Travel China Planner

Regal iClub Hotel, Regal Hotels International’s latest property, and its sixth hotel in Hong Kong, has had its soft opening.

The boutique hotel is located in the city’s Wan Chai business and entertainment district and is close to many of the island’s convention and exhibition venues as well as leisure, cultural, and sports facilities. The nearest MTR station is a three-minute walk away, and the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre can be reached on foot in 10 minutes. Popular tourist attractions such as Times Square, Stanley Market, Happy Valley Race Course, and Ocean Park are also close to the hotel.

The 50 guestrooms and suites, are equipped with complimentary broadband and wireless Internet access, LCD TVs and iPod speakers. For food and beverage the hotel’s lobby cafe, iCafe, serves light buffets and an a-la-carte menu of pan-Asian dishes throughout the day.

Speaking at the hotel’s soft opening, Yoland Perras, the general manager, commented that Regal iClub Hotel is a new product line of Regal Group, and is designed to target younger business travelers by offering a modern and trendy image with uniquely striking decor, high tech convenience, and impeccable service.

A scheduled air route between Hohhot and Hong Kong has been officially launched.

According to Ma Yongsheng, the deputy director of the Inner Mongolia Tourism Administration, the Hong Kong route has been operated as charter flights for many years and no scheduled fights were available. Passengers needed to transfer at Beijing, Guangzhou, or Shenzhen to get to Hong Kong with resulting extra costs in both money and time.

Two flights have been arranged for the route, one on Monday and the other on Thursday. The flights will leave Hohhot Baita International Airport at 08:00 and get to Hong Kong at 13:10. The return flight departs at 14:10 and arrives at 19:00. The flights will make a stopover at Zhengzhou.

According to Ma Inner Mongolia has been receiving more and more tourists from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan in recent years with the development of its tourism industry. He expects that the scheduled air route will accelerate the tourism development of Inner Mongolia.

Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels has returned to its Shanghai roots after an absence of 60 years with the recent opening of The Peninsula Shanghai, in the city where it once operated four of the city’s premier hotels: The Kalee, Majestic, Palace, and Astor House.

The 235-room Peninsula Shanghai is built on the Bund in the style of a noble residence of the 1920s and 30s, harking back to when the city was known as “the Paris of the East”, and is the first new building on the Bund in over 60 years. The hotel occupies a prime site on the Huangpu River beside the former British Consulate Gardens and the Suzhou Creek and the guestrooms include four themed suites with outdoor rooftop terraces giving views of the Bund and Pudong’s futuristic skyline.

For meetings and events, there is the Rose Ballroom, which accommodates 450 guests for a banquet or 1,000 for a cocktail reception. Special features include an elevator large enough to deliver a limousine to the ballroom, a custom-made 1930s Schindler cage lift, and a full-scale replica of a 1930s seaplane in the Rosemonde Aviation Lounge. The MICE facilities are complemented by the 900 square meter Palace Suite wraparound rooftop terrace with panoramic views of the city, which is planned to become a venue for prestigious corporate events and social occasions.

For rest and recreation, Peninsula Spa by ESPA, offers nine treatment rooms, with a cool navy and white nautical theme, which complement the sauna, steam and relaxation rooms, and is just steps away from the 25-metre indoor swimming pool and fitness center.

The Hong Kong-based luxury boutique serviced apartment provider, Shama, has recently opened two additional properties as part of their expanding portfolio in China: Shama Central Point in Chengdu and Shama Luxe Grand Central in Dalian.

The 200 apartments at Shama Central Point in Chengdu benefit from their location alongside the Jinjiang River, in the heart of the city’s central business district and are located directly inside Chengdu City Central Square, with international supermarkets and lifestyle shopping mall facilities. They are also just a few minutes from the Chengdu metro, which is scheduled to open soon.

Apartment guests can enjoy an extensive tenant’s lounge and the signature Shama Super Kitchen where guests can socialize and cook in a spacious environment. Amenities also offer a games den and media lounge, a fitness center with boxing ring and yoga studio, a meditation room, a business center, a children’s playroom with a stage, and a rooftop garden with barbeque facilities.

The 195 apartments in Shama Luxe Grand are situated in the heart of the Dalian Development Area and are conveniently located within the Grand Central shopping complex and neighboring the Yoma IFC office tower, Shama Luxe Grand Central affords its guests a broad spectrum of facilities and amenities with immediate access to fashion, dining and leisure facilities. Guests also benefit from an extensive clubhouse complete with a fitness center, indoor swimming pool, an indoor and outdoor children’s play area, and a fully equipped business center.

Shama was founded in Hong Kong and currently operates a varied portfolio in prime commercial and residential districts in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Dalian. The brand operates two tiers of serviced apartments, consisting of Shama and a premiere tier called Shama Luxe.

East, a new 345-room business hotel from Swire Hotels, is slated to open at One Island East, in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong, in January 2010.

According to Brian Williams, the managing director of Swire Hotels, East is designed in response to the essential needs of modern travelers: “to rejuvenate you when you are tired; energize you when you are in search of fun; and support you when it’s time for business.”

Designed by Hong Kong based architect and interior design studio CL3 Architects, who were responsible for developing all design aspects of the guest rooms, public areas and restaurant facilities, the hotel is said to reflect an eastern sophistication whilst incorporating every modern convenience.

Guest rooms and suites range in size from 28 square meters to 60 square meters and offer either harbor or urban views. In room, communications technology and entertainment includes 37-inch, high definition LCD TVs with satellite and cable channels, latest iHome / iPod touch technology, simple connectivity for laptops and complimentary broadband / WiFi, which extends throughout the hotel.

The all day dining Feast, which is accessed by a “bird-nest” style staircase from the ground floor will including a takeaway service and serve western classics and cuisines from Central Asia, the provinces of China and South-East Asia.

Sugar, the bar, deck, and lounge on the 32nd floor will be open until 02:00 and is designed as an accessible spot to eat, meet, drink and party after work, featuring signature and classic cocktails, tapas and nightly DJs. Sugar will be available for private bookings during the day for lunches, team building, launch events, and parties.

On the fourth floor, Beast will offer access to a naturally-lit gym, outdoor swimming pool, and a juice bar. The gym is enclosed by strikingly decorated perforated metal panels and features a unisex changing room in wood and stone cladding.

To accommodate guests from all regions, the in-room dining and gym are intended to remain accessible around the clock to cater for those who have yet to adjust to a new time zone.

East is located at Island East,which incorporates a new landmark development by Swire Properties, One Island East, in Quarry Bay. The hotel is adjacent to Tai Koo MTR station and is a short drive away from Central and Causeway Bay.

East will be the third hotel to be opened by Swire Hotels. Its first, The Opposite House, opened in 2008 in Beijing. The brand’s first Hong Kong hotel, The Upper House, will open at Pacific Place in October 2009.