With strong support from Shanghai Xu Hui District Travel Bureau, Regal Hotels International (RHI) set up in mid July its first regional office, the Regal Hotels Management (Shanghai) Limited (Regal Hotels Management) in a prime location at Xu Hui District, Shanghai, signifying a step closer to the market including both tourism partners and hotel owners.

There are two other operating units working under the same roof, namely Shanghai 8D Travel Limited, a travel company jointly owned by RHI and Xu Hui District Travel Bureau and with a website offering a host of online reservation services and RHI Shanghai Sales Office.

Regal Hotels Management is the first regional office of Regal Group in China with working focus on opportunities for hotel property acquisition, management contracts and manpower networking in China, particularly the Eastern China region. The office is charged with a mission to build strong relationship with consultants, hotel owners & investors, tourism bureaus, local government officials as well as media, aiming to identify potential hotel projects for acquisition and management.

Shanghai 8D focuses on the build-up of B2B and B2C reservation business. It has recently launched a professional online platform – 8dtravel.com.cn, which offers one-stop shopping reservation services of air ticket and hotel accommodation and MICE Group booking of meeting venues. The booking platform is fully automated targeting retail travel agencies and corporate users. It is able to offer end users immediate response and being highly stable and manageable in comparison with existing booking system of other similar online travel webs. RHI Shanghai Sales Office is responsible for marketing, sales and reservation activities of the current and future Regal Hotels in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

The Management office was officially inaugurated by Ms. Belinda Yeung, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of RHI, Mr Wang Yi, Deputy Bureau Director of Shanghai Xuhui District Tourism Administration Bureau and hotel owner’s representatives including Mr. Ling Wei Gong, Vice General Manager of Shanghai East Asia (Group) Corp and Mr Li Jun, Deputy General Manager of Shanghai Jinfeng Investment Company Ltd.

The strong economy drives lots of overseas business and leisure travellers to China and the increasing income and living standard of Chinese citizens also boosts domestic demand for hospitality service. All these factors, coupled with positive impact from the organization of Beijing Olympics 2008 and Shanghai World Expo 2010, will definitely contribute to a sustainable growth of travel and hotel industry in China in the long run.

Ms. Belinda Yeung, COO of RHI stated at the ceremony, “The Group will focus more on brand building, hotel management and network development. We aim to be the leading hotel brand in Asia with focus on first and second-tier cities in China with an ultimate target to manage or own more than 20 hotels in the region in five years’ time. With our solid hotel management experience in the region and internationally, backed up by our extensive global sales and reservation network, we are confident that the Group will be able to optimize the opportunities derived from the booming China economy.”

Subsequent to the spin off of Regal Real Estate Investment Trust in March 2007, the Group has held substantial cash for its network expansion in China. Up to date, the Group has made significant progress in its China network expansion including the acquisition of a prime site at Chengdu for development of a 5-star hotel and related commercial area and successfully securing a management contract for providing pre-opening consultancy, pre-opening services and hotel management to Regal Jinfeng Hotel scheduled to open in early 2009 in Pudong, Shanghai.

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Regal Hotels International is one of the largest hotel operators in Hong Kong with around 6,000 fine rooms in total. Regal operates five quality hotels in Hong Kong, namely Regal Airport Hotel, Regal Hongkong Hotel, Regal Kowloon Hotel, Regal Oriental Hotel and Regal Riverside Hotel; and three in Shanghai, namely Regal International East Asia Hotel, Regal Shanghai East Asia Hotel and Regal Jinfeng Hotel which will open in early 2009 in Pudong.In addition, the Group is developing a five-star hotel in Chengdu which is scheduled to open by stage in late 2009.

For media enquiry, please contact:
Group Director of Communications – Ms. Lily Chan
Tel: 2837-1963 Fax: 2890-5073
Email: lily.chan@RegalHotel.com

Assistant Communications Manager – Ms. Angela Cheu
Tel: 2837-1650 Fax: 2890-5073
Email: angela.cheu@RegalHotel.com