JOINING the parade of international hotel companies that have established themselves in China, Omni Hotels Asia-Pacific yesterday signed an agreement to run a four-star hotel in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province.
The Omni Marco Polo Hotel, Omni's first in the mainland, is scheduled to open in the middle of next year in Wuhan's central Han Kou district.
It will cater to the international business traveller, with 300 rooms and suites, a full-service business centre, a modern health club, an executive floor, a ballroom, meeting rooms, a Chinese restaurant and a coffee shop.
The development will also include a separate 30-storey tower with deluxe, Western-style office space and a retail complex that is just a 20-minute drive from Wuhan's new international airport.
''It's going to be difficult. We're going to be the first international hotel there, and it'll be up to us to set the standard,'' said Michael Kalyk, president of Omni Hotels.
''The economy is developing, but they'll catch up in no time at all. The potential is there,'' he said.