Rosewood Beijing adapts amid pandemic to attract young guests

As the COVID-19 pandemic almost affected every industry across the world, hospitality stands at the forefront. How will the industry fight back? Vito Romeo, managing director with Rosewood Beijing has shared his thoughts.

"The pandemic has pushed everybody to change," Romeo said in a recent interview, adding that the service industry should take more care of customers' feelings and make much more of a connection with them.

Amid pandemic prevention and control, it is reported that some hotels are using intelligent robots to provide services that reduce human contact and the risk of cross infection.

"The robots can be used at a certain level, but they cannot replace human beings, especially in the luxury hospitality industry," Romeo said. "The luxury hotel service is all about details, which should be served by people."

Although he sees limits to the services of intelligent robots in luxury hotels, Romeo said he thinks highly of digitalization, especially in the Chinese market.

With more than 30 years of hospitality experience in different countries, Romeo said: "The Chinese market is one of the fastest-paced worldwide, and the country is so much more advanced than other countries (in terms of digitalization).

"Today, almost everybody in China can handle everything through smartphone apps. Intelligent information technology is widely used in the country, and in the future, it will continue to grow and form an even more important part of our business."

Coinciding with intelligent information technology is that customers in China are getting younger. They are used to using digital methods that make their lives more convenient and have more personalized consumption preferences.

Romeo said he has witnessed market changes in China, and Rosewood Beijing has stepped up its efforts to cater to the young generation. By offering stylish interior designs and an online booking service, it aims to give young travelers a sense of belonging at the hotel.

Rosewood Beijing, located in the city's central business district, is the first branch of the Rosewood brand in Asia. The hotel has 283 guest rooms, six restaurants and lounges.