Swiss”tel”s Grand Shanghai Hotel will open as planned by the end of 2007. The 27-storey hotel, situated in the Jing”an district, will feature 478 rooms, a business centre with five function rooms that can accommodate 380 people, as well as a Grand Ballroom that can host 400 for a dinner and up to 600 for a cocktail reception. There is also an Executive Club Lounge on the 23rd floor.
In addition the hotel will house spa and gym facilities, a swimming pool, and four restaurants and bars. It takes around 50 minutes to get there from Pudong International Airport, but only 20 from Hongqiao airport.
Swiss”tel confirmed that it chose to expand in Shanghai because the city is to host the 2010 World Expo and a growing number of conferences and exhibitions as a result.