The Castle Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, to open in China

150 150 Daniel Fountain
  • 0

The Luxury Collection, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., announces that the famed European-inspired castle overlooking Dalian’s Xinghai Bay is undergoing a transformation to become The Castle Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Dalian. Set to open in 2014, The Castle Hotel will join the legendary Astor Hotel in Tianjin, Twelve at Hengshan and The Hongta Hotel in Shanghai, and The Royal Begonia Resort in Sanya, as an enchanting and iconic landmark along the Dalian coast in Northern China.Originally built in 2002, the palatial Bavarian-style castle is in the final stages of a complete interior renovation by the Dalian Yifang Group. When it opens this summer, The Castle Hotel will be one of the few luxury hotels in Asia to be housed inside a castle, featuring 292 luxurious guest rooms and suites and 67 apartments – most of which offer stunning ocean views – along with a sophisticated collection of restaurants and lounges, including an authentic German beer café with home-brewed specialities.

A Contemporary Urban Retreat
The Castle Hotel is situated above Dalian on Lotus Mountain, surrounded by lush foliage, overlooking Xinghai Square as well as Xinghai Bay and the Yellow Sea. The Castle Hotel is also the starting point for the romantic Binhai Road, the coastal route that winds along China’s northern coast for 32 kilometres. For visitors new to the city, Dalian offers a unique blend of European, Russian, Japanese and traditional Chinese architecture reflecting the city’s fascinating history when its ports were used as an international trading hub during ancient times.

The exterior of The Castle Hotel in Dalian remains true to the original European-inspired architecture, which has long been a favourite icon for locals and visitors alike. The interior of the castle has been re-imagined by HBA Interior Design with an opulent and contemporary design that complements the city and the building’s European heritage as well as its new role as a modern, luxury hotel. The vibrant interiors feature rich stonework, handcrafted wood furnishings and soaring ceilings along with bright skylights, massive windows and intimate terraces overlooking Dalian and the sea.

The Castle Hotel features three restaurants and two lounges with creative and authentic cuisine options, including: Zhenbao, offering fresh Chinese seafood, and Collections, an all-day dining restaurant with an international menu. In a nod to Dalian’s rich European heritage, the Royal Cellar will feature home-brewed German beer and northern European specialities. The Castle Hotel also offers a spacious indoor swimming pool, state-of-the-art fitness centre and a luxurious destination spa.

With its prime location, The Castle Hotel is an outstanding meeting and event venue offering over 2,600 square meters of meeting spaces, including a 1,400 square meter grand ballroom and 8 other function rooms; the 4,000 square meters open air rooftop garden provides an elegant space for memorable occasions from grand-scale weddings, to intimate cocktail parties, to important business gatherings.

Daniel Fountain / 31.05.2014

Editor, Hotel Designs

Share

  • 0

Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.