Atrium at your service

MANILA, Philippines - The travelers’ favorite just gets better. For years, journeymen (and women) have chosen Atrium Hotel as their preferred home away from home. Despite its quiet presence at the corner of Gil Puyat and Taft Avenue, Atrium has always been busy inside, with its steady flow of guests. If one does get to experience Atrium more, one will agree that this, indeed, makes complete sense.

The accommodations are no-nonsense stuff: Atrium gets straight to the point with its spacious and comfortable accommodations. Each studio suite, one-bedroom suite, and two-bedroom suite has air conditioning, private bath with hot and cold water, cable television, mini bar, refrigerator, telephone, and hair dryer, among others.

Elsewhere in the hotel are restaurants, function rooms, a business center, a massage suite, a casino, a non-smoking floor, tour and transport services, and parking. The Taft Central Exchange Mall, which houses various food and beverage outlets and retail stores, is conveniently located right within the building premises.

Atrium general manager Teddy Lim shares that they have just completed renovations on their hotel rooms. “We want to give our returning guests and new clients something more. They are vocal in saying how happy they are to stay here. Well, that kind of feedback encourages us to do more for them. We renovated our rooms to maintain their quality and standard. Now the rooms looks lighter and brighter.”

He adds that they have done away with carpets, as odors tend to stick to them, and wallpaper. The effect is a certain sense of breathing space to the already spacious room, something which guests appreciate.

“We are known for our cleanliness, safety, security, and affordability. We want to keep it that way,” Lim says. “After all, this is for the guests’ comfort and peace of mind. Consistency of service is key to our success, too.”

He goes on to explain that the success of Atrium owes much from its dedicated staff. “When our staff serves you, you know that they love their job. They have a passion for it. The good thing is, it all shows in how they relate with our guests. These guests, in turn, feel so welcomed and cared for here that they always come back. It explains why we have a great number of returning guests.”

Lim adds that the staff’s motivation comes from making them feel they are part of the business — and rightly so. “Their mindset is, what do we do if this is our own home? So they take the extra mile to make things better. You know one is doing his job if there are no flaws. You also cannot beat a smiling staff. Their positive attitude is affecting, and it makes the environment lighter and more conducive for work and service.”

With years of hotel experience, Lim understands the customer all too well. This understanding is something he eagerly imparts to his staff. One such lesson he teaches them is how guests are sensitive to the action of other people — in this case, the other people are the hotel staff.

“They can tell if we are happy, and if we are happy, the feeling positively affects them,” he says. “We in the hotel come from different backgrounds and core values. What brings us together here is the love for our job. We achieve more by working together harmoniously.”

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Atrium Hotel is located at 15F Taft Centrale Exchange, Gil Puyat corner Taft Avenue, Pasay City. For more information, call 552-0351, e-mail at reservations@atriumhotel.ph or visit http://www.atriumhotel-manila.com/. Photos by Fernan Nebres