1、 1 Creating the Finest Mid-Sized Luxury Hotel Brand in Asia UPON entering the hotel, a porter kindly relieved me of my luggage, making me feel welcome and at home,” read a thread rating the Marco Polo Hotel in Wuhan on a top travel website. It has been among the most favorable hotels thanks in part
2、to its former general manager Henk Meyknecht. After growing up in a hotelier family, Mr. Meyknecht expanded his education in hospitality at the Hoge Hotel School Maastricht in the Netherlands and at the Cornell Universitys School of Hotel Administration. He then went on to join the Marco Polo Group
3、where he worked with the Hilton International, the InterContinental and the Peninsula Hotels. His career has spanned over 26 years and taken him throughout Europe, the United States, the Middle East, and the Far East. Currently Henk Meyknecht is regional general manager for the Marco Polo Group in C
4、hina, and concurrently the general manager of the Marco Polo Parkside Hotel, Beijing. International Standards and Local Culture 2 The Marco Polo Group, headquartered in Hong Kong, was established in 1986. The nine hotels under the group are all located in the gateway cities of China, Vietnam and the
5、 Philippines. Now after 20 years of unremitting efforts, it has become one of the most renowned hotel groups in Asia. “ We have attached great importance to Chinese market,” said Mr. Meyknecht. In this emerging market, participants in the field of tourism to this highly competitive developing region
6、 include large transnational groups, along with many smaller domestic entries. “The Marco Polo Groups biggest advantage,” Meyknecht remarked, “lies in our ability to integrate an international background with local culture, and the creative power of the West with hospitality traditions of the East.”
7、 Innovation: the Soul of Hotel Development “ Innovation and training are the soul of Marco Polo s rapid growth,” said Mr. Meyknecht. “ We emphasize attentiveness to our guests needs, by building a highly trained staff that is able to identify the desires of our patrons and provide tailored services
8、for them.” All Marco Polo brand hotels in China provide complimentary 3 Wi-Fi in every room, and offer the option of a late 4 p.m. checkout. They also provide beverages free to guests in each of their hotel lobbies. Many of their best concepts came from employees through direct interactions with the
9、 guests. “Every member of our hotel family has an open channel to have their voices heard and contribute their valuable wisdom,” said Mr. Meyknecht “ Quality training is the key to assuring the success of our management team,” Mr. Meyknecht explained. A fund equivalent to three percent of the total
10、payroll is put into staff training, including oral English classes for all employees that require it. Optimistic about the Chinese Market Talking about the group s China operation strategy, Meyknecht said that his group will continue to focus on understanding the local market and offering excellent
11、service and flexible rates. The group is now accelerating expansion into medium-sized and smaller Chinese cities. “ We are ready to embrace our next growth spurt after years of hard work and planning, ” Mr. Meyknecht expressed their confidence about the future. “Over the next few years we will introduce several new hotels in cities like Jinjiang, Changzhou, Wuxi and Chengdu. Our target is to be the top mid-sized 4 luxury hotel group in Asia, for which the hotels under construction are the best indicator.”
