Business Traveller (Asia-Pacific)
HOTEL UPDATE: GUANGZHOU
The last decade has seen Zhujiang New Town emerge as the Guangdong capital’s new CBD, and the hospitality sector has responded accordingly
New and upcoming properties in the southern Chinese city
NEW
Conrad Guangzhou Opened: May 2017 The latest luxury international-brand hotel to open in Guangzhou, this 309-room property stands behind the towering new Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre one block back from the Tianhe CBD’s central park quadrangle. The wide range of rooms (starting at 48 sqm) and suites are all furnished and decorated in modern chic style. The hotel has 1,800 sqm of meeting space, with an Executive Lounge on the (top) 27th floor. A comprehensive health club and spa facility includes an indoor heated pool and outdoor whirlpool, a variety of workout zones in the fitness centre, and steam baths, ice fountains and herbal and hot stone saunas. conradhotels.com Aloft Guangzhou Tianhe Opened: May 2016 The city’s second Aloft property is also the largest in the world for this millennial-focused brand from Starwood. Located within walking distance of Guangzhou East Railway Station, it boasts 498 rooms all featuring the SPG Keyless mobile system. The fast-moving, hip and trendy atmosphere is augmented by its
W:XYZ bar, which features the signature “Live at Aloft Hotels” music programming. A total of 1,000 sqm of event space includes unique “Tactic” meeting venues, all furnished with state-of-the-art AV technology. starwoodhotels.com/alofthotels
Hampton by Hilton Guangzhou Zhujiang New Town
Opened: March 2016 This is the flagship property for the Hampton by Hilton brand in China, which treads the line between offering a relaxing haven for business travellers and an enjoyable environment for families. Its 223 guestrooms all contain beds with signature Serta mattresses, and there’s a moveable desk and ergonomic chair so you can create the right working environment to suit your own tastes. Free wifi is available throughout the hotel, and a useful facility is the 24-hour snack bar. hampton.com
Park Hyatt Guangzhou
Opened: Dec 2015 This 208-room, design-led luxury hotel is the brand’s sixth in China. It combines all the requisite modern amenities – from technological gadgetry to top-quality dining and leisure offerings – with a stylish aesthetic that manifests itself through a host of diverse artworks and installations scattered throughout the hotel. What’s more, it’s all located at the top of a skyscraper in the new Tianhe CBD, with superb views south to the iconic Canton Tower and west towards the original city centre. guangzhou.park.hyatt.com
RENOVATIONS
Worth noting are some major renovations to classic Guangzhou accommodation favourites. The White Swan Hotel (whiteswanhotel.com) on Shamian Island spent three years and US$123 million on a full renovation and facelift (completed in late 2015), reducing its room count from 843 to 520 in order to increase average room size, and modernising many of its public areas.
The landmark LN Garden Hotel (gardenhotel.com), meanwhile, is in the midst of a major renovation project. All 828 rooms were given a refresh last year, and the restaurants and other F&B areas are currently being revamped.
The Grand Hyatt Guangzhou (guangzhou.grand.hyatt.com) was one of the first hotels to open in the Zhujiang New Town business district in 2008 (soon after the Ritz-Carlton). After nine years and despite its matchless location, the competition is so fierce it now needs to upgrade and refresh its rooms, and the plan is for refurbishing to begin this summer.
COMING SOON
The LN Garden Hotel, Nansha will open in October this year in the Bin Hai Park area of the Nansha Free Trade Zone outside the city. A resort-style property designed to look like a cruise ship, it will offer 365 rooms and suites, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts and a billiards room.
A marquee opening is scheduled for 2018, when Rosewood
Guangzhou will open in the top 16 floors of the new 530-metre Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre – Guangzhou’s tallest building and one of the ten highest towers in the world – which faces the International Finance Centre across the Tianhe CBD’s main park. The luxury property will offer 251 guestrooms and 355 Rosewood Residences (for long-staying guests); The Manor Club, a residential-style executive lounge; and a double-level spa and health club. Event space will cover 2,250 sqm and include The Pavilion – a residential-style function space; a 970 sqm grand ballroom; three function rooms; two VIP rooms; and a Sky Mansion on the 108th floor featuring a show kitchen terrace.
Also scheduled to open next year is the New World Guangzhou, part of a mixed-use complex located in the Baiyun district just 20 minutes’ drive from Baiyun International Airport. The hotel will offer 279 rooms, a rooftop pool and four F&B outlets including an “Asian tavern”, as well as the brand’s signature Residence Club executive floors. A substantial 2,800 sqm of event space will include a 1,000 sqm ballroom and a 400 sqm lawn for outdoor venues.