Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver to Open 24 January 2009

The Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver has been “topped off” at 61 storeys or 197 metres (647 feet). The July topping-off coincides with the six-month countdown to the January 24, 2009 opening for the luxury hotel, which will be the first North American property for Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.

The 119-room Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver will occupy the first 15 floors of the landmark building, a multi-purpose complex built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) silver green building standards, incorporating innovative residential living, high-end retail shopping, creative restaurants and an outside public art space curated by the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Shangri-La “Tigers”, a group of young hoteliers trained at Shangri-La properties throughout Asia, will lead and train the hotel’s staff to deliver Shangri-La’s style of service, from welcome tea awaiting guests upon arrival to wireless in-room check-in.

Guestrooms and bathrooms – averaging 55 square metres (592 square feet) and 14 square metres (150 square feet) respectively – will be among the largest in Canada, and nearly half the guestrooms will have balconies. The in-room entertainment system will offer state-of-the-art digital technology presented on 40-inch Sony LCD flat screen televisions.

CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La, the group’s signature spa brand, also will make its North American debut. The 650-square-metre (7,000-square-foot) spa will feature five individual suites and one couple’s suite, all with a fireplace and private bath, shower, changing and vanity area. CHI offers a range of therapies based on the ancient healing traditions, philosophies and rituals of China and the Himalayas. The hotel will also have a 1,524-square-metre (5,000-square-foot) fitness center with a yoga and Pilates studio and an outdoor heated pool.

A “Modern Pacific” dining destination on the third floor will provide four distinct experiences – a casual dining bistro, a covered outdoor terrace, a bar and lounge, and a fine dining area with two private rooms. Additionally, there will be a lobby lounge with two-storey floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Georgia Street and the art galleria.

Meeting venues will include three rooms accommodating up to 130 people, a canopied outdoor terrace, The Library, and the 42-seat Blue Moon theatre.

The hotel is being jointly developed by Vancouver-based Peterson Investment Group and Westbank Projects Corp. Together, Westbank and Peterson Group have developed or have under construction more than $5 billion in projects representing approximately 1.39 million square metres (15 million square feet) of residential, retail, office and mixed-use projects. Their notable Vancouver icons include Living Shangri-La, Shaw Tower and adjoining estates and the development of the legendary Woodward’s property.

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