Shanghai's 26-Room URBN Hotel is China's First Carbon Neutral Hotel

Shanghai, China (August 27, 2008) /China Newswire/ — July 31st 2008, URBN Hotels & Resorts opened its flagship property in Shanghai and has appointed a new General Manager, Mr. Wessel Krauss, to welcome its guests.

The property is located on Jiao Zhou Road just north of bustling Nanjing Road and close to the famous former French Concession district. The chic URBN Hotel is set to redefine boutique luxury hospitality by doubling as China's first carbon-neutral and truly eco-conscious hotel. The focus is to immerse guests deeply into their surroundings, offering activities beyond the traditional hotel experience.

As such, URBN Hotel in Shanghai will offer localized services such as tai chi and yoga classes, in-room beauty and health treatments such as acupuncture and reflexology, unique bike and walking tours of the French Concession, and basic lessons in Mandarin and Chinese cooking.

The property is a renovated former 1970s post office building, with interiors using recycled and locally sourced materials such as reclaimed hardwoods and old Shanghai bricks. URBN hopes to set an example for other Chinese businesses and industries by introducing eco-friendly solutions like passive solar shades and water based AC systems. In addition, the total amount of energy the hotel consumes, including staff commutes, food and beverage delivery, and the energy used by each guest, will be tracked to calculate the carbon footprint. URBN will then purchase credits to neutralize its footprint by investing in "green" energy development and emission reduction projects in China.

Wessel Krauss, a Dutch national who attended the Hotel Management School in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, has joined the URBN team as General Manager of the Shanghai property. Wessel is a veteran of the hospitality industry, and has spent the majority of his career in both Asia and Europe. He has worked with the Accor Hotel group for seven years, as well as with Intercontinental Hotels Group and Raffles-Fairmont hotels. "I am very proud to be joining such an energetic and forward-thinking team, and to be involved in the development of a truly unique hospitality product", Wessel says. Wessel and his team are proud to welcome guests to the URBN Hotel in Shanghai, where the team pledges to build and operate sustainably, while still delivering luxury and service in a hip hotel.

URBN has been listed in Conde Nast Traveler's Hot Hotels 2008 and finalist for Hospitality Design Awards.

The URBN team is now taking reservations at its special soft-opening rates.

For enquiries, please see www.urbnhotels.com

About URBN Hotels & Resorts

Shanghai-based URBN Hotels & Resorts is a new boutique brand created by sustainable property development company, Space Development.

URBN Hotels & Resorts aims to develop and operate innovative, stylish hotels which combine locally sourced and recycled materials with modern architecture and design to create contemporary spaces inspired by China's past, present and future.

It is also China's first carbon neutral hotel development company, committed to operating genuinely environmentally friendly boutique hotels & resorts throughout China without harming the local and natural environment.

Over the next 5 years, URBN aims to develop an additional 10 hotels and resorts that are focused on delivering holistic, sustainable experiences.

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