Hilton Hotels takes welcoming the Chinese traveler to the next level with the expansion of their Hilton Huanying program. Deriving its name from the Chinese word for welcome, the program was introduced in 2011 and has since expanded to meet the needs of the Chinese citizen. Not only will guests be greeted with a welcome note in Simplified Chinese, they will have Mandarin interpretation services available and they can expect a Chinese breakfast buffet, as well as many of the comforts of home during their travels.
With Chinese outbound travel projected to double from 100 million to 200 million by 2020, Hilton is expanding its Huanying program to Conrad Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton and Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts in more than 30 countries and 65 cities popular among Chinese travelers.
“Driven by our in-depth knowledge of China, where we have been operating hotels for over 25 years, and our position as a global hospitality company with over 4,300 hotels operating in 94 countries, we have a unique advantage in addressing the needs of the Chinese travelers,” said Martin Rinch, president, Asia Pacific, Hilton Worldwide.
Chinese breakfast
With the introduction of government-imposed austerity measures in China, financial growth is exploding into the United States market. With that in mind, it is important that hotels keep the Chinese travelers needs top of mind. With the expanded Huanying offerings, guest may expect Mandarin interpretation services upon arrival, tea kettles in-room with Jasmine tea, as well as slippers. Additionally, the breakfast program has been enhanced to include two varieties of congee with dim sum, fried noodles, rice and fried fritters, in addition to hard boiled eggs, Chinese tea and chopsticks.
Of course, there are challenges in implimenting such a program in the US market. As China is experiencing so much new growth, the typical hotel guest has become used to larger rooms and sophisticated technology. That’s not always an option within older hotels in the states.
“Chinese travelers are becoming increasingly independent in their travels,” according to Rob Palleschi, global head, full service brands, Hilton Worldwide. “There are more hotel restaurant choices in China compared to the United States market, but the service experience is the same at all Hilton Hotels.”
Hilton Huanying article and all photos by San Francisco-based travel writer Nancy D. Brown.
