Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/907804
DESTINATION | Hangzhou, CHINA 36 NOV-DEC 2017 meetings & conventions • mcmag-asia.com Think big. Plan grand. Words Brooke Thio Newer, larger venues and upmarket hotels in Hangzhou boost the city's appeal for local and international MICE groups. Centered around the Hangzhou International Conference Center and Hangzhou Grand Theater, the Qianjiang Central Business District represents the city's modern side, and more international hotel chains are opening there to cater to business travellers. The 242- room Park Hyatt Hangzhou, which opened in November last will see the hotel's addition of a 900sqm conference hall, 5 meetings rooms, VR conferencing equipment, and a total capacity of 302 rooms. Hi-Tech Hospitality Hangzhou's status as a technology hub for southern China has grown in recent years as multinational firms like Motorola and Siemens have established R&D centres there. In August, ecommerce giant Alibaba Group entered a joint venture with Marriott International to deliver personalised digital travel services to mainland Chinese tourists. Arne Sorenson, president and CEO, Marriott International was quoted as commenting that the partnership allowed Marriott to pair its hospitality expertise with Alibaba's digital travel platform, retail expertise and digital payment platform, Alipay, and to drive membership to its loyalty programmes. In Hangzhou, where Alibaba is headquarted, one can already find smart hotel solutions being tested: its Tmall Genie voice-activated speakers can be found in the guestrooms of Hangzhou's High Xuan Spa Hotel. The Ballroom at Park Hyatt Hangzhou An elegant lobby at Diaoyutai Hotel Hangzhou year within the MIXC complex, boasts a rooftop dining destination Forty8 encompassing a live music stage, private dining pavilions, and a glass-bottom floor extending from the top of the building. For extended stays, the Ascott Raffles City Hangzhou will open in 2018 with 179 serviced residence units within the 300,000sqm Raffles City Hangzhou integrated development. The property that's garnered the most attention, however, is the Diaoyutai Hotel Hangzhou, which takes on the reputation of the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. In addition to the Sky Ballroom and two rooftop gardens on the hotel's 18th floor, 2018