The Yunnan Charm behind Hilton,
Exclusive Interview with Mr. Anthony Meng, Cluster General Manager of Hilton Garden Inn Lijiang & Hilton Garden Inn Shangri-La
魅力云南，实力希尔顿
——专访丽江实力希尔顿花园酒店兼香格里拉实力希尔顿花园酒店区域总经理孟庆勐先生
British author James Hilton describes a fictional place Shangri-La in his 1933 novel Lost Horizon. Under his pen, Shangri-La is a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains. As time goes by, Shangri-La has become synonymous with any earthly paradise, in which the county-level city Shangri-La in northwestern Yunnan province of China is one of the most notable one. The city, representing purity and ethereality, is the perfect blend of blue skies, white clouds, green grass, and vibrant flowers as well as herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, beautiful Dai girls and passionate Tibetan compatriots.
In this issue, Grand Hotels Media has the great privilege to interview Mr. Anthony Meng, Cluster General Manager of Hilton Garden Inn Lijiang & Hilton Garden Inn Shangri-La in the cover story. Along with Anthony, we witnessed the glamorous Shangri-La and Lijiang, known for their unique culture and feature of the two hotels.
The first time we saw Anthony, admiration had showed between the lines. As a descendant of the famous Chinese philosopher, Mencius, Anthony studied in France for 5 years and obtained a double Master’s Degree from University of Angers. In addition to Mandarin and English, he is also fluent in French. With 8 years’ experience as the general manager of international brands and regional director, Anthony holds very inspirational and insightful perspectives towards the hotel’s operation. It is believed that by virtue of his talent and experience in hotel management, keen observation towards the market and high demand for quality and service, the success of the Hilton hotels as the premier business and leisure ones in Lijiang and even the Greater China can be expected soon.
According to Anthony, Hilton Garden Inn Shangri-La was officially opened on June 28, 2017. Located at Shangri-La’s city center, the Tibetan-styled hotel is just within seven kilometers of Diqing Shangri-La Airport. It is also close to the 1,300-year-old Dekezong ancient town and the Gedan Songzanglin Monastery, which is often considered as the most important Tibetan Buddhist temple in Yunnan. Rejuvenation can be easily gained by an angle of pitch with intoxicating sceneries offering the most attractive experience for travel and leisure.
Hilton Garden Inn Shangri-La provides upscale accommodations and all the modern amenities that today's busy travelers need and appreciate. The 233 spacious guest rooms and suites with the smallest one of 30 sqm at Hilton Garden Inn Shangri-La have comfortable bedding with hypoallergenic pillows, 43-inch HD TVs, as well as generous work surfaces and ergonomic chairs, offering an open and stylish layout and a breathtaking view of the city. Besides, the hotel is also equipped with ergonomic chairs and complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi access, which supports remote printing from a laptop or any mobile device so that guests can enjoy the convenience of office automation.
The hotel also strives for perfection in the business sector by setting up a large-scale Galsang Room and a flexible Azalea Room. Conference rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment including a projector and diversified modern office equipment, fully catering to the various needs for business meetings and banquet events of any scale whether indoor or outdoor. In addition, the hotel pays great attention to business services, ensuring that every single detail from meeting needs to special diets is considerately cared for.
Dining options at Hilton Garden Inn Shangri-La include three distinctive restaurants, The Garden Grille, The Garden Bar and Noodle Bar. The Garden Grille offers an international buffet and an extensive menu of Western, Sichuan, Yunnan, Cantonese and Tibetan cuisine. The Garden Bar is a delicate inside bar where all kinds of drinks can be purchased. Noodle Bar keeps guests staying indoors with varieties of delicious pastries and seasonal snacks. The hotel also features the 24-hour Pavilion Pantry, which provides grab-and-go items including beverages, wine, light meals, snacks and small commodities. Refrigerators and microwave ovens are equipped to meet the needs of guest at any time.
Speaking of the latest plan for the hotel, Anthony introduced that Hilton Garden Inn Shangri-La participates in Hilton Honors®, the award-winning guest-loyalty that allows members to earn Points & Miles® on the same stay, without any blackout dates on reward stays. To celebrate the hotel's opening, Hilton Honors members will receive 1,000 points per night. Honors members will always receive the lowest price guaranteed, along with Honors Points, free Wi-Fi, digital check-in privileges and booking fee waivers only when their stays are booked directly through Hilton.
