Tang Li

CROWNE Plaza Shenzhen Longgang City Center, the first five-star hotel in Longgang with an international brand, launched a soft opening ceremony Wednesday to serve the Universiade, the largest-ever sports games held in Shenzhen.

Built by the Guangdong Pearl River Investment Co. and managed by the InterContinental Hotels Group, the hotel operates 374 guestrooms and suites, a Chinese restaurant, an Italian restaurant, a café, a well-equipped fitness center as well as comprehensive meeting and banquet facilities.

With a renowned brand and industry-leading facilities, the hotel has been selected as an officially designated hotel for the Shenzhen Universiade and the official hotel of the U.S. team.

"We aim to become a leader in the hospitality industry in Longgang within one year, and we'll make the hotel a high-end business and leisure destination, 'a place to meet' in this area," said Elaine Wong, the hotel's director of sales and marketing.

According to Wong, the hotel has a prominent location - it is near Longgang's commercial and cultural center and is linked with other parts of the city via Metro and well-constructed roads. It also offers convenient accesses to the rich tourism, cultural and industrial resources in Longgang. "We believe the hotel will push the development of Longgang, while we'll definitely benefit," said Wong.

The hotel plans to open all rooms and facilities before the opening of the Universiade on Aug. 12 and announces its grand opening in October.

Crowne Plaza Shenzhen Longgang City Center is the third Crowne plaza hotel in Shenzhen after Crowne Plaza Shenzhen and Crowne Plaza Hotel & Suites Landmark Shenzhen.