WRITTEN IN THE STARS
永利渡假村成為全球榮膺最多《福布斯旅遊指南》五星榮譽的度假酒店，这些星星是怎樣得來的？對這家華麗的酒店來說，征途才剛剛開始。
Wynn Resorts have received a record number of stars from the Forbes Travel Guide, but how are those stars earned? A beautiful hotel is just the beginning.
今年，永利澳門從全球175家獲得《福布斯旅遊指南》五星榮譽的酒店中脫穎而出，創下歷史紀錄：在澳門這個擁有最多福布斯五星榮譽酒店（澳門有10家，僅巴黎能與之媲美）的城市，永利澳門共摘得八項五星榮譽，包括酒店，水療中心和四間餐廳，成為全球唯一一家榮獲如此多五星評級的度假酒店。再加上永利拉斯維加斯獲得的13項五星榮譽，永利渡假村如今比世界上任何一家酒店集團都擁有更多的福布斯五星榮譽。這毫無疑問是一項非凡成就，然而這些星星背後所代表的意義，究竟是什麼？史提芬永利表示：「對於酒店來說，獲得五星榮譽的意義不僅是在前台放個牌子說我們有五顆星。」相反地，這種榮譽裡蘊含著極其豐富的意義。它意味著酒店要投入更多的資金為賓客締造更高水準的奢華體驗（酒店的收費標準要與其奢華程度相稱）。但這種難以實際估算的價值，也使某些酒店更容易誇大其詞。《福布斯旅遊指南》首席執行官Jerry Inzerillo表示，對於想了解酒店實際狀 THIS YEAR, AMONG THE 175 HOTELS IN THE WORLD WITH A FIVE STAR RATING FROM THE FORBES TRAVEL GUIDE, Wynn Macau set a record: In the city with the most Forbes Five Star hotels (Macau has 10, rivaled only by Paris), Wynn Macau earned eight Five Star ratings, for its hotel, spa, and four restaurants—the only resort on earth to receive so many. Add that number to the 13 Five Star ratings for Wynn Las Vegas, and Wynn Resorts can now say it has more Forbes Five Star awards than any other independent hotel company on the planet. It’s an impressive feat, to be sure, but what does it mean exactly? For hotels, says Steve Wynn, “It isn’t as simple as just putting up a sign at the front desk that says we have five stars.” Rather, the honor is multidimensional. It requires that a hotel spend more money to offer its guests more luxury (and charge commensurate rates). But it also gets bragging rights, whose value is more difficult to calculate. For travelers trying to navigate a hypercompetitive industry, with online travel sites devising their own ratings to sell rooms, the many different star systems had lost their meaning, says Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide. “People buy what is advertised to be four- or five- or even seven-star experiences and have been terribly let down.” To remedy what Inzerillo calls the industry’s “trust problem,” three years ago the guide reconfigured its goal. “We’ve expanded Forbes Travel Guide as a model of a
況的旅行者來說，酒店行業競爭如此激烈，旅遊網站對酒店星級評定各有不同標準，過多的評分系統就會失去意義：「人們預訂網站廣告上獲得四星、五星甚至七星評分的酒店，但往往大失所望。」為了改善Inzerillo所指的行業「信任危機」，三年前，《福布斯旅遊指南》重新制定其評選目標。Inzerillo說：「我們將《福布斯旅遊指南》定位為一個評分標準透明的全球精英酒店指南。公司會向42個國家的酒店派出匿名觀察員，進行為期兩晚的住宿評測。在此期間，他們會根據高達890項的評分標準去評測酒店。據《福布斯旅遊指南》評分高級副總裁Amanda Frasier表示，這些標準一直在與時俱進。匿名觀察員將報告發回公司總部，總部會根據一套專門的評分計算系統來決定酒店的星級評分，其中酒店的服務水準所佔的比例最重，高達75%,設施配套佔25%。」Frasier說：「這並不意味著配套設施不重要，因為酒店設施是否符合相應水準，是我們首先要評估的項目。」Inzerillo補充道：「酒店與客人之間的情感聯繫，並非由浴室面積這些設施標準來決定。客人會記住的體驗，是他們在酒店裡是否感覺到周全細緻的服務？是否感覺舒適？是否感覺快樂？」從拉斯維加斯到澳門，史提芬永利都摘下了眾多星級榮譽，但他可能會堅持說，他的經營理念於1973年的內華達州里諾市就已經打下了牢固根基。「我曾經預訂過里諾市中心當時最好的酒店， Virginia街的Harrah’s酒店，」他回憶道，酒店的創始人是Bill Harrah:「我在泊車時，已經感覺到如同身在廣場大酒店（ Plaza）一般的尊貴體驗。」一位年輕服務生立即上前迎接問候，並給他一個可隨時致 transparent, global meritocracy,” he says. The company now vets hotels in 42 countries by sending anonymous inspectors for two-night stays, during which they assess the hotel against a set of up to 890 standards, which Amanda Frasier, Forbes Travel Guide’s Senior Vice President of Ratings, says are always evolving. The mystery guests then send their reports to corporate headquarters, where a proprietary algorithm—heavily weighted toward service at a surprising 75 percent, with facilities contributing 25 percent—is used to