Montien Riverside Hotel:
MICE and easy does it
Youthapong Charoenpan
Listening is getting what people are saying. Understanding is getting what they’re not saying. At Montien Riverside hotel, its hotel staffs have a distinct ability to listen, but more importantly, a commitment to understand your deepest aspirations.
Young and talented Wirat Suthangkornkun, the Sales Manager of Montien Riverside hotel is confident that the hotel is second to none with regard of Meeting and Banquet service.
When it comes to providing banqueting services and serving the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sector, the management at the Montien Riverside Hotel believes it pays particularly close attention to customers’ needs, ensuring a successful and enjoyable event.
|Located alongside the Chao Phraya River, the Montien Riverside is a spacious city resort hotel. Its meetings’ team says it approaches events, large or small, with the same level of dedication, focusing on providing a consistently high level of service.
Youthapong Charoenpan spoke recently with Wirat Suthangkornkun, the hotel’s sales manager, to learn more about the Montien Riverside and Thailand’s hotel business in general.
 
YC: Does the Montien Riverside provide any unique services when it comes to meetings and banqueting?
WS: Insofar as facilities and technical aspects are concerned, there is little difference when you compare the city’s leading hotels. Our services are certainly comparable with other high-end establishments. But while some hotels get staff with different responsibilities to meet with clients, here it’s the sales team that liaises directly with the customer to fully understand the requirements. The sales team then provides section leaders with a comprehensive and detailed briefing. We find this format shortens the working process.
YC: So the planning side is vital in ensuring a successful event?
WS: That’s right. A senior member of the sales team first examines every request, down to the smallest detail. We wouldn’t dream of opening our doors without first ensuring that everything is in place.
YC: Is the hotel geared up to hosting larger events?
WS: Certainly. With our magnificent Grand Ballroom, as well as ten other function rooms, we’ve become a popular venue for banquets, conferences, exhibitions, incentive-related events, parties, receptions, and seminars. We can easily cater to events with up to 500 delegates.
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YC: Is the fact that you’re not located in the very center of the city a challenge when it comes to sales?
WS: Not really, since the hotel is easily accessible by expressway, taking about half an hour to reach Suvarnabhumi International Airport. We’re only about 10 minutes from the city’s main shopping and entertainment areas, and we provide complimentary shuttle bus services for our guest from several points across the city.
YC: How would you describe hospitality at the hotel to prospective customers?
WS: It’s something we take great pride in and in terms of hotels in general, it’s largely addressed through training. Whether a guest or not, anyone who comes through our doors is treated equally. Quite simply, we feel it’s an honor that they’re visiting us.
YC: Have you even received any particularly unusual requests?
WS: Sure. Recently a client asked us to serve up an assortment of deep-fried insects! The theme of the event was a traditional Thai fun fair.
YC: How did the recent political uncertainty affect your business?
WS: The tourism sector in general experienced a drop in the number of visitors following the (December 26, 2004) tsunami. There were signs of a recovery and then the political crisis emerged, which again led to a dramatic decline in reservations (over the last two years).
YC: And are things finally beginning to improve?
WS: Yes, things are certainly looking brighter now and we’re now seeing an increase in the number of guests. But competition in this business remains as intensive as ever. In our particular area (meetings and banquets), which generates up to 50% of the hotel’s income, I can confirm that we have plenty of business, so we can concentrate on ensuring we maintain our high standards of service.
For further information about the Montien Riverside, its rates, services, and facilities, visit its official home on the web at http://www.montien.com/riverside.
Transport connections:
Train: The nearest BTS skytrain station is Surasak. The hotel is about 7-10 minutes away in a taxi.
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