Dedication and Innovation Rewards
An Interview with Mr. Michael Seow,
General Manager of Shanghai Marriott Hotel Kangqiao
创新且不懈，水到则渠成——专访上海康桥万豪酒店总经理萧金海先生
2018年1月22日，万豪国际集团宣布旗下的上海康桥万豪酒店盛大开幕。坐落于上海市浦东新区康新公路4499号，毗邻上海张江高科技园区和上海迪士尼度假区的上海康桥万豪酒店，是浦东南方片区的首家五星级万豪酒店，亦是离上海迪士尼度假区和浦东机场最近的万豪酒店。
怀着期待与好奇的心情，大酒店团队来到上海康桥万豪酒店，对酒店总经理萧金海先生进行了专访。2014年7月萧金海先生首度登上《大酒店》杂志的封面。如今，履新上海康桥万豪酒店总经理的萧金海先生二度登上了《大酒店》封面。
每次见面，萧先生都能带给我们不一样的惊喜，此次亦然。如果说上一次的采访令我们对萧先生的创意和才干印象深刻，那么本期，大酒店传媒又在萧金海先生身上挖掘出了更深层次的闪光点，或许正是这些点点滴滴的积累和创意，才造就了萧先生独特的人格魅力。萧先生坦言，自己是非常克己清心的生活者，多年来一直坚持早起和健康饮食的习惯，在同事和客人面前，他一直都以十分努力、自律的形象出现。
正是因此，萧金海先生在万豪集团服务了二十多年，经历了集团内数个重要品牌酒店的运营管理之后，依然保持着非常年轻的外形和活跃的思维。而创新，亦成为了萧先生一直以来坚持并非常重视的经营要素，他言道：“我们致力于不断为客人们创造全新的礼物和体验，给大家带来欢乐与惊喜，同时也一直通过万豪的传统服务精神让客人领略万豪品牌的深层意蕴”。
这也体现在上海康桥万豪酒店的选址上，萧先生介绍道，酒店除毗邻张江高科和迪士尼乐园的大环境优势外，周边的生态环境亦非常优美，紧靠上海国际医学中心、上海市质子重离子医院两大重量级医院以及上海百禄商业广场等休闲场所。使得酒店在具备商旅和亲子度假的功能之外，亦方便了客人的疗养和休闲。
谈到酒店的客房及会务服务，萧先生亦很自豪，介绍道，上海康桥万豪酒店共设有338间宽敞舒适的客房和套房，采用“Marriott Modern”设计美学，所有房间皆配备豪华床品、灵活的工作空间、高速无线网络，极富艺术感的房内设施可帮助宾客在入住期间点燃灵感的火花。会议方面，上海康桥万豪酒店设有近1100平方米，多媒体设备齐全、各具特色的8个宴会与会议空间，非常适合举办各种类型的宴会及会议活动。
另外，考虑到客人的多样性，酒店在餐饮上也下足了功夫，据萧金海先生所言，酒店共设有3间不同风格的餐厅及1间休闲舒适、提供各式饮品、美酒和精致下午茶的大堂酒廊。每间餐厅都提供万豪酒店细心周到的服务以及充满活力的用餐体验，力求为宾客奉上独出心裁的当地美食和国际佳肴美馔。
值得推荐的还有万豪中餐厅新任行政总厨王健先生，这是王先生首次在五星级酒店任职。上任即行政总厨，本身就是对他的极大肯定，但随之而来的挑战，亦是不小。萧先生介绍，王健先生研究出了一系列极富创意的菜肴，其形美，其色香，其味正，其意远。他在参考了万豪中餐厅的招牌特色后，又融入了自身的创意元素，可谓亮点颇多。贡厨餐厅则是一家以纯天然、有机食材为特色的多元化概念餐厅，融合了各地美味珍馐及本帮特色风味，日间供应西式及国际美食，晚间则将化身活力涌动的酒吧，相信能为宾客带来出乎意料的独特体验。而D.O.C.G.意大利餐厅却将甜蜜人生的风格及正宗的意式美味带到了中国，其中的特色意式烤炉、意面制作台以及现烤现做的烹饪展示，让客人足不出户，就能充分体验浓浓的意式风情。
而这一切，均是萧金海先生独特人格魅力领导下，创意具化的表现。尤其是萧先生在这滴水成冰的数九寒冬中，赤脚踩进酒店冷水池内拍摄的封面照片，令我们印象格外深刻，内心深处油然而生的情感，谓之敬佩。这一拍，不仅创意十足，更展现了他严谨自律的作风以及对工作的满满激情。大酒店在喜获萧先生更立体个人形象的同时，亦深深折服于他的创新和敬业奉献精神。
提及上海康桥万豪酒店的团队，萧先生赞言：“员工是最重要的，我们的员工团队很年轻，很有朝气，做得非常好。”他认为，作为酒店总经理，很重要的一项工作就是照顾好员工及重视人才的培养，酒店要对员工呵护有加，让他们感受到家的温暖。而崇尚关怀的万豪品牌及其旗下的上海康桥万豪酒店酒店，在员工宿舍、员工餐等方面也都做得比较到位，因此，员工回馈的客人的，亦是热情与温暖。也正是这种家庭归属感，令他在万豪集团充满信心和自豪感地努力了如此长久的时间。
最后，谈到上海康桥万豪酒店服务精神，萧金海先生显得很自信，介绍道，微笑服务是最基本也最重要的，酒店同时还为商旅客人提供专属的会议服务。另外，宾客需要客房送餐或出租车等任何服务，均可按下客房电话上的“为您服务”专线按钮，酒店上下将第一时间为客人提供贴心服务。相信，有如此的服务精神及团队支持，上海康桥万豪酒店的未来必定辉煌可期！
On January 22, 2018, Marriott International Hotel Group announced the grand opening of the Shanghai Marriott Hotel Kangqiao. Located at No. 4499 Kang Xin Highway, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, the new hotel is adjacent to the dynamic Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park and Shanghai Disney Resort, and it is proudly the first five-star Marriott Hotel in the south of Pudong and is also the 5-star Marriott hotel closest to Shanghai Disney Resort and the Pudong International Airport.
