Shangri-La Hotel, Guilin, the only luxury hotel in the city, to provide an exclusive lavish experience on the Li River

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific’s leading luxury hotel group, celebrates the opening of Shangri-La Hotel, Guilin today. The newly opened hotel is also offering guests a luxury cruise experience along the Li River - the only luxury hotel in the city to provide this exclusive waterborne journey. From now until 31 October 2010, guests can book the Suite Cruise package and enjoy two nights in an Executive suite, a 90-minute morning or afternoon guided tour, a gourmet four-course meal cooked on-board by the hotel’s executive chef, daily breakfast for two and full Horizon Club access and privileges.

Sailing from Long Chuan Ping Jetty to Die Cai Mountain, guests can enjoy a classical Chinese guzheng (a Chinese plucked zither) performance as the boat journeys across a 10-kilometre natural river gallery, passing 10 of Guilin’s most famous mountains such as Elephant Trunk Hill, Fubo Hill, Seven Star Hill and Laoren Hill. The waterborne trip is the perfect cruise from which to enjoy China’s famed “finest mountains and rivers under heaven.” The sheer rock formations of the Li River, the series of mountains shrouded in mist and old villages that the cruise passes have inspired many poets and painters through the centuries.

A stay in an Executive Suite overlooking the Li River and karst mountains completes the journey.

Shangri-La Hotel, Guilin is located on the banks of the Li River and features many of the city’s firsts and superlatives. These include the city’s largest guestrooms, the largest state-of-the-art meeting and conference facilities, the only hotel to have a wedding pagoda and the first hotel to feature indoor and outdoor swimming pools.

Situated near Yushan Bridge, the seven-storey Shangri-La Hotel, Guilin, is a 35-minute drive from Guilin Liangjiang International Airport and a 10-minute drive from the city centre. Leading tourist attractions are all easily accessible, including Die Cai Mountain and the city’s largest walking street.

The 449-room Shangri-La Hotel, Guilin features the largest rooms in the city starting at 42 square metres. There are 17 suites, ranging from an 84-square-metre Executive Suite to the 210-square-metre Presidential Suite. The hotel also incorporates Shangri-La’s Horizon Club guestrooms and lounge, a haven where today’s traveller can experience an even higher standard of accommodation and personalised service complemented with a host of exclusive privileges and amenities.

For meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions, the 1,800-square-metre Grand Ballroom, the largest ballroom in Guilin, is the perfect venue for hosting high-profile events of up to 2,000 people. With six additional private function rooms and a dedicated VIP room, Shangri-La Hotel, Guilin is able to cater to a diverse range of event needs, from small private gatherings to conferences or large social events. In addition, Guilin’s first and only wedding pagoda makes the hotel a much sought after location for weddings.

Shangri-La Hotel, Guilin also features a comprehensive range of recreational facilities including indoor and outdoor pools in addition to tennis courts and a health club.

The hotel’s dining includes Shang Palace Chinese restaurant, which offers Cantonese, Hunanese and Huaiyang cuisines as well as local Guilin specialties against a backdrop of the Li River. Li Cafe features live food action stations showcasing both Western and Asian cuisine and U Bar offering an assortment of grills and beers. For business or pleasure, the Lobby Lounge is a warm and intimate location that offers desserts and pastries, a Chinese influenced snack menu and high tea sets from afternoon to evening. Surrounded by lush gardens, the Pool Bar serves fresh and simple snacks and meals as well as a diverse range of cocktails and juices.