With the 2008 Beijing Olympics drawing closer, the pace has been picking up in the capital city of China. Ascott has similarly quickened its pace in the capital by opening its fourth serviced residence in Beijing, Somerset ZhongGuanCun.

This is a 154-unit serviced residence located in the heart of Zhongguancun, a high-technology development zone, sometimes also known as the Silicon Valley of China. Like all Ascott residences, Somerset ZhongGuanCun combines all the requisites of contemporary living with conveniences that a discerning traveller needs.

To cater to the potential demand spurred on by the upcoming Olympics Games, there will be 172 units of ZhongGuanCun Residences available for corporate leasing starting from January 2007, on top of the 154 units of serviced residences currently available in Somerset ZhongGuanCun. All units will be available to both short and long stay residents.

Attractive location with convenient access

Located in the fast developing ZhongGuanCun area, Somerset ZhongGuanCun is only 15 minutes away from the Olympic Village, where the 2008 Beijing Olympics will be held. The property is near the ZhongGuanCun pedestrian street and area, which have several malls retailing computer products and services. Somerset ZhongGuanCun is also near the Haidian Theatre, Haidian Medical Centre and the well-known universities of Tsinghua, Peking and Renmin. With two new metro lines in the pipeline, downtown Beijing will soon be easily accessible from Somerset ZhongGuanCun.

Link Club, managed by Ascott International, celebrated its second anniversary with a party on 2 November 2006 at Citadines Shanghai Jinqiao. The breakfast lounge was transformed into a French bistro, in line with the theme for the evening – Le Femme Reunion. The party was attended by senior management from Ascott International, as well as the hip and well-heeled all dressed in the colour purple, which was the theme for the evening.

Many came from established companies such as HSBC, Texas Instruments, BASF, Fujifilm, among others, and is a reflection of Link Club's success. The first Link Club was setup in Shanghai in 2004, and has since expanded into the cities of Beijing, Dalian and Guangzhou. Guests were treated to a live jazz performance, a wine-tasting session, as well as French cuisine of hor'd'oeuvres and petit fours.

There was even a surprise birthday celebration for one of the guests that evening. She was presented with a birthday cake and gift and was moved beyond words when everyone sang a birthday song for her. Shanghai's Link Club 2nd Anniversary Party turned out to be a memorable occasion for both her and Ascott International.

What is LIFE all about? To the 1400 staff at Ascott International, China, this spells the way residents will be treated with Heartware, the cornerstone of the Group's service culture. To equip staff with tenets of LIFE in their daily work functions, a series of training sessions and launch events were organised over 2 months.

Throughout October and November, over 800 staff throughout Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin and Dalian were trained with LIFE - Local Touch, Individuality, Freedom to Breathe, and Exceeding Expectations and how they could implement the values with their Heartware service in their day-to-day functions. The Ascott Group's 3 brands were also clearly defined to equip staff with a deeper understanding and how staff should treat residents with LIFE values through Heartware culture.

On 20 November 2006, the Shanghai central office kicked-off the China launch event at Somerset Xu Hui's new meeting rooms. Lucas Loh, Managing Director for Ascott International, China, and Senior Vice President for The Ascott Group, addressed over 300 staff in Shanghai, urging them to bring the Group's 3 brands alive through LIFE. The staff also had an opportunity to be personally addressed by The Ascott Group's CEO, Cameron Ong, who further reiterated that "success can only come from all of us together, seeing the common things, working together, and understanding LIFE".

Through interactive games and role-plays, the team began to learn about the personalities of each brand – Ascott The Residence, Somerset Serviced Residence and Citadines Apart'hotel, and how they were designed for different target audience. Then came the surprising twist when our Executive Management Committee (EMC) members, in true Heartware spirit, ditched their usual shirt and tie garb, for a chef apron and hat to prepare salads and sandwiches for everyone!

Bringing Heartware service through LIFE is indeed a commitment by the management and team at Ascott International, China and all residents will be assured of gracious hospitality and impeccable service throughout their stay.