New General Manager Leads Hotel with Higher Goal and Open Culture

    A decade ago, Marco Polo Shenzhen became the first International five star hotel that settled in the heart of Futian District. Today, facing the diverse market demands and competing with world-class hoteliers around, the newly upgraded hotel has set a higher target to wow every new and returned guest. Christoph Hoeflich, General Manager of Marco Polo Shenzhen, is the one to make sure the goal to be achieved.

    Mr. Hoeflich, a former hotel manager with the Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel, Prince Hotel and Gateway Hotel in Hong Kong, said he was proud to become the coach of the open-minded Shenzhen team, which was “sincere and very involved in the business.”

    “We would like to have over 100-percent market share (in this city), which is possible to achieve,” said Mr. Hoeflich, whose confidence comes from the achievements his team has made and the advantages of the hotel.

    “Marco Polo Shenzhen has achieved many awards, which are based on the hotel’s software and hardware. The software is the team. The hardware refers to the location and the facilities. The hotel positions itself in the business district in Futian area, where skyscrapers are spring up, and it is convenient for guests to carry on their business on workdays, enjoy leisure time during weekends and travel to other destinations within a short time.

    Mr. Hoeflich said the hotel has strong development in terms of increasing occupancy and it has become a member of Global Hotel Alliance to provide a loyalty program to guests.

    “We offer special and memorable experience to our guests. Therefore, we have many returned guests. The data shows that our guest loyalty is over 40 percent and in those guests at least has stayed twice in our hotel,” he said.

    He believes that his team is in a healthy cooperative competition with other hotels and together they can make bigger events happen.

    Mr. Hoeflich said he enjoys working with different people in different cultures. He expressed his enthusiasm of managing a hotel in such a fast-growing city.

    He said he was always impressed by the changes the city has made over the years. “It is now a technology hub and as the Prince Bay Cruise Home-port to be completed in November, it will re-position itself on the global leisure and business map,” he said.

    The hotel is close to the ShenzhenCivicCenter, Shenzhen Stock Exchange, ShenzhenInternationalConvention & ExhibitionCenter, GZ-SZ-HK Express Railway Futian Station and two metro stations. It is only 15 minutes to the Luohu Railway Station and ShenzhenBayPort, 20 minutes to Shenzhen North Railway Station, 35 minutes to Shekou Ferry Terminal and Shenzhen Bao’an Airport, and 10 minutes to Futian and Huanggang checkpoints.

    The 391 well-appointed rooms and suites are equipped with broadband Internet access, luxurious bathrooms, state-of-the-art communications and entertainment facilities. Situated on the 35th to 41st floors of the hotel, The Continental Club provides the most luxurious accommodations for travelers. The 31 function rooms can accommodate up to 3,000 people for meetings, seminars and social events.

    The range of dining options is superb and features Asian and western specialties. The fully-equipped fitness center includes a gym, sauna and outdoor swimming pool, and guests can indulge in relaxing spa treatments at the renowned Pure Spa.(Tan Yifan)