At 9:00 AM local time on December 19 (4:00 PM Beijing time), Kaiyuan Tourism Group officially signed the agreement to acquire Château Birot in Bordeaux, France. The signing ceremony was held at the château, where Chen Miaolin, Chairman of Kaiyuan Tourism Group, and Eric, the former owner of Château Birot, signed the acquisition agreement as representatives of both parties. Kaiyuan Tourism Group President Chen Canrong and other Kaiyuan representatives, a notary, local land bureau officials, and relevant staff from Christie’s real estate department, among others, witnessed this historic moment. Janne Auson, a reporter from the French wine magazine Decanter, Suzanne from Wine Spectator, and reporters from SUD OUEST, among nearly ten media outlets, conducted on-site interviews and reported on the acquisition. This is another significant event in the Kaiyuan brand's international expansion following the successful acquisition of the Golden Tulip Hotel in Frankfurt, Germany, on April 4, 2023.
After the handover ceremony, everyone toured Château Birot and watched a promotional video of Kaiyuan Tourism Group. A afternoon tea party was then held, where guests cut a cake shaped like Château Birot. Attendees enjoyed a rich selection of delicious Chinese and French pastries, engaging in relaxed and pleasant exchanges accompanied by the elegant music of a jazz band. At the enthusiastic invitation of the guests, Chairman Chen Miaolin even sang the famous Chinese folk song "Jasmine Flower," immersing everyone in a harmonious blend of Eastern and Western cultures.
Kaiyuan has long been committed to providing guests with authentic-tasting French red wine, maintaining close cooperative relationships with major châteaux in Bordeaux. As early as 2012, Kaiyuan Hotels launched a series of French wines such as “Red Moves Kaiyuan” and “Pure Enjoyment Kaiyuan,” which were well received and praised by many guests. However, importing wine directly from châteaux typically involves distributors, generally resulting in a 70%-100% markup that indirectly increases customer costs. By acquiring Château Birot, not only can wine costs be reduced to benefit customers, but wine quality and a stable supply can also be ensured. After the acquisition, Kaiyuan will retain all existing staff at Château Birot, including the winemaker, and will also hire a renowned sommelier and the Dean of the Bordeaux Wine Academy as consultants to further enhance the quality of Château Birot wines starting from soil and grape variety selection.
The ancient castle within Château Birot was built during the French Revolution and is a classic example of neoclassical architecture, exuding dignity and nobility. Kaiyuan plans to invest around 5 million yuan in its renovation. Ten minutes’ drive from Château Birot is the famous town of Saint-Émilion, hailed as the most beautiful village in France. Kaiyuan is considering launching a Bordeaux wine tour in the future to host domestic wine merchants and in-depth travelers.
Immediately after the handover ceremony, reporters conducted telephone interviews with President Chen Canrong and Chairman Chen Miaolin. President Chen Canrong stated that while there are many châteaux in the Bordeaux region, Kaiyuan decided to acquire Château Birot after several rounds of investigation and analysis due to its long history, magnificent castle, and high-quality wines—qualities that are extremely rare to find all in one estate. President Chen expressed strong optimism about the prospects of China’s domestic wine consumption market. He believes that as people’s living standards rise, the demand for red wine will continue to grow. Kaiyuan’s acquisition of Château Birot in France aims, first, to provide Chinese consumers with authentic French red wine, and second, to contribute to the popularization of wine knowledge and culture in China.
Chairman Chen Miaolin stated that if suitable opportunities arise, Kaiyuan will continue to consider acquiring one or two smaller châteaux in the Bordeaux region to increase the brand variety and wine supply for Kaiyuan Hotels. Currently, Château Birot produces 150,000 to 200,000 bottles of red wine per year. In addition to selling locally in Bordeaux, the plan is to export 100,000 bottles to China, including to Kaiyuan Hotels. Once one or two more châteaux are acquired, the annual production is expected to increase to between 270,000 and 300,000 bottles, which would allow not only ample supply for Kaiyuan Hotel house wines but also greater quantities for external sales.
The acquisition of Château Birot in France marks an important step in Kaiyuan’s internationalization journey following last year’s acquisition of a hotel in Frankfurt, Germany. From hotels to products, Kaiyuan is both going global and bringing international elements in. Currently, Kaiyuan is monitoring and evaluating acquisition opportunities in countries experiencing economic downturns abroad, with hotels in countries such as Japan and South Korea being the next targets for Kaiyuan’s international expansion.
【Château Birot in France】
Château Birot is located in the Cadillac wine region of the Gironde department in southwestern France, about 35 kilometers south of Bordeaux, the world-renowned capital of wine. Cadillac is one of the 57 prestigious wine-producing regions in Bordeaux.
This splendid wine estate spans a total area of 47 hectares (approximately 705 acres) and has produced wines that have won awards in the Bordeaux Côtes wine category. The château’s history dates back to the 17th century, and its exterior took on a distinctly classical appearance after the addition of its façade in 1760.
The estate includes a living area of over 450 square meters, seven bedrooms, four bathrooms, as well as exquisite reception rooms and stone staircases. A small private chapel is situated in the garden. Other facilities on the estate include a newly built winemaking room, bottle storage, barrel storage, offices, stables, tractor sheds, and accommodations for farm workers.
【Kaiyuan Tourism Group】
Kaiyuan Tourism Group is a tourism industry investment and operation group that consistently pursues value leadership. It is primarily engaged in the hotel industry, supported by the real estate sector, along with auxiliary industries. To date, Kaiyuan has total assets exceeding 20 billion yuan, employs over 22,000 people, and operates nearly 200 subsidiaries across China and abroad. These businesses are distributed in cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, Hebei, Shandong, Sichuan, Hainan, Jilin, Guangxi, Yunnan, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Fujian, Tibet, Hubei, Tianjin, Heilongjiang, Shanxi, Xinjiang, and Guizhou. The group is ranked among the “Top 500 Chinese Service Enterprises,” “Top 500 Chinese Private Enterprises,” “Second Largest Hotel Group in China by Scale,” and “Top 100 Chinese Real Estate Companies.”
Over the course of 26 years of entrepreneurship and development, Kaiyuan has established its corporate mission as “Creating Chinese Quality, Delivering Joyful Living.” Adhering to the business philosophy of “Focusing on Customers, Serving with Heart, Creating Distinction, Building Brands,” and the management philosophy of “Systems as Foundation, People-Oriented, Rapid Response, Results-Driven,” the group promotes behavioral principles of “Striving for Excellence, Diligence, Rigor, and Care.” Currently, Kaiyuan is the largest hotel group in China by scale (ranking second nationally) and is listed among the world’s top 50 hotel groups, managing and operating over 160 hotels in 24 Chinese provinces (including municipalities and autonomous regions) as well as Frankfurt, Germany, with a total of nearly 50,000 guest rooms. In the real estate sector, Kaiyuan has ranked among China’s Top 100 Real Estate Companies for five consecutive years, with a steadily rising position. In 2013, Kaiyuan Hotels REIT was successfully listed in Hong Kong, becoming the world’s first Chinese hotel REIT; in the same year, Kaiyuan Tourism Group acquired the Golden Tulip Hotel in Frankfurt, Germany, marking the international expansion of the Kaiyuan hotel brand.
Kaiyuan positions its brand with the philosophy of “Creating a Better Life through Humanized Quality and Sincere Care,” and envisions itself as a “Tourism Industry Investment and Operation Group Continuously Pursuing Value Leadership.” It is the shared vision of all Kaiyuan employees to build Kaiyuan into an outstanding, sustainable, modern enterprise.