Swissôtel opens third property in China and other international hotel news

Swissôtel opens third property in ChinaSwissôtel Hotels & Resorts has opened the Swissôtel Grand in Shanghai, its third property in China. The 467-room, five-star hotel is based in the Jing'An quarter and has four restaurants, bars and a spa. The company, which already operates two hotels in Beijing and Kunchan, is set to open a fourth hotel in the city of Foshan, Guangdong in the next few weeks. "China is an extremely important market for us and is enjoying steady growth", said Meinhard Huck, president Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts.

Marriott to expand presence in India
Marriott International will build a luxury resort hotel near the Bengaluru airport in Devananahalli, India at a cost of $200m (£100m). The company has tied up with Bangalore-based leading property developer Prestige Group, to set up the 300-room hotel on a 275-acre plot. The five-star hotel, which opens in 2010, will feature 30 luxury suites, a ballroom, banqueting hall and a lounge bar, as well as a luxury spa and private lake.

Hilton to launch Doubletree brand in Russia
Hilton Hotels has entered into a franchise agreement with ZAO Russkaya Kompaniya Razvitiya, a subsidiary of the London & Regional Group, to launch the Doubletree by Hilton chain in Russia. The agreement will result in 25 new hotels across Russia. The first of the Doubletree brand hotel will open in Novosibirsk, Russia's third largest city, and will open at the end of 2008. The 188-room hotel will be located in the city's Lenin Square, and will comprise a bar, a restaurant, and health club. Hilton expects to open more than 70 hotels across Russia in the next 10 years.

Bono plans multimillion-pound hotel expansion
Rock group U2's front man Bono has said he wants to spend £118.6m transforming his Dublin-based Clarence hotel into a city resort. The singer bought the boutique hotel in 1992 with fellow band mate The Edge. The duo has hired renowned architect Sir Norman Foster to draw up the plans for an overhaul of the 49-room hotel. The design is reported to include a glass atrium in the shape of a Viking long boat. Although the plans have been passed by the city council, they have been met with opposition from locals who object to the demolition of the adjacent historic buildings. The pair will appear before a planning board in the next week.

By Gemma Sharkey

E-mail your comments to Gemma Sharkey here.