China Central Place is a growing presence in Beijing's Central Business District, providing more than 230,000 square meters of office space, 160,000 square meters of retail shopping space and eight residential areas.

 

And three soon-to-be operational luxury hotels will surely boost the area's reputation. Sofitel Wanda is expected to open this summer, followed by Ritz-Carlton Beijing and JW Marriott Hotel Beijing, both part of the worldwide hotel group Marriott International Inc, are scheduled to open in the fourth quarter.

 

The 590-room Marriott is the brand's fourth in China, along with Hong Kong, Shanghai and Chongqing. The 305-room Ritz-Carlton is the country's fifth, following those in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Beijing's Financial Street.

 

Because of the hotels' close proximity, the Marriot and Ritz-Carlton will be jointly operated under the same sales, marketing and finance groups - a first for the Marriot company.

 

Robert J. Lohrmann will be the managing director of The Ritz-Carlton Beijing and JW Marriott Hotel Beijing, overseeing two general managers.

 

During a recent trip to Beijing to announce the news, Lohrmann spoke to China Daily reporter Ding Qingfen about how he plans to operate the two hotels. 

 

Q: As the managing director of the two hotels, what will be your main job?

 

A: An interesting question, because I have not acted in this role before. A big part of my job is to make sure we combine the two Marriott luxury hotels, and do maximum leveraging from the two businesses. Ritz-Carlton has been a separately operated brand from Marriott, so I will make sure there is good communication and synergy. We will also try to have strong relationships with property owners.

 

Q: Don't you think two luxury hotels in the same location will compete with one another?

 

A: No. The hotels will complement each other as each has its defined customer profile. For Ritz-Carlton, it represents luxury and quality, and JW Marriott, sophistication and high-level personal services. We provide customers different choices.

 

Q: What about Sofitel?

 

A: I won't comment on Sofitel. I think the competition is healthy and positive.

 

Q: What are your business expectations?

 

A: We expect to be very successful. Wherever they are, both Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott have typically enjoyed being market leaders. This time, things will not be different. We are a unique project, and we hope to make a splash when the hotels open.

 

Q: China Central Place is a hot district in Beijing. Do you think this will promote your hotels' brand image?

 

A: It is the best location in Beijing, if you look at the different facets of the development complex - an impressive shopping mall that has just opened, the office buildings and residential areas. The mix is defining a new center for the downtown area. There would be high-volume traffic and a lot of attention. I believe these are beneficial to us.

 

Q: What have you been busy working on leading up to the opening?

 

A: Everyone is working hard to make sure we have a good pre-opening, informing the public we are coming, where we are and what we can offer. We can get enough support from our well-established network. There will be challenges in the lead-up to the opening, but it's not a big concern for us.

 

Q: As a veteran hotelier, you know China well. How do you view the local hospitality market, Beijing in particular?

 

A: From what I have seen here, it's an exciting market, and the industry has come a long way in a short period. I think the stage has been set for significant improvement. The timing could not be better. International hotels have already done a good job, with nice hardware, quality services and global network. They can assist in giving the market credibility.

 

Because of the Olympics and its economic boom, Beijing has more going on today, as well as in the future, than any other region in the world. The introduction of our two brands into China Central Place is timely.

 

(China Daily June 5, 2007)