Marriott has made two new hotel debuts in mainland China over the past two weeks, including the introduction of its W Hotels brand to Shanghai along with the opening of its first Fairfield by Marriott-brand property in the country.
The W Shanghai – The Bund, located near the waterfront of the Huangpu River, features W Hotels’ usual vibrant designs, with neon light installations mirroring the city’s traditional narrow laneways in the hotel’s lobby (called the Living Room) and what is described as a “kaleidoscopic feature” at the reception.
The hotel’s 374 guestrooms (35 of these are suites) feature other typical W Hotels amenities such as the W Bed, which in this instance also features a xiaolongbao dumpling-shaped pillow. Other suite categories include the Cloud on the Bund, which has an LED wall and a hanging bed, and the presidential suite (named the Extreme Wow Suite) that offers up about 4,000 sqft and has a neon installation that blows out smoke.
Facilities at the hotel include an open kitchen-style New York bistro called The Kitchen Table, a Cantonese restaurant Yen, as well as Liquid at Yen, a hidden 1920s-esque speakeasy. The brand’s Woobar and poolside Wet Bar also make a return.
“We are infusing so much energy into this city with W Shanghai – The Bund,” said Christian Humbert, the hotel’s general manager. “We are bringing guests closer to the music, design, fashion and Fuel (the brand’s take on fitness) scenes in Shanghai while providing our signature Whatever/Whenever service, delivering whatever guests want, whenever they want it, in this incredible city.”
Marriott currently operates 10 W Hotels properties in mainland China, with the W Xiamen set to open in September 2019.
Meanwhile, the group’s first Fairfield by Marriott in China has also just opened its doors in Nanning, the capital of the Zhuang Autonomous Region of Guangxi in the south of China close to the Vietnam border.
The group’s more mid-tier brand is aimed at offering productivity – guests get complimentary breakfast and can find grab-and-go food offerings at a 24-hour market in the lobby. The new Fairfield by Marriott Nanning Nanhu Park is located in the city’s Qingxiu district about 10 minutes’ walk from the Wanda business district and close to Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center. Nanning Wuwei International Airport, meanwhile, is about 45 minutes away by car.
According to Mike Fulkerson, Marriott’s vice president, brand and marketing for Asia-Pacific, the group’s partnership with Dossen International Group, which was behind the new Fairfield, “gives us the ability to extend into the fast growing second- and third-tier cities throughout China, further building Marriott International’s portfolio in China.”
Marriott intends to open some 100 Fairfield properties over the next five years.
