“Visiting Changbaishan, the Eternally White Mountain”
“长白山，永恒的纯白之地”

An Interview with Mr. Johnny Mathis, Managing Director of
The Westin Changbaishan Resort & Sheraton Changbaishan Resort
——专访长白山万达威斯汀度假酒店及长白山万达喜来登度假酒店董事总经理马蒂斯先生

Interview & English Version: Randy Lee Svendsen   Chinese Version: Fiona 
Photos: by The Westin Changbaishan Resort & Sheraton Changbaishan Resort

On 29 July 2012 The Westin Changbaishan & Sheraton Changbaishan Resorts opened under the direction of Mr. Johnny Mathis, Managing Director.  The resorts’ press release states that “Mr. Mathis, a Swiss citizen who has more than 40 years of experience in international hotels, has held senior management positions with Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, InterContinental Hotels Group, The Peninsula Group, Leading Hotels of the World and many more.  He possesses a very rich experience in the pre-opening of hotels, having already opened 11 international hotels and resorts.  ‘We provide a ski retreat and all-year vacation destination in the heart of Changbaishan International Resort. You can ski-in and out at your pleasure from both of our resorts.  I am delighted to come to Changbaishan and I truly enjoy working with the wonderful team at The Westin Changbaishan Resort & Sheraton Changbaishan Resort, to deliver on our brand promise and create value-added products and services,’ says Mr. Mathis.  The Westin Changbaishan Resort & Sheraton Changbaishan Resort complex is ideally located in one of Asia's premier Ski Resorts.  It boasts a total of 553 guest rooms with modern design and full facilities, with six F&B venues providing rich dining options throughout the day and night.  The Westin Changbaishan Resort & Sheraton Changbaishan Resort is the first choice for a diverse lifestyle resort in Changbaishan.”

As an expert in hotel management, prior to his appointment in Starwood, Mr. Mathis once worked for various luxurious international brands in different places throughout the world, accumulating over 40 years of managerial experience.  When asked about the challenges and opportunities encountered in his career, he commented, “There are too many to list them all here.  This resort has been my 12th and 13th Hotel Opening on 4 Continents and my 3rd and 4th in China.  I have previously opened hotels and resorts on Islands (Fiji, Mauritius, Cyprus, Maldives) and Cities (Hong Kong, Beijing, Dubai, Kuwait, Xian) in the Desert (Egypt and Jordan) and while I have worked in the past in mountain and ski resorts, these were the first such openings in the mountains. The challenge here was mainly the access (flights, roads etc.) the remoteness from main cities, the very harsh climate in winter, limited supplies, and finding people to be able to serve to such high levels that we require no matter where we operate.”

Located in the heart of Changbaishan International Resort, these two well-equipped hotels are both optimal choices for all-year sightseeing.  Besides, adjoining the world-class ski resort, the unparalleled geographical position contributes to the prestige of the hotels.  Mr. Mathis commented on the increasingly fierce market competition and about his marketing programs to attract more travelers.  “The hotels in this area have been doing very well in the past years, particularly in summer for people wanting to escape the city heat and embrace the outdoors.  A very significant amount of guests, Chinese and Koreans, come here to see the Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) and combine their stay with other sightseeing.  Now with this all year round fully integrated resort there is more to do and new markets must be opened.  Our owning company has made a major drive in establishing the destination through aggressive advertising.  We at Starwood are doing this on our worldwide channels and through our many sales offices, and we do more on the individual brand marketing for The Westin and Sheraton, emphasizing the dual use of this unique complex that combines our two primary and most recognized brands in China.  Of course, we also attend major trade fairs and road shows to educate our agents on this fast emerging destination.”

Mr. Mathis has participated in the preparatory work of 11 international resorts, hence accumulating abundant experience in hotel operation and administration.  Now, in Changbaishan, he discussed the future development and market positioning of these new hotels.  “As this is not only a startup resort but also a startup destination unparalleled in China, I strongly believe that more and more Chinese people will discover the outdoors, the unspoiled nature and adventure offerings in this destination.  Most Chinese people have never seen or touched or played in snow and here is an easy destination where they can do that.  Skiing is the winter sport of choice for families all over North America, Europe, Japan, Korea and now finally also arriving in China with world-class facilities and it is reachable and affordable.  I predict a big boom for this destination and we will see significant numbers of guests coming and trying the 42 Ski Slopes that cater to beginners as well as experienced skiers.”

This time, managing 2 hotels simultaneously, Mr. Mathis talked about how, in the administration mode, he will weigh and balance the similarities and differences between them, and what the merits and distinguishing features are for each hotel.  “As my office is located at The Westin, I decided to take up my living quarters at the Sheraton and I visit and walk both properties several times daily and do my inspection rounds, wearing two hats – The Westin hat and the Sheraton hat – and I will assure that we meet our different brand standards in both properties.”

