Star-studded, glamorous past of Singapore’s long-serving hotel staff

Some of Darshan Singh’s photographs from across the span of his career at the Orchard Parade Hotel. (PHOTO: Yahoo Lifestyle)

As new hotels constantly sprout up in Singapore, it’s remarkable to see veteran names such as Orchard Parade (formerly known as Ming Court), Goodwood Park and Raffles continue to stand tall while hanging on to their long-serving staff.

Among them are Darshan Singh, 67, Jalil Joosi, 70, and Leslie Danker, 77; all of whom have witnessed the evolution of the country’s tourism industry while working at the respective hotels.

Over the decades, they have had the opportunity to rub shoulders with politicians and celebrities, and have had their pictures taken with countless hotel guests.

Following his O-level examinations at the now-demolished British Secondary School, Singh began as a doorman at Orchard Parade Hotel in 1971 – back when it was called Ming Court.

Throughout his career, he has met politicians from around the world, including the royal families from Malaysia as well as Singapore’s late president S R Nathan, who died on 22 August this year.

Darshan Singh in the Orchard Parade hotel’s lobby. (Photo: Yahoo Lifestyle)

“He was like an ordinary man. Very nice and humble,” Singh told Yahoo Lifestyle during an interview at one of the hotel’s 16th-floor “Club Lounge” rooms.

Seated on one of the room’s luxurious grey couches, Singh was welcoming even after a nine-hour morning shift. “I remember he came to the hotel for lunch. He doesn’t come here often,” said Singh about the late president.

Singh, who is now a concierge at the hotel, proudly showed off his collection of old photographs, press clippings, original copies of long-service certificates and letters of commendation from hotel guests.

As a doorman, Singh welcomed guests dressed as a Hindu warrior. This was at a time when costumes were common among local hotel doormen.

While it wasn’t the most comfortable outfit to wear in the Singapore heat, Singh implied that it was worth it. “It was a very respectable job,” he said.

Darshan Singh (foreground, second from the right) posing for the cover story for Singapore Travel News. (PHOTO: Darshan Singh)

During his many years on the job, Singh also got to know people from all over the world while helping them to get taxis, recommending them attractions to visit and posing for photos with them. With many of the guests being women, Singh said he was lucky his wife isn’t the jealous type.

Rubbing shoulders with the stars

It was a more star-studded affair for the staff at Goodwood Park and Raffles hotels.

For guest relations officer Jalil Joosi, who began working at Goodwood Park Hotel as a page boy 52 years ago, he met stars such as British rockers The Rolling Stones, pop singer Shirley Bassey and legendary boxer Muhammad Ali.

Jalil Joosi at Goodwood Park hotel’s reception desk in the 1980s (PHOTO: Jalil Joosi)

For Raffles Hotel’s resident historian Leslie Danker, his celebrity encounters have included the late Hollywood tough-guy actor John Wayne, Queen Elizabeth and the late King of Pop Michael Jackson.

“It was very exciting seeing them,” Jalil told Yahoo Lifestyle. “I would welcome stars such as Shirley Bassey and The Rolling Stones at the hotel’s grand tower, which is now a heritage site… I told Mick Jagger I really liked the band,” he added.

As a page boy, Jalil would send mails to the general post office and even offered shoe polishing services for guests. He later became the hotel’s leading porter and then its senior receptionist before finally becoming a guest relations officer.

“Meeting so many different people from various countries and all walks of life is a highlight (of the hospitality industry) in itself. In the 1960s, the guests were mainly British, unlike the varied nationalities I welcome to the hotel nowadays,” said the former Rangoon Primary School student.

Jalil said that from a young age, he had been “enamoured” by the beautiful architecture of Goodwood Park Hotel, which was built in 1900 as an elite enclave for German expatriates called the Teutonia Club.

Leslie Danker posing with Michael Jackson. (PHOTO: Facebook video screen grab from Raffles Hotel)

Danker had also fallen in love with the Raffles Hotel’s architecture, according to a video interview.

“Before joining Raffles Hotel, I’ve always admired the architecture of the building… I discovered there was more to the beautiful architecture, there was a rich history to it,” he said.

Danker, who is the only staff member who has been with the hotel since before its first restoration in 1989, will be seeing the hotel undergo its second restoration when it shuts for several months next year.

Changing times

Singh, Jalil and Danker have become rare gems in Singapore’s hotel industry, which is seeing higher turnover rates among young employees.

“They tend to stay for a long time because they’re comfortable, they enjoy their work, they like the people they work with, and they realise that it’s a good place for them,” said Far East Hospitality chief executive officer Arthur Kiong, 47.

That being said, Kiong also thinks that it is important to mix the young with the old so that employees will remain open to changes and new developments – an important attribute to have in the face of an ever-changing tourism industry.