Hyatt will officially open its seventh hotel; Hyatt on the Bund in Shanghai, on the Mainland in early October expecting to receive a strong number of Middle East guests -

With approximately 124 million visitors in 2006, China is expecting a significant number of Middle East travellers this year looking for the ultimate holiday experience. Hyatt on the Bund, part of the Grand Hyatt portfolio, will open at the northern end of the legendary Bund, arguably the most famous thoroughfare in Shanghai, if not China.

To maximise its prime location on the western banks of the Huangpu River, the cutting-edge hotel has been angled so that all rooms will benefit from a spectacular view of either the historical architecture down the Bund or modern skyscraper-lined Pudong across the river.

"Shanghai is a perfect getaway for Middle East for holiday makers," said Thierry Bertin, Area Director of Marketing – Middle East, Hyatt International Hotels and Resorts. "Hyatt on the Bund offers Middle East travellers a chance to experience luxury and comfort while discovering the city's rich cultural attractions. Its location also makes it very accessible for the discerning Middle East traveller," Bertin added.

Designed by the award-winning US-based design company Remedios Siembieda Inc, creators of some of the world's most luxurious hotels including the Grand Hyatt Tokyo and Park Hyatt Beijing, the mission for Hyatt on the Bund has been to create an ‘innovative, invigorating and inspirational' hotel. Their focus has been on designing vibrant, contemporary spaces that will appeal to the modern business delegate as well as the trend-conscious leisure-traveller.

Hyatt on the Bund will house a total of 631 guest rooms, including 52 suites, split between East and West towers. Ranging in size from 42 to 300 square metres (452 to 3,229 square feet), the contemporary spaces will feature floor-to-ceiling windows to best experience the breathtaking views, as well as rotating flat-screen TVs, DVD players and high-speed wired and wireless broadband Internet access.

The highlight of the rooms will be an innovative open bathroom concept, where you can create an open-plan studio if desired, or close off for a more conventional bedroom/bathroom space if preferred. The spacious glass- and marble-clad open bathrooms will feature standalone rain showers and eye-catching mother-of-pearl panels.

Spread over the top four floors of the West Tower will be Hyatt on the Bund's signature drinking and dining destination. The multi-level, multi-concept space, designed by well-known Japanese interior design firm SuperPotato, will have the air of a private residence and feature high-ceilings to better take in the surrounding views. On the second floor, Aroma will introduce a ‘dining in the kitchen' concept, featuring live cooking stations rustling up everything from fresh pasta to Teppanyaki to desserts, while off the lobby, a European-style Tea Room will serve speciality blended teas from around the world, as well as pastries, cakes and handmade chocolates. On the Lobby Level of the East Tower, Xindalu China Kitchen will focus on thoroughly authentic regional cuisine such as Peking Duck, claypot-baked Beggar's Chicken and hand-pulled Shanxi noodles, in a fun and buzzy setting.

A sprawling 1,859 square metres (20,064 square feet), with a capacity to cater to 1,100 people, will be dedicated to meeting and function facilities. There will be two ballrooms with outdoor terraces and a capacity of 560 and 260 respectively (banquet style); a circular Glasshouse with an outdoor courtyard; and nine multi-purpose multi-sized meeting rooms equipped with wireless broadband access and the latest audio-visual and conferencing equipment. Those on the Bund Club executive floors will also have the exclusive use of four Bund Club boardrooms.

Once meetings are over, guests will be able to work off the stresses of the day in the 30-metre indoor swimming pool and fully equipped gym, or decompress in the luxurious super-spa. YUAN SPA will feature wood-lined treatment rooms, some with double-glass walls with water running between the panes, so guests can both see and hear running water while indulging in water-based Oriental treatments.

Hyatt on the Bund will be the seventh Hyatt hotel to open in Mainland China, following Grand Hyatt Beijing, Grand Hyatt Shanghai, Hyatt Regency Tianjin, Hyatt Regency Xian, Hyatt Regency Hangzhou and Hyatt Regency Dongguan. Twelve more Hyatt hotels are scheduled to open in China in the next few years.