Interstate Hotels & Resorts Appoints Timur Senturk Managing Director of J Hotel at Shanghai Tower in China

ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Interstate Hotels & Resorts today announced the appointment of Timur Senturk as managing director of China's tallest ultra-luxury hotel, the flagship J Hotel located at Shanghai Tower.  Currently under construction in Shanghai's central business district of Lujiazui, Pudong, the J Hotel Shanghai Tower is anticipated to open in the first quarter of 2015, and will be operated by Interstate China Hotels & Resorts, a joint venture between Interstate and Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotels Company Limited ("Jin Jiang Hotels").

A seasoned general manager with global experience, Senturk comes to his new assignment from 12 years with The Ritz-Carlton Company, where he most recently was general manager of the Ritz-Carlton Guangzhou, China. Prior to his assignment in China, he was general manager for the Ritz-Carlton hotels in South Beach Miami, and Pentagon City, Washington, D.C. Throughout his 23-year career in hospitality, Senturk also operated hotels in India, Thailand and the U.K.

"Timur is exactly the kind of international hotelier who is essential to lead the flagship hotel for a new, world-class luxury brand, and to introduce the J Hotel to an international audience," said Jim Abrahamson, Interstate's chief executive officer. "His experience in every area of luxury hotels, coupled with 12 years with Ritz-Carlton, makes him an outstanding choice to establish a new benchmark for luxury hotels in China."

The 200-plus-room J Hotel Shanghai Tower is the new and innovative ultra-luxury brand from Jin Jiang Hotels, the leading hotel group in China. The lobby will be located on the 101^st floor of Shanghai Tower, with the hotel situated within floors 84-111.  The hotel will feature three dynamic restaurants and a world-class spa.

Upon completion, Shanghai Tower will be China's tallest building and the second tallest in the world, rising 121 stories (2,073 feet; 631 m) with a gross floor area (GFA) of more than six million square feet. The Shanghai Tower symbolizes modern China and will be the world's tallest LEED-certified structure, a "vertical city" providing every facility and amenity, and it will set new standards in design.

"The J Hotel brand will be on the top of Jin Jiang's branding structure, representing the combination of East and West elements," said Xu Ming, executive president, Interstate China Hotels & Resorts. "Mr. Senturk, with his international background and working experience in China, is the right person for this position because he understands both international brands and the Chinese culture."

About Interstate China Hotels & Resorts

Shanghai-based Interstate China Hotels & Resorts, a joint venture between Interstate Hotels & Resorts and Jin Jiang Hotels, was established in 2010 as the first international third-party hotel management company to enter China. The Company's management platform provides hotel owners and developers with the resources and economies of scale necessary for world-class operations of franchised hotels under leading international brands and landmark independent hotels. Over 50 years of world class management experience and proven success for owners enable Interstate China to instill international hotel management policies, procedures and systems into China's market. Since tapping into China's market in 2010, Interstate China has signed management agreements with 10 hotels, of which, four have already opened for operation, the remaining six are expected to commence operation in 3 years' time.  Interstate China's goal is aligned with owners' goals to enhance bottom line profitability and return on investment. Currently, Interstate China has more than 3,700 rooms throughout the country. For more information about Interstate China Hotels & Resorts, please visit www.interstatechina.com/en/.

About Jin Jiang Hotels

Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotels (Group) Company Limited is one of the leading hotel operators and managers in China and its stock was listed on the Main Board of Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Currently, over 900 hotels of the Group including star-rated hotels and Jin Jiang Inn Budget Hotels are under operation and development, providing nearly 136,000 rooms across more than 200 cities and towns in 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities throughout China. The Group's overseas business mainly comprises of its 50% interest in IHR Group, which manages around 400 hotel properties across 9 countries all over the world. The Group also has equity interests in three Chinese listed companies, namely Jing Jiang Hotels, Jinjiang Investment and Jinjiang Travel. For more information about the Company, please visit its website: www.jinjianghotels.com.cn.

About Interstate Hotels & Resorts

Interstate Hotels & Resorts, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of a 50/50 joint venture between subsidiaries of Thayer Lodging and Jin Jiang, is the leading U.S.-based global hotel management company, operating branded full- and select-service hotels and resorts, convention centers and independent hotels worldwide.  Interstate and its affiliates manage 370 hotels with nearly 70,000 rooms in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, including seven wholly owned hotels.  In addition, Interstate has executed agreements to manage 37 hotels with more than 7,300 rooms under construction or development throughout the world.

For more information, please visit www.interstatehotels.com. Connect with Interstate at www.linkedin.com/company/interstate-hotels-resorts, www.facebook.com/InterstateHotels, and http://jobs.interstatehotels.com.

SOURCE Interstate Hotels & Resorts