雨林天堂的逐梦者
The Ancient Thai people described “Xishuangbanna” as an ideal and magical paradise. Nowadays, it has become the kingdom of plants, abundant with parashorea chinensis trees leading up to over a hundred meters high, wild tea trees thousands of years old, codariocalyx motorius plants that dance in the wind, and synsepalum dulcificum, also known as miracle fruits, dangling from shrubs, waiting to be picked to alter your taste buds. It is also home to various wild animals including the iridescent blue and green peacocks and the majestic elephants. In such a Utopian place, 13 ethnic minorities live harmoniously with nature.
Once I landed, I grabbed my bags and headed to the car, which was waiting to take me to my hotel. The rich and tropical scenery and exotic local landscapes massed my need for sleep during the drive. My eyes couldn’t take it all in, the exotic architecture, tropical palm plants and beautiful girls dressed in ethnic clothing kept me wanting more.
Within a 15 minutes’ drive, I arrived at the Doubletree Resort by Hilton Xishuangbanna from the Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport. When I arrived at the hotel, I felt astonished by the tall, transparent and exotic lobby, where I met my interviewee, Mr. Richard Liu, General Manager of Doubletree Resort by Hilton Xishuangbanna. Richard enumerated the hotel’s design carefully. Upon entering the lobby, I was surrounded by tropical plants. Pillars, shaped in traditional Thai elephant-foot drums and a chic chandelier inspired by the michelia alba, one out of six flowers from the Theravada Buddhist Temple. Magnificent handmade woodcarvings that made up the front desk was made of Myanmar’s white T. sinensis and Laos’ s white rosewood which displayed only a fraction of its inspiration, the notable ancient Buddha Temple, Jingpiao Temple. The cloud-shaped chandelier, which hung above the front desk, reminded me of beautiful scenery from the mist-shrouded, Ancient Tea Mountain. In addition, the chandelier in the banquet hall was innovated from a rattan-weaved dining table from the Dai village and the front door was made of local coconut shells. The most eye-catching was the one in the hotel’s lobby bar, a resplendent Thai wood building unique in style and character. Richard stated that he witnessed several old craftsmen produce this architectural miracle with only their years’ experience and onsite measurement without any blueprints or nails.
Located in the Jinghong city of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province and the core area of Wanda Theme Park, Doubletree Resort by Hilton Xishuangbanna is an international brand hotel integrated with a tropical resort, entertainment, a commercial shopping plaza, theme parks and large-scale performances. Through Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, the famous Mekong River runs across six countries, presenting the mysterious 13 ethnic customs and well-established tea-horse culture. In a number of hotels, Doubletree Resort by Hilton Xishuangbanna stands out by its Dai-style architecture and rainforest aroma. Aside from providing guests with hotel products and services of Hilton standards, the hotel is also committed to offering an authentic and unforgettable Xishuangbanna experience.
Richard joined Doubletree Resort by Hilton Xishuangbanna in March, 2015 and was involved in the whole process from preparation to operation. Under his leadership, the hotel has gained the reputation in the local hospitality industry within just one year since its opening in September, 2015. As one of the best performers of the Wanda and Hilton Group in the Greater China, the hotel has won a number of awards and honors in the Asian-Pacific region. During the preparation, the hotel’s conditions were extremely difficult. As the General Manager, Richard started from scratch and struggled intensely. He trained his young team of many members from different ethnic backgrounds, into a distinguished team of hotel practitioners, understanding everything from the local ethnic customs to the international brand culture to even the rainforest resort.
Richard, a person who can lead such a hardworking team in this special region, intrigued me. Not only had he served for a number of international hotel brands including Starwood, InterContinental, Accor and Shangri-La during his 22-year hospitality career, his footprints were found from the Southern city, Hainan to the northern cities, Shenyang and Dalian across the country. During this period, he accumulated a handful of experience and expertise and was recognized for the integration and training of employees with different cultures and regions. The secret to his success lies in the ardent love and dedication to the hospitality industry. He leaves his mobile phone on for 24 hours a day, dealing with many kinds of operation and customer affairs at any and every given time. Immediately after he comes up with new ideas, he grabs a pen, writes it down, shares the ideas with associates and implements them at once. In his previous career, he had participated in the preparation of many hotels and organized a number of large-scale activities including the Summer Davos Forum in Dalian and the 2nd Boao Forum for Asia. Solid professional knowledge and a broad range of interests make Richard insightful and innovative in the operation and management of the hotels. During his spare time, Richard is keen on traveling, reading and outdoor activities. He is willing to discover the local characteristics and integrate them into hotel products, which promotes the development of the local minority culture.
From Richard’s perspective, the uniqueness of Xishuangbanna lies not only in climate and culture, but also in ethnic customs and natural resources. The local pottery, paper, tea ceremony, oldest wild tea tree and artificially cultivating tea trees are the best examples. The authenticity of the Pu’er tea is under the great influence of local humanities and economy. The splendid culture of 13 ethnic minorities nourishes the honest customs in Xishuangbanna. Richard often participates in many local festivals. He told me about many strange customs and specialties including the Dragon Head, Viscum liquidambaricolum Hayata, and Necromancer. He also established deep friendships with local people. Under his guide, the hotel staff often goes to visit the local families, taste the authentic food, participate in ethnic activities, and experience the natural environment where tea tree is grown and learn about the rich tea culture in the Ancient Tea Mountain.
