France's Accor group opened a Sofitel in Hangzhou, launched its budget Ibis chain in Tianjin in November and will also operate Novotels in Beijing and Nanjing. A Crowne Plaza Hotel opened in Beijing and another will open in Shanghai's Pudong district next year. Kempinski will manage a 492-room hotel in Chengdu which will open next spring and Shangri-la will operate a 40-story hotel in Haikou scheduled to open in 2005. Ramada International recently opened a new hotel at Shanghai's Pudong Airport.
Hyatt to quadruple presence Hyatt International announced that it plans to quadruple its presence in China by 2008 with the aim of making China its biggest market outside of the US. The USbased luxury hotel chain aims to have around 16 hotels in China in the next four years. Hyatt hotels will open in Beijing, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Sanya, Ningbo and Nanjing.
Negotiations are under way for hotels in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Changsha, Chengdu, Xiamen, Shenyang and another in Beijing.