Interview with Ms. Nora Sun, General Manager of Park Hyatt Ningbo Resort and Spa
Leaning against green mountains and facing a vast water of Dongqian Lake, a row of low-rise mansions with black roofs and white walls quietly tell the story of old Jiangnan – the charm of a traditional Chinese water village. Here is the Park Hyatt Ningbo Resort and Spa.
The hotel combines the consistent grace and luxury of Park Hyatt with unique natural beauty, as well as the local cultural inheritance. Enjoy the Kun Opera by the water, sip a cup of selected tea at the antiquely decorated Tea House and enjoy a vegetarian feast at the theatre-styled “Red”… Meanwhile, the hotel is dedicated to delivering Wellness experiences in every approach, from the updating seasonal menu, complete spa facilities, wide health courses choices to a diversity of outdoor activities.
SpaChina has interviewed Ms. Nora Sun, the General Manager of Park Hyatt Ningbo Resort and Spa. She will share with us more details of this charming hotel. Graduated with a Business Administration and Hospitality Management major, Nora then accumulated rich experience in the hospitality industry. She worked for several hotels in Switzerland before joining the Hyatt family in 2007 when she took the post of sales director at Hyatt Regency Dongguan. In 2011, she began to work for Park Hyatt Ningbo Resort and Spa and then joined Grand Hyatt Lijiang five years later as hotel manager. In 2018, she was back to Park Hyatt Ningbo again and was appointed as the General Manager of the hotel.
What trends and new requirements do you see in China’s and global hospitality industry? How does Park Hyatt Ningbo meet these needs?
It is a trend that more international and local five-star hotels will enter the market in the future. We should fully understand our guests’ needs. Customers nowadays desire personalized service instead of traditional standardized services. Therefore, we need to proactively satisfy the requirements of our guests by combining the comfortable accommodation experience of Park Hyatt Ningbo Resort and Spa with local specialties, and the culture and natural beauty of Dongqian Lake to create a remarkable experience for them.
What efforts have you made concerning environmental sustainability?
Sustainable development is not just a topic that the hotel industry needs to pay attention to, but one the whole society is striving for. Park Hyatt Ningbo Resort and Spa pays close attention to new energy-saving technologies and products in the market. In terms of improving energy efficiency, LED lamps are widely used in the hotel to replace traditional high-energy halogen lamps. Double-layer insulating glass with the adiabatic film achieves further energy-saving result. In addition, the intelligent control system of Park Hyatt Ningbo Resort and Spa is about to be upgraded in the near future, so as to further improve energy efficiency in terms of high energy consumption facilities such as air conditioning and lighting. The reclaimed water recycling irrigation project will also make its due contribution to sustainable development.
Park Hyatt is well-known for its creative interpretation of local characteristics. How does Park Hyatt Ningbo convey the culture and charm of Ningbo?
Park Hyatt Ningbo Resort and Spa has been created in the style of a traditional Chinese water village to blend discreetly into the surroundings. An elegant art collection can be seen in both public and private spaces. With the pleasure of visual interest, the artwork is carefully complemented with the modern Chinese atmosphere. Walls are adorned with silk paintings, brick carvings, calligraphy panels, and photographs of local architecture and landscapes, while arrangements of artistic elements such as peasant hats, over-sized wine pots, stone rice mills and wooden basin create a peaceful and secluded environment and evoke a strong sense of location. Each and every hotel staff member is also ready to provide genuine and sincere service with enthusiasm in making your stay enjoyable and memorable.
What are Chinese guests’ current attitudes and demands on “health and wellness”? Are there any changes compared to before?
With the change of times and guest structure, guests of Park Hyatt Ningbo Resort and Spa are pursuing a healthy lifestyle and advocating health preservation more actively than any time before. “Health and wellness” is a promising sunrise market for Chinese people. It meets the desire of our guests for a better life and spiritual demand. More and more Chinese guests are aware of the importance of healthy living, diet and physical care.
What is your advice on how to better integrate wellness concept into the whole hotel service? How does Park Hyatt Ningbo do it?
Guests usually expect to feel refreshed when staying in a hotel. Hotel should meet the guest’s needs with complete and innovative facilities, as well as guide them to pay more attention to wellbeing through the development of wellness courses, healthy menu and detailed services. Park Hyatt Ningbo Resort and Spa boasts unique geographical advantages and high density of plantation, providing guests with spacious natural sports venues and high quality fresh air. The tranquil Yue Hu Spa, high-tech fitness center and heated swimming pool, the wide outdoor Tai Chi and yoga venues, as well as the lake cruise, fishing, cycling and other health and sports are all perfect wellbeing options. We encourage guests to embrace nature.
Please briefly introduce Yue Hu Spa. What experience do you want to deliver to the guests?
Yue Hu Spa at Park Hyatt Ningbo Resort and Spa draws inspiration from the surrounding natural habitat. The spa’s seasonal welcoming teas are designed to energize guests and prepare them for a wonderful journey toward rejuvenation. Each spa villa is equipped with an advanced treatment room, foot massage area with television, dressing room, steam room, sauna and an elegantly designed private garden with a lounge and outdoor Jacuzzi. Guests can enjoy yoga and cycling activities around the lake. In addition, the Executive Chef of Park Hyatt Ningbo has designed a selection of vegetarian menu especially for Yue Hu Spa.
Who are the most frequent guests of Yue Hu Spa? What are their main requirements and how does Yue Hu Spa satisfy them?
Guests of Yue Hu Spa are mainly those who enjoy leisure vacations with family and friends. The Male/Female ratio is 6:4. Guests are largely from the south of China (Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai), as well as foreign countries. Yue Hu massage and facial treatment are always popular for different kinds of guests. On special occasions, we offer variety of packages to meet the guest’s needs, for example, birthday or anniversary.
Have you also tried to attract local city guests to your spa? If yes, what have you done and what difficulties have you met?
Local guests are very important to us as well. For our potential guests, we will invite them to experience our treatments and convert them to our members. We also provide benefits to those who bring us new spa members. However, the Yue Hu Spa treatments could be more diverse and comprehensive. Park Hyatt Ningbo Resort and Spa will design new and creative packages to include benefits of room, food & beverage, as well as hotel activities, to upgrade the experience of our guests.
What is your personal attitude towards “wellness”? How do you balance your busy work with mind & body health?
Wellness is a positive approach to living. It helps someone to strengthen the ability to better cope with stresses and issues that they face in everyday life. I never stop seeking more balance in work, mind and body health. Frequent exercise and healthy lifestyle help to keep me energetic. I think our recognition of wellness needs to move one step further – to have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the comprehensive connection of mind, body and spirit. It means establishing good habits in a holistic way for a healthy lifestyle to prevent disease.