Blaze of Glory
--An Interview with Mr. Michael Henssler, Chief Operating Officer Asia - Kempinski Hotels, General Manager of Key International Hotels Management Co., Ltd.
臻精致美 匠心精神
--对话凯宾斯基酒店亚洲区首席运营官
及北京凯燕国际饭店管理有限公司总经理汉思乐先生
2019年7月1日，凯宾斯基酒店集团迎来了中国第19家酒店——杭州远洋凯宾斯基酒店。大酒店传媒团队收到邀请，来到杭州，对酒店表示祝贺。与此同时，我们有幸采访到凯宾斯基酒店亚洲区首席运营官及北京凯燕国际饭店管理有限公司总经理汉思乐先生。
凯宾斯基是欧洲历史悠久的豪华酒店集团，也是世界独立酒店联盟“全球酒店联盟（GHA）”的发起成员。自1897年创建以来，凯宾斯基酒店集团已经在全球34个国家拥有78家五星级酒店。凯宾斯基拥有源于欧洲经典的“雅贵”气质，一直以来都是奢华的代名词。汉思乐先生于1994年加入凯宾斯基集团，迄今已有25年，负责亚洲区域凯宾斯基的运营和发展。他来到中国已有9年，见证了中国的发展。他对中国充满了喜爱之情，对凯宾斯基在中国、亚洲的发展充满信心。
快节奏的现代，速度成为第一追求。相比于其他高端品牌酒店的快速扩张，凯宾斯基特有的扩张步伐显得十分务实，截止2019年7月，共有19家凯宾斯基酒店入驻中国。凯宾斯基不急于扩张这一行为实质上是“以退为进”，恰恰是对品牌的维护与珍惜，集团才采取放缓脚步的策略。在这日益浮躁的社会，保持初心，脚踏实地，不随波逐流，按照自己的节奏，厚积薄发，砥砺前行。在汉思乐先生的眼中，凯宾斯基品牌不仅是商业象征，更是一种艺术作品。艺术品的稀少珍贵在于它所蕴含的匠心精神，在于漫漫时光的沉淀积累。与时代“快消品”不同，内涵才是凯宾斯基品牌关键所在。
汉思乐先生作为凯宾斯基酒店亚洲区首席运营官，在他的身上可以看到凯宾斯基品牌特色的缩影。汉思乐先生是以厨师的身份开启他的职业之旅，如今他成为亚洲区首席运营官，工作繁重，他仍然喜爱为家人准备一份丰盛的饭菜，喜爱分享。在对话中，他强调温暖人心的始终是服务，打动人心的永远是细节。正是集团秉承着同样的品牌理念，凯宾斯基集团选择不同的发展策略，从本质出发，为每一位顾客提供独特的服务，注重客人的入住体验而不是一味的扩张版图。“红衣女郎”——凯宾斯基集团特有的“风景线”，象征品牌细致的服务，她们为每一位客人提供专属个性服务，让他们真正感受到真诚与温暖。正是这种“舍大求美”的艺术追求，才能让凯宾斯基集团保持臻精致美的品牌特色，在市场竞争中找到自身定位而一枝独秀。
在与汉思乐先生的谈话中，笔者对于凯宾斯基品牌的了解更深一步，也更欣赏它的“不同”。采访已接近尾声，当我们询问汉思乐先生是否对凯宾斯基品牌未来的发展充满信心，他爽朗的笑声中透露出自信，也给出了答案。对此，笔者也对凯宾斯基这家与众不同的酒店品牌的未来充满期待，相信在不久的将来可以看见凯宾斯基在亚洲市场上大放异彩。
On July 1, 2019, Kempinski Hotels opened its 19th hotel in China in Hangzhou. While attending the opening of Kempinski Hotel Hangzhou, we, Grand Hotel magazine, paid a visit to Mr. Michael Henssler, Chief Operating Officer Asia - Kempinski Hotels, General Manager of Key International Hotels Management Co., Ltd.
Kempinski is a time-honored luxury hotel group in Europe and a founding member of the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), an alliance of independent hotels. Since its inception in 1897, Kempinski Hotels has set up 78 five-star hotels in 34 countries around the world. Known for its powerful European appeal, Kempinski has always been a synonymous with luxury and refined taste. Mr. Henssler joined Kempinski in 1994 and is now responsible for its operation and development in Asia. Having been working in China for 9 years, he has witnessed the explosive development of this country. He is optimistic about Kempinski's development in China, a country he fervently loves.
In this era of dizzying pace, speed is the No. 1 concern of many. Compared with the rapid expansion of other premium hotel brands, Kempinski controls its pace for expansion in a pragmatic manner. As of July 2019, there are 19 Kempinski hotels in operation in China. Moderate as the number is, Kempinski attaches more attention to the quality. Cherishing its reputation of excellence, it would rather slows down its pace of expansion. In this society that everyone seeks quick benefit, Kempinski is acutely aware of its own value and refuses to be a tame follower. It is well prepared before it takes any step of expansion. In the eyes of Mr. Henssler, Kempinski is a cachet of artistry in addition to its commercial success. Art works are rare and precious because of their ingenuity and the long time needed for their genesis. Different from fast moving consumer goods, well-honed luxury is the top concern of the Kempinski brand.
As the Chief Operating Officer Asia of Kempinski Hotels, Mr. Henssler is arguably an epitome of Kempinski’s excellence. He started his career as a chef, and unceasingly carries enthusiasm for work to the top after 25 years. In spite of his heavy workload, he still loves to prepare a rich dinner for his family. In his talk, he asserted that service always has a heart-warming power, and minute details can always strike a chord with the guests. With this in mind, Kempinski chooses a different development strategy: providing each customer with unique service, paying attention to the guests’ experience rather than blindly seeking quick expansion. The “Lady in Red”, a unique sight of Kempinski, are visual reminders of the brand's meticulous service. They provide each guest with exclusive personalized service, so that the latter can truly feel the sincerity and warmth of the hotel. Such a persistent pursuit for excellence enables Kempinski to maintain its unique and distinctive brand character and keep afloat in the competition.
In our conversation with Mr. Henssler, we have developed new insight into Kempinski brand and discovered what makes it special. When asked about his confidence in the future at the end of the interview, he readily answered with hearty laughter. We can sit back to see how Kempinski shines in the Asian market in the near future.