Looking to attract China’s wealthy travelers for both business and pleasure, five-star hotels are opening at an exponential rate across China’s second- and third-tier cities.

　　Looking to attract China’s wealthy travelers for both business and pleasure, five-star hotels are opening at an exponential rate across China’s second- and third-tier cities as luxury hoteliers rush to establish themselves beyond Shanghai and Beijing. The next five years hold a staggering number of five-star openings across the country, and many have opened their doors this year or will do so in the next few months. Below, we have compiled a list of the main second- and third-tier cities for 2013 luxury hotel openings in this highly competitive market.

　　Shenyang

　　2013 has brought significant hotel interests to Shenyang. As a major business and industrial center for northern China, a bevy of five-star luxury hotel brands are rushing in to establish themselves. Last January, French luxury hotelier Sofitel made its foray into Shenyang’s luxury hotel market when it rebranded the original Sheraton Lido in central Shenyang. In July, China’s Dalian Wanda Group established its own five-star hotel presence in the form of a new luxury hotel franchise called Wanda Vista, along with a private executive club.

　　Also opening a Shenyang location this summer was Hong Kong hotelier Shangri-La, which entered the growing city in August with an imperial palace-themed hotel featuring a marble inlaid lobby, luxurious spa amenities, and a rooftop tennis court.

　　Continuing the rush of luxury hotels to Shenyang, there are also new locations from Grand Hyatt and China’s New World Expo group. Since July, Grand Hyatt’s luxury hotel has offered four different restaurants and 10 multi-purpose meeting spaces with hopes of becoming the city’s premier host for business functions. Also moving into place to attract the influx of large-scale business functions in the city is the Shenyang New World Expo. Currently under construction, the 25,000 square-meter exhibition venue will be accompanied by a five-star luxury hotel that is supposed to open by the end of the year.

　　Chengdu

　　The capital of Sichuan, Chengdu is regarded as a booming financial town and technology center of China. One of China’s fastest growing second-tier cities, Chengdu also attracts tourism from all over the mainland due to its concentration of giant pandas and rich history of Chinese tea culture. Today, Chengdu is also home to the world’s largest man-made structure, the immense New Century Global Center, which is large enough to fit three Pentagons inside its vast area.

　　Several major five-star hotels designed to entice China’s new upscale travelers have opened in the city or are scheduled for later this year. This month saw the opening of a Ritz-Carlton location that claims unrivaled views, high-end takes on local Sichuan cuisine, and a trendy upscale club incorporating a 360-degree fireplace.

　　Another major opening in Chengdu scheduled for the third quarter of 2013 is InterContinental’s surreal undertaking: a Mediterranean-style beach resort, nesting in the world’s largest indoor sea, housed inside the enormous Century Global Center. The hotel and attached art center incorporate designs by famed architect Zaha Hadid, and of course, going for that extra mile, the hotel’s premises also incorporate a computer-controlled fountain that produces a synchronized “water ballet.” If that’s not enough, other hotels are eyeing the city, which will be seeing a Mandarin Oriental in 2013.

　　Tianjin

　　A 30-minute high-speed train ride from Beijing, port town Tianjin attracts many Chinese travelers. A strategic business center, Tianjin is also frequently visited by tourists who come to see the post-colonial European villas that pepper the city. Currently, many five-star hotels have already established themselves; however, Ritz-Carlton hopes to make a splash with a location that opened earlier this month. Featuring a 435-square-meter presidential suite and a car elevator that transports vehicles directly to its ballroom, Ritz-Carlton Tianjin hopes to compete with the nearby St. Regis for guests.

　　Hervé Humler, President and COO of Ritz-Carlton, made the company’s intentions clear concerning China’s new luxury travelers, stating in the press release for the hotel, “The opening of The Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin in one of China’s most strategically important cities reflects our desire to meet the growing Chinese appetite for luxury experiences. Tianjin represents a major gateway opportunity that will accelerate the recognition of our service commitment to excellence by Chinese guests.” In addition, Dalian Wanda opened the Wanda Vista Tianjin this September, which will offer easy access to the Tianjin Wanda Center. These locations will have more competition in the future, as Shangri-La has a location planned for the fourth quarter of 2014.

　　Qufu

　　This year’s five-star hotel boom brings the first ever luxury hotel to popular tourist destination Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius. Designed to be in architectural harmony with Confucian principles, Shangri-La’s hotel is looking to position itself as a luxury destination for China’s more philosophical wealthy travelers. Having opened in August, the hotel is within walking distance from many major attractions related to China’s great thinker as Shangri-La hopes to capitalize on the deep historical presence of the town.