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Thursday, 6 January 2011

The Peninsula Shanghai – Day four (since opening) - The softer side….

Long taxi rides are a fact of life in Shanghai so arriving at one’s destination is often something to be eagerly awaited – even if the trip entails travelling a short distance - from my flat to the four-day old Peninsula Shanghai. Or perhaps amid the hype, one should approach the end of this journey with breathless anticipation, traffic notwithstanding.



I was warmly greeted at the Hotel entrance by the usual array of Peninsula style Associates. They speeded me to the Front Desk where Lilian checked me in. She walked the talk as she so very eloquently explained the facilities of the hotel while escorting me from the Front Desk to my room.


She showed how the MARLOK (metal) room key needed to be inserted into the lift control panel to access my floor. In the room, Lilian asked if the temperature was fine, and whether she could make me a coffee using the in-room espresso machine. She also showed me the room safe, and how to make those free VOIP calls. Great training! I listened in rapt attention since she had a pleasant way of unraveling the mysteries of these gadgetries. I was made to feel that this was a sincere gesture to make me feel welcome and comfortable rather than an expectation of a gratuity at the end of her spiel. “Nice start”, I thought.


Although I was tempted to try the Compass Bar or Yi Long Court [Chinese Restaurant], chilling out in my room appealed more so I can focus on what this hotel can truly offer. I called Room Service. They took my order for a Peninsula Club sandwich and Apricot Baba saying it would be delivered in 30 minutes. At just a tad over 27 minutes, the Room Service waiter arrived. He laid the trolley expertly in front of the TV (where I had requested it to be placed) so I can enjoy the delights of warm homemade style potato chips, which accompanied the meal. The special order of a side green salad was met. It was crisp and lightly tossed with an oil and vinegar dressing, but no drink was offered when taking my order, neither was any ice water brought with the food.


At 9.30pm turn down took place and the attendant noticing my shoes were still waiting to be picked up and polished, offered to take care of them. As part of the service, she re-set the lights in the bathroom, dimming them to a low level. Later in the night, when I used the bathroom, the illuminated dials on all the electronics gave a warm amber glow – almost magical. (I must be a techie!!!).
A colleague of hers delivered some drinking water, which I’d requested moments before as none was in the room, and she kindly removed the room service trolley before the waiter who should have been on his way arrived. The shoes were silently returned to me via the Butler box nicely wrapped in a bow-tied velvety bag complete with shoe-trees – these I could not resist keeping as a souvenir (oops, did I really say that – sorry Mr. Tchen – Hotel GM). I knew they were there – the shoes, I mean, because the Service Delivery button lit up. My shoes must have felt really good to experience that Peninsula touch.


Moments later, the illuminated fax-waiting button caught my attention. It was a message from the Concierge reminding me of my transportation arrangements.
A good night’s rest was pretty much assured by the Simmons bed, thick pillow top mattress, goose down pillows and linens by Frette.


Waking up to the natural light of Shanghai was easy by pressing the Curtain Up button by the bedside, and the thought of a freshly brewed Nespresso coffee made it even easier. That feeling of being at home was even more within reach as I have the same system there – which is extremely fortunate as many people would not know the meaning of the three differently colored capsules (FYI – red is DECAF). Pity though there were no warm milk and cookies or those famous Peninsula chocolates to help send me off into deep slumbers the night before. Having said that, I thought of that biblical line “and lead us not into temptation” so my waistline thanks you!


Helping me tackle those early morning emails while I savored the espresso, was background music (courtesy of Barbra Streisand) being streamed off my USB stick inserted into the DVD player. It’s a wonderful way to ease into what always turns out to be a stressful day.


My morning was made even more special by the powerful rain shower, and water temperature that was just on the button… spot on! Oh, the shower controls are manual. The amenities in the room were in oversized bottles – the better for helping me prolong the enjoyment of my stay. Dapao is Chinese for “take-away” and I happily did just that.


A little after 9am, I strolled into the lobby where breakfast was being served until 11am. The place was not busy and had a slightly cold and empty feel to it. I am sure the ambience would be better once the room teems with people wanting to be seen.


Since American Breakfast was included in my room rate, I placed the order and requested fresh carrot juice - this was easily accommodated by the Server. Although I needed to work at the same time, the offer of a freshly ironed newspaper with my breakfast would have been a nice touch.


Soon the coffee arrived, and my breakfast size china cup was half filled. Hot milk was placed on the table, but the silver jug did not exactly look like it was just working 4 days old. Examining the cutlery more closely, made me wonder if some of this had been transferred from another property in the group. I’ve no issue with that, except it did not look as brand new as the rest of the décor.
Moments passed and my Granola arrived – which was sprinkled on top of the yoghurt that had some fruit puree buried beneath it. It was delicious, but the presentation slightly strange as it was in a standard cup and saucer with a teaspoon. A separate fresh fruit plate was also provided.


After polishing that off, the three choices of bakery items appeared (Danish, Brioche and an English Muffin) shortly followed by my main course. The scrambled eggs were great – not too runny.


Breakfast was leisurely, and most enjoyable.


So as to walk off the calories, I strolled round the public areas of the Hotel noticing that the shopping arcade is yet to open, probably a few weeks more, and so I ventured to the Function Room spaces, Business Center and F&B outlets.


The Function rooms were impressive. Most rooms have digital signage outside to explain what’s happening in the room, but they were all in standby mode when I walked through.


A walk past the Chinese Restaurant was one of the highlights as I caught a glimpse of many smaller private rooms very tastefully decorated in old Chinese style. Sadly my pictures don’t do them justice, so a look at the Hotel website should be a great way to see what I’m talking about. There is even a dedicated room called Chef’s Table, where 8 people can sit round an aluminum style table with large windows looking into the Kitchen as they watch their food being expertly prepared. I remember many years ago doing such a thing at the Peninsula Hong Kong, where along with my wife and two friends we literally sat in the kitchen and were hand-held all the way through the menu by the Executive Chef of Gaddis. That was a memorable meal!


