BeforecomingtoChina,Patrickworkedinmanyothercountries,includinghisnativeFrance,Canada,andIreland.Ofalltheseplaces,Shangri-Laishisfavoritebecausethelocals“smilefromtheheart.”
AfterFiveMinutesIDecidedIWasStaying
PatrickhasworkedinSongtsamLinkaRetreatforsixyears.Thehotel,with70rooms,isdesignedintheshapeofatraditionalTibetan-stylewatchtower,andinterlockswiththefootofthemountains.Lookthroughthewindows,andtheGandenSumtselingMonastery,thebiggestTibetanBuddhisttempleinYunnan,islaidoutbeforeyouinallitssplendor.In2009,Patrickonlyneededtolookattheplaceforfiveminutesbeforedecidingtostayandjointhemanaginggroupofthenewhotel.TherestaurantPatrickDruetestablishedinsidethehotelwasdeemedauthenticallyFrenchbyhotelguests.“Thebeautifulviewofthesnow-coveredmountainsandyaksinstantlymademewanttostay,”saidPatrick.“Itwasagreatchallengeformetobeoneofthemanagersofabrandnewhotel.”Buthefelthewasuptothechallenge.YearsagoheworkedinaskiresortbackinFranceandeversincelongedtoreturntothemountains.“AndnowhereIam,workinginaplacesurroundedbymountains.Theonlydifferenceisthatthistimeit’sinChinainsteadofFrance.”
HefirstcametoChinain2001andtookajobinXiamen,acoastalcityinSoutheastChina.WithXiamenasabase,heworkedandtravelledaroundseveralcitiesinChina.Ofalltheplaceshehasvisited,hemostlovesShangri-La,notjustbecauseofitsstunningnaturalenvironment,beautifulmountains,andmildclimate,butalsoforthewarm,smilingreceptionlocalpeoplealwaysgivetovisitors.
Patrickhasworkedindifferenthotelsaroundtheworld.Comparedwithmostestablishedhotels,SongtsamLinkaRetreatmaynotbequiteasoldbutaccordingtoPatrick,“Ithasitsuniqueness.Thelocalcultureismanifestthroughitsculturalactivities,itsarchitecturalstyleanditsstaff.”Thisistheverythingthatattractshim.
MovingProvencetoShangri-La
GaoHan,whohasworkedatLinkaRetreatforoverayear,isPatrick’ssecretary.SheusedtobeateacherofChinesetoforeignstudentsatYunnanNormalUniversity.HerfluentEnglishgreatlyfacilitatesthecommunicationbetweenPatrickandhisChineseemployees,eventhoughherbosscancommunicatequitewellinChinese.
ForGaoHan,oneofthespecialthingsaboutPatrickisthat“Heisnotlikeaboss;it’slikehe’spartofthefamily.Healwaysputshimselfinotherpeople’sshoes,evenworkingasawaitertogainexperienceofdifferentrolesinordertofacilitatehismanagement.”
PatrickagreeswithGaoHan.Hedoesn’treallylikehowthingsaredoneinbigcities.Inthecity,workplaceshaveastricthierarchy;peoplejustsitintheirowncubiclesandfollowtherules.Peopleinthisenvironmentarequicktosmilebutrarelygenuinely.SoPatrickstartedfromscratchandmanagedthehotelinhisownway.TherestaurantheestablishedinsidethehotelwasdeemedauthenticallyFrenchbyhotelguests.
“Provenceisaholidayparadisefortravelerswithitsbeautifulsceneryanddeliciousfood,”hesaid,andwantstobringProvence’sfoodtoShangri-La.EverytimehegoesbacktoFranceonvacation,hereturnswithsomethingFrenchinhissuitcase,suchastablecloths,driedlavender,andevenlocalseasoning.
TheProvence-themedrestaurantatSongtsamLinkaRetreatservestraditionalFrenchfoodsuchascrème-caramel.AccordingtoPatrick,moreandmoreforeignvisitorscomehere,andaccountfor20percentinthehighseason.TheGandenSumtselingMonastery,thebiggestTibetanBuddhisttempleinYunnan,canbeseenfromtheguestroomwindowsofSongtsamLinkaRetreat.PhotosbyYuXiangjunAtthehotel’sWestern-stylerestaurant,however,allchefsarelocalswhohavebeenprofessionallytrainedtocookFrenchdishes.Patrickalsohashighstandardsforwine.HespeciallyhiredFrenchwinesuppliersfromKunming,Yunnan’scapitalcity,totrainhisemployees.MostofthewineinthehotelisimportedfromFrance,Italy,andAustralia.
CaptivatedbyTibetanCulture
InPatrick’seyes,Shangri-Laisadesirableplacetolive,butthreeyearsago,in2014,helefthishotelandwentbacktoschooltomajorinhotelmanagement.HestudiedhowtomakeWestern-stylefood,amongotherthings.Healsovisitedmanybigcitieswherepeoplewerealwaysinarush,andweretroubledbyairpollution,foodsafetyproblems,andterribletraffic.Patrickfoundthisenvironmentveryunhealthy,andayearlaterchosetoreturntoShangri-Lawherehefeelsmorerelaxed.
BynowPatrickhasagreaterknowledgeofTibetanculture,whichevenmanifestsitselfinhisclothes.AtourinterviewheworeaTibetanstylevest.Patricksaidhehaslotsofworktodoeverydaybutinhisfreetimegoeshikinginthemountains.Healsoloveslocalculture,includingTibetanBuddhism.Sometimeshegoestoturnprayerwheels,likelocalBuddhists.
“TibetancultureandHimalayanculturearetotallydifferentfromthatofmoderncities,”Patricksaid.“Thisisaquietandpeacefulplacewhereeverycomerfeelslikeafallenleaffinallyreturningtoitsroots.”
PatrickwillmovetoLhasasometimein2017tomanageanewhotelundertheSongtsamLodges.“Iwantmynewhoteltoembodylocalcultureasthoroughlyaspossible,toprovideatotallydifferentexperiencefromstandardizedinternationalhotels,”Patricksaid.
TheSongtsamLinkaRetreat,whichPatricknowmanages,hasatwo-monthwinterbreakeveryyear.HeusesthistimetovisithisfamilyandfriendsbackhomeinPerigord,inthesouthofFrance.Speakingofhisfutureplans,Patricksaid:“LhasaissituatedatahigheraltitudethanShangri-La.Perhapsintwoyears’timeIwillnotbeabletoworkathighaltitude;andthatmightbethetimetogobacktoFrance.”
SMILEhangri-Laishisfavoritebecausethelocals“smilefromtheheart.”
“Iwantmynewhoteltoembodylocalcultureasthoroughlyaspossible,toprovideatotallydifferentexperiencefromstandardizedhotels.”