Standing tall in the city

A private lounge at Westin Chongqing.

The specialty restaurant also has an unusual feature - a glass swimming pool on the upper level and glass flooring near the dining area. In the evenings, diners are treated to performances by a "mermaid", who dances in the water to the accompaniment of music.

There are also two "vertical gardens" on different floors: Walls decorated with indigenous greenery further illustrate the hotel's efforts to incorporate more local elements in its decor.

Chongqing, cradled by mountains, has a long history that dates back more than 3,000 years and the city served as a temporary capital during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45). Now it is a business and cultural hub in the west of the country.

Smith says she loves the mountains and lush countryside around Chongqing, adding that she found the city interesting. "I like the combination of the old and the new."

Consistent with the wellness philosophy of the Westin brand, the Chongqing hotel boasts a fitness studio for customized workouts with state-of-the-art equipment and training classes. It also offers maps indicating 3-kilometer and 5-km jogging or walking routes around the hotel.

The Westin "well-being" concept goes beyond sports. It ranges from sleep to food, from play to work.

The hotel is introducing collaborative meeting spaces targeted at business travelers. Two screens linked to several computers in the "highly functional and fully equipped" workspace allow for video conferencing and seamless connectivity.

Smith says her hotel also values leisure travelers, and the Westin Chongqing has initiated a weekend program to encourage family bonding.

"The fact that we have opened our 200th Westin in China is illustrative of the phenomenal demand we are now experiencing in Asia Pacific, as well as our strong and deep-routed local teams in dynamic markets worldwide," says Simon Turner, president of global development for Starwood.

"Emerging markets now account for nearly 70 percent of the Westin development pipeline, fueled by accelerating demand in China and India, where rising wealth and rapid urbanization have generated a fierce appetite for strong global brands," Turner says.

"As more and more people have the means and desire to travel, particularly from China which is now the world's largest tourism source, we are seeing increased demand for resort destinations," he says.

The Westin portfolio in China will surpass 20 hotels by the end of this year and will increase by nearly 50 percent with an additional 11 in the next three years.