So it was back to my room, and time to do a few more emails before taking the car service that came with my room accommodation. Part of me was hoping for the green Rolls Royce, but instead I got a Mercedes. Actually, the Rolls was being filmed with some of the staff, so I guess it wasn’t available for me – ha ha.


I very much enjoyed my 20 hours at the Peninsula Shanghai. The Team have done an excellent job in bringing to market a Grand property, with good hardware and software. You can tell that a lot of time and effort has gone into staff selection and training.


I suppose if anyone can do it – The Peninsula folks can.


First Posted - October  22 2009

Peninsula Shanghai – Day three (since opening) – the Room Tech fact


Peninsula Shanghai – the Room Tech facts
Peninsula Shanghai – the Room Tech facts
The Internet radio by the desk
Peninsula Shanghai – the Room Tech facts
Peninsula Shanghai – the Room Tech facts
Dressing area control panel
Peninsula Shanghai – the Room Tech facts
Peninsula Shanghai – the Room Tech facts
Dressing area Radio and lighting controls
Peninsula Shanghai – the Room Tech facts
Peninsula Shanghai – the Room Tech facts
Room entrance Lighting, humidity and curtain control
Peninsula Shanghai – the Room Tech facts
Peninsula Shanghai – the Room Tech facts
Multimedia Docking unit by the TV
Peninsula Shanghai – the Room Tech facts
Peninsula Shanghai – the Room Tech facts
Guestroom Desk connectivity
Peninsula Shanghai – the Room Tech facts
Peninsula Shanghai – the Room Tech facts
Power sockets
Peninsula Shanghai – the Room Tech facts
Peninsula Shanghai – the Room Tech facts
Bath control unit
If there is one thing you won"t be short of when you check into a room at the newly opened Peninsula Shanghai, it"s a button to press. There is a myriad of them to choose from!


In my standard room #723 (if such a thing exists at this luxurious establishment) there are no less that 29 panels containing various buttons, displays and sockets that you can press, read or plug things into.


At the very comfortable desk, you can check the outdoor climate, to include wind velocity, and at an adjacent panel, it"s possible to tune through a variety of internet radio channels. And if you still feel audio-deprived, an MP3/ ipod dock sitting above the unit permits audio playback via the hi-fi system just behind you near the big flat screen LCD TV.


The 2-line sleek looking color screen desk IP phone – one of seven telephony-enabled units in the room permits free VOIP calls providing you first press the VOIP button. I tried it and it worked first time by following the simple on-screen instructions. The interface has 9 languages you can choose from, and if you want, you can pair a Bluetooth enabled device to the phone – such as a mobile phone for transferring the address book.


Docking an iPOD is very straightforward, and my 3GS iPHONE worked a treat allowing me to playback my tunes. I did get a message when first docking to say it was not supported – but I pressed clear and there I was listening to The Beatles. However please note, that the unit does not charge the battery [at least on my unit] so watch out. Just above the iPOD dock on the wall, is a curtain control panel and that is mirrored on the other side – very easy to access and saves you standing up or walking 8 steps.


On the side of the desk you can find a panel allowing HSIA connectivity (but no in-room supplied LAN cable), a legacy dial-up port, and a USB connector for the 4-in-one printer, fax, scanner copier that lives in a cupboard behind the desk. Again, no cable in the room. There is one power socket that is international style providing 220v and a 110v unit directly above it. Since most laptops come with auto-sensing power bricks, I guess you can say the desk has two power sockets. The same type of power sockets can be found by the TV, in the dressing area and bathroom. There are no easily available power sockets by the bed. Wi-Fi and wired broadband are free – a speedtest showed a 3Mb connection – using a LAN cable and a 100Mb port.


The king size bed has night-stands on both sides and these are a mirror of each other with the same type of phone as the desk, plus a bedside control panel with another 29 buttons – seems they like the number 29 here. On the wall, there is a reading light control unit. The His and Hers controls are a nice touch but I wonder which one wins in controlling the TV...


A wall unit behind the desk is a big feature in the room and houses the fax machine, Nespresso coffee maker, Mini bar fridge, DVD player, multimedia docking panel and LCD TV.


The multimedia panel (concealed under the TV) has connectors and receptacles into which you should just about be able to plug everything in. This includes HDMI and four different SD/CF type cards from cameras and other digital media card using devices. The TV remote is used for the volume control. Sound reproduction is fairly crisp. There is a USB socket, but I suspect it"s not for power, just files playback.


As you enter the bedroom, there is (of course) a panel on your left side that can be pushed to choose one of four pre-set lighting moods, as well as let you increase or decrease humidity – dry or wet as they call it. Mine was showing 56%.


The dressing area houses the room safe which is recessed into the wall, and hidden behind a panel where there is a press-type knob to release the door lock. The safe is big enough to house my 17" MacBook Pro.


By the mirror in the dressing area, can be found the signature nail dryer made famous by Fraser Hickox at the Peninsula Tokyo. Adjacent to that is another panel showing the outside temperature plus UV and humidity which really makes sense, since when you dress up, you need to know how many layers to wear before braving the elements. Next to that is a radio panel so you can listen to the news or your favorite local or internet based radio station. And just in case the phone rings, there is a wall-mounted handset within arms reach.


A Butler box allows you to leave your laundry or shoes for polishing, and after pressing the valet call button, the valet should sprint along and pick up the items for servicing without bothering you, and this goes for returning them. It"s now been more than two hours since I pressed the button, and my scuffed shoes are still there.


The bathroom has two vanity units – one on either side of the room. One of them has an easily readable LCD clock on the wall, and the other is complete with A/V controls for the TV/music and a hands-free phone. There are of course power sockets at both vanity units for your toothbrush or where you can plug in the hotel supplied hairdryer.


The bathtub is an area where you can control the TV, and make a phone-call - almost hands-free by utilizing the wall mounted control panel.


Not to be outdone, the toilet cubicle has another phone that can be used in hands-free mode although it does have a handset as well. There is a Privacy button and Emergency Assistance call unit.


Something to note is that all panels and switches are labeled in Chinese and English, and temperature controls can be switched from C to F.


