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Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou Opens as the Brand's 88th Property
July 28, 2012 · 0 Comments
TORONTO, July 26, 2012 (www.hospitalitybusinessnews.com) – Ranking as the 88th property in the growing international portfolio of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou held its official opening ceremonies on July 23, 2012, celebrating the dawn of a new era of luxury hospitality in China’s third largest metropolitan area. Rising 103 stories above the Pearl River, the new Guangzhou International Finance Center (GZIFC) building’s top 30 floors are home to Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou, along with an events complex on the lower floors at ground level.
“We are particularly pleased to be the 88th Four Seasons hotel worldwide, doubling our luck for a successful future in Guangzhou,” says Regional Vice President and General Manager Bahram Sepahi.
“It’s the perfect time to book a trip to Guangzhou, in advance of the fall Canton Fair,” says Kent Li, a Guangzhou native who is the Hotel’s Chef Concierge, referring to the twice-annual China Import and Export Fair. Known widely as the Canton Fair, the 112th event takes place in three phases: October 15-19, October 23-27, and October 31-November 4, 2012.
“The famed Guangzhou Opera House is right next door to the Hotel, with a full calendar of concerts and other performances. And, to get to know more of the Pearl River New City area, we’ve created a walking tour, as detailed in our new In the Know newsletter,” adds Li.
Life in the Clouds: Inside Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou
From the ground floor, guests of Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou take dedicated express elevators to the 70th floor lobby, where a dramatic three metre (ten foot) red steel sculpture by Australian artist Matthew Harding appears to float on a sea of watery glass, reflecting the astounding ceiling window 30 floors above. The incredible naturally-lit atrium, surrounded by restaurants and rooms above, is higher than the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London and New York’s Statue of Liberty.
Throughout the Hotel, a carefully curated collection of paintings, prints and sculptures by contemporary international artists enhances the sleek modern interiors created by HBA/Hirsch Bedner and Associates. Highlights include glass sculptures in Yu Yue Heen restaurant by Australian Clare Belfrage; a wood sculpture in Tian Bar by Richard Hutton of the Netherlands; mixed media sculptures by the American team of Jeremy Newman and Allison Ciancibelli in Caffe Mondo; paintings by Korean artist Yun Hee Toh in the Executive Club Lounge; nine sculptures by Yang Don Dong throughout the Hotel; and Lee Man Seng’s unique Chinese seal-inspired timber sculptures in Yu Yue Heen.
“A particular favourite among staff is the sculpture by Wei Chi Gao in Yu Yue Heen. It depicts two stylized weiqi players, an homage to the game often played outdoors in parks during the summer time,” says Sepahi.
In 302 guest rooms and 42 suites, guests will find beautifully appointed interiors naturally lit by floor-to-ceiling windows. On the 97th floor, the sumptuous Presidential Suite’s contemporary look is enhanced by original artworks throughout 253 square metres (2,725 square feet) of living space that includes a central living room and dining area with adjacent butler’s pantry and bedrooms on either side. Just below on the 96th floor, the Royal Suite’s design is inspired by a traditional Chinese palette, also accented by original artworks.
Dining and Entertaining at Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou
With six dining and entertainment venues, Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou is the city’s newest location for gourmet cuisine, impeccable service and see-and-be-seen atmosphere.
Presiding over the kitchen at Yu Yue Heen, the Hotel’s stylish Cantonese restaurant overlooking the 70th floor atrium lobby, is Chinese Executive Chef Law Yiu Choi. More than 50 years of culinary experience was highlighted in 1996, when he became only the second Chinese chef to be named a Chef Rotisseur by the prestigious international gastronomic society Chaine des Rotisseurs, which was founded in Paris in 1950 and traces its origins back to 1248.
Chef Law’s signature dishes includes whole Yoshihama dried abalone in supreme oyster sauce; braised egg noodles with shredded fish maw and spring onions in abalone sauce; crispy duck, Peking style; crispy marinated Japanese pork in red bean curd crust; double boiledliao sea cucumber soup with cordyceps; and roast goose with plum sauce. Other menu standouts include several bird’s nest soups and a dim sum selection, all accompanied by fine Chinese teas, scotches, cognacs, Chinese and international beers, and wine.
“Chef Law’s favourite ingredient is abalone, so guests can expect to find it prepared in many traditional and imaginative ways at Yu Yue Heen,” notes Executive Chef David Greenhill, who oversees all the Hotel’s restaurants and bars, as well as banqueting and in-room dining.
Chef Kazumi Sawada, under whose leadership Tokyo’s Banreki Ryukodo restaurant received a Michelin star, has come to Guangzhou to oversee the culinary team at Kumoi on the Hotel’s 72nd floor. Introduced by a saki bar made of natural stone, the completely glass-enclosed restaurant is a showcase of expertly prepared teppenyaki, yakitori, sushi and other contemporary Japanese dishes, mostly prepared in view of guests.
Chef’s signature selections include Alaskan king crab with wakame and bonito jelly; steamed abalone with soy liver sauce; futomaki roll with shrimp, crab leg, egg, cucumber and pickled ginger; wagyu roll of Japanese beef with cream cheese and green onion; toro steak with wasabi salt and organic garlic chips; fresh abalone with eringi mushroom and spring onion; and a plate of assorted tempura including prawns, squid, asparagus, shiitake mushroom and eggplant.
Crowning Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou on the 100th floor, Catch is a spectacular seafood restaurant with a demonstration kitchen at the heart of the action. Chef Yvan Collet has created a menu of exquisite preparations of the freshest internationally sourced seafood, including Russian caviar, Norwegian salmon, Australian rock oysters and New England lobster, as well as choice cuts of meat including the showstopping grain-fed tomahawk beef steak. The beverage list at Catch and Tian Bar one floor below offers ideal wine pairings and liquors, including an extensive list of scotches, bourbons and whiskies.
Dining options also include the 72nd floor Caffe Mondo for Italian-inspired all day dining, featuring what could possibly be the world’s highest brick lined pizza oven, and The Atrium in the 70th floor Hotel lobby, perfect for light fare, tea and cocktails throughout the day.
By erichertha