Hilton eyes West China, to open a hotel in Chengdu

Jan. 23, 2008 (China Knowledge) - Hilton Hotels Corporation has signed a cooperation agreement with a local company yesterday to tap into Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province as well as an economic hub in China's western region.

The new property in southern Chengdu is Hilton's sixth hotel in mainland China, which owns 515 rooms with mixed international and Chinese features. Bar and meeting room will be on the second floor, while the third and fourth storey will be dining sector. The entertainment zone will be on the fifth floor. The hotel is expected to start hosting guests in 2010, the hotel giant said.

The market in China's western region has been growing rapidly in recent years, especially Chengdu, which boasts sufficient and precious tourist resources, an officer with Hilton Hotel said.

Atkins Co, which is the designer of the famous sail-shaped Burj Al Arab, will undergo the design of the luxury property.

After the opening of the hotel, the number of five-star hotels in Chengdu will rise to 12, ranking the first in western China.