Sol Melia Forms Alliance with Chinese Hotel Company

Sol Melia Forms Alliance with Chinese Hotel Company

Sol Meliá and Jin Jiang International Hotel Company, the leading Chinese hotel chain and second-largest travel agency group in China, signed a strategic agreement to cooperate in marketing, sales, operations and development which will allow both chains to grow in the markets in which the other enjoys competitive advantages through a joint growth strategy in China and Europe.

The alliance lays the foundations for a long-term partnership encompassing hotel development, marketing and sales, reservation systems and loyalty programs. To enhance the successful and sustainable development of its objectives, the agreement is largely based on reciprocal cultural exchanges including language, management processes and culture, gastronomy and human resources training and development programs.

The alliance is viewed as a partnership among equals given that both companies are leaders in their respective markets and are of a similar size, in addition to the fact that the hotels included in the agreement have similar quality standards.

In a first stage, the partnership will focus on six hotels managed by Jin Jiang in major Chinese cities and six hotels managed by Sol Meliá in major European capitals. The selected hotels in China are the Jin Jiang Tower and Marvel hotel in Shanghai, the Xinai Jin Jiang hotel in Beijing, the Jin Jiang Sanya Royal Garden Resort in Sanya, the Wuhan Jin Jiang International Hotel in Wuhan and the West Capital International Hotel en Xian.

In Europe, the agreement will apply to the Meliá Barcelona and Meliá Madrid in Spain, the Meliá White House in London, the Meliá Berlin, and the Meliá Royal Alma and Tryp François in Paris. All of the selected hotels provide similar levels of services and facilities for guests.

To guarantee reciprocal awareness of corporate culture and management systems, in addition to enhancing sales and customer loyalty, Sol Meliá and Jin Jiang will create “mixed teams” in the 12 hotels to ensure the cultural adaptation of the reception areas, guest rooms, and food and beverage services to European and Chinese preferences.

The adaptation of hotel services to the needs of Chinese and European guests is one of the major challenges for both companies. Both companies will also together explore opportunities for growth in China and Europe. The agreement also includes training programs in Mandarin Chinese and Spanish, in Oriental and European culture, and joint trainee and work experience programs.