Doubletree Resort by Hilton Xishuangbanna provides guests with shuttle services. The surrounding facilities are complete and convenient. The local people are simple and honest. The hotel staffs are enthusiastic and hospitable. There are so many local festivals that there is one saying called, “Celebrate the festivals in the first half of the year and make the summary in the rest of the year.” Take the water festival for an example. The festival lasts for a whole week and manifests a good and propitious omen. A whole year is filled with various festivals including Gatangpa Festival, Swing Festival and New Rice Festival. Local people are always welcoming guests to join them, celebrating their festivals and weddings together. Gradually, the customs have influenced the hotel staff as a whole to become unified with the local people. The multicultural integration of the staff also gives guests an unexpected feeling that provides a unique experience beyond traditional hotel destinations.
The hotel boasts a total of 412 resort guest rooms and suites, equipped with a fitness center constructed around the mountain, an indoor and outdoor independent swimming pool and children’s play pool. Every guest room has a balcony with the separate view of the swimming pool, a tropical landscape filled with trees and flowers, or a breathtaking view of the mountain. Moreover, the hotel has a magnificent pillar-free hall of 660 square meters. All the meeting and banquet facilities are flexible and separated. The wedding-style lawn in the back garden is a fantastic place for all kinds of cocktail events.
Yunnan is known for different kinds of natural mountain grown vegetation. The virgin forest of Xishuangbanna and the Lancang River located across the city, bring a rich and varied source of delicacies. Despite the traditional Cantonese cuisine, the authentic local food served at Doubletree Resort by Hilton Xishuangbanna always surprise guests with the local ingredients and creative ideas. After dinner, guests can relax in the lobby bar, chatting the night away with friends accompanied with some Pu’er tea.
In the year of 2017, the hotel will be more international, radiating its services to the neighboring countries and promoting the hotel from diversification to multinationalization. The hotel team will further refine the hotel services, expand the guest sources, open the meeting market, diversify the resort product and increase the price-quality ration.
Xishuangbanna offers a vast amount of warm sunshine, plentiful rainfall, and pleasant weather for all the seasons. Lush tall trees, fresh air, beautiful birds, and sweet floral flowers are ubiquitous in this rainforest paradise. Providing all these necessities and more for a relaxed vacation, Doubletree Resort by Hilton Xishuangbanna under the joint efforts of Richard and his team make it all possible.
