The Supreme Service of Imperial Hotel Tokyo

The suites on the VIP floor are extremely elegant and pleasant. The waiter (right) who works on this floor is committed to providing services to distinguished guests such as state guests, royal families, cabinet ministers and business leaders. When the distinguished guests approach the elevator, the waiter in kimono will meet them immediately. The unique beauty of Japanese kimono is also one of the courtesy to guests.

On the Essence of Service from "Laundry"

In the American film Johnny's Memory, starring keanu reeves and Japanese actor Kitano Takeshi, there is a line: "I want to wear a shirt washed by the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo." Keanu reeves's preference for the Imperial Hotel is famous, and the part of "Tokyo Imperial Hotel Washing Shirts" in the movie lines was also improvised by him.

When it comes to the laundry service of Imperial Hotel, the author will think of an anecdote. Once there was an old man who lived in new york. He came to Japan once or twice a year and stayed at the Imperial Hotel twice. Every time he comes, he always brings a lot of shirts and gives them to the front desk for washing immediately after checking in.

The original building "Leto" of the Imperial Hotel was designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the 20th century 10, so the Imperial Hotel is famous. I was lucky enough to meet this old man from new york when I interviewed the manager of Imperial Hotel a few years ago. He was a little close to the manager at that time. Later, the old man passed away. Recalling that interview, I naturally think of many anecdotes about Frank Lloyd Wright. However, what impressed me more was what the old man said: "If you want to say why you brought so many shirts to the Imperial Hotel for washing, it is because there is no decent laundry in new york."

It is said that every time the old people check in, the laundry department will receive a pile of shirts, and the staff will enter an unusual "state of war." The words of the person in charge of the laundry department also made the author unforgettable: "The guests are finally satisfied and did not ask for a new wash." He has a bright smile when he speaks.

Faced with this difficult "shirt man", the staff of Imperial Hotel gave him an "Imperial Hotel Complex" with excellent skills and sincere attitude. Obviously, the unique hospitality of the Imperial Hotel is also the reason why American actor keanu reeves blurted out impromptu lines.

In the laundry workshop located in the basement of our library, full-time employees are busy washing clothes. On average, 2000 pieces of clothes are received here every day. After the inspection, the staff cleaned quickly. For the stains on clothes, apply detergent (2) first, then steam them, and carefully remove them (1). For the clothes whose buttons have been removed, use the buttons (3) to make up. High-quality washing (4) once impressed Hollywood actors who stayed here.

Behind the symphony of the Imperial Hotel

The so-called hotel in Japan is a unique accommodation facility. The excellent service of Japanese hotels can easily be regarded as an extension of hotel services. However, the author believes that the real strength of Japanese hotels is actually manifested in a lot of backstage work, such as the laundry service mentioned above.

Imperial Hotel has its own washing factory, which provides laundry service for guests. The hotel has also set up a "facilities department", and once the facilities and electrical appliances in the hotel fail, they will be repaired immediately. The facilities department has carpenters, painters, electricians, plumbers and even welders on duty at any time. Many people think that compared with foreign countries, one advantage of Japanese hotels is that they have an organizational system that can quickly troubleshoot facilities. The Imperial Hotel is the practitioner of this advantage.

Kobayashi, the current president of Imperial Hotel, compared the Imperial Hotel to a symphony. In the grand symphony performance of the Imperial Capital Hotel, there are many musical instruments, such as the triangle clock, which are the only sound in this symphony, and this foolproof existence is the real value of the Imperial Capital Hotel. Imperial Hotel is a member of the World's Leading Hotel (LHW), with more than 65,438+0,000 rooms, and its scale is an exception in LHW. Nowadays, some people regard "small scale" as the standard to measure high-class hotels. However, it may be said that the Imperial Hotel with such a large scale can give full play to its unique advantages and remain invincible in representative hotels in Japan for a long time. For example, the technical team and other support departments mentioned above are by no means available to small-scale hotels. Grilled cheese with prawns and mushrooms is a dish designed for 1975 Imperial Hotel to receive Queen Elizabeth. According to reports, restaurants can cook dishes that are not on the menu according to the requirements of guests. The creativity of Imperial Hotel provides the world with the reference of today's Imperial Hotel, and it is also a reformer and innovator. Although some of its creative designs are not the first in the Japanese hotel industry, many of them are beyond the imagination of foreign hotels.

Take hotel wedding service as an example, wedding agent, which is a service provided by hotels in any country. However, the wedding service provided by Imperial Hotel is unique in Japan. From wedding venues, wedding ceremonies and banquets, to wedding photos, including clothing and makeup in these processes, the hotel is responsible. It is said that Queen Victoria of England once wore a white wedding dress at her wedding, so the later wedding dress naturally turned white. The custom of wedding ceremony seems to be a tradition, but in fact it is often a fashion. In Japan, the popularity of Shinto-style weddings is also said to have originated from the wedding of Emperor Taishi (1879- 1926). At that time, simplified weddings in the palace became popular. Imperial Hotel quickly designed and launched the pre-ceremony wedding service and set up an altar for the wedding. However, I heard that some shrine officials are unwilling to hold pre-ceremony weddings in western-style hotels. It is said that after the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, the popularity of the pre-divine wedding service in the Imperial Capital Hotel suddenly increased greatly. The reason is that many shrines in Tokyo were seriously damaged or burned by the earthquake, but the Imperial Hotel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright suffered less losses, perhaps because people expected the gods here to bless them. Since then, Imperial Hotel has built a permanent altar, forming a complete wedding service system from wedding ceremony to wedding banquet, which is unprecedented in Japan and the first in the world.

In recent years, Christian weddings have become popular in Japan, while ex-God weddings are no longer so popular. Even so, the pre-sacred wedding held in the hotel is still an extraordinary experience for people. Facing the solemn temple, the couple got a beautiful marriage. This sacred space and moment will give people a sense of mystery. Japanese hotels, represented by Imperial Hotel, usually prepare bathrobes (leftmost picture) and slippers (middle picture) for their guests, as well as toothbrushes, razors, shampoos, conditioners and combs. The basic purpose of hospitality in Japanese hotels is to provide guests with the greatest convenience, just like Japanese electrical products and cars. There are bathrobes (for pajamas), slippers, toothbrush, toothpaste and razor in the guest room. This is not just the Imperial Hotel, but the unique hospitality of Japanese hotels. Hotels in any country will attach great importance to the cleanliness and comfort of bathrooms, but will not pay attention to personal items such as pajamas and toothbrushes. In recent years, slippers, toothbrushes and toothpaste for guests can also be seen in many foreign hotel rooms, which is undoubtedly learned from Japan. Japanese hotels, represented by Imperial Hotel, are quietly going overseas. No matter where they go in the world, they will make people feel at home.