Ritz-Carlton's Second Hotel In Shanghai Atop Deluxe Shops

The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong, is scheduled to open in April 2010 in time for the World Expo.

Simon Cooper, president and chief operating officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, said of the group's expansion in China that Shanghai was where it started for The Ritz-Carlton in China when the group opened The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai, on January 1, 1998. He added that, The Portman Ritz-Carlton helped to put the build the brand and they are now the biggest and fastest growing luxury hotel company in China.

The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong, will be the group's seventh hotel in mainland China and it will occupy the top 14 floors of the IFC Tower in Pudong, which is being built by Hong Kong developer Sun Hung Kai Properties. Ritz-Carlton is also partnering with Sun Hung Kai Properties on its new hotel at ICC Hong Kong in Kowloon, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, which will open in September 2010.

The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong, will offer 285 guest rooms starting at 50 square meters and ranging up to 400 square meters for the Presidential/Ritz-Carlton suite. There will also be three floors of Club Floor accommodation with rooms starting at 60 square meters.

The lobby level of the hotel is situated on the 52nd floor and will house the Sky Lobby, lobby lounge and an Italian restaurant featuring open kitchens. Level 53 will accommodate the hotel's contemporary Chinese restaurant with a mezzanine floor hosting the destination bar offering a cigar lounge, exclusive champagne library, walk-in wine cellar and outdoor seating with grill. The hotel's spa will be situated on the 55th floor and will offer 11 treatments, including one VIP doubles suite.

For MICE events, the meetings space and ballroom are located on the third floor of the building with direct access from the road. With a 1,000 square meter ballroom that seats more than 700 guests and three further meeting rooms, the hotel will be able to host large and small meetings. The podium level of the building, directly below the meetings space, will offer luxury retail outlets including Louis Vuitton and Gucci.