General manager Dean Schreiber said Le Meridien Cyberport was the first hip hotel in Hong Kong, creating a new paradigm in the marketplace with a different approach.

He said the 13-floor hotel boasted innovative features and employed cutting-edge technology to enhance services.

Managed by Le Meridien, the hotel provides 173 rooms manned by 195 employees. London-based Le Meridien is a global hotel group with a portfolio of 130 luxury and upmarket hotels (34,000 rooms) in 56 countries.

Despite keen competition from many new hotel projects or expansions in Hong Kong, Le Meridien Cyberport is positive about tourism and hospitality business prospects.

Mr Schreiber, whose hotel career spanned more than 17 years and six countries, said the local market would benefit from the continued recovery of Hong Kong's economy and the government's drive to boost the tourism industry.

Having located in one of Hong Kong's most well-known office addresses, the hotel is naturally targeting corporate travellers.

Boasting state-of-the-art infrastructure, it expects to become the preferred hotel to accommodate delegates attending high-profile events to be held at Cyberport.

Cyberport is a government-backed project to enhance the development of information technology and digital-related business in Hong Kong.

It is being developed on a 24-hectare site at Telegraph Bay, providing more than one million square feet of offices and about 3,000 residential units.

At an estimated cost of US$2 billion, this landmark project aims to create an interactive environment that will be home to a strategic cluster of IT companies and professionals.

The professional community will enjoy intelligent offices, enormous bandwidth and a wide range of shared IT facilities.

Cyberport office tenants include Sybase, Microsoft, ESRI Hong Kong, Arctic Cooling, Centro Digital Media, Compuware, DBtronix, Noah, Outblaze and PCCW.

Le Meridien Cyberport is the only five-star hotel in Island South. It is also the first in Hong Kong to offer wireless check-in and an innovative system of a guaranteed 24-hour stay regardless of the check-in time, allowing complete convenience for guests.

Cheryl Yue, director of sales and marketing, said: 'Technology drives our guest service, however, technology is not the guest service.'

The hotel offers the tranquillity of Island South, with the rhythm of Central only a short distance away - an ideal base for business and leisure travellers.

Rooms are made up of a range of smart and deluxe rooms, topped by the Premier Bayside Suite which offers a full view of the ocean.

The hotel features club rooms on the top four floors to cater for travellers looking for extra comfort and personalised service.

All 69 Club Deluxe rooms, three Club Deluxe suites and the Bayside Premier Suite offer private access to the modern private member's club @Lounge, complimentary full breakfast, afternoon tea and drinks with canapes in the evening, and an exclusive butler who will attend to individual needs.

Ms Yue said the hotel embraced a philosophy combining complete ease and smart solutions, and would attract customers looking for quality and an unconventional experience.

Offering a slick answer to traditional time constraints, the hotel gives corporate travellers the exclusivity of a full 24 hours all to themselves.

'As a Club Floor guest there are no enforced noon deadlines. Checking in at 11pm promises you can check out the next day at 11pm, not just the bare minimum. Cool convenience for our guests is simply a given,' Ms Yue said.

With the number of individual travellers from China increasing, the hotel was expected to appeal to mainlanders, especially IT and other professionals.

According to Le Meridien Cyberport, hoteliers need to be more creative, keep bringing in new ideas and deliver them successfully.

Ms Yue added technology could help drive short-term interest but, more importantly, it was the people, innovation and energy behind the management team that delivered a 'new interpretation of hospitality'.

She said its philosophy was to offer convenience and deliver an experience to customers.

With great technological support, the hotel could enhance its efficiency to avoid the hassle of formalities, such as introducing seamless check-in and a mobile business centre for guests.

She expected that the hotel would be successful in attracting repeat customers.

'We believe once they've been here, they'll come back for more.'

Each of the 173 guest rooms features a 42-inch plasma television, wireless broadband connectivity, innovative in-room entertainment and walk-in rain shower, as well as a 'soothing corner'.

The hotel features a choice of six hip bars and restaurants providing inspirational dining to guests.