PRESS KIT Contents Hotel Overview 2 Rooms and Suites 3 Dining Facilities 4 Recreational Activities 6 Meeting and Banqueting Facilities 7 Explore Suzhou 9 Corporate Social Responsibility 12 Press Contacts 12 Page 1
Hotel Overview Shangri-La Hotel, Suzhou is the first international luxury hotel in Suzhou New District, occupying the upper 24 levels of the tallest building in Suzhou New District, the 232-metr-high Metropolitan Tower. The hotel has convenient access to the Hu Ning expressway, it takes one hour by car to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport. Guests arriving by Hu Ning high-speed train will find that it takes only 24 minutes from Shanghai and Suzhou railway station is a mere 15 minutes drive from the hotel. Offering unobstructed view of the city from every guest room, the hotel has 390 spacious and tastefully designed rooms and suites. The Horizon Club Lounge with a double-storey ceiling offers guests a variety of Club privileges. In addition, there are 20 serviced apartments with fully fitted kitchenettes to cater for the different needs of guests. Shangri-La Hotel, Suzhou s six restaurants and bars provide guests with a range of dining and entertainment options. Shang Palace offers a menu of Huai Yang, Cantonese and local cuisines, while Café Soo, with it s open kitchen, features a diverse range of cuisine throughout the day. Nishimura offers fresh sushi, and teppanyaki, Lobby Lounge, serves a wide range of light snacks and drinks. Club Red is the night time hotspot that makes the night feel both relaxing and engaging. With the largest ballroom in Suzhou New District, the hotel offers luxurious meeting and banqueting facilities spanning 2,700 square metres, including a 1,310 square metre column-free Grand Ballroom, with it s towering 8 metre high ceiling. From meetings and seminars to social events and family celebrations, the hotel offers the prefect services and facilities to suit all occasions. The Health Club features a wide variety of indoor and outdoor recreational facilities. The gymnasium offers cardiovascular and weight training equipment, a steam sauna, a jacuzzi, an indoor swimming pool, two outdoor tennis courts, as well as six wellness spa treatment rooms. Page 2
Rooms and Suites The 390 spacious and tastefully designed rooms and suites, as well as 20 serviced apartments, range in size from 42 to 228 square metres. The highest room ceiling is more than 3 metres, and all rooms offer spectacular obstructed views of the city. Contemporary furniture provides optimum comfort for work, relaxation or socialising in all of the guestrooms. The 40-inch LED television, complimentary broadband and wireless internet access, and separate bath and shower areas provide a home like comfort. A total of 5 Horizon Club floors provide an exclusive retreat for our guests. With privileges such as complimentary breakfast and cocktails, express check-in, check-out and personal butler service, Horizon Club also offers guests complimentary access to the exclusive two-storey high Lounge located on 48 th floor, which has floor to ceiling windows with panoramic views of the city. The hotel s rooms and suites are divided into five categories: 227 Deluxe Room 48 Premier Room 70 Horizon Deluxe Room 16 Horizon Premier Rooms 26 Executive Suite 2 Speciality Suite 1 Presidential Suite For serviced apartment, hotel has two categories: 15 2-bed Apartment 5 3-bed Apartment Page 3
Dining Facilities Revel in the aroma and gastronomy of Shangri-La Hotel, Suzhou dining which offers an array of options. The signature Shang Palace is renowned for its authentic Huaiyang, Cantonese and superb regional dishes. Nishimura Restaurant serves genuine Japanese cuisine and daily fresh sushi and teppanyaki with a wide selection of sake. Café Soo offers international dishes buffet-style or a la carte throughout the day. The hotspot is Club Red, with private rooms, a full bar and an incredible dance floor all set in a fantastic interior complete with crystal droplights. For a quiet drink and live entertainment, the Lobby Lounge is the perfect spot. Operation hours: Shang Palace Shang Palace is ideal for sampling and savouring the talents of the team of Chinese chefs that specializes in preparing Huaiyang and Cantonese cuisine. Not to be missed are the regional specialties, especially authentic ingredients and seasonal menus in the dining hall. In addition, eight private dining rooms can be enjoyed in the restaurant s intimate environment. Location: Levels 2 and 3 Lunch: 11.30am 1.30pm / Dinner: 5.30pm 9.30pm Café Soo Café Soo offers an international buffet and a la carte menu served throughout the day. A constant variety and ever-changing breakfast, lunch and dinner menu from live cooking stations brings guests an excellent sampling of Chinese, Japanese, Southeast Asian, and Western dishes. With the stylish and timeless furnishings, Café Soo is an ideal choice for any occasion, be it causal dining, business entertainment or a family celebrations. Location: Lobby Level Operation hours: 6am midnight Page 4
