SINGAPORE, 30 September 2021: Hilton launches a franchise model in China to allow independent hotel owners to tap the group’s marketing and sales network.
The group is reaching out to investors and hotel owners to explore franchising opportunities under its already existing Hilton Garden Inn brand.
Hilton Asia Pacific president Alan Watts said: “Providing opportunities for franchised partnerships with Hilton Garden Inn is a great step towards winning the hearts and minds of strong, savvy, independent hotel owners in China. We are confident that the new model will serve as a great opportunity for our owners to access one of Hilton’s iconic brands.”
Hilton Garden Inn brand is a prototype developed specifically for the Chinese market launched in 2019. Under the latest franchise offer, Hilton claims “owners can take advantage of upfront investment costs, while the leaner operating model drives profitability and provides ease for day-to-day operations.”
To date, the hotel group has inked more than 100 deals to develop Hilton Garden Inn hotels in China that will tap increasing demand for internationally branded hotels, especially in second and third-tier cities in China.
Hilton senior vice president development Asia Pacific Clarence Tan looks beyond China, saying, “we are confident that this development model will thrive in key destinations across Asia, as we anticipate rising demand for hotels in this segment in the long term. We are always on the lookout for the right partners, and we will absolutely be assessing the right time to introduce the franchise model to regional investors in the Asia Pacific.”
Hilton Garden Inn has a global footprint of over 900 hotels, with 35 in China and 44 across the Asia Pacific under management contracts.
