Jumeirah seeks five China hotels by 2010

Dalian: Luxury hotels group Jumeirah hopes to be operating at least five hotels in greater China by the end of 2010, the Dubai-based company's executive chairman, Gerald Lawless, said yesterday.

Jumeirah, which operates Burj Al Arab hotel, is set to open its first hotel in Asia outside the Middle East in Shanghai in August of next year, Lawless said.

The group is also looking into arrangements to manage hotels in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou, the special administrative region of Macau and in the resort town of Sanya, on the southern island province of Hainan.

Lawless declined to disclose the progress of long-standing talks to open a hotel in Beijing, but said the group hoped to be able to announce news on such a deal by the end of this year.

"I see us being very busy, say two-and-a-half, three years from now in terms of openings" in China, Lawless said on the sidelines of a meeting of the World Economic Forum.

In addition to having five hotels open by that time, he said, "I would hope to have some more under development."

Second brand

The firm is also considering introducing a second brand that would potentially have hotels in second-tier cities or alongside the flagship brand in gateway cities, Lawless said - something that could offer further room for expansion in China and other Asian countries.

"At some stage in our existence it is likely that we will also introduce a second brand, but we're still working out exactly the format of such a brand," he said.