Can you introduce Crowne Plaza Shanghai Fudan as a meeting destination?

Crowne Plaza Shanghai Fudan is an upscale business hotel located just across Fudan University in Yangpu district.

The hotel has been thought and designed to meet the needs of business travelers and more specifically the needs of meeting planners.

For instance, our ballroom is appointed with a dedicated escalator access to the all-day dining restaurant. Meeting planners can conveniently go from the ballroom to the restaurant area without wasting time in elevators during lunch time.

We also have many breakout rooms and a 117 square meters chancellor club , offering an unique environment for upscale private meetings and gatherings.

Not only well appointed, the hotel also differs by its dedicated team. We have many repeat customers and systematically keep track of their specific needs and requests.

For instance, we recently had a group who booked Crowne Plaza Shanghai Fudan for the third time. Thanks to our process, we managed to arrange details before the customer even asked. This makes a real difference for meeting planners who usually already have a lot to think about before their event.

What is your hotel development strategy?

Six years ago, when we opened the hotel, Crowne Plaza Fudan Shanghai was meant to become the upscale hotel in YangPu District. The initial strategy was to deliver efficient value for money.

Today the Yangpu district has seen major changes and is moving forward. We see a growing number of hotels openings in the area, which sustains the local market development.
After more than six years operating on the market, our biggest asset is quality. As a consequence, our strategy is focused on “quality”. This winning strategy is strongly rewarded by a high number of repeat customers.
Quality of course means quality of service, but also quality of amenities. We make constant efforts to maintain and improve quality standards. For example the hotel is now fully covered with WiFi.

On this quality grounds, we work hard to attract new customers, both domestic and international.

What are the hotel mains challenges at the moment?

We only have one ballroom which availability is very limited.

Our wedding offer attracts numbers of couples for their wedding ceremony, and we often have to balance between weddings and meetings.

The recurring question is: should we take a booking for a wedding ceremony instead of waiting until a last minute booking for a meeting event generating more revenue?
Regarding this question, we are among the first movers, and thanks to our six year long history and experience we are now able to balance properly and get the most of the demand.

You are also chairman of IBHS, what are your views on Shanghai MICE market for 2012?

We have started to observe major changes since 2010.

2010 was the year of the Shanghai Expo. Business-wise it has been an outstanding year for almost every hotel in Shanghai. During that period of time, hotels capacity was the only limit. However due to high rates and limited room availability, many MICE customers have postponed their booking intentions to 2011.

2011 started very well, and the second semester showed some signs of downturn, mostly due to global economic environment. Business becomes more and more driven by domestic companies, rather than by international companies.
In 2012 lead time will be shorter than it used to be in the past. To sustain the growth, hotels will need more than ever to be highly responsive and flexible towards customers’ requests.

You have spent quite a few years in China, what are the major changes you observed?

Over the last year, we clearly have observed changes in the demand outline. Lead time is more than even short. At the same time, events and length of stay tend to shrink. To make the difference, hotels have to adapt and to offer even more value.
At the same time, over the last few years we have observed a rise of local hotels offer. They tend
compete more and more with international hotels in terms of hardware and of amenities overall quality. However if we consider software quality, benefits (like loyalty member program) and safety, international hotels have advantages over local ones.

Where does your passion for hospitality come from?

Since I am a child I have always been interested in hospitality. I spent a lot of time in the family kitchen and I also had a friend whose parents were managing a hotel.

Somehow hospitality was a part of my childhood and going to Lausanne Hotel School was an obvious decision to make.

I then started to work in an upscale restaurant in Geneva, left for a hotel in Morocco and then moved to Spain. I became General Manager of a property in West Indies and since then I have been in charge of many properties all across Asia.

Crowne Plaza is recently undergoing major changes, can you tell us more about it?

Our target customers are strivers who are traveling for business to reach their goals. For strivers, travel is not the goal. Success is the goal; therefore, they are…Traveling for Success
New positioning reflects extensive research into Chinese guest needs. Builds on our strong heritage of MEETINGS – MEETINGS remains a key hallmark.

What is your best memory as GM of Crowne Plaza Shanghai Fudan

My best memory is the success of Crowne Plaza Shanghai Fudan year after year, from the consistence in quality of people and services offer to our customers.

Thanks to our team and efforts, the hotel is performing beyond the expectations.

Both guest and staff satisfaction are very high and this is overall rewarded by sustained financial results.