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Starwood’s ‘Luxury Collection’ brand appears to be in expansion mode. Earlier in the month we had an announcement that the brand would be opening Las Alcobas on the site of the old Grandview Hotel & Spa in Napa and now they’ve announced a castle!
Photo courtesy of Forbes.com
According to Forbes magazine, The Luxury Collection brand has announced the opening of The Castle Hotel, Dailan, Northeast China (I wonder how many meetings it took for them to come up with that name?!).
The Castle, built in a Bavarian-style, sits on Lotus Mountain in Dailan and overlooks Xinghai Bay and the Yellow Sea. The property offers 292 “luxurious guest rooms and suites as well as 67 residences, offering stunning ocean views with meticulous interior designs.”
The property has undergone extensive renovation works but the exterior “remains true to the original European-inspired architecture with hand-selected stones gracing the façade of the castle.” The interior “boasts an opulent, contemporary design where each detail – from the wall decorations and furniture to the ornaments and art collections – tell a story.”
The hotel has three restaurants offering a range of cuisines from local, authentic dishes featuring “sea-to-table” seafood through to European and Pan Asian fare. The property will also feature two lounge areas – the Lobby Lounge and the Aristocrat lounge. “The Lobby Lounge is an elegant bar offering the classic high tea; while the Aristocrat Lounge is the perfect venue for wines and cigars.”
The Grand Lobby – photo courtesy of Forbes.comWith the experience being described as “opulent” and with the hotel boasting an indoor swimming pool, state-of-the-art fitness center, luxurious Kaiser Spa and continuing the Luxury Collection’s tradition of employing super-high-end concierges, I wasn’t expect prices to be particularly reasonable – but they’re not that bad. Depending on time of year the standard rooms (538-646sqft) appear to cost between 1,600-2,300CNY ($260-$375) per night.
More importantly, the hotel is down as an SPG Category 4 property making it a potentially great SPG redemption if you’d like to explore somewhere new. At 10,000 Starpoints for a free night or $75 + 5,000 Starpoints if you choose the cash + points option, this property shows promise for those looking to get value out of their Statpoints balance.
Some of my best value SPG redemptions have been in China, with my favorite being a $65 + 4,500 Starpoints per night redemption for the St Regis Beijing. The room came with it’s own butler and was larger and plusher than a lot of the suites you’ll find in most major cities. Granted, it was shoulder season, but I got to see Beijing and stay in a fantastically appointed hotel for a lot less that would have otherwise been possible – I’ll be hoping for more of the same with The Castle.