Highly recommended are the different F&B outlets in these hotels, including a Korean one providing all sorts of delectable delicacies, which is extremely rare among international five-star hotels.  When asked why he decided to operate a Korean restaurant there, Mr. Mathis commented insightfully.  “Our Korean Restaurant, Maru is based on the concept that we have a significant number of Korean guests who may want to have their own food on occasion.  Furthermore, the ethnic minority of Koreans is strong in this part of Jilin and has a history and culture and most required ingredients are readily available or can be brought in from Yanji.  For our Chinese and other guests, this is a unique opportunity to sample Korean BBQ and other traditional dishes in an upscale and modern Korean atmosphere.”  

Mr. Mathis was asked how he supervises and trains the service teams of these 2 hotels to infuse the quintessence of the brands into the innovative and thoughtful services provided to the guests.  “At Starwood we have comprehensive orientation and training programs and all guest service associates have to first undergo such basic Starwood trainings and familiarization with the brand.  Our main challenge is that several associates have to get to know the distinguished brand differences of The Westin and Sheraton when asigned from one hotel to the other for business reasons.  At first this is not always easy but with enough experience and good brand awareness training this will fall into place.  Key Supervisory positions were filled from our branded Starwood hotels and they are cascading their knowledge and know-how to the service associates in order to meet our differences in the 2 brands.”

Regarding the different brand identities and going back and forth several times a day between the hotels, Mr. Mathis said it is no problem for him to remember which hotel he is in. “The Westin and Sheraton are Starwood’s most popular brands in China, but we never had them combined in one complex like here. They are connected by an overpass for the guests to go back and forth between the hotels, and an underground passage for the staff to use to transfer of food and supplies to and from each hotel as required. Whenever I go to the other side I always know when I am in The Westin or the Sheraton. There are many differences in the brand identities and many different concepts in both hotels. The restaurants and the offerings in the restaurants are unique to each venue.  We have health clubs with similar equipment but different emphasis.  For instance, in The Westin we have a Yoga Room, a Sauna/Jacuzzi, and a swimming pool, which we don’t have in the Sheraton, but a guest in the Sheraton can also use the facilities in The Westin. We keep the prices very similar and let the guests of each hotel use the facilities in the other such as the Lobby Lounge, Restaurants, Spa, Gym, and so forth.  This is an additional benefit for the guests.” How many restaurants do the hotels have? “We have 4 ethnic restaurants and 2 Lobby Lounges where we also serve food, but primarily drinks, but if a guest wants to have a hamburger or a snack or a sandwich, they can. In the Sheraton we have an Feast Signature Restaurant and a very good YUE Chinese restaurant with Local and Southern Chinese Cuisine. In The Westin we have a Seasonal Tastes Signature restaurant and the Maru, Korean restaurant because there are a lot of Korean minorities here. A lot of Korean tourists come to these mountains because the sacred mountain of the Koreans is here. Chang Bai Shan (Eternally White Mountain) is the tallest peak in Dongbei (Northeast China). Long considered to be the source of both Manchurian and Korean cultures, both North and South Koreans believe their ancestors descended from this mountain so this is a very holy site for them.  It is a beautiful mountain, which is an old volcano now filled with water and called ‘Tianchi (Heavenly Lake)’. That is our main tourist attraction and now we come with our ski resorts to expand the options for our guests. Besides our hotels there are another 8 international hotels developed by the same owning company, and many other facilities like a shopping street, a restaurant area, and a lake, all in this resort village style environment”. 

Looking at the photos of this resort, one would think they were looking at a Resort in North America or Europe.  “It is very similar because the master plan was done by a company based in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, where the famous Whistler Ski Resort is located.  They have taken ingredients from that area and transformed them to here where our facilities are based on an international resort and it’s amazing what they have done in 2 years.  The hotels are chalet style with a lot of wood components, especially in the lobby, especially the Sheraton which looks like a mountain cabin style resort, quite well done.  The Westin is a little bit more modern in design, using darker woods, not the lighter pinewoods used in the Sheraton.  The peak summer season lasts until about the middle of October and around the end of November our first winter season should start.  The snow conditions here are really excellent, very powdery, very fluffy snow so it is very good for skiers.  Following beach holidays, the next big discovery for the Chinese will be winter sports because people want to see snow, experience winter and skiing like the Europeans and North Americans do, and now they can because we are here to serve them with our welcoming hospitality”.

