Huazhu Group has entered into an enhanced distribution agreement with software and technology provider Sabre to expand its geographic reach for its upscale and luxury hotel brands, and help drive its ambitious global growth strategy.
Under the deal that builds on an initial agreement made in 2019, China’s second-largest hotel group in terms of the number of rooms, will add more properties to the Sabre’s SynXis Platform in 2021, 2022 and beyond.
This means more of Huazhu hotels will be connected to all major Global Distribution Systems (GDSs), including Sabre’s own, and will benefit from Sabre’s reach to hundreds of thousands of travel agents and nearly 700 online channels across the globe. These include hundreds of online travel agencies , travel management companies, and metasearch engines.
Shanghai-based Huazhu has ongoing expansion plans to continue adding properties to SynXis following the recent establishment of its new private label chain code which will help it to secure a more powerful brand presence across the GDSs.
Sabre and Huazhu will also work together to streamline the traditionally manual tour operations process by introducing SynXis Tour Manager.
“As we move through the pandemic, Huazhu remains deeply focused on ensuring we are making the technological advancements needed to support our large-scale expansion plans in this competitive landscape,” said Xu Hui, Huazhu VP of sales and marketing, global high-end brands.
“Therefore, it is imperative we are working with the right technology partner with advanced, robust, reliable solutions to enable us to optimize our global distribution strategy, reach new leisure and corporate travellers across the world and support us,” said Xu
Xu added that the group intends to grow future occupancy rates and increase RevPar beyond pre-pandemic levels to allow more guests to appreciate the experience of contemporary Chinese hotel brands.
Huazhu already operates more than 7,000 hotels in 17 countries across a portfolio of more than 20 distinct hotel brands, and plans to open hundreds more properties within the coming months.
In particular, Huazhu Group will be leveraging the Sabre SynXis platform to distribute its luxury and upscale brands, including Joya and Blossom House, to international business and high-end leisure travellers globally.
