Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts announced today the opening of a five-star hotel in Ningbo in Zhejiang province, China in early 2007, at a ground-breaking ceremony in the city.

Designed by Hong Kong-based Wong and Tung International Company, the 550-room Shangri-La Hotel, Ningbo will be located in the city's major commercial district in Jiangdong Street, only a 20-minute drive from the airport, and will feature spectacular views of the junction of three rivers. The hotel will be the group's second property in Zhejiang province following the opening of the Shangri-La Hotel, Hangzhou in 1984.

Contemporary yet classically styled, the hotel's guest rooms will measure a minimum of 45 square metres, and will provide guests with the full array of Shangri-La services and facilities, including 24-hour room service, same day laundry and valet service, satellite TV, data ports and broadband internet access. In addition, there will be wireless in the hotel's public areas. The five floors of Horizon Club accommodation, Shangri-La's exclusive retreat for discerning travellers, will offer a host of special amenities and privileges, as well as a Horizon Club lounge for daily breakfast and cocktails, meeting rooms, express check-in and check-out services.

The Shangri-La Hotel, Ningbo will also provide a selection of bars and restaurants including a lobby lounge, a coffee shop, a Chinese restaurant, an innovative speciality restaurant, as well as a rooftop restaurant and bar featuring stunning views of the city and the rivers.

The hotel's meeting and banqueting facilities will boast a 2,000-square-metre grand ballroom, which will be the largest in the city, complemented by other function rooms to cater to different event requirements. Other major hotel facilities will include a business centre, spa and health club with an indoor swimming pool.