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Among the many hotels in the capital, there is one name in particular that stands out. Fu Chao revisits Lido, which has been a landmark in the city for more than 30 years.
The Metropark Lido Hotel Beijing, formerly the Holiday Inn Lido Beijing, may have undergone a change in name but it will still ring a bell for most Beijingers, because "Lido Hotel", as it is affectionately known by locals, has been a familiar part of city life for more than three decades.
Founded in 1984, several years after the Chinese economy opened up to the world, the hotel was one of China's first hotels to recruit an overseas management team to run the hotel. Today, its achievements have become milestones in the country's hospitality industry.
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The Metropark Lido Hotel Beijing, which was one of the first hotels to use foreign capital in the 1980s, plans to become a "city complex" housing the capital's foreign community. Photos provided to China Daily |
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Amenities and facilities at the hotel also include apartments, shops and commercial offices. |
Along with its high quality hotel services, Lido introduced the first hotel apartments, among other facilities such as the city's first professional bowling center.
And today, as well as offering a variety of restaurants and the other facilities expected of a top hotel, the Lido complex also has apartments, stores, commercial buildings and facilities such as a post office and kindergarten.
Having become a Metropark hotel in 2011, Lido now has its sights set firmly on the next stage.
In the future, it will become a "city complex" that houses the foreign community in Beijing, says Xu Muhan, the chairman of HKCTS Hotel Group.
At an event that was part of the 30th anniversary celebration, old and new members of the management team recalled how the hotel had shaped an industry and contributed to the opening up of a country.
Zhuang Yanlin, 93, was Lido's first chairman. He recalled his visit to the headquarters of Holiday Inn in the United States in 1982, a prelude to Lido introducing foreign talent into management, which was a breakthrough in the country's hospitality industry.
Two years later, Lido officially opened its doors.
On the first day, Zhuang remembers, there were only 10 guests.
"The general manager was very worried. But I told him 'don't worry'. If you offer a good service, guests will come," says Zhuang.
Zhang Hongbin, now the general manager of Metropark Lido Hotel, grew along with the hotel guided by this philosophy. He joined a training program provided by the hotel in 1981 directly after leaving school, and became an auditor at Lido in 1983.
"Lido has been very important in my life," says Zhang. He even met his wife here.
Over the past 30 years, he has balanced work and family and worked hard to achieve his goals in life.
"Lido is of sentimental value to me. It is like my big family, and every one is still working very hard to create a bright future for the next 30 years," says Zhang.
Located just 17 kilometers from Beijing Capital International Airport, close to China International Exhibition Centre and the 798 Art District, as well as within easy distance of many of the city's famous tourist attractions, Metropark Lido Hotel Beijing is ensuring that "Lido Hotel" remains a familiar name on the lips of Beijingers and is still an indelible part of the memories of those who stay there during their visits to the city.
