Poland Hotels Booking

The Langham style as seen in Hong Kong

Langham Hotels plans on opening at least four new properties in China by the end of 2010. Marking The Langham’s first entrance onto Chinese mainland (they have two properties already in Hong Kong), will focus on expanding into China’s Beijing and Shanghai.

The Langham’s first airport property, the Langham Place at Terminal 3 of Beijing’s Capital Airport, an ‘up-to-the-minute, high-tech hotel that brings you a unique five-star experience.’

In Shanghai, The Langham will develop a smaller, 101-room property named The Langham Yangtze Boutique. Just off of People’s Square.

Then in 2010 another Langham Place in Guangzhou.
Source: Hotel Chatter

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

Current Home Inns China

Home Inns & Hotels Management is to launch a new hotel brand, Heyi, in a bid to make inroads into the medium- and high-end business hotel sector and lift up operating profits efficiently, Sun Jian, chief executive officer of the Chinese economy hotel chain operator, disclosed on October 26.

The first Heyi-branded hotel, located in Shanghai, will be in service in December 2008. Different from economy hotels, the new outlet will mainly serve medium- and high-end businessmen.
Source: Trading Markets

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

Shanghai skyscraper city

Two visionary hotel concepts, Zendai Hotel Yin, a luxury, boutique-style ‘city retreat’ and Zendai Art Hotel, a 5-star business hotel, will open in the ‘Himalayas Centre’ which is due to open in Pudong in spring 2010, in time for the Shanghai World Expo.

Shnaghai International Expo

The Zendai Group has invested over RMB 2.4 billion in the Himalayas Centre which is located opposite to Shanghai’s New International Expo Centre and just 15 minutes from the city’s main financial district in Pudong. Metro line no. 7 is accessed directly from the basement of the Himalayas Centre and the high speed Maglev train, for 7-minute transfers and from Pudong airport, is just 10 minutes away.

Designed by one of the world’s leading architects, Arata Isozaki who is renowned for his work on the Barcelona Olympics Stadium and the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art, the Himalayas Centre is being hailed by developers, the Zendai Group, as an ‘archisculptural icon for 21st century China’.

Venue map

The Himalayas Centre will incorporate the Daguan Theatre with multi-functional auditorium seating 1,600, the Himalayas Mall and Himalayas Creative Complex / Museum Zone, as well as the two luxury hotels.

The boutique-style Zendai Hotel Yin will occupy the top four floors of the dedicated hotel tower.

There will be 78 guestrooms, ranging in size from the 376 square meters presidential suite to 60 square meters luxury suites, which are accessed via elevators exclusively for use by boutique hotel guests.
Much more HERE.
Source: Travel Tips

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

Map of Heiziazi Island which will be half Chinese

Half of Heixiazi island, which was returned to China in the middle of October, could be developed as a tourist resort according to an an official from Fuyuan county, Heilongjiang province.

Yu Wenli, head of the Fuyuan tourism bureau, said the return marked the end of a 79-year dispute over the island between Russia and China, and offers new opportunities for Fuyuan, which borders the island.
‘I have received a lot of inquiries about developing the island as a tourist resort,’ Yu said.

Heiziazi Island

The Fuyuan trade and investment promotion department said more than 20 businesspeople from Guangzhou, Beijing, Dalian, Shenzhen and Hong Kong have shown interest in the tourism plan, and setting up import/export businesses.

Zhu Sijun, deputy director of the publicity department of Fuyuan, said: ‘In view of the island’s geographic location, a proposal to develop the area into a Northeast Asia free trade zone is also under consideration.’

Discussions on building a railway to connect the island with the mainland are already under way, and an airport is also envisaged.

Heixiazi Island is located at the confluence of the Heilongjiang and Wusuli rivers, and serves as a natural border between China and Russia. It was occupied by the former Soviet Union during a 1929 border skirmish.
Source: China Daily

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

Legendale Hotel

The Legendale Hotel, invested, designed and run by Macau investors, has held its grand opening ceremony, with Mr. Ho Hau Wah, Chief Executive of the Macau SAR, other Chinese leaders, and ambassadors of more than 100 countries.

The Legendale Hotel is invested and founded by The Macau Legend Development Ltd.

David Chow Kam Fai, founder and chairman of Legendale Hotel Beijing, said the Legendale Hotel was the result of support from the national and local governments of China, including Beijing, Macau and Beijing Dongcheng District.

