InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is continuing to expand its upscale Crowne Plaza brand in China, with the addition of 10 new hotels in the country between August and December 2012.
Already this month, new Crowne Plazas have been added in Hefei, Huangshan, Shanghai and Xi’an, with properties in Zhenjiang and Hong Kong to follow in September. Then in the final quarter of the year IHG will unveil new Crowne Plaza properties in Xishuangbanna, Xuzhou, Lanzhou and Tianjin. Once all 10 hotels are open, Crowne Plaza’s Chinese portfolio will total 63 hotels.
“Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts is the fourth largest upscale hotel brand in the world and one of the fastest growing brands in Asia Pacific with a strong development pipeline. We are thrilled to announce these 10 new hotel openings, as they reinforce our serious commitment to growth in Greater China,” said Keith Barr, CEO of IHG Greater China.
IHG added that by the end of 2012, Crowne Plaza will become the “largest upscale international hotel brand in Greater China”, with 63 hotels operating across 50 cities and a further 50 in the pipeline, all of which are scheduled to open in the next five years.
“The Crowne Plaza global portfolio has doubled since 2003 to nearly 400 hotels, and our global pipeline has increased fourfold to 115 hotels, the most hotels in the development pipeline of any upscale brand globally,” added Barr.
Of the 10 new hotels, Crowne Plaza Xishuangbanna, in southern China’s Yunnan province, will mark the brand’s push into China’s major resort destinations, while the Crowne Plaza Hong Kong Kowloon East will become the second Crowne Plaza hotel in Hong Kong. The Crowne Plaza Lanzhou and Crowne Plaza Xi’an meanwhile, will mark the brand’s expansion into Western China.