Be the Trailblazer in Nanyang

回归于自身 制胜于南阳

——Interview with Mr. Byron Ko, General Manager of Holliday Inn Nanyang

——专访南阳建业森林半岛假日酒店总经理高冠恩先生

Interview & Chinese Version: Fiona  English Version: Amber

Photos: by Zhao Hao & Holliday Inn Nanyang

Nanyang, a place situated in the southwest of the Henan province, adjoining the Hubei and the Shaanxi, is the third largest city in this province. Wedged between the Funiu Mountain in the south and the Han River in the north, this place is also renowned for its fascinating cultural landscape and natrual senery. Liu Yuxi, one of the most eminent Chinese poetic in Tang Dynasty, also once mentioned some places of historical interest in his Lou Shi Ming, a famous inscription. In ancient China, at here, many illustrious emperors, like Emperor Guangwu of Han, and many talents embarked on their career, and eventually, realized their asperations and ambitions, hence, Nanyang is also known as the hometown of the emperor, or the birth place of the talents. This time, the journey to this ancient but picturesque city brought us the beauty of the Holiday Inn Nanyang, and the managerial experiences of Mr. Byron Ko, general manager of the hotel.

The Holiday Inn Nanyang, the first international brand hotel in town, is an assembly of catering, recreation, traveling, business and conference in the southwest of Henan province. With the superior geographic position, the hotel enjoys the most beautiful scenery of the elegant artificial lake and the greenbelts around it. Overlooking the hotel, the general construction of it looks like a huge sailboat beside the river, carrying its guests from different places; it also looks like a butterfly spreading its beautiful wings, embracing the travelers staying here. The garden-style architectural construction kept the peace and serenity for the guests in this bustling city. “Since the rebranding of the Holiday Inn in 2010, the new brand concept ‘Stay You’ have become the driving force of every subsidiaries to forge ahead, making every gust feel ‘Always Easy’ and ‘Always on Vacation’. Not only did we commit ourselves to meet the requirements of the guests but also to provide them with the absolutely relaxing ambience. ”, Mr. Byron Ko said. Besides, as the trailblazer of the hospitality industry in Nanyang, the hotel also captured the attention of the competitors. “After the National Farmers’ Sports Meet, the urbanization has been accelerated, which indicates the continuously increase of the market demand and the consumption level, hence, the development of our hotel would be impressive. I want to take in the international service standard and the managerial philosophies, and I believe that, as the time goes on and the development of the hotel becomes stable and sustainable, Nanyang, or even the whole Henan province, would be thronged with various international brand hotel.” he said.

Mr. Byron Ko has engaged in hospitality industry about 30 years, and has accumulated abundant managerial experiences in various international hotels throughout the world. In his opinion, it is significant put more emphasis on the individual development of every employee. He believes that, only by showing them the opportunity for advancement and promotion in the hotel, or even the whole group, could them foster a sense of loyalty and responsibility, while, a high salary is definitely not the prerequisite of retaining the talents. “As to it, what should be mentioned is the management culture of the InterContinental Hotels Group. As “one of the greatest corporation in the world”, IHG cares every single employee and attaches great importance to their individual development, helping them to seize every opportunity and to achieve the self-realization. At here, not only can they enjoy the superior working environment and work with the most excellent team, but they could get all kinds of training to strengthen their abilities and demonstrate their versatility. Actually, the hotel is like a big family, and the employees are like my children. I sincerely wish them a bright future. ”, he emphasized.  All the time, the hotel adhere to a series of principles, requiring people to Do Right Things, to Show the Care, to Pursue Excellence, to Seek Common Ground and to Cooperate and Coordinate, which set a framework for the staff. In the five points mentioned above, Mr. Byron Ko stressed that, “As to ‘Show the Care’, besides showing the care to the employees, we should also show the care to our guests. For example, several days ago, I received a letter of appreciation from a guest, in which she commended two of our employees for kindly preparing hot black tea with honey for her when she was feeling bad that day. It’s really a pleasure, because it means that our staff regards the guests as their own families. ‘Pursue Excellence’ encourages the staff to not only reach the original goal but do better. It requires them to do whatever they can to provide a more thoughtful service. ‘Seek the Common Ground’ requires us to put ourselves in other people’s shoes and ask for taking the collective interest as the first priority. ’Cooperate and Coordinate’ calls for the integration of benefit, the staff, the guest’s experience and the accountability of the enterprise. All of us forge ahead and spare no efforts to boost the development.” he said.

During the visit to the Holiday Inn Nanyang, what is really impressive is its insistence and its pursuit to the perfection of the details. In the lobby of the executive floor, the huge exquisite artwork of the Chu Shi Biao, an ancient Chinese article to persuade the emperor, was made by over two hundred thousand nails arranged in different depths, which creates a magnificent effect and perfectly reflect the brilliant local history. Moreover, Han Chinese elements can be found everywhere. The simple map on the pillars, the signs of the restroom and the artworks in Chinese restaurant were all demonstrated the ingenuity and the originality of the design. What’s more, the folding Screen weaved by straw in “Bao Tian Qi Man”, the biggest box of the Chinese restaurant is another typical example, which embodies the profound culture of the hotel, or even the whole Nanyang.      

