InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has revealed its first set of signings for the new Chinese domestic market Hualuxe Hotels and Resorts brand.
According to IHG, eight management contracts have been signed since the brand launch earlier this year, including hotels in Beijing and Shanghai, as well as six emerging business and leisure destinations across the country.
IHG Chief Executive for Greater China, Keith Barr, said the eight newly signed hotels and resorts are expected to open between 2014 and 2016, and are with owners who are working with IHG for the first time.
“Since we entered this market in 1984, we’ve been evolving our operating standards and services to ensure all our Chinese guests feel welcome and comfortable,” he said. “Hualuxe Hotels and Resorts marks an innovation in this industry. Our three decades of experience has given us deep consumer insight that we’ve now used to create a brand where every element has been fashioned to suit the tastes and sensibilities of our Chinese guests.
“This has never been done before and it’s immensely rewarding to see so many owners and business partners understand, support and sign up to our vision.”
According to IHG, Hualuxe Hotels and Resorts is the first international hotel brand specifically designed for Chinese consumers focusing on the unique aspects of Chinese etiquette, the importance of rejuvenation, status recognition and enabling spaces that reflect local customs and heritage.
The company says it takes the best aspects of renowned Chinese hospitality and applies IHG’s international scale, powerful systems and unparalleled insights into the Chinese market and will consistently deliver what consumers expect in China today.
The eight newly signed hotels bring a combined total of nearly 2,800 rooms to the Hualuxe brand pipeline, which is a significant achievement in less than five months since the brand launch.
The properties – Hualuxe Beijing Xinan (380 rooms), Hualuxe Shanghai Pudong Kangqiao (400 rooms), Hualuxe Chengdu High-Tech West (350 rooms), Hualuxe Zhangjiajie Resort (380 rooms), Hualuxe Ordos Dongsheng (300 rooms), Hualuxe Foshan Nanhai (350 rooms), Hualuxe Yangjiang City Centre (282 rooms) and Hualuxe Fuzhou Downtown (330 rooms) – are all located in cities where IHG already has an open hotel or a hotel in the pipeline and they will “greatly complement other IHG hotels in these markets”, according to the company.
The company said Hualuxe was a key part of IHG’s strategy to grow market share in Greater China and the brand will initially launch in tier one, two and three cities and resort locations and “IHG sees the opportunity for this brand to be in over 100 cities in China over the next 15-20 years”.