If you are seeking refuge from panels, switches and lights, there is just one area of the room which is free of such services and that"s the shower cubicle. Here you can enjoy another type of power trip - a power shower.


A nice product – my hat goes off to the Peninsula IT Team for putting it all together – I know what a struggle it must have been. And if there is one group who can make that happen – it"s the PENINSULA.


Another star is definitely born.


RELATED FLICKR FEEDS
Peninsula Shanghai - The Tech Facts

First posted - October 22 2009

Imagining the Hotel of the Future


When we talk about the Hotel of the Future, I cannot help but find myself reflecting back to those biblical times when it all started, and the perennially repeated phrase “there was no more room at the Inn”. How happy and disappointed that Innkeeper must have been. Happy because he had a full house, but disappointed because he missed out on that paparazzi opportunity of accommodating what was to become one of the most famous individuals of all time.

An Inn from those yesteryears has now transformed itself into a Hotel of the Modern era, but still essentially serving up the same basic set menu of services: a place to rest, a place to clean up and a place to take some refreshment. Of course, in today’s fast paced and very demanding society an Inn or Hotel has so much more to offer, and this is where we need to seek answers in how will those services and facilities change as we glance into the future.

Back to the future

What we know today, is that the most highly sought after amenity beyond nice bathroom cosmetics, a great bed and a fluffy bathrobe – is fast, reliable and appropriately priced Internet access. And its by no means surprising that when the occupants of the ISS (International Space Station) were recently hooked-up to the Internet and the WWW, one of the first things they did was to Tweet away.

Did you know that the ISS is the most expensive Hotel (a.k.a. object) ever constructed and that the ESA (European Space Agency) estimates the cost at €100 billion over 30 years. It’s no wonder that this has become the sought after playground of the super rich and famous - reachable by a limited few. Dennis Tito a California-based multi-millionaire became the first ever space tourist when he paid US$20m (a long staying guest rate) when he stayed 7 nights aboard the ISS back in 2001. I just wonder what upgrade premium he would have been prepared to pay if his room type was in the newly furbished Tranquility suite of the ISS and now boasts a 31-inch window, dubbed the Cupola, that provides stunning views of space and the Earth never before seen from inside the station.

Movies have created many great and voyeuristic examples of futuristic living. Perhaps you saw Arnold Schwarzenegger's movie "Total Recall", where space tourism was a central theme. The “Fifth Element” starring Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich filled the silver screen with examples of living and commuting amidst floating cities, and the recently launched TV series – Caprica, has us moving in and out of Second-Life type existences using life-like avatars and virtual reality.

Back to basics

As I said earlier, when we try to imagine the Hotel of the Future, we really need to go back to basics in order to understand what was, and still remains today, the basic premise for creating a Hotel (apart from profit).

Inns (a.k.a. Hotels) were originally conceived as temporary resting places for travelers far away from home, and somewhere to freshen up and partake of a meal while on a long journey.  These remain and I think no matter how creative and innovative one can be, will continue as the foundations of the hotel business long into the future.

Since we have the basics established, we can now layer on top various facilities and amenities the guest may require. This could include somewhere to meet friends, associates and family. Here we could use the F&B facilities and they will morph themselves depending on the needs and profile of the customer.

Technical services such as the TV and Telephone were added as conveniences for the traveler, allowing them to stay in touch while on the road. These are often made obsolete by the guest’s own Smartphone and/or laptop computer. It’s also very probable that over a short period of time they will converge into one, with the TV becoming a portal providing wider connectivity such as to SNS (Social Networking Systems), video conferencing and a richer viewing experience with 3D capabilities -which are already beginning to hit the US domestic market. 

The mini bar along with beverage making facilities, whilst they are useful and convenient (but often overpriced), can be replaced by automated kiosks/vending machines which themselves have become more sophisticated and accepted by certain demographic types. Today, vending machines sell almost anything from condoms to iPhones.


A service industry

We have always said that the hotel business is a service business and that people are the only means to delivering those services. However, people are becoming increasingly unreliable (and expensive) and machines can remove that unreliability (and cost) and in some instances, replace the service altogether – such as in the case of Check-In and Check-Out kiosks. Whilst using these may not be everyone’s cup of tea, they finally have a place and are accepted in society as seen all too often in Banks and airline counters.

The Concierge/Information service is being replaced by a Kiosk or interactive touch screen monitor, and where questions are more complex than can be offered through a simple touch screen, a video link to a remote service center handling multiple locations and languages is very feasible.

Operationally in the Hotel of the Future there will be a big move to Cloud computing and virtualization. This being mostly driven by rising labor and utility costs, the need for efficient space utilization, and the lack of on-property skills, which are increasingly harder to find and keep. Data ownership, security and connectivity issues will be resolved as will the finding of suitable service providers. Once these companies wake up and realize the true potential value of this new recurring revenue model, they will descend in droves onto the properties and management companies touting their wares. Some forward thinking groups have already laid the groundwork by creating test labs, and others yearn for the day this will happen.

Security will continue to be a concern not just of the guest and property, but the data from transactional records. Hackers undoubtedly will see hotels as a honey pot and although to-date they have mainly held off, they will without doubt focus their attention on this highly visible industry. Recent attacks have shown this is a reality, and so more stringent practices must be put in place. And remember, not all hacking is from outside the property…

CRM = Customers Really Matter

Customer relationship building will need to become even more personal. The development of apps as seen on the BlackBerry and iPhone along with other mobile devices are a driver for this.

The intimacy of these relationships needs to be even more carefully thought out and managed especially when a customer consciously installs an app onto their device – this is a big √ in favor of your business.

This means I want you to know me, and I want you to treat me as an individual and not just as another punter at the end of an internet connection.

This kind of one-on-one intimate relationship building is new to all of us. Especially as we take the hotel out of the hotel and place it into the palms of our guest’s. This action becomes key to the successful management of the Hotel of the Future.

First Posted - March 2010

Where Everybody Knows Your Name....

