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在北京，有这样一条街，历史悠久而表现得很传统、古朴，居于繁华闹市而表现得很时尚、前卫；栉次鳞比到处流光溢彩，中西融合尽显泱泱大气，逛不够的商场，看不尽的美景，数不清的游人，顾不及的变化。对于越来越多的国人来说，到北京一趟，逛王府井和爬长城一样，是必不可少的日程。王府井希尔顿酒店就坐落于此，在北京的心脏位置，了解这个城市的心理诉求。让人在一种奔腾、一种喧嚣中感受别样的生活方式。

北京王府井希尔顿酒店毗邻城市商业文化中心地，前往主要旅游观光地及购物商区仅举步之遥。酒店共有255间客房，其中包括58间套房，酒店最小客房面积50平米。室内设计讲究细节，经典而不失现代品味。酒店的设计团队是著名的Wilson & Associates建筑事务所。酒店的整体设计基于客户的眼光，每个房间都是设计师深思熟虑的产物，从基本、从细节开始着手：床，浴室，有线无线网络、娱乐影音设施等等。酒店餐厅充满了精致的中国文化元素，期间夹杂着葡萄牙风格。从一般就餐到会议设施，每个区域连接得浑然一体，毫不做作。在酒店五层美食港，焰酒衔接着葡式澳门餐厅万斯阁和秦唐中餐厅，整个酒吧极其自然的嵌入到了任何一个餐馆的风格。如同河流连接着每个用餐区，走廊把酒窖和品酒间完美地结合起来。用黑边木材镶起来的大型中式橱里放满了一瓶瓶中国美酒，充满走廊。河流的汇集点充斥着自然元素——焰吧呈现的是地海交界的景致，万斯阁展示的是海天一色，最后在秦唐到达烹饪旅行的终点。整个设计是一种西方文化和东方文化原型的融合点。细微之处体现品味，在这里，不但可以欣赏，还可以乐在其中享用它的任何一部分。简单的角落，我们看到了酒店“顾客至上”的宗旨。

这是继08年夏开幕以来，我们第二次造访王府井希尔顿大酒店。酒店总经理尼尔斯•施罗德先生还是一如既往地充满热情与专注，不同的是整个酒店上上下下似乎愈发被施罗德先生热情的工作态度及理念
感染，而更富有激情和人气。近二十年的酒店管理生涯中，施罗德先生从他的祖国德国到阿拉伯联合酋长国、韩国、马来西亚，现在又到中国北京。施罗德先生力求把他主管过的三家大酒店所有的优点
集于一体。尽管地区和文化可能有所差异，但他对于提供优质服务的热情从来没有消退反而愈发增长了。“我不曾把这个工作只当成工作，它其实是我的一种生活方式，就如同呼吸一样自然。因为热爱，我很享受着手完成工作中的每一个细节。作为一个好的酒店经理人，需要前瞻的眼光和梦想，对于所做的事情更需要有激情，要鼓励团队拥有同样的梦想。激情与梦想的力量会让人越发喜欢工作。我认为团队成员的积极、热情的态度是最重要的。技术方面的东西可以训练和学习，但是态度是很难改变的。因此，我很愿意跟那些愿为顾客创造更好服务的而乐于接受新的改变的人一起工作。”施罗德先生用他自己的理念和方法将他的团队打造成为一支我们现在所乐见的充满激情与智慧的队伍。

在两年前的采访中，我们了解了王府井希尔顿独有的荐水师和侍酒师。谈到施罗德先生出色的团队，他谦虚而又骄傲地表示：“活到老学到老，我始终牢记在心，不管我从事这项工作多少年。我的团队有很多优秀的人值得我学习。我曾经也是个新手，所以我了解在一个被顾客寄予厚望的酒店工作不是一项容易的任务，但是我的很多同仁都被顾客给予很高的评价，我感到非常感激。”

