InterContinental Hotels Group, the world's largest hotel chain by number of rooms, plans to launch a China-specific brand to drive its ambitious expansion in the world's fastest-growing market.
The upscale brand that will be on par with the Crowne Plaza brand, also owned by the British hotelier, will feature Chinese restaurants, teahouses and grand lobbies to cater for local travellers amid rising affluence on the mainland.
Details of the brand would be unveiled by the end of this year as InterContinental looks to double its portfolio in the 'Greater China' region - comprising the mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong - over the next five years.
'China is the fastest-growing travel and tourism economy in the world and we aim to build on our leadership position by developing this new upscale brand while continuing the fast growth of our existing brands,' said David Webster, the chairman of InterContinental.
InterContinental has the largest China presence among international hotel groups, running 150 hotels under the brands of InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Hotel Indigo.
The plan for a China-centric hotel brand reflects its ambition to rev up expansion in the region, which it expects to grow bigger than its business in the United States by 2025.