Veteran hotelier finds a new niche ( 2003-09-26 15:57) (Chian Daily)
Twenty years ago, Hong Kong
native Fung Chi Kin was attracted to Shanghai mainly because he could find
genuine Cantonese cuisine in the city. Now, as a veteran of Shanghai's hotel
industry, he and his wife are thinking about making Shanghai their permanent
home after retirement.
Looking back, from his time as residence manager at
Shanghai Yangtze New World Hotel and as general manager at the Shanghai New Asia
Tomson Hotel, Fung takes pride in his role in the creation and development of
Shanghai's top-level hotels.
Next month, Fung moves in as general manager of the newly opened Renaissance
Shanghai Pudong Hotel, another five-star hotel in Pudong District and another
high point in his 20-year career in Shanghai's hospitality industry.
Fung is proud to have been one of the pioneers of the industry in Shanghai -
after all he was one of the first customers to stay in one of the city's
top-notch hotels after the reform and opening period began.
When he first set foot in Shanghai in 1983, Fung chose to stay in the
Jinjiang Hotel, one of the few four-star hotels in the city back then. He also
enjoyed the service at the Huating Hotel when it opened for business in 1986.
Then he worked in Hangzhou from 1986 to 1988 but he still came back to
Shanghai once or twice every month - just for the genuine Cantonese dishes in
the Shanghai Friendship Restaurant.
Fung would stroll along the Bund and Nanjing Lu after his meal before
catching the 6:00pm train back to his work place.
"I still remember how difficult it was to make reservations at that time. I
requested my friend here to book for me and spent 50 yuan (US$6.03) for a single
night at Huating Hotel," Fung said.
This is the third time that Fung has worked in Shanghai and the second time
in Pudong. He was the general manager of the Shanghai Yangtze New World Hotel in
1988 and moved to Intercontinental Hotels and Resorts in 1995.
"The booming business of the Shanghai New Asia Tomson Hotel was beyond my
expectations," said Fung. "There were already several excellent hotels in Pudong
area then, but we still attracted many experts there."
Although well-performing hotels have mushroomed in Shanghai in recent years,
Fung believes that there is still more room for expansion.
"I am amazed to see the earth-shaking developments in Shanghai. I believe
there are still plenty of opportunities here and Shanghai's future is very
promising, especially in the lead-up to the 2010 World Expo," he said.
Fung is as enthusiastic about the prospects for the new Renaissance as he is
about Shanghai's future.
"We set the theme of 'Looking for Shanghai' for the Renaissance. The styles
and favors of old Shanghai is mixed in every design and decoration of our
facilities. We hope that the feeling of staying here is like reading stories of
old Shanghai," said Fung.
The Renaissance is famous for its three features of expressive design, street
restaurant and savvy service.
"Every staff member has a copy of the hotel's 20 service requirements in his
pocket. I require that everyone must recite them every morning. It is boring but
very useful," he said.
Despite his successful career, Fung is not a workaholic. He likes to play
some sport and is a good bowler. He is also a football fan of the China Football
Team and went to South Korea to watch the game between China and Costa Rica
during the World Cup last year.
But without doubt, enjoying food is Fung's favorite pastime.
"Every Sunday I dine out with a group of friends, say, 15 to 20 people. We
search for a very good restaurant such as one of those in Xintiandi and we enjoy
ourselves very much," said Fung. " But I myself have no idea of how to cook."
Fung and his wife have settled into life in Shanghai. "We have friends and a
career here. I am considering spending the rest of my life here," he said.
Looking back, from his time as residence manager at
Shanghai Yangtze New World Hotel and as general manager at the Shanghai New Asia
Tomson Hotel, Fung takes pride in his role in the creation and development of
Shanghai's top-level hotels.