The 5-star Legendale Hotel Beijing has 390 luxury rooms including 81 suites, 79 opulent serviced apartments and 126 private residential apartments. There are also 8 restaurants and bars of different styles. The hotel lobby features a 17-storey atrium.
Source: MarketWatch

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

Farmers creating art in China helping tourism

A program that helps farmers brush up on painting skills is becoming a tourist attraction.

A group of farmers-turned-artists in Jinshan county is bringing prominence to folk art. Home to 15 households, the Jinshan village is located 80 kilometres from downtown Shanghai.

There are some 70 such communities dotted across China as local governments are keen to set up these groups to bring in tourism dollars.

In 2006, one of the painting villages got US$1.2 million to help peasant painters set up shop.

Hu Bo Fang, vice general manager, Shanghai Fengjing Historical Town Tourist Developing Company, said: ‘In 2006, we invited them to live in the village for free. We did not charge them or take a commission from their sales of artwork.

‘We did not make a profit from it. But after half a year, when sales got better and tourists started to visit, we started to charge them rent.’
More HERE.
Source: Channel News Asia

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

Fuzhou Tai Jiang

China Yida, a leading media and tourism management company, will work with the Yongtai County Government to develop the largest leisure and tourism destination in the city of Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province. China

Yida has submitted the proposed transaction to the local government for approval and expects to reach a definitive agreement by the end of 2008.

It has the potential to become a world-class resort attracting visitors from neighboring coastal areas such as Xiamen, Quanzhou and Putian, as well as from other regions of China. In addition, the cities of Fuzhou and Xiamen are both popular destinations for business functions and conferences.

The leisure and tourism destination is located near the capital city of Fuzhou in Yongtai County and the entire scenic site has a total area of 48 square kilometers.
More HERE.
Source: PR NewsWire

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

The edge of the golf course at Sanya Bay

Raffles Hotels & Resorts will manage a new resort at Qingshui Bay in Sanya, China’s rapidly growing resort destination.

Raffles Sanya, Qingshui Bay, will have 250 guestrooms, a beach-front location and offer residents direct access to an adjacent championship golf course.

The resort will be developed by Hong Kong-listed Agile Property Holdings.

The resort be distinguished by the luxury of space and its commanding views of the bay.

All rooms are generously sized at 70 square meters, and are laid out in a stepped configuration to ensure that all residents have a view of the clear waters for which Qingshui Bay is renowned.
More HERE
Source: HotelsMag

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

Qingao is where one of the hotels is to be sited.

Le Méridien has announced an agreement with Wanda Group to open two new properties in China, one in Qingdao and one in Chongqing.

They are scheduled to open in 2011.

In addition, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, the parent company of Le Méridien, has announced an agreement with Wanda Group to add a Sheraton in Wuxi and a Westin in Taiyuan to the Starwood portfolio in China.

Le Méridien is also set to open Le Méridien Shimei Bay Beach Resort & Spa in China , as well as three Le Méridien hotels in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai by the end of the year.
More information HERE.
Source: eTravel Blackboard

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland

InterContinental Hotels Group has signed a deal with China’s Shimao Group to open six new hotels (totaling 2,100 rooms) in four Chinese cities by 2013.

Hui Wing Mau, Chairman of Shimao Group, said, ‘This is the biggest multi-brand, multi-property partnership we have signed with a single hotel management company.’

The new hotels will include InterContinental hotels in Beijing and Fuzhou, a Crowne Plaza in Shaoxing, and Holiday Inns in Shaoxing and Mudanjiang.

The signature project will be the InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland.

Set to open in Shanghai’s western Songjiang suburb in 2013, the 380-room hotel will form part of the Shanghai Shimao Wonderland theme park, and will be built on the cliff of a quarry. The hotel will feature only one floor above ground, with 17 floors situated below ground level.
Source: BizChina

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

From a tandoor oven

The next Marriott which will open in Beijing around January, will have a fine-dining Indian restaurant serving Lucknow and Awadh cuisine made by a team of expat chefs. Tarun Varma, Director of event management at the Beijing Marriott City Wall , said, ‘It will be the first luxury hotel in China with a fine-dining restaurant for Indian cuisine.’

Seems a big claim to make.

