The Beijing Tourism Group (BTG) and international hotel management group GHM have formalized a joint venture partnership and announced plans to launch an upscale resort concept branded Ahn Luh. The partners, together with a third investor, the Great Ocean Group (GOG), said the group’s first properties will debut in the next two to three years. The first property will be the Ahn Luh Dujiangyan in Chengdu.
Created by BTG chairman Duan Qiang, GOG founder Whitney Duan and resort visionary Adrian Zecha, who founded Amanresorts and co-founded GHM with Hans R. Jenni, the Ahn Luh brand will encapsulate the best of the various brands that Adrian Zecha has successfully introduced over the years. Ahn Luh will cater to discerning travelers, as well as the growing Chinese tourism market.
“Resorts in the new Ahn Luh brand aim to promote and practice what we have termed the ‘China services’ concept,” said Duan. “In essence, this concept marries internationally accepted standards of quality with distinct, local features. The result is the fusing of old-world Chinese hospitality with contemporary elegance to create value added products, while contributing to an eco-friendly environment.”
The design at each Ahn Luh property will differ, with individually handcrafted resorts that incorporate elements reflective of the arts and culture of its particular locale.
“The Ahn Luh Dujiangyan is a project where the historical and cultural elements feature prominently given that the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, along with Mount Qingcheng, are on the UNESCO World Heritage list,” said Douglas Zhao, executive chairman of the Ahn Luh group. “We’re planning to build on the great architectural traditions that have evolved in China over the past 3,000 years but, at the same time, we’re looking to exude the enthusiasm and the innovative spirit that abounds throughout China.”
Ahn Luh is planning future developments in major cities and tourism destinations throughout the country. In the pipeline are hotels in Beijing, the Pearl River Delta and Southwest China. Ahn Luh’s hotels will feature 50- to 100-room and villa properties, featuring spacious accommodations with rooms as large as 645 square feet and 1,300-square-foot suites. As a complement to each hotel’s spa, a resident Tai Chi master will manage an on-site Tai Chi Centre.
Other distinguishing features include ‘dian xin’ breakfast, an all-day, Chinese-style tapas bar, indoor and outdoor pools, a library and a cigar lounge, airport concierges and a fleet of Wi-Fi-enabled cars. Each hotel will also house a retail shop selling regional goods as well as traditional Chinese medicine. Some Ahn Luh properties will include private villas and residences. All properties will feature meetings facilities that provide intimate spaces for executive retreats.
The Details
Ahn Luh Resorts & Residenceswww.ahnluh.com