China Hotel A Marriott Hotel in Guangzhou has finalised the second stage of its US$65m renovation as competition for corporate business in the southern Chinese economic powerhouse becomes more intense.
The second of three planned phases has seen the hotel drop its inventory from 890 rooms to 850, with additional space from lost rooms and from corridors being added to the renovated guestrooms and suites.
The hotel, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary next year, faces new rivals in the shape of recent entrants to the Guangzhou hotel sector such as the Grand Hyatt and Crown Plaza.
General manager Meng Lo said that among room improvements were a new air-conditioning system with improved filtering to remove before the air is recycled, a separate rain shower and bathtub, high definition LCD TVs and great workspace for business travellers. A trademark Marriott “jack-pack” allows guests to link their laptops, MP3 players and cameras to the screen for either leisure purposes or business presentations.
The renovation has also created new food and beverage outlets. These include Prime, a beef and seafood restaurant, the Sapphire cocktail lounge and new private dining spaces.
The renovation has also entirely revamped the health club and executive lounge areas.
Lo said that, while everyone in the hotel industry was uncertain about the economic climate Guangzhou remained a vibrant city and that the hotel’s prime location as the closest international five-star hotel to the Baiyun airport and the only one directly connected to the city metro system, were key advantages.
The schedule for the third phase is currently being reworked but the plans are to renovate the lobby area, Chinese dining outlets and to add substantial new meeting and function space.
