Capital Accommodation at Hilton Beijing Capital Airport

As the world’s second busiest airport, Beijing Capital is becoming one of the most important gateways on the planet. The completion of the Airport Hilton, China’s first five star luxury airport hotel, is poised to provide it with a suitably world class hospitality apparatus. With 322 guest rooms, 3,100m square meters of meeting room space, four restaurants, and the world’s longest bar, the hotel offers something for locals, businessmen, and vacationers alike. General Manager of the new Airport Hilton, David Prince, told Agenda what the hotel will bring to Beijing, and how it aims to reach a diverse range of customers.

Why did Hilton decide to build an airport hotel in Beijing?
The hotel was built by the Aviation Authority, but for us it’s a great opportunity to have another location in Beijing. We currently have three hotels in downtown Beijing and we are in the process of constructing a fourth. To have the opportunity to manage the very first five star airport hotel in China is not an opportunity that one would turn away lightly.

What sets the Airport Hilton apart from the other hotels in the area, for example the Langham Place Hotel set to open on September 1?
We are actually very similar on the outside, but quite different on the inside. Our hotel will have a very strong appeal to the local market and I think it will have a very strong appeal to customers that use Hilton, of which there are certainly millions worldwide. I think the Langham will have a different appeal for a different audience. The instinct may be to think that we are competing directly with each other, but I don’t think that we are. I may have the figure wrong, but my understanding is that there are 103 five star hotels downtown, and now there are two five star hotels at the airport. I think that there’s actually plenty of business for us to share without any need for us to compete.

Are you are aiming to bring locals in to the hotel?
We are looking to cater to different elements of the community. Obviously we’re aiming to look after guests who are flying into or out of Beijing and are staying with us, but we have such a wide range of food and beverage outlets, and these are very much meant to provide a service to the local community. It is about providing a high class, high quality experience at what is actually a quite reasonable price.

Why should a family vacationer choose the Airport Hilton versus a downtown hotel?
Naturally one would assume an airport hotel and tourism or sightseeing do not go together. But I think we are quite a good destination for people coming in to explore Beijing. Speaking personally, one of my favorite destinations in the city is the Summer Palace. I have gone there many times with my family. I’ve found that I make the journey in 20 minutes from the airport. The same journey from downtown, although it is a lot shorter in terms of distance, takes twice as long. The Summer Palace is one example, but you could actually say the same about the Great Wall and other key tourist destinations in Beijing. And for those on a short visit, it means they don’t have to waste too much time traveling downtown and back.

What considerations went into the architecture and design of the hotel?
When any international brand comes into a property, what’s very important is that the hotel has an identity that is representative of the country in which it’s operating. What we have tried to do is have evidence and usage of Chinese cultural icons within the building so that for anyone walking in, this is clearly part of China. You could not just move this hotel to London – it’s clearly quite Chinese. But at the same time, it is important that it be a modern contemporary version of that.

Will the hotel offer anything for guests who might have a layover at Capital Airport?
We’ve actually had a couple of guests who have arrived at our front door even though we’ve been shut and been looking for a meal or tea and coffee while waiting between their flights. We were happy to invite them in, and I’m happy to say we gave them a free meal, free tea and coffee and they were very happy when they left. I think that’s a big opportunity, especially for those who have slightly longer layover times.

You have managed hotels in India and Malaysia, what has been different about managing this hotel in China? The answer is quite simple for me, I’ve always loved working in different cultures and different environments. For me, my job is not a job. I’m actually being paid to do something that I love to do and I’m really happy to be able to say that because I think a lot of people can’t. But coming into China versus other countries I’ve worked in, the biggest challenge has been the language barrier. It’s very hard for me to communicate with my team, and as a manger, one of the things I’ve always done and always loved to be able to do is to communicate directly with all the members on my team on a personal basis. In China I can’t do that – I need someone to interpret and it’s not so easy. That for me is certainly one of the challenges, and certainly one of the frustrations of managing a hotel in China.

What is your favorite dish from each of the restaurants in the hotel?
(laughing) One is very unfair … At My China, I think my favorite is the frogs legs cooked in a Sichuan style. I’ve had many nice dishes but that one I particularly like. From Yueshang, which is Cantonese, it is a splendid chicken dish filled with carrot and radish. From Compass Grill, I’ll be honest – having worked in India for two and a half years, I have an Indian chef and I’m a fan of Tandoori dishes. They are very real and authentic so I particularly enjoy that. We also offer some equally great steaks so if you want to be a carnivore for a night, this a great place to be. And at 360 … I can’t pick one because the beauty for me of the casual dining restaurant is that it offers so many things, and my ideal meal in 360 is lots of things from everywhere, not one thing of anything.