With an anticipation and curiosity, we reporters of “grand hotels” magazine came to the Shanghai Marriott Hotel Kangqiao, hoping to discover what is special with Mr. Michael Seow, its General Manager. In July 2014, Mr. Michael Seow first appeared on the cover of “grand hotels”. This is the second time that Mr. Michael Seow has appeared on the cover of "grand hotels", this time in his new capacity as General Manager of Shanghai Marriott Hotel Kangqiao.
Now as then, Mr. Michael Seow has been nothing short of remarkable. In our last interview, we were very impressed by Mr. Michael Seow's creativity and talent, while this time we also found something sparkling in him. Years of experience have lent Mr. Michael Seow a unique personality charm. He frankly admitted that he leads a frugal life and is very strict with himself. He has been adhering to the habit of getting up early and a healthy diet for years, and always appears as a hard-working and self-disciplined person before his colleagues and guests.
With such a quality, Mr. Michael Seow has been serving in the Marriott Group for more than 20 years. Having handled the operation and management of several important brand hotels in the Group, he still maintains a very youthful appearance and proactive thinking. Innovation is in his genes. "We always want to create new gifts and experiences to our guests, give them joy and surprises, and let them understand the spirit of the Marriott brand through our traditional hospitality," he said.
The hospitality is reflected right in the choice of the hotel’s location, which is ideally close to Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park and the Shanghai Disney Resort. And more than that, it also boasts a breathtaking surrounding environment; guests can enjoy the view of the ancient canal town at Shaojialou, the flower nursery in Zhoupu Flower&sea or visit the shopping center at the Florentia Village. At the same time, quite a few major facilities are within easy reach, i.e., Shanghai International Medical Center, the Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Hospital, Shanghai Bailu Commercial Plaza. In addition to serving business and holiday-making functions, it can also afford travelers convenience in healthcare and leisure.
Speaking about the hotel rooms and conference services, Mr. Seow proudly told us that Marriott Hotel Kangqiao has 338 spacious guest rooms and suites that feature the "Marriott Modern" aesthetics; each room is equipped with luxurious bedding, flexible work space, high-speed wireless Internet and the tasteful in-room amenities that give guests inspirations during their stay. As to conference facilities, the Shanghai Marriott Hotel Kangqiao has eight banquet and meeting halls totaling about 1,100 square meters. The multi-media facilities and special features make them ideal venues for any dinner parties and conferences you can think of.
Taking into account the diversity of guests, the hotel also pools much efforts in its food and beverage. It has a total of three restaurants in different styles and a lobby lounge that serves a mixed range of drinks, fine wine and afternoon tea. Each restaurant exemplifies Marriott's attentive service and enjoyable dining experience and offers guests a unique blend of local and international cuisines.
Also worthy of your attention is Mr. Wayne Wang, the new Chinese executive chef at MAN HO. This is the first time for Mr. Wang to work at a five-star hotel, and the appointment is a fitting recognition of him yet it also poses tremendous challenge to him. According to Mr. Seow, Mr. Wayne Wang has developed a creative series of dishes, and their aroma, taste and appearance produce a lingering charm. On the basis of the special features of MAN HO, he has introduced a lot of brand-new elements to reflect his creativity. The GOJI & KITHCHEN BAR is a diversified concept restaurant featuring purely natural and organic ingredients, providing a fusion of delicacies and local specialties. It serves Western and international cuisines during the day and brings guests a unique experience when it morphs into a bar in the evening. The D.O.C.G. Italian Restaurant, however, brings a sweet touch and quintessential Italian delicacies. The Italian oven, pasta-making stations and live cooking shows can deliver wonderful Italian gourmet experience even if you do not go outside.
All these are the results that come under the charismatic leadership of Mr. Michael Seow. In particular, Mr. Seow impressed us deeply when he stepping into the hotel's cold water pool bare-footed to pose for the cover photo in spite of the bone-chilling wintry cold. The move was not only awe-worthy but also demonstrated his rigorous self-discipline and burning passion for work. While happily obtaining an unusual personal image of Mr. Seow, we are deeply amazed by his innovativeness and dedication.
When talking about the team of the Shanghai Marriott Hotel Kangqiao, Mr. Michael Seow was much relieved: "The associates are the most important and our associates are young and energetic, and they are doing a very good job." In his opinion, as the General Manager of a hotel, it is very important to take good care of the employees and to do personnel training. The hotel should be concerned about its associates, so that they can feel a family-like warmth. The Marriott Group and the Shanghai Marriott Hotel Kangqiao pay adequate attention to the associates quarters and meals, etc., so they can pass on the concern to its guests. It is also such a sense of belonging that has been sustaining his confidence and pride while working in the Marriott Group for such a long time.
Finally, when talking about the service spirit of the Shanghai Marriott Hotel Kangqiao, Mr. Michael Seow seemed to be very confident. Smile service is the basic and most important requirement, while exclusive conference services for business travelers are also an important plus, he noted. If guests need room service or taxi and any other service, they can simply press the "At Your Service" button on the telephone of their rooms, and relevant personnel of the hotel will respond promptly. He believes that with such a service spirit and team support, the Shanghai Marriott Hotel Kangqiao will surely embrace a brilliant future!