如我们所见，施罗德先生将员工的角色看得非常重：“在希尔顿，我们相信整个团队是一切的源泉，因此，对待他们时就像是对待顾客一样细致而温暖。对我而言，作为一个总经理，能保证500个激情四射的员工时刻保持快乐，就是对我工作的最大肯定，因为这样他们就会让我们的顾客更快乐。”在和谐的工作氛围中，在酒店员工的共同努力下，王府井希尔顿在开幕以来的两年里赢得了三十多个让人难以置信的荣誉。尤其让人惊叹的是连续两次被美国优质服务科学学会授予国际五星钻石奖的荣誉，以及在2008和2009在世界旅游大奖评选中被授予全球最佳风尚酒店的荣誉。这两个在世界范围内享誉盛名的奖项让人钦佩也感慨实至名归。

北京是个极具竞争性的市场，尤其在商业旅行和休闲旅游领域潜力非常大，王府井希尔顿了解北京，了解市场。刚刚营业两年，酒店就赢得了为数很可观的固定消费群体。营销方向上的努力、与现有和潜在顾客建立关系都是极为重要的。在施罗德先生的主持下，酒店积极与顾客保持联系，在一切条件下让顾客感受到重视。每个月，酒店要研究200份详细的问卷调查，从这第一手资料中了解顾客的要求，力求做到尽善尽美。尽管已经做了很多改变，但顾客的需求不是一成不变，酒店对顾客的需求有着敏锐的认识，并据此一直孜孜不倦地尝试更多贴近顾客的创新。

“当然，没有哪个酒店能像自己家一样温馨。但我们的目标是追求这个的极限。我们酒店的宗旨是顾客一旦住下来意味着与我们在一起休息，在这里就餐意味着享受与我们在一起的时光。顾客不仅仅是登记入住然后离开，他们是我们家庭的延伸。我们的目标依然是不断重新定义完美的生活方式体验。” 王府井希尔顿提供的个性化服务难逢敌手。整个团队管理酒店细致入微，仿佛他们生来就是干这个的。从接机到微笑的问候，任何一个细节你感受到的，希尔顿都致力做到最好。

酒店自去年6月成功举办米其林盛宴以来，各界反响好评不断。王府井希尔顿酒店今年再次力邀六位享誉世界的米其林星级名厨和明星大厨，从德国到法国，从美国到日本，他们与酒店行政总厨顾宇翔一起，倾力烹制一场一生难求的七道式美食盛宴。在离我们最近的地方享受世界美食，体验与王府井大街上的老字号相媲美的风情。星光熠熠的厨师阵容，为京城带来非同凡响的味蕾狂潮，体会到的是新鲜、创意与激情。这直白地向公众彰显了酒店提供优质服务的决心以及酒店的国际性。同时，这也是为了庆祝王府井希尔顿再次被授予国际五星钻石奖而举行的一次盛宴。“对于这样一个前所未有的美食夜晚我们感到非常骄傲。我个人梦想着能把最好的厨师们带进酒店。在未来我会有所尝试，但我必须在合理的时间把合适团队的人招进来。这次美食盛会是第二次，但绝不是最后一次。”王府井希尔顿一直让人有着期待，她确实也值得我们期待。

在我们看来，王府井希尔顿，在亚洲乃至全世界，都是一座顶级酒店。这里更像一个度假胜地而不仅仅是家酒店。作为顾客，可以享受到一种精致的生活方式。这里很多顾客都很期待下次的入住，有些顾客甚至表示他们终于找到了他们长久来一直寻找的那种酒店生活方式。

跟施罗德先生的概念一样，我们对“品牌VS商品”的哲学信念坚信不疑。每年，超过20，000种新产品投入市场，只有0.1%在三年后还可以生存下来。是什么区别这二者的命运？答案很简单：品牌。如大家所见，希尔顿有着悠久的历史和良好的声誉。加上坚实的努力，这些品质一直保持着。对于一个城市，凭借着先进的设计带来的因子——超乎想象的设施，无法忘怀的就餐环境，富丽堂皇的装修，希尔顿指引着新一代酒店的方向。

