Hotels branching out to engage customers

High-end hotels in Beijing have been experimenting with new offerings to cope with the recent citywide suspension of dine-in services to help contain a COVID-19 outbreak. They have launched services such as home delivery, community group buying and online fitness classes.

Kerry Hotel, Beijing has launched a revamped delivery service "Waimai with Kerry", which allows customers to "dine on gourmet food without stepping out", the hotel said.

Customers can order a la carte or set meals by phone, the hotel's WeChat platform or food delivery services Meituan and Eleme. The food on offer includes traditional Chinese dishes such as Peking duck and Western selections of steak and pasta.

"Our takeout offerings are reasonably priced and we are doing quite well on the sales front," said a representative of the hotel. "Orders within 1 kilometer from the hotel are delivered by hotel staff, who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 and have a negative nucleic acid test result from within 48 hours."

Rosewood Beijing launched a takeout service on May 8, which is available on the hotel's official WeChat platform. Free delivery is offered for orders over 500 yuan ($75) within 5 km of the hotel.

Bistrot B, a French restaurant in the hotel, rolled out "520 Love Day" special takeout packages to "invite lovers to enjoy sweet moments at home" on May 20-21, which are unofficial Valentine's Days celebrated in China.

The flagship delicatessen of Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center, Kempi Deli recently tried out the community group buying model, where residents within a neighborhood band together to purchase daily goods in bulk. More than 160 residents participated in the bakery's first group buying order, generating 25,000 yuan in revenue, according to the hotel.

A group buying coordinator from the community acts as the liaison between the residents and the hotel. After details are confirmed, residents place orders on a dedicated WeChat platform run by the hotel, which then delivers the orders to the community.

"This is a welcome arrangement as it not only drives up the hotel's orders, but also makes things easier for customers and minimizes physical contact," said Li Bo, deputy general manager of Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center. He added that more group buying coordinators have shown an interest and contacted the hotel.

For pickup orders, the hotel has set up a special channel to ensure that customers are able to collect their orders without the hassle of waiting in line, which "greatly reduces unnecessary contact and crowding", the hotel said.

Launching a takeout service helps hotels promote their food and beverages and adds to their revenue streams and cash flows, Zhao Huanyan, chief knowledge officer at Huamei Consulting Group based in the southern city of Shenzhen, told Beijing Business Today.

He suggested that hotels develop a number of popular food and beverage offerings to make the restaurant business a more important contributor to operating income.

Going beyond food and drinks, Kerry Hotel, Beijing introduced livestream fitness classes on April 28 to stay connected with members of its gym and potential customers amid COVID-19 restrictions.

Broadcast daily on the hotel's WeChat platform and TikTok account, the classes are hosted by in-house fitness instructors, who teach the audience how to work out at home.

"We try to create an inspiring atmosphere for home workouts and at the same time provide the viewers with detailed instructions," said a representative of the hotel. "The classes have been well received, with many viewers saying that they will keep following the classes."

The hotel also livestreamed cooking lessons during the Labor Day holiday from April 30 to May 4 and on Mother's Day on May 8. In the broadcasts, hotel chefs taught the audience how to prepare tasty dishes using simple ingredients.

Gu Huimin, a professor with a focus on hotel management at Beijing International Studies University, suggested that hotels explore the digital realm－for instance, they could offer a virtual tour of the presidential suite－Beijing Business Today reported.

"Hotels can also introduce more educational content that is closely related to daily life, such as lessons on mixology, latte art and tea-making," she added.