Meliá Hotels International has signed two new hotels in Zhengzhou, China; Innside by Meliá will open in June 2015, and Meliá Zhengzhou will open its doors in January 2016.
Zhengzhou, the capital and largest city of Henan province in north-central China, is the political, economic, and technological hub of the province.
The hotel is a complex of three buildings located in the new business district of Zhengzhou, one for the Innside hotel and the other two devoted to the Meliá hotel. Together, they will bring 933 rooms and MICE facilities including one grand ballroom for over 900 people and other multifunctional meeting rooms, ideal for big wedding ceremonies and for business meetings, as the region is witnessing a major boost of Business travel. The addition of these two brands in Zhengzhou aims, thus, to fit the needs of a city which experienced a 12% GDP growth in 2012 and whose airport received over 10 million visitors.
The Innside brand is a modern, urban lifestyle brand that focuses on "100% atmosphere, service and pure delight." Innside are premium hotels located in city centers, boasting professional business service, state-of-the-art communication tools and tailored short- or long-stay packages. Their functionality and their smart service make it the fastest-growing brand of the Meliá Hotels International's portfolio worldwide.
The Meliá Hotels & Resorts brand has over 90 hotels located in major cities and resort destinations in the world, from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to Atlanta, and from Zanzibar (Tanzania) to the Bahamas. Either in urban or resort hotels, the brand is designed to offer the five senses a fresh and innovative experience through igniting the Spanish tradition of excellence in hospitality. Meliá Zhengzhou will feature the Meliá VIP experience, called "The Level", that offers a private lounge with open bar, exclusive room accommodations, special in room amenities and the finest service.
Although more than 80% of Tourism demand in Zhengzhou is related to Business, Zhengzhou has a rich cultural history, as it was the nation's capital during the Shang Dynasty, one of the oldest Cultures in the world. Tourists enjoy the ZhengzhouConfuciusTemple, one of the oldest Confucius Temples in China, a plethora of architectural heritage, the nearby ShaolinTemple, SongMountain, the Yellow River, as well as cultural heritage such as the famous Henan Opera. It is the second largest city in central China and a major transportation hub that, besides its International airport, is now taking advantage of a high-speed railway.
These announcements reflect the strong Meliá Hotels International's Expansion focus in China, where the Company holds strategic agreements with Leading Groups such as Greenland; within this frame, the Company will soon be opening different properties like the stunning Gran Meliá Xian and the Meliá Jinan in 2014, and the Meliá Tian jin and Meliá Chongqin in 2015 and 2016. The Group, that has more than doubled its portfolio in the Asian Region along the last two years, foresees immediate additional announcements in the country, focusing both on main cities and on the burgeoning resort destinations, a segment in which Meliá expects to bring its experience as an International leader.
The signing event was attended by Mr. Bernardo Cabot, Vice-President of Meliá Hotels International (MHI) Asia Pacific, Mr. Wang Jianqiang, Chairman of Henan Jinniu Group, and Mr. Tianbo, General Manager of Greenland Group Zhengzhou. Bernardo Cabot, representing Meliá Hotels International, noted that "the addition of these two MHI brands brings a range of facilities and service cultures unparalleled in Zhengzhou. We are proud and excited to help bring our brands to this quickly developing city – a city that boasts a vibrant Chinese history and is a major economic hub for China, as a part of our expansion strategy in the main Chinese destinations."
