Lady
Leading
72 GM TALK
Newly appointed general manager of the Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel, Angela Pan, is already an industry stalwart, having cut her teeth at the city’ s sister property, the Renaissance Beijing Chaoyang. She speaks with JETSETTER Magazine about maintaining a competitive edge, anticipating expectations, and the changing demographic of today’ s traveller.
Interview by Stephen Allington
Q & A
There is an idea that the role of hotel general manager is a PREdominantly male ONE. How have you forged your career in the industry? I’ ve been with Renaissance for 17 years now and I’ ve worked my way up right from the bottom to be where I am. In Chinese we say that“ A woman is very tolerant and flexible like water,” and as a female general manager I do feel that I can be more tactful when handling situations than men, who can be a little brash at times.
People say that a good general manager needs to be a jack-of-all-trades, do you agree? A general manager must have knowledge of all departments but not necessarily be an expert of them, that’ s why we have teams of people who are skilled in specific areas. My skill is in motivating these essential characters to perform to the best of their ability and the hotel will run smoothly as a result.
How is the role of general manager changing? Since customer’ s expectations are much higher due to the rapid growth of supply in the market, it is critical for a general manager to adapt to changes, anticipate guests’ needs and apply new strategies to keep guests happy and coming back.
How do you ensure Renaissance remains viable in a city such as Beijing, where there is fierce competition? We stay ahead by being more creative in what we offer. For instance we have Navigators who act as personal guides for guests visiting Beijing. They know all the hidden gems around the city and take guests to off-the-radar locations that they wouldn’ t necessarily find themselves, such as the old housing area of South Gong and Drum Lane.
How do you infuse your personality in your role? I’ m totally a discoverer in my personal life; travelling, reading and music are my important friends and enrich my experience and knowledge. I always see myself as a consumer and ask what my expectation is while I’ m travelling, then as a hotel general manager I try to anticipate those needs for my guests. In short, I’ m always curious to discover new things, and open minded enough to embrace change.
How are expectations of guests changing? Guests who travel a lot expect a more personalised service, and to be provided with something they couldn’ t experience elsewhere. The new generation is looking for a home away from home; they want to be able to do everything they could at home, so they’ re demanding new technology, and food served in their room, maybe in front of the television. Wifi is also a must have.
Do Asian and western guests have different demands? Asian guests focus on the hardware of the hotel, whereas western guests pay more attention to the details of service, what the manners of our staff are like for instance. But to be honest, the new generation from both sides are becoming more and more alike so we need to keep up our game across the board. www. jetsetter. hk