WHAT’S IT LIKE? Designed by the Tokyo-based Kanko Kikaku Sekkeisha, the distinctive property was easily spotted from afar, and even in the midst of the traffic gridlock I experienced the afternoon I arrived in this coastal city in China’s northeast. Within, the overall ambience may be businesslike but not stuffy enough to be uncomfortable, a fact I attributed to the smiling faces of the smartly uniformed staff. I never lacked for attention from them throughout my two-night stay.
WHERE IS IT? Only 20 minutes’ drive from the Dalian International Airport, it is right smack in the city centre among banks, other hotels, several of the best seafood restaurants (which Dalian is famous for) and the high-end Friendship Store.
HOW MANY ROOMS? 562 offering harbour, city or garden views. Of these, 31 are suites – 18 Executive Suites, eight Horizon Club Suites, four Specialty Suites and one Presidential Suite. The Shangri-La Residences consists of 195 apartments.
ROOM FACILITIES: An average guestroom measures 39sq m, stretching up to 200sq m in the Presidential Suite. My Horizon Club Room was part of a major US$3.9 million renovation, which also involved the conversion of five floors into the Horizon Club product, capped by the exclusive Horizon Lounge. Styled to appeal to the eye with elegant furnishings in striking beige and wine red hues, the accommodation has also been tweaked for functionality with features such as the ergonomic chair and work station, broadband access, data ports, IDD phone, satellite TV, minibar, pillow menu and services of an “IT butler”. A Club Purser is also available for onward travel and shopping arrangements.
RESTAURANTS: Chinese cuisine can be enjoyed at the 220-seat Shang Palace, while international and Asian cuisine with vegetarian options is served at the 186-seat i Café – another multi-million-dollar innovation (replacing the Coffee Garden) showcasing six cooking “theatres” .
Nishimura features an interactive robatayaki (grill) dining experience with a choice of the freshest seafood (but of course, you’re in Dalian!) and vegetables as well as the most succulent meat. And if you’re lucky – which I was – you could be eating off dishes prepared personally by Chef Hiromi Nishimura, who, although based in Hongkong, makes periodic visits to this outlet named after him.
BARS: F2 Bar gives Dalian’s nightlife a new twist, with a resident DJ, guest bands from overseas, staff skilled in cocktail-shaking performances and local beer competitively priced with those offered in free-standing establishments.The piece de résistance, a centre island bar, features a suspended ceiling helix-like art piece that runs throughout the length of the drinks counter. The Lobby Lounge is not to be outdone and likewise pulsates with live music in the evenings and countless opportunities for people watching.
BUSINESS FACILITIES: The business centre, which opens from 0700 to 2200 daily, provides bilingual secretarial services, spacious individual work stations, meeting rooms and a well-stocked reference library, while the Grand Ballroom can take 1,250 banquet style and over 2,000 for cocktails. In addition, there are 16 function rooms equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and a professionally trained conference and banqueting team. Guests are welcome to take advantage of the Wi-Fi in public areas such as the Horizon Club Lounge, health club, conference and banquet rooms on the third floor and all the restaurants.
LEISURE FACILITIES: Do your laps in the indoor pool or work out in the adjacent fitness centre which houses a gym, Jacuzzi, massage rooms, sauna and steam and indoor/outdoor tennis courts. Or you can burn your plastic at Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Ferragamo boutiques, all located within the hotel.
VERDICT: A class act.
PRICE: In late February, three nights in a Horizon Club King Room from the internet go for US$153.20.
CONTACT: 66 Renmin Road, Dalian 116001, China, tel 86 411 8252 5000, www.shangri-la.com
Julian Tan
