As a judge of the KOL Credibility Gold List, a big reason why I am willing to be in it is that this event is at least a party scene to take photos and win awards when the awards are presented, since the first session, we have embedded the design of the salon at the award site, inviting wise guests in the industry to talk about the problems and future possibilities of the industry. So we talked all the way, this year is the sixth edition.
Zhang Jianjun, General Manager of Xiamen C&D Tourism Group, delivered a welcome speech
Just like this year's scene at Xiamen Wuyuan Water Town Hotel, we shared and exchanged "How to reflect the local dining elements in a five-star hotel?" "How do owners choose hotel brands?" How to guide and improve business efficiency after the epidemic? "How much impact does hotel PR have on a hotel or brand?" How to do a good job in product service and experience in the context of communication priority? , in order to enhance learning and communication in the industry through different perspectives and sharing.
Although the discussion time is limited, through the topic output and brick throwing, the orientation of our final topic discussion, or the output of my personal opinion, is to hope that every hotel can become a good hotel, whether it is in the eyes of owners, employees and consumers, or the hotel's own product capabilities and revenue efficiency, etc., can grow.
We have also kept pace with the times in our selection criteria, such as this year's KOL Credibility Gold List "China's 100 Most Memorable Hotels" Dingshe Award. In the selection process, brand diversity was taken into account, encouraging local brands and boutique hotels with local characteristics, design and service. Of course, this is a holistic consideration, and I believe that each judge also has their own dimension of consideration when voting.
Personally, in this era of hotel stock, especially for five-star hotels, such as mattress brands, water temperature and pressure, hygiene details, etc., should be the basis of the starting line, not the clichéd eye-catching. To become the "most experienceable" hotel, I think it is often not only in the industry that "no one has me, people have me excellent, people are excellent and I am new, and people are new and I am strange", but also in the new consumption era, in some aspects, truly lead the lifestyle and promote the trend.
So, in my eyes, what is so good about being a "best experience" hotel?
In the summer of 2022, the quiet and remote Oluguya made a piece of news: centenarian Maria Sou passed away. She is the protagonist of the Mao Dun Literature Award-winning novel "The Right Bank of the Erguna River", known as "China's last female chief", who spent her life in the company of forests and reindeer, guarding an ancient tribe, the Evenk deer.
I remember that at the end of 2017, Maria Solo led her reindeer and came to visit Mr. Yu Guangzhi, the founder of AOLUGUYA. For everyone's concern and curiosity about the life of the deer tribe, the old chief Maria Sojo not only shared the hardships of following the reindeer migration, but also vividly recalled the hunting experience.
The old chief, Maria So, and her family brought reindeer to visit Mr. Yu Kwong Chi
Speaking of his friendship with the old chief, Maria So, Mr. Yu Guangzhi said that the cold crossing in the middle of winter in 2012, in the dense forest of ice and snow, the picture of the first meeting with the old chief is still deeply impressed to this day. "Only nature and great beauty, return to the basics", the ancient and mysterious Evenk deer culture, Mr. Yu Guangzhi was deeply inspired: "Far from the bustling and noisy city, there is no wanton material desire, nor impetuousness of quick success." The Oluguya people, represented by the old man Mariasso, enjoy the tranquility and abundance of nature, live in harmony with nature, and live a simple and pure life. Therefore, we restored 'Ao Lu Guya' to the northern city, created the AOLUGUYA brand, and built Harbin Ao Lu Valley Ya AOLUGUYA Hotel, providing a quiet spiritual home for busy people in the city. ”
The 2021 KOL Credibility Gold List award fell on Harbin Aolu Guya Hotel, which was fortunate to visit this "tribal name" hotel because of the event. As China's first forest culture themed city hotel, not only the brand concept and design are inspired by the last hunting tribe of the Evenki people, "Ao Lu Guya", but also the Daxing'anling forest and reindeer elements.
The hotel rooms are named after the "Pinluozi" where the Evenks live, if you don't know "Pingluozi", then when you see the tissue box in the guest room, you will see the shape of the "Pinnacle". The décor of the rooms is also full of Ao Lu Guya ethnic atmosphere, and the moonlight reflects the carpet, like lying on the clouds. When you lie in bed and watch the full moon come to the window, you will feel the magical experience of being in the middle of a primeval forest.
