Shangri-La plans more hotels here

JAKARTA (JP): Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, a Hong Kong-based hotel operator with a portfolio of 34 hotels, plans to operate 50 hotels by the year 2000.

Among the additional hotels will be the Traders Hotel, on Jl. Hayam Wuruk, in Jakarta, according to Shangri-La Jakarta spokeswoman, Romy Herlambang.

"Shangri-La is studying the possibility of managing more hotels in Indonesia," Romy said, adding that Shangri-La began in 1971 with the opening of the Shangri-La Singapore.

Today there are 34 hotels throughout the Asia-Pacific region representing a room inventory of more than 15,000, she added.

The company currently manages three hotels in Indonesia: the Bali Dynasty Resort, in Bali, which opened in 1994, the Shangri- La Jakarta, which opened in 1994 and the Shangri-La Surabaya in Surabaya, East Java (1995).

The Traders, owned by Danamon, will be Shangri-La's fourth hotel in Indonesia. The planned 450-room hotel, constructed at a cost of about US$50 million, is scheduled for completion by 1998.

Traders Hotels are aimed at mid-market, cost-conscious travelers. They feature smaller rooms and fewer bars and restaurants than the existing Shangri-Las.

Herlambang said that in addition to the Traders Jakarta, Shangri-La, controlled by the Kuok group, will open seven other hotels and resorts within the next three years, increasing its rooms to over 21,000.

Among the hotels to be opened include Shangri-La Wuhan, Shangri-La Palm Beach and Shangri-La Yangon.

Shangri-La announced earlier this year that it planned to expand in China by buying 13 hotel companies. (icn)