More than just a pretty face

Choosing a hotel can be such a headache. Few travelers want to settle for a roach-infested room but many are also reluctant to part with, say, NT$10,000 to NT$20,000, for a place to stay. That's the old guest mentality. The Sheraton Taipei Hotel has spent NT$2.4 billion on renovations in anticipation of the new guest mentality: A hotel is more than just a place to stay.

While the Sheraton's outer appearance hasn't changed much, the renovations begun in April 2003 have just reached completion. There is a new lobby, new restaurants and a new look for the rooms themselves, including two floors of new "executive" rooms, claimed to be the best in Taipei.

Once known as the Lai Lai Sheraton, the 26-year-old hotel is within walking distance from the Executive, Control and Legislative Yuans and has gained a reputation over the years as a favorite hangout for politicians.

Owned by the super-wealthy Tsai family, the Lai Lai became a hotbed of power and intrigue. In 1985, a Tsai-family financial scandal involving the Taipei Tenth Credit Cooperative and Cathay Plastics resulted in the hotel changing hands. In 2002, Tsai brothers Chen Yiang (辰洋) and Chen Wei (辰威) brought the hotel back when then-owner Chang Hsiu-cheng (張秀政) went bankrupt. The name was changed to the Sheraton Taipei Hotel and the massive renovations were planned.

Austrian hotelier Josef Dolp was general manager of the hotel in the years leading up to the renovations. While they were underway, he served as general manager at the Sheraton in Xian, China. He returned to his post at the Sheraton Taipei this June.

"The Lai Lai Hotel had an old Chinese feel to it and the design was very local," said Dolp. "We did so much renovation that we also wanted to change the market mix and the kind of custo-mers we attract."

While Dolp acknowledged that his hotel's location meant political clientele would be a mainstay, he said the new target groups are international businesspeople and Taiwanese 30-somethings. This shift is reflected in the hotel's new look and feel, which is clean and structured, simple as opposed to busy, and focuses on functionality and timelessness. These are aesthetic virtues appreciated not only by international businesspeople, but also by young people, according to Dolp.

Owner Tsai Chen-yang and his wife Ellie Lai (賴英里) were heavily involved in the design aspect of the renovations. They wanted something that was international and contemporary but also reflected Taiwan. As such contemporary Chinese influences are incorporated, as well as other design features.

"Our hotel reflects the status quo of the story of Taiwan," Dolp said, pointing to the classical Japanese influence that is most apparent on the rigidly straight, elegant wood that lines bedroom walls.

While a beautiful, comfortable interior is important, it is the process and the experience that will bring customers back and give the hotel a competitive edge, Dolp says.

The management has adopted an approach to service that centers on customer feedback instead of hotel traditions. While it is common practice for the bellboy to whisk away a guest's luggage the moment they check in, surveys revealed this to be an annoyance for many guests, especially businesspeople who want to have their work with them at all times.

The goal, Dolp says, is to make the hotel experience as efficient as possible while still maintaining a friendly, human touch. And despite the amount that was spent on upgrading the hotel's appearance, in the end it's the people and the experience that count for the most.