Grow with China--An Exclusive Interview with Mr. Henry Lee, President, Greater China, Marriott International

Editor’s Note: “Mr. Henry Lee joined Marriott International in 1997. In 2001, he became Area Director of Operations for China, Vietnam and the Philippines. In 2003, Henry was promoted again to the capacity of Vice President, China, and Vice President of Operations for China, Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia. He oversaw all hotel operations in those destinations. Between 2007 and 2011, Henry became Area Vice President, China, and took charge of all hotels in the country. He was promoted to Chief Operations Officer and Managing Director, Greater China in 2011, a capacity he held till September 2019. At present, Henry is President, Greater China, and, is responsible for direct oversight of opening and operating hotels for all brands across Greater China. He is also a member of the Marriott Asia Pacific Continent leadership team.”

This is the second time for Grand Hotels to have the pleasure to talk to Mr. Henry Lee after our first meeting back in 2019. It has been an incredible two years full of unexpected twists and turns for the whole world. While the sudden changes may have left us overwhelmed, after a period of reflection and contemplation, we are always able to pinpoint new opportunities by observing how things develop and evolve. This time, we talk to Henry about Marriott International's journey in China and discuss the brand’s plan for future development.

Mr. Henry Lee, President, Greater China, Marriott International

Marriott International has been in China for over 30 years and is now operating 400 hotels in more than 100 cities. In fact, the development of Marriott International in China is the epitome of the country's economic development. Since the adoption of the reform and opening-up policy, China has been introducing foreign brands into the domestic market with openness and inclusiveness. With continued growth of the national economy, the hotel industry has been thriving as well. Shanghai is a typical example. As the largest economic center in China, the city has provided a variety of growth opportunities to Marriott International. Acknowledges and commending the significance of Shanghai to the Group, Henry said,“It is one of the world's leading financial centers. We are happy to see our business in Shanghai is regaining its momentum with both leisure and business travel getting back on track. Shanghai is a very important city for us. We are currently operating 53 hotels here, and in the next few years, we are targeting to expand and increase that number to 65 to 70. Shanghai has been growing uninterruptedly, and will continue to grow in the future.”

Mr. Lee Meets China East, Suzhou and Hangzhou Area Team and General Managers

Mr. Lee Visits South Area Team and General Managers

When the pandemic broke out in 2020, Marriott International worked closely with local governments, hotel associates, and property owners to respond to the challenges posed by the emergency and ensured a well-paced recovery of the business. As a multinational company that has operated in China for 30 years, the Group has been committed to its core value of putting people first and tries its best to take care of every associate despite difficult times. Henry said, “The pandemic has been an unprecedented challenge and we have tried our best to safeguard the rights and benefits of our associates. In May 2020, we launched the Marriott International Greater China Career Care Center, a centralized portal with resources to help various associate to find assignments. Associates may contact the regional team or the general manager of a hotel directly by email, Wechat and telephone to share their needs in seeking jobs. By matching applicants with positions based on taskforce vacancies of hotels, time requirement and experience relevancy, the Career Care Center offers strong support to our people in career development. Since business recovery was carried out in stages and by areas, we would transfer associates to hotels showing good momentum so that the salary plan can be competitive.” By the end of 2020, the CareerCare Center has filled more than 2,900 taskforce positions and completed 2,500 internal transfer roles, successfully minimizing the pandemicinduced impact on associates. Henry added, "The Chinese government has set a prominent example for us. China’s resolute actions in responding to the pandemic is a true manifestation of what ‘putting people first’ and a ‘people-centered approach’ means. I also greatly appreciate the meeting between the management of ten major hotel groups, with Marriott International being one of them, and Mr. Chen Tong, Deputy Mayor of Shanghai, thanks to the support and organization of the Grand Hotels. That has really boosted our confidence in the market recovery."

Mr. Lee Greets Hotel Associates

Mr. Lee Greets Area Team

Marriott International has been recognized as a Top Employer in China by the Top Employers Institute in the past 10 consecutive years, which truly reflects the motto of Mr. Bill Marriott,“We believe in taking care of our associates, and they will take care of our customers.”Henry said,“Putting people first is the most important concept for a company in the service industry. I greet every colleague because they are the vital force to our operational success. Without them, we would never build an excellent brand, and Marriott International would not be where we are today. Associates are our priority, and therefore we are committed to supporting their career development, especially among local talents. In our senior management team, 77% of them are Chinese general managers.” By executing localized strategies, Marriott International manages to create more jobs and opportunities for local talents and maintains a strong insight into the domestic market. This also allows us to understand the needs of our guests and provide better service to them in return.

Mr. Lee's Visit to Regional Areas

Mr. Lee Visits Area Team and Hotel Associates

Mr. Lee Visits North Area Team

“We also observed a certain level of change in our prepandemic and post-pandemic customer groups.” Henry explained to us,“Before the outbreak, 75% of room nights in China were sourced from domestic guests while 25% were international. Currently, we see the domestic number increased to 95%. In addition, we start to have a younger generation of travelers, who are breaking away from traditions and have learned to enjoy life. They are hard-working and determined to seeking happiness. To attract young guests, we must become fashionable and inspiring as well. Therefore, we have introduced Moxy to China, which is entirely different from any other conventional brands. By creating a versatile playful space for the young and the young-at-heart, Moxy aims to surprise travelers with a spirited and fun guest experience. Moxy Shanghai Hongqiao CBD is the brand’s debut in the mainland of China. Moxy Hotels also plans to open seven additional properties in the mainland.”

