Hong Kong-based Regal Hotels group has announced the signing of a new partnership with Zhushui Energy Group, a large private coal enterprise in Guangdong, to open a hotel in Yuncheng of Shanxi Province, China. Opening in 2014, Regal Zhushui Hotel is located in the eastern part of Yanhu, the most populated district in Yuncheng city.
The 350-room property will consist of a gross floor area of 60,000 sqm and provide a range of dining concepts, including a Chinese restaurant with 32 private dining rooms. The hotel also offers a 5,690 sqm conference centre with a multi-purpose room of 1,000 sqm, which will become one of the prime venues for functions in the city. Guests will also be able to work out at the property's 5,000 sqm recreation centre.
Yuncheng has a population of more than 5 million, with 1.7 million of it living in urban areas. The earliest inhabitants here, according to the municipal government’s website, date back to 180,000 years. The area began to see rapid development in the Qin Dynasty (221 BC) but it was referred to as “East of the River”. In June 2000, Yuncheng was designated a prefecture-level city.
There are many historical sites in Yuncheng, including 22 of national-monument status, as well as the Yuncheng Salt Lake, dubbed “China’s Dead Sea”. Located by the bank of Yellow River, the city has a deep agricultural tradition, with wheat and cotton being two of the most widely produced crops.
But in recent years, many industries have flourished here, including metal production, chemical processing of coal and pharmaceutical.
Regal Hotels has been rapidly expanding into China's second-tier cities, including Chengdu, Foshan, Kunshan, Suzhou, Wuhan, Xi’an, Yantai, Zhengzhou and, now, Yuncheng.
For a report on Suzhou, read the latest "Inside China" report in the January/February issue of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific, and stay tuned for another story on Wuhan in March.
Reggie Ho
