I know from your background, you joined Starwood initially as DOSM and then promote to hotel manager of St.Regis Beijing in 1998, After 8 years away from Beijing, you come back and take a lead in the same hotel, what do you feel?

This question is very close to my heart, I have some sort of emotional connection to this hotel, I enjoy the journey on the first year and back in 1998, and has the opportunity to develop the project, rebranding the first international St. Regis hotel in north America and Asia, and then return after 8 years to this operation. Beijing has gone through a magnificent change, I am looking out of the window, I remember seeing hutongs, small rise buildings, and only 2 or 3 major tall buildings was inside, and now I look out of the window and I see CBD area with massive building and constructions going on, it is a city that is transform to be very Chinese, China become international metropolitan with highly Chinese influence.

Could you explain rebranding?

St.Regis as a brand goes back 10 years to 2000, it actually has its inheritor and root back to 1904, when the founder of first St.Regis in New York, decide to open a spectacular hotel for his family and friends, St.Regis New York quickly develop itself as a natural landmark in New York, and has since developed further. In 2000, starwood as a company want to go international with very high end brand, in that motion, there are 3 or 4 other hotels in North America that was rebranded. The Beijing international club hotel which is at one time refer to was then selected in Asia as a hotel to be rebrand , so in March 2000, this hotel became the first international St.Regis hotel. As a brand, St.Regis now go from one hotel in the region to almost 20 in the next 5 years. It is a fundamental change in the way we actually build up our brand.

What is your promotion strategy in 2010?

This hotel has gone through substantial renovation leading up to Olympics in 2007 and completed in 2008, which has got more than just a face lift but a fundamental USD27 million or USD28 million undertaking, with that , it is some sort of reentering a new market. Going from maybe just a few hotels competing in the market to so many competitors, we now must have very affluent products to offer. Now the inbound and outbound travellers are half-half in China, so we need to improve the domestic market in a very different way.

You have worked in Starwood for a very long time, why you can work so long here, and why do you choose St. Regis brand?

Starwood is a great company to work with, I have the opportunity to work with this company since 1995. It has a great culture that focus on people, focus on developing people, focus on getting people work together. I always believe that I don't really work for company, I work with people that can inspires me. St.Regis is possibly one of the most exciting brands in the hospitality at the moment. It is one of the latest entrance of the five star plus hotels into the market, it like a raw diamond, has massive potential.

You was born in Norway, but now you work in Asia, since there are so many cultural difference between east and west, do you think it is hard to adjust the environment?

If you don't have the capability of adjusting, you will never have the opportunity to work outside. There are great culture, rich culture, grand traditions in certain market that is huge opportunity to learn, language is a challenge for foreigners, but you can learn to listen the meaning. I was born in Noway, I am very happy and proud to be part of that culture. When you live in different culture, you need to learn to adapt, but there is also lot of core value that is nonculturally bounded, that was always go cross cultures, that is your values and foundations that you bring along.

You have very long working experience in hotel industry, could you share your successful experience with us?

I clearly remember the first job I had in hospitality industry, I had opportunity to work part time, which is not most recognized. it is terribly horrifying and overwhelming experience for me in the hotel world. From then on, I have opportunity to take on the role as management trainee, and I study to work full time in Oslo in 1990 and get hands on experience for what is all about. My international career took me to Istanbul in 1994, hospitality is a industry which is full of challenges, opportunities, engagement, and interaction with people, colleagues and guests. If you want to work for a hotel, it is not a job, it is lifestyle, it is extremely rewarding in terms of personal fulfilment.

What is your philosophy for management?

Everybody is equally important for the success of the hotel, we have different responsibilities to fill, if one fails, we fail. The philosophy and leadership for me is to lead from the front, to engage the people and understand what they need, to work on training and developing the people, to work on constant innovation in the areas we operate, to make sure that our product are attractive, to benefit the guests we deliver to. At the end of the day, it is all about engaging staff members, delivering guest experience and every interactions to be undertake.

You have worked for St. Regis Singapore before, now you work in St. Regis Beijing, is there any difference between these two hotels?

Singapore is a multicultural environment, where multi races live together in harmony, people there deal with 4 or 5 distinctively different cultures although they are live in the same city, while in China, you have more cultural group of people, coming from different province, they have different background.

Beijing is a natural extremly important destination worldwide, it is distinctive capital that is hard to compete with, Singapore has many other opportunities to offer that Beijing doesn't.

Do you think it is optimistic for hospitality industry in 2010 after global financial crisis in 2009?

2008 is an exciting year for China with Olympics, 2009 is not exciting, 2010 is recognized as upwards trends which is very positive and optimistic, I think it will be a much better year than 2009. I think the real developing growth in hospitality comes in 2011 and 2012, in my point of view, 2010 represent more confidence and optimism.

Could you deliver a short new year greeting to our readers?

Gongxifacai, viewers and readers of enewshotel.com all the best in the year of tiger, thank you for your support to St.Regis Beijing.