China is having a huge impact. It is not like the old days where tour groups come and go; there are more affluent people and they have a lot of choice. How will this impact Regal International Hotels?

　　What development plans are in the pipeline for the Regal International group?

　　China is booming and we keep building properties as there is money there. In China we will open up four hotels by 2014, one near Shanghai and others in Xi’an and Guangzhou. Several have opened already for us.

　　We have also opened up new hotels in Hong Kong. This includes a boutique-style hotel under the ICON brand that only has 100 rooms. There are plans to open another three or four of these in Hong Kong as they are very efficient and in demand. It’s a younger market staying in those so it offers WiFi, no fuss and low expense. They are centrally located too so they can head to restaurants, transport and shops easily.

　　In the airport hotel, we are going to renovate a floor starting this month that once completed will be smoke-free. This is something to please our Chinese guests mainly but will appeal to other travellers.

　　How is growth in China impacting Hong Kong?

　　China is having a huge impact. It is not like the old days where tour groups come and go; there are more affluent people and they have a lot of choice and know what they want. We opened 5,000 rooms this year in Hong Kong and plan to add 6,000 next year. We don’t know when the saturation will be reached because the city continues to expand. Hotels are full in areas that did not exist 20 years ago.

　　Rates here have improved positively and there is increased competition but as far as the location and product is concerned we are streets ahead [particularly in the airport hotel]. Competition keeps us focused and we also have to live up to the awards and accolades we receive.

　　How has the hotel performed recently?

　　The hotel is running at 90% occupancy and that has been helped by intelligent internet selling; rates setting and segmentation. The length of stay is a little shorter than typical hotels as we are based at an airport and is on average one and a half nights. But we also have several contracts to look after airline crews when they are in the city. The hotel continues to thrive on the MICE and exhibition market; it is our bread and butter and brings us lots of return.

　　What about the leisure market?

　　We have identified that we need to focus on the business travellers’ wife and families when they stay and also the pre and post-leisure stay element to a conference. We still predominantly target work-focused travellers and markets and as an airport hotel some people do not move out of the hotel during their stay, which in some ways is what we want.

　　Travellers are demanding more connectivity now, how has Regal taken this onboard?

　　There is WiFi in Regal International rooms but not public areas. However the Ikhar iLounge concept has been developed so people can get free internet and that is quite popular. Lounge access is available to all guests in the hotel.

　　Mobile services are changing but we also have the chance to add more technology to our hotels. At the Hong Kong Airport hotel we now have airline check-in systems within our lobbies so people can get their boarding passes there.

　　How important is TripAdvisor for gaining customer feedback?

　　TripAdvisor has become a necessity. It is the lifeblood to business as it pushes the envelope and is an important resource for us. We use it as a source for feedback and we answer every response good or bad with honesty.

　　There are still too many hoteliers who try to fight against it and I don’t understand why as guests are sharp now and will come after you, you cannot cover their eyes. It is a terrific measurement as a third party and allows us to find solutions to problems.

　　The department heads are aware of the comments and we use them in an open forum, a sort of “controlled peer pressure” as such and those that are most successful are the ones who aren’t afraid to admit something went wrong.