Renaissance GM finds la dolce vita
By Cherry Cao |
April 11, 2013, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SILVANO Dressino knew at an early age that making customers happy would be his destiny.
Born to a family with a long tradition in the service industry, the new general manager of Renaissance Shanghai Pudong Hotel can still remember how keen he was, as a child, when helping his parents serve homemade Italian ice cream at their traditional ice cream parlor. It was a family business that was established by his great grandfather more than 100 years ago.
"To me, there is nothing more enjoyable than a bustling hotel lobby where I meet customers from all parts of the world," Dressino, who has been at the helm of the 370-room property since mid-November, tells Shanghai Daily.
A third-generation Italian born and raised in Germany, Dressino has worked in Marriott for 17 years. He embarked his Marriott hospitality career as a public relations manager assistant at Marriott's Continental Europe Regional Office. After spending 10 years in Germany, he went to Hong Kong as the area director of Revenue Strategy for Southeast Asia, overseeing Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Singapore.
"For me, taking that offer was pretty much like getting out of the comfort zone and jumping into the cold pool," recalls Dressino,
After five years, he worked as resident manager at the JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, Marriott's flagship hotel in Asia, for nearly two years.
Then he made the move to Shanghai to take his first general manager assignment.
"Hong Kong is a very high demand market and the hotel room rates there are among the highest in the world," he says. "Shanghai, in this sense, has still a long way to go as the overall demand in the city is not strong enough to fill all hotels for most of the time, with weekends quite soft and rates extremely competitive."
Challenges ahead, Dressino seems well-equipped to take on his newest Shanghai adventure.
"At Renaissance, it is our mission to inspire and provoke our guests to live differently and discover something wonderfully new about our city and hotel," the general manager says. "So on one hand, we need to, of course, provide excellent hospitality and pay personal attention to our guests, while on the other hand, we must understand what's happening in the city. And I don't mean to the typical tourist destinations."
He does refer to Navigator, a well-established program by the lifestyle Renaissance brand, which is all about providing guests with the latest tips about where to "sip, savor, shop or see." The trained "navigators" at each Renaissance property are experts in the local market who can offer intriguing recommendations about food, spirits, retail, music, entertainment and culture, all catering to guests' personal taste.
The new general manager also looks for a strong MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) business to further improve the hotel's revenue as well as profit.
Strategically located in the heart of Pudong with easy access to the Pudong International Airport and the New International Expo Center, Renaissance Shanghai Pudong Hotel offers a differentiated meeting experience called R.E.N meetings.
The R stands for Renaissance sensory experience, which includes great "tablescaping," signature Renaissance fragrance and mood-appropriate lighting and music in meeting rooms. The E stands for entertainment. For instance, an RLife Live program offering a DJ evening, special tea cocktails or a wine and cheese evening unplugged live music, has just been launched. It gives meeting attendees an opportunity to socialize in bars and lounges. The N clearly stands for Navigator, which identifies a customized local guide for each group.
With deep Italian roots, Dressino has retained the renowned Italian passion for good food, football and Italian opera. A passionate wine collector and an avid explorer of local culture and cuisine, he loves cooking and plays football once a week and sometimes against other Renaissance hotel football teams in the city.
He is also a lover of fine arts and architecture, particularly of China's young up-and-coming artists, whose works he often collects.
"A white truffle risotto from my favorite Italian chef Bombana, a good bottle of Brunello di Montalcino and watching 'Madame Butterfly' from Puccini, to me this is la dolce vita, the sweet life," Dressino says.
Renaissance Shanghai Pudong Hotel offers a "Suite Dream" package for special suite, including breakfast daily, wireless Internet and club access. Stay two nights and enjoy 50 percent discount on the best available suite rate.
Deep fried king prawns served with wasabi dressing and walnuts is Silvano Dressino's favorite dish. This dish shows wasabi at its best by using it in two sauces and characterized by its exquisite selection of fresh prawns and Japanese wasabi without any additives. It is offered at the hotel's Wanli Restaurant, for 168 yuan (US$27) per portion.
