JOHN GARDNER from New Zealand is the general manager of the soon-to-open five-star Crowne Plaza Longgang Shenzhen Hotel. He said a successful hotel took care of the details.

"The difference between hotels is not in the hardware but in the software, the attitude of the employees, the warm ambiance they provide, the attention to details and personalized service all of which stem from the top," he said. Gardner has managed Sofitels and Novotels in many Asian countries.

Shenzhen is the fourth Chinese city Gardner has worked in after Shanghai, Zhengzhou and Jinan. He said the new hotel would be the first five-star hotel in Longgang, consisting of 300 luxury rooms and suites, five restaurants, three bars and a range of entertainment and leisure facilities.

"There are insufficient international five-star hotels in Shenzhen to cope with demand," he said, adding that the situation would change with the number of properties opening in the near future.

"I believe all the new hotels will do well given the growth of business in the city," he said. He added that his hotel was in a unique situation with the nearest competitor over an hour's drive away.

"Plus, I am sure there is a very large potential weekend leisure market to tap into with the golf courses, beaches and other attractions close to the city," he said.

Gardner thought Shenzhen needed to keep tighter control on environmental issues and issue tough penalties to people and businesses that disregard the environment. He said Shenzhen's public transport had done well but not well enough to cope with the city's mushrooming population.

"This area needs to improve because of the massive growth in population and vehicles on an annual basis," he said.

Editor: Wing