Exciting things are happening in China’s luxury hospitality market with a raft of new openings scheduled for this year, as BTN find out.

The World Expo held in Shanghai last year was the biggest and most successful the world has ever seen.

By the end of the expo on October 31, more than 73 million people had visited – a record attendance – and 250 countries and international organizations had taken part.

(Above: Clean design at Swissôtel Grand, Shanghai)

On October 16 the expo set a single-day record of having more than 1.03 million visitors enter the exhibition on that day.

More than £30 billion was spent on preparing for the event – more than the cost of cleaning up Beijing for the Olympics in 2008.

Six new underground lines were opened between 2008 and 2010 and four thousand new taxis were added in the month before the event opened.

The city’s excellence was recognised at last year’s World Travel Awards, where it secured a clutch of awards including “Asia’s Leading Cruise Port” and “Asia’s Leading Meetings & Conference Destination”.

Shanghai.City.Mobi

With the city going from strength to strength, City.Mobi has recently launched Shanghai.City.Mobi – this definitive guide provides you need to know about this incredible destination, from entertainment info to booking hotels and airport transfers.

City.Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. This also includes Beijing.City, plus a host of other cities across China. Mobi Each is developed by the City.Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.

(Swissôtel Grand’s Shanghai Cafe)

Key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport. City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.

New openings

A total of seven new hotels opened in the months preceding the fair: The Fairmont Peace Hotel on the Bund, Intercontinental Shanghai Expo, Shanghai Renaissance Putuo, Sheraton Shanghai Hong Kou, Waldorf Astoria Shanghai, Conrad Shanghai and the Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, a sister hotel to the winner of China’s Leading Luxury Hotel at last year’s World Travel Awards, the Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai.

The Portman Ritz-Carlton was nominated for three further awards at the WTAs: “Asia’s Leading Luxury Hotel”, “China’s Leading Conference Hotel” and “China’s Leading Hotel”, which it won in 2008.

The hotel is situated on the Nanjing Xi Lu on the Bund side of the river, and has 610 guest rooms and suites, six restaurants and lounges serving Chinese, Italian, Japanese and Western cuisine and a Spa with a health club swimming pool, gym, squash and racquetball courts.

A number of other hotels were also recognised at the WTAs including 88 Xintiandi, which won “China’s Leading Boutique Hotel”, for the fourth year in a row.

The hotel has just 53 rooms and is located in the heart of the French Concession, one of Shanghai’s most evocative and tranquil districts and has lake, park and city views; as well as a fitness centre.

The Swissotel Grand secured the accolade of “China’s Leading Business Hotel” and was nominated in a further two categories: “Asia’s Leading City Hotel” and “Asia’s Leading Hotel”. It has previously won two awards in 2008: “China’s Leading City Hotel” and “China’s Leading New Hotel”.

The hotel is located next to City Plaza and Jing’an Temple, a few steps to the city terminal and the Metro Stations in the heart of Shanghai.

It has 467 rooms in a modern and contemporary design, four restaurants and bars, a health club and spa and extensive conference and banqueting facilities.

It edged out some of Shanghai’s leading luxury and business brands Four Seasons, Le Royal Meridien, Park Hyatt and the St Regis to secure the award.