determine the star rating. “Which is not to say that the facility is not important, since the facility is what qualifies you to be evaluated in the first place,” Frasier says. Adds Inzerillo, “Emotional connectivity is not derived by the square footage of a bathroom. What people remember is, Was I looked after? Did I feel comfortable? Was I entertained?” Though Steve Wynn’s many stars now stretch from Las Vegas to Macau, he might say his operating philosophy was solidified in Reno, Nevada, in 1973. “I made a reservation at the Harrah’s on Virginia Street, a downtown hotel in Reno that’s bare-bones,” he recalls, which was then owned by its founder, Bill Harrah. “And when I pulled up my rental car to the curb, it felt like pulling up to the Plaza.” A young man greeted him immediately, giving him a phone number to call at any time, and a front desk attendant welcomed him by name and told him that his room had been upgraded. Those who have read the hundreds of Forbes checklist items will rec-
電要求服務的電話號碼。前台服務員知道他的名字，告訴他已經幫他升級了房間。如果你讀過《福布斯旅遊指南》裡面幾百項的評分標準的話，就能明白史提芬永利在抵達酒店的短短幾分鐘內已經感受到的出色服務。儘管酒店的地毯沒有令史提芬永利留下深刻印象，酒店的服務卻讓他永記心頭。「我還未進到房間，就已經強烈感受到酒店服務的出色，」史提芬永利說，「我覺得這就是我對自己酒店員工的期望。酒店到底給員工吃的是什麼？為什麼員工們能為客人帶來如此溫暖親切的感覺？這就是奢華的意義所在。」Inzerillo說，與其他僅是注重華麗設施的酒店相比，福布斯五星榮譽酒店往往在服務的主動性和積極性上更勝一籌。永利拉斯維加斯總裁Maurice Wooden說：「福布斯會發送評測報告給我們，他們會和收到報告的各方一起坐下來，回顧整個評分過程和體驗。我們得以了解有哪些員工服務是優秀範例，並據此改進員工培訓方法，確保他們能夠達到相應的水準。」Frasier指出，永利因此願意接受比其他度假酒店更頻繁的匿名觀察和評測報告。Inzerillo說：「史提芬現在正加倍致力於服務水準的提升。儘管他在每個建立了永利渡假酒店的城市裡，都居於市場領導者的地位，但他常說我們做得很好，但我們必須變得更好。」Inzerillo解釋道：「員工培訓的目標之一，是讓員工產生對酒店的歸屬感。人們常常問我全世界175個五星榮譽酒店的共同點是什麼。這個共同點就是[員工]知道 ognize several points that the hotel would have earned within minutes. And if the carpet didn’t make a lasting imprint, the service did. “I hadn’t even made it to the room yet, but I’m dazzled,” Wynn says. “And I make up my mind that that’s what I want with my employees. What the hell were they feeding these kids? How did they get that warmth? Now there’s luxury.” What separates Forbes Five Star resorts from other merely excellent facilities, Inzerillo says, is their willingness to act on information. As Maurice Wooden, President of Wynn Las Vegas, says, “Forbes gives us a report, and then they sit down with all the people who get those reports and take them through the experiences. We get to recognize employees who scored well for their exemplary service, and develop new ways to train people to make sure that they’re up to discipline.” Frasier notes that Wynn has opted for additional incognito inspections and more frequent reports than other resorts. “What Steve is doing is doubling down on service,” Inzerillo says. “Even though he’s the market leader in every city, he’s saying, ‘As good as we are, we have to get better.’” But training wouldn’t be enough if employees didn’t believe they belonged there, he says. “People ask me what the common denominator is among the world's 175 Five Stars. What sets them apart is that employees know their contribution is meaningful. Steve believes something I’ve been saying for 30 years: The best hotel is one driven by a service culture and built on the self-esteem of its staff—which translates into keeping its promise to its guests. And that’s why it’s so special.” 他們的貢獻對酒店來說有重要意義。這個觀點我說了三十年了，史提芬一直非常認同：最好的酒店應該以酒店的服務文化為驅動力，並建立起員工的自尊價值—這意味著信守對客人的服務承諾。 這就是福布斯五星酒店的特別之處。」