Starwood Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement with Shanghai Forrester (Zhabei) Development to manage the Four Points by Sheraton Shanghai, Daning. Starwood now has 50 hotels in Greater China, 25 of which are in operation and 25 under construction. The newly signed Four Points by Sheraton will also be the 9th Starwood hotel in Shanghai, and the 6th Four Points by Sheraton in Greater China.

“We are thrilled with this landmark achievement in China! Just this week, China announced its gross domestic product ( GDP ) grew by more than 10% in the first quarter of 2006. Inbound travel to China is expected to grow by 8% in the next five years, and it is predicted that China will become the world’s biggest inbound tourism nation by 2019. Such strong growth is certainly a good sign for the travel industry, and for international hotel companies like Starwood. The signing of this new hotel in the metropolis of Shanghai will continue to strengthen our brands’ presence in China”,  commented Miguel Ko, President for Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Asia Pacific.

Four Points by Sheraton Shanghai, Daning will consist of 315 rooms, 11,840 square feet of meeting space, three food and beverage outlets, a health club, indoor swimming pool and a business center. The hotel will be part of the integrated “Daning - the Life Hub” which is an exciting,  open-air, innovative and integrated urban lifestyle center which will soon debut in central Zhabei, north of Shanghai central business district. The Life Hub concept is the first of its kind in Shanghai, and is being constructed on a 592,000 square feet site with 15 high and low-rise buildings, 11 piazzas and courtyards, two kilometer pedestrian promenade, retail center, hotel, grade “A” offices, home offices and residential apartments.

The hotel will be located in Daning, which is situated in central Zhabei. Zhabei is one of the central districts of Shanghai with a long history and the most developed transportation. Geographically speaking, Zhabei is the important hub that connects Shanghai with the Yangtze Delta and other provinces of China. Zhabei is also within 10 minutes’ drive from the business and shopping districts of Nanjing Road and Huaihai Road of Shanghai. Zhabei is also known for its great infrastructure, cultural centers, universities and multimedia industry. Zhabei is home to the Shanghai Multimedia Valley that focuses on the multimedia technology research and development, test platform, enterprise incubation and software products design and sales.
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