The PuYu WUHAN
Urban Resort Concepts continues to transform the luxury hospitality landscape in China with its second handcrafted hotel, rooted in the heart of the country. Words: Neena Dhillon | Photography: Courtesy of The PuYu
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etween them, the four founding partners of Urban Resort Concepts (URC) have more than 90 years’ experience in hospitality – and of that, 50 based in China. Previously affiliated with global chains such as GHM, Oberoi, Peninsula and Raffles, like-minded hoteliers Markus Engel, Bernd Koehn, John Laing and Patrick Chen decided to put their combined track record to good use, joining forces to unveil the first of their independent, bespoke, luxury hotels back in 2009. The PuLi in Shanghai has since been namechecked in ‘best hotel’ lists by Condé Nast, Tatler and Wallpaper, putting URC on the travel industry map and stoking the interest of Chinese developers. Having opened a second five-star property in Wuhan, the brand will launch urban resorts in Beijing, Chengdu and Xiamen within the next three years as well as in Kuala Lumpur, its first location outside China. Not content with growth at the top end of the market, the ambitious group is also set to announce diversification into the mid-level price bracket with a brand called UR House, set for aggressive expansion. “Our starting point for URC was to offer a genuine alternative to the conventional five-star product in China,” explains CEO Markus Engel. “There was a need for tailor-made hotels that felt rooted in their destinations through contextual design, without falling back on pastiche or formulaic recipes. Clearly positioned as contemporary urban resorts, they should act as facilitators to the cities in which they are based while providing an intuitive guest experience.” Locations are key to URC’s proposition but so is the brand’s approach to service. Recognising that travellers, who have paid premium room rates, become nonplussed by add-on hotel