St Giles Hotels CEO Abigail Tan on exercising creativity within the hospitality industry
Their London property is contained within a location that even the biggest and best names would find hard to beat.
Life in London suits Abigail Tan. [..] the beautiful and vivacious CEO of St Giles Hotels — in the UK, Europe and North America — is clearly relishing the chance to make a difference in the competitive world of hospitality.
Born and raised in Penang, Tan recalls staycations — before it became a thing — at the Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa, which was built by her grandfather (the late Datuk Tan Kim Yeow, brother of Chin Nam who founded IGB Corp in 1967 and Tan & Tan in 1971) together with Robert Kuok. “Although we lived on the island, we still made it a point to stay at the hotel almost monthly. Staying at the hotel’s Tranquil Suite comprised some of my happiest memories and a stop at Eden Cake House en route was also a must.”
“London, though, has been home for the past 18 years. “I love it and working in hospitality, particularly in a city like this, gives you so many chances to be creative. And what I’m focused on most right now is ensuring guests get a way more elevated experience than what they pay for.
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London, though, has been home for the past 18 years. “I love it and working in hospitality, particularly in a city like this, gives you so many chances to be creative. And what I’m focused on most right now is ensuring guests get a way more elevated experience than what they pay for.” Anyone who has stayed at her central London hotel can attest that Tan is definitely on the right track.
But beyond operations and accounting, Tan is cognisant of the need to give back. Noblesse oblige, if you will. “I am lucky I can combine work with what inspires me,” she admits. In 2014, she established Hotels with Heart, St Giles’ in-house corporate social responsibility initiative that works to educate and empower at-risk youth and young adults while giving back to the communities in which the hotel group operates. The London branch of St Giles is offering the Malaika Room from now until the end of 2022, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting Malaika, the Democratic Republic of Congo-based charity founded by international model and philanthropist Noëlla Coursaris Musunka, and after which the room is named.
To read the full interview, simply click on the link here.
This article was published on 16th January, 2023