Indian menus in China are still basic and forced to innovate with limited ingredients, like samosa folded in shortcrust pastry.

True tandoori dish

At a recent Hyderabad-themed party at the India Tourism office in Beijing, the restaurant catering for the event had to send their Garhwali chef to a senior official’s house, where his wife demonstrated how to cook Hyderabadi biryani and mirch ka salan.

Tarun Varma,  said, ‘Getting approval for a tandoor takes time in China, because there are detailed rules about burning open coal. We don’t want to use an electric oven like some restaurants prefer to.’
Source: Trading Markets

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

Tourists wait to check in at Beijing Capital International Airport.

Industry insiders said although the current travel crisis will have some effect on tourism within China, it will not be very serious.

According to recent statistics from the National Tourism Administration, Chinese outbound visitors reached 34.4 million in the first nine months of this year, up 14.8% year-on-year. In September, about 3.7 million Chinese people traveled overseas, an increase of 9.04% year-on-year.

In addition, domestic tourism is flourishing, with more than 178 million Chinese traveling within the country during the National Day holiday week, up 22.1% from the same period last year.

Despite the financial crisis and worries about a global recession, many Chinese travel companies remain confident about their business prospects, saying that due to huge domestic demand and tremendous market potential, China’s tourism sector will be able to weather the storm.
Much more HERE.
Source: China Daily

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

Millbrook in New Zealand: amazing and empty

Spending by domestic travelers in New Zealand fell by $507 million or 6.4% to $7.39 billion in the year to June 2008, new research from the New Zealand Ministry of Tourism shows.

The biggest overseas loss came from China. Visitors from there dropped by a third, falling by 2,700 to 5,497 in September.

Ministry research manager Bruce Bassett said, ‘Weaker economic conditions and high fuel costs during the period are being reflected in a reduction in demand for travel, including domestic travel.’

The number of overnight trips fell by 5.5% from the previous year to 14.4 million trips, while the number of day trips dropped 15.5% to 25.9 million.

If the price of fuel stayed down in coming months, Bassett expected to see an increase in domestic activity, particularly in the number of day trips.

This research comes the same week that Statistics NZ unveiled a big drop in the number of international visitors last month.

It said tourist numbers fell 6.6 %, or 11,100 people, in September compared with the same month last year — the equivalent of 25 jumbo jets full of passengers.
Source: New Zealand Herald

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

Unsmiling gamblers. Gamblers do no smile - ever

Of all the victims of a downturn in Chinese tourism, Macao stands to lose the most.

About 58% of all inbound travelers come from mainland China, where gambling is outlawed. Although the number of mainland tourists to Macao increased by 10.6%  in August, it is a far cry from the 29.9% growth registered in July and the even faster rate of 36.6 % recorded in June.

The slowdown is already affecting casino revenue, which rose more than 50%  in the first six months of this year but was flat in the first half of last month, according to Standard & Poor’s.

Since Stanley Ho’s monopoly on the gaming market was ended in 2002, Macao, which has 30 casinos and has attracted heavy investments from Las Vegas casino operators, is now the world’s biggest gaming market.

Most analysts forecast that the total September figure, which will be released later this month, will fall. If it does, it will be the first monthly drop in casino revenue since November 2005.

The decline is being anticipated after Beijing announced a series of measures to tame explosive growth in the Macao gaming market this year. The Chinese government has in the past few months repeatedly tightened the frequency and ease with which mainland gamblers can travel to Macao.
For more click HERE.
Source: The Financial Times

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

Solar glass curtain used to create energy

Diangujinjiang International Hotel of Baoding in north China’s Hebei Province is a five-star hotel with solar power generators.

This is the first of its kind in China and has a total installed solar power capacity of 0.3 megawatts.

This is an excellent start but it is nowhere near enough.

A large residential or retail building may consume several megawatts in electric power and heating energy.

A hotel would be well in this class so it is highly unlikely that the hotel is providing all of its own power. But it is a start and it means that SOME but not all, of the burden is handled.

The productive capacity of electrical generators operated by utility companies is often measured in MW.

To give you an idea  modern high-powered diesel-electric railroad locomotives typically have a peak power output of 3 to 5 MW. Don’t expect solar driven railroads any time soon.
Source: English People’s Daily Online

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

Mainland tourists arrive in Taiwan

Representatives of the nation’s airlines and the travel industry yesterday expressed high hopes for an upcoming meeting hoping it will address urgent issues and make substantial changes to cross-strait charter flight services.

