Managing A Resort In China's Sunny Paradise

Thomas Guan Tieshan is the general manager of the Howard Johnson Resort Sanya bay. He is also chairman of the Hainan provincial Spa Association.

How will the Howard Johnson Resort differentiate itself from other similar hotels in the area?
First, Howard Johnson Resort Sanya Bay is currently the largest five-star beachfront resort in China, it boasts the top hardware facilities: 1,160 seaview guest rooms and 38 villas, a 3,000 square-meter seaview lobby, 4,500-square-meters of swimming space and other well-equipped facilities. Also the resort develops the "seven days, 24hours nice service" concept, "Green Meeting" and "One-stop MICE service". The good mix of top hardware facilities and high quality service are the advantage of Howard Johnson Resort Sanya Bay in the area.

What are your plans for promoting the hotel after its formal opening?
When our resort opens, we will be the exclusive partner from hotel industry to New Silk Look final 2008 campaign. All the events of this campaign will be held in our resort. We are trying our best to assist to the success of the campaign, and at the same time, we will seize this good opportunity to get better exposure for the resort by coordinating with the fashion brand reputation of the new silk look campaign. The resort representatives will go to Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou which are its feeder markets to do a series of product promotion events. We will also maintain our effective publicity in coordination with major media.

What is the expected split of your guests between leisure and MICE? And how do you see the domestic market developing your business over the next few years?
With the considerable numbers of sea view guest rooms and well-equipped MICE facilities, the MICE market will account for a greater percentage of Howard Johnson Resort Sanya Bay's market share. The domestic market will be one of the most important markets for our resort over the next few years. Firstly, in China, Howard Johnson band expanding very rapidly, currently we have 30 hotels open and 101 management contracts has been signed. The strong support of Howard Johnson brand gives Howard Johnson Resort Sanya Bay a good reputation in China; the resort also enjoys the most beautiful sea view in Sanya Bay. Top hardware facilities and international brand services with an appropriate pricing strategy makes the resort competitive in the area, so our resort is in touch with the customers' expectations and the needs of the domestic market. We are confident of doing a good job in the resort's domestic market; and that can also drive the development of our international target market.

What type of training and incentives do you offer your staff?
According to the professional talent training system of Howard Johnson International group, the property provides different kinds of orientation training to qualify staff for their position. For our associates' career development, we provide various kinds of management courses and foreign language training. The resort also arranges forstaff take training programs in the corporate office and cross-training in Howard Johnson sister hotels in China. We make extensive use of online training, the resort arranges registration in the American Hotel Association online training system to help our staff update their international updating hotel management knowledge.

How are you planning to use Internet and email marketing to attract more guests from the business and MICE sectors?
We regard e-marketing as our one of most important marketing channels. According to the resort's position in the business traveler and MICE market, we have chosen effective online industry and customer media. It will help travel industry to get to know our resort by exposure in online industry media. We are targeting business travelers and MICE customers directly with online media.

What corporate social responsibility initiatives is the hotel implementing or planning to implement?
We will maximize profits and increase the shareholder value by professional and systematic management; we will take care associates' career development by offering professional training and all kinds of career opportunities; we will show Howard Johnson Resort Sanya Bay special hospitality to customers by professional high quality service.

For the environment, we adapt the environmental- protection concepts into our daily operation. In the process of the resort construction, the resort devotes plenty of resources to saving energy and recycling water, we also join all sorts of environmental protection initiatives and events to publicize these important concepts to the public.

In the serious Sichuan earthquake, we went to Sichuan to help with the relief efforts and donated RMB 200,000. The resort has plans for hiring disabled people and has joined China Project Hope.

Last but not least, as the largest beachfront five-star resort in China, we will always keep in mind the need for a professional operation in our mind to show the Chinese hotel industry the advantages of development.

If you had just thirty seconds to tell people why they should stay in your hotel what would you say?
Howard Johnson Resort Sanya Bay debuts in beautiful Sanya, Here you can relish your comfort with a romantic atmosphere; here, we are charming your taste buds on a distinctive culinary journey. Here, you can just enjoy the charming tropical relaxation and experience our passion for hospitality. Here, we anticipate all your needs, why not try this sunny paradise?