Where four stars shine brighter

JadeLink Hotel Shanghai offers comfort and luxury close to travel hubs. Yang Yijun reports.

The prime location and simple yet trendy facilities of JadeLink Hotel Shanghai have been attracting business travelers in the Hongqiao area since the hotel opened for business in 2009.

"As a four-star hotel, we aim to bring a five-star experience to our guests at an affordable price," says K. Y. Tang, chairman of the hotel.

Located in the center of the city's new Hongqiao Central Business District, the hotel offers easy access to other business centers in Shanghai by the metro line, which is only a few minutes' walk away. It only takes 20 minutes by car to the Hongqiao International Airport and the Hongqiao Transport Hub. With the high-speed trains, guests can reach nearby cities of the Yangtze River Delta quickly and easily.

"We are an ideal choice for business travelers, as the hotel is close to many major office buildings. The rapid development of the Hongqiao Central Business District is attracting multinational companies to relocate their regional headquarters to the Hongqiao area, which helps to enlarge our potential customer base," Tang says.

The hotel has strengthened its business center with a staff that has an IT background to provide added support to guests during times of need and to meet the needs of business travelers.

The 157-room hotel offer coziness and friendly service. The cozy atmosphere can immediately be felt when the guests enter the lobby with yellow and purple sofas lining the French windows.

The guestrooms are designed in a simple yet modern style, making the guests feel as if they're at home rather than somewhere unfamiliar.

"We have selected our bedding and amenities based on the standard of five-star hotels so that the customers can enjoy a comfortable sleep after a tiring day."

"After all, we aim to offer comfort rather than pure luxury," he adds.

Tang is very proud of the service provided by his team, as they greet and serve the guests in a natural manner, just as a friend does.

"Since we don't have a large number of guestrooms, the staff members can have more time to attend to the guests' requirements and can have close communication with them to know their needs," Tang says. "Service is the very factor that defines us. The number of repeated guests has proved everything."

The medium-sized hotel offers a variety of facilities, including a grand ballroom and several multi-function rooms, a fitness room, a Chinese restaurant serving Hong Kong-style Cantonese cuisine, a Western caf and a lounge.

Tang, a Hong Kong businessman who has spent more than 20 years in the cruise industry in Hong Kong and the United States, has made a new start with this hotel in Shanghai.

"I'm committed to building a valuable hotel with outstanding service. So I always tell the staff members to interact with the guests attentively and in a less formal way," he says.

(China Daily 02/26/2011 page13)