As basketball superstar Michael Jordan is scheduled to arrive in Taipei this evening for a whirlwind one-day visit, many crazed fans are expected to besiege the five-star hotel he will be staying at -- the Grand Formosa Regent Taipei.
A lot of media coverage has recently focused on this facility, from its newly-opened luxury suites to its beating other rivals to host the five-time NBA's Most Valuable Player, and on its two restaurants in Taipei's fashionable Hsinyi District, that have been doing well.
All these investments and strategies are the brainchild of the 40-year-old Steven Pan (
Pan says "experiencing modern Chinese lifestyles" has been the main theme in developing all his businesses.
"I want our customers to have that impression during their stays in Grand Formosa," Pan told the Taipei Times in a telephone interview yesterday.
"All my strategies follow the four characteristics -- simple, elegant, understated and sophisticated -- like the suits I wear," he said with a laugh.
Rather than sitting behind the scenes, Pan has involved himself in decision-making, business operations and brainstorming in frequent conferences with staff, said Beth Tsai (
"He is active, intelligent and always has plentiful ideas," Tsai said.
Pan's family split with their long-time partner Chen Yu-hao (
One of the major projects has been the fanfare opening of the brand-new Tai Pan Residence & Club, located on the top two floors of the hotel, on May 1.
Naming the new "hotel within a hotel" after the traditional Chinese-language term for CEO was aimed at injecting creativity into the sumptuous suites that cater to higher-ups, said Ellen Chang (張筠), Grand Formosa's marketing and communication manager.
In addition, highly-trained valets will be assigned to all the guests in the 80 Tai Pan rooms, allowing them to enjoy tailor-made services, she said.
The occupancy rate in Tai Pan has maintained around 85 percent when some foreign businesspeople, trade and economic leaders attending APEC meetings in Taipei and congratulatory groups of Taiwan's allies invited to the presidential inauguration ceremony yesterday, have stayed and experienced the butler service over the past weeks.
The fever is expected to reach maximum pitch when the former Chicago Bulls star steps out of his limousine in front of Grand Formosa this evening.
As the hotel has received some NBA basketball players before, including Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson and Grant Hill, having Jordan placed on its guest list has undoubtedly added luster to its fame.
However, as the nation's inbound tourism is still struggling due to the SARS epidemic last year and political uproar from the presidential election in March, Grand Formosa has also stretched out its operations to where the crowds gather.
"As Grand Formosa has been famous for its culinary services, our chairman decided to open restaurants in Hsinyi District," Chang said.
Situated in Shinkong Mitsukoshi Department Store's (
"These two restaurants have achieved better-than-expected business performance," Chang said.
The third restaurant will be opened on the first floor of the under-construction President Takashimaya Department Store (
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