Fairmont Signs Hotel in Suzhou, China

Fairmont has signed a deal to manage a new hotel in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province of eastern China.

Fairmont Suzhou, scheduled to open in 2018, will feature 390 luxury guestrooms, as well as five distinct dining outlets. The hotel will also house over 4,000 square meters (43,000 square feet) of banquet and event space. Leisure facilities will include a swimming pool and Willow Stream Spa, the company's branded spa product.

“Fairmont Suzhou marks another key milestone for the Fairmont brand as we continue a steady and strategic pace of expansion into key Chinese markets,” said Jennifer Fox, president, FRHI international and president, Fairmont brand. “Not only is Suzhou one of the country's most popular travel destinations on a domestic level, it shows continued strong growth internationally and is increasingly attracting foreign investment. We look forward to providing a luxury base for those travelling to this vibrant city."

The hotel will be part of a mixed-use development that will also include office space and a retail podium, located close to the district government, as well as office towers and other commercial and entertainment facilities. The complex will be located in Shishan, the business and financial core of Suzhou National New Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone - Suzhou New District (SND), near the city's center. SND is a specially designated industrial zone with a focus on science and technology research and the development of high-tech industries. A growing number of Fortune 500 companies call the SND home, including Logitech, Canon and Motorola and it is a major hub for software, IT and electronic equipment manufacturing.

Suzhou is located in the center of the Yangtze River Delta, and is approximately 110 km (70 miles) east of Shanghai, 100 km (60 miles) from Shanghai Hongqiao Airport and 120 km (75 miles) from Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Six key expressways link Suzhou to major cities like Shanghai and Hangzhou and it has high-speed railway connections to Nanjing and Beijing.

The city is also expanding its metro system, which will include a proposed station under the Fairmont hotel.