Small business is big business

Catering to fair visitors in Guangzhou

Schaumburg says an important trademark of Steigenberger Hotels is the "heart-felt hospitality", and in Hotel Maximilian, there are many custom-made services that will make guests feel at home.

Although it is quite compact, the hotel intends to create a feeling of family, the general manager says.

One example is that the customers check in and out sitting rather than standing, and there will be more than one check-in counter, all specially designed to create an open space.

"The guest comes. He sits down. He gets a welcome drink with a cool towel in the summer or a hot towel in the winter. He relaxes and starts the check-in," says Schaumburg. "There is no dividing line between the customers and our personnel. You can walk around. You can come to the front. It's all open.

"Most business travelers sometimes get annoyed when they check out and are asked 'did you take anything from the minibar?' And you may have extra charges because you used the Internet. But what we do is all-inclusive."

The hotel offers free WiFi and free minibars for all customers.

"The rooms are basically set with all necessities. When you check out, you pay exactly the amount of money that you booked the room for, with no additional charges."

Also, the hotel encourages its staff to make decisions rather than "following the handbook".

"If a customer complains that his dessert was not very nice last night, our staff can take it off the bill, and don't have to ask the supervisor," the general manager explains. "Instead of letting the customers wait, they can make decisions - of course, not major decisions - there and then."

The philosophy behind this is all about trust.

"Every grown-up is capable of making decisions, and most of the time, they make the right decisions."