Where Everybody Knows Your Name.... is the theme song from the 1980s hit television sitcom Cheers. The melody kept humming at the back of my head when I returned to the Ritz Carlton Pu Dong (Shanghai).

Without missing a beat, The Bellboy outside of the Hotel's front doors ran up to me as soon as he caught sight of me trundling up the pathway with my roller-bag, and blurted out in perfect pitch - "Welcome Back - Mr. Ronson". I should not have been surprised by this. I am absolutely convinced that my mug shot had been pre-circulated to 'The Ladies and Gentlemen' of the Ritz Carlton Pu Dong after I documented my experience during my first visit. But to their credit, they lost no time to make sure all memories of that stay were no more.

I was predictably invited back by the General Manager for a make-up visit. It was an invitation I was frankly reluctant to accept but out of courtesy and in fairness to to him and the rest of the Team, I agreed to return.

Evidently, this would be no ordinary stay. I expected the hotel would go to great lengths to correct my initial impression and to show off what could be done and to burnish once and for all the Ritz Carlton's reputation for providing five-star service. I was welcome to the idea, but IMHO would have preferred to have had this type of experience the first time round when I checked in as a nobody rather than a heavily asterisked guest on the arrival list.

I must admit, however, there is more magic in a stay when as an anonymous guest, you are accorded the courtesies and the unexpected delights of a sterling service from hotels like the Ritz Carlton. Yes, I fully realize that it's tough to achieve this, but how successful you would be as an Hotelier if you instill this kind of culture into your operation. And that is what helps makes a guest return, and an ROI achieved by your brand.

And so the show begins. Upon entering the Hotel's doors, Jennie Toh, Executive Assistant Manager, Rooms almost immediately met me. She was to be my escort designate to the Lobby and my waiting accommodations. 

She gave me a warm welcome and I was impressed by the way she interacted with a family in the elevator tempting some kids (apparently regular guests) with a special treat if they accompanied her to the front desk and assisted with an as yet unknown assignment. During the ride to the Lobby, Jennie got on her iPhone to announce she was with me. That must have been to the General Manager because he was in the Lobby to graciously welcome me back. We agreed to meet later for a chat.

I was given room 4707, the same type of suite I was first mistakenly taken to during my last visit. This time around, there was no confusion this was my room. They must have taken notes from my previous article because there before me were 12 mini bananas in the fruit basket, and a Perrier nicely chilling in an ice bucket.
Once the formalities of checking-in were dispensed with, the mineral water on ice was pointed out to me, and an offer to make me a Nespresso if I wanted one.

And when the welcome entourage departed, I was free to explore my surroundings. The first thought that came to mind was this quite possibly was the most thoroughly checked room on the planet. Not only that, but their obvious hard work had extended to the carpet being shampooed. I knew that since there was a familiar residual odor that indicated so. No problem. It was the thought that counts.

Chrome fittings were shining, linens and towels neatly folded and pressed, and everything lined up as though a spirit level had been used to ensure this. Welcome notes were in abundance offering all manner of support and assistance - some even duplicated. The Breakfast menu, laundry list and shoeshine bag label were personalized with my name and room number - further emphasizing my elevated status. Having put so much effort in welcoming me profusely, they could have gone the extra mile and saved me from having to call the Front Desk for an access code should I have wanted to use the omnipresent Wi-Fi. It would have completed the whole process of pre-registering nicely especially as it's comp and they seemed to think of almost everything else.
There were videos to use with the Blu-Ray player, but lacking were music CD's for the Bose Wave radio located at the bedside; I counted twelve bottles of water for me to drink - eight of which were in the process of being nicely chilled by various methods.

After catching up on emails, imbibing some chilled Perrier and munching on those delicious bananas, oh yes, and having a few conference calls, the time just flew. It was now 7pm and three hours had mysteriously yet pleasurably passed since check-in. I had a niggling feeling at the back of my mind that Housekeeping were probably standing in the wings waiting for me to go out of the room so that they could perform that ever so magical turndown service. I was not wrong. As if prompted by some sixth sense, the doorbell suddenly rang with both the Assistant Housekeeper and Room Attendant on the outside asking if they could do just that. I informed them I would shortly be going out and if they didn't mind, could they come back a bit later. "Of course Mr. Ronson", they replied and offered an unnecessary but obligatory apology for the disturbance.

Shortly thereafter I left the room and headed to the 49th floor Club Lounge to see what delights were on offer.
Almost in sync with the elevator doors opening, two ladies greeted me by name, and ushered me to a very nice window seat with a great nighttime view of the Bund. Hoards of tourists were visible through the clear night sky and a cacophony of flashing digital cameras produced a most entertaining free show to onlookers. The ladies continued their welcome spiel by asking if I would like a Perrier. I accepted the kind offer.

The buffet had the usual items and I particularly enjoyed the spicy tuna sushi. Sadly the fried Calamari rings although tasty, were tepid. I declined the offer of some Tenderloin since I've been off meat since January.
My drink arrived, and as the Captain poured the Perrier accompanied by a lemon wedge housed inside an aluminum squeezer, he enquired whether I would like some bananas (I guess part of his mise en place should I turn up in the Lounge) - I declined the offer. However, after about 15 minutes, he nevertheless delivered 4 of the mini type to my table. I smiled in appreciation of this gesture, almost feeling they were a reward for something - not sure though if for him, or me.

By 7.50pm the Buffet Chef cleared the table, except for a few desserts and some cheeses. I was not warned it was going to close ahead of it doing so, even though there were only about 6 guests in the room, including myself.

Finishing my drink, and leaving the untouched bananas, I departed the lounge only to be greeted by The Executive Chef who was on his way to the lounge. "Surely he was there not just to meet me?" I thought as he extended a personal welcome, and proffered he placed some smoked salmon in my room - which he proudly announced he personally smoked... We shook hands; I thanked him, and headed off for the short elevator ride back to my home-away-from-home.

