The architect of the Grand Hyatt Guangzhou, Peter Remedios, calls his latest project, scheduled to open in spring 2008, ‘an architectural tour de force’. Architects do not do bashful well.

Situated in Guangzhou’s new central business district of Tianhe — whose English name is Pearl River New Town — Grand Hyatt Guangzhou is located in one wing of a brand new streamlined twin-tower building.

This is the first international hotel in Guangzhou to feature a ’sky lobby’ located 22 floors up. Like many other areas in the hotel, it offers expansive views across the Pearl River and Tianhe CBD.

The hotel has 375 guestrooms each with a bathroom island – incorporating a separate soaking tub and rain shower.

Peter Remedios said, ‘It can be open and as sexy as you want, or closed off for privacy.’ Which could lead to some interesting arguments if you are staying there with your wife.

A specially designed inset wall frame allows a 37-inch multi-channel LCD flat-screen TV to be neatly stored flush with the wall and swung out when required for viewing from certain angles.

For it to be used as a MICE hotel on the third floor, the hotel’s three interconnecting sections of the Grand Ballroom can be augmented by fully enclosed VIP and bridal rooms. There are also six function rooms and a Business Centre on the same level.

Hyatt currently operates 10 hotels in Greater China, including Grand Hyatt Beijing, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, Grand Hyatt Shanghai, Hyatt on the Bund, Shanghai, Grand Hyatt Taipei, Hyatt Regency Dongguan, Hyatt Regency Hangzhou, Hyatt Regency Jing Jin City Resort and Spa, Hyatt Regency Tianjin and Hyatt Regency Xian. An additional 12 hotels are under development.
Source: China NewsWire

The Tibet regional government rejected reports it has abandoned a plan to reopen the region to foreign tourists on May 1, saying it ‘will open soon’, without giving a specific date.The information office of the regional government said: ‘The Tibet tourism bureau is doing its utmost to prepare for the reopening of all scenic spots.’

It has been suggested the region will reopen to foreign and domestic tourists on May 1, a national holiday. A newspaper in Zhengzhou, Henan province, reported that train tickets to Lhasa have already sold out.

Authorities in Diqing Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province, said last week the region had now reopened to foreign travelers.
Source: China Daily

As mentioned in a previous post on March 20, Swissôtel Grand, Shanghai will open to the public later this month. It is offering a special rate on its ‘Classic Rooms’. If you book between May and August 2008, a one-night stay is RMB 1,295 (about US$178) inc. breakfast + tax and service charge.

Other deals include 20% discounts on food, bevs and spa treatments for members of the “Miles and More” program of Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines. And there are also benefits for those who belong to Asia Miles, Air China, Jet Airways and JAL. 
Source: Swissôtel Grand, Shanghai

Drawn by the Great Wall and the Terra-Cotta Soldiers in Xian, overseas tourists are flooding into the country. And despite the current unrest in Tibet, the draw of the mainland is unlikely to weaken any time soon. Last year’s 132 million visitors spent $42 billion, making China the fourth most popular destination country, behind France, Spain, and the U.S.

By 2015, the World Tourism Organization estimates, it will be No. 1.

Perhaps, even more important is domestic tourism, which makes up three-fourths of total revenues. Propelled by double-digit gross domestic product growth and rising urban incomes — up more than 12% last year — increasingly well-off Chinese are opting to travel within China for fun and relaxation.

Good news for Wyndham Worldwide’s Super 8 franchise (Wyndham also has Howard Johnson and Days Inn properties on the mainland). Since opening its first hotel in Beijing in 2004, the chain has grown to 67 properties in cities across the mainland. By year end, Super 8 plans to double its locations in China.

Mitchell Presnick, Super 8 China’s chief executive, said, ‘When economies experience this kind of growth, one of the first things that happens is people want to travel.’

Treu. But this is not all good news. The writer was in Paris in January and it was bitterly cold. And there were long lines to get into everything. In the end, one gave up in disgust. If that was January what will September be like?
Source: BusinessWeek

Four Points by Sheraton will open four new hotels in China this year.

These will be Four Points by Sheraton Changshu; Four Points by Sheraton Hangzhou, Binjiang; Four Points by Sheraton Beijing, Haidian and Four Points by Sheraton Guangzhou, Dongpu.

Miguel Ko, president of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Asia Pacific, said, ‘Four Points by Sheraton is an ideal product for many markets in Asia Pacific because the brand caters to both mid-scale business and leisure travelers, while meeting the demands of meeting and event planners.’

Business and MICE is a good combination.

He said, ‘The strong demand for moderately priced lodging coupled with the increase in domestic travel in many Asian markets is helping to propel the brand’s growth to a level that is expected to rival that of Starwood’s luxury and upper upscale brands.’

Frits Van Paasschen, president of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, is alleged to have said — but it is London to a brick it is from a flack’s fertile imagination — ‘The uncomplicated positioning is unique and assures the Simple Pleasures programming is right on target for Four Points. It also complements the aloft brand’s bold platform, driving solid brand differentiation for Starwood in the select serve market.’
Source: ETBMICE.com

Beijing tourism authorities will launch a recruitment drive for homestay accommodations for Olympic visitors.

