InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed the first eight properties in its new Hualuxe brand, which focuses purely on the Chinese domestic market.
Since announcing details of Hualuxe Hotels & Resorts five months ago, IHG has now sealed management contracts for its first eight properties, which will comprise more than 2,700 rooms in major cities across China, including Beijing and Shanghai.
Hualuxe will be an entirely new brand designed for domestic Chinese travellers. The hotels will include a range of facilities and amenities focusing on the needs of Chinese guests, including late-night noodle bars, VIP arrival services, hosts and hostesses, and large multi-purpose meeting spaces.
IHG plans to roll out the brand to more than 100 cities and resort locations in China over the next 15-20 years. Kicking off the expansion, the first eight hotels will open between 2014 and 2016, and include the 380-room Hualuxe Beijing Xinan, 400-room Hualuxe Shanghai Pudong Kangqiao, 350-room Hualuxe Chengdu High-Tech West, 380-room Hualuxe Zhangjiajie Resort, 300-room Hualuxe Ordos Dongsheng, 350-room Hualuxe Foshan Nanhai, 282-room Hualuxe Yangjiang City Centre and 330-room Hualuxe Fuzhou Downtown.
“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.” said Keith Barr, CEO of IHG Greater China. “Hualuxe Hotels & 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.”
The first eight Hualuxe signings are all in cities where IHG already has an open hotel or in the pipeline.
Several international hotel companies have all introduced new schemes offering services catering especially for the Chinese travellers. IHG is the only one however, to have launched an entirely new hotel brand dedicated to the Chinese domestic market.
