Beijing to build 110 new hotels for 2008 Olympics

BEIJING, May 23: Beijing is to build 110 new hotels to help accommodate the influx of visitors from home and abroad during the 2008 Olympic Games, according to a report by the state Xinhua news agency.

The Chinese capital currently has 658 star-rated hotels with 109,000 rooms and, along with other developments, the planned facilities will boost the total to 800 by the end of 2007.

''The planned 110 hotels will range from one star to five stars, with the majority of them targeting high-end guests,'' Du Jiang, director of the Beijing Tourism Bureau, was quoted as saying.

While officials hope Beijing will be able to accommodate most of the estimated half a million visitors requiring a hotel room each night during the Games, 56 hotels outside Beijing will be prepared to take any overspill.

''The hotels in neighbouring Hebei province, which are about 100 kilometres away from Beijing, will be on standby,'' Du added.

REUTERS