Please introduce yourself to our readers!
I belong to India, and started my carrier with the JW Marriott in 2001. I’ve had great opportunities to work for Marriott’s multiple properties in India, and then I moved to Bali in May 2012. There, I had a great experience, with two great properties; JW Marriott and Courtyard in Nusa Dua. Then in March, II had the opportunity to join Mayflower as the General Manager. I’ve been here, with my family, since then. In fact, my son was born in Indonesia in 2013, so that’s why Indonesia holds a very special place in my heart, professionally as well as personally.
Is this the first you’ve lived in Jakarta?
Previously, I’ve just traveled here because of my assignment in Bali. So I’d come here for business trips. So Jakarta was not a completely strange place for me.
What was your first impression of Jakarta?
Jakarta always tends to excite me a lot. Because It has a lot of history and culture, there’s a multicultural diversity in the society. Lifestyle-wise, it has a complete different set of boundaries for me. Coming from India, which also has rich culture and history, Jakarta is a completely different place. Another great thing about Jakarta is the food as well; I’m a big fan of Jakarta’s food scene, so I was very excited to settle in here.
What do you think Mayflower’s strengths and position, as a serviced apartment in Jakarta?
Marriott executive apartment is a completely one stop destination for long staying guests,. We make sure that our product and services is the best the market can offer for our customers for them to enjoy the most personalized services. Having said that, we also want to give equal treatment for our short-staying guests who probably come here with their family and want to stay together during their stay in one of our suites, where they would feel at home.
In Jakarta, there’s a lot of expat and a lot of investment, and we are looking at a healthy flow of travelers coming here both for short and long stays. We are pretty confident of the fact that we will continue to drive dominance in the market.
What are you tips for Expats settling in Jakarta?
First thing, is for us to understand the culture. Indonesians are very warm and friendly people; this would be one of the easiest countries to settle down in. That’s why I think Jakarta, judging by its long history, have always attracted foreigners from all over the world. When the people are genuine, it would be very easy for anyone to belong. The same with Bali too, the people, is what I think as the uniqueness of Indonesia.
What’s your style of leadership in your management?
Since I have been ‘born and brought up’ in the Marriott work environment, our core value is to put the people first, which means to look after our associate’s and our staff’s happiness and wellbeing, and in turn, they will help take care of the business. As a management, I make sure that my team is getting looked after, get the training they need to develop, and for them have a good work life balance.
Where do you go in your spare time?
Since I’m a die-hard fan of Indonesian food, I do like trying different places. Padang food is one of my favorite. Me and my wife love to go and get an authentic Padang food once in a while. Travel wise, we haven’t got a lot of opportunity to sightsee yet, but I’m looking forward to explore Jakarta’s landmarks like the Istiqlal and the cathedral because I’m very much fascinated with history and culture. But one thing that I would recommend everybody doing is the car free day, which is quite amazing, really. On normal day, you see the road completely packed with cars, and for it to be free from any vehicle is incredible.
We thank Mr. Shasank and his team for the interview. For more information about Mayflower, the Marriott Executive Apartments, visit http://ift.tt/1Uj5Z1P or call (62-21) 5789 7888
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