Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has announced the opening of the 563-room Shangri-La Hotel, Ningbo.

This is the group's third property in Zhejiang province after Shangri-La Hotel, Hangzhou and Shangri-La Hotel, Wenzhou and brings its current portfolio to 28 hotels in mainland China.

Ningbo is a two-hour drive from Shanghai via the Hangzhou Bay Bridge and a two-hour flight from Hong Kong. The Shangri-La Hotel, Ningbo is located in the heart of the central business district, at the confluence of the Fenghua, Yuyao and Yong Rivers. The city's latest luxury hotel, it is a 20-minute drive from the airport and within walking distance of Ningbo's largest shopping area, Tianyi Square, and major tourist attractions.

The guestrooms at Shangri-La Hotel, Ningbo feature broadband Internet access, as well as integrated audio-visual equipment. Guests can interface personal electronic devices such as MP3 players, iPods, and digital cameras in their rooms and Shangri-La say that this the first hotel in Ningbo to offer such technology. Guestrooms measure from 45 square meters upwards, while suites range in size from 90 to 225 square meters.

For MICE the hotel has 5,000 square meters of meeting and banqueting space, facilities include a 2,000-square-meter, column-free grand ballroom — the largest of its kind in Zhejiang province — and a variety of function rooms. In addition, a purpose-built VIP interview room, the first-of-its-kind in the city, offers a facility for guests to hold high-level dialogues.

The health club has the city's largest lap pool (25 meters), a gym and two tennis courts, and is complemented by a fully-equipped spa with nine private treatment rooms.

The hotel offers guests a range of dining options, including 13 private dining rooms at the hotel's signature Chinese restaurant, Shang Palace, which serves fine Cantonese cuisine and local culinary delights. Yi Café, showcasing open kitchens and views of the city's three rivers, provides all-day dining. The Lobby Lounge provides a venue for meetings and relaxation. Featuring seafood and premium cuts of meat, the Lobster Bar and the Grill also provides guests with live jazz performances every night.

(China Hospitality News August 26, 2009)