Life

Fired up about a new market

By Todd Balazovic (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-07-07 11:10

Davidoff cigar lounge offers exclusive members with high quality cigars and wine. [Photos by Wang Jing / China Daily]

Beijing is witnessing a surge in cigar clubs as expatriate and Chinese entrepreneurs choose to do business over a fat Cuban. As the city holds its breath for a smoking ban, the market for the slim stogies is igniting with a number of private clubs and high-end hotels now offering luxury cigars. "It's all part of China's new luxury lifestyles - nice cars, nice wines, and, of course, nice cigars, have become a big thing in Beijing," said David Wilson, general manager of the Ritz-Carlton and the Davidoff cigar lounge.

According to a recent industry report, more than 2.2 billion yuan is spent on cigars in China each year, though of the 333 million cigars purchased, 200 million, more than 60 percent, are on the "low-quality" end of the spectrum.

But the Davidoff is among a league of opulent smoking lounges pandering to the city's elite ranks and pushing to spread the capital's curiosity for fine cigars.

Edward Jin, vice-general manager of the Cigar Ambassador, a Shanghai-based lounge, which expanded its operations to Beijing two years ago, said he has seen China's cigar scene explode during the past half decade.

"Eight years ago when we got into this business, there was only a small group of cigar lovers, now we have over 20,000 members in our club," Jin said.

Beijing is now home to around a dozen lounges boasting an air of exclusivity, charging membership fees that can cost as much as 98,000 yuan a year, usually granting holders increased access and discounts on cigars.

With places such as the St Regis Hotel, perhaps one of the oldest hotels in Beijing to cater to cigar smokers, renting out their own humidor cabinets, in which frequent guests can store their favorite stogies, the lounges often act more as private clubs than public venues.

Like most private clubs, the price for that perfect puff can be nothing short of extravagant. In addition to membership fees, patrons of cigar lounges pay anywhere from 100 yuan to 600 yuan per cigar.

But the cigars, at least in terms of price, pale in comparison with some of the accessories lounge-goers are splurging on. At the Davidoff cigar lounge, lighters sell for as much as 11,000 yuan and cigar cutters for slightly less.

Cigar lounges also offer pipes. [China Daily]

While Wilson and others hope to see the number of top-end cigar smokers continue to grow, native-Beijinger Zhou Gang said the illusion of increased interest is all just smoke and mirrors.

"It's like everything else in China - it's something new so people pick it up," he said. "But not everyone who picks up a cigar and starts smoking becomes a lifetime cigar smoker. Most Chinese will pick up the habit, find they don't like it and drop it just as quickly."

Zhou, an artist and cigar aficionado of 25 years, said he saw a similar spike in cigar smoking three years ago, but, just as quickly as it started, the trend seemed to die down.

Many of the Chinese who are now picking up cigar smoking are doing it for the image, not because they appreciate the complexity of a fine cigar, he said.

He admits, however, the atmosphere created by new cigar lounges is one of class. "A cigar lounge is an old fashion place, like an old gentleman's bar, where people can go and talk business while enjoying a good cigar and a fine whiskey," he said.

Back at the Ritz, Wilson agrees with Zhou that the reason cigar lounges such as the Davidoff are becoming so popular is because of the image associated with cigar smokers. But to him, it's not just an image.

"To put it simply - cigar smoking is more than an activity, it's a lifestyle," Wilson said.

From top: David Wilson, general manager of the Ritz-Carlton, selects a cigar from his personal stock; cigars are lit by staff at exclusive cigar bars; the Davidoff cigar lounge is draped in extravagance.