The Art of Hospitality: Q&A with Jui Kretzu, General Manager, Grace Hotel Beijing

With a global background that covers Taiwan, Brazil, the US and now Beijing, Grace Beijing’s General Manager Jui Kretzu is well placed to understand the needs of international guests. She talks to us about luxury, art and what makes a great boutique hotel.

What differentiates a boutique hotel from a chain hotel?
In a chain hotel, the employee structure is much more complex, so as a manager you really don’t get a chance to talk to all your employees or take a personal interest in different areas of the hotel. In the same vein, I get to interact directly with the customers and show them that we really care. For me, that is true hospitality.

How does luxury translate to a boutique hotel?
When I was working in a big, luxury hotel we often used to do an exercise where people would describe what luxury meant to them. No matter what your personal preferences, at the end of the exercise we always came to the same conclusion: Luxury is a sense of well being, having someone anticipate your needs. Since we only have 30 rooms here, we really are able to do that for all our guests.

What sets Grace Beijing apart from other “art hotels” in Beijing?
I always tell people, this is not just an art hotel because we have art on the walls, rather it is a hotel for artists. Due to our location, our clientele are mostly related to the art and design industries so they themselves bring something extra to the hotel.

How do you maintain an international standard in Beijing?
Everybody is aware of issues like food safety and air quality in Beijing. The biggest challenge for us is facing these issues, and maintaining good quality and service, without passing on the extra costs to consumers. You have to know your suppliers and know that they are committed to upholding the same standards as you.

Where are your favorite places to eat out in Beijing?
When I get chance, I prefer to cook for myself. I grew up in Brazil so I like to cook Brazilian dishes – I make a mean feijoada [a stew of beans and pork]. Otherwise I tend to visit other Latin-inspired restaurants, like Agua and Carmen.

Call by Grace Hotel’s airy ground floor bistro to sample the daily changing set lunch, a steal at RMB 118 for two courses or RMB 138 for three courses (plus 15 percent service charge).

Photo: Ken