It was indeed elegantly serviced. An empty bottle of Perrier was replaced by a fresh one, as was the used mouthwash among the toiletries. The half full glass of water left on the desk had a paper cloche placed on it, and the welcome fruit was relocated to a side table in order to make space for the setup of salmon and condiments. These included some delicious berries, nuts and other assorted goodies. The salmon wedges were very tasty and much appreciated.

I did happen to check the second WC to see if hand towels had been placed there (they seem to have been overlooked), but none were made available - just a box of tissues.

This instance I made a point to use the enticing bathtub - not all are comfortably large enough to accommodate me, but this one nicely did the job. I even got to watch the BBC as I soaked away the stress of the day. Now it's time for some zzzz's

After a good night's sleep in an extremely comfortable bed, I decided to kick-start the day with a lovely Nespresso. Whilst the machine worked, it was not functioning at peak performance, since the always-flashing indicator lights show it's time for a service. This was partially reflected in the size of the dispensed coffee being less than normal. I know this as I too have the exact same machine.

While shaving - between 08:41 and 08:47 the hotel experienced a total power failure. I did not call down believing they had enough to deal with, I had absolute confidence it would be restored quickly. And if it wasn't, I assumed a large delegation would soon arrive at my door enquiring as to my safety.

At breakfast in the Lounge, I was again offered Perrier, and a plate of 6 new mini bananas was speedily delivered to my table. The Lounge Attendant noticed I was carrying my own newspaper (this time the China Daily was sent to my room) and she proudly said they have their own and that there was no need for me to bring mine.
While checking out the buffet, the attendant offered me an omelet and I accepted one made with mushroom and tomato. This was to be garnished with black pepper at the suggestion of the server. When it was delivered to my table by the Female Chef, it was suitably accompanied by a small bowl of sea salt.

My table, which was the same one as occupied the night before, had been adorned by a tray containing a mixture of berries, which pleasantly rounded off my breakfast. Incidentally, two different waiters offered me a second cup of coffee, and various others offered general assistance to ensure my absolute satisfaction. Jenny even stopped by to say Hello.

As planned, I met up with the GM - Rainer Burkle, who is also Area Vice President for China. We had a great chat. I gave him some background on my rationale for the Blog, and he pointed out that following its publication he received numerous calls. Of course, he was grateful for the constructive criticism.

Shortly thereafter, I departed.

As Steve Jobs of Apple recently said - "We're not perfect" when his latest iPhone had an uncharacteristic design fault. In the case of Ritz Carlton Pu Dong they have very openly admitted that fact for which I greatly admire them. They tried their very best to put things right. And I believe in a short while, they will come very close to being just so.

RELATED FLICKR FEEDS

Ritz Carlton Pu Dong, Shanghai - visit #2



Well done guys!

What had they done in response to my earlier comments:
- Chilled the drinking water
- Added some DVD's
- Placed Bananas in the fruit basket
- Added a highlighter and Post-it-notes in the Stationery Box
- Provided Newspapers
- Placed a clock in the bathroom
- Addressed me by name
- Sent some Smoked Salmon to my room
- Offered to make me an Espresso upon check-in
- Provided sea salt with my omelet
- Placed a plate of berries on my breakfast table
- Offered banana Danish during breakfast
- Increased management level presence (at least in the areas I was present
What they had not done:
· Placed a music CD in the Bose player
· Fixed the mirror fogging issue in the shower
· Given me a Wi-Fi access code

Visit date: August 3rd and 4th 2010

First Posted - August 8th 2010

It's A Tall Order Opening A New Hotel

Opening a new hotel is no joke. In theory, every effort should be made so no stone is left unturned to ensure operations from front and back of the house are flawless. In practice, perfection is difficult to achieve but a reasonable semblance of it should not be a difficult task. With strong brand and a solid reputation in the hospitality industry, I had high expectations of the newly opened Ritz Carlton Pu Dong, Shanghai. I was sadly disappointed. On checking-in, there before me unfolded a series of events which I can only describe as a unlikely comedy of errors.


It's my understanding it is common practice to have a simulation process in place - a soft opening period to perform general snagging. These are the times when each department goes through its paces, to make sure all are in order before welcoming the real paying guests. During this phase, quirks are fixed, potential problems are anticipated, and ironed out.

But there may be instances when events are beyond one's control. For some, projects all too often overrun the construction schedule, and there is tremendous pressure (from owners and various others in the ownership and management hierarchy) to get the place open ASAP. Would this have been the case for this hotel because it is based in a city that is hosting a major event like the 2010 Expo? Could the launch of the iconic Apple Store, just 100 steps away also have factored in the timing of the opening of the hotel? Maybe.

Inaugurated on June 21st, this property sits in a skyscraper amongst the upper floors of the IFC tower (the one with an HSBC logo on top). And if you are kind-of-lucky enough like me, you would be in Room 4603 and you would be able to marvel at the sight of two of Shanghai's other famous skyscrapers - the Jin Ma building housing the Grand Hyatt and the SWFC (Shanghai World Finance Center) that is the proud home of the Park Hyatt. However, if I were to have stayed in the first room I was (mistakenly) assigned to, I would have had an even more spectacular view - the Bund - so long as the windows would have been nicely cleaned and it's not foggy outside.
How did the mix-up come about? God knows. But this triggered a series of events that left me dumbfounded.
I arrived at the hotel welcomed by an entourage dressed in all manner of costumes ranging from reddish party frocks that some female staff were wearing on the ground floor entrance, to a bellman whose uniform was complemented by what seemed like a British Harris tweed cloth sporting cap not unlike what Andy Capp used to wear. To complete the look, he had a walkie-talkie attached to his belt inside a felt type bag - that looked like it should be branded National Geographic.

I was ushered to the lift by the bellboy and I must admit I felt uncomfortable when he peeked inside the luggage tag on my suitcase to find my name while riding the elevator to reception. I understand his rationale in doing so, but can't remove the nagging feeling that my privacy was violated - especially as the luggage tag was buttoned down and he had to flip it open to see my name card hidden inside.

Arriving at the Front Desk, I duly presented them with a printout of my reservation, my passport and the obligatory credit card. A seasoned traveler does not need to be asked but it would have been nice to be greeted with "Welcome to Ritz Carlton Shanghai".

