Typical Hainan seaside scenery. Another day in Paradise.

The Outrigger Enterprises Group will develop and manage the Outrigger Qingshui Bay Resort, Sanya a new 500 plus room, five-star, full service luxury hotel to be built as part of Qingshui Bay Resort. This is a new, multi-billion dollar mixed use development being built on the island of Hainan.

Set in 7.5 miles of prime beachfront property within Hainan Island’s Sanya Administrative Prefecture on the South China Sea, the Qingshui Bay Resort will feature six luxury hotels, a range of residential apartments and villas, championship golf courses and a comprehensive mix of commercial, retail and entertainment offerings.

The Outrigger Qingshui Bay Resort, which should be completed 2013, will be one of six luxurious accommodation choices within the Qingshui Bay Resort.
Source: Asia Travel Tips

The lights of Macau

Sino Express Travel will manage a 160-room hotel in Macau for 10 years. Construction and furnishing installations of the Macau hotel are at the final stages with a target completion by the end of this year.

Macau’s economy is largely based on tourism and casino gambling; the gambling revenues from Macau’s casinos made news in 2006 by surpassing those of Las Vegas strip.

Sino believes the hotel in the vibrant market of Macau will add great value to its growing portfolio of hotels and attractions.

The potential problem is that the Chinese government may not totally agree with Sino Express Travel and Macau.

It has already started slowing down the visas issued and there is a strong change that it may go further if the financial situation worsens. 50% of the gambling money lost in Macau comes from China.
Source: MarketWatch

Macau gambling casinos

A report that China is imposing new visa restrictions for visitors to Macau is taking a toll on U.S. gaming stocks with properties in Asia’s Las Vegas.

The South China Morning Post said Mainland authorities have quietly changed the visitation policy for the residents of the southern Chinese province of Guangdong.

Residents now are allowed one trip every three months instead of two months. One of Macau’s biggest sources of customers is Guangdong.

The Hong Kong-based paper said the new policy, which quietly took effect on October 1, seems to be aimed at curbing the outflow of Mainland money and limiting casino development.

U.S. companies with hotel casinos in Macau include MGM Mirage, Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands.

China’s new visa policy follows several moves to tighten visits to Macau since June.

Andy Wu Keng-kuong, president of the Travel Industry Council of Macau, said the visa limits could hurt growth in Mainland visitors.

He still expects visitor numbers for the year to be up 10% from 2007. Visitor arrivals to Macau have been rising by almost 20% annually in recent years.
Source: CNN Money. com

Marco Polo Wuhan

Marco Polo Wuhan, is a new hotel fully developed by Han Long Development, a subsidiary of The Wharf of Hong Kong.

The hotel opened it door on September 15, 2008, the occasion of the 755th birthday of famous Italian traveler — Marco Polo (arguably September 15, 1254 – January 8, 1324).

This is Marco Polo Hotels’ 4th hotel in China and the latest addition to the Group’s portfolio in the country.

Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, is the largest city in Central China.

The Yangtze River divides Wuhan into three towns, namely Hankou, Hanyang, and Wuchang. Thus the city has been called ‘the city on rivers’.

Marco Polo Wuhan is at the edge of an urban riverfront park with panoramic views of the Yangtze River. It is located close to the Wuhan business district area and only 30 minutes to the Wuhan International Airport, Wuhan’s main ports of entry.

The hotel is part of the Times Square residential and commercial complex. Each room has an iPod surround sound system and Internet Access. There is also as a fully-equipped fitness centre with an indoor pool, sauna and Jacuzzi. This is also equipped as a MICE hotel.
Source: Focus on Travel News

Marriott Hotel style

Marriott Hotels is planning to expand its product offering by adding a number of new properties across its brands to its already growing portfolio in Asia.

The chain, which operates franchises under 10 brand names, has made its most extensive expansion in China, with the JW Marriott Shanghai leading the way as its flagship property in the region.