犒赏自己，让我们在寸土寸金的北京，在最繁华的地段，享受家的感觉，体验另一种完美的生活方式。

There is such a street in Beijing: it is traditionally elegant because of a long history; it is fashionable and avant-garde because of its central location. Rows of buildings stand here in close order, and flowing light and color confuse the eyes. It is a melting pot for Chinese and Western cultures, a place for endless shopping malls, a scroll of picturesque scenery, a hub for surging tourists and fast changes. Wangfujing, just like the Great Wall, has become an indispensable itinerary for more and more Chinese in their trip to Beijing. Ideally located on Wangfujing Street, the heart of Beijing, Hilton Beijing Wangfujing has a thorough understanding of the city and offers a uniquelife experience among the brashness and hustle of the modern city.

Hilton Beijing Wangfujing is within an easy walk to landmark cultural and commercial icons. It has 255 guest rooms, including 58 suites, with the smallest room occupying 50 square meters. The interior architectural space has been molded into a modern yet quasi-classical style. Hilton Beijing Wangfujing was designed by the renowned firm, Wilson Associates, which designed the hotel from a client’s perspective. Each room was meticulously thought-out and furnished with the basics: beds, bathrooms, wi-fi Internet connections and audio and video facilities. The Level 5 dining space infuses chic elements from Chinese culture, accented with a distinctive Portuguese flair. From the All Day Dining through to the meeting facilities, each area flows without borders from one venue to the next. The Flames bar links both Macanese-inspired Vasco’s restaurant and signature Chinese restaurant Chynna, cleverly acting as the bar for both concepts. Like rivers connecting each dining area to the others, the corridors are lined with wine cellars and wine dining rooms, facing oversized Chinese armoires, in black-lacquered wood and black glass housing unique Chinese wines. The rivers connect to various meeting points of natural elements: Flames bar takes on the notion of “where the sky meets earth” while Vasco’s represents “where the sky meets the sea.” The rivers eventually lead to the conclusion of the culinary journey with Chynna restaurant, a melting pot between both Western and Eastern archetypes. A high taste is revealed in details.
One can even appreciate and enjoy anything in a simple corner, which embodies the hotel’s ethos that each guest is a No. 1 Priority.

It is our second visit to Hilton Beijing Wangfujing after its opening in the summer of 2008. The passion and devotion from the General Manager Mr. Schroeder remains unchanged. What has changed is that the hotel has been infected by Nils-Arne’s enthusiastic attitude and has become more passionate and friendly. Mr. Schroeder’s nearly twenty years in hospitality career have led him from his native Germany to United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Malaysia and now to Beijing. He strives to combine the merits of the three hotels he has presided into one hotel. Regions and cultures being different, his passion in providing good quality service has never subsided but increased. “I have never looked at
being a hotelier and General Manager as a job, but more as a way of life. It is a lifestyle that I live and breathe. I have a great time doing what I do because I am passionate about it. As a good hotel operator, you need to have a vision, a dream! And you have to have passion for what you do! You have to inspireyour team to have the same vision and passion as they are the driving force in creating the most successful organization in which everyone would like to work. I believe the foremost important aspect in a good team member is a positive and enthusiastic attitude. While other technical aspects can be trained and taught, one’s attitude is very difficult to change. Therefore, I would like to work with those who are happy and positive and are willing to accept changes and improvement for better service quality for our guests.” Mr. Schroeder has shaped a team full of passion and wisdom with his own ideas and methods.

In our former interview two years ago, we talked with the water and wine sommelier, which is a distinctive feature of Hilton Beijing Wangfujing. This time, when referring to his excellent team, Mr. Schroeder spoke with modesty and pride: “No matter how long I’ve been working in this hospitality industry, I am still learning all the time. My team members are excellent and I learn from them, too. I was a trainee once, so I know working in a successful hotel with great expectations is not an easy task, yet many of our team members are praised by guests on a daily basis, and I am truly grateful that.”

