The Story Behind … Park Hyatt Siem Reap’s New Appointment

Park Hyatt Siem Reap, the exquisite ‘Khmer meets Art Deco’ hotel takes the health and safety of their staff and guests very seriously…

Cambodia’s beautiful Park Hyatt Siem Reap has recently appointed a full time Hygiene and Wellbeing Leader – Chheng Sarath. We spoke to Chheng about his new role and challenge:

What made the hotel realise that the role of Hygiene & Wellbeing Leader was required?

The safety and wellbeing of our guests is our top priority, and as part of Hyatt’s Global Care and Cleanliness Commitment, every Hyatt hotel will now have a Hygiene & Wellbeing Leader who will be responsible for their hotel, adhering to new operational guidance and protocols.

Can you tell me a little about your background – where you were born and brought up, and how you ended up working in the hotel industry?

I was born and raised in Prey Veng province and went to high school in Phnom Penh. After graduating from high school, I decided to move to Siem Reap to study culinary arts at Sala Bai Hotel School. I started working with Park Hyatt Siem Reap when I graduated in August 2014, and have been there ever since.

Can you give us a brief overview of the new protocols and what the hotel is doing to implement them?

In my new role, I will be responsible for ensuring the hotel achieves the GBAC STAR™ cleanliness and training accreditation process through the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), the gold standard for prepared facilities. Under the guidance of GBAC, Park Hyatt Siem Reap will implement the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention in the hotel and in each guest room. To achieve GBAC STAR™ accreditation, I will be required to demonstrate that the hotel is compliant with the programme’s twenty core elements, which range from standard operating procedures and risk assessment strategies, to personal protective equipment, emergency preparedness and response measures.

On top of that, I have to ensure social distancing in the hotel and implement measures in the back-of-house offices in an effort to help keep colleagues healthy at work.

What is proving to be the biggest challenge in implementing the new protocols?

The biggest challenge is to change the mindset of our staff to adapt to the “new normal”. Sometimes there are things we have to unlearn before we can relearn.

What do you enjoy the most about this new job role?

I get a lot of satisfaction from knowing that I can provide my guests and my colleagues with a safe environment so they are confident in staying with us or working in the hotel. I will also provide support, guidance, hygiene and well-being-related training to my colleagues so they can practice correct hygiene protocols in their workstation and in all parts of the hotel where guest safety is prioritised.

To be honest, this is a new learning experience for me, and I am loving it!

How do you see this role evolving?

Since taking on this role, I have gained a lot more understanding about cleaning and disinfection procedures and ways of implementing hygiene protocols and wellbeing.

Over the past few months, I have been incredibly busy! I’ve delivered hygiene-related training to all team members prior to the opening of The Glasshouse; assisted with the application for GBAC certification; provided follow-up and site inspections to ensure hygiene is practiced; and a lot more!

I see the role evolving naturally over time from ensuring a safe environment during the current pandemic to maintaining these standards and safeguarding against future outbreaks.

Contact us for more information about Park Hyatt Siem Reap, Cambodia.