Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc. (NASDAQ: HMIN) ("Home Inns Group" or "the Company"), a leading economy hotel chain in China, today announced the appointment of Mr. Yi Liu as an independent director and co-chairman of the board of directors of the Company, replacing Mr. Yunxin Mei , effective on January 1, 2013. Mr. Mei will remain as a senior consultant to the Company following his retirement.
Hilton Worldwide today announced the opening of its first hotel in Fujian province. DoubleTree by Hilton Putian, the 12th DoubleTree by Hilton property in China, offers 337 contemporary guestrooms; including 23 suites, three restaurants, a lobby lounge and a well-equipped fitness center with a 25-meter heated indoor swimming pool and a spa. It is the first internationally branded hotel in Putian.
Herbert Laubichler-Pichler has been appointed as General Manager of Raffles Hainan, China. Opening in Spring 2013, it is Raffles’ second hotel in China after Raffles Beijing Hotel. Herbert Laubichler-Pichler has an exceptional track record working within the luxury hotel industry in Asia. He moves to Raffles Hainan from Shangri-La Resort and Spa, Cebu in the Philippines where he served as its General Manager. Prior to this, he worked for Shangri-La, Kuala Lumpur where in 2011; the hotel won Trip Advisor Travellers’ Choice Award of the top Luxury Hotel in Malaysia. During his tenure in Kuala Lumpur, he was also a Board Member of the Malaysian Association of Hotels and Chairman of the Research and Development Committee of the Malaysian Association of Hotels.
- Hilton Hotels & Resorts announced the opening of its newest property in the Pearl River Delta - Hilton Zhongshan Downtown. Operated by Hilton Worldwide and owned by The Lihe Group, the property is located in the heart of Zhongshan's central business district and surrounded by premium retail and entertainment center. The hotel features 459 guest rooms including 34 suites; a variety of restaurants and bars, two ballrooms, as well as state-of-the-art meeting facilities and an unrivalled recreation center.
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. announces that The Ritz-Carlton, Chengdu, located in the heart of the capital of Sichuan province, will become the luxury hotel operator's first flag in Southwest China, when it opens in summer 2013.
Joining the executive committee led by Marc Brugger, managing director of Rosewood Beijing, David Campbell has been appointed director of sales and marketing to drive the pre- and post-opening momentum of the first China property of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts®, opening Summer 2013.
International luxury hotel operator Langham Hospitality Group today announced that it has signed an agreement with Huatang Grand Hotel Company Limited to manage a new, luxury hotel in Datong, Shanxi. The hotel will be branded Langham Place, Datong and is scheduled to open in 2014.
Sabre Hospitality Solutions, the industry's leading global hospitality technology company, and Dragon Trail Interactive, an award-winning digital marketing agency and travel technology company headquartered in Beijing, China, have signed an agreement that will enable Sabre Hospitality Solutions to offer Dragon Trail website, digital marketing and social media services to all hotels trying to build a native presence within the growing Chinese travel market.
Mr. Young brings more than 18 years’ finance experience with hotels in both Hong Kong and mainland China. Before joining New World Hotels, Mr. Young was financial controller – operation of Regal Poly Guiyang Hotel. He was also financial controller of various properties of Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts in Beijing and Xian for 10 years. Previously, he worked for Guangdong Regency Hotel in Zhuhai and Grand Excelsior Hotel in Kunming.
Previously the resident manager of New World Shanghai Hotel, Mr. Lowe brings more than 30 years’ hospitality industry experience to New World Guiyang Hotel. Prior to joining New World Hotels, Mr. Lowe held various senior hotel positions, including project consultant of Days Inn China Hotel Group and general manager of Days Hotel Tongji Shanghai. He has worked across China, in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Dongguan. In addition, he served as director of catering for Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, Island Shangri-La Hong Kong and Grand Hyatt Hong Kong.
Jin Jiang International Hotel Management Company Ltd officially announces the signing of their new hotel with Yangzhou Xinyi Investment & Development Co., Ltd in Yangzhou city, Jiangsu province, China. The hotel is scheduled to open by October 2013.
The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT), announced today the opening of Twelve at Hengshan, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Shanghai. This newly built hotel joins the legendary Astor Hotel in Tianjin, The Royal Begonia in Sanya and The Hongta Hotel in Shanghai as The Luxury Collection brand continues to grow its footprint in China. In the last year alone, the brand made its debut in key destinations throughout Asia Pacific with hotel openings in Chennai, India; the Blue Mountains, Australia; and Jakarta, Indonesia.
China's tourism industry has now entered a new era featuring industrial development and popularisation. Furthermore, tourist brands are becoming increasingly important in China. The quality and quantity of star-level hotels are linked directly to the development of China's tourism, its cities and commercial real estate. Moreover, the high demands from business travellers for business trips, enterprise meetings, out-house training and incentive travel are all factors driving the development of the hotel industry in China.
Regent Hotels & Resorts is pleased to announce the opening of the iconic steakhouse Morton’s of Chicago in the Regent Beijing, recently ranked among the Best Hotels in the World by Conde Nast Traveler’s 2012 Reader’s Choice Awards. Located in the heart of the Chinese capital, the hotel and restaurant are just a stone’s throw from the Forbidden City.
The Peninsula Shanghai has been honoured by Travel + Leisure magazine as the world's finest business hotel. In the December 2012 issue of Travel + Leisure, widely recognised as a leading international authority on travel and tourism trends, the US-based magazine published its list of the best hotels for business travellers in cities around the world as voted for by its readers in the annual World's Best Awards survey.
Interstate Hotels & Resorts today announced the appointment of Timur Senturk as managing director of China’s tallest ultra-luxury hotel, the flagship J Hotel located at Shanghai Tower. Currently under construction in Shanghai’s central business district of Lujiazui, Pudong, the J Hotel Shanghai Tower is anticipated to open in the first quarter of 2015, and will be operated by Interstate China Hotels & Resorts, a joint venture between Interstate and Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotels Company Limited (“Jin Jiang Hotels”).
Accor Hospitality Group is pleased to appoint Mr. Arthur Ai as the General Manager of Pullman Shanghai Skyway. Mr. Ai will oversee all aspects of property management in accordance with hotel’s mission statement: operational management, yield management, sales and marketing, Human resources and guest satisfaction etc. Prior to this new post, Mr. Ai was the Acting General Manager of the Hotel. An Australian permanent resident holds a hotel management diploma, Arthur has over 20 years experience in the hospitality business, and he has previously worked with international hotel groups including Hilton, Royal Tulip, and Jinjiang in Shanghai.
The second PATA China Responsible Tourism & China-ASEAN Tourism Development Forum concluded in Shanghai November 16 with 152 participants, up from 130 who attended the first forum on December 16, 2011.
CapitaLand's wholly-owned serviced residence business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), has secured a contract to manage its first Citadines-branded serviced residence in Chengdu. The 177-unit Citadines South Chengdu, which is slated to open in 2014, strengthens Ascott's leadership position as the largest international serviced residence owner-operator in China with about 8,000 apartment units in 43 properties across 17 cities. In Chengdu, Ascott currently operates one Somerset-branded serviced residence and expects to open two premier Ascott-branded properties in the next two years. With this latest contract, Chengdu joins Shanghai and Suzhou as the third city in China with all three of Ascott's award-winning brands of serviced residences.
Currently under construction in Shanghai's central business district of Lujiazui, Pudong, The J Hotel Shanghai Tower is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2015 and will be operated by Interstate China Hotels & Resorts, a joint venture between Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotels and developer, U.S.-based Interstate Hotels & Resorts.