outdoor pools and a fitness centre.

According to landscape architect Grant Associates, shinrin yoku (Japanese for “forest bathing”) was the inspiration for the pockets of green throughout the hotel.

The Terrace Wing has 292 rooms spread across different categories such as King rooms, five Garden Studios and three Presidential Suites.

The Garden Studios are a new design and take up space previously reserved for spa treatment rooms.

The capacious 645 sq ft studio has an outsize reception area and a king bed with state-of-the-art Toto high-tech toilet bowls.

The Grand Wing is expected to be ready in the first half of 2025, bringing the total to 699 rooms.

All the food and beverage outlets are up and running.

StraitsKitchen is back with its hearty halal-certified kitchen, which showcases Peranakan and Asian cuisines. Pete’s Place still serves up rustic Italian fare, which diners have been enjoying since it opened in 1973. And Brix bar – formerly known as Brannigan’s – is back in business at the hotel’s basement.

New attractions include Le Pristine Singapore, which has taken over Mezza9.

It is the South-east Asian debut of Michelin-starred Dutch chef Sergio Herman, who is known for his Zeeland-inspired cooking. Zeeland is a western province in the Netherlands known for its fresh produce.

Oasis features all-day poolside dining near two new pool concepts, which feature barbecued favourites, cocktails and live deejay music.

Damai, the hotel’s enhanced holistic well-being hub, which comprises Damai Spa and Damai House, will be ready in early 2025.

But the hotel is also known as much for its cheerful and friendly staff as its sumptuous interiors.

Grand Hyatt Singapore’s wellness culture is a winning in-house formula the hotel has honed since it opened in 1971 with 700 rooms, then known as Hyatt Regency Singapore.

The hotel prides itself on treating its employees well so that they are better able to manage the challenges of tending to guests from all over the globe.

By the late 1990s, two-thirds of the hotel’s employees were reported in The Straits Times to have stayed with the hotel for between five and 25 years, citing a congenial family atmosphere which has come to be a hallmark of the hotel.

Today, there are about 500 members of staff – addressed as “associates” – who have worked with the hotel on average for about 11 years.

Keeping both associates and guests in top form is the preserve of Ms Thea Wong, director of well-being at Grand Hyatt Singapore.

Her designation is a first for the Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, and there are plans to carve out similar positions promoting well-being in Hyatt’s sister hotels around the world.

“It’s an exciting innovation in luxury hospitality, representing a shift from the conventional focus on ‘wellness’, which is typically limited to fitness or spa experiences, to a more holistic approach towards well-being that integrates physical, emotional and mental health,” says Ms Wong, 50.

She adds: “I address these three states as interconnected aspects, not as separate silos. At Grand Hyatt, this philosophy forms the foundation of everything we do, from guest programming to colleague wellness initiatives, to ensure a comprehensive and personalised experience.”

One example of this can be found in the hotel’s recently launched Grand Vitality Fitness and Wellness Membership, which is more than just about fitness. It focuses on creating a community and fostering mindfulness.

Guests as well as members enjoy access to facilities such as a semi-Olympic lap pool, a state-of-the-art fitness centre with 26 varieties of equipment and thermal-hydro facilities for recovery, including a sauna, steam room and outdoor wellness pool.

She also curates programmes for the hotel’s associates, extending wellness initiatives to colleagues’ partners and their children.

There is also a dedicated social space designed for colleagues to unwind, exercise and connect. This includes a gym, recreational facilities, and relaxation areas tailored to meet their needs.

Mr Edouard Demptos, general manager of Grand Hyatt Singapore, says the group’s focus on total well-being is aligned with emerging travel trends.

He adds that discerning guests place more importance on living well and are willing to pay a premium for hotels with strong ESG (environmental, social and governance) programmes.

“We had to reimagine the guest experience delivered by a trusted team of associates,” says Mr Demptos, 47.

“The secret to the hotel’s hospitality excellence is our team of trusted associates over many generations. Our average employee tenure is 11 years, which attests to the strength of Hyatt’s wellness culture.”

Ms Doris Chan, 76, known to her colleagues as “Aunty Doris”, has worked in the laundry room of the hotel for 53 years.

She manages the hotel’s linen inventory, including the tailoring, fittings, alterations and overseeing daily cleaning of all uniforms and linens.

“I am very proud of my job because clean and smart uniforms are the first thing that guests see when they step into the hotel, so everyone’s personal appearance is very important,” she says.

“Our laundry room is now beautifully renovated and features a high-tech, automated uniform retrieval system.

“Each associate simply taps the staff identity pass on the machine, and the clean uniform is automatically retrieved via a conveyor belt, saving everyone time and energy.”