The view of Hong Kong Observatory from the hotel

One of the countless hotels located in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong's most bustling travel and shopping area, the Stanford Hillview Hotel is, on the contrary, rather like an oasis of serenity.

Around five minutes' walk from the area's main street, Nathan Road, where pedestrians abound, and surrounded by several other popular shopping areas such as Granville Road and Carnarvon Road where the older part of Tsim Sha Tsui's neon-saturated scene is on display at nighttime, Stanford Hillview Hotel's location, facing the Observatory Road and right above the Knutsford Terrace, is surprisingly noise free.

Buddy Y. P. Lo, General Manager of Stanford Hillview Hotel

In Hong Kong, a pint-size international metropolis where property is notoriously expensive and the hotel business is fiercely competitive, every bit of geographic advantage is spotted and utilized.

Stanford Hillview Hotel knows and treasures what it has, because the Knutsford Terrace is one of the most well-known bar areas in Hong Kong, with Western guests frequenting the street as a place for relaxed chit-chats. And stationed at the corner of eastern Observatory Road, the hotel is also famed for its view of the Hong Kong Observatory, a real cultural heritage gem surrounded by a rare extension of greenery.

Hotel guests can instantly reach Knutsford Terrace where pubs and restaurants offer all sorts of drinks and light food from Mexico, Russia, Japan, Turkey, Spain and so on. Alfresco tables are everywhere, pubs and eateries are open almost until dawn. Bearing the label of "Kowloon's Lan Kwai Fong," the famous spot is more localized and much quieter than its counterpart in Central.

Two thirds of the hotel rooms naturally come with a view of the headquarters of Hong Kong Observatory, a colonial building dating back to 1883 and has been a Declared Monument in Hong Kong since 1983, which also preserves the surrounding exuberant banyan trees as old as 150 years. The whole complex is only open to the public for a few days every year, thus almost exclusive to the hotel.

Clear of its own position latching down to a distinct group of customers, the Stanford Hillview Hotel is eyeing opportunities as sharply as a hawk.

"Our hotel is not a luxurious five-star hotel, it is not very commercial like many other hotels in Hong Kong," said Buddy Y. P. Lo, General Manager of the hotel, adding that Stanford Hillview, whose parent hotel is the prestigious InterContinental Grand Stanford, aims at businessmen and professionals who look for economy hotels. He reckons that these guests prefer simple, cozy and comfortable lodgings and practicality along with relatively acceptable prices, more than anything too fancy or with too many state-of-the-art facilities. These thoughts were taken into consideration when the hotel was renovated.

The renovation, which started at the end of 2007 and had the final touches in July this year, was in order to brace for a predicted economic downturn, according to Mr Lo. "It turned out that our head company had a vision, and we all know that the service industry and the travel industry are the hardest hit when the economy flags," said the general manager, who has devoted his life to Hong Kong's hotel industry for more than three decades.

The hotel has been renovated inside out, bringing its natural environment into the concept of interior design, adding patterns of leaves and branches on its wallpapers, carpets etc, and bathroom windows with inset leaf specimens. There is also the addition of a Premium Floor, which offers guests choices of larger space with fresher and more stylish touches. It also redecorated its private car-parking area where there is a turnable so old that it is the only one left in all of Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the hotel uses recyclable wallpaper which is easily cleaned and eco-friendly.

Other than maintaining the hotel's principles of what Mr Lo called the "4C" - Convenience, Comfort, Courtesy, Competitive rates - and the "4S" as yardsticks for his staff - Smart, Speed, Sincerity, Smiles - Stanford Hillview Hotel is also showing ambition in exploring new target customers - and practice what they planned for.

Aware of the growing number of Muslim guests in the city, the hotel took swift action. At the end of 2009, the hotel sent its chefs to training programs offered by InterContinental Grand Stanford, which has chefs with experience working in the Middle East. When the program ended, the hotel then acquired certificates to prove that it has purchased food and ingredients from retailers with acceptable halal standards among the Muslim community, ensuring the menu in their restaurant is thoughtfully prepared. The hotel's marketing team was also sent to Malaysia, where an estimated 60 percent of the population practices Islam, to expand business. Small touches also include providing Muslim prayer compasses, mats and Korans in the hotel.

Stanford Hillview Hotel is also close to the city's oldest and biggest mosque in Hong Kong - the Kowloon Mosque and Islamic Centre, which dates back to 1896 and has a capacity of approximately 2,000.

In business for almost 20 years, the Stanford Hillview Hotel continues to supply its guests with uniqueness and natural authenticity.

China Daily

(HK Edition 11/05/2010 page1)