In the midst of it, I was also personally touched by the hotel's initiative to shoulder the heavy responsibility. By publicizing the culture of the deer tribe, more people love the forest and protect nature. Of course, as a cultural-themed hotel, it is not only a window of time for people who are tired of walking to see the childhood of humans in the forest.
The hotel also interprets the poetry and care of luxury hotels through a number of considerate services, such as the Junction Tankra Asaka Restaurant on the 43rd floor of the hotel, where breakfast lasts until 1pm, allowing guests on holiday in this city to indulge in bed. In addition, the hotel has opened a new mode of room car allocation, providing guests with free use of vehicles during their stay, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover and Volkswagen on a first-come, first-served basis, creating a new realm of luxury accommodation experience in Harbin and even the whole country.
Luxury hotels around the world are generally fine in terms of hardware facilities, and which hotel is suitable for staying in depends on the software - service of each hotel. In my hotel experience, what I value most is the service, details and whether it is as promised, which is also an important scoring criterion when I rate the hotel.
To insert a sentence here, I want to say that one thing that makes me feel comfortable is that even in the past three years of great obstacles, the KOL credibility gold list has still broken through various difficulties to meet everyone, and the 2022 KOL credibility gold list is honored to be successfully held in the sky above Jinling - The Ritz-Carlton, Nanjing.
I still remember a detail that I remembered when I checked in at noon, and when I checked in at noon, Alan, the hotel's concierge, took me into my room, and I just asked casually, "What are the suggestions for running routes in Xuanwu Lake?" Unexpectedly, when I returned from the gym in the afternoon, the attentive Alan had turned my lips into his heart, and a comprehensive personalized morning jogging picture had been displayed in front of me... Not surrounded by overly enthusiastic words, but ironed by the silent but understanding of your service. These small details of "invisible people, but seen services" always build a pleasant moment on the trip and unforgettable memories later.
The charm of the Journey Station, in addition to making people feel comfortable and high-class service, is also culturally and spiritually nourishing and silently nourishing travelers. For example, the wall in the corner of the lobby contains 8 paintings and calligraphy representing Nanjing's past and present, which also represents the style of this hotel, which blends ancient and modern.
It is said that the entire hotel has a collection of more than 300 works of art, more than 900 ornaments, more than 6,000 books by 70 artists from 16 countries... It is as if this is not a simple space display, but a "collector's living room". In the dappled light and shadow, oriental aesthetics and Western classics are skillfully combined to highlight the elegant beauty of The Ritz-Carlton, Nanjing.
During the two days of stopping at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Nanjing, I met Yang Xiaodong, the founder of Yangshuo Sugar House, who brought everyone the newly baked sugar house newspaper "AURUA PAPER" from a long distance. My first impression at that time was that it was hard to imagine that in this era of fast content dissemination, there are still people willing to choose such an "old narrative" to convey brand value.
Looking at this spiritual book, you will find that they do not introduce the guest rooms or post beautiful pictures of the food, and the content they are doing seems to have nothing to do with the hotel itself. In the first issue of the theme of "terroir", the discussion of "countryside" and "rural construction" is carried out throughout the book, with depth of content, including talking about the countryside with Koolhaas, as well as memory fragments from houses to rural areas by invited authors, and introducing long-term design in the countryside. From various dimensions, we will explore why we aspire to the countryside, and how rural development and protection can no longer be polarized.
THE FIRST ISSUE OF THE AURUA PAPER PAGE LAYOUT
It is said that a "AURUA PAPER" takes 5-6 months from scratch, and these "slow" more reflect the brand's intentions and precipitation. But there is no doubt that this thicker and deeper precipitation is not a kind of flattery. "AURUA PAPER" is more like a cultural project, it has its own positioning and frequency, about 2 years to complete four issues, respectively, nature, terroir, radiance, spiritual charm four themes. This is also an interpretation of the AURUA brand concept, because the AURUA brand concept is derived from the Greek word AURA, which is also Benjamin's philosophical thinking AURA (spiritual rhyme). In the eyes of the main creative team, those who understand naturally understand.
