New Hotels and Resorts in Asia

Nikki Beach Resort to Open in Koh Samui, Thailand
Nikki Beach has chosen the island of Koh Samui in Thailand to launch a new Nikki Beach Club this December. Nikki Beach Koh Samui will be on the west coast of the island at Lipa Noi Beach. The beach club, pool bar and sunset terrace lounge will open in December 2008 with retail operations following in the first quarter of 2009.

The second phase of the project will comprise a private enclave of 16 two-bedroom beach and garden villas, scheduled to open by July 2009. Phase three will culminate with the opening of the official Nikki Beach Resort complex, consisting of 80 one-, two- and three-bedroom condo-hotel residences and four ultra-exclusive penthouse suites. Completion of the condominium construction phase is scheduled for the end of 2010.

Visit www.nikkibeachhotels.com.

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts Enters the Vietnam Market
Swiss chain Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has assumed management of the Omni Hotel Saigon, which opened in 1994 as Ho Chi Minh City’s inaugural international-standard hotel. Now called Mövenpick Hotel Saigon, the landmark is undergoing upgrades and changes that will bring it into the high-end category. Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts’ arrival in Ho Chi Minh City is the first in a series of steps the group plans in Vietnam. A similar overhaul-and-operate strategy has been plotted at the former Guoman Hotel in Hanoi, starting in January, as well as the development of up to three more hotels in Vietnam by 2010.

Visit www.moevenpick-hotels.com.

Hyatt Regency Chongqing to Open in 2012
Chongqing, the most populous city in China, will see a new Hyatt Hotels & Resorts’ 354-room hotel in 2012. The site of the 27-story Hyatt Regency Chongqing is in the Jingbei District, the city’s new Central Business District. The hotel is part of the Ocean Plaza, a multi-complex development that combines shopping and offices with various dining and entertainment experiences.

Visit www.hyatt.com.

Mandarin Oriental to Introduce Luxury Residences in Taipei
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group announced an agreement to brand and manage 26 luxury residences that will be developed on a 14-story site adjacent to the planned Mandarin Oriental, Taipei in the heart of the city’s central financial and business district. The project will open in 2010 and is the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s first residential project in Asia. Owners of the residences will enjoy easy access to the facilities of the adjacent 300-room Mandarin Oriental, Taipei.

Visit www.mandarinoriental.com.