瞻迤逦五台 品佛教文化——专访五台山万豪酒店总经理谭青先生
Appreciating Buddhist Culture Admiring Rolling Mount Wutai
——Exclusive Interview with Mr.Tan Qing,
General Manager of Wutai Mountain Marriott Hotel
五台山，中国四大佛教名山之首。位于山西省东北部，五台山不但被联合国教科文组织列入《世界文化遗产》名录，而且也深受国内外游客喜爱的旅游胜地。作为华北屋脊，五台山素来以其独特的自然风光著称，五峰耸立，山势雄伟，堪称大自然的鬼斧神工之作。众多寺院和庙宇修建于此，风格旖旎。山中气候寒冷，台顶终年有冰，盛夏天气凉爽，故又称清凉山，为避暑胜地。行至这座景色宜人、佛教文化底蕴深厚的城市，我们迎来了今天的主角五台山万豪酒店，酒店是五台山风景区内第一家国际品牌酒店，位于中国佛教圣地五台山风景区南入口，与游客中心咫尺之遥，举步可到鸿门岩、望海寺、台怀镇、狮子窝琉璃塔等景点，可感受“登上东台顶，极目到海瀛”的迤逦风光。在这里，旅游爱好者总能找到心仪的去向，静心欣赏这座城市的无限风光。
五台山万豪酒店交通便利，前往太原、大同仅需2小时车程，距离北京、天津车程约3.5小时。酒店位于五台山风景区南大门，距离核心景区仅需10分钟车程，毗邻著名的“又见五台山”情景剧场。其中鸿门岩是五台山的北大门，也是去五台山所经过的海拨最高点。在此可纵览“会当凌绝顶，一览众山小”的壮丽景色。而台怀镇位于五台山风景区中心腹地、五台县东北部，也是佛寺荟萃的地方。目前五台县共有四十多座寺庙，其中有三十座集中在台怀镇上。每年来台怀镇的香客络绎不绝，很多人宁愿等上半晌也一定要求佛还愿。五台山作为佛教名山之首，规模巨大，拥有形形色色的庙宇不计其数，为后世留下了大量的佛教文化瑰宝，值得后人瞻仰。
五台山万豪酒店建筑共五层，由美国RTKL国际设计有限公司设计，其设计理念将现代主义的奢华美感与五台山地区古典风格的佛寺元素完美融合。RTKL公司还凭借该项目赢得了2015年国际酒店地产大奖（ International Hotel and Property Award 2015）。五台山万豪酒店的景观设计采用了各类绿植。其中，两座景观湖展现出五台山万豪酒店设计的构思之精巧。湖光与山色浑然一体，相得益彰，是举办派对、企业庆典、酒会、新品发布会等各类大型户外活动的理想场地。从布局设计而言，酒店拥有246间典雅舒适的客房，举目则可尽览五台山的壮丽景色。酒店提供各类商务友好设施，包括全方位覆盖的 Wi-Fi 网络、商务中心和客房内工作间。另外，酒店还拥有总面积超过2,000平方米的宴会及会议空间。其中包含1,049平方米的无柱式大宴会厅，可灵活分成4个独立宴会厅。此外，酒店拥有10间面积从54至182平方米不等的多功能厅，可以满足不同活动的场地需求。
谭青先生领导酒店各项筹备工作并顺利开业，现在他全面负责酒店开业后的整体运营和战略发展。凭借其卓越的领导管理才能和敏锐的商业洞察力，谭青先生积累了丰富的行业经验。2012年，他荣获万豪国际集团EDGE (Excellence in Delivering the Guest Experience)奖项，也是第一位获得此殊荣的中国籍员工。
我们了解到总经理谭青先生是万豪历来最年轻的中国籍总经理，曾多年服务于万豪酒店集团，积累了丰富的行业经验，同时也练就了领导管理才能和商业洞察力。在他的带领下，五台山万豪酒店紧锣密鼓的筹备阶段已顺利开业，他认为最重要的资产是员工，对每个员工给予个人关注，尊重员工差异性，并保持一个包容的文化。对许多员工来说，这里是像家一般的工作环境，在这里同事也可以是朋友，这也是为什么那么多的员工仅仅为了找一份工作而来，却为了职业生涯而留在了万豪。谭青先生在万豪酒店运营仅三个月便实现收支平衡，此后营收节节攀升，在市场上取得良好的口碑，旅游网站上更是好评如潮。他认为酒店总经理的角色就是把这些具有匠人精神的员工凝聚起来，通过他们鼓励更多同事实践及发扬这种精神，把酒店服务提炼至炉火纯青的境界，感染整个市场和业界。谭青先生还特别注重人才的培养，他多次促成酒店与高校合作，引进大批专业人才，为山西酒店行业注入了优质的新鲜血液。并且十分鼓励员工参加各项培训，成为综合型酒店人才，为员工的职业生涯发展提供了广阔的平台和公平的晋升机会。在员工关怀方面，“让员工感受到强烈的归属感”是他常挂在嘴边的一句话，“关心员工，员工才会关心客户”。
我们知道每年都会有很多国际五星级酒店拔地而起，若要保持长盛不衰，必须有其不可复制和不可替代性。而且谭青先生的重要管理哲学之一就是鼓励同事追求卓越，挑战自我。因为成功是没有终点的。从员工的待人接物、顾客的反馈、美食的挑选到酒店的项目活动，谭青先生希望能和所有员工一起努力，以文化为基础，深挖文化内涵，提升旅游品位，搭建交流平台，扩大对外影响，还将引入‘名人’工作室，提升景区服务，加大功能品牌建设。全力打造国际型、人文型、休闲型、风光型、会展型的五台山，为客人提供高质量的全方位贴心服务。
从酒店服务而言，所有客房均提供贴心的设施服务，包括46英寸液晶电视、迷你吧、高速无线网络、高品质床上用品及客房送餐服务。值得一提的是，中央两座景观湖展现出五台山万豪酒店设计的构思之精巧。湖光与山色浑然一体，相得益彰，是举办派对、企业庆典、酒会、新品发布会等各类大型户外活动的理想场地。同时，酒店配备了一系列休闲娱乐设施，包括室内恒温游泳池、健身中心、水疗中心、KTV包房和棋牌室，无论是健身还是休憩放松，客人都可在此随心畅享愉悦时光。
此外酒店的餐饮也是最好的选择。龙舍是以山西特色美食为主的高档中餐厅，拥有12间豪华私人包间，提供地道的山西美味佳肴和五台山特色菜品，为宾客打造传统精致的高端用餐体验，是定制豪华盛宴或者与家人、朋友聚会的理想场所;紫府名厨全日餐厅提供集零点和自助于一体的西式美馔，提供高品质食材制成的当地及各区域经典美食。开放式厨房为宾客的别致用餐体验更添光彩。餐厅的装饰时尚，简约却不失雅致。大堂酒廊白天供应香浓咖啡及美味点心，为宾客提供了一个轻松舒适的休憩环境,晚间则变身酒吧提供各式酒品及精美小食，还可以在镇中的餐厅里享受当地的美味，到家庭旅舍中品尝主人制做的地方风味饭菜。另外，山西是面食之乡，面食种类繁多，其中以刀削面最为有名，可谓“面食之王”，它有内虚外筋、柔软光滑、易于消化。来五台山万豪酒店一定会让宾客们品味到舌尖上的五台山。
在五台山，每天见到游人如织，如今，来五台山邂逅迤逦风光，静听梵音禅语。而且在五台山进行朝拜的佛教徒数不胜数，仿佛要走完一条仪式之路，跨越跌宕起伏的五台，瞻仰五方文殊和每一尊佛龛，俯仰之间，都是人们对信仰的崇敬和向往。我们相信五台山万豪酒店酒店会凭借自身不变的高品质以及最诚挚的服务赢得每一位顾客的信赖。
