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September 19, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
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UPSCALE hotels understand that making a good first impression is important in determining whether guests will enjoy their stay. Gao Ceng looks at how hotels are using technology and personalizing service right from the start.
Five-star hotels in Shanghai are making an effort to improve check-in services to give guests a good first impression.
It's crucial for a hotel to make a good first impression since it's difficult to reverse a negative opinion, Mickael C. Damelincourt, general manager at Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto, told the Wall Street Journal.
Impressing guests within the first 10 minutes is a challenge for hotels, especially in Shanghai where the hospitality industry has become extremely competitive.
Hotels also have to keep in mind that some guests will arrive tired after a long trip while others may have very specific requirements.
Ye Jiawen, who works for a Shanghai-based newspaper, said: "After a tiring trip, especially a long flight, I really don't want to carry my heavy luggage, queue in front of the reception desk and wait for the check-in."
Pu Jiayu, the hotel editor at Eastern Channel, a local magazine targeting business travelers, said: "I don't think every hotel employee is patient and caring enough to hear my room requirements in detail. For me, that's a big problem."
Sometimes, the front desk staff have communication issues with foreign guests, which can leave abad impression.
Hotels with different target clients are doing different things to score points right from the start.
Business hotels such as Pudong Shangri-La want to increase the consistency of its check-in service.
"We made separate areas for individual and group check-ins to ensure that single customers are not disrupted by group guests," said Keir MacPherson, executive assistant manager of rooms at Pudong Shangri-La.
Since the business hotel also attracts some family travelers, receptionists in Shangri-La are required to recognize the guest type at first based on what they wear, casual clothes or formal suit; what they bring, a briefcase or camera, so that they can provide the best service.
Meanwhile, boutique hotels in the city are focusing on giving guests a glimpse of local culture. For example, Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund gives guests White Rabbit Creamy Candy, a popular Shanghai candy that originated in 1943, to provide a small taste of local history and culture.
Meanwhile, guests at resort properties often want to know more about the facilities.
"We train our receptionists to provide guests a complete and detailed explanation of all the facilities," said Marco Militzer, hotel manager at MGM Grand Sanya, a resort on Hainan Island in southern China.
Further, some new trends indicate that hotels are no longer just trying to please guests, but also surprise them.
From iPads and PDAs to remote GPS tracking, technology is being used to increase the efficiency and convenience of room arrangement, to provide eco-friendly wireless service and show sincerity.
In Andaz Shanghai, guests do not need to wait in a queue at the reception desk as guests can use their iPad to check in either in the lobby lounge or en route to the room.
In Pudong Shangri-La, information related to a room reservation is displayed on a tablet and with a stylus. Guests just sign on the pad to check in, which shortens the process and gives the check-in area more flexibility. The tablet also shows all the dining and leisure facilities inside the hotel.
A special GPS device is fixed in the Shangri-La limousine used to pick up guests from the airport. The front desk can track when guests will arrive and prepare their rooms in advance so that they can comfortably finish their check-in in room.
"In the near future, when technology becomes mature, guests can use their personal PDA or FaceTime to do the check-in," said Shangri-La's MacPherson.
As hotels seek to make a good first impression, check-in services have evolved into trying to connect with guests on a personal level.
It starts with the first employee to greet guests, whether it is a hotel driver at the airport or a doorman at the main entrance.
It is then followed by a conversation with guests in which hotel staff learn their name and any special requirements they have for the duration of stay.
Andaz has also launched Andaz Host, which combines the roles of doorman, receptionist, concierge and bell attendant.
Pudong Shangri-La receptionists will also show customers around the hotel, upon request, pointing out various leisure facilities and room features.
MacPherson says the hotel even considers check-out as part of the check-in experience since it's an extension of the guest's first impression. This is especially true for loyal customers, where, MacPherson says, the check-out is the beginning ofthe next check-in.
Five-star hotels in Shanghai are making an effort to improve check-in services to give guests a good first impression.
It's crucial for a hotel to make a good first impression since it's difficult to reverse a negative opinion, Mickael C. Damelincourt, general manager at Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto, told the Wall Street Journal.
Impressing guests within the first 10 minutes is a challenge for hotels, especially in Shanghai where the hospitality industry has become extremely competitive.
Hotels also have to keep in mind that some guests will arrive tired after a long trip while others may have very specific requirements.
Ye Jiawen, who works for a Shanghai-based newspaper, said: "After a tiring trip, especially a long flight, I really don't want to carry my heavy luggage, queue in front of the reception desk and wait for the check-in."
Pu Jiayu, the hotel editor at Eastern Channel, a local magazine targeting business travelers, said: "I don't think every hotel employee is patient and caring enough to hear my room requirements in detail. For me, that's a big problem."
Sometimes, the front desk staff have communication issues with foreign guests, which can leave abad impression.
Hotels with different target clients are doing different things to score points right from the start.
Business hotels such as Pudong Shangri-La want to increase the consistency of its check-in service.
"We made separate areas for individual and group check-ins to ensure that single customers are not disrupted by group guests," said Keir MacPherson, executive assistant manager of rooms at Pudong Shangri-La.
Since the business hotel also attracts some family travelers, receptionists in Shangri-La are required to recognize the guest type at first based on what they wear, casual clothes or formal suit; what they bring, a briefcase or camera, so that they can provide the best service.
Meanwhile, boutique hotels in the city are focusing on giving guests a glimpse of local culture. For example, Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund gives guests White Rabbit Creamy Candy, a popular Shanghai candy that originated in 1943, to provide a small taste of local history and culture.
Meanwhile, guests at resort properties often want to know more about the facilities.
"We train our receptionists to provide guests a complete and detailed explanation of all the facilities," said Marco Militzer, hotel manager at MGM Grand Sanya, a resort on Hainan Island in southern China.
Further, some new trends indicate that hotels are no longer just trying to please guests, but also surprise them.
From iPads and PDAs to remote GPS tracking, technology is being used to increase the efficiency and convenience of room arrangement, to provide eco-friendly wireless service and show sincerity.
In Andaz Shanghai, guests do not need to wait in a queue at the reception desk as guests can use their iPad to check in either in the lobby lounge or en route to the room.
In Pudong Shangri-La, information related to a room reservation is displayed on a tablet and with a stylus. Guests just sign on the pad to check in, which shortens the process and gives the check-in area more flexibility. The tablet also shows all the dining and leisure facilities inside the hotel.
A special GPS device is fixed in the Shangri-La limousine used to pick up guests from the airport. The front desk can track when guests will arrive and prepare their rooms in advance so that they can comfortably finish their check-in in room.
"In the near future, when technology becomes mature, guests can use their personal PDA or FaceTime to do the check-in," said Shangri-La's MacPherson.
As hotels seek to make a good first impression, check-in services have evolved into trying to connect with guests on a personal level.
It starts with the first employee to greet guests, whether it is a hotel driver at the airport or a doorman at the main entrance.
It is then followed by a conversation with guests in which hotel staff learn their name and any special requirements they have for the duration of stay.
Andaz has also launched Andaz Host, which combines the roles of doorman, receptionist, concierge and bell attendant.
Pudong Shangri-La receptionists will also show customers around the hotel, upon request, pointing out various leisure facilities and room features.
MacPherson says the hotel even considers check-out as part of the check-in experience since it's an extension of the guest's first impression. This is especially true for loyal customers, where, MacPherson says, the check-out is the beginning ofthe next check-in.
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