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HOTELIER INDONESIA 1
HOTELIER INDONESIA 62
Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort & Spa, Yunnan Prov-ince | P. R. China
Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort & Spa, flagship resort of Anantara in China, is located in the midst of this national scenic resort destination, an hour’s drive from Jinghong International Airport through unspoiled countryside, offering a hidden enclave of tropical majesty along a sweeping curve of the Luosuo River. Positioned opposite the Tropical Botanical Garden, Anantara
Xishuangbanna is to be set within lush gardens and water features, and will comprise 80 Deluxe Guest Rooms as well as 23 private Pool Villas. Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort & Spa is sched-uled to open in August of 2012.
Anantara Hotels & Resorts & Spas is a part of Minor International, a public listed company based in Bangkok of Thailand, also known as one of the largest food, hospitality and leisure companies in Asia Pacific region.
The hotel portfolio of Minor Interna-tional includes 16 Anantara hotels & resorts, 4 Four Seasons hotels, 1 St.
Regis hotel, 1 JW Marriott hotel and 3 Marriott hotels. Its spa business, known as MSPA International, is also a leading spa operator for the Anantara, Mandara & Aequalis spa brands.
Public Relations Office: (86 21) 2230 1730. Luyee Zhou Public Relations Manager Email: [email protected]
Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort & Spa
HOTELIER INDONESIA 63
Menglun Town, Xishuang-banna, Yunnan, China.
HIM: Could you tell us a
little bit about your job
and educational back-
ground?
EW: Currently I am part of Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort & Spa preopening team in the position of Direct of Rooms. And, I am holding Rooms Division certification from American Hotels & Lodging Educa-tional Institute and on the other hand I am still pursuing my aca-demic learning with University of Derby, UK through online.
HIM: How did you
get into hospitality
business, how did
you wind up work-
ing for Anantara
Xishuangbanna
Resort and Spa,
Menglun Town,
Xishuangbanna,
Yunnan, China?
EW: In 1995, I started my career as a receptionist with an island resort in my native country, Myanmar. From that beginning, I have been able to move my way up within Front Office and Rooms Division. I am pas-sionate about my chosen
profession, happy to be part of this challenging hospital-ity industry.
“Anantara” is a Sanskrit word; it means “with-out end” and evokes the freedom, movement and harmony that are the spirit of the Anantara Experience. Every guest of Anantara leaves with amazing stories to tell. That is an inspiring passion for me and also a reason to work for Anan-tara.
HIM: What exactly is your
current role at Anantara
Xishuangbanna Resort
and Spa, Menglun Town,
Xishuangbanna, Yunnan,
China?
EW: Being a Director of Rooms, I am responsible for Front Office, Housekeeping,
Recreation and Security departments.
HIM: What according to
you makes a Director of
Rooms great?
EW: My first word would be “Service”. Understand-ing of how to give the best service consistently is a key to achievement. Aside from that, a DOR shouldn’t be limited him/herself to the usual line of duty. Broader understanding of revenue, financial, human resource
and strategic managements are needed. Most of us stopped learn-ing when we already enter a profession. I strongly sug-gest continu-ous learning while we are working, that would give us a new, refresh and up-to-
date ideas to apply on our daily works.
HIM: What are your am-bitions for Hospitality Industry?
EW: Keep walking, it is a journey not a destination.
HIM: Yunnan - China al-
ready has many top brand
resorts & spa. Where in the
market will this resorts &
spa be positioned?
EW: China is a huge market and I would say Yunnan is just growing up. Many hotel projects are on the way. We would see ourselves as the best international luxury resort in Yunnan when we open.
HIM: Tell us what you feel
is the most distinctive or
unique feature of your re-
sort? What best describes
the personality of the
resort?
EW: Our resort serves as a natural gateway to the rich cultural experiences and astonishing natural beauty of this evocative region. The unique Dai culture is reflected in our approach to design and services. Upscale excursion, award-ing wining Anantara spa, unique dining-by-design concept are some of our great features on offer. Guests may experience all that Southern Yunnan has to offer from the comfort of a luxury resort.
HIM: What is the best
thing about the resort’s
location? What is your fa-
An Interview With Eugene WinDirector of RoomsAnantara Xishuangbanna Resort and Spa
maMsiaasgowwwaa
HOTELIER INDONESIA 64
vorite thing to do in the surround-
ing area?
EW: Xishuangbanna is an autono-mous prefecture belongs to Dai ethnic minority, and also a fast growing tourist destination in China. In Xishuangbanna, you will find the last Asian elephants of China, China’s biggest botanical garden, Thai-style pagodas, a hundred strains of famous Pu’er tea, and some exceptionally unique culture of colourful ethnic minorities of China. On my day off, I usually go around the local villages by bike where you can find amazing stories and learn their beautiful way of living.
HIM: If you were considering stay-
ing at the hotel as a guest, what
would you want to know about the
hotel before checking in? Why?
EW: For leisure trip, I would definitely want to know what unique features and how different it is from other similar hotels. Wouldn’t want to hear “we have nice rooms and good res-taurants” sayings.
HIM: When you’re looking for new
staff, what is it specifically that you
look for?
EW: Positive attitude.
HIM; What do you think about
ASEAN & China Hotelier?
EW: China hoteliers belong to bigger market where they have much more chance to grow up within.
HIM: What makes one candidate
stand out over another?
EW: Positive attitude.
HIM: Do you think there are any
misconception up and coming
hotelier have about the “business”
of hospitality?
EW: I think it is much broader ques-tion. For China, everyone is saying China’s hotel market is expected to overtake the United States to be the world’s largest in 2025. Within 13 years China will have 6.1 million hotel rooms, the same as the US. By 2039,
the number of China’s hotel rooms will be 9.1 million, four times the size it is today. And, I would agree.
HIM: Do you think social media like
Facebook, Twitter, and Blogs are
important to a hotelier’s career?
Why?
EW: As per Jobvite (2009) report, LinkedIn is used by 95% of jobseekers while Facebook and Twitter stand at 59% and 42% respectively. I would categorize LinkedIn as a professional social networking site which more suitable for and being used by profes-sionals including hoteliers.
HIM: What advice would you give
to hoteliers who are still looking
for a job?
EW: Don’t be in hurry to get a job, take time to search THE JOB you love.
HIM: What have you learned from
the successful senior hoteliers that
you have worked or interacted with
over the course of your career?
EW: So many to mention. From every single person, I learnt something.
HIM: What can hoteliers do to
increase their chances of getting
work, even after they’ve landed a
job in the hospitality business?
EW: Continuous learning.
HIM: Do you think hoteliers have to
move to International Hotel Chain
or Overseas in order to further
their career? And if so, how do they
decide when is the right time to
make the move?
EW: I wouldn’t agree. Either an inter-national or a local, overseas or within the country, there are many ways to further career as long as s/he takes the challenges.
HIM: What do you think is the most
important thing to be prepared for
hoteliers before they face a process
of recruitment & selection in the
hospitality industry right now?
EW: Recruitment is an art of selling. Know well the customer (the hiring company) and the product (that is you) before conducting the sales.
HIM: Where do you like to go on
holiday?
EW: Bali, ever dreamt of, but couldn’t make it up so far.
HIM: What one piece of advice
would you give to hoteliers hoping
to further their career?
EW: Walk the talk.
****
