Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts has announced further growth in Asia with the new five star Gran Meliá Shanghai Hotel.

The hotel will be inaugurated on 12 December 2009 and is a sign of the commitment of Sol Meliá to growth in China and its first development in this growing economic giant, providing customers with an ideal hotel for exploring and enjoying the vibrant and dynamic city of Shanghai.

The Gran Meliá Shanghai Hotel, the new jewel in the company's Asian crown, is located in the district of Lujiazui, the financial and commercial heart of the city, with easy access to the most popular attractions and entertainment such as the famous Oriental Pearl tower and the Shanghai Aquarium.

The hotel enjoys magnificent views over the Huangpu River and district of Puxi, and is the maximum exponent of ultra-modern design in the city based around traditional Feng Shui philosophy, in which all of the architectural features of the building live in prefect harmony with its location, providing the most discerning guests with the most enjoyable stay in a great location for meeting their business needs.

A new feature on the Shanghai skyline

Its 30 floors make it the tallest hotel in the city, and its 686 rooms with their elegant minimalist design and furnishings provide maximum comfort. The most exclusive guests may also enjoy a VIP experience in the Premium rooms provided on the REDlevel: 119 guest rooms, 12 suites, 1 presidential suite and 1 imperial suite along with a great range of extra services such as a private check-in area, continental breakfast, aperitifs, and access to the REDlevel lounge, a private setting in which to relax.

Displaying all of the exquisite luxury so characteristic of the superior category Gran Meliá hotel brand, the hotel provides a wide range of services for business travellers and a total of 17 meeting rooms for between 20 and 150 people, a large ballroom with space for up to 800 guests, as well as Wi-Fi access throughout the hotel, newspaper service, CD and DVD library, buffet breakfast, lounges and business centres fully equipped with additional services such as secretaries, transport, fax and e-mail. 

The extensive choice of cuisine at the Gran Meliá Shanghai Hotel will satisfy even the most discerning tastes thanks to a choice of four different restaurants: Spanish gourmet at "La Albufera", traditional Cantonese at "Tian Chao", à la carte Italian cuisine at "Oasis" and a buffet cafeteria providing international dishes. Guests may also enjoy a snack at any of the four different bars, including the Cuban "La Floridita" with Caribbean music, and the extraordinary rooftop bar with its incredible views over the river and the futurist city of Shanghai.

Guests at the Gran Meliá Shanghai Hotel will also enjoy exclusive access to the YHI Spa, the wellness brand operated by Sol Meliá, to enjoy a unique experience in harmony with the local traditional spirit. Later known as the "Goddess of Light", the spa provides an extensive range of beauty treatments and relaxing massages, as well as a choice of refreshing swimming pools, including a covered pool on the roof terrace. Alongside the spa, guests may also exercise in a private fitness centre fitted with the most modern sports facilities available.

Opportunity and harmony

In accordance with traditional Feng Shui theory, the hotel – lying alongside the Huangpu River as it flows through the city of Shanghai-  has been designed using glass and metal which draw from the energy that emanates from the water, and with a curved design in which the absence of straight lines favours the flow of energy; all combined in harmony with the most avant-garde Shanghai style which has already hugely impressed the local population. The respect for the theories of Feng-Shui masters in the design of the Gran Meliá Shanghai Hotel is another demonstration of the Sol Meliá commitment to the integration and fusion of its hotels with local culture.

The inauguration of the hotel comes just a few months before the celebration of the Shanghai Universal Exhibition to be held between May and October 2010, where Spain expects to see important progress in its relations with the emerging Chinese market, and where numerous delegations and tourists from all over the world are expected to visit. The impact of the event on hotel occupancy will be an excellent opportunity for the promotion of the Gran Meliá Shanghai Hotel, undoubtedly the most important Sol Meliá development at the close of 2009, consolidating its growth in Asia and creating great expectations amongst the public.

For the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sol Meliá, Gabriel Escarrer Jaume, the opening of the Gran Meliá Shanghai Hotel represents "an extraordinary opportunity to position the company in the most dynamic market in the world, bringing our Latin character and passion for service to places which we never could have imagined". The company plans to present the hotel to the Spanish market at the next edition of FITUR, the most important tourism trade fair in Europe.