Business Elites' Profile(14)
By Lily
Photos by Yao Fan

Sofitel sets new standards Name: Roger Mair Nationality: Switzerland Position: General Manager of Sofitel Plaza Xiamen

7月26日,享誉全球的法国雅高酒店管理集团旗下的顶级品牌索菲特正式开业. 在花园城市的厦门, 星级酒店林立, 竞争白热, 索菲特酒店能否以自己的独特风格闯出新天地? 在亚洲"转战"了二十三年的酒店总经理麦洛杰对厦门, 对中国, 对成功充满了信心. 

Sofitel is the flagship hotel chain of the French multinational Accor. It operates 180 first-class hotels throughout 53 countries worldwide. The hotels embody the French "art de vivre" in the elegance of their interior design, the warmth of their welcome, the sophistication of their services, and the art of exceptional cuisine. Sofitel hotels are located in the world's leading business and holiday destinations. The prestige of these establishments has made Sofitel internationally synonymous with the best in hospitality.

The 11th Sofitel hotel in China, Sofitel Plaza Xiamen, opened on July 26th after nearly two years of construction costing approximately 600 million RMB, invested by the Singapore Da Hua Xiamen Development Co. Being a true international 5-star hotel in Xiamen, it will certainly stand out as the brightest star in the local hotel industry with its unique, romantic French style.

Roger Mair, General Manager of Sofitel Plaza Xiamen and a native of Switzerland, has been devoting himself to the establishment of Sofitel hotels in Asia for 23 years. Having spent almost 7 years in China, he is particularly fond of the pleasant weather and recreational opportunities in Xiamen.



Q: Could you give us a brief introduction to your career in hotel management?
A: I joined Accor in 1996 at Sofitel Khon Kaen in Thailand, which was the newest and one of the most luxurious Sofitel Hotels in Asia at the time. Then I moved to Novotel Gangnam in Seoul, Korea. It was the busiest and most profitable hotel in the company. Next I transferred to Novotel Hefei, Anhui in 2001. Finally, I arrived in Xiamen last January to prepare for the opening of Sofitel Plaza Xiamen.

Q: How has the company been operating since you became General Manager?
A: I was the first employee and had to start from scratch by setting up a pre-opening office. I proceeded to hire key department heads in March, with the rest of the employees joining us in May and June. Now we have 420 associates on board and are excited to open the beauty on July 26th.

Q: Many multinational corporations hold to the belief that they should pay attention to the three "Ls", i.e., use local employees, invest in local economies, and become a local citizen. What do you think of this idea?
A: Indeed, Accor, which globally has over 4000 hotels, has long established the philosophy of thinking globally but acting locally. In China we have developed and groomed talents in large numbers for positions as excellent managers and middle management staff. While a hotel like ours would have had 20-40 expatriate managers ten years ago, we only need 3 or 4 specialists nowadays; all other positions are filled with local talents. Accor is highly committed to China and has invested heavily in its infrastructure, developing strategic local partnerships such as BTG in Beijing and Jin Jiang in Shanghai.



Q: In your opinion, what do you need to be a successful top manager?
A: Very simple. Know your business; know your employees; know your customers. Experience helps. Basically, I believe in "management by example" and having associates with a great attitude and lots of passion for what they do.

Q: As a multinational corporation that has worked with many Chinese enterprises, are you happy about the level of cooperation you receive from them?
A: Doing business in China has become as good as it can get. Infrastructures are in place everywhere, and the red-tape attitude of the past has disappeared. Our Xiamen experience in setting up our business has indeed been flawless, and we have received excellent cooperation from the various government authorities.



Q: As a well-known multinational corporation, Sofitel employs state-of-the-art management methods and practices. What are your opinions on cultivating and training employees in your company?
A: Indeed. Accor, which is a French/European company at heart, has always been very proud of its status as a "people's" organization. Human resources is a major element of the corporation and each individual company spends 3% of its budget on training. A large part of the training program is developed by Accor's own university in France and later adapted to local cultures. The five key values of Accor are Responsibility, Transparency, Professionalism, Innovation and Trust.

Q: What will be the key factors for the rapid and sustainable development of Sofitel Plaza Xiamen?
A: Our hotel opened on July 26th, and we are looking at a soft August before experiencing the first full-house situation during the upcoming CIFIT on September 8th. That will give us the opportunity to fine-tune our hotel products and services, to become the true international 5-star hotel in Xiamen. We are very comfortable with the market outlook for Xiamen as we feel there is much excitement here.



Q: There are already some famous international hotels in Xiamen. As their competitor, sharing the market, what is your "trump card"?
A: I'm very proud to have an excellent team. Together, we will offer our very best service and organize a series of promotions and activities that will be attractive to our guests. I'm very confident about our future prosperity and success.

Q: Any hobbies after work? What do you think of Xiamen?
A: I love sports, but the new Sofitel will definitely be the place I will spend most evenings. I love good food, cool drinks, and pleasant company in a beautiful atmosphere. After spending six and a half years in Beijing and Hefei, Xiamen is just wonderful. It's amazing for me to find so many luxuries here in this leisurely city. It's nice to know that Xiamen will be my home for the next three years.



Vocabulary
flagship 旗舰
sophistication 精密化
synonymous 同义的
infrastructure 基础结构
flawless 毫无瑕疵
transparency 透明度
fine-tune 调整