SOFITEL Luxury Hotels has signed a new management contract in Changsha (south-east China), scheduled to open in early 2015. This new property, 66 storeys high, will become the city centre’s tallest hotel in Changsha, capital of the Hunan Province which has retained its centuries-old influence as one of China’s most important commercial, industrial and cultural centres.
The Sofitel Changsha will occupy the first to fifth floors, plus the top 17 floors of the high-rise, providing unmatched views over the city. The tower’s lower floors will encompass luxury office space, while the expansive complex will also contain a 28-storey office building, a 28-storey luxury apartment tower and a shopping centre.
The hotel, when open, will feature 350 hotel rooms and suites, three restaurants and a top-floor bar, a large ballroom, seven meeting rooms of various sizes, a So SPA, fitness centre So FIT, a beauty salon, an indoor swimming pool and two boutique shops. It will also have an executive lounge, which will be complemented by a fully equipped business centre.
Speaking about the new address in China, Robert Gaymer Jones, CEO of Sofitel says: “We are seeing a great potential in this promising urban city with its full speed development on infrastructure and economy. With this latest address Sofitel Luxury Hotels will further reinforce its strong presence in Central China with hotels already established in Xian, Chongqing, Zhengzhou and Chengdu.”
Recently, Sofitel Luxury Hotels has gained momentum and recognition in the China market with 21 properties across first and second-tier cities, including Sofitel Shanghai Jing’an Huamin which is scheduled to open in December 2012. To further enhance the network expansion, there are seven more developments under progress till 2015 including Sofitel Sanya Haitang Bay Resort & Spa, Sofitel Lianyungang Suning Galaxy, Sofitel Kunming, Sofitel Wuxi Lihu, Sofitel Haikou, Sofitel Foshan and Sofitel Changsha Huachuang. One of China’s most well-connected cities, Changsha will soon become the centre point and interchange hub of the Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway and Beijing-Hong Kong high-speed railway, due to be completed in 2013.