Moxy Shanghai Hongqiao CBD

The opening of Moxy marks the entry of Marriott Bonvoy’s 24th brand into the mainland of China – a testament to the focus on bringing a diversified portfolio for different types of travelers in and to China. Marriott International has also innovatively launched a “Franchise Plus” model, where the Group would recommend trained senior hotel executives to be “launch general managers” at franchised properties. Within the 16-month term, including 4 months of pre-opening and 12 months into operations, the general manager will draw on the mature hotel management experience as well as the powerful resources and toolkits of Marriott International to optimize operations of the hotel in the first year after the opening in order to secure win-win cooperation. “We are committed to mutual development with property owner partners. With careful review and evaluation of the actual circumstances, the Group selects hotel brands suitable for the owner and tries its best to ensure having the right brand at the right location. We are committed to ensuring reasonable returns for the hotel owner or franchisee. The first Moxy hotel is a vivid example of our efforts in this regard.”Henry emphasized that mutual benefit is the primary principle in maintaining a healthy partnership.

Moxy Shanghai Hongqiao CBD - Bar

In recent years, China enjoys an increasing soft power and cultural influence in the world. The image and culture of cities is also an important component of a country’s soft power. Major cities in China have been working actively to enhance their city image by showcasing an urban system with unique and meaningful visual elements. As a symbol of high-end and luxury, five-star hotels play an important role in promoting the image and taste of cities, acting as a memorable landmark and enhancing the local tourism environment. A leading international hotel group, Marriott International is committed to introducing more hotels into a variety of cities as a contribution to their urban landscape. Henry said, “There has been an evident boom in domestic tourism, and people are shifting away from overseas destinations to cities in China that have been previous overlooked. Hotel accommodation has become an important factor in decision-making when people select which city to visit. In the future 18 months, Xiamen, Changsha, and Macau will each see the introduction and opening of a W Hotel. As a modern luxury lifestyle brand, W Hotels will bring a trendy cool atmosphere to the cities.” 2021 has been a year of continued expansion and growth of Marriott International. Apart from the expected openings of W Changsha and W Xiamen, JW Marriott Xi’an, which is soon to be opened, looks forward to receiving guests in the ancient capital with its iconic concept of ‘The JW Treatment’; The Ritz-Carlton, Harbin will refresh the urban lifestyle and create a new landmark for the Ice City of China. In the future, when the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in China is launched in Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan Province, it will offer excellent service to guests and carry on the brand’s motto of "We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen."

W Xiamen

W Xiamen - Lobby

W Changsha

W Changsha RUN WAY Bar

The Ritz-Carlton Reserve

The Ritz-Carlton, Harbin

As hotels bring new vitality to cities, the development of cities has a great impact on hotels as well. Marriott International keeps a close watch on the development of cities to facilitate effective planning. During our conversation, Henry gave the example of Shanghai, “Shanghai is growing fast as a key financial center with expanding city size. With more and more road trip destinations emerging, Shanghai has reached far beyond its central urban areas. With the development of the five new towns in the Qingpu, Fengxian, Jiading, Nanhui, and Songjiang districts, new opportunities are starting to unfold. Our business in Shanghai has been expanding as well. The JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai Fengxian, which is located in Fengxian District, marks the 50th hotel we operate in the city. Following the Moxy Shanghai Hongqiao CBD located in the extended area of the Hongqiao central business district, we are also planning to introduce the luxury Ritz-Carlton brand into the Hongqiao CBD area.” From the opening of the first Marriott hotel, the Shanghai Marriott Hotel Hongqiao, to the current 53 hotels in Shanghai, Marriot International has witnessed the rapid growth of the city and the magical changes that have taken place.

JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai Fengxian

JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai Fengxian - Lobby

As the narrator and spokesman of Marriott International in China, Henry carries the compassion, composure, and equanimity of a seasoned hotelier. He is true to his original aspirations and yet keeps pace with the times. A visionary leader, Henry is attentive to details, decisive, humble, and open-minded. In our interview, he expressed his unwavering confidence in China’s development and the determination of Marriott International to grow with the country. He said,  “I think China has a power of consumption that should never be underestimated. The Chinese government has also been committed to driving domestic consumption, a strategy that had been effective years before the pandemic broke out. If we look at the growth of Hainan, the city is likely to become one of the largest duty-free markets in the world. What lies beneath the amazing consumption power of China is its magnificent growth. Marriott International is a leading international hotel management corporation with a long-term vision for continued growth. China, therefore, is a very important market for the Group. I look forward to more hotels of Marriott International’s brands to be opened here and make their due contribution to the tourism development in China.” At the end of the interview, Henry expressed his hope in talking to Grand Hotels again in the near future about the new development of Marriott International in China. With great honor and appreciation, we look forward to the early arrival of that opportunity.

JW Marriott Hotel Yinchuan & Courtyard Yinchuan

The St. Regis Qingdao

The Ritz-Carlton Sanya, Yalong Bay