A young man from Bangkok finishes his shift at the author’s lounge. He greets his colleagues
with a heartfelt ‘‘sawasdeekhrup’’ as he tries to shift his thoughts to going home and relaxing.
He traverses the hotel’s inner shopping arcade and crosses the lobby. He listens to classical
music being played at the hotel entrance filled with elegantly dressed ladies and gentlemen.
His glance is directed to a group of guests laughing and sipping drinks in the evening
candlelight. The hotel general manager approaches the concierge desk. He stops to ask
how the young man’s day was and shares a short conversation before going to greet an
awaited member of the Thai royal family. As the young man leaves the hotel he catches a late
ferry to cross the Chao Phraya. On the boat he warmly smiles to his colleagues who have left
at the same time. Despite this, he recognises that in order to be a great performer, he must
be able to maintain a satisfactory work-life balance. Before the implementation of the new
employee facilities at the O-Zone, his work obligations made it difficult to pursue hobbies,
read or just relax.
Jan Goessing emphasises that well-being is the key to attract and retain the best people. He
believes that it is essential to send a strong message to the industry: it is important to invest
in the employees of the future. He asserts that people need fuel to become passionate about
working in the luxury hotel sector. It is thus of up most importance to reinvent the way the
employer/employee relationship is perceived. Jan Goessing claims that it is not about a
manager telling people what to do, but rather letting people be creative and happy in their
work. He asserts that it is beneficial for employers to understand employee needs. This ethos
is reflected in the development of the concept which would be called the O-Zone.