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Hilton Worldwide announced the signing of a management agreement with Chengdu Yincheng Property Co., Ltd for western China’s first Waldorf Astoria branded hotel in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province. Scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2016, the 300-room Waldorf Astoria Chengdu will be the fifth Waldorf Astoria in China, following the opening of Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund in 2011 as well as the planned openings of Waldorf Astoria Beijing in 2013 and Waldorf Astoria Baoting and Waldorf Astoria Sanya, both on Hainan Island in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
John Vanderslice, global head of luxury & lifestyle brands, Hilton Worldwide, said, “The introduction of the Waldorf Astoria brand into Chengdu marks another major milestone in Hilton Worldwide’s expansion across central and western China. We look forward to allowing more guests in China to experience the classic elegance and modern grandeur embodied in this iconic brand and also to helping embellish Chengdu’s status as a leading meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) and tourist destination.”
“As the growing economic and financial center of Western China, with a booming tourism sector, Chengdu presents outstanding opportunities for the hospitality industry,” said Andrew Clough, senior vice president, development, Middle East & Asia Pacific, Hilton Worldwide. “Waldorf Astoria Chengdu will strengthen Hilton Worldwide’s brand offerings in this important, rapidly growing city to meet rising demand in Chengdu’s emerging luxury segment.”
The hotel will be located right at the heart of the Chengdu Tianfu New Area, opposite Chengdu Tianfu International Financial Center. The area has been earmarked to become a second city center and is also home to the South Chengdu Hi-Tech Development Zone. Towering at a height of 220 meters, the hotel will form part of a mixed-used development occupying the top 15 floors, with service apartments in the lower part of the building.
Mr Shen Guojun, chairman and president of China Yintai Holdings Ltd said, “We are excited to partner with Hilton Worldwide in our vision to build an iconic landmark right at the center of Chengdu’s financial city. A recognized leader in the global hospitality industry, Hilton Worldwide offers a wealth of hospitality development knowledge and expertise that complements Yintai’s pursuits of developing luxury hotels in China. We are confident the partnership will be a huge commercial success for both parties, and also elevate the development of the new city center.”
In China, Hilton Worldwide currently operates 28 trading hotels and has over 90 properties in the pipeline across its portfolio of brands. It has three other hotels in the pipeline in Chengdu: Hilton Chengdu, which will also be located in the South Chengdu Hi-Tech Development Zone; Conrad Chengdu, which will be located in the center of the current downtown; as well as DoubleTree by Hilton Chengdu Longquanyi, which will be located in the Longquanyi new district.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
