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Radisson Plaza at the Pier |
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| Cairns, Australia, August 4, 2004 - Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts,
Asia Pacific's leading luxury hotel group, announces today the management
takeover and re-branding of Shangri-La Hotel, The Marina, Cairns, formerly
the Radisson Plaza at the Pier, in north Queensland. The 256-room
five-star hotel is currently undergoing extensive refurbishment, costing
more than A$25 million (about US$17.6 million), that will be completed
by January 2005. Improvements will be carried out on the hotel's
existing guest rooms and will incorporate a new lobby, new Horizon Club
rooms with Horizon Club lounge, four new conference rooms, a new restaurant
and a fitness center. The hotel is being transformed by Sydney-based Watermark
Architecture and Interiors.
According to Ed Brea, the hotel's General Manager, "We are very excited about the re-branding of the hotel and look forward to bringing Shangri-La's unique services with traditional Asian values to Cairns. The hotel's prime location, state-of-the-art facilities and exceptionally warm and personalized service will be our defining features." Surveying the marina, the hotel's exclusive Horizon Club will offer 36 new and contemporary Marina View Rooms, each measuring over 600 square feet inclusive of the balcony and featuring 11-foot-high ceilings, wooden floors, luxurious furnishings, ocean view bathrooms and large terraces overlooking the yachts and mountains. Shangri-La Hotel, The Marina, Cairns provides a selection of restaurants and bars including an all day dining restaurant and fine dining featuring modern Australian cuisine for dinner. Recreational facilities include an outdoor swimming pool situated in over an acre of lush tropical gardens and a fitness center. Conference facilities offer a 400-seat ballroom, three private boardrooms and two breakout rooms with seating capacity for a further 150 guests. Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently manages 44 hotels in Australia, mainland China, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates, with a rooms inventory of over 21,000. In addition, the group has over 20 projects under development in Canada, China, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Oman, Qatar and Thailand. |
| Contact:
Lori Lincoln
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Located
in the new heart of Cairns, the hotel adjoins the fully refurbished Pier
Shopping Centre with open-air restaurants overlooking a new waterfront
boardwalk, 4,305-square-foot swimming lagoon and world-class marina.
The hotel is only ten minutes drive from Cairns International Airport and
an ideal base for visits to the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef
and Daintree Rainforest. The vibrant waterfront areas adjoining the
Pier Shopping Centre have been created by Cairns Port Authority and Cairns
City Council, and, together with the new Shangri-La hotel, offer an ideal
location for both business and leisure travelers.