THE Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has appointed Richard Langonne as the general manager of Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, Beijing, taking over this award-winning hotel from its former general manager, Mark S Bradford, who was at the helm for three-and-half years and has now been given the important mission of establishing a new luxury Mandarin Oriental hotel in Shenzhen. Langonne is now overseeing all operations at the 73-room luxury boutique hotel, in the very center of China’s capital, and maintaining its reputation for quality management and impeccable service. Langonne has nearly two decades of experience in working for luxury hotels, most recently as hotel manager of Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, since 2017. A native of France, Langonne began his career in Paris after he gained a bachelor’s degree in hotel management from the Vatel Hotel and Tourism Business School in France. Later he moved to Asia and has held various positions in launching and managing hotels across Asia, and worked in various locations, including Krabi, Bangkok, Macao, Hanoi, Guangzhou and Shanghai. With his extensive knowledge and experience, Langonne has developed a keen understanding of guests’ needs and expectations. This outgoing and passionately committed hotelier is known for working closely with team members, listening, and giving detailed feedback in a straightforward manner. In his spare time, Richard is a keen motorcyclist and photographer. He is also a Chinese tea enthusiast, influenced and guided by his wife, who is a professionally certified Chinese tea expert.(SD News) | 