The FINANCIAL — Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced on February 22 the opening of Grand Hyatt Chengdu in the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. The first Hyatt-branded hotel in Sichuan, Grand Hyatt Chengdu will introduce the Grand Hyatt brand of bold, worldly and extraordinary hospitality offering multicultural experiences that broaden guests’ horizons and celebrate the magnificence that life has to offer.
Spanning floors 10 to 39 of the prominent 545-foot high Chicony Square, Grand Hyatt Chengdu is situated on the historic Chunxi Road (aka “Hundred Year Gold Street”) in the heart of Jinjiang district—arguably the city’s most fashionable and vibrant commercial, business and entertainment area. A mere 30-minute drive from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, 20-minute drive to both Chengdu East Railway Station and Chengdu North Railway Station and a short walk to Chunxi Road subway station, Grand Hyatt Chengdu is an ideal base for travelers.
The hotel is also a short drive from Tianfu Square city center, Wuhou Memorial Temple, ancient Kuanzhai Alley and the Thatched Cottage of 8th-century poet Du Fu, a 50-minute drive from the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, and a 75-minute drive from the impressive 2,000-year-old Dujiangyan irrigation system, making it a very attractive and enjoyable destination for leisure visitors, according to Hyatt.
“We are glad Hyatt is now part of Chengdu’s vibrant and aspiring legacy,” said Christopher Koehler, vice president and managing director of operations for China, Hyatt “The opening of Grand Hyatt Chengdu is a significant step forward in developing Hyatt brands in key gateway cities where our guests are traveling. We look forward to welcoming guests from all over the world to create memorable experiences.”
Design and Guestrooms
The interiors of Grand Hyatt Chengdu were designed by the New York-based, multi award-winning Tony Chi & Associates. They were inspired by an aristocratic country house found both in the rich cultural legacies of Chengdu and its Western cultural counterpart of France. Both cultures have enriched, shaped and inspired societies far beyond their own borders. Abundant garden spaces are a unique prominent feature of the hotel inspired by the landscape throughout Sichuan province and the elegant, stylish homes of France.
“Chengdu has been a prized and important strategic post for 2,000 years and has an incredible, longstanding culture and heritage accumulated over centuries,” said Chi. “This was our starting point and foundation in the creation of Grand Hyatt Chengdu, and we wanted the hotel to reflect and respect the traditions of the city, while hopefully touching the subconscious with genuine hospitality.”
Grand Hyatt Chengdu houses 390 contemporary guestrooms, measuring between 430 and 2,045 square feet, all providing a panoramic view of downtown Chengdu through floor-to-ceiling windows. Every aspect of the contemporary guestrooms has been designed to feel as relaxing and welcoming as possible, furnished with an abundance of natural woods. A minimalist Tang-Dynasty aesthetic is accompanied by distinctly Chinese touches, from ceramic horse lamp bases, kang-leg coffee tables and ink-brush paintings of monkeys and goldfish.
“We are extremely excited about bringing the Grand Hyatt brand and its signature authentic hospitality to Chengdu,” said Leo Leung, general manager of Grand Hyatt Chengdu. “With an audacious combination of awe-inspiring design and attentive service delivered by our dedicated team, we have created a new destination in the city where our guests will feel immersed in the grand style of living, while at the same time experience a strong sense of sincere, warm Chengdu culture and hospitality.”
Wine & Dine
Grand Hyatt Chengdu has its sights set on being the premier drinking and dining destination in the capital, housing seven inspiring bars and restaurants, the majority with show kitchens providing live culinary entertainment.
Salon is Grand Hyatt Chengdu’s serene and convivial “living room” — the heart of the hotel that embodies the style of an aristocratic home while providing guests with a high level of intimacy and comfort. Guests can enjoy high teas with a choice of Chinese and Western flavors, French pastries and an impressive library collection of Western and Asian books of diverse subjects offering quiet reading time and inspiration.
