Hotels make sure staff don't miss out on the spirit of Christmas
For those of us who choose to travel during the Christmas season, we rest assured that our everyday needs will be taken care of by friendly hotel staff. But what are the holidays like for the people who forgo Christmas with their families in order to cater to our every whim?
Not too shabby, apparently. Grand Hyatt Hong Kong employees get a four-metre Christmas tree in Cheers, their own employee restaurant. According to Marco Avitabile, formerly chef de cuisine at Grand Hyatt's Grissini and now director of culinary operations (Asia-Pacific) of Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, each hotel department adds decorations to the tree, and Grissini even has its own personal tree. 'There is always a poker game in the kitchen to determine who will be in charge of its colour and decoration theme,' he says.
During Christmas week, employees eat breakfast together at Cheers and, as a treat, the chef de cuisine and the manager will often bring panettone and other typical Italian food.
On the day of the special Christmas buffet, employees gather at Cheers for a festive meal and a number of Santas make their way through the tables with small gifts for each employee. This is often a particularly emotional moment for Mr Avitabile, who says that the jolly Santas reminds him of his grandfather. The employees also exchange personal gifts.
According to Agnes Ma, assistant public relations manager at the Royal Park Hotel, each employee buys one present that goes into a gift pool for a lucky draw.