CHANGCHUN, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. hotel chain Days Inn is expected to become the first international hotel brand to debut in the Changbai Mountains in northeast China's Jilin Province early next year, the administration committee of the mountain resort has said.

    By renovating a hotel in Chixi District of the nature reserve with an investment of 120 million yuan (16 million U.S. dollars), the Days Inn hotel has 8,200 square meters of floor space, providing 122 European-style rooms. It is planned to go into operation on Jan. 18, 2008.

    The Changbai Mountains, located in the southeast of Jilin, rank China's largest nature reserve and is home to the rare Siberian tigers, snow leopards and wild ginseng. This year is the first time that Chixi scenic zone opens to tourists during winter, where an ice and snow festival will be staged to welcome visitors.

    An airport is scheduled to open to flights next August in the mountain resort, making travel more easier for tourists.

    Established in 1970, Days Inn is one of the ten hotel brands under the Wyndham Hotel Group of the United States, which is one of the world's leading hospitality companies.