On December 31, 2020, the ignition site of the AURUA Art and Culture Festival installation, leaving the old and welcoming the new; Posters of previous music label events (right)
In addition to reading, the sugar house even has an artist's "residency program": the artist comes, creates when inspired, and does not force it without inspiration. Music, dance, sound, installation, multimedia... Yang Xiaodong is not exclusive and tolerant of any form of art, "There are mountains, water, old buildings, and there are many things that can be taken from materials. ”
In his long-term vision, the sugar house not only allows residents to enjoy a leisurely holiday and experience a journey with local cultural characteristics, but also allows locals to participate in it and experience a variety of art and cultural activities. In this highly malleable space, art offers new possibilities. In the midst of landscapes and architecture, the sugar house is revitalizing the lives of locals with interesting art and cultural activities.
Every year from October to December, the sugar house holds the "Sugar Fire Art Festival", which is a "local" art festival, "many people come to Yangshuo to see the landscape, and after seeing the landscape, they can also come to the sugar house to listen to a concert and see an exhibition." Thousands of miles away, deep in Hangzhou's Xixi wetlands, the chef of Mushou Xixi Hotel is borrowing the form and meaning of persimmons to start an exploration of ingredients and dishes.
Mushou Xixi is a hidden hotel located in the southwest corner of Hangzhou's Xixi Wetland with 66 native persimmon trees preserved in the park. In the old days, the fruit left on the branches for the winter was called Kimori, and the last fruit deliberately left on the tree was called "Kimori Persimmon", praying for a good harvest in the coming year.
It is a dialogue with nature and a small but subtle ritual of life to thank for the gifts, and as a hotel named "Good Persimmon", Mumoru Xixi's seasonal "Persimmon Banquet" was born here. In addition to outlining the beauty of the autumn harvest, Mushou Xixi is also rooted in the ground, depicting the four seasons of Hangzhou as a picture of the land of fish and rice. The spring light of Jiangnan and the shade of the lotus pond are all in the "magic pen" of the chef team of Mushou Xixi Lin Yin Restaurant, through the taste of food, through another artistic conception of taste buds, to generate everyone's new perception of the beauty of the four times.
This feast of the four seasons seems to no longer be expressed by simple "seasonal umami", in addition to bringing out the five senses of each season in Hangzhou City, Mu Shouxi's team also injected Qiantang elegance into this meal.
Follow the thousand-year-old tradition of the hotel location "Mumori Dry Pond Festival"
The bleakness of Xixi Wetland in winter seems to be the best time to have an eternal connection with the ancient Lin'an City, or the artistic conception at this time is the best to present the old taste, whether it is [ crisp yellow du ], [ crab stuffed orange ] , or the hot pot prototype born in the Song Dynasty [ Chu Xia Offering ] , are the aesthetic masterpieces of the Song Dynasty in winter.
In the "Song Banquet" in the winter of Mushou Xixi, the hotel invited Lu Ran, one of the authors of "Song Banquet", to move the records in the classics to the modern day little by little, through food and Song people communication, according to the season, Zhu lips, just like in the lowest temperature, the darkest night to uncover the pot, water vapor, heat bright, the aesthetics, is the current and ancient people understand, and are happy to see.
2023 KOL Credibility Gold List Best Hotel General Manager Yang Liling, General Manager of Hangzhou Mushou Xixi Hotel (right)
In the four seasons of Mumori Xixi, each season has its own delicious romanticism. This romance continues from the "Flower Tide Festival" in spring to the end of the "Dry Pond Festival" in winter, and each has its own food in spring, summer, autumn and winter. The good taste of each season tries to start from the taste, and around the aesthetic universe of taste, back to the upstream of time. In particular, the Song banquet is more like an elegant expression of how to carry out an aesthetic dialogue with the ancients without obstacles and return to the elegant Song time.
If Mushou Xixi is the expression of the small and beautiful beauty in the national brand independent hotel, then Xiamen C&D Tourism Group interprets the eclectic combination of historical feelings and Chinese luxury with unique character.
There is a saying in Xiamen that your life is absolutely inseparable from the industry of C&D. In the field of tourism and hospitality, C&D Tourism Group operated and managed more than 30 high-end hotels, including three state guesthouses, namely Xiamen Haiyue Villa, Fuzhou Liyuzhou Hotel and Wuyishan Dahongpao Villa, which received and served the 2017 Xiamen Meeting.
