Shangri-La Traders Fudu Hotel, Changzhou to Open in 2004

Traders Fudu Hotel, Changzhou will feature a variety of restaurants and bars. The meeting facilities will include an 800-square-metre pillarless ballroom that will be complemented by a full range of function rooms. It will also have recreational facilities, including a gym with an indoor swimming pool.

Commenting on the management contract, Chen Libin, chairman of Changzhu Fudu Hotel Company Limited, said: "We are delighted to bring to Changzhou the Traders brand, which is synonymous with service efficiency and genuine value for money for quality business-class accommodation. We are confident that the strength of the brand and its established network in China will build additional market share for the hotel and ensure high quality and service standards.

Giovanni Angelini, Shangri-La's chief executive officer and managing director, said "We are honoured to have been given this opportunity to manage a second hotel in Jiangsu. Traders Fudu Hotel, Changzhou will complement our existing portfolio of 16 mainland China properties and reinforce our position as the dominant luxury hotel group in China. "

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is the leading Asian-based luxury hotel company in the region with nearly 20,000 rooms and 38 properties. Its hotels are located in the Chinese mainland, Fiji, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan. For more information, please visit www.shangri-la.com

With a population of 3.4 million people, the 2,500-year-old city of Changzhou is situated along the lower Yangtze River in southeastern China's Jiangsu province. A confluence of waterways, including China's Grand Canal, connects Changzhou with Nanjing to the west and Shanghai to the east. Changzhou, which opened to world trade in 1985, is attracting international businesses by constructing a new port and improving communication and transport links.