Edmund Pang, Hotelier, Liu Men Hotel, Malacca

Edmund Pang

Edmund Pang, a hotelier at Lui Men Malacca, speaks to The Yum List about his growth and perspective on the hotel industry.

What do you do and how did you get into the industry?
I started in the hotel industry when I was 16 years of age. My first job was working as a part-timer at Holiday Inn, Malacca. My first posting was in the café outlet serving Food & Beverages and later on, I went into banquet service as well. The best lesson learnt in the hotel industry is that you need to have the willingness to be a team player as every department is connected to each other. One must be professional in dealing with all situations internally or externally. Having a good attitude is a must as that is how you carry yourself from a day to day basis. Grooming has to be tip-top at all times. Most importantly give the best customer service at all times to provide the guest with a pleasant journey during their stay. We want them to come back on their next visit. Fast forward to the present day, I still carry on these traits with me.

Share with us an interesting story from behind the scenes.
When I first got a call to work on Liu Men Hotel, I wasn’t prepared to be working on a pre-WWII building. The standards set out by the owners were also not easy to achieve. The amount of care and detail needed to be put into both the hardware and software was unlike anything I’ve ever encountered. With a strict opening deadline on the 12th of March 2019, we just managed to get all our prints and cutlery two days before opening. Everyone was freaking out especially the GM and Jason (my brother and owners’ representative).

What’s the best/ worst part of your job?
The best part of the job is talking to our guests to ensure that they feel welcomed as we would receive the guests to our own home. We want to make sure that they are being pampered at all times. There isn’t any bad day that I have yet come across. Mostly I’m enjoying every journey to perform to the fullest as a hotelier.

What’s one must-try dish in Malacca?
Hainanese Chicken Rice.

What’s one of the wildest things you’ve encountered behind the scenes?
Staying back after working hours to take care of guests until morning and still going back to work only a few hours later.

The perfect day off would be…
Playing video games and sleep.

A day in the life of a hotelier is…
Motivating the staff to always do better than yesterday, always trying new things, and making sure we do not exceed the budget that has been set by the owners.

What do you do for fun?
Go out for parties and dance the Melbourne way.

What’s something you’d like guests to know about Liu Men Hotel?
When choosing the Liu Men Hotel, our goal is to give every guest the experience and a memorial stay at all times. We put in the extra mile to satisfy every guest request possible.

What’s your favourite food and beverage pairing?
A plate of lamb shoulder with a glass of Bordeaux Red Wine at Vintry, Melaka.

What’s your view on the hospitality industry in Malaysia?
I believe it will improve in time as Malaysia has always been a beautiful country, that is rich in nature and history. I always believe it is an on-going journey for Malaysia to be more recognized as the most entertaining country to be. We at Liu Men Hotel want the best for the hotel industry to grow to its maximum level, regardless if we have to adjust to all inevitable situations.

What’s in store for you in the upcoming months?
Well, we have been opened for about five months now. While we’re receiving a lot of local exposure, we have much to do in terms of spreading awareness to other parts of the world.

Check out the Lui Men Hotel here and find more on gourmet travel to Malacca here or use this guide for a fabulous weekend getaway to Malacca.

Find more interviews, similar to this one with Edmund Pang, here.