The 501-room Shanghai Marriott Hotel Changfeng Park has opened its doors to guests. Located in the Changfeng Ecology Commercial District, the 32-storey hotel faces the picturesque Changfeng Park and overlooks Suzhou River. Adjacent to the Hongqiao CBD, it is only a15-minute drive from Hongqiao Airport and a 50-minute drive from Pudong International Airport.

Best Western Best Western International has expanded its portfolio in Eastern Europe with its first hotel in the Ukraine, the Best Western Sevastopol Hotel in Sevastopol, located in one of the largest sea ports and cultural-historical centers.

Thailand-based Absolute Hotel Services and Vietnam-based Fusion Hotel Management are working together on two resorts in Vietnam, one in Danang and another in Hoi An. Both are scheduled to open mid 2010. In this cooperation Fusion Hotel Management (a company under Serenity Holding which is an A to Z service provider) will oversee branding and concept marketing aspects of the projects and Absolute Hotel Services will bring in their specific operational, sales and distribution expertise.

The 333-room Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel has opened under a management agreement with Maneeya Realty Company, Limited. The hotel is the second Renaissance Hotels property in Thailand, with a third property set to open in Phuket later this summer. Stefan Gruber is general manager, while Julie Codus is director of sales and marketing.

Golden Tulip has signed two hotels in Thailand’s notorious resort destination of Pattaya. From the beginning of March 2010 the Royal Orchid Pattaya will be re-branded as the Golden Tulip Resort Pattaya, while The Erawan Hotel Pattaya will be re-branded as the Golden Tulip Erawan Hotel.

Mandarin Oriental’s first Middle East hotel will open on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi