Li Fang Hotel Group’s Richard Lee: Going Global While Preserving Taiwan’s Local Culture

▲ Richard Lee, Vice Chairman of Li Fang Hotel Management Group. (Photo / Reporter Xu Wenbin)

Reported by Chen Ziying / Taipei

The “Royal Seasons Hotel” is no stranger to Taipei residents, but few know that the hotel originated from a couple who successfully ran an accounting firm. In March 2015, the Royal Seasons Hotel Group was officially renamed “Li Fang Hotel Management Group,” derived from the first characters of the founder and president Li Mingsong and chairwoman Fang Sudie, symbolizing cherishing and inheritance.

Known for keeping a low profile, Li Fang recently announced 2015 and 2016 as key expansion years. By the end of next year, they plan to invest nearly NT$15.1 billion to expand their footprint, including partnerships with international brands Starwood and InterContinental to establish the “Taichung Li Fang Le Méridien Hotel” and the “Kaohsiung Central Park Indigo Hotel.”Vice Chairman Richard Lee said, “We choose to go global, but we never forget Taiwan’s local culture.”

When it comes to hotel planning, Richard Lee shares the same conviction as his father, Li Mingsong.He said, “Many travelers visit various parts of the world and stay in international five-star chain hotels, yet the content and standards of the hotels are almost identical across different cities, failing to reflect local characteristics. This defeats the purpose of a hotel for travelers.”Therefore, in selecting international brand partners, Richard Lee believes the foremost criterion is the brand's willingness to integrate Taiwanese cultural elements within the hotel. For example, the Taichung Li Fang Le Méridien Hotel, set to begin trial operations by the end of 2016, not only inherits the modern European artistic style characteristic of Le Méridien but also preserves display spaces for artworks by local Taichung artists.


▲ Richard Lee, Vice Chairman of Li Fang Hotel Management Group (left), President Li Mingsong (center), and Chairwoman Fang Sudie (right) jointly announce the group’s renaming and future expansion plans. (Photo / Reporter Xu Wenbin)

Regarding entering the Taichung market, Richard Lee believes that although the location of the Taichung Li Fang Le Méridien may not be favored by every hotel, he considers it a prime spot. He explained that in recent years, the number of Asian travelers in Taichung has surged, and Taiwanese people are also quite familiar with traveling in Taichung. The Taichung Li Fang Le Méridien is close to Taichung Railway Station, and travelers from Changhua frequently visit Taichung, making the catchment area very broad.

Graduating from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and having worked for many years at a hotel management consulting firm while traveling extensively across multiple countries, Richard Lee believes that providing guests with a comfortable experience is essential. The core philosophy of Li Fang is the concept of “home”—building the ideal home and offering care like family. More importantly, Richard Lee feels that service staff should have knowledge of the local area and the ability to interact with guests. He gave an example where some hotel staff provide insider recommendations for hidden scenic spots or great restaurants, which he says is the most guest-friendly service.


▲ Richard Lee believes that besides giving guests a “home” feeling, interaction between staff and guests is also vital. (Photo / Reporter Xu Wenbin)

“Every journey starts on a plane.”Li Fang’s first-class cabin hotels are designed to simulate airplane cabins, creating an in-flight atmosphere in the rooms. Aside from TVs resembling airplane windows, even the sofa chairs fold like airplane seats, and the walkways feature airplane window scenery murals, giving the illusion of entering a hotel 30,000 feet in the sky. The space capsule hostel is as its name suggests—a space-themed design and the largest backpacker hostel in Taiwan in terms of bed count. It even emulates European and American hostels by offering various courses in public areas, bringing backpackers from around the world together for fun. It has become a top choice for many Japanese, Korean, and Western backpackers visiting Taiwan.

Regarding Taiwan’s hotel industry, Richard Lee believes it is promising due to the continuous rise in tourism numbers. However, the comparison between star-rated international brands, local Taiwanese brands, and business hotels varies, and the “speed of supply and demand” is what needs to be observed and evaluated. Richard Lee stated that over the next two years, Li Fang will continue to expand throughout Taiwan. For the Royal Seasons Hotel, they will extend into Hualien City and Taitung City. Richard Lee said, “Compared to other brands, Li Fang chooses a slower pace because we hope to steadily build each hotel well and integrate with local cities as much as possible, rather than just rushing to go public. Our own brand requires careful and thorough planning.”


▲ Li Fang is steadily expanding across Taiwan with a solid and measured approach. (Photo / Reporter Xu Wenbin)