Mon, Dec 21, 2020 page15

• INTERVIEW: Taipei hotel launches despite pandemic

  GENERATING BUZZ: Although international travel remains stifled, the hotel hopes to gain name recognition and cut its teeth with domestic tourists grounded by COVID-19

  • By Crystal Hsu / Staff reporter
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  Hotel Resonance Taipei (台北時代寓所), the first Tapestry Collection by Hilton property in the Asia-Pacific region, is focused on domestic tourism while waiting for international travel to open back up, its general manager Tiffany Lin (林桂玉) said.

  The US hospitality provider launched the property of 175 guest rooms on Dec. 2 — on schedule — even though COVID-19-related travel restrictions are likely to remain for quite a while, Lin told the Taipei Times during an exclusive interview on Monday last week, adding that international travel might not return until the second half of next year at the earliest.

  “We entertained the idea of pushing back the opening, but believed it is time to introduce Resonance Taipei after seven years of preparation,” she said.

  

  Hotel Resonance Taipei general manager Tiffany Lin poses in an undated photograph.

  Photo courtesy of Hotel Resonance Taipei

  The full-service property, on Taipei’s Linsen S Road, targets business and leisure travelers who want to explore the city upon their arrival, and the strategy might also appeal to Taiwanese who are grounded from overseas trips due to the pandemic, Lin said.

  Tapestry Collection by Hilton is a portfolio of upscale and original hotels that feature unique designs and vibrant personalities aimed at surprising guests in a pleasant way, while also meeting Hilton’s standards, she said.

  Its film box-like exterior design sets Resonance Taipei apart from well-established facilities such as the Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel (台北喜來登大飯店), Palais de Chine (君品酒店), Hua Shan Din (華山町) and Hotel Cozzi (和逸), which are all within walking distance, Lin said.

  The 14-story property sits on land that was once home to camphor farms, but was later turned into iron factories and later a dormitory for high-ranking officials until 2013, when Fubon Life Insurance Co (富邦人壽) won the superfices rights and leased it to Tainan-based Prince Housing and Development to build a hotel.

  It is the developer’s second hospitality venture after W Hotel in the city’s prime Xinyi District (信義), and Hilton’s third property after Hilton Taipei Sinban Hotel (希爾頓酒店) in New Taipei City and DoubleTree by Hilton Taipei in Taipei’s Zhongshan District (中山), Lin said.

  There are more than 90 Tapestry projects in the works, in line with the brand’s fast-growing popularity and success, she said.

  “As it normally takes several years to judge if a hotel investment is profitable, we decided to look beyond the pandemic and carve out a presence in a highly contested area with more entrants on the horizon,” Lin said.

  Resonance Taipei features a Starbucks, social space, a fitness center and a spa, but has no intention of competing with peers on food and beverage sales, she said.

  There are a plethora of dining options near the MRT Shandao Temple Station, from popular breakfast store Fu Hang Soybean Milk (阜杭豆漿) and Shuan-yueh Restaurant (雙月食品) to Michelin-starred Guest House (請客樓) and Le Palais (頤宮), Lin said.

  “We encourage our guests to try and explore,” said Lin, who worked for W Hotel, Aloft, Marriott and Accor before joining Resonance Taipei in January this year.

  Lin declined to set business targets because it is common for guests to make last-minute cancelations these days.

  “We probably won’t have a clear view of the landscape ahead until things return to normal,” Lin said. “The spiking number of COVID-19 infections around the world renders any guess meaningless.”

  Unlike domestic hotels that require prepaid deposits equivalent to 30 percent of room rates, Hilton facilities allow free cancelations up to 24 hours before the planned arrival time, Lin said.

  When it becomes safe for international travel, Resonance Taipei expects business travelers to make up 40 percent of its clientele, with foreign tourists from Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore and the US, she said.

  Resonance Taipei is seeking first to gain name recognition, taking all necessary steps to ensure lodging safety for domestic travelers, she said.

  Toward that end, all rooms and handheld items such as remote controls are sealed before guests check in, she added.

  To celebrate Resonance Taipei’s opening, Hilton is offering its members an additional 1,000 points per night for reservations made from now until Feb. 28, Lin said, adding that the hotel would unveil more promotions to raise its visibility next year.

  She also declined to set room rate targets by comparing them to floating airplane fares that vary from day to day.
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