The modern Chinese city of Shenzhen is only an hour away from Hong Kong yet it is home
to more than ten million people. Business groups visiting the city can expect wide roads, efficient transport, great hotels and a modern exhibition centre.
Last month Shenzhen hosted the world’s second-largest medical equipment exhibition and the city is pushing harder for international recognition. “We chose Shenzhen over Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu because it is a modern city with good infrastructure,” says Li Chao, manager,
CMEF department of Reed Sinopharm Exhibitions, which organised the event.
“The exhibition centre is managed by a professional team and it is very near to Hong
Kong – only a one-hour drive to the airport – with good-quality hotels and taxis.”
NEW LOOK
Near the Luohu border crossing to Hong Kong, the Shangri-La is about to remodel its F&B outlets and will be finished by mid-2006. The hotel’s focus is on smaller meetings groups and is a convenient location for groups coming from Hong Kong on day trips.
Nearby, the 311-room Crowne Plaza Hotel & Suites Landmark Shenzhen is a rebranded property that has the biggest rooms in town thanks to a recent renovation that joined
many of the rooms together.
The InterContinental Shenzhen is a Spanishthemed five-star hotel that has created new
demand in the area with its huge meeting spaces and outdoor entertainment areas. The
hotel is 20 minutes from the Luohu border crossing and its 540 guestrooms start at 50 sqm,
most with spa tubs. The largest meeting space is the España Ballroom, which holds 1,200
theatre style or 1,100 for a cocktail reception.
The Galleon Restaurant and Bar on the roof (which is a full-sized boat) can hold 200 in the bar and 400 al fresco on the boat’s decks. The Bank of China and China Oil have held recent events there.
Nearby is the 400-room Crowne Plaza Shenzhen, with its largest meeting space able to seat 700 people. The hotel’s best asset is its large outdoor gazebo that is ideal for poolside
functions during the evening.
Across town in the Futian District, a number of new hotels have been built near the
modern Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Centre (SZCEC). Importantly, the district
is next to the upgraded Hong Kong border rossing nearby at Lok Ma Chau.
This hassle-free crossing features more customs lanes than queues – a marked difference from the experience at nearby Luohu which is 20 minutes away – and is now connected to Hong Kong by MTR.
The Marco Polo Shenzhen features 391 guestrooms that start from 35 sqm and the
hotel features a Mandara Spa. The hotel’s ballroom can hold 1,010 theatre style and
there is also an auditorium that can hold 375 delegates with simultaneous translation
booths on hand.
Set in the heart of Futian, the Sheraton Shenzhen Futian Hotel has been open for just
over 12 months and is only minutes walk from SZCEC. The hotel is easily identified by its
architecture, which looks like a big black eagle with its four towers, a theme that is
repeated inside with eagle sculptures and motifs throughout. Despite its huge size the
hotel only has 328 guestrooms with the remaining space being used as office towers.
The hotel’s ballroom can hold 1,400 theatre style with another 26 meeting spaces on offer.
The 299-room Interlaken OCT Hotel Shenzhen is set in the mountains outside the city. The main feature of the property is its Swiss theming and two 18-hole golf courses.
The hotel features 17 meeting spaces with the largest able to hold 700 people theatre style.
COMING UP
The 548-room Futian Shangri-La will open in July with an 1,800 sqm ballroom. Its maximum
capacity of 2,000 people will make it the largest in Shenzhen. The new-build hotel is minutes
away from SZCEC and other major hotels. It will also feature a 500 sqm junior ballroom
and an auditorium that can hold 100 people.
The 273-room Ritz-Carlton with 700 sqm ballroom will open in the third quarter of 2008.
It is across the road from the Sheraton and SZCEC. A Four Seasons is rumoured to open
soon in the yet unnamed new-build hotel near SZCEC that is nearing completion.
Shenzhen looks to global market
New hotels and a modern exhibition and convention facility are key attractions
