Willow Stream Spas

Asia is a Continent known for its diversity and contrast. It’s a culture that is continually adapting new trends, regarding health and wellness, technology, fashion, cosmetics, and engineering.

Whatever it may be, Asia has their finger on the pulse and are commonly topping the latest and greatest.

Asia has seen a surge of new developments in the hospitality industry, the symbiosis of Western customs and Eastern traditions are making countries like China the spot on everyone’s list.

Willow Stream Spas, the sanctuaries inside Fairmont Hotels & Resorts are one of the frontrunners driving this trend by bringing three brand new world class spas to China. Shanghai and Beijing debuted this year, and an additional new location has just been announced that is slated to open in late 2012 in Nanjing.

Asia-Pacific has the largest number of spas and hotels under development of any region in the world, with 77% of that regional hotel expansion in 2011 earmarked for China and India (56% and 21%, respectively).

Asian culture plays a huge role in today’s modern spa world incorporating many practices like yoga, shiatsu massage, Ayurvedic medicine, reflexology, acupuncture and many more into their services.

Some of the most famous hotel/resort spas brands have emerged from Asia. For instance, Willow Streams Spa at the Fairmont Peace Hotel combines Eastern and Western techniques in treatments, and draws inspiration not only from the region, but the hotel’s legacy and aspects of its original decor (more details can be found in the release pasted below).

With 64 hotels, Fairmont Peace Hotel are known as much for their warm, engaging service and culturally rich experiences, as its classic hotels that imbue a sense of heritage, sophistication and social importance and are often considered destinations in their own right.

State Guest Da Hung Pao

It’s been long reported, that the fragrance of State Guest Da Hung Pao tea can often last until the next day.

State Guest Da Hung Pao is a long-lasting tea with a delicate perfume.

Similar to oolong, which is a semi-fermented tea, tea lovers will often pay big bucks to enjoy a cup of State Guest Da Hung Pao tea.

With 40 stores across greater China, you can enjoy a cup of State Guest Da Hung Pao tea at a Wu Yi Star Teahouse.

Wu Yi Star Teahouse charges a rate of 16,800 Hong Kong dollars (US$2,160) for a small pinch of leaves weighing around 50 grams.

Don’t be fooled by the expensive price. There is strong demand for this tea but limited supply at the chain of China tea shops.

Only 100 canisters of State Guest Da Hung Pao tea are available each year and are sold out usually in less than two months.

Don’t wait to long, because the waiting list for the 2011-year harvest is already underway.

Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake -China

Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake has opened and is the epitome of the luxury hotel industry in China.

The Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake resides near the clear blue waters of China’s historic West Lake, in addition to being flanked by majestic mountains.

The luxurious Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake is the fourth property opened in China by Four Seasons.

As its China expansion continue, the Four Seasons has plans to open additional hotel properties in Beijing, Guangzhou, Qingdao, Shanghai Pudong, Shenzhen, Suzhou, plus two other properties in Sanya.

It’s an impressive property and offers its guest 78 luxury rooms, in addition to featuring a series of pagoda-style pavilions that overlook a meandering lagoon and linked by walkways through landscaped water gardens offering a peaceful retreat for its patrons.

For the ultimate in fine dining, the Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake offers Jin Sha, the hotel’s chic restaurant features both delicious Cantonese and Shanghainese cuisine. Jin Sha restaurant is championed by celebrity chef, Tony Lu. The restaurant also includes eleven private dining rooms, plus a lively bar.

The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou was inspired by ancient traditions, yet modernly equipped with 21st-century technologies and therapies. The spa features nine treatment rooms.

Under the direction of Helen Yau, the spa will focus on traditional Chinese and Asian rituals designed for beauty and rejuvenation.

For additional information, please visit – Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake

Photo by: Getty Images

The global economy is still teetering, but most economists believe the the worst is beyond us.

With an uncertain global economy ahead of us, what are the next steps that need to be taken for the luxury market to regain its top billing? Oddly, it may be China.

Many business executives from around the world are looking to China, and more specifically towards the Chinese consumer to give that needed boost and raise the global economy out of recession.

