The Bund in Shanghai is home to the most luxurious hotels in China. (Photo : Getty Images)
Boris Blobel, general manager of Wanda Reign on the Bund in Shanghai is at the helm of a booming hotel industry. The hotelier admitted that the supply isn't even enough.
"The demand is huge and the supply is limited. I do believe luxury will always have a market in China, and will continue to grow, especially when it comes to lifestyle. If there is an economy that will certainly grow, it's China's," said Blobel.
Wanda Reign is owned by one of China's richest. This man is Wang Jianlin, the founder and chairman of Wanda Group.
Blobel manages a hotel with 193 rooms of modern-deco design and a nightly rate of 2,970 yuan per night. The hotel's restaurant serves cuisine by Micheline chef Marc Meneau.
Government's anti-luxury campaign has forced the Wanda hotel to slash their rates to 2,500 yuan a night. However, the hotel is still growing and sales are increasing.
For the general manager who started as a bellboy and worked his way up, he takes inspiration from the owner's no none sense approach in handling business. Blobel is now the manager of Wanda's 19 hotels.
Despite facing tough competition with old hotel chains such as Peninsula and Waldorf Astoria in the Bund, Blobel believes that Wanda's new blood can stand up to the challenge.
"Wanda Reign is a young but proud Chinese hotel brand, founded to show the world that Chinese people can run a luxurious hospitality brand as well," said Blobel.
"For me, Shanghai is not really China. It is as international as New York, London, and Paris. Shanghai is the most sophisticated and advanced city in China that is ready to take on the world, especially in terms of services," he added.
Wanda aims to build a total of 100 hotels globally by the end of the year.
