The number of awards in the hotel industry might be considered by some to be on the excessive side. Nevertheless it is worth reporting that the Four Points by Sheraton Shanghai, Daning was recently awarded the China Hotel Development of the Year Award at the 4th Annual China Hotel Development and Financing Seminar in Beijing.

The Four Points by Sheraton Shanghai, Daning was awarded for its thorough planning and implementation of the pre-opening and post-opening strategies and the successful positioning the hotel in the region.

The construction of the hotel was on schedule and within budget.

Construction started around mid-October 2005 with completion of construction 18 months after driving the first pile into the ground while actual construction cost was within the forecast estimates. The hotel held its grand opening on April 24, 2007.

The 326-room hotel forms part of a new integrated complex, Life Hub @ Daning.

This is a MICE hotel and the grand ballroom can be flexibly divided into two rooms for groups of up to 350 persons and is supported by five function rooms.
Source: Asia Travel Tips

Four Points by Sheraton has announced plans for its first hotel in Tibet. It is also opening Four Points by Sheraton Lianyungang and Four Points by Sheraton Sanya Bay. These three new hotels are scheduled to open between 2007 and 2010 and quadruple the size of Four Points by Sheraton in Asia Pacific in one year.

Four Points by Sheraton hotels cover all the basics including a comfortable bed, a great shower, and free high-speed internet access. To this it adds warm pie, fresh coffee, free bottled water, and a wide selection of beers. It clearly understands the basic needs of the frequent traveler. You get the idea from the illustration.
The hotels are:

Four Points by Sheraton Lhasa which is scheduled to open this year. It is on the corner of East Lingkor Avenue and East Lingkor Road which gives easy access to the city’s primary tourist attractions, shopping areas and entertainment districts. 93 guest rooms, a meeting room, two restaurants and a lounge.
Four Points by Sheraton Lianyungang which is the first internationally branded hotel to open in Lianyungang. One of the first 14 coastal cities in China to open to foreign trade, Lianyungang attracts business travelers but also tourists for the nearby Yuntai Mountain and Liandao Island. Scheduled to open in 2009. 254 guest rooms, more than 14,000 square feet of meeting space, two restaurants, and a bar and lounge.
Four Points by Sheraton Hainan, Sanya is a new resort hotel in which is arguably China’s premier resort destination. Sanya is not only a popular tourist destination, but also a political, economic and cultural hub and foreign trade port. When it opens in mid 2010, the 405 room resort will have three restaurants, a spa and health club and more than 20,000 square feet of meeting space.

Source: BusinessWire

The saying used to be that the sun never sets on the British Empire. Looked at worldwide the same could be said of Starwood. In China Starwood Hotels and Resorts is working on the basis it will become the second largest travel and tourism destination in the world after the United States. So its policy is to sign more hotels at an increasing rate. After opening six new hotels during 2006, Starwood is expected to open 33 new hotels in the region within the next three years.

Some current developments:

Aloft Beijing, Haidian will be part of the recently signed Four Points by Sheraton Beijing, Haidian. Facilities will include 200 guestrooms, 3,900 square feet meeting space (think MICE), a fitness centre, indoor pool and three restaurants.
W Guangzhou Hotel & Residences in the economic centre of Pearl River Delta, is due to open in 2010. 320 rooms and suites, 167 serviced apartments, 16,000 sq ft meeting space.
Four Points by Sheraton Guangzhou, Dongpu opening in 2009. 310 guestrooms, over 5,800 sq ft meeting space, three restaurants, outdoor pool, health club and spa.
Sheraton Huadu Resort, Guangzhou is expected to open in 2009. It will have 97 villas with mountain and water views plus all the amenities of an upscale hotel.
The Westin Shimei Bay Resort, Hainan Island will opening in 2010. 40 villas, 124 rooms, 4,300 sq ft meeting space, three restaurants, health club, spa, outdoor swimming pool and tennis court.
A Le Meridien resort is set to open on Hainan Island in 2008.
The Westin Xian should open 2010. 296 rooms, 11,300 sq ft meeting space, five restaurants, health club, spa and indoor heated pool.
The St. Regis Resort, Lhasa in the Tibet Autonomous region is opening in 2010. 169 rooms, 9,000 sq ft meeting space, three restaurants, health club, spa, indoor heated pool and business centre.
Sheraton Nanchang Hotel will open in 2011 as part of a mixed use complex including offices and shopping. 350 rooms, three restaurants, lounge, spa, health club, indoor pool and over 20,000 sq ft meeting space.
Westin Tianjin Hotel and Residences set to open in 2010. 300 rooms, 150 residences, four restaurants, health club, spa, indoor heated pool and 17,000 sq ft meeting space.

And that is probably a far from complete list. It is an astounding and extended increase in development for one country.
Source: eTravelBlackboard

Four Points by Sheraton Shanghai Pudong, which was formerly the Grand You You Hotel, has now had its formal opening under its new title. When it was the the Grand You You it was a four star hotel but has now been upgraded. It is in the center of the Lu Jia Zui Finance and Trading Area of Pudong next to the Nan Pu Bridge. 5km from the heart of town, 8km from the railway station, 15km from the Hongqiao Airport.

The 29-story hotel has 338 guest rooms all equipped with DDD/IDD telephones, color televisions, central controlled air-conditioning and, important this, high speed Internet access.

The hotel forms part of the new integrated complex called Life Hub @ Daning, consisting of hotel, offices, retail stores, restaurants and bars in the heart of Zhabei District, a few minutes walk to Yanchang Road subway station.

Four Points by Sheraton Shanghai (Grand You You was much more memorable but does not give quite the image) is fairly central in Pudong and will undoubtedly be primarily a business hotel.
Source: Starwood Hotels