COVID has set a new precedent with focus on experience: Michael Wang

The coronavirus pandemic brought the world to its knees in the last couple of months but with gradual re-opening, the industries are coping up with a set global guideline and also in their own ways to run the business. Hospitality and travel sector is no doubt the worst-hit industries across the world. Hygiene, safety, sanitisation and cleanliness have become the main motto now, to attract customers.

Speaking at the at the fourth session of BW HOTELIER - hansgrohe "Design Innovation to Conservation" WeBBlast Series, Michael Wang, Senior Continent Leader Global Design Asia Pacific, Marriott International, Hong Kong talks about the key take-away from the crisis and how to deal with COVID-19 going forward. He said, “It is going to set a new precedent with focus on design, bathroom, shower experience, and everything needs to be experiential across the brand. We have huge task on our hands to make everybody happy and achieve necessary experience of guest satisfaction.”

“Shower is, definitely, one the key take away for all of us. You always hear the biggest issue from customer whenever they don’t have a good bathroom, especially shower experience,” he added. 

Talking about the operator’s expectation from an architect and designer to satisfy guests, Wang mentioned that with a wide range of properties, the demand changes according to needs. He stated, “The luxury tier is where you need to satisfy more than just shower, it is the design, materiality of everything that the designer uses and all of the water saving features is behind the scene for guests.”

“The premium and select brand have different challenge because you don’t have as much room to play with. You don’t know if the customer expects an open bathroom or closed and all of it majorly depends on the culture,” he added.

Concluding his address, Wang gave three giveaways for better times ahead, he said, “You are only as good as your weakest link. You can be as great, strong and powerful as any of us but one tiny invisible bug can ruin the whole globe’s economy. That’s important not just from humanity point of view but business because what none of us saw coming can take us down quickly. So, going in the future, we have to look at everything from a broad micro-lens as well as macro-lens.”

“Having hope in humanity that we will manage and move on is really important. Make sure you have fun in what you are doing otherwise leave it. Don’t make yourself miserable,” he concluded.