Happy 50th Birthday, Hard Rock!

Hard Rock turns 50 today, so I thought of sharing a lil bit about Hard Rock and my journey in HRHPg!

On 14 June 1971, was the birth of our very first Hard Rock Cafe in London! Two dudes, Isaac Tigrett & Peter Morton started it off and now it's a globally recognized brand. (Look, I managed to get a picture with Isaac 😅) 

What started of as a Cafe in London expanded and expanded and is still expanding...rockin' the globe for 5 decades now. So, how did I get in here??? Would you believe me if I said it was by mistake... Well, it really was - a mistake made by my lecturer while applying for my industrial training! This wasn't the hotel I chose but guess what, it was one of the best mistakes ever made. 

Joined as a trainee in the HR department (3 months) then got a job offer in the Sales department (5 months) and got back into the HR department again till present (10 years 1 month). Why am I here for soooo long? Is it the brand? The money? The position? The team? Emotionally connected? Not able to get a new job? Lol. Maybe it's a lil bit of everything. There would be days I go "Oh man, why am I still here???" But let's face it, no matter where you go, there are gonna be such days, so the place you choose better be worth the sigh-ing days too.

Now let me tell you the perks about working here...one, is that first impression you get when you mention "Hard Rock" and people go "Wow!' That's a very proud moment you know. Another thing I personally like is that you get to be yourself here! How cool is that? The culture here is so different; it's all about music andddd not a typical hotel where you gotta bun your hair or wear a panty hose and heels only. Here, you can be you! Ohhh, we also get lotsa collectible freebies aka Hard Rock Merchandises during our Annual Dinners, Birthdays, Work Anniversaries, Hotel Anniversaries, etc. etc. etc. I can go on and on...but let's stop here. Cos apart from perks, I wanna share the 'not so perky' part about working here too and it is best said in a dialogue form, so here it goes...

Long Lost Friend: Hey, how are you?

Cc: Heyy, great! How are you?

Long Lost Friend: Oh, I'm good. Actually just want to ask you ahh...

**Cc's Mind: Ohh no! I know where this is going...**

Long Lost Friend: I'm planning to come to Penang. Maybe Hard Rock larr..got discount ah? 

**Cc's Mind: I knew it!**

Cc: Let me check and get back to you. 

**Cc's mind: 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄**

If you truly are a friend, you might get a discounted rate lar. If no, you get the standard answer - "Hey none lah, you check the website deals ok." So, if you got the "check the website" from me before, chances are I didn't even bother checking 😁 or maybe I did but you were just unlucky. I'm sure every Hard Rocker can relate... So, to people out there reading this, just so you know, no matter how much we love you, we hate the 'discount' question!   

That's probably the only annoying part about working with this well renowned brand. Otherwise, it's so much fun to be here. I can proudly say that Hard Rock played an important role in shaping me to be who I am today. Aaah and also, gotta mention about our General Manager, John Primmer - the tallest and coolest man in the hotel. And his PA, Moon is best thing that ever happened to me..she's family! Not to forget, my HR team (the ones that left & the current ones) - we can be so much fun to work with and also so much stress to deal with. Depends la, kan. And my boss, Thomas who fed us with the best food in the whole of Penang and made us all fat. 🤣 So, if you ask me, without having to think twice, I would say this is one of the best places to work for and obviously a great destination for your holiday! 

Ever since Covid-19 made it's appearance, it is no secret that the lives of hoteliers are on 'pause'. I have not seen my full team for a very long time. Work isn't the same. Batu Ferringhi isn't the same. But I keep telling myself, "This too shall pass" and we will come back stronger! Really, really hoping all this comes to an end so we can hit that 'play' button soon. And to my fellow friends and family, once travels are allowed, don't ask for discounts ah, check the website rates and drop by ok! 😝 

Ending this with my Boss' favourite quote, "Once A Hard Rocker, Forever A Hard Rocker!" 

Happy 50th Birthday, Hard Rock! 🤘🏽