Boutique hotel offers a cultural touch

Hospitality giant opens their first Diaoyutai brand in continued China expansion, Zhuan Ti reports from Chengdu.

China's highest-standard service venue for hosting foreign state heads, Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, and American hospitality giant MGM Resorts International opened The Diaoyutai Boutique Chengdu in the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China on Nov 21.

The pair collaborates in China through Diaoyutai MGM Hospitality Ltd. The Diaoyutai Boutique Chengdu is the joint venture's second property after the MGM Grand Sanya in Hainan province.

The luxury boutique hotel is in the heart of Chengdu's historic Kuanzhai Alley and is a 25-minute drive to Shuangliu International Airport.

Kuanzhai Alley, which means "wide and narrow alley" in Chinese, has a history going back more than 300 years. The popular tourist spot is a cluster of ancient streets and courtyards and to locals it has sentimental value as it represents the city's history.

Designed by the legendary French designer Bruno Moinard, the hotel combines culture and history with a modern and romantic touch. It features two courtyards, 45 guestrooms, four restaurants and lounges and an exclusive club.

Chengdu is known for its laid-back lifestyle and the hotel has a teahouse where guests can enjoy the authentic art of tea. Traditional local art events including calligraphy and wood sculpture will also be held in the teahouse.

The hotel offers the state-level services of Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Meals in the hotel are prepared by a team of chefs directed by Huang Guoliang, executive sous chef of Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, who has served more than 1,000 distinguished guests from all over the world.

The hotel's Royal Court serves State Banquet. KZ Restaurant & Grill serves a variety of Asian food and local cuisine to suit everybody's palate.

"We are delighted to collaborate with MGM Resorts International to launch The Diaoyutai Boutique Chengdu. The hotel carries the legacy of Diaoyutai and we hope it will become a starting point from which the very Chinese 'Diaoyutai style' can be presented to the world," said Zhang Junsai, director general of Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

Diaoyutai was a fishing platform, which an emperor built 800 years ago and became a "royal" venue in ancient China. In 1959, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs established Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. As a hotel brand, Diaoyutai represents luxury hotel experiences and the essence of Chinese culture, according to industry insiders.

The MGM brand is renowned for providing creative entertainment experiences and the Chinese market has long been a mysterious and appealing one for it. MGM's involvement in building the Diaoyutai brand is expected to unveil the mystery of Diaoyutai to the world.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MGM Resorts International James J. Murren said that China is an important market for MGM and the cooperation with Diaoyutai State Guesthouse offers a great opportunity to promote the MGM brands in the country.

The Diaoyutai Boutique Chengdu is the first Diaoyutai brand of the hospitality joint venture. The hospitality group is committed to combining advantages of its parent companies to create unique luxury hotels, residences, shopping and entertainment experiences to customers.

In the past seven years, the hospitality group has developed four brands - MGM Grand, Bellagio by MGM, Skylofts and Diaoyutai, across major cities in China including Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu and Sanya. In the coming five years, the group plans to open another 10 hotels in first- and second-tier cities.

Contact the writer at zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn