Managing A Westin In Booming Tianjin

Sunny Heng, the general manager of the Westin Tianjin is a hotelier with more than 30 years of professional working and management experience. He has worked with Starwood Hotels and Resorts for over 18 years, starting in 1991 as director of food and beverage at The Sheraton Langkawi Beach Resort.

Yours is the second hotel Starwood group hotel in Tianjin, and it is a long time since the first Starwood property opened in the city. Your hotel and the Tianjin Sheraton hotel have the same investor, why have you decided to go into partnership again?
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and Tianjin Tourism Group have had a very good and smooth relationship over the last 20 years. Both companies have benefited from this collaboration.

On one hand, Starwood Hotels is the leading hotel group in hospitality industry. On the other hand, Tianjin Tourism Group has a very well-establised base in Tianjin which covers various industries including hotels, tourism companies, local scenery spots, and transportation companies.

Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Le Meridien, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft, and Element brands. Every one of these brands is unique in terms of brand concept and positioning. The successful operation of Sheraton Tianjin Hotel over the last 20 years gave Starwood and Tianjin Tourism Group the confidence to begin another partnership.

What are the distinguishing features and market positioning of your hotel?
Our hotel is located in the heart of Tianjin city. We are part of a new landmark building, a complex of hotel, residences, office buildings, and shopping arcades. Besides the brand new facilities, we offer a personalized experience for our guests. From the time you walk into the Westin, you'll discover an atmosphere that captures the senses from the scent of white tea lightly perfuming the air to the sound of Westin music drifting through the lobby. We also offer our signature Westin Heavenly Bed, billowy down blankets, five plush pillows, and a sumptuous pillow-top mattress so guests can enjoy a tranquil night's sleep. Finally, we have the Starwood Preferred Guests program which offers members exclusive benefits, a flexible reward redemption policy, and personal service.

We are targeting the leading corporate hotels in China, and providing a place where our guests and associates can unwind, experience renewal and reach their potential.

What do you expect the percentage composition of your guests to be? And what do you expect your guest source markets to be?
The Westin Tianjin is positioned as a corporate hotel. Without any doubt, corporate travelers account for more than 50% of our total occupancy and revenue. With the fast development of Tianjin's MICE market and the completion of new conference center, the city has more demand for MICE facilities, and simultaneously, brings more potential clients to suppliers like us. But much more than that, The Westin Tianjin is attractive to leisure guests due to its prime location. Famous sightseeing points such as, The 5th Avenue, Porcelain House, Ancient Cultural Street, Haihe River, the Italian Concession Area, and the Drum Tower are all within a stone's throw of the hotel.

As an international brand hotel, with Starwood's strong booking network, our guests are from all around the world and primary cities in China. Geographically Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong are our main source markets and internationally Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia are quite significant.

As a senior professional manager in the hospitality industry what is your management philosophy?
Develop talent is always a key step for hotel management. Our competitors can duplicate the building, the facilities but they can never copy the culture of a successful hotel group. Starwood has 'mentor and mentee' programs three times each year. For instance, general manager of The Westin Tianjin would pair with the front office manager of Sheraton Shanghai to help him or her grow in terms of absorbing different cultures and styles by regular emails and information sharing. The same 'mentor and mentee' program also happens internally in the hotel to develop associate's talent and help them reach their potential.

What challenges do you think your hotel will face in the Tianjin market?
Most of the hotel groups have excellent brand standards but only a few achieve the ultimate success. When we think about why, execution is always the most important aspect of hotel operation. As hotel managers, we need to consider that how to eputxecute the Westin and Starwood standards into daily operation, making them a habit while not merely forcing associates to conform. Westin delivers personal and instinctive service to our guests and make them feel renewed and recharged. This makes us to stand out from the competition. But more importantly, the implementation and execution of a high-level brand standard is actually the guarantee that this will happen.

