SHANGRI-LA TIANJIN IN CHINA IS NOW OPEN

KEE@FSWMAG.COM

. SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, TIANJIN OPENS Discover Northern China’s hidden gem in a tranquil setting by the Haihe River Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts opens its 85th hotel today in China’s largest northern port city. The 302-room Shangri-La Hotel, Tianjin sits on the bank of the Haihe River in the new Hedong District, overlooking Tianjin’s signature architecture dating from the 19th century. Home to nearly 300 Fortune 500 companies, Tianjin is a bustling business destination. The city is just 30 minutes by high speed rail from Beijing and has become a centre for light industry and financial activities. On weekends, the city’s historic architecture, winding river and enticing food scene draw families and leisure travellers seeking a relaxing getaway. Shangri-La Hotel, Tianjin caters to both business and leisure guests with an unmatched range of facilities and a convenient location five minutes from the city’s central business district (which lies just over Baoding Bridge) and 10 minutes from the Tianjin Railway Station. Spacious rooms range from one of the largest deluxe rooms in the city, the 48-square-metre Deluxe River View Room, to the 240-square-metre Shangri-La Suite.  In addition to its guestrooms, the hotel offers 39 serviced apartments. All guestrooms overlook the Haihe River, and the executive Horizon Club Lounge on Level 32 offers panoramic views of the city. Shangri-La’s complimentary Wi-Fi service is available throughout the hotel. The hotel is fully integrated within Tianjin Kerry Centre and is the only five-star international hotel in the city connected to a shopping mall, River View Place, which houses multiple dining and entertainment venues and the largest of Shangri-La and Kerry’s Adventure Zones for kids. The 1,700-square-metre Adventure Zone is slated to open in 2015 with adrenalin-pumping slides, interactive games, play modules, party rooms, activity centres for crafts and games and more. The hotel plays to its location on the river with floor-to-ceiling windows in the Lobby Lounge showcasing the view. The Haihe River is echoed in design elements as well. The grand lobby chandelier is designed to mimic sunlight reflecting on water, while the flow of the river is mirrored in the carpet motif of water lilies on a cerulean blue waterway. The Lobby Lounge is separated from the main lobby by dividers inlaid with muted gold flowers cascading from the trees to echo wind-blown leaves and flowers falling into the river. Paris-based artist Chen Jiang Hong returned to his home city of Tianjin to paint the stunning 4.5- by 2.5-metre mural commissioned for Shangri-La Hotel, Tianjin’s Lobby Lounge. Other works by Chen are featured in Shangri-La Hotel, Paris and Pudong Shangri-La, East Shanghai. Within the hotel, there are extensive recreational and dining offerings. The Health Club offers a 24-hour gym, indoor swimming pool, two outdoor tennis courts, Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room, plus Shangri-La’s CHI, The Spa. Shangri-La’s signature Shang Palace restaurant serves local specialties and authentic Cantonese cuisine. The interior marries traditional and contemporary furnishings. Over 70 paintings by local artists adorn the corridors and walls, and copper pillars and wooden panels separate the main dining hall to create intimate sections for privacy and exclusivity. The restaurant also offers 12 private dining rooms for gatherings or business meetings. Shangri-La Hotel, Tianjin’s all-day dining restaurant, Café Yun, features six theatre kitchens laid out in a marketplace-style, creating the perfect combination of the sights and smells of cooking with a laidback mood further enhanced by nature-inspired design elements. A private dining room is on offer for small celebrations with friends and family while an outdoor patio is also available during the warmer months. For conferences of up to 1,800 people, Shangri-La Hotel, Tianjin’s 1,965-square-metre, pillar-less Grand Ballroom is the newest and largest meeting destination in the city. The Grand Ballroom is papered with hand-painted floral wallpaper to create the feeling of being in a garden pavilion. A range of indoor and outdoor venues are also available for smaller meetings or intimate social gatherings. Shangri-La Hotel, Tianjin opens with an introductory rate of RMB 688 plus 15 per cent service charge for single occupancy, or RMB 788 plus 15 per cent service charge for double occupancy including breakfast at Café Yun and 20 per cent discount on laundry and CHI, The Spa treatments. For reservations, please visit www.shangri-la.com or contact the hotel directly on (86 22) 8418 8666 or email reservations.sltj@shangri-la.com. Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, one of the world’s premier hotel companies, currently owns and/or manages more than 80 hotels under the Shangri-La brand with a room inventory of over 34,000.  Over four decades the group has established its brand hallmark of ‘hospitality from the heart.’ The group has a substantial development pipeline with upcoming projects in mainland China, India, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Qatar, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates.  For more information and reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com.