The hotel has 360 commodious guestrooms and suites, and the Executive Club building features exclusive benefits and service for club guests, doing the utmost to meet all the requirements of the guests, including a huge banquet hall and seven multi-function rooms which could accommodate ten to one thousand people. The department in charge of the banquet could make arrangement for the guest in advance, guaranteeing that all the activities could go on smoothly, be it the board meeting, training, summit, product launch press conference, champagne party or wedding. Besides, the state-of-the-art fitness equipments, indoor heated swimming pool, saunas and SPA could help people to get totally relaxed.

As to the catering, Mr.Byron Ko introduced in details, “According to the needs of the current market, we mainly focus on the Chinese food. People here are very fond of the cooked wheaten food, hence, after the research, various home cooking food and local specialties are available now. Besides, the Yuyueting Chinese restaurant also serves authentic Henan cuisine, Cantonese cuisine and the delicacies from Yunnan. The twelve boxes provide with a extravagant and elegant spcace, whatever for social gatherings or business banquets, the restaurant must be the optimal choice for every guest. All the time, we strive to be the best restaurant in Nanyang, therefore, we laid great stress on the launch of every single dish. For instance, we not only applied the knowledge of the modern nutrition to the cooking of the Henan cuisine, but also fastidiously select the ingredients and materials of high quality, assuring that the nutrition and the taste could be harmoniously balanced. Furthermore,"China Cooking Master", Mr. Chen Dong, who once worked for many different five-star hotels, to be our head chef. ” In addition, the Lakeview All Day Dining Resaurant offers three meals, fresh and delicious seafood, authentic cuisines and all sortes of desserts and beverages. The considerate service would must be a beautiful memory for the guests. Just enjoy the delectable delicacies at Yuyueting Chinese Restaurant or at Lakeview All Day Dining Restaurant, and treat yourself an afternoon tea or an evening cocktail at Lobby Lounge, your appetite will be satiaed and your heart will be satisfied.

This time, the visit to Nanyang sent us far way from the hustle and bustle of city and return to the peace and serenity of the nature. If you have the chance, it would be wonderful to stay in Holiday Inn Nanyang, a place to make you absolutely relaxed, to make you be yourself. Just enjoy the pleasure of living in hotel and immerse yourself in the culture of this ancient city.

南阳，河南省第三大城市，位于河南省西南部，与湖北省、陕西省接壤，因地处伏牛山以南，汉水之北而得名，拥有众多具有深厚文化底蕴的人文景观和引人入胜的自然景观。唐刘禹锡《陋室铭》曰：“南阳诸葛庐，西蜀子云亭。”灵秀南阳，可谓卧龙之地也。东汉时期为光武帝刘秀的发迹之地，故有“南都”、“帝乡”之称。南阳被称作“五圣故里”，历史上曾孕育出“科圣”张衡、“医圣”张仲景、“商圣”范蠡及“智圣”诸葛亮，以及“谋圣”姜子牙。此次笔者就来到这座历史悠久，山川秀丽的文化古城，探访南阳建业森林半岛假日酒店，与总经理高冠恩先生畅谈他的酒店经。

南阳建业森林半岛假日酒店是南阳市内首家国际品牌酒店，也是豫西南首家集餐饮、娱乐、度假、商务、会议等功能于一体的园林式酒店，地理位置优越。酒店旁拥有碧波荡漾的人工湖和郁郁葱葱的绿化带，风景旖旎。俯瞰酒店，构造似一艘巨型的帆船，屹立在白河之畔，承载着五湖四海的宾客扬帆起航；又似玉翅伸展的蝴蝶，用博大的胸怀拥抱四方宾客。园林式的构造在喧嚣的城市中构建一片休闲静谧的休憩之地。高总说：“自2010年假日品牌重塑以来，全新的品牌理念‘始终是你自己’，成为每家假日酒店力求为客人营造出的舒适体验的源动力。‘始终轻松’、‘始终假日’将会是每一位走进假日酒店的客人最真实的感受。我们不仅致力于满足商务旅客的需要，愉快自在的氛围也能令休闲旅行者们感到彻底的放松。”同样的，作为进驻这座城市后勇于尝试的第一家国际品牌酒店，想必也聚焦了同行业关注的目光。“南阳自筹办第七届全国农民运动会以后，城市化进程加速，标志着市场的需求和消费水平随着城市的发展不断提升，所以发展是十分可观的。我希望能将国际化的服务水准和管理理念引进这个市场，我们有信心将酒店打造成为南阳市酒店业的标杆及服务业的里程碑，相信随着时间的推移和酒店业务的发展日趋成熟，南阳乃至整个河南省必将成为国际品牌酒店纷纷进驻的下一个目的地。”

曾经在全球不同国家和地区的高端品牌酒店担任要职，拥有30年的国际酒店从业经验的高总，非常重视对于每个员工的培养。他坚信，只有以人为本，让员工看到自己在酒店乃至集团中未来的发展，才能培养员工的忠诚度，而以高薪酬作为诱因绝非是留住员工的首要条件。“关于酒店团队的管理与培养，不得不提到我们洲际酒店管理集团的管理文化。作为‘全世界最杰出的公司之一’的洲际酒店管理集团，关爱每一位员工，且重视员工的发展，让每个人在工作中实现自我价值，让员工真正的‘尽炫自我’。我们不仅仅为员工创造一个优越的工作环境，有一个成功的开始，让他们能与优秀的团队共事，接受各方面的培训与实践，不断提升自我的能力，并将自己出色地能力展示出来。其实酒店就像一个其乐融融的大家庭，每一个员工都是我的孩子，我从内心希望他们能在这里得到好的发展。”高总说，酒店有一套“制胜之道”，紧紧围绕“做对的事”、“体现关爱”、“追求卓越”、“求同存异”、“协作共赢”为员工合理地规划了工作方式的框架。在这五点中，他强调：“说到‘体现关爱’，除了关爱员工，还应该关爱我们的每一个客人。就像前几天，我收到一位客人写的表扬信，点名表扬了我们餐厅的两名员工。这位客人在住店期间身体不适，几次接触下被我们的员工得知后，便帮她特地调制了温热的蜂蜜红茶，让她颇为感动。我当然很乐意看到这样的事情发生，这说明我们的员工将客人们也当做自己的家人般在对待。‘追求卓越’，鼓励员工在工作上不仅仅是达到预先设定的目标，更要努力超越目标，想客人所想，提供更加优质的服务；‘求同存异’，希望员工学会换位思考，能够以酒店利益为大前提、大目标，部门与部门之间团结向上；‘协作共赢’，则是要将财务回报、员工团队、宾客体验和企业责任结合到一起，大家通力合作，齐头并进达到共赢。”

在笔者造访酒店期间，酒店对于细节的执着追求让人印象颇为深刻。令笔者最难忘的莫过于行政楼层大堂中用20多万颗钉子深浅不一排列，纯手工钉制成的《出师表》，字体隽永飘逸，整体效果令人震撼。此设计与当地历史文化的结合表现得如此淋漓尽致，在国际品牌酒店中实属罕见。此外，别具匠心的设计还体现在大堂立柱上的简明方位指示图、男女洗手间的标识以及中餐厅的装饰品上，都采用了穿着汉服的人物装饰，包括最大的包间“宝天奇曼”中用稻草编制的屏风，亦添加汉服元素，不断彰显这座酒店乃至南阳市的文化修养与底蕴。

酒店坐拥 360 间舒适宽敞的客房及套房，酒店行政楼层能为行政客人提供温馨的专属服务与优待礼遇，最大化满足商务客人的需求。多达 1500 平方米的宴会场地，包括 1 个大宴会厅及 7 个多功能厅，可轻松满足 10 至1000 人团队的会议需求。酒店的宴会团队将为客人量身定制最适合活动需求的场地，无论是董事会会议、培训、峰会、产品发布会、香槟酒会或婚宴等，都将确保活动尽善尽美。酒店还配有全球一流健身器材的健身中心、室内恒温游泳池，还有冷热桑拿及舒缓减压的水疗，让客人劳逸结合，享受健康人生。

餐饮方面，高总介绍说：“根据当地市场需求，酒店现在主推中餐。这里的人们非常喜爱面食，因此我们经过调研，在菜单中加入许多本地的家常菜和特色菜，来迎合客人们的口味。豫悅庭中餐厅精心打造纯正地道的豫菜、粤菜、云南菜。用餐环境奢华雅致，拥有12间豪华包房及零点区域，无论是社交聚会，还是商务宴请，都将是客人的上佳之选。我们专注打造南阳顶级中餐厅，极其重视每道菜肴的出品。尤其在醇厚平和的豫菜中融合现代营养学理念，精心挑选优质食材，确保营养均衡却又不失美味。因此特地聘请了曾在多家五星级酒店担任要职，“中国烹饪大师”陈东先生担任我酒店的厨师长。”另外，湖景全日餐厅全日提供早午晚餐，新鲜味美的海鲜、风格纯正的菜肴、口味丰富的甜点及各式可口饮品，款款均由大厨精心调制，优雅到位的贴心服务，让每次用餐均成为美好回忆。无论是在豫悦庭中餐厅尽享厨艺大师的创意杰作，在湖景全日餐厅享用美味佳肴，还是在大堂酒廊品味下午茶或晚间点一杯精心调制的鸡尾酒，酒店保证客人的每次光顾都将不虚此行，满意而归。

此次南阳之行，让笔者有幸能够远离都市喧嚣，找回大自然的安宁，让人乐在其中。如果有机会的话，不妨来到南阳建业森林半岛假日酒店，一个可以让你完全放松，做回自己的地方，体验住店乐趣，感受这座城市的历史积淀。