Tranquil elegance surrounds Alex Wu. The Cityview's general manager sips tea beneath a huge parasol inside the hotel's atrium at 23 Waterloo Road in Yaumatei. The hotel caf and bar is aptly named "The Atrium." From his seat of repose, beside a glass case full of macaroons and cakes, Wu absorbs the view.

Blue skies and clouds float gently above the glass ceiling three stories overhead. A grand piano provides the centerpiece to the open seating area. Guests relax at tables with drinks and newspapers. Some chat, while others type at laptops, taking advantage of The Cityview's recently installed high-speed Wi-Fi Internet access.

Most guests are wearing business attire. Wu wears a navy blue suit; he looks perfectly at home in the posh atmosphere. But the setting wasn't always so luxurious, he says. "It's hard to believe, but before I started working here, this used to be a basketball court."

Wi-Fi access and ecologically friendly certification are just two aspects of the new and improved amenities at the hotel. It began with a multi-million dollar rebrand campaign in 2008, which transformed a former hostel (the YMCA International House) into The Cityview.

Wu oversaw the overhaul of the building and facilities. From an establishment with a reputation for accommodating mainland tour groups and backpackers, Wu says it upgraded into an award-winning four-star hotel.

"Since 2008, we've done a lot of things to build up our brand, to get achievements, to improve our rooms and the food and beverage side of our business operations," he says. "After the renovation and rebranding, instead of group business, we are doing more and more frequent individual traveler business from all over the world."

During the past summer, the hotel's Chinese restaurant (called "The Balcony") became a corporate member of "Commanderie Des Cordons Bleus De France", an international assessment of outstanding chefs and cuisines.

The hotel's head Chinese chef, Roy Lee, was acknowledged to be among the "10 famous chefs of Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao region" by the 2011 Golden Pearl Awards, an event organized by the GHM Hotel General Manager Association. The Cityview's Western restaurant, "The City Caf", earned accolades for its buffet in U Magazine's "U Favorite Food Awards" for the second consecutive year this summer.

The Cityview has achieved similar recognitions for its value and service: "Most Outstanding Business Hotel in Hong Kong" at the 2011 Hong Kong Business High-Flyers Awards, and "Best Economical Hotel" from the 2011 Golden Pearl Awards.

Wu isn't satisfied to rest on past achievements. He has a plan to gradually transform the hotel into one of Hong Kong's greenest. The hotel has just obtained bronze-level certification from EarthCheck, a global leader in benchmarking environmentally friendly business practices in the travel and tourism industry.

"Basically there are three tiers (in EarthCheck's certification); the highest is the gold tier, which after (attaining) the silver one you have to pass (in) three to five years. The bronze is the entry level which you must pass before achieving the silver one," he says.

The hotel is currently working with an outside contractor to recycle metal, plastic, paper and oil waste. Lights are being replaced with long-lasting energy-efficient bulbs. Hotel staff has put notice placards in bathrooms to advise guests about energy-saving options, such as reusing towels or bed linen. And in September, the hotel installed a waste composter to turn its food waste into fertilizer, which is then sent to a YMCA campsite at Wu Kai Sha.

"We've been making a lot of minor changes but when people come in, they say wow, there are a lot of changes to this hotel," he says. "We are always receiving compliments on our service from guests. They say there is more of a home feel and they say they come back for that reason."

The facility has a lot going for it. Guests may use in-house gym facilities, the swimming pool, and basketball courts. The hotel also has a chapel. The Cityview is conveniently located nearby an MTR stop, and is a short jaunt from popular tourist destinations, such as the Temple Street Night Market and Mong Kok's walking street.

Although rebranding dramatically upgraded the former hostel, The Cityview's new image and new name presented a marketing challenge to its management.

"To build The Cityview brand name, we had to start over," he says. "We had to spend a lot on advertising and traveling to sell and reposition this hotel. We had to make a lot of different trips around the world to sell it after the renovation completed."

Wu is pleased with results of the rebrand thus far. He says revenue and occupancy levels have increased. As he looks around the atrium once more, he notices the guests look pretty happy, too.

(HK Edition 10/05/2012 page6)