The desk clerk looked at the confirmation and said, "you will be escorted to your room and have in-room check-in". Wonderful I thought, no one knows who I am and yet I am being given a VIP treatment - how wrong I was!
The young female hotel staff - took me to the room and when she opened the door - I thought WOW - they did find out who I am and upgraded me to a junior suite-type room complete with a free standing bath in front of the window overlooking the Bund!

I was shown around the room [she did not call it a suite] and advised that the plate of macaroons were a welcome gift for me, and next to the fruit basket was a welcome card. What a lovely touch, I thought. The only problem was, the name on the card was not mine! I should have kept my mouth shut, but being the honest Joe I am, I owned up. "Oh xxxx" I could almost hear her thinking, as she looked both amazed and embarrassed at the mix up. The bellboy muttered some Chinese to her [mine is sadly not good enough to understand what was exchanged] and then she got on the phone and a dialogue ensued with the Front Desk. I had assumed that's whom she was talking to. She then asked to be excused while the matter was sorted out. I did not mind - I was enjoying my luxurious surroundings and took the opportunity to do a recon of the room while painfully aware that what lay ahead were two stark choices. The best-case scenario - I would remain in this nice room (since it was their mistake and not mine and would have been an excellent service recovery process), and the worse case - they move me to a less salubrious room. No guessing what fate was actually bestowed on me.

I could have been nasty about their decision making process, but I thought let's go with the flow - they don't know who I am, or the implications of their actions - especially as it's now in print.

So, we walked down the corridor, and I was deposited into the right room (from their point of view) - I knew it was mine straight away, not just because it was 50% smaller, but because the note with the fruit had my name on it. Incidentally, the fruit bowl was almost identical to that of the first room - but without my favorite fruit - bananas. Still, it was nice for me to have gotten these.

Going through the check-in process, the lady took away my credit card and passport - she had no option, since I was not going to schlep back to the Front Desk to register. After about 15 minutes she sheepishly brought them back. If she had any sense about her, she would have known from my facial expression as I opened the door to greet her that I was unhappy with the situation. Now an hour later - no apology champagne or macaroons have arrived. Not that I drink Champagne - Perrier would also have been nice then I would not have had to pay RMB100 for the red bottle of Tynant Still mineral water on the credenza. I wouldn't have forked out for that anyway. I prefer the free stuff in the bathroom - just wonder why they don't put a couple of those 330ml bottles in the minibar fridge to make them nice and cool, especially on these hot summer days.

And then there is the room itself. Décor was pleasant- combination of wood and glass - a bit art deco in style. An interesting feature is the telephone that is housed inside a box partially resembling a small valise. Not quite sure the rationale behind this - but to give them due credit - it's different. I do miss the Espresso maker that was in my first assigned room - which, interestingly looked like a local copy of a Nespresso machine. Guess I will have to make do with the French press coffee and kettle.

Beside my real bed is a Bose audio system connected with a Dexim iPod dock - no remote control provided. I docked my iPhone 3GS (not surprisingly it could not accommodate my iPad) but it does play back nicely through this reliably high quality product. Surprisingly nestled under the Philips TV is a Pioneer BDP-120 Blu-Ray player sans DVD - so I could not test it. Even likewise the Bose unit has no CD inside (unlike The PuLi or JW Marriott) - I guess they expect you to BYOM (Bring Your Own Media). There is no AUX connectivity panel, but the side connection ports can be accessed on the TV. Actually, I later discovered that even if I would have had brought one of my RMB20 discs, I could not have used the Blu-Ray player since the power cable was not connected to the electricity supply, and there was no HDMI or other RCA type cables connecting it to the TV - YIKES!
The desk was made of glass (how do you use a mouse on that?!) and had a strange shaped board-like cover that was such an odd shape that you could not rest a laptop on it and work comfortably. I did away with that immediately. There is a Teleadapt desk-port giving easy access to the Broadband. I opted for Wi-Fi, which incidentally I did not have to pay for since I smartly tunneled through as a roamer using BOINGO. A couple of always-on power sockets are close at hand on the wall behind the electric-powered drapes. The side drawers contain the Room Service menu and a stationery box with some useful goodies like paper clips, eraser, ballpoint pen, stapler, pencil and ruler. Personally, a highlighter would have been a nice addition, as would a few post-it notes.

Either side of the bed is a room control panel that is an almost identical copy of that used in the Landmark Hong Kong (Mandarin Oriental property). This is a sliding unit that is virtually impossible to read as the labels are upside down as you lay in bed. I suggest that the cabling of these units be re-visited and some cable ties used as there is quite a mess at the side of the beside unit.

A strange thing just happened. I'm sitting at the desk typing away on this report and multi-tasking with email and some IM's, when the lights and AC go off. Not a power failure I thought - so I got up and looked around - the music was still playing and realized that the motion detector located almost above the desk behind the hanging lamp mistakenly believed the room to be empty and cut the power. After flailing my arms - everything came back on.

I should mention that upon my inspection of the room, I was hoping to use the safety box, only to discover it was locked. Maybe the previous guest left some valuables inside? So I did the right thing and called 'service experience' on the phone and they said someone would come up to fix it - no apology was made. About 15 minutes later the MOD (Manager on Duty) appeared - Mark Sun was his name, and he tried the highly secure release code "0000" but it did not work. He then attached a dongle to the front of the unit and pressed some buttons on his HP hand-held - that opened it. He then tried a test lock/open but it failed. In fact all the buttons froze - so he said he would get the Engineering department to replace it - "did I mind" he asked? Why should I? These things happen - don't they? Especially in new hotels like this one.

After about 30 minutes there was a tapping on my door and a lady in a suit appeared with an Engineer.
They simply pulled out the drawer that the safe was fitted into, and slid in a new drawer with the replacement safe. All done. Fixed in a jiffy. Impressive! But, when I see how secure this safe really is , I began to wonder what's really the point in using it - IMHO - What kind of safe place is that? In reality, I could fit the whole thing inside my Tumi carry-on roller bag and make off with it, and who would know?

