Carlson Enters Tibet With Park Plaza Brand

Carlson Hotels Worldwide has signed an agreement to open its first property in Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. People's Republic of China.

The 87-room Park Plaza Lhasa City Center, owned by Tibet Gakyiling Construction Company, will be located along one of Lhasa's main streets in the newly developed city center.

When the hotel opens in 2010, guests will have easy access to all parts of the city, including the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and Lhasa Gonggar Airport, which offers flights to major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu, as well as an international connection to Kathmandu, Nepal.

According to Jean-Marc Busato, the managing director for Asia Pacific of Carlson Hotels Worldwide the agreement is also part of their strategic plan to enter more regional markets over the next three years.

Designed by the Nepal Disgn Cell Designer Company, the Park Plaza Lhasa City Center will be an ancient-Tibet-style building. At an altitude of 3,650 meters, the hotel's facilities include a business centre, and meeting and banquet rooms.

Carlson currently has nine hotels in operation in China. These include The Regent Beijing, the luxury flagship property for the group in China, and the 270-room Radisson Plaza Hotel Tianjin which soft-opened last month. There are another nine hotels under development in China.