Booking Hotels That Correct Mistakes Proactively

China Hospitality News reader Jerry Peng is the marketing manager of Shanghai FASCO Business Travel International. He is in charge of marketing planning and purchasing of aviation, travel, and hotel products.

China Hospitality News is committed to offering the most comprehensive reports on China's tourism industry with the object of providing the latest industry news to buyers both at home and abroad. What do you think of our products? Which columns interest you most and why?
Most content of the magazine is about hotels, and a lot of the information is useful to me. I will keep reading this publication.

We have launched a China MICE and hotel meetings facilities search website, www.51mice.com, for meeting organizers. What do you think of this website? Do you have any suggestions to make? Would you consider using this product when choosing a meeting venue for your company?
51MICE.com is of great help to people who purchase MICE purchasing products because it has so much useful information. We will use this service in the future.

What are your criteria for choosing a hotel or meeting venue? Which elements do you think are the most important?
There are two different situations. First, if it is a meeting in a business city, we will choose a hotel in the CBD, and our major criteria include: international brand five-star hotel, full meeting facilities, and unique outdoor spaces for different activities. Second, if it is for an island vacation, we will choose a beach hotel, usually an international five-star resort with a variety of dining choices and fine fitness and spa facilities; if it is a free trip in certain city, location is the prime criterion for an international five-star hotel or famous local featured hotel.

Which domestic hotels do you choose most often for your events?
The Peninsula Shanghai, Hyatt on the Bund, Pudong Shangri-La, Shanghai, Park Hyatt Shanghai, The Ritz-Carlton Sanya, Narada Resort & Spa Sanya, and Shangri-La Hotel Chengdu.

Which hotels have most impressed you by their service and hardware facilities? And why?
The fashionable Park Hyatt Shanghai is the best place to enjoy the night view of Shanghai. Fashion details can be found everywhere — lobby, bar, restaurants, ballroom, and guestrooms.

Dongjiao State Guest Hotel Shanghai is a garden hotel with comprehensive sports equipment, meeting facilities, and a large outdoor space, quite the place for MICE and teambuilding activities for up tp 500 people (limited only by the number of rooms).

The Ritz Carlton Sanya has done a good job in promoting environmental protection. When a guest has accomplished an environmental action, the hotel will reward them with a trumpet fanfare. That's very interesting.

Has your company ever undertaken any teambuilding activities? In which hotel? What's your comment on hotel service? Could you please share with us some details or features of this case?
Our latest teambuilding activity was held in Dongjiao State Guest Hotel Shanghai. This hotel has excellent sports and fitness facilities including an indoor swimming pool, a badminton court, and a tennis court, its quite the place for indoor teambuilding activities. The hotel has large green areas, clear rivers and lakes, and is also suitable for outdoor activities like fishing. The banquet building featuring several ballrooms is the place for various meetings and events. And the food is very delicious.

Throughout the entire event, the hotel had a team to assist with us, from the preparation to planning, and the conclusion. They helped us a lot with emergencies in our teambuilding activities.

Which hotels' banquet and catering services have impressed you most and why? Please recommend a few restaurants in hotels to our readers.
The cafe and 100 Century in Park Hyatt Shanghai; Sir Elly's Restaurant and the bar on the 14thfloor at The Peninsula Shanghai; Le Ciel on the 50thfloor and Zaffraan on the 49thfloor at Pullman Shanghai Skyway. The grand ballroom on the third floor of Pujiang building at Pudong Shangri-La, Shanghai is gorgeous for large-scale events. State Guest Hotel Shanghai's Zijin Hall, Yulan Hall and VIP Hall are also elegant. The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong is impressive to me, too.

What problems have you encountered in using hotel products and services? What suggestions do you have for hotels?
Generally speaking, international brand five-star hotels have good hardware facilities, however some hotels may have the problem of aging meeting facilities, broken projectors or sound systems, and sparse standby facilities. I believe that hotels should stress their environmental protection philosophy, e.g. by encouraging guests with some gifts or rewards.

Have you had any unpleasant experiences in the course of your cooperation and communication with hotels?
Sometimes hotel might mistake the room type I reserved. For example, on one occasion I has booked a sea view room, but when I was checking in, the hotel told me there was no sea view room but only a garden view room and a superior sea view room. It was only after we complained to the hotel management that the reception upgraded our room to a superior sea view room. This was a very unhappy experience for us. Since it was the hotel's mistake, the hotel should have handled it properly on its own initiative.

Through which channels do you select hotels or venues for your company events?
Usually I would participate in a hotel's promotion activities, communicate with hotel sales people, and do some online research.

What do you think of the relationship between travel and fashion? Which domestic hotels have impressed you for being fashionable?
Travel is a form of leisure, and independent travel is a fashion itself. One can enjoy the beauty of nature and human culture during one's travels. Hotels usually upgrade their facilities to be more fashionable, but in my opinion, the most important thing is the soft environment and service being fashionable.

Can you please recommend some travel destinations to our readers?
In China I like Chengdu, Sanya, Lijiang, Tengchong, Prairie, and Kanas Lake. Outbound destinations I would like to recommend are Bali, Vancouver, Hokkaido, New York, and Las Vegas.

What are your hobbies and which types of travel do you like?
I like to travel very much, especially when there is no time limit.I would like to go to Chengdu and Sanya every year. I like the atmosphere in Chengdu, it's relaxed and casual. I go to the gym after work to keep fit. I like to have afternoon tea with friends or clients. I like to arrange my own itineraries, and local food and bars are always on my must-do list.

Do you have any travel plans for the coming months?
Chengdu, Shenzhen, and Singapore.