Cachet Hotel Group has announced the signing of an exclusive development agreement in Shandong Province with Qingdao Izunco Inn Investment Company (Izunco), one of the fastest growing hotel real estate and management companies in China. The primary objective of the partnership is to launch SAVANT Hotel by Cachet, a midscale lifestyle brand, in Mainland China. The introduction of SAVANT Hotel by Cachet marks a significant milestone in CHG’s expansion across China and promises to complement a geographically diversified portfolio by entering new markets in the world’s second largest economy.
The targeted midscale segment is the largest hotel segment in China with US$36.3 billion total room revenues in 2015 and has seen the fastest growth with compounded annual growth of 12.5% over the past four years. This trend is estimated to continue in the future, with the most significant growth areas likely in tier 2 and tier 3 cities.
As the latest addition to Cachet’s portfolio, SAVANT is positioned to serve travelers who are looking for uncomplicated, distinct and intuitive experiences. SAVANT will offer guests a comfortable and tech-savvy space that is both stylish and affordable.
Drawing on CHG’s legacy and expertise in environmental sustainability in China, SAVANT by CACHET will be carbon neutral. The rooms will be prefabricated, with modules assembled off-site and delivered complete with carpeting, lighting and even showers, reducing construction and labor resources by over 50%.
The SAVANT prototype hotel will have gross floor area of 4,110 square meters featuring 105 guestrooms at an average fit-out cost per key of RMB 80,000 including the furniture and fixtures. Its features will include:
- Interactive Mobility, offering guests seamless check in and check out, streamlined booking and payment process through WeChat and much more;
- Brilliant Cabins, averaging 24 square meters, the contemporary and clean design will provide guests high quality essentials such as high quality beds, wide-screen TVs and fast Wi-Fi;
- The Scholar Bar, an interactive food and beverage tasting experience situated in an intimate wood-paneled hideaway lavish featuring literary classics from East and West. The bar features an interactive table allowing guests to explore SAVANT’s 25-plus affordable wines according to different criteria and directs them to various automated dispensers that sell tasting samples;
- The Habitat, a first floor lobby experience, with fast Wi-Fi and lounge spaces, where guests can plug in, mingle and engage with others or work alone;
- The Cardio Zone, a high intensity workout studio featuring T-REX equipment and spinning bicycles; and
- Green Roofs, solar panels and plants will provide energy and fuel efficiencies for the hotel, keeping energy costs low.
Cachet’s partner for the Savant brand in the Shandong province, Izunco has grown rapidly since its inception with 30 hotels under franchise and 11 under management currently. It also opened the very first business hotel in the resplendent port city of Qingdao, also the location of its company’s headquarters. In addition, Izunco has already established its footprint in cities and provinces like Beijing, Zhejiang and other parts of Shandong Province.
“We are excited to partner with CHG who is dedicated to superior design and guest experience,” said Zhang Yuyong, Chairman of the board of Qingdao Izunco Inn Investment Management Company Limited. “Our goal is to open no less than twenty SAVANT Hotels in the next three years in the Shandong province. By combining our deep knowledge of the region and Cachet’s experienced international management team, we are confident in building SAVANT into a leading brand in the Chinese mid-scale segment.”
CHG plans to grow SAVANT to a portfolio of 200 managed and franchised hotels across China’s Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. The properties will be featured on its technology platform Cachet World and located in a mix of city, airport and suburban locations including dual-branded CHG hotels.