Meanwhile, retaining talent is another challenge for an hotel management team. Due to the booming hotel development, it becomes more difficult to keep staff turnover low. There will be more than 20 five-star hotels opening in Tianjin over the next two years. We need to put more into keeping the existing talent with us.

When China Hospitality news talks with our readers, we get many adverse comments from professional bookers about service and how different hotel departments coordinate events. According to our understanding, many hotels appear to have sales departments that sell successfully, however other departments have service and coordination problems, with the result in that many guests never choose the hotel again. What are your thoughts on this? What plans do you have in terms of improving the standard of hotel service?
Regular and consistent training assures we keep service standards at a high level. Hotel management is not only responsible for associate's training and education, but for setting up their career plan. Employees need to feel that what they do everyday helps develop their career rather than the simple repetition of a routine job.

We try to empower our associates. It makes them feel more comfortable when dealing with guests. Once they are empowered, they take more ownership and accountability. It's a very positive action rather than having lengthy reporting processes which wast time and may create more problems.

We review employee performance on a regular basis to find out where there are problems and to provide suggestions and solutions. People make mistakes everyday. We learn to help them find a solution instead of being scolded them repeating the mistake.

How would you compare the advantages of rooms and MICE in a hardware and people oriented market? What are three key reasons for MICE bookers choose your product and services?
The location of The Westin Tianjin offers great convenience for MICE visitors. Right in the centre of Tianjin's business district, The Westin Tianjin is on the doorstep of international business offices and nestles amongst the city's historic concession precincts, renowned for their unique architecture and picturesque tree lined streets.

We have 1,250 square meters of meeting space, a dedicated meeting floor comprising seven elegant function rooms with modern decor, floods of natural light, and state of the art audio visual equipment that are matched by the professional and intuitive service of our experienced conference team and innovative menu options presented by The Westin Tianjin's executive chef.

All of the 275 guest rooms provide an urban sanctuary. Spacious, light filled accommodation with sophisticated furnishings including Westin's signature Heavenly Beds are complemented by luxurious bathrooms featuring decadent rainforest showers.

A collection of seven restaurants and bars, provide a range of options to unwind, while our Heavenly Spa by Westin fuses modern spa therapy with ancient Chinese traditions. A state of the art WestinWorkout gymnasium with complimentary 24-hour access for hotel guests features the latest advanced cardio and strength equipment by Technogym and work out regimens designed with travelers in mind. The 25 meters indoor heated swimming pool, Jacuzzi and poolside lounges provide MICE visitors with a tranquil way to recharge.

The government has attached great importance to the development of the Bohai Bay area. What is your opinion on the current situation of the Tianjin hotel market? How can one view the potential of the Tianjin hotel industry?
Geographically, Tianjin is located close to Beijing: the high-speed train between the two cities takes just 29 minutes. The convenience of travel brings the city various opportunities as a MICE destination. The steady rate of increase of Tianjin's economy builds investor confidence. It is reflected in the MICE market, bringing a strong economic base to particular areas like Binhai District, where foreign enterprises are attracted by its location and special policies. As for supporting facilities, a world-class convention and exhibition centre, sufficient well-developed tourism resources, international brand hotels and Tianjin's local culture provide a comprehensive environment for MICE guests. A retreat close to the sea and the old concession areas, gives the feeling of being away from the bustle of a major city while being in one.

If MICE guests choose to stay in Tianjin for three to five days, what new incentive resources (in addition to the traditional resources) in Tianjin city would you recommend?
A Haihe River cruise is something you should never miss. The 40-min cruise embraces most of the signature landmark buildings in Tianjin. You can witness the history and development of this city.

The Italian and German Concession Areas are perfect for tourists looking for a different lifestyle. You can not only explore exotic architectures but you can also experience the city's culture and history.

A trip to Binhai District is recommended, especially for people who are interested in Tianjin's future development.

Nanshi Food Street includes thousands of examples of Tianjin's local cuisine and snacks. It's a one-stop destination if you are a food fanatic.