Travel Agent Association chairman Yao Ta-kuan  said yesterday that the number of charter flights could be increased to at least 200 per week.

The meeting could also help add five more mainland airports to the list of those eligible for charter flights, he said.

Yao said the mainlandonly allows residents from 13 provinces to visit Taiwan and only 33 travel agencies on the mainland are authorized to arrange tour groups. He said he hoped these numbers would be at least doubled following the meeting.

Tony Su, chairman of the Taipei Airlines Association, said both sides had agreed during the first meeting in June that airline companies could start setting up offices on either side of the strait. However, Taiwanese airlines still cannot operate offices on the mainland the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has yet to stipulate guidelines that legalize such business operations in China.

Su said the safety of cross-strait charter flights was another critical issue.

While the two sides have reached a consensus to move from weekend-only charter flights to daily charter flights, Su said the number of Chinese tourists would also have to grow simultaneously.

He said, ‘There must be a real increase in the numbers of Chinese tourists and that increase cannot be just those who used to take transit flights via Hong Kong and Macau.’
Read more HERE.
Source: Taipei Times

author Gareth Powell, source feedproxy.google.com

Logemeont Shanghai Hotel looking over Shanghai

Summit Property Development, one of the largest privately-owned development companies in the Yangtze River Delta, has created The Longemont Hotel Group. The Summit Property Group currently operates properties including offices, apartments, and hotels. The company moves into the hotel market ith the rebranding of the Regent Shanghai to The Longemont Shanghai.

As a new name in hospitality, the 53-storey Longemont Shanghai is a five star hotel with 511 deluxe rooms and suites from 42 to 115 sqm including 419 deluxe and premium rooms measuring from 42 to 45 sqm (that is the size of a smallish house) and 6 executive suites at 115 sqm which is very large indeed.

All rooms and suites feature 42-inch screen plasma TVs and iPod docking stations.  And there are great city views from all these rooms.

There is to- be-expected array of superb restaurants lus the largest ballroom in Shanghai’s Puxi District which caters for events up to 1,200 people. There are an additional nine function rooms and a  boardroom that caters for up to 20 people.  This, then, is definitely a MICE — meetings, incientives, conferences, entertainment — hotel.

Take it for granted there is a health centre with a 30-meter indoor heated swimming pool, gym, two outdoor tennis courts and this will shortly be joined by a spa.

author Gareth Powell, source www.chinaeconomicreview.com

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

author Gareth Powell, source www.chinaeconomicreview.com

Shanghai Shimao International Square

Shimao Property Holdings has entered into an agreement with InterContinental for cooperation in the hotels business. (Note that Shimao constructus a far wider range of buildings than just hotels.

Shimao said it plans to open 6 hotels in four Chinese cities by 2013 and that Intercontinental will manage the properties under the partnership deal.

The hotels, in Beijing, Shanghai, Fuzhou and Shaoxing, will provide a total of 2,100 guest rooms.

This partnership sees the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms and one of China’s leading real estate developers add a total of 2,100 guest rooms to the IHG list. (Note that Shimao already has other hotel deals operating.)

The hotels will carry the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts brands.
Source: Trading Markets and Focus on Travel News Gazette

author Gareth Powell, source www.chinaeconomicreview.com

Tainjin Property Rights Exchange

China Network Communications Group Corporation (China Netcom Group), one of the nation’s state-owned fixed-line telecoms carriers, has put its five star-ranking hotels for sale on the Tianjin Property Rights Exchange. Part of its efforts to concentrate on its major business.

This seems such an intelligent and logical move one wonders why it has not happened before.

The auction is in line with the development strategy laid out by China United Telecommunications Corporation, a mobile telecoms service provider that was suggested take over China Netcom Group in the nation’s telecoms industry reshuffle.

According to an unnamed source the planned merger between Unicom Group and China Netcom Group is proceeding smoothly.

The fixed-line telecoms operator is the parent company of China Netcom Group Corporation . The publicly-traded company, which will merge with China Unicom has alrady been delisted from the Hong Kong and New York stock exchanges.
Source: Trading Markets

author Gareth Powell, source www.chinaeconomicreview.com