InterContinental rolls out Chinese-focused Hualuxe hotels

London

INTERCONTINENTAL Hotels Group (IHG) will open up to three of its new Hualuxe hotels in China in 2015, the first of a Chinese-specific brand it hopes to eventually roll out globally.

IHG, one of the world's largest hoteliers with brands such as Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and InterContinental, said that the first Hualuxe hotel will open within weeks and has identified over 100 Chinese cities for sites in the next 15-20 years. The company's Greater China business, which comprises the mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, is a key growth prospect for IHG and generated 12 per cent of the group's US$668 million operating profit in 2013. The region already has 227 hotels open across its brands and 180 more in its pipeline.