News analysis: Congee, slippers and dedicated TV
27 July 2011
The battle to draw Chinese travellers appears to be heating up with the recent announcements from both Starwood and Hilton that they are launching personalized travel initiatives targeted at Chinese travellers.
Starwood – a major player in China with 75 hotels in operation and nearly 100 in the pipeline in the country – announced earlier this month the launch of its Starwood Personalized Travel program.
Some 19 Starwood hotels currently offer the program including Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers and Le Meridien Piccadilly, London with plans to roll it out across all Starwood hotels and resorts by the end of 2012.
Elements include in-room tea kettles, slippers, translated welcome materials and on-site translation services as well as restaurant menus in Chinese and popular Chinese dishes such as congee.
“As Chinese travellers begin to travel beyond their borders en masse, they, like their Western counterparts before them, will gravitate to the hotel brands they know from home, and with Starwood’s leading footprint in China, this gives us a great advantage,” Frits van Paasschen, president & CEO, Starwood Hotels & Resorts commented on the initiative.
Not to be outdone, Hilton Hotels & Resorts has launched Hilton Huanying, its own tailored experience for Chinese travellers. Thirty hotels are already enrolled in the Hilton Huanying program, which debuts August 16 in San Francisco.
Hilton’s program includes a front desk team member fluent in Chinese, a selection of Chinese tea, a dedicated TV channel broadcasting Chinese programming, and a welcome letter written in Chinese. Hilton presently has 17 hotels in China, a number it plans to boost to more than 100 in the next five years.
"Every experience we share with our guests begins with a welcome. Hilton Huanying is an extension of our brand promise to ensure every guest feels cared for, valued and respected," commented Dave Horton, global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts. "As the world prepares to welcome the growing number of Chinese travellers, we continue to lead and give guests compelling reasons to choose Hilton."
Starwood and Hilton are not the only companies looking to target Chinese travellers, Marriott International is also reportedly planning a new Chinese breakfast programme, further details of which are yet to be unveiled.