Did I mention that the bathtub faces a TV hidden inside a mirror-covered wall? It's not a full mirror TV - but good enough. The remote control is labeled "Waterproof" - maybe I will use that instead of a rubber ducky when I take a dip later. Nice amenities - wrapped for the most part in gold boxes and paper, and for one terrible moment I thought they forgot to include Cotton buds - lucky I found them hidden inside the colored frost-glass containers on the wall above the vanity.

The shower cubicle is just the right size, and on one wall is a vertical mirror - excellent idea if you want to comb your hair in the shower, or maybe shave. However, it's most fortunate in my case that I could not see the reflection of my love handles, since the mirror actually fogs up when the shower is running...Superb rain shower - exceptional pressure and just the right temp to invigorate you - the morning after the night before...
Concerned over the absence of a shaver socket, I found a hairdryer just under the double vanity that has a regular power socket and I used that to re-charge my electric toothbrush.

The drawers inside the wardrobe include a plastic wet bag from the Spa - nice idea.

As I was catching up on paperwork (as well as discovering the delights of the hotel room's features), I declined the turn-down service. I did, however, request a few extra bottles of free water. They gave me three and a little card telling me tomorrow's weather - as if I don't know it was going to be hot and humid. Now, if they would have been dressed in French Maid costumes, carrying some designer choco mints or a plate of warm milk and cookies (which the Upper House Hong Kong does so brilliantly), I might have let them in.

I had to re-position the Ritz Carlton branded bedside clock into the drawer of the nightstand - it ticks, and I loathe ticking clocks while trying to sleep. I better remember to move it back upon checkout otherwise they may think I stole it like I was tempted to do with the nice and fluffy RC logo'd bath sheets and Bathrobes.

Lighting switches and power socket face-plates (Clipsal Schneider brand) vary in color from white to silver, and quite often, they were not aligned perfectly - sadly a common problem I have encountered in hotels - and this problem is replicated on the emergency exit sign to the right side of the Reception counter. Good though that all power sockets are of the international type.

Since it's dinner time, I decided to look around the F & B outlets - and the maitre d' in the Italian restaurant welcomed me with a spiel which he somehow thought would be appealing to me, and convince me to sit down and eat in his restaurant. The spiel focused on the fact the outlet was designed by Super Potato, and that every table was positioned to have a spectacular view of Shanghai. He also eloquently pointed out the ceiling lighting effects (Incidentally the Room Confirmation does the same: The hotel's Italian Restaurant is located on the 52nd Lobby Level and designed by Super Potato Co. Ltd. Design theme of the Restaurant is lighting of sunbeams showering through leaves - part of the ceiling and walls are randomly made hallow to allow different types of rays to penetrate from the back to convey warm, relaxed yet refined ambience). Does he (and the Hotel) not think I would be more interested to hear about the light and fluffygnocchi or thinly sliced Carpaccio - maybe even the espresso-drenchedTiramisu... I think they lost the plot. I felt really sorry for those hard working Chefs.
This hunk of a guy also suggested I go to the roof-top bar - the best in town as he described it, again with spectacular open-air views. As I did not know the special route to this hideaway, he kindly escorted me to the secret elevator. Eventually after ascending several floors, the doors opened into a crowded room, at which point a hostess asked me if I was joining the 'Apple party' - I said "NO" to the great chagrin of the hostess who then told me, "sorry, the room is closed all night for a private party". Did I see a red flag or what you may well ask?
There was no sign by the elevator before boarding, I was not warned before the elevator hostess pressed the button to whisk me to the roof, or as the Italian resto Maitre D' sent me there. But what I did have (again) were raised expectations about having the opportunity (as a paying hotel guest) of enjoying an evening in what was claimed as the best bar in Shanghai.

Disappointingly, carrying an iPad under my arm did nothing to qualify me to enter this invitation-only Apple launch party being held in honor of their new Shanghai store opening tomorrow - just downstairs in the IFC mall. In hindsight, I should have worn blue jeans, a black turtle neck sweater and said my name was Steve - saying "don't you know who I am?" With a similar haircut, I think I could have almost pulled it off...

I did not want a heavy Italian meal, so I opted to hang out in the lobby lounge bar where a jazz band is alleged to perform, and besides, more significantly, it's cigar friendly.

The hostess allowed me to sit anywhere (in the designated smoking area - the room was empty) - she presented me a menu asked if I needed a cigar ashtray - astutely observing my cigar case...well spotted! If only she would have continued to be my server, she might have remembered to periodically empty the ashtray when it became filled with the ash from smoking two Robusto size Cuban cigars. Alas, it was not.

It's a great pity that the waitress assigned to my table wore clunky high heels that make a heck of a lot of noise while she badly traverses the wooden floor. The background music does not quite drown it out; maybe when the band strikes up it will get better. Oh no! The singer has arrived and she has the same type of heeled shoes as does yet another female staffer - what is it with these women? Lucky for me I avoided a similar embarrassment by wearing my rubber soled Ecco's.

The bar decor is aesthetically pleasing, not really sure of the style it resembles, although there is again a lot of use of glass and wood, along with some Lalique looking object d'art. Makes me feel as though I'm in the Langham Yangtze lobby or an old world Shanghai setting.

Perusing the menu I noticed my all time favorite - Smoked Salmon. Strangely it was the most expensive food item at RMB120 (Why was the salmon the same price as that of the in-room dining menu? Doesn't Room Service usually carry a premium for the privilege - or added burden to the operation of dining in-room?) Well, I bit the bullet and ordered.

After about 15 minutes a state-of-the-art (in F&B terms) rectangular glass plate arrived with a central pile of poppy seed sprinkled salmon entwined with radicchio and a couple of other standard mixed greens. The plate was interestingly garnished with four drops of wasabi mayonnaise. I thought this is not enough for me (even if I am on diet) so I asked the server for some bread - she was shocked at my request. About 8 minutes later a basket of room temperatureCiabatta arrived - I guess they are from the adjacent Italian restaurant. It would have been a nice touch if the bread was pre-warmed and maybe embedded with sundried tomatoes or olives.

