Building on over 30
years of partnership in the luxury industry
in China, Kempinski Hotels and BTG Hotels
(Group) Co., Ltd. (BTG Hotels)
are pleased to announce a new chapter in their strategic
partnership in China. Kempinski Group has started executing a strategic plan aimed at reclaiming and strengthening the market leadership the oldest European hospitality company has enjoyed
for over 150 years.
Kempinski Group launches a multi-year investment plan to support the growth of the very successful partnership with BTG Hotels. The plan will focus on four key pillars:
1) Expand the Chinese Heritage Portfolio for the Kempinski brand, enlarging the offering for sophisticated Chinese travellers discovering China and offering authentic Chinese heritage experiences for the international travellers discovering this beautiful country.
2) Launch a new lifestyle hospitality brand to reach 200 hotels in China over the next five years. Leveraging the strength of BTG Hotels, the continuous growth of the Chinese market and Kempinski’s expertise in crafting unique experiences, this new brand will enlarge the choice for Chinese customers in China.
3) Continue to strategically support the Bristoria brand portfolio and strengthen the collaboration to expand the global expansion of the NUO brand and establish it as a benchmark in luxury cultural hospitality worldwide.
4) Reinforce the cooperation on membership system integration.
This commitment underscores their mutual
ambition to lead the way in hospitality and meet the evolving needs of the
Chinese market.
“BTG and Kempinski
have achieved tremendous success during the past two decades. China’s role on the travel
and tourism stage has undergone
a major shift in the last quarter
century, and Kempinski has
been a part of that journey since day one,” said Madame Li, Chairlady, BTG
Hotels (Group) Co., Ltd., “We look
forward to further strengthening the long-term strategy in the region, leveraging the hospitality expertise of Kempinski, and together,
continuing to be a driving force in
the development of China’s hospitality landscape.”
Commenting on the partnership extension, Barbara
Muckermann, Chief Executive Officer, Kempinski Group, says:
“Kempinski and BTG enjoy a strong partnership and rich history together, as pioneers in luxury hospitality in China. We are very fortunate to have BTG Hotels,
the third largest hotel group
in the country, as our partner. Our collaboration offers
us a unique advantage to continue aggressively expanding in the
region. I look forward to the next phase of the collaboration to reinforce our
position into the future.”
Kempinski
originally expanded into China in 1992 with the country’s first-ever five-star luxury hotel, Kempinski Hotel Beijing
Yansha Center, formerly known as Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center.
Following early successes in China, Kempinski and BTG created Key Co. in 2001,
a joint venture established to operate hotels throughout China, leveraging the
hospitality expertise of Kempinski, as the oldest
independent luxury hotel company in Europe,
and BTG Hotels’ reputation as the most prestigious travel and tourism company
in China. In 2018, Kempinski and its long-term
Chinese partner mutually
agreed to prematurely review the joint
venture for another 50 years as a sign of confidence from both parties in the
partnership and the enduring potential of this market. Today, the joint venture
is one of the largest international luxury brand operators in China, operating
22 hotels.
“We are thrilled to cement our partnership
with Kempinski,” says Rick Huo,
Chairman of Key Co. and NUO International Hotels Mgmt. Co., Ltd., “This
is a significant step in expanding
our portfolio and strengthening our brand offering in China and beyond. This
renewed collaboration not only demonstrates
the shared commitment of both Kempinski and BTG Hotels, but also paves the way
for increased market share, ensuring that our joint venture continues to set
new benchmarks in the industry.”
As part of the renewed
partnership, Kempinski and BTG Hotels
will focus on Chinese travellers by launching a new brand which
will offer a curated selection of rooms, experiences and services to cater to
the evolving needs of the local demand. “Given China’s strategic importance in
our strategy, this new lifestyle brand will just reinforce our long-term
commitment to the local market
and will help further expand
our footprint in the region,”
says Rasha
Lababidi, Chief Product Officer Kempinski Hotels, “Domestic
travellers will benefit from the best of both worlds, Kempinski
hospitality and service
expertise on one hand, distinct products and experiences
specially designed for them on the other hand. Together with BTG Hotels, I look
forward to bringing this new brand to life.”
The extension of the partnership between
Kempinski Hotels and BTG Hotels demonstrates Kempinski long-term vision to
remain a key hospitality player in the region, as part of the transformational change
that the brand
is going through
to develop and position Europe’s
oldest luxury hospitality group as a dynamic, world-class leader in the
luxury travel industry.