Nishimura Restaurant Nishimura offers authentic Japanese cuisine in a friendly environment with gracious atmosphere. The setting includes a sushi bar, teppanyaki with live performances, along with a wide selection of sake. Nishimura also offers intimate private rooms of various sizes. Location: Lobby Level Operation hours: Lunch: 11.30am -1.30pm Dinner: 5.30pm - 9.30pm Club Red Club Red is the night-time hotspot at the Shangri-La Hotel, Suzhou. Hit the dance floor, chat in one of the private lounges, enjoy the live band performance, or take a seat at the bar and soak up the ambience. Elegantly decorated walls and crystal droplights set a mood that makes the night feel both relaxing and engaging. Location: Level 3 Operation hours: 6pm 1am, Sunday-Thursday; 6pm 2am, Friday & Saturday Deli Soo Deli Soo serves a delicious variety of fresh breads, pastries, chocolates and made-to-order snacks. Grab a quick snack, satisfy your sweet tooth, or take a sandwich with you on your way to work or sightseeing. Location: Lobby Level Operation hours: 7.30am 8.30pm Page 5
Lobby Lounge The Lobby Lounge at Shangri-La Hotel, Suzhou is a fine place to meet for a drink both for business and leisure, to relax after a long day of sightseeing. With live entertainment in the evening and a full range of snacks and cocktails, the Lobby Lounge is one of the hotel s most comfortable and frequented areas. Location: Lobby Level Operation hours: 10am midnight Recreational Activities Located on level 4, Shangri-la Hotel, Suzhou presents a superbly equipped health club which features a variety of indoor and outdoor recreational facilities. The gymnasium offers cardiovascular and weight training equipment along with satellite television, full-size indoor swimming pool, a steam sauna and jacuzzi, as well as two outdoor tennis courts. The spa has six private treatment rooms, and spa enthusiasts can enjoy a spread of menu from revitalising facial, body and massage treatments. All treatments combine oriental and western philosophies and are based on the principles of restoring balance and beauty. Our professional therapists who have undergone intensive training would ensure that spa guests receive the relaxation and luxury they expect. The Health Club is open daily from 6am to 11pm while the Spa from 10am to 10pm. Page 6
Meeting and Banquet Facilities As the premier international luxury hotel in the city, Shangri-La Hotel, Suzhou offers state-of-the-art facilities, a wide range of customisable floor plans and arrangements, and attentive Shangri-La service to ensure that your business event or special occasion is a memorable success. An ideal event venue, Shangri-La Hotel, Suzhou ensures that the needs and expectation of meeting planners and invited guests are met. Grand Ballroom Shangri-La Hotel, Suzhou's meeting facilities cater to a wide range of event types and sizes. The 1,310-square-metre, pillar-free Grand Ballroom, with a ceiling height of 8 meters, has a capacity of up to 800 guests for a banquet or over 1,200 persons for a cocktail reception or a majestic theatre-style conference. It is known to be one of the largest hotel ballrooms in the city and can divide into three sections. A cargo lift that could ferry an automobile from the hotel s loading bay to the Grand Ballroom on level two. Metropolitan Ballroom The elegantly designed Metropolitan Ballroom spans over 478 square meters and has an eight-meter-high ceiling. The ballroom could accommodate 220 guests for banquet and 350 persons for a cocktail reception. For flexibility, the Metropolitan Ballroom can be partitioned into two areas. Page 7
VIP Lounge The VIP Lounge is between the Grand Ballroom and the Metropolitan Ballroom adjacent to the ballrooms foyer. Spanning 210 square meters, the VIP Lounge could host 100 guests for a banquet and 150 for a reception. Auditorium Room and Function Rooms The hotel has a 120-seat auditorium and five function rooms on level one, with a total space of more than 650 squares meters. Featuring stylish décor and a cozy ambiance, these rooms are ideal for more intimate meetings or social gatherings. All of the conference and function rooms feature state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, including the following: Complimentary wireless broadband Internet access LCD projector, overhead projector and slide projector Multi-microphone system with recording service Large plasma display unit Multilingual translation system Portable stage Satellite and teleconferencing available upon request Movable partitions Teleconferencing facilities are also available upon request Page 8
