Langham Hotels International Grows In China

Langham Hotels International says it will sign or operate 20 hotels, accounting for up to half of its global total, in the Chinese mainland in the next five years.

Despite the current global financial crisis, LHI does not plan to slow its expansion in the Chinese market. In 2009, the company plans to open three hotels in China — one in Shanghai and two in Beijing. Among them, The Langham, Yangtze Boutique, Shanghai is expected to open in March. Langham Place, Beijing Capital Airport is scheduled to open in October, 2009 and Langham Place Hotel, Beijing is also slated to open within 2009. In addition, a Langham Hotel is scheduled to open in Guangzhou in 2010.

Brett Butcher, senior vice president of sales and marketing at LHI, says that Langham Hotel and Langham Place will be the two backbone brands of the company's development in China and LHI will accelerate its expansion in China in three ways: by self construction and operation, by acquisition, and by signing management contracts.

At present, four Langham Hotels are under construction in China. Three of them will be opened in the next 12 months. In addition, the company has signed several memoranda of understanding on hotel projects with Chinese developers and partners. According to Butcher LHI aims to be a familiar hotel brand among Chinese tourists by 2020, when China is expected to become the world's largest outbound travel source.