Hilton Worldwide (Hilton) has expanded its Hilton Huanying program, which it hopes will provide Chinese travellers with a customised hospitality experience during their stay, and build the brand’s reputation in China.
According to the hospitality group, the program is now available in more than 110 properties worldwide. Participating hotels include Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts and DoubleTree by Hilton properties in some 30 countries and 65 cities.
“Since being introduced in 2011 at 51 properties in 13 countries, Huanying (derived from the Chinese word for “welcome”) has empowered more than a million Chinese travellers to explore new destinations with the comforts of home,” said Rob Palleschi, global head, full service brands, Hilton Worldwide.
“We are very proud of this programme, and the benefits are clear. Chinese travellers who stay at Huanying properties express a greater overall satisfaction in their hospitality experience”.
Chinese outbound travel is expected to grow at an unprecedented pace, with Hilton’s research suggesting that the 100 million visitors today will double to 200 million by 2020.
The group has invested heavily in establishing its brand in the mainland – particularly in secondary cities where brand awareness is limited. Just last year, Hilton opened its first property in Foshan (see here), a prefecture-level city that boasts strategic value due to its attractive location in the Pearl River Delta. For a detailed look into the city, check out the March 2015 issue of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific for “A Pearl in the River Delta” (see here).
The complete list of offerings from the Huangying package include:
Arrival experience
- Huanying Greeting: a welcome note in Simplified Chinese
- Mandarin interpretation service (many properties offer Mandarin speaking team member(s) as well)
Guestroom amenities
- Tea kettles
- Jasmine tea
- Slippers
- Dedicated Mandarin-speaking television channel
Breakfast experience
- Two varieties of congee with condiments, fried rice or fried noodles, a dim sum selection, fried dough fritters (crullers), hard boiled eggs, Chinese tea, fresh fruit and soy milk
- Chinese culinary utensils including chopsticks, Chinese spoons and a soy sauce dish
For more information, visit hilton.com
Clement Huang
