Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is to open a new hotel in Lhasa, Tibet.

Scheduled to open in 2012, the 350-room Shangri-La Hotel, Lhasa will be 1.5km from the iconic Potala Palace, the 7th century complex at the centre of the city. Other notable nearby landmarks include Chokpori, one of the four holy mountains of central Tibet; Norbu Lingka, the summer palace originally built in 1755; and the Tibet Museum. The hotel will include modern interpretations of traditional Tibetan architectural motifs, with the interiors featuring locally produced arts, crafts and fabrics.

Its design will also attempt to mitigate the effects on visitors of the area's high altitude. Inspired by the window boxes of flowers found outside traditional Lhasa homes, the hotel will be surrounded by gardens featuring indigenous plants in a move aimed at increasing oxygen levels in the area. The hotel will also have a full service clinic with medical staff. Elsewhere will be an all-day dining restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, a bar and a lobby lounge. Recreational facilities are to include an indoor swimming pool and a health club, while meeting and banqueting facilities will include a 1,700sq m (18,299sq ft) grand ballroom, complemented by several smaller function rooms.

The property will be owned and operated by Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts. Pic: The Potala Palace, 1.5km from the hotel