Explore Suzhou Classic Suzhou Suzhou has over 2,500 years of rich history, and relics of the past are abundant to this day. The city's canals, stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens have contributed to its status as one of the top tourist attractions in China. Since the Song Dynasty, it has also been an important centre for China's silk industry. The classical gardens in Suzhou were added to the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1997 and 2000. Suzhou is often dubbed the "Venice of the East" or "Venice of China. Tiger Hill Tiger Hill, known also as Surging Sea Hill, is a large hillock covering some 14,100 square metres (over three acres) and is 36 metres (118 feet) in height. Climbing the hill, you will find a number of historical sites some of which can be traced back over 2,500 years to the founding of Suzhou. Although the hill is relatively small it has rich history. A famous Song dynasty poet, Su Shi said, It is a lifelong pity if having visited Suzhou you did not visit Tiger Hill. The Humble Administrator s Garden Covering 51,950 square metres, the Humble Administrator's Garden is the largest of all classical gardens in Suzhou, with a history of over 1,500 years and an abundance of natural and man-made wonders. It is a place where greenery is matched by glistening ponds and intricately carved pavilions. With well-spaced buildings, the garden landscape and waterscape are simple, extensive and natural, possessing the traditional appearances of the Ming dynasty. It is truly an oasis of epic proportions. Page 9
The Master-of-Nets Garden The Master-of-Nets Garden covers 5,400 square metres, is divided into two parts, and many buildings are perfectly spaced instead of being crammed together. A small area of water and stone is made to seem large. Based on illusion, the garden is full of change, capturing the effect of boundlessness, and achieving a unity of part and whole. Suzhou Museum The first of many excellent museums is the Suzhou Museum. The building itself is an attraction, having been designed by Ieoh Ming Pei, the world renowned award-winning architect. Its design, influenced heavily by its location next to a UNESCO classical garden The Humble Administrator s Garden, and the nationally important artefacts inside, making it one of the top museums in China. Suzhou Silk Factory Throughout China s imperial past, Suzhou silk weavers have been associated with high-quality silk products, supplying silk to ancient royal families. By the 13th century, Suzhou was already the centre of the profitable silk trade, attracting foreign explorers like Marco Polo. Suzhou maintains its importance in the silk industry and any single Suzhou silk product can tell its holder tales of creation, imagination and beauty. These, big or small, narrate the life of tiny silk worms, from birth, to feeding on delicate mulberry leaves, all the way to their seclusion in cocoons. Page 10
Ping Jiang Historical Street / Shan Tang Street Pingjiang Historical Street and Shan Tang Street are the best choice for you if you are looking for the most typical and ancient Suzhou houses, canals, bridges and lanes. Most of the ancient buildings have been transformed into different and creative hostels, restaurants, coffee bars, tea houses, and other specialty shops. In the evening, you can sit in a restaurant or a bar along the canal to enjoy the charming Suzhou night. Tong Li Water Town With all these water treasures, it is no surprise that water towns are also abundant, towns criss-crossed by rivers, canals and bridges, towns that maintain simple and traditional ways of life. Tong Li is the top amongst these, and so exemplary. So, if you intend to visit Suzhou, be sure to experience the classic canals and all they add to the city s culture and heritage. Page 11
Corporate Social Responsibility Shangri-La Hotel, Suzhou attaches importance to corporate social responsibility (CSR), and has done so since the hotel's opening in 2006. Our commitment to Suzhou Orphanage as part of the hotel s CSR programme started in the second half of 2009. We have organised many activities such as clothes, toys and gifts donations, Christmas celebrations in the hotel and a mini-mart simulation with the children. Every two weeks, our volunteers offer their care and time in the orphanage. The hotel organizes our colleagues to do volunteer activities in Suzhou Orphanage twice a month. The bi-weekly visitation to the orphans and disabled children are supported actively by our colleagues as it allows us to give our love and concern for the children in need. On 1 June in 2010, volunteer representatives of Shangri-La Hotel, Suzhou celebrated "International Children's Day" together with the children of Suzhou Orphanage. Hotel volunteers prepared a variety of food, dessert items and gifts for the children and wished them happiness. At the end of 2010, our volunteers came to know about two orphans, who have congenital cleft lips. The hotel management team and the volunteers decided to offer our assistance to cover the cost of the surgery and hospitalisation which was inexpensive in this case. In the meantime, we also organised fund-raising among our colleagues in the hotel. After much careful planning with the orphanage, surgery was arranged for 25 March and 6 April 2010. According to the doctor, the surgery was a success. We all believe that our commitment to Suzhou Orphanage over the last one and a half years is very meaningful and we will certainly continue to embrace these activities. Press Contacts Jeanny Hu Communications Manager Shangri-La Hotel, Suzhou Tel: (86 512) 6808 0168 extension 6351 Fax: (86 512) 6808 1168 jeanny.hu@shangri-la.com Digital images are available on request. Page 12