Research firm McKinsey & Co released a study that states by 2015, China will become the world’s fourth-largest population of wealthy households, with an estimated number of 4.4 million.

Now it’s quite possible that China could become world’s biggest luxury market for goods. It seems that wealthy Chinese citizens overall appear to be younger than their counterparts in the West.

Most wealthy Chinese indicate that the Internet weighs heavily on their purchasing decisions, giving Western companies an inroad with this increasingly affluent group.

A joint study (2009 China Luxury Forecast) was performed by Ruder Finn Asia and Albatross Global Solutions It may be a bit surprising that more than half of wealthy Chinese state the current world recession really isn’t impacting their purchasing decisions.

The research study also stated that luxury brands Louis Vuitton and Cartier were two of the most preferred brands among Chinese luxury consumers.

Another important fact is the prevalent use of the Internet by the affluent Chinese. Almost 90% of those talked to use the Internet (Over 310 million people in China have the Internet) to improve their knowledge of luxury brands and products.

This data definitely proves that luxury companies have a lot of work to due to correctly evaluate and attack the Chinese market. But the rewards could become very, very lucrative for those who succeed.

Booming wine consumption in China is leading to a growth in locally produced wines but as Chinese tastes become more sophisticated, local wineries are finding that they need to play catch up in terms of quality and vintage.

According to China Organic Agriculture, Demand in China for foreign wines, including those produced in California, is growing rapidly. In 2007, the import of wine into China totaled approximately 54 million bottles, representing a 125% growth from 2006, according to the latest report of the International Wine and Spirit Competition.

The market share of imported wines in China increased from 6.6% in 2006 to 10% in 2007, while industry analysts project that share will reach 18% in 2008. Total wine consumption in China is expected to increase 65% from 2001 to 2010, a growth rate 6.5 times faster than the global average.

Dozens of wine enterprises have set up operations in the region, which has the latitude roughly similar to the Bordeaux region in France.

The coastal city of Yantai, home to over 10,000 hectares of vineyards in Shandong Province is regarded as China’s Bordeaux by the locals.

Many of China’s leading winemakers are expanding rapidly to cater to change in China’s taste buds, and the surge in demand for wine.

Once drinkers of beer and local spirits, many professional Chinese are choosing instead to toast to what they perceive as the more refined and healthy image of grape wine.

By 2011, Chinese drinkers are expected to down more than 1.1 billion bottles of wine or 828 million litres of wine a year, double the figure in 2007, according to a study by the International Wine and Spirit Record in London.

More than 100 wineries have opened since 1996 and there is an estimated 500 vineyards across China, which supply 95 per cent of the wines consumed domestically.

Great Wall Winery, one of the leading local brands in China produces over 50,000 tons of wine each year from its 3 main production areas in North China.

The biggest consumers of wine in China in 2003 were people aged between 35 and 44. The age group that drank the least wine was the over-55 age group.

Price is a major consideration to most Chinese, and imported wine is out of reach to most consumers. A domestic bottle of wine may retail for as little as $3 while imported wine is generally $10 to $20 a bottle or more.

According to a Datamonitor report Wine in China: a market analysis, the influence of western eating and drinking habits, along with rising incomes, have been the keys to market growth.   Source: AP

With a rising number of millionaires and a growing middle class, China is poised to become the second biggest consumer of luxury goods by 2015.

The key for international companies to introduce their luxury products in China and compete against native companies will be the brands that clearly understand China’s consumer needs.

The quickly evolving Chinese society is directly effecting what consumers buy. For example, the fashion industry in China is changing rapidly, as Chinese consumers want to make purchases that reflect their newfound success and social status.

To deal with this trend, several foreign fashion brands have actually moved their production to China, resulting in China becoming an integral part of the high-end fashion industry in all aspects.

Coach Inc., which offers desirable luxury handbags and accessories, has ambitious plans for its line in China. But they understand the need to know the consumer.

