Shangri-La to manage new hotel in Vancouver

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is reinforcing its expansion outside Asia Pacific with a management agreement for a five-star deluxe hotel in Vancouver, Canada in early 2008. The hotel is being jointly developed by Vancouver based Peterson Investment Group and Westbank Projects.

The deluxe Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver will be strategically located one block from the city's premier business address at Burrard and West Georgia Streets. Set in the heart of the city, the hotel is an easy walk to all downtown offices, shopping, restaurants, theatres, the convention centre, the world-famous Stanley Park, and a half a block from the popular shopping district on Robson Street.

The hotel will occupy fifteen floors of a new 60-story landmark building, the tallest in Vancouver with cutting edge architectural design. The entire multi purpose complex will showcase innovative residential living, a sculpture gallery curated by the Vancouver Art Gallery, high end retail shopping, innovative live/work condominiums, unique restaurants and the Shangri-La Hotel.

Contemporary styled, the hotel's guest rooms and services are following the operating philosophy of the "Horizon Club" floors, Shangri-La's exclusive retreat for discerning travellers, offering a host of special amenities and privileges such as round-the-clock personal butler service, express check-in and check-out services. The guestrooms averaging 550 square feet (approximately 55 square metres) will be amongst the largest in Canada, while the standard rooms will incorporate three components to deliver a suite-type concept with oversized bathrooms, bedrooms, and living/working areas. In addition to the full array of Shangri-La services and facilities including 24-hour room service, same day laundry and valet service, satellite TV, data ports, wireless broadband internet service, all rooms will have surround sound AV system and LCD monitors in the living room and bathroom.

The Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver will provide a creative feature restaurant with outdoor seasonal dining, a lobby lounge serving light meals with a stool bar overlooking the Vancouver Art Gallery Public Art Site, and a juice bar serving guests in the spa and pool area. The hotel's intimate function and private dining facilities will feature three rooms with seating capacity for 25 to 75 people, a canopied exterior terrace with access to the function rooms, library with fireplace, and a 48 seat screening theatre.

Other major hotel facilities will include a business centre, extensive fitness facilities including pilates and stretch area, a year-round outdoor infinity pool, and whirlpool. Most importantly, Shangri-La's exclusive CHI Spa is expected to be the largest and most comprehensive spa in Vancouver with more than 6,000 square feet (approximately 600 square metres).

Commenting on the new hotel, Shangri-La's Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Giovanni Angelini said, "It is a wonderful opportunity for Shangri-La to enter the North American market with this landmark hotel and our dedicated partners. It is an important step in the group's expansion plans outside Asia Pacific to develop Shangri-La hotels in international gateway cities around the world, targeting the prime North American market plus the fast-growing outbound traffic from China and the rest of Asia."

Ian Gillespie, President of Westbank Projects added, "We selected Shangri-La to manage the hotel due to the strength of their award-winning brand and its reputation for service excellence and Asian hospitality. The group will introduce our hotel to its loyal guests including its rapidly growing Golden Circle membership and via its network of hotels and worldwide sales offices. The appointment of Shangri-La reflects our focus on becoming a major force in the hospitality industry."