Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced it will shut own the pre-opening office of Mandarin Oriental Beijing, deepening further doubt about the future of the luxury property.
On February 9, fireworks staged for the Lantern Festival during the Chinese Lunar New Year set off a conflagration that soon destroyed the building.
Owned by China Central TV and located near its headquarters, the hotel was reported to have been on track to open later this year with 241 rooms.
The group’s statement said: “We are currently assessing the full extent of the damage with CCTV, the owner and developer of the hotel, and this will take time to complete. Therefore, until the situation is resolved, the current pre-opening offices of Mandarin Oriental Beijing will be closed with effect from June 12, 2009.”
Further updates will be posted on www.mandarinoriental.com
Margie T Logarta