About a decade after the last five-star hotel opened in Hong Kong, two groups announced that they would open luxury properties there. Jardine Group's Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group intends to open a second five-star hotel in Hong Kong, partly to cater for the growing number of mainland visitors to the SAR. The hotel will contain just 118 rooms.
In 2002, arrivals from the mainland grew by 46 per cent to 10m. They account for about 10-15 per cent of guests staying at the Excelsior, Mandarin's four-star hotel in Hong Kong.
Another much bigger property is due to open in Kowloon by Hong Kong's Great Eagle Holdings. The Langham Place Hotel will contain 700 rooms and 50 suites and will be the flagship of a huge development that will also include a 60-storey office tower and a 300-shop mall. The complex is situated close to Kowloon's famous street markets and will offer fine views of Hong Kong.