Shangri-La on Watson Island

Hotel projects on Watson Island are heating up. Last week, we mentioned the new Westin Hotel. Today it was announced that China’s largest luxury-hotel operator, Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, has plans to open a 147-room hotel on Watson Island in 2008.

The Hong Kong-based company picked Watson Island as the first outpost for its U.S. expansion because Miami will be a natural destination for Chinese executives doing business in Latin America, a rapidly growing trade outlet for Chinese companies.

28 million Chinese traveled abroad last year, a 40-percent increase from 2003. The World Tourism Organization expects that figure to surge to 100 million travelers by 2020, but the U.S. tourism industry doesn’t expect big profits from Chinese tourists until travel restrictions are lifted by both countries.

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently manages 48 hotels, with a rooms inventory of over 21,000. For information about the Shangri-La Hotel in Miami call (212) 382 3155.

Via: Miami Herald (registration required)

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