T&L:您觉得2017年中国的高端酒店业市场有何变化?贵酒店如何应对这些变化?
What the changes of China's high-end hotel market in 2017? How did your hotel face these changes?
Well the major change I saw is that for one, there are more and high-end hotels are coming to the market, but as well the group of travelers which can and want to spend a premium price and a high level hotel went up. Chinese traveler continue to travel more and can afford more. They start comparing hotels in china and/or Chinese hotels to oversea hotels they visited. Chinese traveler are looking for an experience rather than food and bed now. Therefore it is important that you keep up with the trend and keep improving and innovating.
More and more international high-end hotels are entering Chinese market, making the competition fiercer. What’s your measure against it?
As said earlier, more hotels are entering the market, but as well more travelers use high end hotels. Nevertheless you need to keep up with the trend and expectations. It is important to understand where your guest are coming from. Which Province, which age group, what’s their purpose of traveling. With knowing and understanding this it is vital that you adjust your operation and offers in order to serve exactly those guest. What is right in a city hotel, is not in a leisure resort and vice versa. You need to constant talk to guest and get their feedback. Do not get stuck in one approach. If it does not work- change. Tourism business is constant evolving, so do we.
During the past year, what are the best practices of service innovation, management innovation, and tech innovation and so on in the hotel market?
Ecommerce is the future. It takes already a large part of our business and it will keep growing. Therefore it is important that you grow with it. The way we advertise, the way we sell and systems we use is important. Everyone has smart phone and already and today much more hotel bookings are done from phone and Apps than from any other sources. This is where you need to invest your time and money to make it more interesting and easier to book and interact.
The cooperation and conflict between hotel and OTA is a hot topic in 2017, what’s your opinion on this?
Working with OTAs is and will remain important. We are running a business and so do they, and we need each other. It is up to the company or individual property how you deal with them and how good or bad your relationship is. Fact is they are here to stay and we will need them. Even though hotel companies keep improving their web sites and direct booking Apps, you will still not be able to penetrate the market in a way most OTAs can.
What’s the most memorable event or accomplishment of your hotel in 2017?
2017 in general was a good year for us. My focus is just to keep improving service and guest satisfaction and with that the business. Every guest is important to us and we want to improve and grow from year to year. Picking a specific event is difficult for me, but besides taking care of any guest I do enjoy having Media and Journalists Fam Trip where we can showcase our resort, so they can go out and tell other about us.
What will be the focus of your hotel in 2018? Do you have any particular plans or ideas?
2018 will just be a continuation of 2017. We need to go with the trend and expectations of our guest, keep improving and surprise our guest. I do hope to be able to increase the inbound business from other South East Asian countries. China has so much to offer and I really hope we will have foreign travelers coming to visit it, especially here Xishuangbanna.
Could you sum up in one sentence to introduce what’s the most worthy to be experienced in your hotel to our readers?
We are offering you the perfect get away from your busy city life in our villa type resort set within a tropical garden whilst giving you international luxury hotel standards and services.
T&L:2018年您个人有什么样的旅行计划?您个人选择酒店的标准是什么?
What’s your travel plan in 2018? What’s your personal standard to choose a hotel?