History is the ultimate luxury

Leon Lee, the General Manager of the Astor Hotel in Tianjin at an exclusive interview with chinadaily.com.cn. The Astor Hotel is branded as a Luxury Collection for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

As an hotelier with an extensive portfolio of expertise and experience, Leon Lee, the General Manager of the Astor Hotel in Tianjin, has his own ideas of how he'd like to manage his hotel. Here's what he had to say when he sat down for an exclusive interview with chinadaily.com.cn.

C (chinadaily.com.cn, C hereafter): Many people regard the Astor Hotel as a theme hotel. Do you agree?

Leon J. Lee (L hereafter): Not exactly, this is a hotel with a historical background. A theme hotel means it's a hotel created by man, like a theme park. For a historical hotel, history has a lot to do with it. Man built the building, but events that happen here are created by history. So it does have a theme, in a sense, and that's history. But, I don't think it's a theme hotel.

C: How would you define it then?

L: I would define this hotel, first of all, as the oldest hotel in China. It's the only hotel that has its own museum to describe its existence, which is unusual even around the globe. It's also a destination. Instead of people saying let's go to Tianjin on the weekend, eventually, if we get it right, they'll say let's go to the Astor. It does have that kind of presence.

C: So is it part of the destination? Or is it a destination in its own right?

L: It is both. We want this hotel to be the first choice for visitors when they come to Tianjin. There is only one Astor in the world, so it's an obvious choice in my opinion. At the same time, I believe the hotel itself is also a destination. Our guests can stay at the theme suites (the Sun Zhong Shan themed suite or the Hoover suite), or they can visit our museum to get to know our hotel and the city.

C: What do you do to refine your services?

L: We are sort of like two hotels in one. Monday through Friday, we want this to be a business place, so we do things that make it easier for businessmen to stay. We're equipped with the basics that businessmen need, like wireless internet, at free of charge. We also prepare business meals, usually one-plate meals that's quick and convenient for those who are pressed for time. May I add that our hot dog is one of the best I've ever tasted.

L: Then, Friday night, this hotel changes to be a leisure destination, mainly because the businessmen go home on weekends! So on Fridays, we have different programs. The buffet menu will be slightly different. If we are expecting German guests, we'll provide some German food. If Americans are coming, there'll be roast beef. We'll adapt the menu accordingly. We also have live Jazz music playing in our bar, and almost every guest has been wowed by the deep and rich voice of our singer. She's absolutely fabulous.