History, Olympics, and AI draw luxury hotels to Beijing

A grand history, a pair of Olympics, and an AI-driven strategy are luring international hotel groups to open their branches in Beijing amid the globally sluggish hospitality sector.

Sander van Delden, general manager of The Ritz Carlton Beijing, North and the Beijing Marriott Marquis Hotel, told China Daily: "The two luxurious hotels will be open in Chaoyang district, Beijing, in the third quarter this year."

Van Delden worked in the hospitality sector during the 2008 Beijing Olympics and is excited to return to manage the promising twin hotels. He noted Beijing's history and status as a pioneering AI city as a benefit of the hotels' locations. "In our hospitality sector, we see there are opportunities to use and incorporate AI," he said.

The two hotels will reside in the newly opened Phase 2 of the China National Convention Center in Chaoyang, a district that prioritizes AI-driven scenarios and AI-empowered infrastructure in its development.