ZURICH, July 23, 2012 – The newest Swissôtel Resort will be built in Sanya, China’s only tropical resort destination located in the southernmost part of Hainan Island.   This deluxe hotel will be part of the Sanya Dragon Valley Hot Spring & Golf Resort, which includes one of the most exclusive 18-hole golf courses in the region.  The Swissôtel Sanya will be part of a large scale mixed-use development at the 267 hectare Dragon Valley Resort, and is scheduled to open in 2015.

The location of the Swissôtel Sanya is approximately ten kilometres from Sanya Phoenix International Airport. The Resort will offer 300 rooms and suites with a minimum size of 50m2, four restaurants and bars, over 2000m2 of meeting and banqueting space, as well as the largest outdoor pool in Sanya. Rounding out the comprehensive offering are Pürovel Spa & Sport facilities, where guests can relax and socialize. The Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, over 1000 luxury villas and 80,000m2 of lavish boutiques, retail shops, restaurants and entertainment also form part of the Dragon Valley Resort destination.

“As we are already successfully managing four elegant business hotels in the People’s Republic of China, with an additional Swissôtel being built in Chengdu, a leisure resort in the booming tourist area of Sanya is an optimal addition to our brand,” says Meinhard Huck, President of Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts. “We are looking forward to our partnership with Hainan Zhongdu Real Estate Development Company, who share our Swiss values of reliability and high quality.“

Mr. Xu Zexian, the Chairman of Hainan Zhongdu Real Estate Development Company describes “Hainan Zhongdu has successful experiences in operating world-renowned large scale real-estate and tourism related projects. With the professional management experience of Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts and the joint efforts of both parties, Swissôtel Sanya is fated to become the landmark project in the International Tourism Island.” Thanks to its exceptional natural beauty and location, Sanya has become one of the most popular travel destinations in China, attracting local and international tourists.  In addition, Sanya offers one of the most open travel policies in China, such as providing 15 days visa-free visits for 26 countries including USA, Germany, France and Australia. The island of Hainan lies 18 nautical miles from the Chinese mainland and a bridge to Guangzhou Province is being planned.

Hainan Zhongdu Real Estate Development was founded in 2007 with registered capital of RMB 100 million (US$ 15,85 million). The company is headquartered in Sanya, Hainan, and for this specific project, the total investment is estimated as RMB 6 billion (US$ 950 million). The major shareholder / Chairman of Hainan Zhongdu (Mr. Xu Zexian) has over 30 years of management experience at China Ocean Shipping Group Company (COSCO), which is a state owned enterprise and the largest global shipping company in China. During his time at COSCO, he was in charge COSCO Property Group, and led the infrastructure development of the Bo’ao Hainan Asia Forum and Euro-Asia Economic Forum in Xi’an, which are high-level forums for leaders from government, business and academia in Asia.

About Swissôtel Hotels and Resorts
Swissôtel Hotels and Resorts (www.swissotel.com) is an award winning and distinctive group of deluxe hotels, combining renowned Swiss hospitality with contemporary design, personalised service, charm and efficiency. Located in popular gateway destinations and city centres, the hotels provide convenient access to business and shopping districts. The group's Swiss heritage ensures organisational competence, attention to detail, safety and a superlative guest experience.

The international hotel chain is owned by FRHI Holdings Limited, a leading global hotel company with 102 hotels and resorts worldwide under the Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages Fairmont and Raffled branded Residences, Estates and luxury private residence club properties.

Hotels under development: Makkah/Saudi-Arabia (2012), Sochi/Russia (2013), Chengdu/China (2014), Bangalore/India (2014), Mumbai/India (2014), Kiev/Ukraine (2014), and Odessa/Ukraine (2014).