HONG KONG-BASED Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts on Tuesday announced the grand opening of the 325-room Shangri-La Hotel, Xiamen. With its enviable setting and offerings, the urban resort is a lifestyle destination catering to both leisure and business travelers.

Overlooking a long stretch of beach on one side and urban views on the other, Shangri-La Hotel, Xiamen is located within the city’s newly developed financial and IT zone, Guanyin Shan Business Center. Brief 10-minute and 20-minute drives away are the conference and exhibition center and the Xiamen International Airport.

Over 70 percent of the hotel’s guestrooms and suites have commanding views of the Taiwan Straits — ranging from the 42-square-meter deluxe sea view room to the elegantly styled Shangri-La suite offering 168 square meters of luxurious living space. The Horizon Club showcases the hotel’s panoramic sea view with a spacious open-air terrace that provides a tranquil retreat from the neighborhood.

Thoughtfully planned with ample indoor and outdoor spaces, Shangri-La Hotel, Xiamen honors local Minnan-style architecture which is often associated with the use of red bricks, and its public areas showcase local artists’ work and the community’s culture.

Home to two restaurants and a lobby lounge, Shangri-La Hotel, Xiamen takes a fresh approach to dining experiences with the use of bold architectural details and colors. Café Amoy, an all-day dining restaurant serving Asian and international fare, celebrates playfulness in its show kitchens and interior clad in cubic shapes. Fu Gong, the Chinese restaurant specializing in Cantonese and Minnan cuisine, gives a nod to Xiamen’s significance as a major sea port.

Other facilities include an all-inclusive NX Fitness & Spa, Xiamen’s first NX Kid’s Club, and a 1,500-square-meter pillarless grand ballroom with an 8-meter-high ceiling, which can comfortably accommodate 1,000 guests. Shangri-La Hotel, Xiamen is the only hotel in the city to feature an elevator that is large enough to transport automobiles directly to the ballroom. In addition to indoor and outdoor areas, seven other adaptable event spaces can host gatherings for 30 to 400 guests.

Shangri-La Hotel, Xiamen’s special opening room rates start from 1,100 yuan per night and are available until Dec. 31. It includes a daily breakfast buffet for two and a 50-percent dining discount. The room rate is subject to VAT and a 10-percent service charge.(Tang Li)