Julini Yusof – Marketing Communications Manager Concorde Kuala Lumpur

It took me 20 years to be where I am now and it was a winding road but I made it through. During my whole career in the hospitality industry, I have experienced and seen many things and by now, I am pretty much prepared for what is to come, may it be from the guests or the competitors

By Gaya Travel on April 18, 20125 minutes read

Julini Yusof - Marketing Communications Manager Concorde Kuala Lumpur

GTN : Background in the hotel Industry?

JULINI YUSOF : It was back in 1991 when we were in the process of opening Concorde Kuala Lumpur, I was the pre-opening team’s Junior Secretary for Marketing Communications Department. Since then I worked my way up to where I am now, which is as the Marketing Communications Manager. It took me 20 years to be where I am now and it was a winding road but I made it through. During my whole career in the hospitality industry, I have experienced and seen many things and by now, I am pretty much prepared for what is to come, may it be from the guests or the competitors. As I have worked in the Marketing and Communication for so long, I have developed interest towards Public Relations and Marketing field and I enrolled in part-time courses to refine my skills and knowledge with the kind support from my superiors.

My experience in and exposure to the Sales and Marketing Department added value whereby I was assigned to handle an incentive programme and club, which I found challenging yet interesting. It required teamwork and management support for us to be able to achieve our targets. Working in Concorde Kuala Lumpur, we are given the opportunity to explore our creativity.

GTN : Some aspects that I value most in this industry?

JULINI YUSOF: There are a lot of aspects in this industry that I value as priceless. Hospitality is an industry that places rapport as its top priority and when it comes to rapport, it has no boundary since you have to deal with people all the time. So, it is crucial to have a good rapport with everyone, from superiors to colleagues to subordinates and most importantly, the guests. They are the ones that we need to respect and make comfortable, regardless whether they are new or repeat guests because we want them to think of Concorde KL as their home.

The second most valuable aspect in the hospitality industry is the effort to put a smile on a client’s face. Each guest is unique, therefore satisfying our guests can be challenging yet we take that very seriously because when a client is pleased, that means we have proven our credibility in providing the best service. Other than that, this industry allows me to explore various aspects of marketing because we are constantly in the business of not just managing our rooms, food and beverage, including guests’ comfort but also our reputation.

Another thing that I treasure working in this industry is that it allows me to explore so many different aspects of the business such as learning about hotel concepts, theme, food and services. With 20 years of working experience in this industry, it still surprises me because new things keep on happening.

GTN : What are the strategies in marketing Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur to travellers?

JULINI YUSOF: Concorde itself is a big name and everyone is aware of that. With such advantage, we continue to offer value-for-money accommodation and place great emphasis on services and products such as room packages, including food and beverages deals. We, at Concorde, from time to time make improvements on many aspects such as comfortable beds in newly-renovated rooms to hearty breakfast in the ideal location (Golden Triangle) while maintaining competitive prices and well packaged deals to suit the demand and desire of our guests.

Recently, the hotel has just renovated the Tower Wing at the cost of RM50 million, which includes the upgrading of the swimming pool and the Premier rooms, as well as adding state-of-the-art equipment to the Premier Fitness Centre. In this year, Concorde Kuala Lumpur turns 21 and we will continue to step up our game and harness our experience in the hospitality industry to further improve our services and products. By the time we turn exactly 21, the food and beverage outlets will be given new look, but we will not just stop there. The members of the public are welcomed to experience Concorde Kuala Lumpur to see for themselves the fresher look of the hotel.

GTN : What are Concorde Kuala Lumpur plans to be on top of the accommodation list amongst tourists?

JULINI YUSOF : We have been around in the hospitality industry for over 20 years and we are very familiar with the local hospitality industry. We know our guests well and our plan is simple: we give what our guests want and need, which in turn make us the preferred accommodation. Apart from that, we will continue to provide value-for-money accommodation so that the guests will enjoy our service at reasonable prices, probably beyond their expectations. We offer very reasonable packages for our rooms so that guests will be able to stay and enjoy the whole list of exciting things to do during their stay. Our food and beverage outlets also have extra edge and we strongly believe that we serve among the best culinary offerings in the city. In addition, Concorde Kuala Lumpur is the place where guests are continuously entertained with music.

GTN : From the tourism perspective, how far have we progressed in providing hospitality accommodation to the tourists?

JULINI YUSOF: Hotel business remains competitive due to surplus of rooms and the emergence of serviced suites and boutique or themed hotels, including bigger hotel brands that are due to open in the city centre. As the country moves forward and as Kuala Lumpur becomes more cosmopolitan, we need interesting new products and new concepts to attract investors. Malaysia as a whole has a lot to offer, not only varioues types of accommodation concepts but also other products such as urban attractions, homestays and rich natural heritage. Complemented by various forms of art, culture, food and Malaysian warmth, we are on the right track to become the world’s top holiday destination, eventually propelling the hospitality industry even further.

GTN : What are your hopes and dreams for Concorde Kuala Lumpur?

JULINI YUSOF : We are approaching the mature age of 21 and we are very proud of our achievements thus far, but we are definitely not resting on our laurels. We still have a long way to go and we are aiming to be the most preferred 4-star accommodation in the city. We want to continuously appeal to both leisure and business travellers due to our offerings and strategic location. We also aim to solidify our position as the provider of choice for events like weddings and external catering because our food happens to be our strong competitive edge.