Cinnamon’s city hotels ready for Chinese guests

The Chinese outbound market has seen an expansive growth in the recent past; and nations from around the world have been aggressively contending to enjoy a large share of this promising market.

Sri Lanka too has joined in the queue, and has been wholly successful, with Chinese arrivals to the country recording a steady high; and with promise for an upward shift in the trend in the future as forecasted by global agencies. 

Cinnamon’s city hotels – Cinnamon Grand, Cinnamon Lakeside and Cinnamon Red – have been on the receiving end of this influx and with assurance of more to welcome, have embarked on a unique campaign to ensure that the discerning Chinese travellers feel more at home in the busy Colombo metropolitan.  

From among the key strategies developed for the year for the hotels, is a China-specific campaign, carefully designedto ensure that the Chinese tourists flying to Colombo would lengthen their stay in the city and find no better abode to enjoy the luxuries of the island nation, than the Cinnamon’s city hotels. The three properties infuse a unique formula of international standards in hospitality, excellence in service and unmatched product offerings, espousing their own individuality which promises experiences far above expectations. 

“Given the advantage we have in offering a diverse products portfolio and hospitality concepts, we are going all out to tap the potential of the growing Chinese tourism market,” Executive Vice President John Keells Holdings and Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Sector Head-City Hotels Rohan Karr said. “We are aware of the distinctive requests of these travellers and are looking at product and service enhancements geared towards supporting them, breaking language barriers and offering unique city experiences.”

He affirmed that over the last years, the properties have seen a significant increase in the Chinese market, both in the leisure and business segment. “It is the affirmation we have had from our Chinese guests, that we intend to pursue more travellers from China.”

The city properties have already begun mooting product and service enhancements specifically conceptualised to add value to the experience of Chinese traveller staying at the hotels. “We are fixed on making our hotels even more Chinese-friendly than it is at present. We want them to feel comfortable and know that they are understood, their needs met and where their language is spoken. We want them to come to us with the confidence that they will be well taken care of,” Karr asserted. 

As part of the China strategy, the three hotels have recruited Chinese guest relations officers (GROs) fluent in Mandarin and English; and are training the front-line staff on basic Mandarin language skills. A special ‘Let’s Learn Chinese’ booklet has been developed by the Marketing Communications team of the City Hotels for the hotel staff with assistance of a Chinese language teacher. To facilitate this better, a video clip depicting the correct pronunciation of the words has been developed by the Cinnamon Grand Learning and Development team. Associate training will begin in the coming month to ignite interest, encourage learning and garner their support in better understanding the needs of this market.

Plans are also underway to dedicate a floor at each property for Chinese guests with accents to complement their travel requirements. In-room compendiums have also been translated to Mandarin, and the hotel has added four Chinese television channels to the rooms’ television network.  Moreover, the hotels are looking at F&B concepts that cater specifically for the Chinese tourists such as introducing popular Chinese dishes to the buffets and beverages to restaurants. Special stay packages will be created among the three properties catering to the demands of these tourists as well.

Having identified online marketing as a prime information source for those travelling from China, the hotels will unroll a dedicated digital campaign through social media.

The China strategy campaign was officially launched to the hotels’ associates yesterday, on World Tourism Day (27 September).

To create hype among associates, a special three-day campaign will be launched today (28 September) at Cinnamon Grand Colombo. An engaging and interactive one, the campaign will feature Chinese related activities and fun quizzes with exciting prizes; to both test their familiarity of this growing market as well as introduce the entire campaign to associates. 

Karr believes strongly that the Cinnamon’s city hotels collectively possess unparalleled characteristics that can capture the interest of the Chinese tourists. He noted: “The concentrated enhancements we are now launching are specifically developed to enhance the Chinese travellers’ experience in the city. We look forward to welcoming more tourists from China with our unique brand of Cinnamon Hospitality.”

Stay updated on the latest happenings of the Cinnamon’s city hotels by following them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CinnamonGrandC, www.facebook.com/cinnamonlakeside or www.facebook.com/CinnamonRedColombo.