Crowning the four sacred Buddhist mountains in China, Mount Wutai sits in northeastern Shanxi Province. It is a most sought-after destination among tourists home and abroad and is inscribed as one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Mount Wutai, literally, 'the five terrace mountain', is the highest mountain in Northern China and is renowned for its unique natural scenery, imposing mountain ranges, precipitous slopes with five peaks out of the stunning creation of nature. It is home to a number of temples and monasteries that nestle in the picturesque landscape. Known as “Clear Cool Mountain”, Mount Wutai is a summer resort with icecap, where it is cool in summer and chilly for the rest of the year. As we arrive at this sacred Buddhist land with charming scenic beauty and profound religious and cultural heritage, we head for Wutai Mountain Marriott Hotel.As the first international hotel in Mount Wutai Scenic Area, the hotel sits at its southern gate and is a stone’s throw away from the Tourist Center, where guests may admire the sunrise from a sea of clouds as they ascend to the highest peak of Dongtai. Tourist enthusiasts may find their preferred destinations for an appreciation of the scenic beauty in a tranquil state of mind.
Wutai Mountain Marriott Hotel is advantageously located within 2 hours’ drive from Taiyuan and Datong, and 3.5 hours’ drive from Beijing and Tianjin. It is 10 minutes’ drive from the core of Mount Wutai Scenic Area and adjacent to“Another Encounter with Mount Wutai”, where live performances are staged. In addition, Taihuai County, where Buddhist temples cluster, sits in the hinderland of Mount Wutai Scenic Area, to the northeast of Wutai County. Now Wutai County is home to some 40 temples of which over 30 are located in Taihuai Town. Each year, pilgrims come in a constant stream to Taihuai County, many of whom are willing to wait for a long time to redeem their wishes to the Buddha. As the No.1 of Buddha Mountain, Mount Wutai boasts an immense number of temples of all sorts that are preserved as treasures of Buddhist culture for later generations to pay their reverence.
The hotel is a 5 storey building designed by U.S.based RTKL International Architectural Design Company whose design philosophy perfectly integrated modernist luxury with classic Buddhist elements typical of Mount Wutai. RTKL was thus awarded International Hotel and Property Award 2015 for this project. A range of vegetation was incorporated in the landscape design of the hotel. The two scenic lakes are delicately designed so that it perfectly fits into the background of Mount Wutai. They are an ideal venue for large scale outdoor activities such as parties, corporate celebrations, cocktail parties and product launches.
