Chimelong Resort in Guangzhou, China, has opened a new hotel and convention centre. The 1,100 Chimelong Hotel is underpinned by an ecological theme with stylish touches to remind guests of their location close to the resort’s Xiangjiang Safari Park.
The property adjoins the existing hotel close to Chimelong Paradise amusement park and Chimelong International Circus and has already won an award for “best themed hotel in China.”
Each of the luxuriously-appointed rooms and suites celebrates wildlife and the rainforest with spacious balconies overlooking natural surroundings. Some also have great views over into Chimelong Water Park.
As many of the resort’s existing visitors come from within a 150km radius, the new hotel is being pitched at guests from Hong Kong and beyond as Chimelong seeks to develop from a regional theme park into a destination resort. The group also operates another hotel off-site in Panyu, the Xiangjiang Hotel.
The convention centre, meanwhile, includes a 6,000 square metre, column-free exhibition hall with state-of-the-art facilities and technical support, plus 36 multi-function rooms suitable for meetings, seminars and banquets.
New improvements have also been made at the Chimelong Water Park, now in its third season. Live music each afternoon from a Brazilian samba band and a disco in the wave pool from 5pm keep the energy levels high at this award-winning facility. Weekly heats of a Miss Bikini competition are also being staged, the winner due to be announced at the end of the season.
With 550,000 guests in June alone, the waterpark is on course for another record season (last year’s figure for the same month was 255,000). “At this moment, we believe we may reach the two million mark this year,” declares Chimelong Group director of investment, Tony Sze.
Audiences at the circus will notice a number of changes and additions to the programme in 2009. Meanwhile at Xiangjiang Safari, Chimelong has increased its panda population by four to 10 – the largest private collection in China.
Recently the Chimelong Group announced plans for a marine park and resort development at Hengqin Island in Zhuhai, close to Macau (see Park World, July 2009).
