Marco Polo’s General Managers Conference 2015 - Newly Opened Niccolo Chengdu’s First Conference
Marco Polo Hotels chose the recently opened new luxury hotel brand, Niccolo Chengdu, China, for the General Managers Conference to showcase the new direction for the company. General Managers, Food & Beverage Directors and Executive Chefs gathered to take part in a strategic meeting as well as to exchange ideas and best practices during the conference held in May.
Mr. Eric Waldburger, President of Marco Polo Hotels presented his key message "Live Bold, Stay Sharp" to kick start the conference and was followed by success stories presented by each General Manager. Featured sessions at the conference included ReviewPro, the new online reputation management initiative for the company and Marco Polo Elite Dinning Programme with a Q&A panel.
While the first two days were focused on training and information sharing, a Signature Dish Cooking Competition was held on the third day where each GM was invited to create, prepare and cook the signature dish of the hotel within an hour. The competition was intense and a number of well-presented and mouth-watering dishes including poached sliced Mandarin fish in a spicy broth, spaghetti carbonara and Reuben sandwich were presented. It was a tough decision for the panel judges and they have finally decided on the Reuben sandwich created by Mr. James Ong, GM of Marco Polo Hotels – Hong Kong as the signature dish for its simplicity and he described it as "minutes to make, a lifetime to master".
A similar competition on signature cocktails was also held among the Food & Beverage Directors. The winner was Mr. Dennis Chen, Director of Food & Beverage of Niccolo Chengdu who formulated the Spicy Mary cocktail.
"The conference has set the stage for the new Marco Polo Hotels' direction to improve on past successes and build a stronger future in challenging times. The delegates took back new ideas and initiatives to share with their hotels with the goal to improve hotel performances in the coming months." said Eric Waldburger, President of Marco Polo Hotels.
The conference was a success and the planning for next year's session is already in the pipeline.
About Wharf Hotels
The Spirit of Discovery | Emanating the spirit of discovery, Wharf Hotels, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Wharf (Holdings) Ltd, is based in Hong Kong and currently operates 16 owned or managed hotels under Niccolo or Marco Polo Hotels in Hong Kong, China and the Philippines. Niccolo Hotels was added to the group's portfolio in 2015 as the new luxury collection, positioning the brand as contemporary urban chic. The Murray, Hong Kong, a Niccolo Hotel, opened in January 2018 as the brand's flagship hotel, with 2 new Niccolo hotels currently under development in China following successful openings in Chengdu and Chongqing. Marco Polo's deluxe hotels in established locations maintain their ethos to explore, discover and experience a destination, drawing on the philosophies of its namesake, Marco Polo: an adventurer, a traveller, an entrepreneur and a connoisseur of culture - just as Marco Polo's modern travellers are today. Further details are available at wharfhotels.com.
About Ultratravel Collection
Ultratravel Collection brings together hotels of distinction for the discerning traveller. Its membership is reserved for the very best hotels and resorts in the world - genuinely luxurious and iconic properties that deliver the finest service and personalised guest experiences. Member hotels share an integrated global platform for guest recognition and loyalty rewards, the DISCOVERY programme from partner Global Hotel Alliance, as well as beneficial relationship with the multi-media brand Ultratravel, the other founding partner of Ultratravel Collection. For more information visitultratravelcollection.com.