Just as we have noticed, Mr. Schroeder stresses the role of each team member. “At Hilton, we believe in the wholeness as the source of everything. Therefore, our team members are treated in the same considerate and warm way as how our customers are treated. The biggest reward in my role as general manager is taking care of my 500 passionate team
members and keeping them happy. In return, they will continuously make our guests happy.” With the common efforts from the team, the hotel has won over 30 amazing awards. One might marvel at its winning the International Five Star Diamond Award by the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences for two years in a row, and the World’s Leading Lifestyle
Hotel by the World Travel Awards in 2008 and 2009, which are two world-wide recognized awards. These achievements are admirable and justified.

Beijing hosts an extremely competitive market with extraordinary potential in business and leisure travels. Hilton Beijing Wangfujing knows about the city and the local market. The hotel has been in operation for only two years, but is already receiving a substantial amount of repeat business. The direct sales effort is extremely important in building relationships with existing and potential customers. Guided by Mr. Schroeder, the hotel keeps an active contact with its customers and ensures that under no circumstances should they feel unimportant. Every month, the hotel team examines 200 detailed feedback forms filled out by guests, learning about customers’ requirements with firsthand information. The hotel is always trying new things to improve. Since guests’ requirements keep changing, the hotel has to have a keen sense of who their customers are and continue to try new customer-friendly practices.

“No hotel could truly replace one's home, of course, but our aim is to come as close as we can. This is a hotel where guests unpack their suitcases and settle in. To stay with us means to rest with us, dine with us and enjoy their time with us. Guests are not simply people who check in and leave, they're like our extended family. Our objective remains to redefine the intimate "lifestyle experience." Hilton Beijing Wangfujing offers a level of personalized service that few can match. The team members operate as if they had a sixth sense for this business. From the driver waiting at the airport to the friendly greetings to every element of a customer’s stay and departure, Hilton Beijing Wangfujing stands out, even in the rarefied world of hospitality. From Germany to France, USA to Japan, six world-renowned chefs were gathered together at Hilton Beijing Wangfujing to create a dining experiencefor one exclusive night only in Beijing last May.

This marked another milestone for Hilton Beijing Wangfujing after the successful Michelin-starred gourmet event last June 2009. Each guest chef, together with Hilton Beijing Wangfujing’s very own Executive Chef Yu Xiang Gu, inventively created a single and unique mouthwatering ‘masterpiece’ for a seven-course epicurean exclusivity. It was an incredible experience to taste dishes from the world at a local place that fuses traditionalism and exoticism. The shining chef team brought a feast of flavours for diners to experience the culinary originality, creation and passion. This event highlighted the hotel to the public to show its devotion to offer good quality and its international
feature. Meanwhile, it was the celebration for the Hilton Beijing Wangfujing winning the 2010 International Five Star Diamond Award. “We are proud to gather these masters which created a gourmet evening no one else has ever experienced. I have dreams and visions of bringing good chefs all the time to the hotel. I'm planning to do something in the future, but I have to find a good date for a good team of people to come. This was the second time - but definitely not the last time.” Hilton Beijing Wangfujing always has something for anticipation and it indeed deserves our expectation.

In our eyes, Hilton Beijing Wangfujing is a leading hotel in Asia as well as around the world. It is more like a resort instead of a hotel where customers can have a life experience. Many people, when leaving, are already looking forward to their next stay. Some are relieved to have finally found the intimate, lifestyle hotel they have sought for a long time.

Like Mr. Schroeder, we hold firm belief in the philosophy behind ‘brand vs. commodity’. With over 20,000 new products launching each year, only 0.1% of them survive after three years in business. What sets these successful products apart from those who fail? The answer is simple: it’s the power of ‘branding’. Hilton has a long history and founding reputation within the hospitality industry, and with a constant effort it is keeping up with the name. It will herald a new generation of hotels for the city,
particularly with the unique components it offers through contemporary design, exceptional facilities,memorable dining experiences and superb location.

It is time to reward ourselves with a perfect life experience, a feeling of home at the most prosperousspot in Beijing.