2016_HOTELS_325.pdfVIP

Chinese Companies Crawl up the Charts The enormous opporTuniTy for hoTel developmenT in China has been the talk of the industry for the better part of the last decade, but 2010 may be remembered as the year when it turned the corner from potential to realization. Fifteen of the top 16 companies in the newest HOTELS’ 325 ranking added net inventory from a year ago, and nearly all posted major gains in China, with many more projects on the way. “All international hotel companies are gaining acquired in May by Home Inns for US$470 traction with Chinese consumers, as they are all million, a merger that will vault the combined signing up hotels in larger and larger numbers company well past 100,000 total guestrooms — it’s every hotel company’s largest market for and could result next year in the first new growth,” says Robert Hecker, the Singapore- addition to the overall top 10 list in a half decade. based managing director for consultancy In all, there are 26 China-based companies in the Horwath HTL. top 300 on this year’s list, up from 24 last year Despite intense ongoing pushes for China and 18 in 2009. expansion by most of the international hotel There was some movement in the top 10 companies in HOTELS’ 325 top 10, however, list this year, with Marriott International Inc. it has been China’s domestic budget brands leapfrogging Wyndham Worldwide and that are dominating investor attention of late. Starwood Hotels Resorts Worldwide Inc. just Four such brands have already jumped from barely edging past Best Western International. relative obscurity into the list of the top 50 largest It is the first time since 2007 — when Accor SA brands in the world — Home Inns from Home jumped Choice Hotels International