In addition, luxury car manufacturers are gaining traction in China’s new economy. According to a study by BMW Group, “Only 3.7 percent of the Chinese population, i.e. around 50 million people, earned enough money to buy a car in 2002. By 2010 this figure should increase to 13 percent.”

As China continues to build dominance as both a manufacturer and a consumer of luxury goods, companies that understand both sides of the market have a higher chance to succeed and grow market share.

To conclude, in terms of growth opportunities for luxury brands, it has only just begun.

They want big houses — several of them — with ornate exteriors, situated on golf courses, designed by golf professionals. Sound like a typical wealthy American home buyer?

Nope. It’s their affluent counterparts in China, who are plowing their rapidly accumulating wealth into Western-style mansions. “We assumed they would want houses with an Eastern influence,” says Dave Jenkins, a community design director, at Sater Companies, a small Florida firm, which recently started designing luxury homes in China. “We were wrong.”

Hired by a Chinese developer of a large luxury community South of Shanghai, Sater Companies has designed a handful of “villas” with a Mediterranean influence. These houses, which will cost up to $1.5 million, typically include sleeping quarters for a live-in maid, a main kitchen, and a separate “work kitchen,’’ situated away from the main living area because the cooking tends to be smoky.

Rendering courtesy of Sater Design Collection, Inc.

Mr. Jenkins says the new development will include hotels, golf courses and homes for about 20,000 people, stretching over 10 square miles, when it’s completed. “It’s like Vegas, Monte Carlo and Taos, all rolled into one,” he says.

Many U.S. real estate companies have shied away from the Chinese market because of legal entanglements and government restrictions on foreign developers. But when considering that prices of luxury homes in China rose 13.5% in 2007, according to Chinese government statistics, U.S. builders may find China too tempting to pass up, if business at home stays slow.
Article by: Michael Corkery – Wall Street Journal

An elite panel of professional media specialists, exclusive members of the industry and World Traveller Magazine readers named Shanghai China’s new Jumeirah Han Tang Xintiandias the ’Most Expected Hotel’.  The Jumeirah hotel was selected for the award due to the group’s innovative plans for the property including; investment in groundbreaking architecture, unique and innovative attractions and incorporation of historical elements from both the Han and Tang dynasties.

On December 27, 2007, Doris Greif, the hotels General Manager, attended the ceremony and received the award on behalf of the hotel. She said: “Jumeirah Han Tang Xintiandi will redefine luxury hotel standards in China and will be the most prominent and prestigious new hotel development in the downtown Luwan district of Shanghai.  This award highlights our continued commitment to our ‘Stay Different’ philosophy and we would like to take this opportunity to thank both the panel and the readers of World Traveller magazine for their votes.”

Recently, the Jumeirah Han Tang Xintiandi had a roof topping ceremony and made an announcement that it completed the construction phase of its first hotel in Asia. This was a significant milestone and hotel is on schedule to open in August 2008.

The Jumeirah Han Tang Xintiandi, will boast several unique attractions once completed – including a purpose-built wedding pavilion and signature Chinese restaurant – to complement the super-luxury guest rooms and service for which Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts have become renowned the world over.

The Jumeirah Han Tang Xintiandiis located in the heart of Xintiandi, an exciting restaurant and bar, retail and entertainment component of a master-planned development in the heart of downtown Puxi, Shanghai. The award-winning development will also encompass prestigious office space, high-end residential complexes and quality retail facilities.

The luxury hotel, designed by New York based Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects and Japanese interior design firm Super Potato, will feature 309 spacious guestrooms, suites and villas, extensive, state-of-the-art conference & banqueting facilities as well as the Talise Wellness Spa, Jumeirah’s global spa brand.  Guests and visitors seeking immediate gratification will also appreciate the hotel’s planned chocolate boutique. Sounds delightful!

Another day in China, another round of adulation. Today the Microsoft (Charts, Fortune 500) chairman is being named an honorary trustee of Peking University. No other Fortune 500 CEO gets quite the same treatment in China.

While most would count themselves lucky to talk with one of China’s top leaders, Gates will meet with four members of the Politburo on this four-day April trip. Full article