The “Jizhuang” Brand: Paving the Way for Premium Chinese Cultural Hotels
Emei Mountain BlueLight Jizhuang Hotel is the group’s first ultra-luxury five-star resort hotel, built with an investment of hundreds of millions of yuan. The “Jizhuang” brand draws inspiration from the profound richness of Chinese culture — “vast without outer bounds, minute without inner limits” is the essence of “Ji (self).” Jizhuang seeks inspiration from traditional Chinese wisdom, aiming to create a serene retreat where “a hut is built amidst the human realm, yet free from the clamor of carts and horses,” offering an idyllic escape longed for by urban dwellers.
From the initial conception of the brand, Jizhuang Hotel has emphasized a fusion of brand culture with unique local characteristics, clearly positioning itself as a destination hotel centered on family experiences, and enriched with features in cultural creativity, music, art, and sports.
“Our goal is to create a personal sanctuary for every city dweller, where each visit brings new insights,” said Dong Wangyang, General Manager of Jizhuang Hotel.
The hotel’s distinctive brand culture has received widespread recognition from both the market and the industry. In March 2017, Jizhuang Hotel was honored as the only recipient of the “Best Family Hotel in China” at the 17th China Hotel Golden Horse Awards; in November, at the “2017 China Commercial Real Estate TOP100 & Business Performance Awards Ceremony” jointly organized by Guandian New Media, Daily Economic News, China Times, and Sohu Focus, it won the “2017 China Hotel Annual Performance Award.” On Ctrip, the hotel achieved an overall rating and four individual scores for cleanliness, environment, service, and facilities all at 4.8, making it a Ctrip-selected top-tier quality hotel.
The “Hotel+” Model: Diversified Experiences in Harmony
Different from the traditional “accommodation + dining” model of conventional hotels, Jizhuang Hotel emphasizes platform-based operations and diversified experiences in harmony.
“A hotel is a physical platform. Beyond providing the most basic lodging and dining, there are many more multidimensional possibilities. For example, NetEase Yanxuan has opened stores in hotels, monetizing hotel traffic through the ‘what you use is what you can buy’ concept. In our entire hospitality industry, how to better leverage the advantage of close guest interaction is a topic worth exploring, and Jizhuang is constantly experimenting,” said hotel management with clear insight.
It is understood that Jizhuang Hotel has developed multiple non-traditional products. For instance, it created the mascot “Xiaowu (Little Enlightenment),” and has launched numerous derivative products and services around Xiaowu, hosting Xiaowu IP illustration art exhibitions and themed experience events.
Furthermore, fully tapping into local tourism resources and engaging in cross-industry collaborations marks another breakthrough in Jizhuang’s operations: product crossover through “hotel + sports,” organizing sports-themed activities such as fun runs, rainbow runs, and mountain climbing; through “hotel + music” and “hotel + art,” holding art exhibitions and lakeside concerts; channel crossover by co-developing products with multiple brands to achieve shared mutual benefits.
Family-Themed Experience: Creating Precious Moments Together
“Family” is the most core feature of Jizhuang Hotel.
According to staff, apart from hardware facilities, the hotel has made many attempts in service content. For example, it offers specialized family courses with fixed time slots from Monday to Sunday, providing services for young guests; it has developed family-oriented cultural and creative products; and holds biannual children’s summer and winter camps. These offerings are highly popular with kids and have also earned praise from parents. The hotel has been described by customers as an “ultra-luxury five-star resort with Max Family Appeal.”
The newly launched Wulala Themed Family Room at Emei Mountain BlueLight Jizhuang Hotel is an exclusive paradise designed for children. The Wulala Family Rooms are located within the hotel’s beautiful grounds in a standalone four-story building, featuring 48 rooms with a unique theme on each floor: Jungle, Ocean, Chinese Studies, and Starry Sky. Mermaid-tail stools, big bears sitting quietly waiting for hugs, adorable treehouses, and lofts where you can lie and gaze at the stars... each room feels like stepping into a one-of-a-kind fairy tale.
“The name Wulala is derived from Jizhuang Hotel’s mascot & spokesperson ‘Xiaowu.’ He is innocent and adorable, full of longing for a beautiful life, representing everyone’s courage, integrity, wisdom, and perseverance. We hope this space not only satisfies children’s curiosity but also helps them understand the true meanings of dreams, bravery, integrity, wisdom, and persistence,” explained the designers involved in the family room concept.
It is understood that the Wulala Themed Family Rooms at Emei Mountain BlueLight Jizhuang Hotel will be open for full reservations starting early January 2018 and officially welcome guests in February. Through multidimensional family-themed designs in space, activities, and services, it will deliver a completely unique visual, auditory, and tactile atmosphere and experience for parents and children. At the same time, the “Jizhuang” brand, by pioneering a unique operational model, not only enriches the substance of China’s independently developed premium hotel brands, but also meets the demands of today’s busy urbanites for high-quality vacation leisure and family time.
BlueLight Jizhuang, a hotel brand that truly understands life, has blossomed.