Traders Upper East Hotel, Beijing, the fifth hotel in Beijing by Shangri-La is well positioned between Lido Commercial Centre and Wang Jing Hi Tech Park, just 20 minutes from Beijing Capital International Airport and the new China International Exhibition Centre (CIEC). The hotel features 419 guestrooms and suites with superb views of the city and greenery views of Chaoyang Park and Side Park. The hotel’s Grand Ballroom and 15 flexible meeting rooms are all fitted with the latest conferencing systems. The Grand Ballroom comfortably seats 400 in a conference and cocktail or 250 in a banquet, making it an ideal choice for MICE participants and delegations.

Last year, Sue-Meng Chan, MARCOM manager for the Shangri-la Kerry Center, called me up and asked me “When I say ‘Trader’s Hotel’, what kind of brand image do you have?” To be honest, I had none. I knew it was a Shangri-la imprint and that it was positioned below the Shangri-la flagship and that was about it. Last month, though, I learned a lot more about the Trader’s concept when I toured the new Trader’s Hotel Upper East Side (www.shangri-la.com) with Communications Officer Yuki Zhu. The Trader’s is located in Lido, at the corner of Xiaoyun Lu and the Fourth Ring Road, on a wooded plot of land hemmed in by a canal. The rooms, which are well-furnished though modest in size, all enjoy unimpeded views. It has a ballroom which gets natural sunlight. Café Noir is located in an atrium flooded with light (“outdoor eating, only inside,” according to F&B Director Teddy Gao). In sum, it’s a four-star hotel with five-star service and amenities. Trader’s is also the only hotel in Beijing with a house magician. Thomas Chan starts in April and will be doing table magic that’ll leave a huge, bewildered smile on your face. Finally, the hotel is right next to the Upper East Side where lots of famous people live. Sit in Café Noir long enough and there’s a good chance you’ll see a movie star or two.