InterContinental plans two new hotel brands in China and Asia Pacific

U.K.-based InterContinental Hotels Group announced on Wednesday plans to bring two of its hotel brands to China and Asia Pacific in an attempt to capture new breeds of consumers — the wellness enthusiasts and the wealthy.

The new brands are Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, a luxury boutique chain that operates mostly in the United States, and Even Hotels, which focuses on incorporating health and wellness into the travel experience.

Bringing the high-end Kimpton label to China and Asia Pacific makes sense given the speedy pace at which InterContinental’s business in those regions is growing, the multinational hotel group’s CEO, Keith Barr, told CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”

“As urbanization moves out further, you’re seeing these markets have incredible demand for hotels across the entire chain scale from luxury down to mainstream,” he added.

Even Hotels also “fits right into that sweet spot” of China’s new policy focus on health, wellness, tourism and resorts, according to Barr.

Kimpton will open in three new locations — Shanghai, Sanya, a city in China’s Hainan province, and Bali in Indonesia. Even Hotels, meanwhile, is coming to China.

Source: CNBC