Life> Travel

Comfort that costs less

By Shi Yingying (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-02-06 10:50

In the heart of Shanghai's developing urban sprawl in Putuo district, the Radisson Hotel Shanghai Hongquan is catering to a growing clientele, as traffic in the western pocket of the city continues to swell.

"The area is developing and evolving," says general manager Steve Finlayson. "The brand new Shanghai West Train Station will be ready by July 1. That will make this area an improved transportation hub with two metro lines and an inter-city rail to Nanjing and Suzhou."

The first value-added hotel in the area is bent on providing its guests, over half of which are international business travelers, a completely hassle-free stay. All overseas guests are offered pick-up service at the airport upon arrival.

"When you travel that kind of distance, you want things to be prepared and ready for you," Finlayson says. "Having a driver in a foreign country meet you and take you straight to your hotel makes a huge difference."

When guests arrive at the hotel lobby, three restaurants and two bars stocked with the freshest and highest quality victuals await. Guest have no reason to go out in search of good food and fun, Finlayson says.

"We use milk imported from New Zealand to make our cappuccinos, we import Australian beef for our steaks, use salmon from Norway for our seafood buffets, and we buy Illy coffee to serve our guests because that is reputedly the best brand available globally," he says. "But, our hairy crabs are local."

Despite the hotel's numerous value-added services, it remains affordable. Rates at the Radisson Hongquan are lower than those of other five-star hotels in the city.

"With rates ranging from 600 to 800 yuan, we're a more cost-effective option for this sort of product," Finlayson says. "We have the price advantage, in addition to quality."