Hilton Hotels & Resorts will this year expand its luxury hospitality offerings within China by opening two resorts in remote regions famous for their fantastic natural splendour – a far cry from the country’s big cities or seaside destinations like Sanya or Xiamen.
Next month it will open the first Hilton-branded property in China’s Tibetan Autonomous Region. The Hilton Linzhi Resort is the only five-star international resort in the Nyingchi region of southeastern Tibet, a remote area that is 4-5 hours’ drive from Lhasa but has its own airport, receiving flights from a number of Chinese cities including Kunming, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
The resort has 220 rooms designed in Tibetan-Chinese style, and while providing standard facilities such as a 150 sqm indoor heated swimming pool, modern fitness centre and kids’ playground, it also offers a billiard hall, chess room, private cinema and indoor golf driving range (there is a nine-hole golf course nearby).
F&B options include an all-day dining restaurant serving international cuisine, Feast Chinese restaurant offering Tibetan, Sichuanese and Cantonese dishes, and a lobby lounge and bar with beautiful river views. Meeting facilities comprise 528 sqm of event space spread across four meeting rooms, a ballroom and foyer.
Situated 2,500 metres above sea level, the resort backs onto the Himalayan mountains and faces the Yarlung Zangbo (Yarlung Tsangpo) River. Within a few hours’ drive are a wide range of pristine natural wonders, from the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon (beyond which the river becomes the Brahmaputra) to picturesque Nanyi Valley and the 3,700-metre altitude Basum Lake.
The hotel’s website is taking bookings for stays beginning April 15.
Then, on April 22, the hotel group will also open the Hilton Jiuzhaigou Resort in far northern Sichuan province. Located close to the Unesco World Heritage-listed Jiuzhaigou National Park and Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area, the resort will have a total of 426 rooms, suites and villas – Executive rooms and all suites and villas have private balconies with superb mountain views.
Event facilities are substantial, with 1,522 sqm of space across seven function rooms and a 910 sqm pillarless ballroom – all with the latest conferencing technology. There are four restaurants: Open is the all-day dining spot, Jiu is the lobby bar and lounge, Simmer offers Chinese hotpot cuisine, and Xang Xung serves up Tibetan specialities.
Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport is 80km to the south, while Jiuzhaigou National Park is only 14km away. The options for hiking and horse trekking are endless – this is considered to be one of China’s most beautiful nature-focused destinations.
