Hotels group planning further expansion in Shanghai

The Hilton hotels group says it is to expand in Shanghai with at least eight new openings scheduled over the next two years as it diversifies its portfolio in the financial center.

The operator of the Waldorf Astoria and Conrad hotels said that this year new hotel openings in China had already exceeded the average in previous years.

Shanghai now hosts 14 hotels managed by Hilton and that would rise to nearly two dozen next year, with new openings planned in the downtown and outskirts in the city including transport hubs like the Hongqiao, the Pudong New Area and Jinshan districts.

Hilton hotels and resorts are also set to open near Shanghai's landmark tourist attractions such as the Shanghai Disney Resort and the planned Legoland Shanghai Resort.

Qian Jin, president of Hilton China and Mongolia, said on Friday that it is keeping up the growth momentum and long-term commitment in China with more expansion initiatives planned.

Currently, the hotelier is operating 12 brands to cater to various leisure accommodation needs, and more lifestyle brands will be introduced to the local market, he said.

In the first half of this year, domestic consumers made 2.73 billion trips, a 14.3 percent surge from a year ago, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and their total travel spending jumped 19 percent to 273 million yuan (US$38 million).

The Hilton Shanghai City Center at the intersection of Jing'an and Changning districts is the group's latest flagship hotel.

It is close to downtown landmarks the Jing'an Temple, Wukang Mansion, and the Shanghai Exhibition Center.

In the first eight months of this year, the group had opened 100 new hotels in China under the Conrad, Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn brands, including new locations in lower tier cities Changshu, Meishan and Kashgar.