World Luxury Index™ China: Hotels -- The Top 15 Most-Searched Luxury Hotels by Chinese Travelers

　　A ranking and analysis of the luxury hotel brands capturing the interest of Chinese travelers

　　Digital Luxury Group, the first international company to create luxury industry market intelligence and use this strategic viewpoint to develop unique digital marketing and strategies for luxury brands, in a first-time partnership with Luxury Concierge China, a travel service and consultancy based in Shanghai and Luxury Society, the world’s largest community of luxury executives, unveil for the first time a ranking of the top 15 most-searched for luxury hotels by Chinese travelers.

　　Top 15 Most-Searched Luxury Hotel Brands by Chinese Travelers (January - March 2012)

　　1 Sheraton 喜来登酒店

　　2 Hilton 希尔顿酒店

　　3 Shangri-La 香格里拉酒店

　　4 Intercontinental 洲际酒店

　　5 Westin 威斯汀酒店

　　6 Four Seasons 四季酒店

　　7 The Peninsula 半岛酒店

　　8 Kempinski 凯宾斯基酒店

　　9 Nikko 日航酒店

　　10 Ritz Carlton 丽思卡尔顿酒店

　　11 Hyatt Regency 凯悦酒店

　　12 Banyan Tree 悦榕庄

　　13 Le Meridien 艾美酒店

　　14 Renaissance 万丽酒店

　　15 Sofitel 索菲特酒店

　　© Digital Luxury Group

　　This report is part of the World Luxury Index™, an international ranking and analysis of the most searched-for brands within the luxury industry. Covering over 400 brands within six key segments (fashion, beauty, jewelry, cars, watches, and hospitality) in ten key luxury markets, the World Luxury Index provides insights on the unbiased search inputs coming from global luxury consumers in the world’s top search engines (Google, Bing, Baidu, Yandex). The result is a one-of-a-kind benchmark of the luxury brands capturing the attention of luxury-minded consumers around the world.

　　DLG research analysts, with the support of the Luxury Concierge China and Luxury Society teams, uncovered a number of interesting findings:

　　1. Fast growing market and no clear leader yet defined

　　The combination of a rising disposable income and the gradual abolition of travel restrictions are giving Chinese travelers more power and leading to a fast growing travel market. In the hotel space there are no clear leaders defined as of yet and there is still room for new players to make an impact with both domestic and international Chinese travelers.

　　2. American hotel brands doing well

　　Of the top 15 hotel brands in China, six (close to half) are companies which originate in the US. The Sheraton, Hilton, and Westin brands have strong presences in China and are in the top five most often searched.

　　3. Sheraton tops Chinese travelers’ interest for luxury hotels

　　As the saying goes, “the early bird catches the worm” and in this case it is true. Sheraton was the first western hotel brand to begin operations in China in 1985 and today it is the most searched for hotel, capturing 13.58% of total luxury hotel searches.

　　4. Chongqing and Tianjin are often searched domestic locations

　　After the nation’s biggest economic hubs, Shanghai and Beijing, cities Chongqing and Tianjin are most searched. These locales act as primary gateways to western and northern China, respectively. Sanya, Dameisha, and Dalian are popular for their favorable weather, nature, and cuisine.

　　5. Hong Kong, Bali, and Singapore top the most searched international locations

　　The proximity to Hong Kong, little to no language barriers and regular and direct flights make Hong Kong and Singapore a regular stop for both business travelers and shoppers alike. Bali beckons as a prime vacation destination.

　　6. Banyan Tree and Shangri-La capture the most spa-related searches

　　Vacation travelers looking for a respite may search online for conveniently located spas and resorts. Capturing more than 40% of searches for spas is Banyan Tree. The spa / resort has four hotels in Mainland China and is expected to open 13 more.

　　A free version of the report is available for download at: http://www.digital-luxury.com/chinahotels. More detailed data and analysis on a particular brand or topic is available upon request.