Industry Experts Enter Classrooms | General Manager of the Bulgari Hotel Beijing Entered BHI Classrooms and Got Appointed as A Guest Professor

Recently, Mr. Anthony Smekens, General Manager of The Bulgari Hotel Beijing, was officially engaged as a visiting professor of Beijing Hospitality Institute. Dr. Gao Songtao, President of BHI, presented him with the appointment letter.

Dr. Gao Songtao, President of Beijing Hospitality

Professor Guo Ruihuan, Head of the Business Development Department

and Lu Tong, Deputy Dean of Academic Affairs Department, took a group photo with the guests

Mr. Anthony gave a wonderful lecture combining industry expertise and practical depth on the theme of “Career with Luxury Hotel” to hospitality major sophomores and teachers. This event is not only an enlightening lesson for career planning, but also a precious opportunity for BHI students to experience the charm of international luxury hotel management up close.

Mr. Anthony Smekens, General Manager of the Bulgari Hotel Beijing, gave the lecture

Mr. Anthony said, “As a benchmark in the field of hotel education, the students cultivated by BHI have always been known for their solid professional qualities and international views. It is an honor to share Bulgari’s management philosophy and industry experience with future hotel professionals as a guest professor.”

In the one-and-a-half-hour lecture, Mr. Anthony began with“the transformation of the luxury hotel industry from a global perspective,”then delved into the forefront of the industry: “the core competitiveness of luxury hotels has shifted from hardware facilities to emotional experiences. The demand for personalized services is surging, and sustainable development has become the core of brand strategy, while the application of digital tools is reshaping service boundaries.” He specifically mentioned the uniqueness of the Chinese market: “Chinese consumers’ expectations for cultural immersion and customized services have created huge opportunities for local luxury hotels.”

Anthony vividly illustrated the non-linear path of career development with his own growth process from graduating from the EHL Hospitality Business School of Switzerland to being the General Manager of the Bulgari Hotel: “From a doorman in the concierge department to the general manager, I experienced rotations in multiple departments such as rooms department, food &beverage department, and marketing department. Every time I crossed over, I unlocked new skills--- the food &beverage department taught me cost control, and the marketing department helped me understand consumer psychology.” He suggested that students should focus on hotel operations as the vertical axis and expand their abilities in luxury management, art appreciation, cross-cultural communication, and other horizontal axes.

The Human Resources Director of the Bulgari Hotel Beijing, Wang Chen, added that: “In talent selection, we place greater emphasis on the ‘service genes’ of candidates --- their perception of beauty, sensitivity to differentiation, and creativity in transforming standardized processes into personalized experiences.”

Wang Chen, Human Resources Director of the Bulgari Hotel Beijing

During the interaction session, students enthusiastically asked questions on topics such as “How to become a general manager of a luxury brand？”and “How to balance consumer experience and hotel room rate increases?”  After the lecture, students said, “Mr. Anthony made me understand that luxury hotels are not only ‘high-end services’, but also the carriers of cultural dissemination and artistic expression. His experience has given me a clearer plan for my career path.”

Mr. Anthony extended an invitation to the students in his summary: “Welcome to visit or be an intern at the Bulgari Hotel Beijing at any time. The door here is always open to BHI students.” This invitation consolidates the close cooperation between the Bulgari Hotel Beijing and Beijing Hospitality Institute as always.

Mr. Anthony Smekens interacted with the students

This lecture is not only a knowledge sharing that provides profound inspiration for students’ career planning, but also a microcosm of the practice of BHI’s educational philosophy of “integration of industry and cultivation with international benchmarking.” Under the leadership of industry leaders like Mr. Anthony, a new generation of hotel professionals are taking more determined steps towards the world stage.