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Sofitel Legend People’s Grand Hotel Xian opens

5 May 2014 by ReggieHo
Sofitel, the luxury hotel arm of French hospitality group Accor, has opened a new property in an iconic structure in Xian, an industrial boomtown that is also famous as China's ancient capital for 13 dynasties, including Han and Tang which have defined modern Chinese culture. For a story about the city, click here. The newly opened Sofitel Legend People’s Grand Hotel Xian has become the brand's 19th property in Greater China and a member of the exclusive Legend Collection that includes such historic landmarks as Hotel Metropole Hanoi (story here) and Sofitel Legend the Grand Amsterdam (review here). The building first opened in 1953 as the State Guesthouse, at a site where an imperial palace once stood. Hong Qing, chief architect of the Northwest Institute of Architectural Design, surrounded the property with an extensive garden and used a number of French touches in its design, including fleur-de-lis (stylized lily) as a recurring motif. Accor commissioned Joe Cheng, chairman and chief executive of Hong Kong-based Cheng Chung Designs, to refurbish the property and the project took 28 months. Ceiling mouldings as well as the Art Deco-style front entrance and lobby have been preserved. “As the first Legend hotel in Accor China’s portfolio and only the fifth in the group’s world map, we feel this beautiful property strikes the perfect note of French elegance in the heart of this timeless city, with its long history as a cultural crossroads at the start of the Silk Road,” said Paul Richardson, Accor Greater China chief operating officer. The hotel is characterised by lofty ceilings and spacious interiors, and it features 71 rooms and suites restored to convey a sense of time and place. Aligned with Sofitel's signature style, the hotel offers amenities such as Hermès toiletries and French-designed floral arrangements. Personalised butler service is extended to guests from the moment of arrival, and other facilities include an extensive garden setting, private health club, swimming pool and spa, an authentic Italian restaurant, an exclusive top-floor Louis XIII Bar (pictured below) and a private museum. Sheltered links to the neighbouring Convention Centre and Grand Theatre make this new property ideal for meetings and events. SOFITEL LEGEND PEOPLE’S GRAND HOTEL XIAN The People’s Grand Hotel Xian is part of Renmin Square, a hotel complex with 40,000 sqm in area and managed by Accor. It is located within the old city walls, and is within walking distances to notable attractions such as the Forest of Steles and the Muslim quarter where spice trade once flourished. Today locals and visitors frequent this area for ethnic cuisine and souvenirs. Famous political figures that have visited this property include the country's former Premiers Zhou Enlai and Zhu Rongji, and Marshal Chen Yi. The guestbook has also been signed by heads of state including former French President François Mitterrand, royalty from Europe and Asia, and one of the most famous Secretaries of State in US history Henry Kissinger. Visit www.sofitel.com Reggie Ho SOFITEL LEGEND PEOPLE’S GRAND HOTEL XIAN Lobby Lobby   SOFITEL LEGEND PEOPLE’S GRAND HOTEL XIAN Imperial Suite Imperial Suite      
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