Shangri-La Expands Further Into China With A New Hotel in Nanjing

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has opened its 16th hotel in mainland China, the Shangri-La Dingshan, Nanjing, strengthening further the group's dominant luxury hotel position in China. The 453-room hotel has the distinction of being the group's first five-star hotel in the Jiangsu province. Situated within a lush, expansive garden setting, the Shangri-La Dingshan, Nanjing is only 40 minutes from Nanjing international airport. Nanjing is the capital of Jiangsu, the former capital of China for five dynasties including the Ming dynasty and three hours away from Shanghai.

The hotel's spacious bedrooms measure up to 60 square metres and many feature balconies with panoramic views of the legendary Yangtse River. Restaurants include the Coffee Garden in a Mediterranean-inspired setting; the Lobby Lounge, which features a gigantic, floor-to-ceiling picture window looking out onto a picturesque rock garden; and Ming Yuen, the hotel's ornate Chinese restaurant with a spacious dining hall and 16 private dining rooms. Within the hotel complex is the existing 140-room Dingshan Wing, which houses the Spring Garden restaurant, favoured by locals and tourists alike for its authentic Huai Yang cuisine.

Providing a grand welcome in the Shangri-La Dingshan's lobby is the largest gold leaf mural in Jiangsu depicting Paradise Found - the meaning of Shangri-La. Measuring 8.8 metres in height and 12.8 metres in diameter with a dome ceiling of 40 metres, the mural is based on the 'Peach Flower Valley', a Chinese poem by Tao Yuan Ming of the Dong-Jin Dynasty. Seven local artists took two months to create the stunning masterpiece, which becomes even more dramatic with the special effect lighting.

The recreation facilities include a gymnasium, sauna, swimming pool and two tennis courts. The hotel also features five stately function rooms including the art noveaux-style 960 square metre Grand Ballroom, which can host up to 700 people for a sit-down dinner. Divisible into three separate ballrooms, the Grand Ballroom has a unique, built-in digital visual wall - the first ever in the entire Jiangsu province. All conference and function rooms feature the latest audio-visual equipment.

This autumn will see the opening of a seafood specialty restaurant, a state-of-the-art health club and the exclusive Horizon Club, which offers an even higher standard of accommodation and a host of special privileges and amenities such as the Horizon Lounge offering complimentary breakfast and drinks.

Within walking distance of the hotel are 102 Shangri-La serviced apartments and 14 villas: guests staying here have full access to all hotel facilities. In total, there are 689 rooms in the entire complex when the Main Wing, Dingshan Wing and Shangri-La serviced apartments are combined.

Commenting on the opening of the new hotel, Henry Lee, the General Manager of the Shangri-La Dingshan, Nanjing, said: 'With Shangri-La's reputation for Asian hospitality and gastronomic excellence firmly established since the group first came to China over 16 years ago, the hotel will undoubtedly contribute immensely to the further growth of Nanjing. We are very excited to be the first Shangri-La in the Jiangsu province and are looking forward to setting a new level of hospitality in the city of Nanjing.'

The hotel, a southern China architectural masterpiece, was designed by the renowned Hong Kong-based Palmer and Turner Associates. With interiors borne out of the much-celebrated creativity of world-famous interior designer, Leese Robertson, the Shangri-La Dingshan, Nanjing exudes the same sophistication and subdued opulence as other Shangri-La hotels he designed such as the Shangri-La Hotel Singapore, the Pudong Shangri-La in Shanghai and the Kowloon Shangri-La and Island Shangri-La in Hong Kong.

With over 19,000 rooms including more than 8,000 in mainland China, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts operates 33 Shangri-La branded properties including the Shangri-La Dingshan, Nanjing and five Traders Hotels in 10 countries in Asia. Further development within China includes the Shangri-La Zhongshan, due to open late 2002, and the Shangri-La Hotel Zhengzhou, which will open in March 2003.