China’s Pearl River Delta region is seeing a wealth of new hotel openings.
China’s Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, which was also recently dubbed the “Greater Bay Area” by the Chinese government, is a megalopolis including nine major cities in China’s southern Guangdong province plus two special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). One of the most open and economically developed regions in China, the PRD is playing a crucial role in the country’s development as – via the Greater Bay Area initiative – the Chinese government seeks to develop the region into an integrated economic, business and transportation hub.
These rapid developments mean there is huge potential for the hospitality industry. Recent years have seen a raft of new hotels springing up in the region, with key properties opening and international brands making their debuts. It seems like good news for business travellers because there will be many more high-end hotels to choose from in the near future.
Hong Kong
The St. Regis Hong Kong
The St. Regis Hong Kong opened in April 2019, joining the portfolio of St. Regis hotels in the Pearl River Delta that include three other properties in Macau, Shenzhen and Zhuhai (see the “Zhuhai” section of this article for more on The St. Regis Zhuhai). Located in Wan Chai district, the hotel is a mere five-minute walk from the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The 27-storey hotel was designed by local architect André Fu, who drew inspiration from Hong Kong’s rich local culture, as well as the design concept of The St. Regis New York. For all the 129 guestrooms, including 17 suites, guests have access to an in-room check-in service, as well as the 24-hour butler and e-butler service. The hotel’s restaurants and bars include French restaurant L’Envol, the Chinese fine-dining restaurant Rùn, the Drawing Room and of course The St Regis Bar.
The hotel’s 1,460 sqm of event space spans five venues. The largest 504 sqm pillar-free Astor Ballroom can accommodate up to 500 people. The St. Regis Athletic Club, an outdoor veranda pool and poolside bar as well as the spa centre are highlights of the on-site leisure facilities.
The Silveri Hong Kong – MGallery
Accorhotels’ boutique MGallery by Sofitel brand will make its Hong Kong debut later this year with the launch of The Silveri Hong Kong. The new property, set to open in the second half of 2019, will be situated in Lantau Island’s Tung Chung district, only a few minutes’ drive from Hong Kong International Airport and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
The hotel takes its name from the silver mines that were once found in abundance in the Lantau area during the 1880s. The property has 206 guestrooms and, in a first for Hong Kong, its signature suites will feature outdoor terraces equipped with private plunge pools or Jacuzzis, affording views of the verdant hills of Lantau Island.
Other hotel facilities include a 24-hour fitness centre, a 25-metre outdoor swimming pool and spa bath, a grass lawn, two meeting rooms and an executive lounge. Guests can also participate in specially curated tours arranged by the hotel to discover Lantau Island, including private boat trips with champagne and canapés, pink dolphin spotting and guided tours to the Big Buddha statue and Po Lin Monastery.
Hotel Alexandra
Situated on Hong Kong Island on the North Point waterfront, Hotel Alexandra’s design melds a combination of “timeless affluent elegance” and “modern concepts”. The property is approximately a two-minute walk from Fortress Hill MTR Station (Exit B via a covered footbridge) and is near to major business and sightseeing destinations, as well as shopping district Causeway Bay.
The hotel’s lavish lobby has Victorian-style architecture and “modern whimsical décor”. Some of the 840 guestrooms and suites have harbour views. There is also a fitness centre and an outdoor swimming pool. Function facilities include a grand ballroom with chandeliers, as well as function spaces customisable to “every size of meeting, conference and banquet”.
Alva Hotel by Royal
Slated to open in late 2019, this new property adds to the portfolio of the Royal Hotels under Hong Kong real-estate developer Sun Hung Kai Properties. Located in Sha Tin district in the New Territories, the hotel is close to several cultural attractions.
Smart hotel systems are a special feature in this hotel. There are self check-in kiosks installed in the lobby. Alternatively, guests can download the hotel’s mobile app, which they can use as a mobile room key, or for online bookings and pre-arrival check-in.
Each of the 618 guestrooms is equipped with a tablet device, with which guests can control the in-room facilities, request services, make reservations at in-house restaurants, and browse nearby events and activities. Guests also have access to a rooftop swimming pool with views overlooking the Shing Mun River.
