Michael Seow, general manager of Renaissance Beijing Wangfujing Hotel Photo: Courtesy of Renaissance Beijing Wangfujing Hotel

In the years that Renaissance Beijing Wangfujing Hotel has been open, it has gained an increasing amount of recognition from the public. This can mainly be attributed to the efforts and contributions from General Manager Michael Seow.

The architectural design of Renaissance Beijing Wangfujing Hotel boasts a distinctive, two-sided building, with one side facing the Forbidden City and the other facing Wangfujing Dajie. In the lobby, a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf showcases ancient books and art, contrasted with a LED screen, giving business travelers a journey through time from ancient to modern.

"I was deeply attracted to Renaissance Beijing Wangfujing Hotel the first time I arrived," Seow said. "The spacious lobby expressed the feeling of nobility. It felt as if I found a quiet and beautiful place at the end of an unassuming path," said Seow.

Seow has 28 years of experience in hospitality management and operations. Originally from Singapore, he has worked with Marriott International for 21 years. During this period, he has worked for many Marriott brands, including JW Marriott, Renaissance, Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott and Marriott Executive Apartments in a variety of places, including Sydney, Hawaii, Shanghai, Beijing and Sanya, Hainan Province. Prior to this assignment at Renaissance Beijing Wangfujing Hotel, he was the general manager of Shanghai Marriott Hotel Pudong East.

"It is not easy for one person to be dedicated to one career for his whole life," Seow said. "My devotion and passion encouraged me to persist with my career. Marriot gives me a lot of opportunities in personal development. I could work at the hotels under Marriot in different countries, which provides me the opportunity to experience different cultures. I enjoy this career. It provides me the chance to grow both spiritually and physically."

Seow said an excellent hotel staff should not only have devotion and passion, but have the will to learn and the courage to face difficulties.

 He admires Chinese youth because he sees they have the courage to face difficulties. "Most of our young interns were born after 1990. They have the will to learn," he said. "I remember asking for money from my parents at their age, but they have a career and can be financially independent."

Seow thinks it is necessary to focus on the development of his employees. He promotes people when he can — he said it is key to lending support to an employees' development.

Outside of work, Seow likes to get just as active. "Typically, I am busy at work, but I make sure to find time to do outdoor exercises to release some pressure. I can play like a madman when I am doing sports."