Hilton is celebrating a new milestone in China with the opening of its 400th hotel in the country—Hilton Lanzhou City Center. The opening marks the first hotel under Hilton Hotels & Resorts in Gansu Province, and signals a positive growth momentum for the company amidst a challenging year to continue the rapid expansion of its presence in the market.
Located in the city’s central business district and shopping area, Hilton Lanzhou City Center offers a modern, professional and high-end venue for conferences, exhibitions and business meetings, while also injecting new vitality into the development of the city’s tourism and business sector, according to the company.
“This is a momentous milestone for Hilton’s growth trajectory in Asia-Pacific as we continue our stellar run as the fastest-growing global hospitality company in the region,” said Alan Watts, president, Hilton Asia Pacific. “As one of our strategic growth markets, we have continued to invest heavily in China, launching several noteworthy initiatives including our large-scale franchise model in China, the introduction of our extended stay brand Home2 by Hilton, and multiple strategic partnerships to grow our brands and presence. Despite the numerous disruptions caused by the pandemic, we have remained steadfast on our commitment to deliver exceptional experiences to guests and to optimize our offerings for partners and owners.”
A year of continued growth in China
In another year that remained operationally challenging, Hilton pivoted towards recovery trends to cater to evolving industry needs with new accommodation options and services:
- The launch of the large-scale franchise model with Hilton Garden Inn: With focused-service hotels representing the fastest-growing hospitality sector in China, the company introduced its large-scale franchising model to the country, starting with its focused-service brand Hilton Garden Inn.
- The introduction of extended-stay accommodation options: Hilton introduced the extended-stay sector with the brand introduction of Home2 Suites by Hilton, which made its debut in China this month in partnership with Funyard.
- Providing guests with high quality, thoughtfully designed accommodations and amenities, Hampton by Hilton: Celebrating its 200th hotel opening in China in September, demonstrating strong growth since its launch in the country almost seven years ago, with more than 600 properties currently in development.
- Elevating the levels of luxury hospitality across tier-one cities in China with established partners: Working closely together with partners Shimao Group, come January 2022, guests can look forward to the addition of the first Conrad hotel in Shanghai, as well as Zhuhai and Wuhan in the coming years. Under the same partnership, Waldorf Astoria will mark a new tier-one city debut with the opening of Waldorf Astoria Shenzhen.
“Throughout the past year, our team in China has moved from strength to strength, demonstrating the resilience and potential of both our people at Hilton and the China market,” said Qian Jin, president, Hilton Greater China and Mongolia. “Hilton remains committed to contributing to the sustainable development of China’s travel and tourism industry, winning together with our partners, and providing more choices for our guests—evidenced today by the opening of Hilton Lanzhou City Center. We are thrilled to celebrate this 400th hotel milestone in Lanzhou, and we look forward to making further progress towards our ambitious goal of opening 1,000 hotels in China by 2025.”
