Beijing Then and Now: Yngvar Stray

For our October Issue, we invited local personalities to recreate photographs that inspired fond memories. Here are the stories behind those snapshots and those Beijingers, in their own words.

Yngvar Stray, St. Regis Beijing, 2000

Yngvar Stray, St. Regis Beijing, 2011

THEN

What year was it? 2001.

Where's the original location? The Press Club Bar at The St. Regis Beijing.

Who is in the photo? Yngvar Stray.

What were you doing there? I was working as Hotel Manager at The St. Regis Beijing and was taking a profile image to be used for press releases and more.

What were you doing in Beijing? I was the Hotel Manager at The St. Regis Beijing.

NOW

Who is in the photo? Yngvar Stray.

What are you now doing in Beijing?I have returned back to The St. Regis Beijing as General Manager.

What has changed for you? 3 months after the image was taken in October 2000, I was promoted to my first General Manager position with the Sheraton Shenyang Lido hotel. I joined on the1st January 2002 and opened the hotel in April 2002.
After 3 years in Dongbei, and 7 years in China, I left to helm the first W hotel in Asia – The W Walkerhill Seoul, in January 2005. I was operating this for 2 years before moving back to Singapore in March 2007, taking on the task to open the first St. Regis hotel in South East Asia- The St. Regis Singapore. The St. Regis opened in December 2007 and has become an iconic hotel in the Island city. After 9 years away from Beijing, an opportunity to return to The St. Regis Beijing represented itself, and we took on the task to once again lead this iconic hotel in one of Asia’s most influential cities.

What has changed in the city? Way more than what can be described.

Click here to see the October issue of the Beijinger in full.