After a fire broke out last week at Orchard Road’s Grand Hyatt, the hotel’s meetings and events schedule was not affected apart from some minor adjustments. The fire, which broke out in the kitchen at Mezza9, had guests and meeting clients evacuated in and around the hotel at Far East Plaza, the hotel carpark on level 4, and the hotel poolside. No injuries were reported.
According to hotel manager Parveen Kumar, all guests were ushered safely to the various evacuation points by associates, who were stationed at every level and exit points to guide guests to the right direction. “Face masks were handed out to guests affected by the smell of the smoke, and they were also served water and food at the evacuation points to ensure that they are well hydrated,” he added.
Kumar said that regular fire drills allows the hotel to continue to perform “critical time-sensitive operations” during the evacuation process, especially checking-out guests who are on their way to the airport. “In any accident, it is the hotel’s priority to care for the well-being and safety of all its guests and associates, and this can only be professionally achieved through regular safety drills,” he said.
Meeting clients were given the option to postpone or cancel appointments at Mezza9, but other schedules weren’t heavily affected. In fact, the hotel successfully hosted the Good Taste World Series the day following the fire where a group of chefs from properties around the globe were flown in to compete in the final round of the cooking competition.