Hilton Worldwide signed an agreement with the Chengdu Yincheng Property Co Ltd, this past May, in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, to open its first Waldorf Astoria-brand hotel in West China.

The 300-room Waldorf Astoria Chengdu, scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2016, will be China's fifth Waldorf Astoria. It follows the opening of one in Shanghai on the Bund, in 2011, one planned for a 2013 opening in Beijing, one in Baoting scheduled to open in 2015, and another in Sanya on Hainan, for 2016.

"The introduction of the Waldorf Astoria brand in Chengdu marks another milestone in Hilton Worldwide's expansion across central and western China. We look forward to letting more guests in China to experience the classic elegance and modern grandeur embodied in this iconic brand. The new hotel will also help embellish Chengdu's status as a popular tourist destination for conferences and exhibitions," said John Vanderslice, global head of luxury and lifestyle brands for Hilton Worldwide.

Supporting Vanderslicein on the new hotel development was Andrew Clough, senior vice president of Middle East & Asia Pacific, Hilton Worldwide, who added, "As a growing economic and financial center of West China, with a booming tourism sector, Chengdu presents outstanding opportunities for the hospitality industry. And Waldorf Astoria Chengdu will strengthen Hilton Worldwide's brand offerings in this important, rapidly growing city to meet the rising demands of the emerging luxury segment."

The hotel will be located at the heart of Chengdu's Tianfu New Area, opposite the Tianfu International Finance Center. The area is also home to the South Chengdu Hi-Tech Development Zone.

Shen Guojun, chairman and president of China Yintai Holdings Co Ltd, had this to say about the move, "We're excited in partnering with Hilton Worldwide in our vision of building an iconic landmark in the center of the city. Hilton Worldwide, as a recognized leader in the global hospitality industry, offers a wealth of knowledge and expertise for the hospitality business that complements Yintai's desire to develop luxury hotels in China. We're confident that the partnership will be a huge commercial success for both parties."

Hilton Worldwide currently operates 28 hotels in China and has over 90 properties in the planning stage. It also has three more hotels in the pipeline in Chengdu – the Hilton Chengdu, also in the South Chengdu Hi-Tech Development Zone; the Conrad Chengdu, also scheduled for the center of the downtown; and the DoubleTree (the Hilton Chengdu Longquanyi), in the Longquanyi New District.