Cicadas, parrots, monkeys: If you prefer the sound of nature to any Spotify playlist, The Datai Langkawi is the right place for you. Surrounded by the dense Malaysian rainforest, this five-star gem feels like you’ve fallen out of your everyday life.
FACES: Your career in the hotel industry has taken you from General Manager of The Datai Langkawi Hotel in Malaysia to CEO of the entire Datai Hotels & Resorts Group. How did you get into this industry in the first place?
Arnaud Girodon: It’s all my aunt’s fault! I actually come from a very small village in the Massif Central in France. When I visited Paris for the first time at the age of eleven, my aunt smuggled me through the back door of the luxury George V Hotel, which is now a Four Seasons hotel. She worked there as the head housekeeper and wanted to show me this world that she could immerse herself in day after day. When I saw the luxury, the staff, the guests and all the trappings, I was hooked and knew immediately what I wanted to do for a living!
FACES: How do you describe the Datai Langkawi in one sentence?
Arnaud Girodon: As a luxurious but unpretentious resort in the heart of the rainforest, where you experience genuine, warm hospitality.
One brilliant idea and off you go
FACES: Describe the path from the idea to the finished hotel!
Arnaud Girodon: That could take a while! In fact, it all started with the idea of the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, who wanted to promote luxury tourism in his country. Adrian Zecha, the founder of Aman, was responsible for developing the concept, who in turn engaged the late Kerry Hill for the architecture and commissioned Didier Lefort with the interior design. One of the goals was to be the only hotel that is fully integrated into the wild nature and the untouched primary rainforest without interfering with it. Not only have we succeeded in doing this, but Datai Langkawi has also become a pioneer in sustainability and nature-oriented luxury tourism.
FACES: Why should we absolutely get relegated there?
Arnaud Girodon: The place is simply incredible! The hotel is located on a beach that was voted one of the ten best beaches in the world by National Geographic and is surrounded by a majestic primary rainforest with incredible flora and fauna. Added to this is the warm service, which was named one of the best in the world by the Condé Nast Traveler Reader’s Awards in 2016 and once again took top spot this year. You can feel the passion and warmth in our team; after all, almost half of our employees have been with us for over ten years. The various efforts and activities to preserve the nature around the hotel should also not go unmentioned. The Datai Langkawi runs various programs to support the local communities.
FACES: What makes everyday life as a hotelier so exciting, and what aspects get on your nerves from time to time?
Arnaud Girodon: There are many, many great things about being a hotelier! Some of these are obvious: the travel, the great food and drink and other luxuries, the incredible people you meet… Here at The Datai Langkawi, of course, there’s also the nature to help you unwind and rejuvenate. Of course there are also difficult aspects, but there aren’t that many of them. The fact that family life sometimes falls by the wayside is certainly a clear disadvantage of this profession. As always, when you work with people, you see a lot of extraordinary and good things, but sometimes also the bad and ugly, that’s just part of it.
As a hotelier, you’re always worried
FACES: As a hotelier, what do you have to think about that others don’t have to worry about?
Arnaud Girodon: Well, our main considerations have to be geared towards people, because we have a clear responsibility. We don’t just have to worry about creating unforgettable journeys and experiences for our guests, because that’s really more about pleasure, but more about life, health and safety. Working in a resort or hotel presents a number of challenges and dangers, both for guests and staff, and their safety is truly our greatest concern. One thing that hoteliers don’t think about, however, is where we will spend Christmas and New Year’s Eve!
FACES: What do you rack your brains over?
Arnaud Girodon: When it comes to the safety of our guests and employees, we can’t get our heads around it often enough. There are things you can control, but there are others that are much more complicated. That’s why the safety of our employees and our guests is a constant source of concern for me. On a personal level, I think a lot about how I can approach my teenage daughter and get through to her!
About being a boss and good hosts
FACES: How do you describe yourself as a boss?
Arnaud Girodon: I would prefer to let my team answer that. I think I have a good vision, am quite creative, approachable, ambitious and have strong interpersonal skills. As I started out as a waiter and worked my way up from the bottom, I understand the work processes and always set a good example. Sometimes I just lose my temper over so many things, although the older I get, the more relaxed I become. However, I also admit that I am sometimes very disorganized and can’t screw two boards together. (laughs)
FACES: What makes a good host?
