Dan Noordzy, one of the masterminds behind Hard Rock Penang’s poolside programmes, smiles like a goofy Ben Stiller and has tremendous energy like a Disney Channel host. The Australian Malaysian with salt and pepper hair shares how life’s been at Hard Rock.
I was really surprised to see staff with long hair and tattoos. Some of them even look like artists! There’s one gentleman in the lobby, his name is China, and he looks exactly like Prince!
HPAPER: What’s a master rock agent?
DAN NOORDZY: I take care of the operations of the poolside team, alongside one partner. We organise games and activities on a daily basis. There are about six games a day. We also manage the Roxity Kids Club, for children four to twelve years old, and the Tabu Teens Clubs, a teenage venue.
HPAPER: What kind of games?
DAN NOORDZY: We got the Vibe Dance, an aerobic exercise in the afternoon to wake you up, to get you feeling happening again. We also have a basketball ring. We get the guests to shoot the ball but in the pool. We have sumo wrestling. The guests wear inflatable costumes and wrestle. It’s very funny, especially when we emcee and create situations for it. They love it.
HPAPER: Do you perform?
DAN NOORDZY: You’ll see us at the Vibe Dance. There is no embarrassment even though we’re managers. We’re employed here on the basis that we know how to have fun.
HPAPER: How often do you rotate the activities?
DAN NOORDZY: Every month, really. We have long-term stayers, and they’ll get bored if we do it the same every month. We don’t want them to see Hard Rock as a stagnant place of entertainment.
HPAPER: What kind of games?
DAN NOORDZY: When it comes to entertainment we don’t necessary make them laugh like comedians. We just want a reaction from them, to get them out of the routine of being in a hotel. So we invite them to join the next activity in the schedule. Less about laughing and more about experiencing.
HPAPER: What game would or would you not include?
DAN NOORDZY: Simplicity is good. Guests are from different backgrounds and ages. We don’t want to complicate matters for them. We want to make it fun, easy and safe. We have to observe cultural traditions here, so we wouldn’t include games that are too close for comfort for people, like Twister, for example. Anything that is too strenuous we don’t want as well.