Internet DNA in Brick-and-Mortar Hotels

“I took the ‘fast fish eat slow fish’ ethos of the internet industry into the hotel business, advocating speed and efficiency, rather than simply following conventional thinking on development of a business. At the same time, I brought in modern management tools and…”

“Most people in the industry in those days did not know how to utilize venture capital and computer technology in management. At the time, landline phone calls were free in guest rooms but Wi-Fi connections were not. Guests who used an in-room landline service tended to be the ones with a weaker payment ability because most more affluent guests would use mobile phones to make calls. I thought: I want to shuffle things around a little. In Hanting, all Wi-Fi internet connections are free of charge. The traditional hotel industry is filled with a sense of vanity and riddled with bureaucracy. In my view, the IT industry has none of that. Its no-nonsense style is like a young man wearing a T-shirt and sporting a crew cut; whoever is capable comes out on top. Let me do it if you can’t. The entire industry is constantly being pushed forwards by young people. The value of older generations depreciates fast.”