Salon leads into Nougat, an alluring jeweler-store style patisserie. Beneath a 25-foot high ceiling and classic arched molding, surrounded by hand-painted and embroidered Chinoiserie wallpaper, guests can indulge in an enticing array of cakes, pastries, chocolates and over 40 flavors of nougat. From Nougat, guests can enter Putao, the tranquil, contemplative “internal courtyard » of Grand Hyatt Chengdu. Meandering through the jambolan trees, guests can escape, recuperate or simply gather their thoughts.
To one side of Putao is Xi·Mi, a moody, seductive cabaret-style venue, which aims to be the leading nightspot in Chengdu. Guests can watch a live band in Xi, sample signature cocktails such as “A Night in Chengdu“ in Mi, or head outdoors to enjoy the adjacent Maze Garden where tall yew-plum pine hedging creates private nooks and crannies. Flanking the other side of Putao is the Asian-style outdoor BBQ, which offers an entertaining, hands-on dining experience. Beneath an undulating tent canopy, guests can choose from a menu of marinated meat, seafood and vegetables from around Asia, then cook it themselves on tabletop charcoal stoves.
BBQ leads into Grand Café, which serves as the hotel’s convivial “kitchen”— the heart of the home where everyone naturally gravitates. A lively show kitchen buzzes with activity as skilled chefs at stoves, steamers, wok stoves and noodle cookers prepare diverse culinary options consisting of local Sichuan cuisine, various Asia and Western specialties, and an elaborate dessert pastry kitchen.
Adjacent is Tea House, a secluded spot inspired by both Sichuan tea culture, as well as the practice of men in bygone European stately homes who would withdraw after dinner for port and cigars. During the day, a Tea Library of over 100 varieties of Chinese leaf is served in traditional gaiwan lidded bowls, while come evening, guests might opt instead for a vintage whisky or cognac.
Guests will discover two additional unique drinking and dining spaces on the 16th floor. No.8 is an authentic Sichuan eatery specializing in the region’s famous hot pot. Guests enter the restaurant though a vibrant ‘marketplace’ with gleaming saltwater and freshwater tanks of fish, crustaceans and mollusks, sumptuous displays of meat, chefs crafting fresh noodles and dumplings, and wooden crates brimming with seasonal vegetables such as song rong Chinese truffles and fresh local fruits from red-heart kiwis to tangy loquats.
Providing a more subdued atmosphere is Steak House, a refined dining space aiming to offer the finest cuts of meat in the city, as well as an array of classic European dishes. Diners can experience entertaining guéridon-style, tableside cooking of dishes such as steak tartare and crêpes suzette.
Events & Activities
With more than 32,000 square feet of event space on the 10th and 12th floors, Grand Hyatt Chengdu is striving to be the capital’s preeminent event venue. Palais, a 7,664 square foot ballroom, features high ceilings and dazzling angled mirror panels, and it is currently the only ballroom in the city center with a fully equipped lighting system.
Complementing Palais is the French Garden, a 14,500 square foot Versailles-style outdoor terrace surrounded by sculptural red-bean cedar hedging and flowerbeds, box topiary and flowing fountains . It currently serves as the only outdoor wedding venue in the city center. Meanwhile, Peng on the 13th floor is perfect for the post-wedding, pre-ceremony tradition of mahjong playing. Five separate private rooms, each with automatic tile-mixing tables and its own bathroom, surround a central bar area.
In addition, Grand Hyatt Chengdu offers nine separate Residences, which are stylish residential-style meeting spaces measuring between 870 and 3,300 square feet, seven of which feature separate living rooms and two with direct access to open kitchens.
On the 13th floor, guests will discover a range of facilities where they can exercise, relax and rejuvenate. The Fitness Centre is equipped with the latest exercise machines, while a huge wood-lined skylight provides natural daylight to the heated swimming pool and whirlpool. Huan Spa houses five private spa suites and 12-foot massagers, alongside steam rooms and saunas in the changing rooms.
Grand Hyatt Chengdu promises to leave a lasting impression on visitors coming from near and far, a lasting memory and encounter of culture and heritage that they will surely take back with them in their daily lives.
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