Shangri-La to Open Hotel in Lhasa, Tibet

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is to open a new hotel in 2012 in Lhasa, a city set on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, the highest region on earth.

The 350-room luxury urban resort, owned and operated by Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, will rest amongst the tallest peaks in the world: a striking mountain landscape of glaciers, valleys and lakes considered sacred by many.

Located on Lingkor Road, Shangri-La Hotel, Lhasa will be 1.5 kilometres from the Potala Palace, the famous 7th century complex at the centre of Lhasa with over 1,000 rooms and a collection of cultural relics including handwritten Buddhist manuscripts. The hotel will be about half a kilometre from other notable Lhasa landmarks including: Chokpori, known as Iron Mountain and one of the four holy mountains of central Tibet; Norbu Lingka, the summer palace originally built in 1755; and the Tibet Museum.

Shangri-La Hotel, Lhasa will include modern interpretations of traditional Tibetan architectural motifs and interiors will layer locally produced arts, crafts and fabrics over a contemporary space. Guestrooms will begin at 36 square metres and many will offer views of the Potala Palace. Service touches will include Tibetan welcome rituals and the local hand churned butter tea.

The hotel's design will also take into consideration the difficulties travellers face acclimating to the high altitude and attempt to mitigate its effects. Inspired by the window boxes of flowers found outside traditional Lhasa homes, the hotel will be surrounded with extensive garden landscaping featuring indigenous plants to increase oxygen levels in the area. The hotel will also have a full service clinic with medical staff to attend to guests.

The modern hotel will feature a variety of dining and entertainment options including an all-day dining restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, a bar and a lobby lounge. Recreational facilities such as an indoor swimming pool and health club will be available. The meeting and banqueting facilities will include a 1,700-square-metre grand ballroom, complemented by several smaller function rooms.

Lhasa sits on a flat plateau next to the Lhasa River at an altitude of 3,650 metres above sea level. The city is surrounded by the Himalayan mountain range, including the region's most famous peak, Mt. Everest.

 Lhasa has over 1,300 years of history and has long been the political, economic, cultural, and religious centre of the region. In Tibetan, the city's name can be translated to "Sacred Land" and "Place of Buddha". A fascinating cultural destination in its own right, the city is also a good starting point for travellers planning to explore the dramatic Himalayan landscape. Travellers arrive to Lhasa by train, on the highest railway in the world, or by air to the Lhasa Gonggar Airport located 50 kilometres from the city centre.

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