 2012年7月29日，长白山万达威斯汀度假酒店及长白山万达喜来登度假酒店在董事总经理马蒂斯先生的带领下盛大开幕。酒店开业新闻稿中声明：马蒂斯先生来自瑞士，拥有超过40年的国际酒店管理经验。加入喜达屋集团之前，他曾在香格里拉酒店集团、洲际酒店集团、半岛酒店集团、全球领先酒店集团等国际知名酒店管理集团工作。共参与过11家国际酒店及度假村的筹备工作，具有丰富的国际筹备酒店管理经验。“我们位于长白山国际旅游度假区的中心地带，毗邻世界一流的滑雪场。很高兴能来到这个令人向往的地方，我期待与我的团队共同努力，全力以赴将品牌所蕴涵的一切承诺付诸实施，为客人提供超值的优质产品和服务。”马蒂斯先生说。
 
 马蒂斯先生称得上是一位酒店管理专家，加入喜达屋集团之前，他曾在全球不同国家和地区的高端品牌酒店担任要职，拥有超过40年的国际酒店管理经验，当被问及他职业生涯中所遇到的挑战与机遇时，他是这样说的：“那真是不胜枚举。这两家酒店是我遍及四大洲的职业生涯中第12、13家开业酒店，也是在中国筹备的第三第四家酒店。我曾经在斐济、毛里求斯、塞浦路斯、马尔代夫这样的岛国，和香港、北京、迪拜、科威特、西安这样的城市，以及埃及、约旦这样的沙漠地区筹备过度假酒店，然而却是第一次在四处环山的地理位置上筹备酒店。目前对于我们来说最主要的挑战是交通上的不便以及与主要城市间的距离较远。冬天气候严寒，物资供给紧张，很难招聘到高素质员工这里工作，在筹备之初，我们的确面临着很大难题。”
 
 长白山万达威斯汀度假酒店及长白山万达喜来登度假酒店是坐落在长白山国际度假区的中心位置，全年适合观光旅游。此外，毗邻世界一流的滑雪场，无与伦比的地理位置也彰显出酒店的非凡品质。现在国内的度假型酒店数量急剧上升，马蒂斯先生和他的团队又是否推出了一些吸引度假游客的市场计划和方案？他谈到：“过去几年间，这块地方的酒店都发展得不错，特别是在夏天，很多人都想逃离大城市的高温酷暑，又想进行户外活动，就会来到这里度假。非常多的中国和韩国客人来到这儿，不仅能够观摩长白山天池，感受住宿与美景结合的美妙体验。如今这座适合全年观光的整合型度假酒店的开幕，必将带来更多的市场机遇。我们的业主方已制定一项主要的计划，就是通过广告的大力宣传来使酒店成为理想目的地之一。喜达屋集团所做的就是通过我们全球性的平台和遍布世界各地的营销办公室，对威斯汀和喜来登做更多的独立品牌的市场规划，目的在于强调这个包含了我们在中国最主要而且最能被认可的两个品牌综合体的双重作用。当然，我们也参加一些贸易博览会和品牌推介会，使代理商能够快速地了解这个新兴的旅游目的地。”

 
 马蒂斯先生曾参与过11家国际酒店及度假村的筹备工作，具有丰富的国际筹备酒店管理经验。如今来到长白山，对于酒店今后的发展和市场定位他给出了一些看法。“这不仅仅是一家酒店的起步，也是中国一个非凡的度假胜地的起步，我深信越来越多的中国客人会发现这处质朴的天然之地。大多数的中国人还没有体验过在皑皑白雪中玩乐的感觉，这里就是个不错的选择。在北美、欧洲、日韩等地，家庭滑雪是冬日运动里的绝佳选择，如今在中国，世界级的滑雪场地也已触手可及。我预计这将带来新的一波滑雪热潮，成百上千的客人们将涌向这里，不管你是初学者还是经验丰富的滑雪爱好者，欢迎来尝试挑战这42个滑雪坡。”
 
 对于同时管理两家酒店，马蒂斯先生也和笔者分享了在管理模式上该如何权衡这两者之间的相同和不同之处，以及相较之下各有什么样的优势和特点。“我的办公室设在威斯汀，而房间则设在喜来登。每天我都会在这两家酒店里进出好几次，同时也做些日常的工作视察，如同有着双重身份——威斯汀以及喜来登——以确保两家酒店不同的品牌标准和定位。”
 
