Cover Gagan Talwar has been with Hilton Hotels for over 15 years
Gagan Talwar has been with Hilton Hotels for over 15 years
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Gagan Talwar, the general manager for DoubleTree by Hilton Shah Alam i-City, talks us through the latest 5-star property, how he got to where he is, and more
An investment banker by training, Gagan Talwar shares that he got into the hospitality industry by chance. “I did my internship in Morgan Stanley, in Boston, then moved to UK to complete my MBA at the University of Westminster, and got a job at Barclays after. Then I stepped into a career fair in London, and there was a Hilton booth, with a bunting that read ‘Do you want to be an elevator?’ I was intrigued, thinking what is Hilton doing in a finance job fair?”
To cut a long story short, Hilton Worldwide runs an Elevator Trainee programme, a graduate management trainee programme. “It essentially readies you to become a general manager in their hotels. I told the lady at the booth that I’d be interested if there were roles outside of Europe, specifically in Asia Pacific. What followed was a range of online tests from verbal to psychometric tests and they even flew me to Cairo, Egypt from London to an assessment centre, and I thought to myself, ‘Wow, is this what life in hospitality is going to be like?’” shared Talwar.
He eventually got the call to join Hilton Cairns, Australia. He was seated in front of his computer on a cold February winter day, and he immediately Google image searched the property and was greeted by a picturesque building with a rainforest in the background and a view of the Great Barrier Reef. “I looked outside the window of where I was seated, and there was freezing rain, so I made up my mind that I was going to become a hotelier,” revealed Talwar.
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Above Now the general manager of DoubleTree by Hilton Shah Alam i-City, Gagan Talwar initially trained to be an investment banker
Now the general manager of DoubleTree by Hilton Shah Alam i-City, Gagan Talwar initially trained to be an investment banker
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Since then, Talwar has been stationed mainly in the Asia Pacific to implement newly devised programmes and manage operations in countries like Thailand, Vietnam, and, of course, Malaysia. Most recently, however, he was the pre-opening manager for DoubleTree by Hilton Shah Alam i-City—meaning he was the first-ever employee of the property. “My employee ID code is 001, because I was the first person they hired and I worked here for six months on my own, as we were getting the hotel ready and hiring the right talent; and nine months post my appointment, the hotel opened,” he shares about DoubleTree by Hilton Shah Alam which officially began operations in August 2022.
See also: What to eat in Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam
Here’s a closer look at parts of the hotel:
The main lobby features exquisite decor that fits in almost any city
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Fast-forward a year or so later, DoubleTree by Hilton Shah Alam i-City achieved its 5-star status, which was bestowed on the hotel by the local tourism department. “There is no global certification, so every country through various bodies—mainly the tourism ministry or body—would certify if a property is three- four- or five-star. But in my belief, on top of location, it’s essentially the range of facilities that would ensure a higher rating. Of course, here we have 300 bedrooms, but apart from that we have various meeting facilities, a 1600 square metre ballroom (as large as the one in Hilton KL) there’s the bespoke Eforea spa, which is a Hilton branded offering, there’s a fitness room, a pool with built-in jacuzzi, a steam room, a games room, and multiple F&B outlets,” shares Talwar.
He also goes on to mention that whenever a property goes for reclassification, a whole range of bodies come through for an audit, from the tourism ministry to the health ministry, to ensure standards are still upheld and in place. Talwar also shared that design is also considered when ratings are given, and not just eye-catching design but also accessibility to differently-abled bodies plays a major part in the assessment.
While standards vary according to locale, Hilton Group has its own set of guidelines to ensure its hotels are branded accordingly as well. Talwar explains, “Hilton, which is our flagship brand, including DoubleTree, falls into the full-service category, which provides guests with a comfortable experience and certain standard of rooms plus a range of facilities. Above that, we have our luxury portfolio, where properties like Waldorf Astoria, Conrad Hotels and LXR Hotels fall under, where guests enjoy a truly luxurious stay.”
Talwar also commended the general i-City vicinity for helping elevate the DoubleTree Shah Alam’s allure. “Having an internationally branded hotel in this part of the area helped us as well. We initially thought that we would make a slow start into leisure and that our F&B offerings would be the main attraction, but it hasn’t been so. Our access to other parts of the city, alongside the surrounding amenities, has turned the property into a rather corporate hotel. There are plenty of business travellers, as our surrounding is a manufacturing and logistics zone. And on top of that, there’s a commercial, retail and even amusement parks surrounding us, which makes it also ideal for families to do staycations over the weekend,” he mentions.
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Photography: Daniel Adams
If tall, dark and handsome is what you're looking for, Aaron Pereira ticks two out of three. This fine chocolate man (that is, a connoisseur of fine chocolate), enjoys the theatre, futsal, real-life conversations and of course, the English language. He believes that language should first be used to express, but the business of a sub-editor is to impress.
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