Club Med Phuket

After a very satisfying experience in Club Med Sahoro in 2009, I went back for more in Club Med Phuket this summer. The resort itself is at a good location, ambiance is decent, evening events were well organized, and food surprised me on the upside as I didn’t have too much expectation.

What disappointed me was service. The GO at Club Med Phuket were less than enthusiastic. The reception had a serious attitude. To give an example, when I was checking out, I asked 3 times where I should be placing my luggage for the airport transfer. The reception lady (UM was her name) just vaguely pointed in the entrance direction and mumbled “there” (with a couldn’t care less attitude). Being Club Med, I wasn’t exactly expecting concierge to take care of my luggage. But I was at least hoping that someone could direct me to the exact spot where I should leave my luggage. I ended up misplacing it at the spot for the earlier bus (and no, I was never told that there were different spots for different buses) and almost waived my belonging goodbye. When I went back to the reception to give them some feedback, I was faced with a very confrontational, defensive and provocative GO (Ashley).

I made an assumption and assumed all Club Med would have the same standard and never checked for any feedback online prior to booking Phuket. But Club Med Phuket was not the same passionate Club Med I experienced in Sahoro.

Occasionally I had similar experience, at reception or other areas. However I look at them as CM "glitch", and I try not to make them an issue for myself. About time sensitive events, like departure, I give a margin of error, and I expect something to go wrong. Many years ago it was easy to forgive the "glitches" given the festive and sharing ambiance. Nowadays CM is presented as upscale and luxurious, it takes extra effort to downplay any unpleasant experience. CM responded to these incidents by creating 'guest relations GOs ' , I am not sure about their impact. Lack of GO enthusiasm is not new (personal experience), particularly after the 2000's due to corporate led change of the overall village sentiment.

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Originally posted by indiana

Occasionally I had similar experience, at reception or other areas. However I look at them as CM "glitch", and I try not to make them an issue for myself. About time sensitive events, like departure, I give a margin of error, and I expect something to go wrong. Many years ago it was easy to forgive the "glitches" given the festive and sharing ambiance. Nowadays CM is presented as upscale and luxurious, it takes extra effort to downplay any unpleasant experience. CM responded to these incidents by creating 'guest relations GOs ' , I am not sure about their impact. Lack of GO enthusiasm is not new (personal experience), particularly after the 2000's due to corporate led change of the overall village sentiment.

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You know, so much of the ambiance of any Village is determined by the attitude/charisma of the CdeV - especially whether the GO team seems enthusiastic or not. It is very distressing if you get an apathetic or unfriendly bunch; certainly can make your trip less than ideal. Sorry to hear you seem to have encountered that on your recent trip to Phuket. On the other hand, this season at Columbus Isle, with Barq as the best sort of CdeV (who is everywhere, smiling at everyone, all the time), the whole GO team seems inspired and as enthusiastic & helpful as anyone could wish. So I think this all has less to do with any overall corporate Club Med changes than with the age-old issue of how much difference a great CdeV can make....and how important the GO's are in creating a "happy" Village or not for the GM's.

Adria

anycorp,
When you look at your message, you mention a lot of positive things-the food, the location, the evening events, etc. However, when you have a bad experience at departure, you are going to remember it because it was your last experience at the club.

ReefPolice is dead on about what makes the club different. The CDV is the leader who sets the standard. A great one is loved by both the GO's and GM's. When I have been at a club with a great CDV, you don't want to leave. When I have been at a club with a CDV who never is around and is indifferent and plays favorites with the GO's, you just count the days until you can get on the plane.

I was at a club once when I saw a GO whom I knew from a previous club. We got to talking about the CDV at the previous club and he looked at me and said, That may have been a great week or two for you, but that was the best year of my life. That CDV was incredible. BTW, his name was Patrick and he went on to run the reservations unit when it was in Arizona.

John