Being able to speak even basic conversational Mandarin made all the difference when Paul Jones opened Mandarin Oriental, Taipei.
“The hotel opened May 2014, but when I arrived in the Taiwanese capital September 2012, my first tasks were to hire an HR well-versed in the local scene, and sign on for lessons with a Mandarin speaker,” Jones recalled. Two weeks later he had his HR, followed soon by the nucleus of his executive team, and he was quickly progressing beyond please and thank you.
Construction was going on all around. What is now a 303-room hotel integrated with a sizeable luxury retail arcade and, in an adjacent building, 26 high-end owned residences, was slowly taking shape, a new-build replacing what had been the non-branded Mandarina Crown Hotel. Owner Lin Ming-Chun wanted the new complex to impress, and worked with architect C.Y. Lee, who had already put up the city’s tallest building, the 101-floor Taipei 101. The hotel’s high ceilings, acres of polished marble and hundreds of gleaming Lasvit chandeliers make a statement – Taiwanese are proud, as newly-elected President Tsai Ing-Wen said in her victory speech on January 15.
“Taiwanese are also sophisticated and cultured and they appreciate elegance,” said Jones.
In the club lounge, wicker baskets are put on the floor to protect women’s designer handbags – not that there is any dust in his hotel. The lounge’s copious breakfast buffet sees Ruinart being offered, held by bottles’ base punt. Ruinart is the popular house Champagne, too, in Bencotto.
“All our restaurants, designed by Tony Chi, operate 95% capacity, at all meals,” explained Jones. Bencotto, with red leather table tops set with Bernardaud porcelain, is a particular favorite with local fashionistas, who tend to order Treccia Campana Di Buffala Mozzarella, specially made in Naples, Italy – a large plait weighing about six pounds is carved and flavored tableside from an stylish trolley.
Jones recruited his 630-strong team via QR barcodes on subway trains and a specially-made video in Mandarin. He rented high-up space next to Taipei 101 for what was the city’s first-ever hotel job fair (as well as strategic city views, applicants enjoyed afternoon tea and a mini spa, and 11 television channels covered the experience). Then, as now, Paul Jones personally handles all final, third, interviews. Staff are dressed by Japanese designer Masaru Mineo, and they have no fewer than 180 motorbike parking spaces.
“Taiwanese are really proud of Mandarin Oriental,” said Jones. “Twenty-two percent of our rooms business is domestic, with many, from all over the country as well as from here in Taipei, coming for business and short leisure breaks, and brides love our outdoor spiral staircase from the Wedding Chapel down to a garden.”
Little did Jones think when he started waiting tables at a restaurant near his home in Wales, that he would progress, via an intern program at Turnberry, Scotland, to Oberoi (to learn so much from his mentors, P.R.S. ‘Biki’ Oberoi and his son Vikram) and on to Mandarin Oriental, first Bangkok (Kurt Wachtveitl remains another mentor), and Singapore and then this Mandarin Oriental palace.