Carlson Hotels is getting ready to open a new Park Plaza hotel near one of Beijing’s Olympic venues.The hotel, which is scheduled to open in July, is located in northwest Beijing in the Haidian district, a vibrant area that is also home to several universities and many high-tech start-ups, which have earned it the nickname “China’s Silicon Valley”.

The district is receiving additional economic stimulus with the opening of the new Wukesong Culture and Sports Centre, one of the sites hosting the Beijing Summer Olympics. The impressive venue, which features facades clad with giant LED screens, was built at a cost of US$543 million.

Centrally located in this lively district will be the Park Park Beijing West on Chang An Boulevard. The 13-storey hotel includes 300 guest rooms, each about 40 square metres in size, as well as a business centre, gym, spa, banquet room and meeting rooms.

The hotel is owned by Beijing Wantuo Investment and designed by Beijing Lian An Architects and international interior design firm HASSELL.

Martin Rinck, president and managing director of Carlson Hotels Worldwide - Asia Pacific said, “When the Park Plaza Beijing West opens this July, it will enhance Carlson’s growing hotel presence in China and build on the momentum the Park Plaza brand has already gained in that market. Beijing is a major gateway city in China, with great potential for new hotels, especially with its hosting of the 2008 Olympic Games. We aim to continue to strengthen our presence here and other key cities in the next three to five years.”

Carlson has already doubled its presence in China in the last three years, and now manages nine hotels under the Regent, Radisson and Park Plaza brands. A further six hotels are under development in addition to the Park Plaza Beijing West. Carlson recently announced a strategic partnership with top Chinese property developer Sunshine 100, which will see the portfolio more than double with hotels in cities such as Tianjin, Chongqing, Changsha, Shenyang, Yantai, Nanning, Liuzhou and Guilin.
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