SHANGHAI London-based Guoman Hotels Group continues its expansion into Asia Pacific with the opening of the 442-key Guoman Hotel Shanghai, marking the group’s debut in China.
The property, which is owned and managed by the company, is the first Guoman Hotels-branded property outside the UK. Guoman’s sister brand, Thistle Hotels, first launched overseas last year with a pair of hotels in Malaysia: Thistle Port Dickson and Thistle Johor Bahru.
Between the two brands, Guoman Hotel Management aims to open an additional 40 to 50 hotels by 2015.
The Shanghai Guoman features a British theme, including a fleet of black London-style taxicabs, a “British-style” butler service and a restaurant specializing in British fare called GB.
“British tradition and style is admired the world over, and nowhere more than here in Asia, and we hope to capitalize on this as we roll out our luxury hotels across the region,” says Sanjay Nijhawan, chief operating officer for Guoman Hotels Group’s international division.
The company is planning to open its second hotel in China, a Guoman-branded property in Beijing, sometime next year.