Ascott has announced that it will open Ascott Raffles City Chengdu in 2013, following the success of Somerset Riverview Chengdu, launched in 2010 (see story here).
Located in the heart of Chengdu’s business district along Renmin Nan Road, Ascott Raffles City Chengdu will be connected to a metro interchange and surrounded by commercial towers, Grade A offices, retail shops, restaurants and entertainment outlets. The serviced residence business unit will house 296 one to three-bedroom apartments. Facilities will include an indoor swimming pool, spa, gym, reading lounge, business centre and meeting rooms.
According to the company's press room, Ascott Raffles City Chengdu will cater to both short- and long-stay guests, with leisure travellers expected to be mostly short-stay and business travellers from automobile, finance and IT industries anticipated to stay longer.
The company sees tremendous potential in China’s high-growth cities such as Chengdu, Wuhan and Xiamen, said Mr Lee Chee Koon, Ascott’s deputy chief executive officer and managing director for North Asia. These cities are undergoing rapid urbanisation and have strong infrastructure, which attracts investment from many multinational and local corporations, Lee added.
Currently, around 55 to 60 per cent of guests at the established Somerset Riverview Chengdu are domestic travellers, said a company spokesperson, perhaps a reflection of the makeup of traveller traffic to the city. Statistics provided by Jones Lang Lasalle Hotels, however, show that international traveller arrivals to the Sichuanese capital are also strong, reaching 1,216,000 in 2011, with a year-on-year increase of 36.2 per cent.
To cater to the escalating demand for accommodation in Chengdu, Ascott will also open Financial City Chengdu in 2014.
The new properties will strengthen Ascott’s foothold as the largest international serviced residence operator in China, with 42 properties across 17 cities.
For more information, visit www.the-ascott.com.
Michelle Fong