After so many detailed information of Hilton Garden Inn Shangri-La, Anthony started to introduce Hilton Garden Inn Lijiang with fervor and assurance.
Lijiang is no stranger to most people by its sophisticated view as well as ancient aroma. The city wins enormous praise from poets at all times and in all countries, especially for its large and small snow-capped mountains. Located at the foot of the snow-capped mountains, Hilton Garden Inn Lijiang treats guests with an unforgettable stay with the slightest cool breeze at the tips of their fingertips.
Does a hotel at the foot of snow-capped mountain exist the defection of inconvenient transportation? The answer is no. Anthony explained that Hilton Garden Inn Lijiang is actually located in the heart of the Lijiang city with the snow-capped mountain as the perfect background. The hotel is not only close to the beautiful snow scenery, but also near the lively Commercial Street and ancient city, providing great convenience for both shopping and entertainment.
In addition, guests can find everything they need for a comfortable stay at Hilton Garden Inn Lijiang. The spacious desk with an ergonomic chair and complimentary Wi-Fi access are all designed to make guests feel at home. The plush bed and comfortable sofa definitely allow guests to have a good night’s sleep and a productive stay.
In order to facilitate guests as much as possible, Hilton Garden Inn Lijiang provides an over 230-sqm-banquet space, including one function room, two meeting rooms and one boardroom. These include the cutting-edge audio-visual equipment and professional staff to anticipate guest’ needs and ensure a successful meeting, training course or private celebration.
In such a transient conversation, we ended our interview with Anthony with a fruitful harvest. As for the future, Anthony will continue to work with confidence through his heart. No matter the progression Hilton Garden Inn Lijiang, or the newly launched Hilton Garden Inn Shangri-La, Anthony will spare any efforts by taking advantage of his profound knowledge and rich experience, with the great support of Hilton Group and hotel team, to ensure the two hotels an even more brilliant future.
