Kempinski Hotels renews partnership with China’s BTG Hotels Group

Kempinski Hotels and BTG Hotels (Group) Co., Ltd. (BTG Hotels) recently renewed their long-standing strategic partnership. 

At present, Kempinski Group has already begun the implementation of a strategic plan that seeks to reclaim and strengthen its market leadership in the global hospitality sector.

As part of the renewed partnership, Kempinski and BTG Hotels will focus on Chinese travellers by launching a new brand which will offer a curated selection of rooms, experiences and services to cater to the evolving needs of the local demand. 

According to Kempinski’s chief product officer Rasha Lababidi: “Given China’s strategic importance in our strategy, this new lifestyle brand will just reinforce our long-term commitment to the local market and will help further expand our footprint in the region. Domestic travellers will benefit from the best of both worlds, Kempinski hospitality and service expertise on one hand, distinct products and experiences specially designed for them on the other hand. Together with BTG Hotels, I look forward to bringing this new brand to life.”

The extension of the partnership between Kempinski Hotels and BTG Hotels demonstrates Kempinski long-term vision to remain a key hospitality player in the region, as part of the transformational change that the brand is going through to develop and position Europe’s oldest luxury hospitality group as a dynamic, world-class leader in the luxury travel industry.

A long-standing plan of action

Under the renewed agreement, Kempinski Group is launching a multi-year investment plan to support the growth of the very successful partnership with BTG Hotels. 

This plan will focus on four key pillars:

1. Expand the Chinese Heritage Portfolio for the Kempinski brand, enlarging the offering for sophisticated Chinese travellers discovering China and offering authentic Chinese heritage experiences for the international travellers discovering this beautiful country.
2. Launch a new lifestyle hospitality brand to reach 200 hotels in China over the next five years. Leveraging the strength of BTG Hotels, the continuous growth of the Chinese market and Kempinski’s expertise in crafting unique experiences, this new brand will enlarge the choice for Chinese customers in China.
3. Continue to strategically support the Bristoria brand portfolio and strengthen the collaboration to expand the global expansion of the NUO brand and establish it as a benchmark in luxury cultural hospitality worldwide.
4. Reinforce the cooperation on membership system integration.

This commitment underscores their mutual ambition to lead the way in hospitality and meet the evolving needs of the Chinese market.

Shared success

According to BTG Hotels chairperson Li Yun: “BTG and Kempinski have achieved tremendous success during the past two decades. China’s role on the travel and tourism stage has undergone a major shift in the last quarter century, and Kempinski has been a part of that journey since day one. We look forward to further strengthening the long-term strategy in the region, leveraging the hospitality expertise of Kempinski, and together, continuing to be a driving force in the development of China’s hospitality landscape.”

For her part, Kempinski chief executive Barbara Muckermann remarked: “Kempinski and BTG enjoy a strong partnership and rich history together, as pioneers in luxury hospitality in China. We are very fortunate to have BTG Hotels, the third largest hotel group in the country, as our partner. Our collaboration offers us a unique advantage to continue aggressively expanding in the region. I look forward to the next phase of the collaboration to reinforce our position into the future.”

Kempinski originally expanded into China in 1992 with the country’s first-ever five-star luxury hotel, Kempinski Hotel Beijing Yansha Center, formerly known as Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center. 

Following early successes in China, Kempinski and BTG created Key Co in 2001, a joint venture established to operate hotels throughout China, leveraging the hospitality expertise of Kempinski, as the oldest independent luxury hotel company in Europe, and BTG Hotels’ reputation as the most prestigious travel and tourism company in China. 

In 2018, Kempinski and its long-term Chinese partner mutually agreed to prematurely review the joint venture for another 50 years as a sign of confidence from both parties in the partnership and the enduring potential of this market. 

Today, the joint venture is one of the largest international luxury brand operators in China, operating 22 hotels.