Tangla Hotel - where east meets west

By Paula Taylor (JIN Magazine)
Updated: 2012-12-12

Given the fact that Tianjin's many fine hotels are vying for customers in an ever increasingly choosy market, what is the secret to keeping the paying customers happy, and at the same time satisfying the requirements of the investors, a notoriously difficult feat? At the Tangla Tianjin they have discovered the secret – finding a niche in the market and filling it. Let's now meet one of the men behind this particular brand.

Fintan O'Doherty, the General Manager of the Tangla Hotel has impressive credentials. His hotel experience reads like a who’s who of the stars of the hotel world, the Hilton, The Copthorne Tara, Radisson Edwardian, etc. and he has worked in such diverse places as Kiev, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore, London etc. etc., the list goes on. I wondered if after having being in such exciting places, the move to Tianjin seems like somewhat of a downgrade. He was quick to assure me that this was not the case, he said “There is lots to do in the hotel and in the city. I think that China is very exciting, there are a lot of differences with back home, but there are also a lot of similarities”. He lived in London for many years and I agree with him, there are similarities with Tianjin. I wondered if his life was as exciting as it sounds and he smiled and said “I get to travel a lot and I can pack a lot into one day”.

Of course any good Manager delegates and he said “I have a good team and it is important to dignify them by delegating and giving them responsibility”. I put forward a view that some people feel that the service in North China is not as good as it is in the South, but he answered “This is the first time I have heard that. You can train people, if you train them well they will be able to offer a high standard of service whatever their location.”

He came to Tianjin in a roundabout way, due to unforeseen circumstances his original previous plan to work in Beijing changed and he was asked to go and work at the Hilton in Chong Qing. All he knew was that Chong Qing is a city in China, nothing else, so he had to quickly research exactly where and what kind of place it is. He found working in China very enjoyable and did sterling work at the hotel, but nevertheless exciting pastures beckoned in the form of the Mandarin Oriental in Singapore. He told me Singapore is a fascinating place, however despite its sophistication and reputation for cleanliness he did not feel that it was ‘better’ than China. After that an opportunity came up to work in Ho Chi Minh City at the Windsor Plaza. He loved the vibrancy of this city and in a way was sad to leave. However the lure of Beijing was attracting him, so when a former Hilton colleague asked him to go to Beijing to manage a new flagship hotel, the Tangla, he leapt at the chance. As is the way with the hotel business, there are myriad opportunities to further one’s career so he also didn’t hesitate when the chance to take over the Tangla Tianjin arose.

The TANGLA hotels are owned by HNA Airlines and they plan to have 50 Hotels within five years. This is not the extent of their ambitious ideas, regarding future development he told me “The Tangla brand is part of a company that owns many brands, including Hainan Airlines. Our plans for the future include the aim to have a Tangla hotel in every city that the airline flies to. Plans are also underway to have a Tangla in New York. In January next year we will be opening a 420 room Tangla resort hotel in Sanya”.

Back to the Hotel itself. Chinese customers like to spend money but they also like to see what they are getting for it, consequently many Chinese owned hotels are ostentatious and are over the top in terms of décor. I asked him what is different about the Tangla. He explained that the Tangla brand is a Chinese owned hotel group, it has to appeal to Chinese customers, who let’s face it are the majority, but it also combines the business acumen of the west. This successful marrying of the two ideals has resulted in a remarkable hotel.

Western thinking is that less is more and something doesn’t have to look flashy to prove it is expensive. Although class is not something that can be bought, there has obviously been a lot of money spent on this hotel. Whilst the elegance is understated, it is clear that this is a very sophisticated establishment. The Tangla is special for many reasons. Even its name is connected with a legend set in the Tanggula mountain area and reflects the wishes and fortune of the Guardian God. The Tangla Hotels & Resorts’ brand core values are “Harmony, Elegance, Excellence and Tranquility”. I can confirm that they are indeed living up to these values through this particular hotel. Although located at Binjiang Dao, all the rooms are penthouse rooms, so they are far above the hustle and bustle of what must be Tianjin’s busiest area, people and traffic wise. Everywhere in the hotel an atmosphere of peace reigns, even the elevators are so discreetly disguised, that it is not immediately apparent where they are. If I sound like a starstruck fan, it is because I am. This hotel screams, albeit quietly, of class.

The harmony and tranquillity themes are carried through to the spa and swimming pool areas, there are candles and the scent of beautiful essential oils everywhere. Excellence is a given, we were fortunate enough to be invited to lunch and the food and presentation is of the highest quality. I spoke with the head chef, who had come from Beijing and he was knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

I was delighted when Mr. O’Doherty offered to show us the rooms, including the presidential suite. Being a person of modest means I can guarantee I probably will never stay in a presidential suite in my life, but I like to live vicariously through others, so this chance to see how the moneyed and famous pass time in hotels was a unique opportunity for me. Fabulous does not do it justice, but however, the other rooms are just as impressive in their own way. I asked to see an “ordinary” room. Actually there is no such thing, as although they are classed as “ordinary” they are actually twice the size of normal hotel rooms, and one can enjoy a relaxing bath whilst gazing out over the skyline. As I said, the rooms are so high up nobody is overlooking you so there is no need for curtains.

To the question where will you be in five years’ time he answered “I will definitely still be in China”. I get the feeling that he will not rest until the Tangla brand is the number one choice for discerning hotel guests. Yesterday Beijing, today Tianjin – tomorrow the world!