February 2014 Hotel Executive Appointment Statistics Report

(1) Analysis by Regional Distribution of Appointments

　　According to statistics from Myhotel Tourism Research Institute, Beijing saw the highest frequency of appointments this month, with a total of 4 executives appointed, accounting for 19% of the total appointments. It was closely followed by Shaanxi, which appointed 2 executives, making up 10% of the total. Additionally, appointments were also made in multiple regions including Fujian, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Hubei, Chongqing, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Sichuan.

　　This month’s group-level executive appointments included one global executive, one China-region executive, and one East China-region executive.

(2) Analysis by Appointment Position

　　In terms of the positions appointed, General Manager roles saw the highest number, with a total of 12 General Managers taking office this month, accounting for 57% of all star-rated hotel executive appointments. Appointments for Market Sales Director positions also became active, with 5 such appointments, making up 24% of the total. Among them, one was a Group-appointed Market Sales Director for the East China region of China. In addition to the above, appointments were also made for positions such as Food & Beverage Director, Executive Chef, Chief Operating Officer, and Vice President of Development. The variety of appointed positions in February was similar to that of January, with not many different roles.

　　Notably, two of the General Managers appointed this month came from newly opened or soon-to-open international brand hotels. One is the Langham Hotel Xiamen, which debuted on February 18 and is the ninth hotel of The Langham Hotels & Resorts in mainland China and the 22nd globally. General Manager Mr. Vanlanen is from France and has 28 years of experience in hotel management.

　　The other is the Beijing Sunrise Kempinski Hotel, expected to open in May this year. General Manager Mr. Bonnet is from France and has over 13 years of senior management experience in his 26-year hotel career.

(3) Analysis by Appointment Brand

　　According to statistics from Myhotel Tourism Research Institute, Starwood appointed a total of 6 executives this month, accounting for 29% of all star-rated hotel executive appointments. This month, the Gloria brand was also relatively active, appointing 3 executives, making up 14%. Hilton also appointed 2 executives, accounting for 10%. There were also appointments in other brands this month, such as Shangri-La, Marriott, Langham, Fairmont Raffles, and Accor.

　　Looking at executive appointments over recent years, Starwood has consistently been active across various brand appointments, which is closely linked to its rapid development. According to Starwood Hotels & Resorts, in 2013, the group successfully opened 74 new hotels in 22 countries and regions worldwide. Especially in China—the fastest-growing market for Starwood—14 new hotels were opened in 2013, accounting for 20% of the global total. In 2014, Starwood will continue to expand in the Chinese market. According to its official website, about 20 hotels are planned to open in China this year, including 10 luxury hotels, among which is the Beijing W Hotel.

    China’s leading hotel headhunting brand, Qiaobutang Headhunting, analyzed that executive appointments in February were stable without significant growth or fluctuation, which was within expectations. February coincided with the Spring Festival, resulting in a sharp reduction in working days. Moreover, after the holiday, although many executives may have received offers from headhunters or hotels, most remain in a wait-and-see and comparative phase. However, with the arrival of the traditional “Golden March and Silver April” hiring season, the number of resume submissions on Zhaopin.com will surge, the number of positions posted by groups and hotels will also increase significantly, and various recruitment events will soon kick off. In short, executive mobility will become quite frequent in the coming period.