2012 ~ present: General manager of Renaissance Shanghai Pudong Hotel
2010 ~ 2012:Resident manager of JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong
2006 ~ 2010: Area Director of Revenue Strategy for South East Asia of Marriott
Born to a family with a long tradition in the service industry, the new general manager of Renaissance Shanghai Pudong Hotel can still remember how keen he was, as a child, when helping his parents serve homemade Italian ice cream at their traditional ice cream parlor. It was a family business that was established by his great grandfather more than 100 years ago.
"To me, there is nothing more enjoyable than a bustling hotel lobby where I meet customers from all parts of the world," Dressino, who has been at the helm of the 370-room property since mid-November, tells Shanghai Daily.
A third-generation Italian born and raised in Germany, Dressino has worked in Marriott for 17 years. He embarked his Marriott hospitality career as a public relations manager assistant at Marriott's Continental Europe Regional Office. After spending 10 years in Germany, he went to Hong Kong as the area director of Revenue Strategy for Southeast Asia, overseeing Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Singapore.
"For me, taking that offer was pretty much like getting out of the comfort zone and jumping into the cold pool," recalls Dressino,
After five years, he worked as resident manager at the JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, Marriott's flagship hotel in Asia, for nearly two years.
Then he made the move to Shanghai to take his first general manager assignment.
"Hong Kong is a very high demand market and the hotel room rates there are among the highest in the world," he says. "Shanghai, in this sense, has still a long way to go as the overall demand in the city is not strong enough to fill all hotels for most of the time, with weekends quite soft and rates extremely competitive."
Challenges ahead, Dressino seems well-equipped to take on his newest Shanghai adventure.
"At Renaissance, it is our mission to inspire and provoke our guests to live differently and discover something wonderfully new about our city and hotel," the general manager says. "So on one hand, we need to, of course, provide excellent hospitality and pay personal attention to our guests, while on the other hand, we must understand what's happening in the city. And I don't mean to the typical tourist destinations."
He does refer to Navigator, a well-established program by the lifestyle Renaissance brand, which is all about providing guests with the latest tips about where to "sip, savor, shop or see." The trained "navigators" at each Renaissance property are experts in the local market who can offer intriguing recommendations about food, spirits, retail, music, entertainment and culture, all catering to guests' personal taste.
The new general manager also looks for a strong MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) business to further improve the hotel's revenue as well as profit.
Strategically located in the heart of Pudong with easy access to the Pudong International Airport and the New International Expo Center, Renaissance Shanghai Pudong Hotel offers a differentiated meeting experience called R.E.N meetings.
The R stands for Renaissance sensory experience, which includes great "tablescaping," signature Renaissance fragrance and mood-appropriate lighting and music in meeting rooms. The E stands for entertainment. For instance, an RLife Live program offering a DJ evening, special tea cocktails or a wine and cheese evening unplugged live music, has just been launched. It gives meeting attendees an opportunity to socialize in bars and lounges. The N clearly stands for Navigator, which identifies a customized local guide for each group.
With deep Italian roots, Dressino has retained the renowned Italian passion for good food, football and Italian opera. A passionate wine collector and an avid explorer of local culture and cuisine, he loves cooking and plays football once a week and sometimes against other Renaissance hotel football teams in the city.
He is also a lover of fine arts and architecture, particularly of China's young up-and-coming artists, whose works he often collects.
"A white truffle risotto from my favorite Italian chef Bombana, a good bottle of Brunello di Montalcino and watching 'Madame Butterfly' from Puccini, to me this is la dolce vita, the sweet life," Dressino says.
Renaissance Shanghai Pudong Hotel offers a "Suite Dream" package for special suite, including breakfast daily, wireless Internet and club access. Stay two nights and enjoy 50 percent discount on the best available suite rate.
Deep fried king prawns served with wasabi dressing and walnuts is Silvano Dressino's favorite dish. This dish shows wasabi at its best by using it in two sauces and characterized by its exquisite selection of fresh prawns and Japanese wasabi without any additives. It is offered at the hotel's Wanli Restaurant, for 168 yuan (US$27) per portion.
2012 ~ present: General manager of Renaissance Shanghai Pudong Hotel
2010 ~ 2012:Resident manager of JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong
2006 ~ 2010: Area Director of Revenue Strategy for South East Asia of Marriott
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