UK hotel brand launched with affordable luxury

HK CTS Hotels Co Ltd launched its British-style hotel brand Kew Green Hotels in Beijing on Sept 13, aiming to expand in the Chinese market with its "affordable luxury" hotel service.

Different from traditional business hotels, Kew Green Hotels focuses on customers born after 1980, a group with more individual spirits and a strong connection to social media, said Huang Peng, board director and executive general manager of HK CTS Hotels.

To provide a British atmosphere for Chinese customers, the hotel built up a functional area named Kew Space to subvert the traditional hotel lobby.

Customers can open their laptops to work, sip a cup of coffee, try a light dish, browse books and talk with their friends in the social space.

Some English designers from Kew Green Hotels in the United Kingdom participated in the construction of the new brand.

Backed by China National Travel Service (HK) Group Corporation, formerly CTS Group, China's largest tourism group, HK CTS Hotels purchased the entire issued share capital of Kew Green Hotels in the UK in 2015.

It was HK CTS Hotels' first step in entering the UK hotel market.

Huang noted that British hotels used to be less recommended in China, but through the acquisition, HK CTS Hotels hopes to attract more new Chinese customer groups.

Facilitated with HK CTS Hotels' managing experience and understanding of Chinese customers, the purchase will enrich the companies' other brands, and will create new growth spots, Huang said.

Besides the Kew Green Hotels, now the company owns another three brands - Grand Metropark Hotels, Metropark Hotels and Traveler's Inn.

HK CTS Hotels now operates 140 hotels with approximately 30,000 rooms in 30 cities in the UK, 40 cities in China and one in Africa.

It will open its first Kew Green Hotel in Hong Kong in November, according to the company.

"We are confident in building up a British-style, new hotel brand in China," Huang said.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 09/24/2016 page10)