Swire Hotels to launch in Beijing
HONG KONG – – Swire Properties is launching Swire Hotels, with the first of its four hotels in Greater China.
The Opposite House, Beijing, will be the first property to be managed by the new company.
Swire Properties has a 75 percent interest in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Miami, Florida, and a 20 percent interest in each of the JW Marriott, Conrad, Island Shangri-la and Novotel Citygate hotels in Hong Kong.
“The development of Swire Hotels enables us to build on our strengths in mixed-use development, while our own quality hotel projects will add value and synergy to our investment property portfolio,†said Keith Kerr, chairman of Swire Properties.
Swire Hotels has been formed to create and manage small luxury hotels in Hong Kong, Mainland China and the United Kingdom.
In Hong Kong and Mainland China, the hotels will be an integral part of Swire Properties’ retail and office developments.
The first of these will be The Opposite House in Beijing – a 99-room boutique development which will open in the summer of 2008. It will be part of The Village at Sanlitun, the company’s first retail development in Mainland China.
The Opposite House will be followed by the opening of a 117-room luxury hotel in Pacific Place, Hong Kong, in the summer of 2009 and a 100-room hotel at Taikoo Hui, Guangzhou in 2010.
Swire Hotels also plans to manage a 343-room lifestyle business hotel called East, which will open in Island East, Hong Kong, in 2009.
In the UK, Swire Hotels is developing a collection of luxury boutique hotels to be launched in 2009. Properties have so far been acquired in Bristol, Cheltenham, Exeter and Brighton.
Brian Williams, managing director of Swire Hotels, spent 17 years with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and, immediately prior to joining Swire Properties in January 2006, was chief executive of the Scotsman Hotel Group.
“This new initiative will take Swire Properties’ involvement in the hotel arena to another level,†said Williams.
“The hotels we are developing will appeal to a distinct group of travellers who seek out individuality and a unique luxury experience.â€
Ian Jarrett
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