Marriott has 29 hotels in China offering 12,507 rooms for visitors across 6 of its brands.

17 new hotels for China are in the pipeline, and by 2012 it is estimated some 62 hotels or 7,000 extra rooms, across its various brands will be launched in the region.
Source: eTravel Blackboard

The Langham style

Langham Hotels International has signed a deal with Guangzhou Huihua Hotel to manage the Langham Place which is in the Guangzhou Economic Development Zone (EDZ) in Luogang District.

The new hotel is set to open in 2010.

This deal marks LHI’s first expansion into Southern China, following its earlier entry into Shanghai and Beijing where three new hotels are scheduled to open their doors in 2009 under The Langham and Langham Place brands.

The hotel location — Guangzhou Economic Development Zone (EDZ) in Luogang District, is a key economic area in eastern Guangzhou.

More HERE.
Source: Asia Travel Tips

Sheraton hotel in Xi'an

Starwood plans to open 57 hotels in China in the following two to three years.

The to-be-opened hotels will include 22 Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, 12 Four Points by Sheraton, eight Westin Hotels & Resorts, 5 W Hotels, 4 St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, 3 Elements, 2 alofts and one Luxury Collection.

Starwood, which is about to launch aloft and Element in China in 2008, plans to introduce all of its nine brands in the country before 2010. The hotel operator will continue focusing on expansion in the luxury hotel market in spite of the speedy growth of the economy hotel market in the nation.

At the moment, Starwood runs 45 hotels in China.
Source: Trading Markets

Shangri La hotel

Shangri-La Asia, the region’s biggest luxury-hotel operator, may book fewer rooms this year as rising airfares and a slumping world economy hurt tourism.

In an earnings report the hotel group said, ‘It is generally considered unlikely that hotels will experience the high levels of occupancies witnessed in 2007.’

Shangri-La’s net income fell 15% to $135.7 million in the first half, its first profit decline in four years. And the company says the Hong Kong-listed hotel operator will be ‘lucky’ to meet its 8% full-year growth target for revenue per available room, an industry gauge known as revpar.

UBS AG analysts CJ Lee and Eric Wong said , ‘While Beijing hotels saw uplift in occupancies during the Olympics in August, Shangri-La expects occupancies for the overall portfolio to remain lackluster till global economic sentiment turns more positive.’

Growth in the global travel and tourism industry is expected to slow to 3% this year from 4% in 2007, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.
More on this HERE.
Source: Bloomberg.com

Jinmao Tower and Shanghai World Financial Center.

The Shanghai World Financial Center, standing 492 meters tall and also nicknamed the ‘Wall Street of China,’ the biggest skyscraper in Chinese mainland and the third-tallest in the world has been officially inaugurated.

The 492-meter-high building is in the Lujiazui area of Pudong District overlooking the Huangpu River.

It covers an area of 381,600 square meters. It has 101 floors above ground and three floors underground.

The third to fifth floors are conference centers.

This fits in neatly with the Park Hyatt Shanghai hotel which takes up the 79th to 93rd floors. Hotel rooms with amazing views. On a clear day you can see forever.
Source: China View

Garden Hotel Suzhou

The historic Garden Hotel Suzhou, a former state guest house and private residence of Kuomingtang leader Chiang Kai-shek, has earned 5-star status.

This award comes from China’s National Tourism Administration (CNTA) and makes one wonder how other hotels can claim seven star status when CNTA does not issue them.

Garden Hotel Suzhou last year has a RMB260 million makeover. The former manor, which hosted visits by over a hundred Chinese and international political leaders as a state guest house, was approved in its  5-star rating after a series of unannounced checks of both service and facilities.

It features 238-rooms with comprehensive conference facilities. A modern business center, luxurious spa, gym and a boutique were also incorporated in the renovation so that it becomes a MICE hotel but still very much in a garden setting.
Source: Asia Travel Tips