Five-star hotel company, Kempinski, has been awarded the management contract for China”s luxury Tangula trains, to begin operating in spring 2008. Plans for the new services, which will run to Lhasa and Lijiang from Beijing, are to be unveiled in May of this year in China, the US and Europe, after which passengers will be able to book tickets.
Departing from Beijing, the five-day journey to Lhasa carries passengers across the Tibetan plateau, crossing wild grasslands and desert plains. The journey to Lijiang ” also a five-day/four night trip that leaves from Beijing ” takes in the sights of the Guangxi and Yunnan provinces. All journeys feature daily off-train excursions to visit historic sites and points of interest along the way, with return trips to Beijing that take four days/three nights.
Each train can accommodate up to 96 passengers in 48 luxury suites. Rooms feature en-suite bathrooms with shower, mini bars and in-room entertainment facilities, including music, TV and satellite internet service. A butler is on call 24 hours a day.
”Tangula trains will provide passengers with unique and unforgettable luxury travel experiences,” said Tangula International co-founder and CEO, Josh Brookhart. ”The journeys will enable discerning travellers to immerse themselves in the stimulating landscapes and cultural traditions of China that were previously inaccessible to them.”
Kempinski president and CEO, Reto Wittwer, added: ”Tangula is a very exciting project that matches Kempinski”s pioneering spirit perfectly. ”We can introduce our guests to a very new and exclusive travel experience in China, courtesy of Kempinski.”
Two Kempinski hotels are currently operating in the Chinese capital ” Commune by the Great Wall Kempinski and Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center.