One of China’s tallest buildings has opened for business in the nation’s ‘wealthiest village’ of Huaxi, a symbol of the country’s breakneck economic growth.

The Longxi International Hotel is 328 metres (1,082-feet) high and cost $470 million to build, an official in Huaxi told AFP.

There are around 10 taller buildings in China — including the Shanghai World Financial Center, the third highest in the world — but all of these are in major cities.

Casino giant Caesar’s Entertainment has announced the start of construction on its first non-casino luxury resort, in the Chinese holiday destination of Hainan.

The Caesars Palace Longmu Bay will be a 5-star resort with 1,000 rooms, a Las Vegas-style attraction which will set a ‘global luxury standard’ in China.

The first phase of the project is expected to cover a total of five square kilometers, Caesars confirmed September 27, with a planned opening date of 2014.

The Oyster Box, one of South Africa’s most lavish hotels, will host a reception for Prince Albert II of Monaco and his new bride, Charlene Wittstock, as they visit the eastern port city of Durban this week.

The five-star hotel is famous for sweeping views of the Indian Ocean and a presidential suite that lists for 50,000 rand ($7,400) a night.

The royal newlyweds, who are in town for a meeting of the International Olympic Committee will be throwing a party at the seaside hotel for 400 guests on Thursday.

The Mandarin Oriental opened its doors in Paris on Tuesday, becoming the third top-end Asian hotel brand in less than a year to put out its shingle and woo rich visitors to the French capital.

Newly built behind a 1930s facade, the eight-story property on fashionable Rue Saint Honore boasts 99 rooms and 39 suites going for an average of 950 euros a night.

“We absolutely wanted to be in the best arrondissement, the best location for leisure travellers,” said Christoph Mares, director of operations for Europe.

Brazil, which will be the home of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, has launched a new star-based system to cover all of its accommodation offerings.

Only officially-approved properties will be able to use the SBClass system, and that each will be evaluated based on the services it offers.

According to the system’s website, a five-star property must include 24-hour reception areas, in-room breakfasts, branded bathrobes and slippers, cable television, sauna or steam room and eco-friendly initiatives.

The French government announced the eight recipients of its new ‘palace’ hotel rating May 5, dealing a blow to some of Paris’s most famous hotels.

The ‘palace’ rating is an official designation above five stars awarded by the French tourism authorities — it’s designed to help travelers identify the cream of the country’s many swanky hotels.

A total of four Paris properties were given the award — the Bristol, the Meurice, the Park Hyatt and the Plaza Athenee.