As a representative of the brand enterprise with Xiamen Special Economic Zone, from taking over the first five-star hotel in Fujian in the late 90s of last century - Xiamen Yuehua Hotel, to now developing into a hotel management group with two independent brands, "Yuehua" and "Yihao", "C&D Tourism", as a state-owned enterprise with strong strength and ingenuity, has always adhered to product quality and service standards as its core competitiveness, and at the same time keeps pace with the times, constantly innovating in the genes of Chinese accommodation culture.
For example, Xiamen Wuyuan Water Town Hotel, the venue of this year's KOL Credibility Gold List, shows the concept of the times that a good hotel is a destination. The hotel is located in Xiamen Wuyuanwan Wetland Park, composed of a number of garden-style buildings, with 109 sets of luxurious rooms with garden view of wetland park or swan lake view, ecological Fujian Cantonese cuisine wetland Chinese restaurant Luming Building, international standard indoor tennis court, 50*25 meters constant temperature swimming pool and other facilities, like a scarce resource "seaside lake, ecological treasure, hidden vacation" characteristic hotel.
There is also "old bottled new wine", a classic hotel that returns magnificently after a renovation that follows the trend aesthetic. After more than 20 years of operation, the fully renovated Xiamen International Convention and Exhibition Hotel has changed the public's traditional impression of the traditional state-owned hotel decoration, and has intertwined the traditional Nanyang style with the modern dream of Ludao Island, coupled with the inherent area advantage and the excellent location of Kinmen by pushing the window, it is conceivable that this coastal hotel will gather higher market competitiveness on the basis of more in line with the needs of modern travelers and business people.
After all, the basic room type here - standard sea view room, just the room with the full sea view sea terrace, visual inspection is 20 square meters, and the hotel's newly designed parent-child room, but also want to have several children after watching, which perfectly meets the needs of the current market two-child or even three-child family travel. After visiting this "new hotel", I immediately sighed in the circle of friends: "Improve aesthetics, renew pain points, the second spring of old hotels is here!" ”
There are many local hotels in China, although they are not international chains, but they are famous for their long history and long operation, becoming "living fossils" in hotels and important local cultural symbols. Xiamen Hotel, founded in 1956, is a classic and eternal representative of Xiamen C&D Tourism Group. Today, this hotel named after the city is not only a memory image of the city, but also a collection of stories from the "tip of the tongue" in southern Fujian.
Located in Building 5 of Xiamen Hotel, "Qinyuan Xiamen Taste" takes you to eat 60+ authentic Minnan snacks at one stop. No need to walk the streets and alleys with friends and sweat in line, nor do you have to spend hundreds of yuan to fully appreciate the delicious food of Xiamen. 9 food stalls, including five-flavor pancakes, earthen shoot jelly, Tong'an intestine blood, ginger mother duck... Here reproduces every classic delicacy that is well known in old Xiamen, presenting a grand feast on the tip of the tongue in one stop.
"In the old days, Wang Xie Tang Qianyan flew into the homes of ordinary people", the value-added price of 98 yuan per person purchased online also made Qinyuan a trump card connecting the community, and became a good product for the "original state guesthouse" to attract traffic, which not only attracted the "old Xiamen" of the surrounding communities to come frequently, but also made this restaurant surrounded by Hokkien dialect a pure atmosphere sought after by many foreign diners.
When it comes to food, Fujian is the hometown of tea, and the characteristics of C&D's Fujian cuisine are "melting mountains and seas, eating soup, and tea into the feast", so tea banquets have been in C&D Group for a long time. Among them, Wuyishan Yuehua Hotel was rated as "Fujian Wuyi Tea Banquet Characteristic Hotel", and after the BRICS Xiamen meeting, "Haiyue Tea Banquet" also became a sub-brand of the hotel. Different from the far-fetched products produced by some restaurants that "banquet with tea", "Haiyue Tea Banquet" achieves the original taste of ingredients and tea aroma sublimating each other, each dish has tea into the meal, tea leaf smoking, tea soup steeping, tea and various ingredients combination, so that I also feel fresh when I practice tea on weekdays, and I can understand the tea culture of Wuyi Mountain while eating.
This is a kind of "local hotel culture confidence" that grows from the land.
This is another new understanding of a good hotel after "How to choose a good hotel when you go out" and "A good hotel often has a good reputation". I know that no list can satisfy everyone, but I think that when the list is released, you on the small screen can think and reference, which is the meaning of a good list to continue to be selected.
Finally, attached is the list of KOL credibility gold list in 2023, and I wish you all the good in the world in your future journey: