Meliá Hotels International today announced the addition of its eleventh hotel in China, and the first in Asia for its exclusive luxury brand The Meliá Collection. The hotel will be located in the region of Arxan, often referred to as the “Chinese Alps", in the northeast of Inner Mongolia. The destination has the largest area of forest per person in the entire country and one of the most unspoilt and diverse natural environments, full of dense forests, springs, volcanic landscapes, lakes and glaciers.
Arxan is located in the heart of the vast steppes of Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, and its unspoilt nature has made it one of the top destinations to visit according to the China Tourism Yearbook, with visitors especially attracted by its mountain sports and hot springs.
The Meliá Collection is one of the youngest brands in the company's portfolio, consisting of a carefully selected collection of luxury hotels that embody an independent spirit and an unmistakable sense of place. In such a unique setting as Arxan, the brand will offer a dream hotel for visitors who seek the most sophisticated, authentic and exceptional experiences.
Designed as a mountain retreat, the hotel is scheduled to open in 2026 with 44 luxury villas and a total of more than 90 rooms, as well as a restaurant, several meeting rooms and wellness facilities. The hotel will form part of a larger collection of facilities alongside the future Meliá Arxan Ski and Hot Spring Resort, which the company announced in 2019. This Meliá Collection hotel will allow the company to offer a higher level of luxury to the most discerning travellers, with the magnificent resort offering all the comforts and amenities required to enjoy the destination experience to the full.
The hotel is near two ski resorts that have snow for 7 months of the year, making it an unbeatable location for mountain and winter sports. In addition to the fascinating scenery, Arxan is also famous for offering almost fifty hot springs. Leisure facilities in the destination therefore include numerous spas, many of them within walking distance of the hotel. Another of the big attractions in the region is the Arxan National Forest Park, which boasts the best-preserved volcanic landforms in China and spectacular lakes and hot springs.
"The recovery of tourism in China is obviously a stimulus for us to continue our growth in the country," declared Ignacio Martín, Managing Director Asia Pacific at Meliá Hotels International. According to data released by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism on May 3, during the May Day holiday period, a total of 274 million domestic trips were made in China, 119.09% more than in the same period in 2019. China began to dismantle its zero-Covid policy last December and millions of Chinese tourists are expected to travel to domestic and international destinations once again throughout 2023. With this in mind, "we will continue to work on consolidating our brands and increasing our presence in the market to make Meliá an increasingly better known brand among Chinese domestic and international travellers," stated Martín.