Shenzhen
Raffles Shenzhen
Raffles Shenzhen is the 14th property in the global portfolio of Raffles Hotels & Resorts. The hotel is located in Shenzhen’s Nanshan district, known as the city’s emerging financial and technology hub. It’s only a few minutes from Shenzhen Bay Port, one of the road borders between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, from which it takes less than an hour to reach downtown Hong Kong.
The property has 168 guestrooms and suites, with sizes starting from 60 sqm. Some feature spectacular views overlooking Shenzhen Bay. A Raffles Brand Residence is also situated in the same building. There are six restaurants and bars in the hotel, including Yun Jing that specialises in Cantonese cuisine, Japanese restaurant Kokoni, all-day dining outlet Sky Café, and Raffles’ historic Long Bar.
Raffles Shenzhen boasts about 3,000 sqm of event space, including a 1,250 sqm pillarless grand ballroom and eight multifunctional halls. The helipad on the roof of the building can also be used for event purposes. Leisure facilities include the Raffles Spa, a 25-metre-long indoor swimming pool, and a fitness centre equipped with a spa bath, vitality pool and sauna.
Park Hyatt Shenzhen
Crowning the apex of a 48-storey building next to the main tower of Ping An International Finance Centre, Park Hyatt Shenzhen is situated in the heart of the city’s Futian business district. Within walking distance are the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, Futian Railway Station – that offers convenient connections to Hong Kong and other major cities in the Greater Bay Area – and a number of shopping and dining outlets.
The hotel has 195 guestrooms in total, including 24 suites. Each of them is outfitted with floor-to-ceiling windows, from which guests can expect a beautiful view of the city. The hotel offers a variety of dining options: The Garden Pavilion features Cantonese and northern Chinese cuisine, while The Glasshouse is a seafood and grilled meat restaurant featuring a glass ceiling and wraparound windows, allowing natural light to flood in and exude an alfresco dining feel. The rooftop bar Attic serves all kinds of wine, champagne and cocktails.
The 1,500 sqm of event space in the hotel comprises a 500 sqm ballroom and nine multifunctional meeting rooms. Recreational options include a spa, a fitness centre and a 25-metre, temperature-controlled indoor swimming pool next to the relaxing casual dining space Pool Terrace.
Guangzhou
Rosewood Guangzhou
Rosewood Guangzhou is the second Rosewood hotel in the Pearl River Delta following the opening of Rosewood Hong Kong in March 2019, with another property in Shenzhen scheduled for opening in 2023. This ultra-luxury hotel, set to open in summer 2019, will occupy the top 16 floors and podium of the 530-metre-high Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre, the tallest building in the city and one of the top-ten highest buildings in the world.
Located in Guangzhou’s Tianhe business district, the hotel will feature 251 guestrooms, along with 355 Rosewood Residences, 23 of which are duplex apartments. Room sizes will start from 55 sqm. Dining outlets will include seven F&B venues ranging from fine-dining restaurants to a bistro, bar and gourmet corner. The bar on the 107th floor will be China’s highest sky bar, with both indoor and outdoor spaces, along with a dedicated cigar humidor area.
The hotel will have 2,250 sqm of event space, including the 970 sqm grand ballroom, the residential-style function space The Pavilion, three function rooms, two VIP rooms, one bridal suite and the Sky Mansion on the 108th floor with a show kitchen terrace. In addition, three of the nine private dining rooms in the Chinese restaurant will be free-standing outdoor garden villas, which can be combined into a single larger event venue. For leisure facilities, guests can use the hotel’s health club, indoor swimming pool and the Sense Spa that spans two levels with eight treatment suites.
Grand Mercure Guangzhou Zhujiang
Accorhotels has introduced its upscale Grand Mercure brand in Guangzhou. Positioned in Zhujiang New Town, the hotel is at the heart of this emerging financial and business hub in Guangzhou. It’s a mere 15 minutes’ drive from Guangzhou East Railway Station, from which you can take the Guangzhou-Kowloon Intercity Through Train that takes less than two hours to get to Hong Kong.