Wutai Mountain Marriott Hotel offers 246 cozy and elegant guestrooms and suites, each with breathtaking views of Mount Wutai. Business-friendly amenities include property-wide Wi-Fi, business center and in-room work stations. The hotel offers an aggregate of 2000 square meter state-of-the-art banquet and conference space, including a pillar-less ballroom of 1,049 square meters that can be divided into 4 independent ones. In addition, the hotels has 10 multi-function rooms with sizes between 54 to 182 square meters, tailored to various events.
Mr. Tan Qing led his team in the prepartion for the hotel launch, and now his takes full charge of its overall operation and strategic development. He has accumulated rich hospitality experience with outstanding leadership skills, exceptional management capacity and acute business perception. In 2012, he became the first Chinese employee who received Excellence in Delivering the Guest Experience Award by Marriott International.
As far as we know, Mr. Tan Qing, General Manager of Wutai Mountain Marriott Hotel is the youngest general manager with Chinese nationality throughout the history of Marriott International. Having worked at Marriott International for many years and accumulated rich hospitality experience, he boasts outstanding leadership skills, exceptional management capacity and sharp business perception. Enabled by seamless preparation efforts under his leadership, the hotel launch has been rather smooth. In his opinion, the greatest asset of the hotel is its staff, to whom personalized care shall be given with regards to their individual differences while adhering to the inclusive culture. To the vast majority of staff members, the hotel is a homelike work environment where each member is treated both a colleague and a friend. And this is why so many of them come to Marriott for a job only, but finally choose it as their career destination in the long run.
The hotel broke even three months since its launch. Then the hotel yields increasing revenue,and favorable word of mouth in the hospitality market and receives lavish praises on tourist websites. He believes that the role of the general manager is to motivate the staff, encouraging them to practise and give full play to craftsmanship in order to perfect the hotel service, which in turn, will make a positive impact on the hospitality industry. Mr. Tan attaches particular importance to the cultivation of hospitality talents. He facilitated the hotel’s partnership with higher educational institutions to recruit a large number of young professionals, bringing in new blood to the hospitalilty industry of Shanxi as well. He encourages staff members to attend various trainings and offer broad career development opportunities and transparent promotions. As he always says, “We shall inspire a strong sense of belonging among the staff by caring for them, who will then care for the guests.”
As we know, international 5 star hotels mushroom each year. In order to thrive and prosper in the long run, we must maintain competitive advantages that are irreplicable and irreplaceable. It is Mr. Tan Qing believes in the management philosophy of encouraging his colleagues to challenge themselves and strive for excellence. He hopes to explore cultural connotations, optimize tourist experience, offer an ideal platform for communication, increase public awareness of the hotel, establish celebrity studios, upgrade hospitality service of the scenic area and enhance the Marriott brand with the combined efforts of the entire staff. The hotel provides best-in-class, comprehensive and considerate services to each individual guest, and contribute to Mount Wutai Scenic Area that is international, picturesque, culturally profound for leisure tourists as well as conference clients.
In terms of hotel service, a variety of amenities and thoughtful services are available, such as an 46 inch LCD TV, a minibar, high speed WiFi, quality bedding for each guest room, as well as 24 hour room service. Meanwhile, the hotel offers a range of leisure and recreational facilities, including heated indoor swimming pools, a fitness center, a spa center, KTV rooms and chest rooms, where guests may take aerobic exercises, have a full recharge, or enjoy a wonderful time.
In addition, the hotel is a perfect place for luxury dining experiences. ORIGRAIN is an upscale Chinese restaurant featuring Shanxi cuisine. There are 12 deluxe private rooms, where authentic Shanxi delicacies and local dishes are offered for a delicate, traditional dining experience. It is an ideal venue for customized luxury feasts as well as family reunions and gathering of friends. Wutai Restaurant is an all day restaurant serving a la carte dishes and buffet with local flavor and other classic cuisines made with premium food material. The stylish restaurant is decorated in an elegant and simplistic manner with an open kitchen that adds to the unique dining experience. In the lobby bar, where guests may take a rest in a relaxed,cozy ambiance, aromatic coffee and delicious snacks are served in the day while sorts of wine and exquisite snacks are offered at night. Guests may also savor local delicacies in the restaurants in town or try local homemade meals in farmhouses. As the hometown of wheaten food, Shanxi boasts all sorts of wheaten food, of which the best known is the sliced noodle, the king of wheaten food. It is soft and smooth, easy to digest, chewy surface with a soft core. “The bite of Mount Wutai” is accessible to all guests here at Wutai Mountain Marriott Hotel.
Mount Wutai is teeming with tourists who come to appreciate the scenery as well as the chanting of Buddhist scriptures. Countless Buddhist pilgrims arrive here, threading their way across the rolling mountains, and pay their respect to the five Manjusri and each statue of the Buddha, fulfilling the rituals along the way to to show their reverence and worship to their religion. And we believe that Wutai Mountain Marriott will win the trust of each individual guest with sincere and quality service.