西双版纳，傣语古称“勐巴拉那西”意为“理想而神奇的乐土”。这里是植物王国，身高近百米的望天树、历经千年的野生茶树、会听音乐的跳舞草、会下雨的树、会改变你味觉的神秘果。这里是野生动物的家园，孔雀和大象在这里备受宠爱；这里是少数民族的博物馆，十三个民族在此和谐共生，风情万种。
从西双版纳嘎洒国际机场到我此行去探访的西双版纳万达希尔顿逸林度假酒店仅需不到十五分钟车程。可是一出机场扑面而来的地域风情和沿途浓浓的热带风光立刻就深深的吸引了我，异域风情的建筑，热带特有的棕榈植物和街上不时闪过的著民族服饰的婀娜少女令我目不暇接。
我与酒店总经理刘宗敏的初次会面是在酒店的大堂。高大通透而又充满异域风情大堂带给我的是震撼和好奇的视觉冲击，总经理却对这一切如数家珍般娓娓道来。酒店拥有全开放式大堂，四周热带植物环抱。大堂的柱子是傣族传统的象脚鼓的造型；大堂顶上造型优美别致的吊灯--源于南传佛寺圣洁的五树六花之一的金缅桂的灵感；前台背后那幅规模恢弘的手工木雕取材缅甸白香椿木和老挝白酸枝木，表现的是当地著名的古佛寺景飘寺旧时的盛况；前台上方流云状的吊灯，令你回味西双版纳古茶山常年云海缭绕的美景。宴会厅里的吊灯的创意来自傣族村寨常见藤编饭桌，大门却是用当地椰壳手工镶嵌拼接出来的。最吸引人眼球的是酒店的大堂吧---一座造型别致、金碧辉煌的傣式木楼。刘总介绍说这是他亲眼目睹几位傣族老工匠没有用任何图纸，没有用一颗钉子，全凭经验和现场测量，完全按傣族传统工艺手工制作的一个建筑奇迹。
刘宗敏总经理进一步介绍西双版纳万达希尔顿逸林度假酒店位于云南西双版纳傣族自治州首府景洪市，万达国际旅游度假区的核心地带，是全国少有的集热带风情度假、娱乐、商业购物广场、主题乐园、大型表演等设施于一体的国际品牌酒店。毗邻老挝、缅甸、泰国三国，著名的湄公河一江连六国，穿城而过，十三个多姿多彩的民族风情和源远流长的茶马文化更添神秘色彩。西双版纳希尔顿逸林酒店极富傣族情调和雨林风韵的建筑在众多酒店中令人耳目一新。 酒店除专注于为宾客提供极富希尔顿特色的酒店产品及服务外，更致力于让您体验原汁原味的版纳风情，给您带来一段难忘的经历。
酒店总经理刘宗敏先生自2015年3月至今参与了从筹建到运营的整个过程。在刘宗敏先生的带领下，西双版纳万达希尔顿逸林酒店在2015年9月开业以来的短短一年多内，不仅在当地度假酒店行业内声誉鹊起，亦成为万达集团和希尔顿集团大中华区内经营业绩最好的酒店之一，酒店亦赢得包括希尔顿集团亚太区和万达集团在内的多项奖项和荣誉。酒店筹备期条件异常艰苦，作为酒店的第一名员工，总经理带领团队从无到有，奋力垦荒，将一支汇聚不同少数民族的青涩团队，培养为既晓当地民族风情，又将国际品牌文化与雨林度假风情融为一体的杰出队伍。
我很好奇带领着在这样的特殊的地区带领这样特殊的一支队伍的领头羊是怎样的一个人。刘宗敏先生自述在其22年的酒店业生涯中曾服务于喜达屋、洲际、雅高、香格里拉等多间国际品牌，足迹从南端的海南一直到北端的沈阳、大连，不仅积累了丰富经验与专业知识，也通晓对不同地域不同文化背景员工的整合与培训。对酒店业的挚爱与执着是其成功的动力与秘诀。他的手机24小时待机，随时都在处理各种运营及客户事务，常常在灵光一闪时随时记下理念与创意，随之与团队分享，完善落实。在从业历程，刘宗敏先生参与过多间酒店筹开，以及接待过各种大型活动，其中包括大连夏季达沃斯论坛及2届博鳌亚洲论坛。刘宗敏先生深厚的专业知识及广泛的涉猎与爱好令他对酒店的经营有独到的见解和创新。闲暇之时，酷爱旅游、阅读及户外活动的他，不断去挖掘当地特色，并融入酒店产品与客人分享，同时也反哺了当地少数民族文化的推广和发展。
刘宗敏先生说，西双版纳的独特之处不仅在于气候和文化，更在于民族风情和自然资源。例如当地的傣陶、傣纸、茶艺，世界最古老的野生茶树和人工栽培茶树均源于此。原生优质的普洱茶深刻影响了当地人文和经济，13个民族异彩纷呈的文化滋养出淳厚多彩的风土人情。刘宗敏先生经常参与当地少数民族寨子的节庆活动。他向我娓娓讲述了龙把头、螃蟹脚和尼帕等奇异风俗和特产，他也跟当地的族人建立了深厚的友谊。酒店的客人常经他指导下去村寨也就是少数民族的家里尝试地道当地饮食，参与当地人的民族活动，或去古茶山体验茶树优异的自然环境和浓郁的茶文化。
酒店为散客提供接送机服务，周边配套设施完善便利，而且西双版纳民风淳朴，酒店员工热心、好客。当地的节日非常多，有一种说法叫“上半年过节，下半年总结”。比如泼水节，在当地会持续一周。“水花放，傣家狂”，“泼湿一身、幸福终身”！嘎汤帕节、秋千节、新米节等各种节日四季不断，少数民族总是敞开怀抱欢迎宾客参与他们的节日、婚庆等活动。所以当地的民俗和民族特色也会感染团队，成为一种可触摸的酒店精神。多民族融合的员工也给人出乎意料的感受，带给住客别样的民族风情，为客人提供超越传统酒店的目的地体验。
酒店拥有各式度假客房、套房412间。以及依山而建的健身中心和室内、室外独立泳池和儿童戏水池。每间客房均有独立观景阳台面向花园泳池，或赏热带园林景观，或眺望满目滴翠的热带山景。酒店660平方米无柱高挑的大宴会厅气势恢宏。所有会议和宴会设施均可灵活分隔，变换空间，位于后花园的婚礼风情草坪更是各类酒会活动的绝佳场所。
云南素以各类天然山野食材闻名，西双版纳的原始森林和穿城而过的澜沧江更是带来了丰富多变的美味之源。无论是传统粤菜、地道本地菜肴或国际自助美食，西双版纳万达希尔顿逸林度假酒店融汇当地食材和风味的创意出品总是给住客带来意想不到的惊喜。餐后静坐傣族竹楼风情的大堂吧一隅，三五好友，品千年普洱情怀，尽享悠闲自在。
关于17年的工作重点：刘宗敏先生说酒店下一步会更加国际化，服务辐射到周边国家，从多元化到多国化。酒店服务品质更加精细化，客源多元化，开拓会议市场，进一步丰富度假产品，提高性价比。创造更多物有所值的一站式服务。
在西双版纳，日照充足，雨量充沛，四季宜人。林木参天蔽日，空气洁净清新，身畔鸟语花香，健康是热带雨林赋予人类的最好礼物。也让我们共同期待刘宗敏先生带领他的团队为客人创造更加完美的西双版纳万达希尔顿逸林度假酒店。