HBA/Hirsch Bedner strikes gold in Beijing

HBA/Hirsch Bedner strikes gold in Beijing
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Hong Kong – Leading international interior design company HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates, responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious hospitality, leisure and residential projects, has struck gold with the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The world’s largest hospitality design firm has landed 13 unique hospitality projects in the Chinese capital, all due for completion ahead of the games in August 2008.

A guestroom of the Regent Beijing which overlooks the Forbidden City.
Ian Carr, HBA principal overseeing the Beijing projects, says: “HBA is proud to play such a large role in Beijing’s transformation in the lead up to the Olympi cs. The changes that are now taking place in Beijing are truly remarkable and we see our projects setting the trends for the city’s future.”

The projects in Beijing include a significant number of Beijing’s new five-star hotel projects, and by August 2008, HBA will have completed almost 4,000 stylish new guest rooms throughout the city, as well as the capital’s most luxurious new spa and the first overseas clubhouse for the prestigious Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Among the landmark hotel projects is the newly opened, state-of-the-art Regent Beijing in the commercial heart of Beijing . Overlooking the Forbidden City, the 500-room hotel is an exclusive sanctuary which skillfully blends contemporary luxury with accents of Chinese history.

Another milestone project is the China World Trade Centre Phase III, a mega-tower development incorporating a five-star internation al hotel in Chaoyang District, which is set to become a new Beijing icon.

Other five-star hotel projects in the city already completed or due to be completed before the Olympics include the Four Seasons Hotel Beijing; The Ritz-Carlton Beijing， Financial Street; Ritz-Carlton Guohua; Renaissance Beijing Hotel and JW Marriot Hotel Beijing. Outstanding design initiatives have already earned in Interior Design magazine’s 2007 Design Award for HBA’s work on The Ritz-Carlton Beijing ， Financial Street. This award-winning hotel is listed as one of 2007 Best of Best, Hotels in Robb Report, USA and is included in 2007 Hot List of Condè Nast Traveler, USA .

Work is also progressing on the renovation of the Hilton Beijing hotel and the new Yanjing Hotel owned by Hainan Airlines.

Besides these hotel projects, Shangri-La Hotel Beijing’s Chi Spa opened earlier this year and takes its place as the most cutting-edge spa in the capital. Its interiors are based on design cues from Tibetan culture and are based on the five elements of Earth, Fire, Water, Metal and Wood.

HBA also designed the Chi Spa at the Shangri-La Hotel Pudong in Shanghai, which won the Baccarat AsiaSpa Awards in 2006 and was nominated among the Top Ten Hottest Hotel Spas in the World 2006 by Forbes.com.

In the heart of Beijing, The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s first clubhouse outside Hong Kong provides a world-class home away from home for club members when visiting the capital. The facility offers 90 guest suites as well as restaurants, a business centre and leisure facilities including a health club, swimming pool, library and sporting options.

The Ritz-Carlton Beijing， Financial Street, has been listed as one of "2007 Best of Best, Hotels" in the Robb Report publication and is included in "2007 Hot List" of Condè Nast Traveler, USA.
HBA has a 30-year track record of designing luxury property and hotel projects across China – begun with the iconic White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou. To date the company has designed more than 115 leading projects in China.

“Our Olympic effort brings together more than 150 designers and includes teams from our offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Austral ia, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Shanghai,” says Carr.

“We take great pride in joining the spirit of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, working hard to meet all the challenges to help create a really world-class experience for China to showcase to the world,” he said.

“As always, our designs for each project are unique, luxurious, contemporary and create experiences that will be memorable. Over the years people have regarded HBA projects as trendsetting, and we hope our projects in Beijing will reinforce this image.”

Even after the games, HBA has several more projects on board in Beijing. The firm is also busy in Shanghai, with projects for completion ahead of the 2010 World Expo including the landmark restoration of the legendary Peace Hotel.

“With the explosion in wealth and prosperity in the Asia region, and an influx of global hospitality brands, China is now an enormously fast-growing market in which we aim to take an even greater role in the future,” added Carr.

About HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates

Interior design firm HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates which specialises in luxury hospitality projects, is credited with revolutionizing the design industry. In its 43 years of business the company has continu ally set design trends, pushing boundaries and injecting fresh ideas in to some of the worlds most prestigious and well-known addresses.

HBA has completed well over 900 projects in 80 countries. Gaining an unrivalled knowledge of the cultural, financial, geographical and programmatic requirements involved in design projects from world-class hotels and resorts, to individual boutique hotels, spas, casinos, cruise ships and private residences.

HBA employees 450 design professionals in 12 offices worldwide: Los Angeles, Atlanta, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Singapore, London, New Delhi, Dubai, Brisbane, Melbourne, Tokyo and Shanghai. HBA hinges its achievements on its fundamental values of research and sensitivity to the needs of its markets and clients.

HBA celebrates 30 years in Asia this year.