Swiss-Dutch hotel group, Golden Tulip, has signed its first management contract in China. The former Shanghai Eastern Airline Hotel ” loosely affiliated to the China Eastern Airlines group ” will re-brand as the Golden Tulip Shanghai Riverside on 1 April, 2007.
”We are delighted and very excited to welcome the first hotel in China,” said Golden Tulip president and CEO, Hans Kennedie. ”It is our goal to have a Chinese network of 200 hotels across the country in the medium to long term and we are proud to be able to enter with such a landmark property.”
Shanghai Eastern Airline Hospitality chairman of the board, Gao Jiankang added: ”We believe Golden Tulip has outstanding tools, systems and services to turn the hotel around into a leading preferred hotel in an international level, while maintaining its local flavours. This will enable the hotel to achieve worldwide recognition and high revenues.”
Commenting on the group”s introduction to the Chinese market, a spokeswoman for the company told ABTN: ”Golden Tulip targets the business traveller, and as the Asia Pacific region is such an enormous area of development and growth, it is important that we enter these markets. There are many opportunities for rapid expansion through our investors and development partners.”
Located in the north of the city, the hotel is walking distance from the metro station on Zhengping Road, ten minutes drive from the railway station, and 15 from Hongqiao airport. Pudong Airport is 45 minutes away by car. The hotel has 283 rooms, a conference area and business centre.