Hilton international this month opened its sixth hotel in China, the Hilton Shenzhen. Built in 2000 and located in the Panglin Plaza office and shopping complex in the heart of Shenzhen’s commercial district, the hotel was formerly known as Panglin Hotel and was managed by well-known philanthropist, Mr Panglin Yu. The 57-storey Hilton Shenzhen offers 511 rooms and suites together with prime dining, recreational, convention and health and fitness services. It boasts the city’s highest revolving restaurant with panoramic views over Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

Welcoming the new addition to the Hilton portfolio, President for Hilton International Middle East & Asia Pacific, Koos Klein said, “Hilton is proud to manage the newest property in Shenzhen and to be associated with the only hotel in China where all owner-related profits are channeled into charitable institutions. The strength of the Hilton brand will bring the hotel to its full potential and shift more international business, and hopefully greater profits, into the hotel.”

Hilton Shenzhen offers all the touches expected by the international business and leisure traveller - each room has broadband internet access, voice mail, computer and fax ports, in-room safe, and a luxurious bathroom with separate shower. There are seven non-smoking floors and two rooms for movement impaired guests.Ê

Three executive floors offer express check-in and check-out, complimentary breakfast, all day refreshments, evening cocktails and many other benefits. The grand ballroom with a capacity of 500 people and the three function rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art audiovisual facilities and can open up into one.

Mr Panglin Yu, 82, handed operation of the US$250 million hotel to Hilton International to concentrate on charity and community welfare projects using proceeds from the hotel. In 2003 Euromoney China ranked him the fourth most generous philanthropist in China after he contributed almost US$7.5 million to health care and higher education.

On June 9, Mr Yu launched the Panglin Bright Project, an ambitious venture to tackle “the visual restoration of the disabled and the poor who suffer from cataracts”. With profits from Hilton Shenzhen and other business ventures, he has purchased six mobile eye clinics from the USA (two are operating while the remainder are being fitted out) and funds maintenance costs as well as driver and medical personnel salaries.

Panglin Bright Project began last week in inner Mongolia and will treat more than 15,000 cataract patients across nine remote Chinese provinces over a five year period. Each operation, which averages 1500 RMB, is provided free of charge. In the first week, 250 patients were operated on. Mr Yu threw his support into this cause after a simple operation which successfully treated his own painful cataracts.
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