Year-round luxury, warm service

Ma Xue reports on the latest addition to Beijing's hotel elite.

The sprawling Four Seasons Hotel Beijing is a majestic sight next to Beijing's newest diplomatic area. One measure of its ambition is a 217-foot-long skylight in the atrium with 400 polished stainless steel butterflies.

Another benchmark is top services.

"Would you like a petit four?" asks General Manager Sanjiv Hulugalle. "The strawberry ones are to die for."

The young Sri Lankan hotelier is in charge of the long-awaited opening of the Four Seasons Hotel Beijing, the latest in a nearly two-decade tenure at the hotel chain. Previous postings included the Maldives, where he created the concept of a night spa, and Syria, where he shared his love of cuisine with the people of Damascus.

"I got in the company by chance," says Hulugalle. "But it changed my life when I learned its culture through first-hand experience."

Under the leadership of founder Isadore Sharp, Canadian-headquartered Four Seasons has expanded into a world-class chain of luxurious hotels.

The company's philosophy is the "Golden Rule" - do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

"We deal with others - partners, customers, coworkers, everyone - as we would want to be treated," says Hulugalle.

That includes the staff. "At Four Seasons, we treat our employees with the same level of respect that they give our guests."

As a result, 50 years on, chain has earned a reputation for its superior customer service.

Its approach to hospitality includes 247 SOPs - standard operating procedures - developed by the company that set a high bar for quality.

Hulugalle says hotel employees are empowered to take charge of customer services "and fix a problem independently in any urgent situation".

"But then it's not the end of the world if they fail - we want them to know that we have always had their back."

As an example, Hulugalle recalled the recent stay of a family of four.

"The parents were amazed by the great lengths we went to in tailoring sightseeing to fit their three-day stay, as well as the thoughtful turndown service each night that included surprises like sweets for the kids and massages for the parents," recalls the general manager.

"Hire staff for attitude, train for skills" is the hotel's motto, he says.

"I value every employee who has no previous working experience in the industry just as much as I value the ones who graduated from the best hotel schools in Europe or the States.

"To me the right attitude speaks louder than any words."

The general manager himself is a striking manifestation of just that philosophy. He has worked at 12 Four Seasons properties in various locations, but started 18 years ago as a regular service employee at the Four Seasons Health Club.

He says the service culture sets the hotel chain apart, enabling it to retain the loyalty of the guests. It is an edge it will need amid the fierce competition in Beijing's hotel industry.

Contact the writer at maxue@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 01/12/2013 page13)