SHANGRI-LA's FAR EASTERN PLAZA HOTEL, TAINAN, opened at the end of March.  This new landmark of Tainan City, completed with an investment cost of NT$6 billion, marks the second partnership between The Far Eastern Group and Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, following the opening in 1994 of Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Taipei.  With the Tainan property, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts established itself as the first international luxury hotel brand with two properties in Taiwan.

Centrally located within Tainan City, the hotel is adjacent to Tainan Railway Station.  The 38-storey hotel is only a 15-minute drive from the airport and a 20-minute drive from the Tainan High Speed Rail Station (THSR), providing easy connection for locations both within Tainan and away from the city.  The 336-room hotel, designed by Taiwan-based Metro Space Design, features the largest guestrooms in the city, with an average size of 50 square meters. 

Dining options include the all-day dining restaurant, Café at Far Eastern (10F) and Shanghai Pavilion (38F), the only restaurant serving Huaiyang cuisine in Tainan with panoramic views of the city.  The hotel also features The Lobby Lounge and The Cake Shop on the lobby level and The Mezzanine Bar (2F) overlooking the lobby.  Additional facilities include state of the art meeting and banquet facilities, a health club, spa and outdoor swimming pool.

As the first international five-star hotel in southern Taiwan, the hotel created several “number ones” in Tainan city prior to its grand opening.  It is the tallest building, has the largest number of rooms and is the first hotel to have an executive floor.   In terms of meeting and banquet venues, it offers the only theater-style space in Taiwan along with the most spacious, pillar-free ballroom in Tainan. 

Amid the current economic challenges, Far Eastern Group Chairman Douglas Tong Hsu decided to establish the first international luxury hotel in Tainan, bringing tourists to this cultural and historical city.  “We are excited about the opening of our new hotel under the Shangri-La brand in Tainan.  After more than a decade of successful collaboration in Taipei, I am confident that this second property in Tainan will garner equal level of success.  We are positioned to cater to both business and leisure travelers while offering a superb destination for domestic family vacations, presenting an alternative to vacationing abroad.  Moreover, I would like to create job opportunities for talents in southern Taiwan, in lieu with the government’s policy of balancing the economies island wide,” said Chairman Hsu.

Madhu Rao, chief executive officer and managing director of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, said, “We are delighted to work with The Far Eastern Group again to introduce Shangri-La’s distinctive hospitality to Tainan, striving to become the iconic five star luxury hotel in the city.”

While the Tainan property joins the ranks of the recently opened Shangri-La Hotels worldwide, the rapidly expanding Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts’ brand management expertise is expected to bring this charming city into the international spotlight, strengthen the local service standards while offering travelers an authentic, cultural experience in Tainan.

Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Tainan is located at 89 Section West, University Road, Tainan City
Pictured (l-r)- Douglas Tong Hsu, Chairman of the Far Eastern Group, Ean Kuok, Chairman of Shangri-La Asia Limited, Vincent Siew, Vice President of Republic of China, Taiwan and Tien Tsai Hsu, Tainan City Mayor jointly cut the giant version of mi gao, Tainan’s traditional rice cake in celebration of the hotel’s grand opening. 

The Far Eastern Group was established in 1937 following the founding spirit of “Sincerity, Diligence, Thrift and Prudence.”  The Far Eastern Group has grown to include nine public listed companies engaged in 10 different industries such as textile and synthetic fiber, cement, retailing, petrochemicals, transportation, construction, financial services, hotel, telecommunications and social responsibilities.  The group’s total assets now exceed USD46.6 billion.  FEG has not only developed in Taiwan and expanded into China and global markets, but has also entered strategic partnerships with the world’s renowned enterprises.  With revenues of over USD15.8 billion, FEG is now considered Taiwan’s best managed conglomerate for globalization and innovation.