Business Elites' Profile(16)
Do as the Romans do
By Jean Chen
Photos by Yao Fan

The Marco Polo, Xiamen

近日, 由《商旅》杂志(Business Traveller China)举办的最佳商旅评选结果出台, 厦门马哥孛罗东方大酒店在本市同行中脱颖而出, 当选厦门最佳商务酒店. 酒店总经理林永昌先生于百忙之中欣然接受了本刊的特别专访, 为读者一解其中的成功秘诀. Name: Danny Lam Nationality: Hong Kong, Chinese Position: General Manager, The Marco Polo Xiamen

Outshining the competition

Q: The Marco Polo, Xiamen has outshone its competitors by winning the "Best Business Hotel in Xiamen" award in the first Business Traveller China Travel Awards. What is the key to this success?

A: The Business Traveller China Travel Award that the hotel has won also belongs to the city of Xiamen. With rapid growth in tourism, trade, logistics and manufacturing, Xiamen has emerged as one of top fifteen business cities in China. It is obvious that the standard of hotels in Xiamen is now meeting the expectations of international business travellers who travel around China and the Asia-Pacific region.

I am very grateful to all our staff members for their hard work and dedication. They have made the greatest contribution to the success of the hotel in the past few years. I can still recall how when I came here in 2000 there was an unspoken perception of a distance between our hotel and the local residents. I encouraged my staff to make more contacts and organize more activities with the local community to help them have a better understanding of the hotel. One of these activities is the annual golf tournament we have held since 2001. We also try to bring highlights of foreign cultures to the residents of Xiamen. To give an example, wedding exhibitions are very popular in many countries. We organized our first wedding expo in 2000, and it was very well received by the local community. We have also organized quite a number of food promotions, focusing on Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Japan, France and many others. These celebrations not only give local residents a taste of some delicious foods, they also bring the cultures of foreign countries into the city. Last but not least, we also show our involvement in the local community through our annual charity fund raising event.

Q: How will you ensure fast and sustainable development for the hotel in future?

A: "Service, service, service"! For example, instead of waiting at his spot, the doorman should step forward and greet guests actively as soon as he sees them. Stepping forward may seem unimportant, but small acts like this really demonstrate that you care about your guests. This is the true meaning of service. What we do here is make our guests comfortable and create a "home from home" for them.

I also attach great importance to local culture - when in Rome, do as the Romans do. When in Xiamen, I respect the customs and culture here. I always ask for suggestions from our local staff members when we talk about new policies for the Xiamen market.

Q: Can you make some comments on your own management style?

A: I always tell my staff, "My office door is always open." I like to hear different voices so that I can be in touch with every part of the hotel. Communication is the most important factor, whether it is among the staff members or between the hotel and our guests or the outside markets.



International training

Q: Marco Polo Hotels is a well-known multinational corporation, and it employs state-of-the-art management methods and techniques. What are your thoughts on developing and training employees at this hotel?

A: Currently we have a total of over 500 staff members. We have our own conventional on-the-job training system and in addition, we send 20 staff members to The Marco Polo, Hong Kong for training every year. They can acquire management expertise and broaden their horizons through personal experience in this way. With pressure from their Hong Kong colleagues, they can acquire a better understanding of how to work efficiently in a highly pressurized environment. The chance to take part in an overseas training session is also a way for the hotel to show our appreciation for their contributions and loyalty.

There are also a number of overseas trainees at our hotel from several different countries, such as Holland, Singapore and Japan. Since all of them can speak fluent English, this gives our local staff a chance to learn and polish their oral English skills. In turn, the interns can learn Chinese language and culture from permanent staff.

Being a part of the city

Q: Can you tell us briefly how you came to work in Xiamen?

A: In 1998, when I was still working with The Marco Polo Hong Kong, I came on holiday to our sister hotel in Xiamen, which had opened in 1996. Before that, Shenzhen was the only place I had visited in mainland China. Naturally, I assumed that Xiamen would be similar to Luohu, a district of Shenzhen on the border with Hong Kong. When I arrived, though, I found that the city was very quiet and clean, totally different to how I thought it would be. The people who live in Xiamen keep the city comfortable and safe with their courteous behavior and care for their environment. After my visit, I hoped that I would have a chance to work in this lovely city. Two years later, in 2000, my dream came true and I was appointed General Manager of this hotel.

Q: Do you have any hobbies after work? What do you think of Xiamen?

A: In my spare time, I like to go fishing and play mahjong. Fishing gives me a chance to improve myself, and mahjong is a test for my strategic thinking. But things have changed a little since I came here. At the party to welcome me on December 23, 2000, somebody asked me whether I liked playing golf. I was quite taken aback at the time. But now you could say I am crazy about this little white ball. Playing golf is an exercise in management - of yourself. It is similar to setting goals and achieving them in management of the hotel. In the time I've been playing, I have learned a lot about adjusting plans and improving myself.

I have seen Xiamen becoming more and more international. The restaurants here have changed a lot. Besides local snacks and seafood, there are now Thai, Indian and Brazilian restaurants, showing the range of international visitors to the city. The facilities here are excellent, as well. I have traveled in many countries, and in my opinion Xiamen's International Conference and Exhibition Center bears comparison with the best centers in the west.

Finally, I would like to say that as hoteliers in Xiamen, all of us are responsible for doing our part in promoting this lovely city to the rest of the world.

Vocabulary
highlight 重点
perception 认知
conventional 常规的
taken aback 吃惊
courteous 礼貌的
mahjong 麻将