The hotel has 233 guestrooms and suites, a 230 sqm pillarless grand ballroom and a gym. In-house F&B options include the Cantonese fine-dining restaurant Huachengyuan and a lobby lounge bar.
Jumeirah Living Guangzhou
Dubai-based international luxury hotel brand Jumeirah unveiled its first serviced residence in Guangzhou last February. The Jumeirah Hotel Guangzhou, the brand’s third hotel in mainland China, is also scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2019 with 126 guestrooms. Located in the Zhujiang New Town district, it’s only a few minutes away from the Guangzhou International Finance Centre, Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre and Canton Tower.
The serviced residence, split between two towers, has 169 all-suite residences. Each apartment is outfitted with appliances including cookers, microwaves, washing machines and dishwashers. The hotel’s recreational facilities include a gym and an outdoor swimming pool, as well as a poolside patio space and bar for events. The property also has a shopping mall, where guests can find some of the world’s most famous luxury brands.
LN Garden Hotel, Guangzhou Nansha
Local hospitality group LN Hospitality’s LN Garden Hotel opened a new property in August 2018 in Guangzhou’s Nansha district, part of a pilot free trade zone in Guangdong province. The local business district is 15 minutes by car from the hotel, and it’s also close to major transport hubs such as Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport and Nansha Port, which provides a 75-minute ferry connection to Hong Kong.
Situated inside the Nansha Coastal Park, the hotel is surrounded by diverse natural landscapes with mountains, lakes, wetlands and coastlines. The 365 guestrooms and suites feature floor-to-ceiling windows and a private balcony, offering views of lush greenery or the Pearl River Estuary.
The hotel boasts around 2,000 sqm of in-house event space, including a grand ballroom, seven smaller meeting rooms and The Connoisseur, a high-end private function space. There’s an executive lounge, a gym, an outdoor tennis court, indoor and outdoor swimming pools with a poolside bar, as well as a 600-metre greenway for jogging and cycling.
Zhuhai
The St. Regis Zhuhai
Opened in October 2018, The St. Regis Zhuhai occupies floors 41 to 72 of the Zhuhai Tower. The Zhuhai International Convention and Exhibition Center is just on its doorstep, and it’s only a few minutes’ drive to the nearest Wanzai Port between Zhuhai and Macau.
There are 251 guestrooms in the hotel, including 34 spacious suites and a 1,100 sqm Presidential suite. All the guestrooms afford panoramic views of the waterways between Zhuhai and Macau and the city skyline. The hotel has five F&B options: Social, inspired by the first-class dining salons in the cruise liners of the 1900s, features delicate seafood dishes; in The St. Regis Bar, you can savour the specially crafted Pearl Mary, the local twist on The St. Regis’s signature Bloody Mary cocktail; while Air 71, perched on the 71st floor, is the highest bar in Zhuhai and Macau.
In terms of meeting and event venues, The St. Regis Roof on the topmost floor is the highest ballroom in Guangdong and Macau, while the Astor Ballroom on the ground floor has its own entrance to ensure privacy. Leisure offerings include an outdoor sky pool on the 71st floor, the St. Regis Athletic Club with a heated indoor pool, and Iridium Spa.
InterContinental Zhuhai
The first InterContinental hotel in Zhuhai opened in December 2018. Situated in the eastern waterfront area of Zhuhai, the hotel has sea views overlooking the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. It’s a five-minute walk from Gongbei Checkpoint on the northern border between Zhuhai and Macau, as well as Zhuhai Railway Station, the southern terminus of the Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity Railway linking other important cities in the Pearl River Delta.
The hotel has 324 guestrooms and suites, most of them with sea views. Guests staying in executive rooms or suites have access to Club InterContinental, the hotel’s executive lounge on the 35th and 36th floors. There are four in-house dining outlets: Chinese restaurant Cai Feng Lou; all-day dining eatery Commune; steakhouse CHAR Bar & Grill; and the Bridge Lounge.
For meetings and events, the hotel boasts an 800 sqm pillar-free grand ballroom, eight multifunctional rooms of different sizes, as well as an ultra-private function space on the 46th floor. Guests also have access to a 24-hour fitness centre and an outdoor infinity pool.
