Kempinski Expands in Jiangsu with a Duo of Waterfront Escapes in Yangzhou

More than 32 years after opening the first Kempinski hotel in China, Europe’s oldest luxury hotel company reveals plans to open two spectacular properties in Yangzhou, reinforcing the company’s presence in Jiangsu Province. Set in Yangzhou Economic Development Zone, an elegant duo of dual-branded Kempinski and Bristoria hotels will bring first-class hospitality with a dash of European flair to the Chinese city when the project is complete in 2025.

Signing ceremony in Yangzhou

The hotel management agreement was signed by Kempinski Hotel Group with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone Culture and Tourism Group Co., Ltd, which is a district state-owned enterprise, focusing on three sectors: modern agriculture, cultural media, and tourism economy. It is a high-quality cultural tourism industry builder, operator, manager, and supplier.

“Our constellation of beautiful Kempinski havens continues to shine and grow across China and we are excited to announce the China debut of our Bristoria brand here in Yangzhou,” says René Nijhof, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Kempinski Hotels S.A. “This new signing reinforces our reputation as a trusted and respected business partner in China and further enhances the Kempinski footprint in Jiangsu Province, where we have operated hotels in Suzhou and Nanjing since 2008 and 2019 respectively.” 

Set in a collection of classical Chinese buildings rib boned by waterways and ornamental ponds, Kempinski Hotel Yangzhou Nuoyuan and Bristoria Hotel Yangzhou will provide a stylish base from which guests can explore the city’s myriad business opportunities, gastronomic riches and cultural landmarks, with 405 guestrooms and suites between them.

Kempinski Hotel and Bristoria Yangzhou

When complete, the lakeside Kempinski Hotel Yangzhou Nuoyuan inspired by the characteristics of Sui and Tang architecture with modern design will be home to 93 elegantly appointed rooms and suites overlooking landscaped gardens and waterways, The boutique-sized hotel will also be home to a swimming pool and spa with gym and fitness centre, and a stunning ballroom for high-profile events and corporate functions.

Next door, Bristoria Hotel Yangzhou will have 312 guestrooms and a wide selection of meeting rooms and function spaces, providing a home from home for travellers visiting the region to explore the city’s dynamic business opportunities. As the first ever Bristoria hotel in China, guests can expect a more laid-back ambiance than big-sister Kempinski, with a philosophy based on simple excellence: a great night’s sleep, fresh local cuisine and first-class business facilities and connectivity.

Easily accessible from Yangzhou Taizhou International Airport in less than an hour and linked directly to Nanjing and Shanghai via high-speed train, Yangzhou Development Zone is also close to some of Yangzhou’s cultural highlights.

Kempinski Hotel and Bristoria Yangzhou

Yangzhou is a famous cultural city with a history of more than 2,500 years, a strategic intersection of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Grand Canal cultural belt, and a famous trade port and tourist city at all times. Yangzhou culture, represented by its painting school, gardens, crafts and cuisine, occupies a unique position in Chinese history. This outstanding city has four world-class intangible cultural heritage projects, including Guqin art, engraving printing technique, paper-cutting technique and Fuchun tea making technique, as well as 20 national-level intangible cultural heritage projects, including jade carving,  lacquerware, opera, Pinghua opera and puppet show. Currently, this outstanding destination  is speeding up the construction of a city famous for industrial innovation, cultural tourism and ecological liveable city. Continuing to polish the three world-class “business cards” of “World Canal Capital”, “World Cuisine Capital” and “East Asian Cultural Capital”, Yangzhou welcomed more than 100 million visitors in 2023, making it the fourth most visited city in Jiangsu Province.

“We’re delighted to be working with Yangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone Culture and Tourism Group Co., Ltd, to help turn this far-sighted vision into a reality,” says Nijhof. “As one of the most important parts of Jiangsu for new business opportunities and a strategically important city in China’s wider economic development plans, Yangzhou is destined to become an incredibly sought-after destination for leisure and business travellers alike.”

[Cover image Kempinski Hotel and Bristoria Yangzhou/ All images courtesy of Kempinski Hotels]