Search Engine Key When Selecting Hotels By Location In China

This month's reader Zuo Wei works for Toshiba China and is responsible for administration and booking hotels for the company's employees.

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 interested you most and why?
I often keep a close watch on hotel news, happenings and airline news. In the course of my work I need to learn about news of the hospitality industry and related industries, as well as meetings and exhibitions.

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?
I think it will be more convenient for us users if you can set the search engine in a more detailed manner and offer a corresponding help service after the search result.

I will use the service provided by this website when I am in an unfamiliar city.

What are your criteria for choosing a hotel or meeting venue? Which elements are most attractive to you when you choose a hotel or meeting venue, the service, price, location, facilities, brand or style?
The first criteria is location and the second is price. Of course, we will consider choosing a hotel if it offers good deals.

Which domestic hotels do you most often choose for your events?
If the event is in Beijing, we will consider choosing a hotel that is close to our company or our work site. If the event is outside of Beijing, we will contact our associates in the city concerned to ask for their advice in choosing a hotel. We have used the service of almost all the international hotels in Beijing, such as Hilton, Kempinski, Sofitel, and Novotel.

Which hotels have impressed you most and why?
Suyuan Hotel in Suzhou has left a deep impression with me. The hotel and its interior decoration features Suzhou garden style. The hotel's catering and other services are also not too bad and its food is delicious. The Great Wall Hotel Shenzhen is also good. It is conveniently located and the design of the hotel rooms looks novel and practical.

What problems have you encountered when using hotel products and services? What suggestions do you have for hotels?
We feel bad and our reputation is challenged when hotels — even those that have had long term cooperation with us — ask us to present a written guarantee to secure our reservation when their rooms are fully booked.
Hotels should provide an airport reception service or fruit and flower basket services at its room. Such details will make guest feel at home.

What do you think of the relationship between travel and style? Which domestic hotels have impressed you with stylish facilities?
Stylish travel invokes individuality, it's casual and does not need to be luxurious or extravagant. Stylish travel places little requirement on the business environment of hotels, and only pays attention to some human details. Some inns in China feature original exterior designs and provide convenient services. With relatively convenient locations, they have outlets in all the major China cities. Their membership based preferred guest programs are also well spoken of by customers.

Through which channels do you select hotels or venues for your company events?
We have frequent contacts with our regular hotels, so we will talk with them directly when it's time to renew our contract. For meetings, we will ask our partners or PR companies or associates from affiliate companies to recommend some venues based on our requirements for the meeting.

Can you please recommend some travel destinations, both inside and outside of China, to our readers?
I went for an island trip in Vietnam not long ago. I felt good about being a frequent independent traveler since it was cost effective. For domestic travel, I think Lijiang,the regions south to the Yangtze River and Xinjiang are all good choices, but this certainly depends on personal preferences.

What are your hobbies and which types of travel do you like?
Personally I like leisure based FIT. I prefer to go to less developed tourism destinations in Southeast Asian countries and regions.

Do you have any plans for traveling in the coming months?
I plan to take a FIT visit to Cambodia or the Philippines.