Judging Chinese Hotels By Their Top Management

Ozawa Hairan, the assistant manager of NEC China, is mainly responsible for the operation of the general affairs department of NEC China, as well as the company's planning for business trips and meetings.

China Hospitality News is committed to offering the most comprehensive reports on China's tourism industry with the object of providing the latest industry news to buyers both home and abroad. What do you think of our products? Which columns interested you most and why?
China Hospitality News is a very professional and powerful magazine. I read each issue of your magazine and I am most concerned with the Booker Opinion, New Appointments, and Promotions columns. As a booker of hotel service and products, I'm also concerned with hotel happenings and the new products they have launched.

We have launched a China MICE hotel meetings facilities search website www.51mice.com for meeting organizers. What do you think of this website? Do you have any suggestions to make about it? Would you consider using this product when choosing a meeting venue for your company?
Certainly we would consider using www.51mice.com.

What are your criteria for choosing a hotel or meeting venue? What do you think is the most important factor that affects your decision-making?
First, it's the hardware facilities and location of the hotel, e.g. whether the hotel is close to our company and whether the hotel is conveniently located for traveling to the airport. The second criterion is the service of the hotel.

Which domestic hotels do you most often choose for your events?
Hotels we frequently choose are Crowne Plaza Park View Wuzhou Beijing; The Ritz-Carlton Beijing Financial Street; The Westin Beijing Financial Street; InterContinental Beijing Beichen; Jinjiang Hotel Shanghai; Garden Hotel Guangzhou; Furama Hotel Dalian, Ramada Hotel Dalian; and Crowne Plaza Hotel Qingdao.

Which hotels have impressed you most and why?
The Ritz-Carlton Beijing Financial Street, The Westin Beijing Financial Street, and InterContinental Beijing Beichen have all impressed me a lot.

All three hotels have something in common and have all left me with a deep impression not only for their unique decoration and style, but also the consideration and high service standards of their employees. In addition, all these hotels attach great importance to the feelings of their customers, so their customers can relax completely in the hotel.

What problems have you encountered when using hotel products and services? What suggestions do you have for hotels?
When we arrive in the high season we are sometimes told that no rooms are available — even though we had already booked the rooms. I suggest the hotels advise bookers in a timely manner, confirm with them the time they need the rooms, and keep the rooms for them until 24:00 without asking for any guarantees. This affects the booker's decision as to whether to choose a particular hotel in the future.

Through which channels do you select hotels or venues for your company events?
We will first judge the service of a hotel from the resume of their top management. Before signing with a hotel, we will go for an on-site inspection, observing the service awareness of the hotel employees, their temperament and attitude. If the turnover of the hotel's sales staff is low, this helps the hotel to retain and attract enterprise clients.

We often change meeting places. For example, we held the last event in Beijing, but maybe we will move the next one to Hong Kong or Lijiang in Yunnan. Companies like to choose chain brand hotels with high service levels.

What do you think of the relationship between travel and style? Which domestic hotels have impressed you with stylish facilities?
Travel is one of the main types of holiday for style conscious white collar and golden collar workers. Those who seek a high-quality life also care about the details of travel quality. Travel is a part of life. Therefore, travel is a style in itself. On my journeys I like to stay in some small inns with a simple but genuine rustic feel since by doing this I can better experience the local customs and traditions. However, The Ritz-Carlton Beijing Financial Street and The Westin Beijing Financial Street have both impressed me much as being high class and stylish.

Can you please recommend some travel destinations, both inside and outside of China, to our readers?
If possible, I would recommend that my friends escape the summer heat and climb the volcano at Karuizawa in Nagano in Japan. In winter the place to be is a ski resort. In addition, I suggest that they go to visit the traditional glass crafts workshop at Asahikawa in Hokkaido. All of these places are not regularly frequented by foreign tourists so they are well worth visiting.

What are your hobbies and which types of travel do you like?
I often save my days off and then ask for a long leave for my vacation.

Do you have any plans for traveling in the coming months?
My plan of going to Tibet was suspended because of the riots in East Turkestan. However, I have now put Hong Kong into my new travel agenda.