Arnaud Girodon: Good hosts are warm-hearted, open and humorous and wholeheartedly want to make their guests happy. If you enjoy serving people, this is the right industry for you.
FACES: Which guests do you like the most?
Arnaud Girodon: At the risk of sounding platitudinous and a little clichéd, the key word here is respect. Guests can – and should – be demanding when they check into an expensive resort or hotel, but they must show respect, appreciation and gratitude to the staff and service.
FACES: Is there any guest behavior that makes you angry?
Arnaud Girodon: When guests take advantage of our generosity and are disrespectful towards our team or nature, it makes me angry. It totally repulses me when someone wants to get free services by threatening us with retaliation or going public if we don’t respond.
High demands
FACES: What expectations do you have of your hotel?
Arnaud Girodon: We want to continue to offer our guests excellent service and provide them with unique experiences with great attention to detail. We are also committed to preserving our amazing biodiversity, especially around the resort, and continuing to help and provide support to local communities.
FACES: How have your guests’ expectations changed over the years?
Arnaud Girodon: The biggest changes that I have noticed over the past 20 years that I have been working in the hotel industry are the need for nature and its protection, for human contact and well-being. People today are much more environmentally aware and have the urge to protect nature. They are also very aware of how they are feeling emotionally and physically.
An everyday life as colorful as a bouquet of flowers
FACES: What story from your everyday life do you absolutely have to tell us?
Arnaud Girodon: There are far too many to name. I could write a whole book about it! (laughs) Recently, however, a guest called me to complain about a daily fire alarm that disturbed his evening reading on the balcony. It then turned out that it was not an alarm, but mating cicadas. What can I say: things can get very wild in the rainforest!
FACES: What do you look out for when you stay out yourself?
Arnaud Girodon: That depends on the reason for my stay. When I go on vacation, I look for hotels with character – this refers to the design or their history. Of course, the feeling of space and the quality of housekeeping, food and general service are also important to me. I don’t like swanky hotels or those that belong to a big chain.
FACES: What separates a good hotel from a great hotel?
Arnaud Girodon: First of all, the service. I am talking about the warmth of the people, their authenticity and their commitment. The experience that a hotel offers sets it apart from others and makes it unique. Great or grandiose hotels trigger emotions and are unforgettable, good hotels will only allow a casual remark like “was nice”.
FACES: Where is your own bed?
Arnaud Girodon: I’m lucky enough to have two: one in my house in Kuala Lumpur and one in Datai Langkawi, in the middle of this extraordinary rainforest!
The Datai Langkawi
From Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, you travel to Malaysia via Langkawi Airport. Another 40-minute drive takes you to Datai Langkawi, this rainforest dream that was revamped in 2018. Waterfalls, mangroves, rice fields and the dense forest greenery catapult you directly into a parallel world where computer and smartphone screens have no place. The interior of The Datai Langkawi celebrates local traditions, local craftsmanship and the people who make it their home.
The Datai Langkawi, Teluk Datai Resorts Sdn. Bhd, Jalan Teluk Datai, 07000 Pulau Langkawi, Kedah darul Aman, Malaysia, thedatai.com
This is what Arnaud Girodon thinks of…
cruise ships:
When I retire and really have money to waste, I’ll consider it.
Buffet meal:
I try to avoid.
All-inclusive:
If the quality is right, why not.
Tip:
in my opinion, but only as a reward for good service.
Dogs in the restaurant and hotel:
Those poor dogs! It’s a pain to take them to a restaurant!
Children in the restaurant and hotel:
Well, I have three, and I love restaurants and hotels. (laughs)
Animators:
Yes, depending on what and how they animate.
Dress code:
for certain places, yes, absolutely!
TripAdvisor:
useful for consumers, but unfortunately easy to abuse or manipulate…
Online travel agencies:
came to stay. It is worth accepting them and learning how best to work with them.
Sharing Economy:
a trend that is certainly emerging, which is not yet so far developed for luxury resorts, but could come in some form in the future.
Sustainability:
a MUST! I think that minimum practices should be mandatory in some form for hotels, such as health and safety standards. Unfortunately, there is still too much greenwashing in our sector.
Shortage of skilled workers:
a reality in all corners of the world, which makes loyalty and employee retention even more important.
You can find even more highlights in Malaysia here.
Teaser photo & photos: © The Datai Langkawi / Marion Payr