Xiong Yumei, Beijing Tourism Bureau’s deputy director, said citizens in eight urban districts could apply to nearby community offices if they think their housing conditions meet the standard for homestay accommodation.

The standard, released in late March, requires ‘Olympic Family Hotels’ to have special bedrooms for foreign guests, washing, bathing and cooking equipment. At least one person in the family should be able to communicate with the guests in a foreign language.

About 1,000 such homestays will be selected. Applications will end April 30.

The charge for each room is initially set to be between RMB400 and RMB600 ($57 to $85), far lower than most hotels.

The suggestion is that there are, in fact, enough hotel rooms for visitors. The home accommodation is intended to let foreign visitors experience the life of Beijingers and have friendly exchanges with them.

The China Travel Service Head Office and the China International Travel Service Head Office (CITS) will organize homestay accommodation guests.

In Yayuncun in Chaoyang District, a pilot place for the program, 41 homes have been selected from 60 as homestay accommodation candidates.

Han Rubing, a college English teacher who lives in Yayuncun, said she would do some fitments in her two-bedroom home if it is selected to be an ‘Olympic Family Hotel’.

She said, ‘If we are lucky enough to play host to foreign guests, we will do our best to make them feel satisfactory.’

The illustration is NOT of a typical Beijing homestay but it IS of a Beijing homestay. Check in out HERE.
Source: China View

One gets cynical about travel awards because there are so many of the damn things. It the then travel editor of the Sydney Morning Herald could garner three awards — and he did and it was me — then it is pretty much open season.

However the inaugural TTG China Travel Awards have just been held and 39 best performing travel trade organizations operating within China were honored. There were 400 people at the event which means one award for every ten attendees which seems a fairly normal proportion.

This year’s awards covers 6 categories, with 39 awards in total. All readers of TTG China, TTG-BTmice China, TTG Asia and TTGmice were invited to vote for their favorite travel and tourism organizations. More then 12,600 TTG readers across the Asia Pacific participated in the voting exercise.
1. Best China Airline Overall — Air China
2. Best International Airline Serving China — Singapore Airlines
3. Best Business Class Airline in China — China Southern Airlines
4. Best Global Hotel Chain Operating in Greater China — InterContinental Hotels Group
5. Best Local Hotel Chain Operating in Greater China — Gloria International Hotels
6. Best Luxury Hotel Brand in Greater China — Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
7. Best Mid-range Hotel Brand in Greater — China Novotel
8. Best Luxury Hotel in Beijing — Raffles Beijing Hotel China
9. Best Luxury Hotel in Shanghai — The Westin Bund Center Shanghai
10. Best Luxury Hotel in Guangdong — InterContinental Shenzhen

And it went on from there. If it gets down to awarding a prize for the best MICE city in China — it was Shanghai — it is time to draw a line. Our illustration shows the statue. Decorously fuzzed around the important parts.
Source: Travel Daily News

Home Inns & Hotels Management’ trademark, ‘Home Inns,’ has been granted official status as a ‘well-known trademark’ in China by the Chinese State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC).

Home Inns becomes one of the earliest Chinese hotel companies and the first Chinese economy hotel chain to obtain a ‘well-known trademark’ status, marking a significant achievement for Home Inns and further enhancing the brand’s reputation.

Since its inception, Home Inns has focused on branding and the protection of its intellectual property. After its launch, the Company legally registered the ‘Home Inns’ trademark. However, given the rapid expansion of the industry and its popular brand and product, Home Inns faced trademark infringements which threatened to negatively impact the brand’s image.

The ‘well-known trademark’ certification is an opportunity for Home Inns to further strengthen the protection of its business and branding reputation.

Currently, the Home Inns hotel chain consists of over 400 economy hotels, including hotels under development, in over 90 major business cities in China
Source: Earth Times

In aid of this year’s ‘World Earth Day’ on April 22, Mandara Spa at JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai will donate US$1 from each spa treatment to the Arbor Day Foundation. This is a non-profit US-based organization of nearly one million members that plants and promotes the conservation of trees. Mandara Spas worldwide are making similar efforts to support this cause.

Marriott International has recently signed an agreement with the State of Amazonas in Brazil to fund US$2 million to an environmental management plan to be carried out by the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation. Guests at Marriott hotels will be able to contribute to this fund by the end of the year.
Source: JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai

If it was not enough to announce its new Pullman line Robert Murray, Accor’s assistant president for the Greater China Region said global hotel chain Accor plans to open between 15 and 26 hotels under its economy hotel brand name of Ibis in 2008 and 2009 in China.

By the end of 2008, Ibis will be in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Suzhou and Harbin. The Ibis hotels are expected to serve businessmen in the country’s second-tier and third-tier cities, where costs are relatively lower.

Accor has opened 12 self-run Ibis hotels in China since its entry, compared to many other foreign hotel giants, which mainly manage hotels for local businesses.

There is still room for the growth of the Chinese economy hotel market, said Robert Murray, who disagrees with the widespread belief that it would suffer a hard landing in the near future.
Source: Trading Markets