Intercontinental Hotel Launches New Hotel Brand For Chinese

Hualuxe tea house

Hualuxe is the new upscale hotel brand catering to the Chinese traveller launched by the Intercontinental  Hotel Group (IHG).

The new Hualuxe brand was first announced in January by Jan Smits, IHG’s chief executive Asia, Middle East & Africa. This new brand was conceptualised in response to an increasingly discerning Chinese clientele as well as growing numbers of Chinese travellers – both domestic and abroad.

Hualuxe

In Chinese  the word Hua means majestic, while luxe means luxury.

Hualuxe hotels will focus on the four service areas of tradition, rejuvenation, status and familiar spaces.  They will feature Asian-style amenities such as tea houses for meetings, lobbies with gardens, late-night noodle bars, as well as VIP check-in and Club Lounge areas for premium guests.

Keith Barr

Keith Barr, CEO, IHG Greater China, said: “We have had great success over the years with the five brands we already have in this market, and we will now leverage our experience, and the strong relationships and reputation we have with customers and owners to establish and grow Hualuxe.”

IHG has already signed over 20 letters of intent that are now being converted into management contracts, with the first Hualuxe expected to open in China in late 2013 or early 2014.

Hualuxe

The brand will roll out in over 100 tier 1, 2 and 3 Chinese cities over the next 10 to 15 years, before opening in major global cities to cater to Chinese travellers going abroad.

Earlier this year, Accor revealed a re-engineering of its Grand Mercure brand in China to cater to the domestic travel market.