POIGNANT MOMENT: Mr Hawkes brings out the 'Closed' sign after the farewell party, with bell captain George Chia one of the few to witness the ending. -- ST PHOTOS: JOYCE FANG
IT IS believed that the tears of a phoenix can heal wounds.
So when the teary-eyed Hotel Phoenix staff members bid the 35-year-old Orchard Road landmark goodbye yesterday, it soothed their pain.
'It's hard to let go. There's a strong affiliation to the hotel after all these years,' said kitchen helper Low Chui Peh, who has been working at the 392-room hotel for 22 years.
About 150 staff members gathered for a farewell party yesterday.
In a mark of respect for their service, Singapore's longest-serving hotel general manager Noel Hawkes and his senior managers turned the tables, and waited on their staff instead.
Mr Hawkes said: 'These are my brothers, my sisters, my extended family. We've been through the last 20 years together.'
OCBC Bank, the owners of Hotel Phoenix and the adjoining Specialist Shopping Centre, decided to close the hotel for a 'major refurbishment'.
The building will not be demolished, but it remains uncertain if a new hotel will re-emerge even as two multi-million- dollar malls are springing up on either side of it.
Throughout the week, staff have been exchanging phone numbers and taking photos - all scrambling furiously for a keepsake of their time there.
'I took some photos so I can hold on to my memories,' said 37-year-old Mastura Abdul Rahman, who has been in room service for 19 years.
Cook Andrew Ng, 57, said moving on was difficult. 'I thought I would be working here till I retire. It's hard to work at another hotel after 28 years here.'
The hotel's closing was also an emotional moment for its guests. Some flew in specially for that one last stay.
Mr Christian Ion was Hotel Phoenix's very last and final guest. The Frenchman, a regular at the hotel since 1990, choked back tears as he said: 'In life, a lot of things change. But I haven't changed hotels for the last 17 years.
'Somehow, a slice of life will be left here,' said the businessman.
Mr Shah Yee, 65, a regular since the late 1970s, flew in from Australia to stay at the hotel for a final night.
He explained: 'Sure, there are bigger hotels that are better equipped and with nicer decor.
'But at the Phoenix, it is warm and friendly. There is a personal relationship between staff and guests. And that is what counts for me,' said the director of a property development and investments company.
Ironically, Mr Hawkes reported that the hotel had its best July in its history last month, with revenues pipping previous July records and occupancy hitting 96 per cent.
When the doors finally closed at 5pm yesterday, only a few staff who had lingered on after the farewell party were there to witness the moment.
Bell captain George Chia was one of them. The 55-year-old has been at Hotel Phoenix since it first spread its wings in 1972.
He said he was hoping for Hotel Phoenix to one day rise from the ashes. 'I'm looking forward to the day when I can come back. This is my second home.'
Hotel Phoenix says goodbye for the last time
150 staff from the 35-year-old Hotel Phoenix gathered on the hotel's final day today to have a final meal together and reminisce.
Besides getting retrenchment packages, at least 80 per cent of them have already found work, many with other hotels.
Despite its impending closure, the four-star hotel boasted an occupancy rate of 95.5 per cent in July.
The hotel has been repossessed by its owners, OCBC Bank, and will be refurbished as part of long-term plans to rejuvenate the Orchard Road shopping district.
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Hotel that's like a second home
WHEN Mr James Phenix first checked into the Hotel Phoenix seven years ago, he told its front desk with a straight face: 'Hi, I'm checking into my hotel.'
Asked about the difference in spelling of his name, he shot back: 'Oh, Daddy was lazy, so he dropped the 'o'.' That set the tone for his ties to the hotel, where personal service always made him feel at home.
The 65-year-old American, a Malaysian permanent resident, drives to Singapore at least once a month. He is always greeted by name, and a room and parking lot are always made available for him.
Another regular is property development and investments company director Shah Yee and his wife Adeline.
It's like a second home to these Malaysia-born Australians, who reckon they have spent at least 800 nights there since the late 1970s. When they learnt that the hotel was to be no more, they flew in from Sydney on Monday for one final stay.
The Yees are so fond of the hotel that two of their company's developments in Sydney bear the Phoenix name. Mrs Yee lamented: 'No hotel can compare to the Phoenix. I'll miss the late check-outs.'
'And the afternoon tea,' quipped Mr Yee.
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