Mr. Leo Llambi

1. We have learned that you have more than 30 years of experience in the hotel industry. So, what motivated you to go into the hotel industry?

What motivated me at first was actually to work with my friends, who were already working in the industry. So I was encouraged by them. I’ve left the industry a couple of times and I came back. I guess the main reason that attracted me to the industry was the opportunities for advancement. A lot of people don’t appreciate that. You can advance if you do the right thing.

2. But despite the many opportunities for advancement like you said, the industry receives lack of interest from the young generation.

I think it’s a lot to do with the world changing. I guess that generation has become more impatient. It’s natural. We want everything so quickly. But in the hospitality industry, patience is the key. You have to do your time, as I said. Things take time. I think that’s why the younger generation are not prepared to wait. But believe me, the opportunities are there. I guess I’m the evidence of that. I started from the bottom and worked my way up.

3. What do you consider the most important trend in hospitality?

Things like this get people like me motivated to keep learning and to keep moving with the trends. The hospitality industry has changed tremendously throughout the years. Nowadays, you read the first preference or the demand that guests need is free Wi-Fi. Right at the top of the list. Whereas, back in those days, the trends were more like complimentary breakfast and free parking especially in the city where parking fees are expensive. All those trends that were so important back then have now gone down the list. We now have a new list of preferences. So when the trend is changing, obviously the industry has to accommodate to such demand.

4. At work, what puts a smile on your face?

If you were to ask my staff or the guests, they will tell you that a lot of things can put a smile on my face. In fact, I’m always smiling. But of course, there are times that it’s hard to smile. Sometimes things just happened. So I think it’s critical for anybody who wants to make it in the industry to be able to smile, and to be able to recover from bad situations. But to answer your question, then I think the answer is happy guests, always. Particularly when we are able to turn the situation from unhappy guests to happy returning guests. There’s a sense of achievement in that. It’s always about pleasing the guests. Making sure that they are happy. It’s essential.

5. In the eyes of your employees, what is the single most important quality you should have?

It’s important for me to be understanding. To understand their challenges and their difficulties. So that I don’t demand too much from them.

6. What advice would you offer to those who are inspired to become successful in the hotel industry?

My advice would be to lower the expectation in terms of entry level. You have to be reasonable about where you want to start. There’s a Buddhist proverb that says “when the student is ready, the teachers will appear.” And that is how I’ve learned. My advice is to find the right place to start. As soon as they’re ready, the teachers will be everywhere. If you think about that, pay attention to the so called teachers; you will learn, you will succeed. In fact, a lot of things that have helped me, I learned them by listening to the so called teachers. If you pay attention on what’s happening around you and observe the leader, you will learn. You have to observe, listen, be alert and be reasonable.

7. Moving on to the hotel, what are the unique selling points that make Concorde Shah Alam stands out from the rest of the properties in the area?

I think the location, the quality of the food and the service are our biggest selling points and our strengths. But my personal favourite about the hotel is the warmth and genuine nature of the staff. Because at the end of the day, it’s the people that makes the difference and makes guests remember about the property. That’s just what hospitality is all about.

8. What is the marketing segment that Concorde Shah Alam is targeting?

Concorde Shah Alam is strategically located and serves every particular need required by guests from business accommodation perspective, so corporate travellers will highly benefit from this.

9. What are the biggest challenges of operating Concorde Shah Alam?

I think the biggest challenge faced here is the one faced by most of the hotels nowadays, and that is manning. It’s hard to find the people to fill the vacancies that we have. I think you hit that point earlier when the younger generations are not really encouraged to join the industry; and that’s hurting us.

10. What is the general message that Concorde Shah Alam intends to deliver to the public (for example travellers and holiday goers)?

We are here; we are very keen to show the local community and visitors on what we are capable of. I think there are a lot of people who probably don’t know the quality of the product and service that we provide. I encourage everybody to give us a try as I am confident that they will be impressed.

About The Author

Shahida Sakeri

Officially a Deputy Editor with over 10 years in travel media. Unofficially? A professional suitcase overpacker with a knack for turning chance encounters and itineraries into vivid, story-driven features. When not fine-tuning articles, she’s likely front row at a concert, taste-testing something spicy, or deep in a conversation that veered wonderfully off-topic.

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