詹姆斯•希尔顿在小说《消失的地平线》 里如是写道：太阳最早照耀的地方，是东方的建塘，人间最殊胜的地方，是奶子河畔的香格里拉。香格里拉地处青藏高原东南边缘，横断山脉南段北端，沟箐和山峰比比皆是。提起它，笔者心中首先浮现的，便是纯净与空灵。那里天蓝，云白，草绿，花红，还有成群的牛羊、美丽的傣族姑娘和热情的藏族同胞们。
这一期，《大酒店》传媒有幸专访到了丽江实力希尔顿花园酒店兼香格里拉实力希尔顿花园酒店的区域总经理孟庆勐先生。让我们与孟先生一起，走进美丽的香格里拉和丽江，深入了解香格里拉实力希尔顿花园酒店与丽江实力希尔顿花园酒店的文化与特色吧。
说起孟庆勐先生，笔者难掩崇拜之情。他是孟子的后人，曾在法国留学五年，获得了昂热大学双硕士学位，除了普通话与英语，还精通法语。而8年的国际品牌总经理或区域总监的经历使得他对酒店运营有着独到的见解。相信，凭借着孟先生对酒店管理的天赋和经验，对市场的敏锐观察力以及对质量与服务的高要求，将辖下希尔顿酒店打造成为丽江乃至大中华区商务及休闲游客的首选酒店已指日可待。
据孟庆勐先生介绍，2017年6月28日全新开业的香格里拉实力希尔顿花园酒店坐落于香格里拉中心位置，距离迪庆香格里拉机场约7公里。酒店面靠雪山，临近独克宗古城，周围有普达措公园和松赞林寺等景点。俯仰之间，天高地广，心旷神怡，一切美景皆已入眼。是人们旅行、休闲的理想之所。
因是全新开业，香格里拉实力希尔顿花园酒店在客房配置方面，更是紧跟时代潮流，无论是设计还是布局，都力求更好。酒店拥有233间现代舒适的客房与套房，面积最小30平方米，采用时尚的开放式布局，更显宽敞的同时，宾客亦可在此居高临下地纵览周围的城市美景。客房内不仅有独立的起居区、豪华睡床与床上用品、43英寸高清电视等设施，还配备有人体工学座椅和高速互联网连接，支持从手提电脑或任何移动设备上安全地进行远程打印，让宾客在客房也可轻松办公。
在商务方面，香格里拉实力希尔顿花园酒店也力臻完美。设有一个大型格桑厅会议室和一个面积灵活的杜鹃厅会议室。会议室内配备有投影仪等先进的视听设备与齐全的现代化办公设备，无论是商务座谈，还是宴会活动，亦无论活动大小，在室内还是室外，香格里拉实力希尔顿花园酒店先进现代的会议室均能为宾客提供理想的场所与设施。另外，酒店还在商会服务上进行了加强与改善，尽力满足来宾的会议需要及特别饮食等各种要求，确保照顾到每个细节，让宾客无忧无虑地专注于重要事务。
谈到酒店的餐饮，孟先生亦显得有点小兴奋，据他介绍，香格里拉实力希尔顿花园酒店拥有花荟.味全日餐厅，花荟.味品吧和麺谈三家不同风格的餐厅酒吧以及24小时便利店好味亭。花荟.味全日餐厅囊括了西式美食与亚洲佳肴。可单点，亦可自助。菜式繁多，美味可口，是家庭聚餐与休闲聚会的理想选择。麺谈，提供各式川滇风味的面食，让宾客足不出户，便可尝遍各种缤纷面食和时令小吃。好味亭，则是一家设在酒店内部的24小时便利店，贩售各类饮料、酒品、简餐、零食和小商品，店内配有冰箱和微波炉，可满足宾客任意时间段的餐饮需求。而花荟.味品吧，则是酒店内部的一家酒吧，提供各种酒水和饮品，宾客们可邀三朋两友，在此或小酌或畅饮。
另外，作为新开业的酒店，香格里拉实力希尔顿花园酒店的一切都显得蓬勃而朝气，在谈到近期的拓展规划时，孟先生有些神秘。2017年6月28日新开业的香格里拉实力希尔顿花园酒店，除了以本身全新的现代化设备、优美的住宿环境和优质的服务吸引宾客外，还推出了荣誉客会这一温暖活动。于开业期间入住香格里拉实力希尔顿花园酒店的宾客，除可获得原本的积分外，每晚还可额外获赠1000希尔顿荣誉客会积分。酒店希望以此活动向每位客人表达来自酒店上下的热情与关爱。
当然，除了担任香格里拉实力希尔顿花园酒店的总经理，孟庆勐先生同时也是丽江实力希尔顿花园酒店的总经理。
说到丽江，相信大家都不陌生，那里的美丽风景深深吸引着来自世界各地的游人，亦获得了古今中外无数文人墨客的吟诵赞美。其中，丽江大大小小的雪山更是一绝，而丽江实力希尔顿花园酒店就坐落在雪山脚下，于此住宿的宾客，推开窗户即可看见空灵的玉龙雪山。感受迎面吹来的混杂着丝丝凉意与清新的雪山气息。
看到这里，笔者忍不住疑惑了，雪山脚下的酒店，会不会存在交通不便，荒凉偏僻的缺陷？而孟庆勐先生的回答，瞬间让笔者觉得，自己的一切担忧都是多余的。丽江实力希尔顿花园酒店虽位于雪山脚下，但实际座落在丽江市区的核心位置，望山跑死马的道理相信大家都懂，这一位置不仅可近距离感受雪山的美，周边还有热闹的商业街和大研古城，无论是购物娱乐还是出行游览都很方便。
另外，丽江实力希尔顿花园酒店的风格现代、清新，环境轻松、怡人，宽敞的客房提供免费的有线与无线网络连接，超大的工作台配有符合人体工学要求的座椅，还有低致敏枕头可供选择，让宾客尽享酣然好梦。
为了尽可能的提供便利，丽江实力希尔顿花园酒店还在所有区域都配备了免费无线互联网连接和高水准的服务与设施，力求为宾客的住宿和商旅增添享受，酒店拥有230平米的多功能空间，包括1间多功能厅、2间希尔顿会议室和1间董事会议室，配备有先进的视听设备、免费的商务中心、极具创意的餐饮宴席服务、私密的会议环境与专业敬业的服务团队，无论宾客是在此举办商务会议、培训亦或是举行婚礼、宴请，丽江实力希尔顿花园酒店都能一一满足。
愉快的时间总是短暂的，与孟先生的交谈更是令我们收获颇丰。谈到未来，孟先生显得踌躇满志，无论是对稳步前进的丽江实力希尔顿花园酒店还是新开业的香格里拉实力希尔顿花园酒店的管理，孟先生都充满了信心！相信，凭借孟先生渊博的学识和丰富的酒店管理经验，再有希尔顿集团的支持和酒店团队的大力配合，两家酒店的未来亦辉煌可期。