Some say the hotel industry has entered a bottleneck phase after years of development, characterized by abandoning mainstream products and focusing on expanding outward "random" partnerships. So let’s take a look at how these recent hotel "partnerships" are actually not so random after all.
InterContinental partners with "colleges"
2012 was the happiest year for 120 students from Heilongjiang Tourism Vocational and Technical College, as they had one foot in the door of the hotel giant InterContinental before even graduating.
It is reported that the Vice President of Human Resources for Greater China at the internationally renowned InterContinental Hotels Group and Tang Zijiang, Secretary of the Party Committee of Heilongjiang Tourism Vocational and Technical College, signed an agreement to announce the establishment of the college’s "InterContinental Talent Class." This marks the beginning of a program where 120 students from four majors—hotel management, Chinese cuisine, Western cuisine, and Chinese and Western pastry—will be "targeted for enrollment and employment," and will directly join five-star hotels under the InterContinental Hotels Group upon graduation.
Li Yuntao, head of the personnel department at the provincial tourism bureau, stated that the establishment of the InterContinental Talent Class signifies the emergence of a new model of "order-based training" for tourism professionals.
InterContinental’s partnership with colleges not only lays a long-term foundation for "talent supply" for the InterContinental Hotels Group but also holds promise for resolving the long-standing issue of "hotel labor shortages." Moreover, it represents an innovative move in educational reform through school-enterprise collaboration. So where is the "randomness"?
Home Inns partners with "art"
As the largest economy hotel chain in China, Home Inns seems intent on extending its brand influence beyond its core business into the realm of contemporary art.
Artist Wang Jun recently showed reporters the planning proposal for the art project titled "Actually, I’ve Been Waiting for You for a Long Time" at 798 Héyí Hotel, a high-end business brand under the Home Inns Group. It is reported that this art project will take place from March to May this year, featuring two months of artistic creation and display at Héyí Hotel.
"In the past, artists would create in their own studios, and their works were usually exhibited in galleries or spaces. This time, we hope to break away from conventional thinking patterns, step out of the existing frameworks of contemporary art, and allow each artist and every audience member to gain experiences and insights beyond the ordinary."
Meanwhile, the curatorial team’s global creative network call for submissions under the theme "Occupy the Hotel" is also expected to bring plenty of surprises to viewers. And of course, it will yield unexpected benefits for Home Inns as well.
For a hotel brand, what matters is not just opening and operating—it's also about brand building and fostering an internal culture that aligns with the brand’s long-term image. Only rapid growth that is consistent both inside and out is true growth. We believe that after this "art" partnership, Home Inns will see a remarkable surge in its rank on the迈点Brand Index report.
Starway partners with the "Railway Travel Alliance"
As competition intensifies in China’s mid-tier hotel market, Shao Bing, CEO of Starway Hotels Group, stated that the group has formed a strategic partnership with the Railway Travel Industry Alliance, which is affiliated with China’s Ministry of Railways. It is expected that within the next two years, Starway will manage 50–100 three- and four-star hotels under the alliance through brand output.
Shao Bing, CEO of Starway Hotels Group, explained that besides addressing the needs of individual mid-tier hotels struggling to survive, state-owned hotels are eager to revitalize assets and improve profitability while maintaining staff stability. Typically, state-owned hotels are large in scale and vary widely in grade and type. Handling them through auctions or allocations is quite challenging, so some have begun seeking brand chain platforms. However, the principles of independent operation and retaining management teams make franchising the most suitable solution.
Baolong partners with Accor, Sofitel partners with Roche Bobois Home Furnishing Group… The hotel industry’s partnership craze continues to heat up. Behind every such "romance," to borrow a line from the TV series Beijing Love Story—love is based on mutual benefit. So the tales of the hotel industry’s "random partnerships" become nothing but a passing cloud.