KEMPINSKI Hotel in the young city of Shenzhen will be in a festive mood this weekend.

    Kempinski Hotels around the world will celebrate its 120th anniversary Saturday.

    The Shenzhen property will throw an anniversary party Saturday evening, which includes a candle lighting ceremony, performances, a cocktail party and an opening ceremony for a European food festival.

    Created in 1897, Kempinski Hotels is Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group. Kempinski’s rich heritage of personal service and hospitality is complemented by the exclusivity and individuality of its properties. During its history, the group has hosted international celebrities, witnessed meetings between the world’s leaders and been a part of creating history around the globe.

    While the group was founded in Germany, its portfolio is now spread throughout Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and South America with properties in locations such as Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Bangkok, Berlin, Budapest, Istanbul and St. Moritz. Kempinski now consists of 75 five-star hotels in 30 countries and continues to add new properties.

    Rich in tradition, it comprises a fine collection of sumptuous hotels and resorts, from the truly historic to the breathtakingly avant-garde.

    Kempinski is a collection of individuals. Each hotel or resort is a distinctive property, with its own character and charm, celebrating the cultural traditions of its location. With hotels overlooking the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Red Square in Moscow, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and the Great Wall in China, each Kempinski property reveals the character of the country in which its guests are staying, while they enjoy the unique services for which Kempinski is renowned.

    Its historic landmarks include the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski in Munich (built following an architectural competition between Bavarian King Maximilian and his father, King Ludwig) and the Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin (where Greta Garbo whispered the immortal lines, “I want to be alone…”). The hotel group has welcomed new landmarks to its collection, such as the Sunrise Kempinski Hotel Beijing, a unique collection of living architecture and the stunning Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, one of the most opulent and majestic hotels ever built.

    The portfolio also includes a selection of former royal residences, including spectacular properties like the Ciragan Palace Kempinski in Istanbul (home to the last Ottoman sultan) and the Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski in Dresden (built by August the Strong for his mistress, Countess Cosel).

    While maintaining a leading position in the business travel market, Kempinski’s portfolio includes 16 dedicated resorts, each of which offers an exceptional range of leisure facilities, a world-class spa and a breathtaking location. There are currently Kempinski resorts in the UAE, Spain, Germany, Sicily, Fuerteventura, Gozo, Switzerland (2), Bulgaria, Turkey (2), Jordan, Kuwait, Argentina, Uruguay and Zanzibar.

    Sticking to traditional European service values, Kempinski pioneered entry into key emerging markets, seeking to develop its market leadership in interesting new destinations and establishing the benchmark against which other groups measure themselves.(Lynn Xiao)