Heading back to Shangri-La

The Shangri-La Hotel, Lhasa will start operations on April 17, with Ester P. Marcaida at the helm. Provided to China Daily

Shangri-La is finally making it home as the Hong Kong-based hotel group raises its flag on the Himalayas by opening an urban retreat in Lhasa on April 17. The brand itself, inspired by the legendary utopia James Hilton wrote about in his 1933 novel Lost Horizon, is widely believed to be somewhere on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.

The Shangri-La Hotel, Lhasa will be a luxurious home base for those who wish to explore dramatic Tibetan culture and scenery, says general manager Ester P. Marcaida, adding that international media has called it one of the most anticipated openings in 2014.

Boasting 289 rooms, some of which offer a view of the Potala Place, it is the largest five-star hotel in Lhasa.

Marcaida herself is already immersed in local culture. She wears a Tibetan necklace, and says guests on arrival will be greeted with the kadak, a ceremonial silk scarf, served traditional buttered tea and presented with a good luck token, a nine-eyed bracelet made of yak fur.

In the lobby is a 6.5-meter chandelier in the shape of a prayer wheel draped in flowing red fabric. Guest rooms also feature traditional Tibetan furniture and furnishings like turquoise, decorative metals, floral patterns and auspicious symbols.

It is also easy for guests who want to learn some simple Tibetan because nearly half of the 300 staffers are Tibetans who speak and write both Tibetan and Chinese.

Marcaida is also teaching some of them English as Lhasa enjoys a high reputation among international tourists, although she expects the majority of her guests to be Chinese visitors.