To adapt to the growing number of Chinese tourists visiting U.S. hotels, hoteliers such as Hilton and Starwood Hotels have started serving traditional Chinese food and hiring Chinese-speaking staff in their U.S. locations. The cultural accommodations go both ways, said Andrew Flack, vice president for global brand marketing for Hilton Hotels & Resorts, the flagship brand of Hilton Worldwide, which has 17 properties in China:
Q: What is Hilton doing to modify its Chinese locations to attract U.S. guests?
A: We have English-speaking staff and concierges; our executive lounges, which are frequently visited by U.S. guests, have a particularly strong English-speaking staff. Our breakfast offering features familiar items to U.S. visitors: eggs, muffins, waffles. We also offer English-language TV stations. Room service features burgers and pub sandwiches. And hotels in Asia typically have more than one restaurant, so we'll have a Chinese restaurant and a Western restaurant. Beijing's Hilton, for example, has a really good American steakhouse. Some of our locations have newsletters of what's going on in the area, and those would be available in English. All the room information is always in English, as well as other languages.
Q: The Chinese are among the biggest spenders in the U.S. How do the spending habits of U.S. guests in China compare?
A: If you look back over time, U.S. visitors would have been seen as the highest spenders. They're still good today. However, other Asian countries would match them now. The U.S. visitor used to stand out more in Asia. There is not a decline â€" the U.S. is still our No. 1 inbound market â€" but there are many other travelers, specifically from in Asia.
Q: The number of visitors from mainland China to the U.S. is expected to triple again by 2015. Is Hilton planning to increase its number of hotels in the U.S.? How does that compare with Hilton's growth in China?
A: We already have a very large presence in the U.S. We are represented in most locations. The issue in the U.S. is gearing up to welcome Chinese guests, whereas in China we are currently opening more locations. Hilton Worldwide intends to expand its presence in China to more than 100 properties in the next five years.
The three big cities are Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong. Hilton Hotels & Resorts just opened its third hotel in Beijing and second hotel in Shanghai in the past 12 months. Secondary cities Hilton Hotels & Resorts is entering this year are Guangzhou (with two hotels opening this summer) and Qiandao Lake (Chun'an County, Zhejiang). As manufacturing and other industries grow in China, we are opening in new Chinese cities to reflect that more Americans are visiting, and they're visiting beyond the three gateway cities.
ksamuelson@tribune.com
No comments:
Post a Comment