Related News
Home
» City specials
» Hangzhou
Luxury service with a smile and five-star style
By David Maguire |
June 16, 2009, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE international serviced apartment company Oakwood is on a mission to bring a new level of accommodation and amenities to business travelers, overseas company executives, foreign consultants and tourists in Hangzhou.
The Oakwood Residence Hangzhou offers 166 deluxe modern and comfortable serviced apartments ranging in size from studios to three-bedroom residences in its newly opened complex situated in the Huanglong commercial circle in the Zhejiang Province capital's CBD.
Linked to the architecturally imposing Europe America Center on Jiaogong Road, Oakwood Residence houses a kaleidoscope of amenities, facilities and activities of the same standard as a five-star hotel but customized for visitors who want to stay longer. It is the first international serviced apartment complex in the city.
Oakwood's management of the property is in collaboration with the developer, Zhejiang Jiangong Real Estate Group, and its opening in December last year made the Hangzhou complex one of eight that are in the US-based company's expansion plans for China, confirming its status as the largest global provider of corporate housing.
General Manager Malcolm Hines said the accommodation options comprise 46 studio units, 85 one-bedroom, 26 two-bedroom and nine three-bedroom apartments which offer fully equipped kitchen facilities, full-sized fridges, microwave ovens, laundry-dryers and separate bathrooms.
"We provide all the benefits of a hotel in an environment encompassing comfort, freedom, convenience, family living, space and a homely feeling," he said.
"It's a new upscale option in Hangzhou for top-notch business travelers and guests on project and relocation assignments, and the larger apartments will be ideal for family travelers with either short-stay or long-stay needs," he added.
"Oakwood meets the needs of someone here for two weeks who might, after three or four days, get pretty stir crazy in a hotel with a 34-square-meter room. Our rooms start at 45-60 square meters so we almost have a hotel suite environment but with much better value."
He said the location provides a convenient base in the CBD area close to all major offices and a short drive to leading industrial and IT development zones. It is also a short distance from the famed West Lake and its many affiliated attractions.
Hines acknowledges there are a number of competitors in the Hangzhou market servicing the clientele that Oakwood hopes to attract, including high-end condominiums and four and five-star hotels.
"Our challenge is that we have to redefine the concept of international serviced apartments in the market and we feel confident that by providing the quality and comfort that discerning travelers are seeking our product will speak for itself," he said.
"We believe our product quality matches that of Hangzhou's top hotels."
Hines, a jovial Englishman who has a multinational hotel career spanning 25 years working with Hyatt and Sheraton on all the major continents, points out the strength of Oakwood's expertise in the serviced apartment business around the world.
"For example, we have relationships with 85 percent of the Fortune Global 500 companies many of which have entrusted their serviced apartment accommodation needs exclusively to Oakwood," he said.
"We had some visitors linked to a large German company in recently and some of the local wives dropped in to see their friends.
They were completely surprised by what they saw compared to where they were living, which is one of the premier condominium blocks in Hangzhou.
"They've already started nagging their husbands to move across here," he said.
Hines ensures there is a strong customer focus within the business.
"As a hotel manager my dream was to get to know my guests and to make sure my people got to know them," he said. "But it's very difficult to recall someone's name if they're only staying two days - if it's two to three months there's no reason why we don't remember customers' names.
"So we have contests with our associates to get them to remember people's names, and in trying to engender this spirit of recognition we have a regular quiz with prizes."
Although he's been in China a little more than a year, Hines recognizes and values Hangzhou government-supported initiatives on foreign direct investment, infrastructure development and the thoughtful planning of tourism sites such as the West Lake and Xixi Wetland.
"There's a fantastic aura surrounding Hangzhou. The city - particularly around the lake - has done a fantastic job of looking into the future and trying to protect the jewels."
Further information about Oakwood Residence Hangzhou's location and rates is available on www.oakwood.com.
The Oakwood Residence Hangzhou offers 166 deluxe modern and comfortable serviced apartments ranging in size from studios to three-bedroom residences in its newly opened complex situated in the Huanglong commercial circle in the Zhejiang Province capital's CBD.
Linked to the architecturally imposing Europe America Center on Jiaogong Road, Oakwood Residence houses a kaleidoscope of amenities, facilities and activities of the same standard as a five-star hotel but customized for visitors who want to stay longer. It is the first international serviced apartment complex in the city.
Oakwood's management of the property is in collaboration with the developer, Zhejiang Jiangong Real Estate Group, and its opening in December last year made the Hangzhou complex one of eight that are in the US-based company's expansion plans for China, confirming its status as the largest global provider of corporate housing.
General Manager Malcolm Hines said the accommodation options comprise 46 studio units, 85 one-bedroom, 26 two-bedroom and nine three-bedroom apartments which offer fully equipped kitchen facilities, full-sized fridges, microwave ovens, laundry-dryers and separate bathrooms.
"We provide all the benefits of a hotel in an environment encompassing comfort, freedom, convenience, family living, space and a homely feeling," he said.
"It's a new upscale option in Hangzhou for top-notch business travelers and guests on project and relocation assignments, and the larger apartments will be ideal for family travelers with either short-stay or long-stay needs," he added.
"Oakwood meets the needs of someone here for two weeks who might, after three or four days, get pretty stir crazy in a hotel with a 34-square-meter room. Our rooms start at 45-60 square meters so we almost have a hotel suite environment but with much better value."
He said the location provides a convenient base in the CBD area close to all major offices and a short drive to leading industrial and IT development zones. It is also a short distance from the famed West Lake and its many affiliated attractions.
Hines acknowledges there are a number of competitors in the Hangzhou market servicing the clientele that Oakwood hopes to attract, including high-end condominiums and four and five-star hotels.
"Our challenge is that we have to redefine the concept of international serviced apartments in the market and we feel confident that by providing the quality and comfort that discerning travelers are seeking our product will speak for itself," he said.
"We believe our product quality matches that of Hangzhou's top hotels."
Hines, a jovial Englishman who has a multinational hotel career spanning 25 years working with Hyatt and Sheraton on all the major continents, points out the strength of Oakwood's expertise in the serviced apartment business around the world.
"For example, we have relationships with 85 percent of the Fortune Global 500 companies many of which have entrusted their serviced apartment accommodation needs exclusively to Oakwood," he said.
"We had some visitors linked to a large German company in recently and some of the local wives dropped in to see their friends.
They were completely surprised by what they saw compared to where they were living, which is one of the premier condominium blocks in Hangzhou.
"They've already started nagging their husbands to move across here," he said.
Hines ensures there is a strong customer focus within the business.
"As a hotel manager my dream was to get to know my guests and to make sure my people got to know them," he said. "But it's very difficult to recall someone's name if they're only staying two days - if it's two to three months there's no reason why we don't remember customers' names.
"So we have contests with our associates to get them to remember people's names, and in trying to engender this spirit of recognition we have a regular quiz with prizes."
Although he's been in China a little more than a year, Hines recognizes and values Hangzhou government-supported initiatives on foreign direct investment, infrastructure development and the thoughtful planning of tourism sites such as the West Lake and Xixi Wetland.
"There's a fantastic aura surrounding Hangzhou. The city - particularly around the lake - has done a fantastic job of looking into the future and trying to protect the jewels."
Further information about Oakwood Residence Hangzhou's location and rates is available on www.oakwood.com.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
