Shangri-La Asia Limited announces the opening of Shangri-La Hotel, Manzhouli on 15 April 2011. The city in northeast China shares a 54-kilometre border with Russia and is China’s busiest land port entry. Shangri-La Hotel, Manzhouli is the group’s third hotel in Inner Mongolia following its sister properties in Huhhot and Baotou.

Shangri-La Hotel, Manzhouli is a short stroll from the main shopping and entertainment district, 20 minutes from the airport and within a five-minute drive of the railway station.

Walking into the 18-floor hotel, guests are greeted by a ceiling dome reminiscent of a Mongolian yurt, with a feature chandelier over the main lobby. The colour palette throughout the hotel is predominantly purple to exude a warm and inviting atmosphere. The hotel also celebrates the city’s unique mix of cultures by showcasing many of its tapestries and furnishings of various influences, such as Mongolian pattern carpets, Chinese bed runners and Russian motif lamps.

Designed by Eva Wan Studio, the 235-room hotel including 24 suites takes on a contemporary designed scheme, accented by Chinese and Mongolian soft furnishings. Guestrooms range in size from 38 to 198 square metres, with floors 15 to 17 devoted to Horizon Club accommodation. The rooms have sweeping views of Xiaobei Lake, the city or the expansive grasslands with jagged mountain background beyond. The 1,000-square-metre Horizon Club Lounge on the 18 th floor offers an exclusive retreat and a host of privileges and amenities to discerning guests.

The hotel has three restaurants and a lounge. Located on the second floor, Shang Palace - Shangri-La’s signature Chinese restaurant - serves Cantonese and Northern Chinese cuisine. The restaurant seats up to 216 guests, including 59 diners in the dining hall and eight to 20 guests at each of the 12 private dining rooms. Each private dining room features a yurt-inspired dome ceiling and traditional Chinese and Mongolian style interior design.

Cafe 99 is an all-day dining venue with a seating capacity of 146 diners. The restaurant presents an international a la carte selection and an open-theatre kitchen where guests can watch the chefs in action.

The Lobby Lounge, which seats up to 80 guests, is designed with floor-to-ceiling French windows offering panoramic views of Xiaobei Lake. Guests can enjoy daily piano performances at teatime, along with an extensive selection of drinks and snacks.

Opening in June 2011, the hotel’s speciality restaurant, Salt and Bread, will offer traditional Russian cuisine in a casual environment and will accommodate up to 258 diners. The restaurant will serve all-time favourites such as Chicken Kiev, Beef Stroganoff and Shashlik. Performances by Russian musicians will be staged nightly.

The hotel houses the city’s largest health club spreading across 1,286 square metres on the third floor, with a 25-metre indoor heated swimming pool with views of the lake and mountains through the windows. The health club includes steam bath, sauna, a hair salon and massage facilities, which are also open to the public at additional charges.

Shangri-La Hotel, Manzhouli has the largest portfolio of hotel meeting and banqueting facilities in the city, with more than 4,000 square metres of space. The Grand Ballroom is pillar-free with a ceiling height of 7.5 metres and can accommodate more than 1,500 guests’ theatre-style and 1,200 guests for banquets. With direct lift access from the car park, the ballroom can be easily transformed into a car showroom.

In addition, the hotel provides one VIP reception room and four multi-purpose function rooms, most with natural daylight and ranging in size from 105 to 173 square metres.

Other facilities include a 24-hour business centre and a shopping arcade connecting to the hotel.

“We are delighted to bring to Manzhouli the Shangri-La brand,” said Greg Dogan, president and chief executive officer of Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd. “Manzhouli is one of China’s most important trading ports and a growing tourist destination. Our new hotel will cater to the increasing demand for international luxury hotels in this city and will further strengthen Shangri-La’s presence in mainland China, which remains the key focus of the group’s expansion plan in Asia.”

Manzhouli is easily accessible via either airplane or train within China from cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Dalian and Harbin, as well as from Moscow and Chita in Russia.

Meaning “Luxuriant Spring Water” in Mongolian, Manzhouli has pristine grasslands and Hulun Hu, 36 kilometres south of the city, is one of the five largest freshwater lakes in China. With a population of approximately 300,000 in the city and surrounding areas, Manzhouli is home to more than 20 minority nationalities, including Han, Mongolian, Hui, Korean, and Russian. The city borders the Russian city of Zabaykalsk and has an established free-trade zone. Russian influence dominates the urban area, with architectural examples from the Classical, Baroque and Gothic eras. Popular activities in Manzhouli include ice fishing in the winter, sunbathing and birdwatching at the lake in the summer.

To celebrate the opening, Shangri-La Hotel, Manzhouli offers an introductory rate of Rmb 688 in a Superior room from 15 April to 30 June 2011. The rate includes service charge and government tax, is for single or double occupancy, and includes daily breakfast for two guests and welcome fruit basket upon arrival.