Beverly Hilton Undergoes US$60 Million Renovation

Twelfth Marriott Resort Planned For Asia Pacific

Island of Fiji - When the 250-room Fiji Marriott Resort opens in 2005, it will be Marriott's first branded property at the destination and the 12th resort in its Asia Pacific lodging portfolio.

The hotel will be located on Momi Bay, approximately a 45-minute drive from Nadi International Airport. Accommodations at the resort will be larger than most standard hotel rooms and will feature four-fixture baths. Twenty-two of the rooms will be over-water bungalows and suites.

Guests will have access to a casual restaurant serving three meals daily, including a grand buffet, a specialty restaurant and a poolside restaurant that will serve lunch and dinner. Also available will be a deli restaurant, poolside bar and lobby lounge. Other amenities will include a fitness and spa center, two resort-style pools, a children's pool, a wedding pavilion, and conference and ballroom space.

Marriott International, Washington, D.C., will manage the Fiji Marriott Resort under a long-term agreement reached with Unitava Limited.

Park Plaza Hotel Is Part Of Landmark Development

Cardiff, England - Park Plaza Hotels Europe announced the development of the 4-star deluxe, 131-room Park Plaza Cardiff as part of the Greyfriars Development, a US$27 million (£15 million) landmark development currently being constructed on the site of the former Mid Glamorgan council offices. This will be Park Plaza's sixth UK hotel when it opens in early 2005.

The entire hotel will be designed with art as the principal theme. Each of the hotel's 131 guestrooms will contain pieces of original art, from contemporary wall sculptures to original drawings and will be created by interior designer Peggy Prendeville.

The bathrooms will be tiled in large, green, limestone-effect tiles with freestanding washstands. Adjoining the hotel will be a 5,500-sq. ft. (510-sq. m) restaurant and bar located on the ground floor, which will have its own entrance.

Shangri-La Going Strong In Asia

Chiang Mai, Thailand/Chengdu, China - Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, Hong Kong, is further strengthening its position in Asia with the announcement of two new deluxe hotel developments in Thailand and China.

The 250-room Shangri-La Hotel in Chiang Mai will be the group's second hotel in Thailand and is scheduled to open in mid-2006. The hotel's spacious guestrooms will start at 515 sq. ft (48 sq. m) and many will be as large as 625 sq. ft. (57 sq. m). The hotel's restaurants and bars will include an innovative Western restaurant, Thai restaurant, poolside restaurant, deli, and lobby lounge, as well as a pool bar within the hotel's gardens.

A major feature of the hotel will be a 10,800-sq. ft. (1,000-sq. m) village-style spa located in the gardens. Other amenities include large meeting and banquet facilities that will feature a 15,070-sq. ft. (1,400-sq. m) grand ballroom, which can accommodate up to 1,200 guests, plus function rooms and breakout areas.

The 580-room Shangri-La Hotel, Chengdu, China, also will have 30 service apartments and will be Shangri-La's first hotel in the Sichuan Province. Facilities will include a Horizon Club, several restaurants and a comprehensive health club and swimming pool. The meeting and banquet facilities will be the largest in the city and include a 22,000-sq. ft. (2,043-sq. m) grand ballroom able to accommodate up to 1,750 people, a state-of-the-art auditorium, a junior ballroom and supporting breakout rooms. The hotel is scheduled to open in late 2006.