'Care, devotion key to success'

The General Manager of the Grand Hyatt Taipei Jan-Hendirk Meidinger poses in the picture. / Courtesy of Grand Hyatt Hotel Taipei

By Kim Jae-heun

Jan-Hendirk Meidinger, the general manager of the Grand Hyatt Taipei, is a veteran hotelier with 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry. The 47-year-old, who was tapped to lead the luxury hotel last year, said care and devotion to guests are key to a hotel's success.

“Travel is all about experience, and we strive to provide that unique experience through care and devotion,” Meidinger told The Korea Times.

“Our staff has one common purpose here. We care for people so they can be their best.”

Meidinger has about 1,000 employees from different cultural backgrounds.

He believes diversity is the utmost advantage for his team in understanding guests' needs and providing them with the best in convenience.

“We exist to create unique experiences that matter most to the guests and to provide them with everlasting memories,” Meidinger said.

The general manager also hinted that he will recruit Korean interns in the short term to provide customized services to Korean guests.

“About 11 percent of our guests are from South Korea. In terms of numbers they are just behind the United States, China and Japan,” Meidinger said.

Many popular Korean entertainers have stayed at the hotel, including Yi Yeoung-ae, Lee Min-ho, Ha Ji-won and Big Bang.

Meidinger joined the Grand Hyatt Taipei in 2006 as resident manager.

In 2010, he became the general manager of the Hyatt Regency Guam.

Then, he was appointed as general manager of the Park Hyatt Saigon, and later moved to Hong Kong to manage the Excelsior Hotel, which is part of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.

“My ultimate goal here at the Grand Hyatt Taipei is to take my team on a journey of redefining the meaning of care. Care is at the heart of our business, and it is the distinctive guest experience that makes Hyatt one of the world's best hospitality brands,” Meidinger said.