The FINANCIAL — IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has on April 26 unveiled HUALUXE Zhangjiakou as its 300th open property in Greater China.
The hotel becomes IHG’s fifth for the HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts brand and the only international-branded, upscale hotel in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, one of the host cities for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
IHG is one of the leading international hotel companies in Greater China and has more than 30 years of experience in the region, having opened its first Holiday Inn® hotel in Beijing in 1984. Since then we have continued to grow, opening our 100th hotel in 2008 and 200th just five years later in 2013. In 2016 alone, we signed more than 80 hotel deals – the most ever. As IHG has grown, it has become the one of the industry’s largest employers and an important contributor to the Chinese economy. IHG employs 65,000 people across our hotels and corporate offices, more than 95% of which are local Chinese, according to IHG.
Richard Solomons, Chief Executive Officer, IHG, commented: “We have a strong heritage in Greater China, having had a presence in the market for more than 30 years. Our portfolio of relevant brands and deep local knowledge means we are meeting the needs of Chinese guests, and with long-term demand for hotels increasing, we remain hugely positive about the opportunity in this region.
“The opening of our 300th hotel in Greater China is a remarkable achievement for IHG and it is fitting that it is a HUALUXE hotel, designed specifically for Chinese travellers, that has helped us reach this milestone. Working closely with our partners, we look forward to continued growth in what is a very important market for us.”
IHG’s broad portfolio in Greater China comprises seven well established brands, including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Holiday Inn Resort. With 300 open hotels and approximately 240 due to open in the next 3 to 5 years, IHG has unparalleled penetration and distribution across nearly 130 cities in Greater China, with more than three quarters located in tier 2, 3 and 4 cities.
IHG launched HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts in 2012. Based on our deep knowledge of the local market, it is the first international upscale hotel brand designed specifically for Chinese consumers. The brand now has five open hotels, with a further 22 in the pipeline.
The HUALUXE Zhangjiakou, features 340 deluxe rooms, with nearly 30 suites and has six restaurants and bars, providing high-quality local and international cuisine. The hotel’s restaurants include IHG’s Chinese restaurant brand, Cai Feng Lou, which offers authentic Chinese cuisine with local flavours; all day dining restaurant, Xian Yan; Tai & Ko, specialising in Japanese, Korean and Mongolian cuisine; and the HUALUXE signature Noodle Bar.
The hotel sits in Zhangjiakou city centre and is located conveniently for both business and leisure travellers, just 8 kilometres from Zhangjiakou railway station and 12 kilometres from Zhangjiakou Ningyuan Airport. It also offers fully equipped conference and meeting facilities, with six multi-functional meeting rooms and the city’s largest pillarless ballroom, at 1,300 square metres.