 两家酒店共有6个风格各异的餐厅，其中还有一家餐厅提供韩国料理。由于国际品牌的五星级酒店中韩国餐厅比较少见，当被问及选择设立韩国餐厅的原因，马蒂斯先生也为我们解释了他的独到见解。“设立韩国餐厅‘丸’的原因，是由于我们酒店有很大一部分的客人是韩国人，有时他们会想品尝到自己的家乡菜。此外，在当地浓厚的吉林省朝鲜族的历史文化背景影响下，使得食物的原料可以就地取材或者很容易从延吉引进。对于其他的客人，这也是一个很好的在舒适现代的韩式氛围中品尝韩国烧烤和传统韩式菜肴的好机会。”

 
马蒂斯先生是如何管理两家酒店的服务团队，并且将品牌的精神融入到服务之中，带给客人的体验中又有何新颖之处呢？他回答道：“喜达屋集团有综合的定位和训练项目，每个为客人服务的工作人员都必须先经过喜达屋的基本训练，对品牌有一定的熟悉程度。我们主要面临的问题是一些同伴需要知道这两品牌之间的明显区别，我指威斯汀和喜来登，当他们因为公务原因从这一家被调到那一家。一开始这并不容易，但随着经验的丰富和对品牌的认知度提高，便逐渐会驶入正轨。酒店里关键的监管职位都是从我们喜来屋的分店中被提拔上来的，他们能够将知识和掌握的诀窍结合起来运用到服务工作中去，来体现出两家酒店的不同。”
 
每天数次地来回于两家酒店和相应的品牌转换，马蒂斯先生说他完全能够分辨得非常清楚当下他究竟在哪一家酒店里。“威斯汀和喜来登是喜达屋集团在中国最受欢迎的两个品牌，但我们从未将两者结合起来过。两家酒店是通过一座可以让客人通行的天桥联系起来，而酒店员工则是通过一条地下通道来回，以满足物资的流通供给。我总是能清楚地知道自己此刻真正通往哪家酒店的路上，威斯汀或是喜来登。这两者之间在品牌理念上有许多的不同。每个餐厅和它装饰、供应的东西也完全不同。只是在健身俱乐部中有类似的设施，但氛围也依旧不同。例如，威斯汀有一个瑜伽房、按摩池和游泳池，喜来登是没有的，但喜来登的客人也一样能享受到威斯汀的设施。我们设定的价格也非常相近，使客人能够在其中任何一家酒店的大堂吧、餐厅、水疗、健身中心等等设施之间进行充分的自由选择。这对于客人来说等于是一个附加的优惠项目。”那总共有多少间餐厅呢？“我们有四间名族风味的特色餐厅，和两个行政酒廊，提供食物和基本饮品，如果客人想要交一份汉堡或者小食、三明治，当然也没问题。在喜来登，我们有盛宴标帜餐厅和一间很棒的提供中国本地和南方菜系的采月轩中餐厅。威斯汀有知味标帜餐厅和韩餐厅，因为需要接待很多的韩国客人和少数名族客人。很多韩国人到这座山，因为他们认为韩国人的神山在这里。长白山（永恒的纯白之山）是中国东北最高的山峰。考虑到作为中国东北和韩国文化的发源地，韩国和朝鲜人民都相信他们的祖先起源于此，对他们来说是一个神圣之地。这座美丽的山脉，曾经是一座火山，现在则被水填满，称作‘长白山天池’。这是这里主要旅游景点，加上滑雪场，面向的客人就更多。除了我们两家酒店以外，万达集团业主方也正在马不停蹄地开发另外八家国际酒店，其他相应的配套设施也将陆续拔地而起，购物街、美食广场，还有一个人工湖，所有的这些都将延续度假村的整体设计风格。”

 
酒店的照片看上去会让人误以为就好像是北美或欧洲的度假酒店一样。“其实这些酒店外形都是类似的，因为总体规划是是由一家分设在惠斯勒、不列颠哥伦比亚、加拿大的公司完成的，那里有著名的惠斯勒滑雪场。他们在那里取材，然后运送到我们这儿，因此酒店完全是以一个国际化标准来建造，并且足足花费了两年时间才得以竣工。酒店以瑞士农舍的风格为主基调，由许多的木材组成，特别是在大堂，喜来登看起来尤其像木屋格调的酒店，真是非常有趣。威斯汀则在设计上更多地趋向于现代风，用了深色的木材，而不同于喜来登的浅色松木。夏季的高峰期将延续到十月中旬，而十一月底将引来我们的第一个冬季。这里的雪景真的很美，蓬松的雪也很适合滑雪运动。在享受过海景的假期之后，中国人下一个感兴趣的度假方式就会是在冬天出游，人们一定会想体验雪景和像欧洲、北美洲人那样畅快地滑雪，现在他们完全可以这样做了，因为长白山万达威斯汀度假酒店及长白山万达喜来登度假酒店将竭诚欢迎大家的到来。”