The taste was OK, nothing spectacular and I very much doubt the salmon was Scottish - more likely Atlantic or Norwegian. Finishing it, I still felt hungry but maybe the hunger pains will dissipate as the bread soaks up my Perrier. I was not given any nuts or munchies - seems they only come if your order spirits or wine.

The three-piece band is finally playing - a guy on piano, one more on the saxophone, and a girl singer. All three are dressed in Trilby hats - trying to look kool. It does not work! And to top it all, the female singer enjoys incessantly talking to the pianist while he is playing (and she not singing) and I can hear every word being on the table next to them. Worse yet, the room is empty except for me, and the occasional heavy-footed staffer. Do I sound bitter? I'm not really - just immensely disappointed at what this hotel is supposed to stand for (the image behind the brand). I had high hopes the evening will improve once I fired up my own cigar. Unfortunately, it didn't.
How demoralizing it must be for the band - with just one cigar smoking, Perrier swigging guest. Not sure if it's better that way or with no one at all, especially as I'm typing away on my iPad taking notes of this comedic performance as it unfolded in front of me. If only the Apple folks upstairs knew this - they would be amused.
It's now 2115 and the first set is over. The band exits - mobiles and cigarettes in hand. As they exit stage right, they are talking loudly amongst themselves. Not a great environment for me trying to relax and enjoy my Cohiba.

The background music is back on, no staff present in the room, and all is fairly serene inside this cavernous empty venue. Let me swing round in my comfy chair and enjoy the great views of the Bund, even though I can hear the staff loudly chatting back of house. Things began to look up - two more guests arrived!

As the evening progressed, the room became more popular with a few people wanting nightcaps, and some just taking in the view. I have to say, that when the band seriously got down to the business of entertaining us, they did a great job, and the female singer has a lovely voice. Hopefully, they will be encouraged to focus more on their paid profession, and not side chatting. The band ended their last set around midnight, left the room (sad for them without any audience applause) and then returned a few minutes later in their street clothes - the singer attired in short shorts and a singlet shirt... I'm opened minded, but this is a RC...

Its off to bed, and a struggle with the bedside panel - [I was not wrong - it was very tough to work out which button to press - even for a techie like me.]

But hold on - on my way back to the room, let me try and check out the Club Lounge. Oh great I thought - I can press the lift button and get to it. The access control panel inside the lift is obviously not working. Upon accessing the room, it was only manned by an Ai Yi (janitor.) I was tempted to help myself to the raisin and oatmeal cookies and the other diet busting delicacies on display, but I didn't. It was highly likely that I was being monitored on the CCTV system.

Time is 0930, and for me, on a lazy Saturday morning, about the right juncture for a 5-star breakfast. Time to tootle down to the Scena restaurant and see what culinary delights are on offer or not as the case may be.
Upon arrival at this outlet, located on the lobby floor behind Reception, I am warmly greeted by several staffers wishing me a good morning, and ushered to a window seat overlooking the early morning sightseers on the opposite (North) side of the historically architecture Bund.

The light oak table is decked out with black 'Pama' design cutlery, battery powered maroon colored Peugeot cruets, and four bottles of Wilkin & Sons 28g preserves. Freshly made coffee quickly arrives in a red mug, and is a pleasure to drink. Sadly, I had to request a refill.

The buffet is as non-exciting for a trained culinary palette like mine as you can get. All the standard buffet breakfast items are there, including a few pieces of sushi, some smoked salmon (thankfully), croissants, muffins, fried noodles, congee, a honey roasted ham and some dim sum. As far as fruit goes, there were no bananas or berries, just oranges and red and green apples, plus a few cut slices of melon and dragon fruit. I could not see any healthy smoothies, neither were there any frittatas - just some poached eggs and the norm fried eggs and omelette to order. The pancakes were brittle and had obviously been sitting too long in the chafing dish. I have to say that I like the idea of an a la carte main course ordering process for breakfast - especially at this price point.
I was glad to see some management types in the room, strutting round the buffet and doing some cosmetic tidying up of the contents and utensils. One of them (he must have been one of the senior managers) greeted me "Good Morning". He was chatting away with a famous Travel Journalist who recognized me and gave me a look that said, "I know what you're doing here".

Breakfast occupancy was not great. Perhaps I was too late, or maybe too early. Hard to tell. All I could see was one other Caucasian in the room. Others were of mixed Asian origin and varying generations.

Both the background music and room temperature were pleasant. A couple of local gentlemen sat at the adjacent table to mine, and one struggled with the Peugeot cruets not realizing that you need to press the top button to make them grind the contents. They believed you need to twist them to work, and consequently the unit opened to expose the contents... Loss of face for him.

My tomato and mushroom omelette arrived. It was well cooked, and when topped off with the freshly milled black pepper, was quite tasty. Maybe next visit they will have some Himalayan salt and offer me a newspaper to read. None was delivered to my room.

So along with the smoked salmon, some banana Danish, and a couple of cups of coffee (not forgetting the view) one could be coerced into believing it was kind of worth the RMB241.50 including tax and service. Incidentally, the guest check produced by Micros, was almost 3D in design. The printout was neither black nor red, but a mix of the two colors. Something tells me the print head is out of alignment. Maybe I should have worn 3D glasses to see the full effect of the guest check - if there was one.

Upon leaving the outlet, one of the staff members pointed out to "mind the steps", at which point I nearly tripped. Why do people design such potentially dangerous things? I'm baffled.

All in all, I have to say that this was one of the most entertaining and interesting hotel stays I've had in a long time. I'm not writing this to find fault, I'm writing this to hopefully educate the industry as to how the little things matter. Because it's when you add them all up - they become big things and negatively impact upon your stay, and potentially the brand, which the marketing folks go to such great lengths and expense to promote and protect.
Now I'm going to take my life into my hands and look for the newly opened Apple store!

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Stay period - July 9 & 10, 2010

First posted - July 13th 2010