Shanghai's Yuyuan Gardens are a prime draw for travelers visiting China's cosmopolitan mecca. And the new Renaissance Shanghai Yuyuan Hotel is prepared to handle those business and leisure travelers visiting to gain close proximity to this China treasure. Siamak Djalali is the general manager of the hotel, and with 36 years in the hospitality sector he is pushing his hotel into the forefront in Shanghai.

How is Renaissance Yuyuan positioning itself in the local hotel market?
All contemporary conveniences which today's savvy traveler demands is available at Renaissance Shanghai Yuyuan Hotel. The 400 hundred year old Yuyuan and the hotel's present modern whimsical design, offers our guests a unique experience of Shanghai where past and present meet Yuyuan at Shanghai's famous address.

What sort of changes have you implemented since taking over in your new position?
Our focus has been in recruiting talents within the hospitality industry with a heart for service. We place great emphasis on our associates' development. We like to support them with tailor-made career development plans.

What type of benefits do you gain from your address in Shanghai?
Located near the famous historical landmark of Yuyuan Garden, designed and built in the Ming Dynasty, our guests can enjoy a spectacular view of the past and present blended seamlessly with the skyline of modern downtown Shanghai.

We are short walking distance to the Bund and minutes away by car to the city center of commercial, shopping and dining area in Nanjing Road and trendy hot spots at Xintiandi, ideal for guests from business and leisure travelers.

For your meetings and conferences, what sort of facilities do you have in place and how many staff are responsible for this section?
Our banquet facilities are designed to handle mid-size meetings and social events. The Yu Garden Grand Hall and three other meeting rooms offers a total of 536 square meters of banquet space and 102 square meters of pre-function area. Capacity ranges from 10 to 300 person's receptions. Wireless Internet access is also in all meeting rooms.

How do you integrate Shanghai's local attractions with your hotel's identity?
Renaissance Shanghai Yuyuan hotel is in itself a famous address, a prime tourist destination to all travelers. We are minutes away from the city center, the Bund, Xintiandi and the financial area in Pudong.

How do you see Shanghai's hotel sector developing in the next 5 years?
In a short time that I have been here, I have seen continued growth. It seems that each month a new hotel is added to the market. The Expo in 2010 will attract more international guests coming to Shanghai.

More hotel bookers in China are now getting their research and information online. How is Renaissance Yuyuan utilizing email marketing, Web campaigns, and new media to reach the executives who now rely on these mediums?
Renaissance Shanghai Yuyuan hotel being one of Marriott brands, we will definitely leverage Marriott International's website Marriott.com, currently online in over 16 countries and 8 languages including Chinese, to help our sales and marketing activities, to communicate with our Renaissance brand supporters, to offer special Marriott Rewards, corporate incentives, promotional room and conference packages .

What type of community outreach and corporate social responsibility programs is Renaissance involved with in Shanghai?
All Renaissance and Marriott entities believe in social responsibility. As we are a new hotel we will begin with supporting initiatives from our sister hotels in Shanghai, such as charity events and participating in community activities.

If you are able to only say five words to a hotel booker or meeting planner who is thinking of choosing your hotel, what would those five words be?
Visit Renaissance Shanghai Yuyuan Hotel. Just like Shanghai, where the old and new merge naturally, we bring past and present together in a surprising way.