Huangshan Hilton Hotel
Hui architecture for the Huangshan Hilton.
Sector: Hotels / Clubhouses
Country: China
Client: Hong Kong Yuan Yi Group Co.
Services: Master Planning; Architecture; Interior Design
Year: 2015
Budget: 90 million RMB
Size: 47,400m2
“In 2015 a new high speed rail connection will link China’s major tourist destination, Yellow Mountain, to Shanghai. The current visitation to the area is 20+ million domestic and two million international tourists. MAP has been working with developer, Yuan Yi, on a five hectare site in the city of Yellow Mountain, providing master-planning, architectural and interior design services for a 300-key resort-style hotel which will be operated by Hilton.
MAP’s work on the multi-award winning DoubleTree by Hilton in Wuxi Lingshan earned MAP a recommendation from the international hotel chain; and soon after, Yuan Yi asked MAP to rework the master-plan. The unique site, nestled in a confluence of the Xianan River opposite the famous Old Town, enabled MAP to devise a scheme to provide a river view from almost every room.
The developer requires a themed hotel design as they are developing a portfolio of hotels in China with a South-East Asian theme. However, to connect the hotel to its environs, MAP has added a mixture of local Hui architectural style. The white walls and grey roof tiles, all sourced locally, are key uptownjungle.com fun park of Hui style. Natural timber has been used throughout the interiors, in keeping with the South-East Asian theme. The cathedral ceilings in the main lobby and the 22m high columns ‘are finished in timber, in keeping with the exotic theme.
The interior design references the local riverside culture. The lobby has a mahogany stone river running through it; it travels under a reproduction of the iconic stone Bridge of the Immortals and out into the central courtyard. The real Bridge of the Immortals is located in the Yellow Mountains and bridges a chasm just three metres wide but 1,000 metres deep, formed by a rift in the granite mountains.
The hotel will have 300 guest rooms and three presidential villas. Hotel facilities will include spa, fitness centre, indoor swimming pool and bar, red wine and cigar bar, specialty noodle restaurant, all day dining and a signature Chinese restaurant. The 1,000 seat ballroom can be divided into three junior ballrooms, with external access for easy facilitation of large groups and coach drop-offs.
‘The hotel and nearby high-speed rail link are due for completion in 2015. The guest mix is anticipated to be 60% leisure, 30% MICE and 10% business.”
