Hotels In China Should Give Advance Notice Of Cancellations

Li Linfei is the executive assistant of the general administration department at Kotei Navi and Data (Wuhan) Corporation. She is in charge of the organization and planning of the company's large-scale activities and meetings, the schedule for visitors and the preparation for business travel.

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 at home and abroad. What do you think of our products? Which columns interest you most and why?
I like China Hospitality News very much for its professional and comprehensive information, which is very helpful to my work. I have kept every issue of it. And I sincerely appreciate China Hospitality News providing such useful information for us.

Travel News, Hotel News, and Booker Opinion are columns I like most, especially Booker Opinion. Advice and suggestions from PCOs are valuable references for me.

We have launched a China MICE and hotel meetings facilities search website, 51mice.com, for meeting organizers. What do you think of this website? Do you have any suggestion to make? Would you consider using this product when choosing a meeting venue for your company?
I have visited the website. It has comprehensive information about hotels' meeting facilities which is quite valuable. We will consider use this product next time when we need to choose a venue for our events.

What are your criteria for choosing a hotel or meeting venue? Which elements do you think are the most important?
We are a Japanese invested company, and most of our clients and employees are from Japan and they pay a lot of attention to details. That is why we are so careful about every detail, no matter whether it is a corporate activity or a visit from Japanese client. Before signing a contract with any hotel we will go to the hotel for an investigative visit. If we cannot go there ourselves we will try to get to know the hotel through other channels.

Public praise, location, hardware (environment and facilities), and software (personalized and humanized service) all matter much when our company chooses a hotel or a meeting venue. Personally I think humanized service is the most important. Thoughtful and caring service can even make foreign guests with a language barrier feel at home.

Which domestic hotels do you most often choose for your events?
There are two situations when we book domestic hotels. For business travel by company staff, we usually choose star-rated hotels near work locations or railway stations, so staff can have easy access to work and recreation in weekend. For clients visiting the company, we will choose hotels near our company or with special features. For example, if it is near to a local commercial street, or it has beautiful river view or lake view. In addition the hotel should have an element of local cultural features.

Which hotels have most impressed you by their personalized service and hardware facilities? And why?
Ramada Plaza Optics Valley Hotel Wuhan Wuchang, Xiongchu International Hotel, and New Beacon International Hotel in Wuhan; Grand Hyatt Shanghai and GreenTree Inn Shenzhen. These hotels were selected following investigation by me.

Ramada Plaza Optics Valley Hotel Wuhan Wuchang has a simple but fashionable style. It has sales people who speak less commonly used languages, and every guest's demands are dealt with as quickly as possible. Foreign guests can communicate with hotel staff about what they want in their own language. The hotel provides excellent software services. Sales people also make regular client reviews, and call to enquire about customer satisfaction.

Grand Hyatt Shanghai has a very good location with a gorgeous design. Young people will like its hardware facilities and style.

GreenTree Inn Shenzhen is the place where guests feel like home. Once I suddenly got a fever in the early morning around one o'clock, and called the front desk for help. The hotel attendant brought a pill and warm water to my room after only ten minutes. At about nine o'clock the front desk called to check if I was getting better and whether I needed to go to hospital. The attendant then brought the breakfast to my room. I was deeply touched and my heart felt so warm.

Which hotels' banquet and catering services have impressed you most? Could you please recommend several restaurants in hotels to our readers?
Wuzhizhou Island Resort Sanya has really good banquet and catering services. Our company has held annual meetings there. The blue sea and white beach are only 50 meters away from the resort. Guests can hear the birds singing in the morning and sound of waves in the evening. There is a balcony in the room where is a perfect place to enjoy the night sky. The resort has a five-star cost/performance ratio, location, hygiene, service, and bedding. Although the price is a little higher than comparable hotels it is really worth it.

What problems have you encountered in using hotel products and services? What suggestions do you have for hotels?
Usually hotel reservation can only be kept for a limited time, and the reservation will be cancelled if guests cannot arrive by that time. There are times our clients or colleague cannot get to the hotel on time due to flight delays or heavy traffic. In this case it would be difficult for guests to contact the hotel as their cell phones are shut off on the plane.

Based on my understanding, most hotels require guest to pay in advance. Personally I think there should trust between hotels and partner companies. Hotels should contact guests before their reservation is cancelled.

It would be very useful if hotels could provide a shuttle service to our company in the morning, which would save us more human resources and money.

Through which channels do you select hotels or venues for your company events?
Media publications, Internet, friends' recommendations, and on-site investigation.

Which domestic hotels have impressed you for being fashionable?
Vision Fashion Hotel Shenzhen. Traditionally the highlight of a hotel should be a clean and tidy room, detailed and dedicated service, and all rooms are the same style. Vision Fashion Hotel Shenzhen however has put the stress on "fashion". The lobby ceiling is just like the Milky Way by Vincent van Gogh, mysterious and beautiful. All rooms have one of four different themes and are connected by corridors displaying art. When passing through a corridor guests will feel as if they are entering another space. Rooms of each theme also have different styles. For example, the "light-year" theme has styles such as castles, urban life, and Arabia.

Could you please recommend some travel destinations to our readers?
Domestic destinations I like are Wuyuan in Jiangxi and Sanya Wuzhizhou Island; foreign destinations I like are Bruges, Vienna, and Amsterdam.

What are your hobbies and which types of travel do you like?
I like dancing and travel.

Do you have any plans for traveling in the coming months?
Usually I travel twice a year no matter how busy I am. This year I am planning to visit Sanya for the second time. Also my honeymoon is in May and I am really looking forward to it.