Russian media: China's hotel industry breaks world records, leaving Russia's hospitality sector envious.
What can Russia learn?
On May 22, Russian media outlet "Today's China" published an article.
While Western politicians are still debating how to "contain" Beijing, Western capital is voting for China with money and bookings.
China's hotel industry is showing astonishing growth momentum, leaving Russian hoteliers envious and red-eyed.
The first-quarter 2026 financial report from the largest U.S. hotel chain stunned analysts.
According to data from Deutsche Bank, the "Big Four" in the hotel industry—Hilton Worldwide, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Marriott International, and Hyatt—have all reported significant revenue growth in the Chinese market.
Hyatt emerged as the leader, with a 12.4% year-on-year increase in revenue per available room.
This growth is not merely driven by inflation, but stems from actual improvements in occupancy rates and average room prices.
For the first time in recorded history, China’s hotel market has grown faster than any other region in the world.
The key driver of success lies in proactive "open-door" policies.
China has expanded visa-free entry to dozens of countries; venues like the newly opened Waldorf Astoria Shanghai Qiantan have become hubs for business activities shaping the fate of the global economy.
Russia’s situation is entirely different.
If Hilton and Marriott are flagship growth engines in China, then these brands have become relics in Russia.
After the large-scale withdrawal of Western hotel chains between 2022 and 2023, Russia’s market underwent a painful yet massive transformation.
Most luxury hotels have now been taken over by domestic operators or rebranded as independent properties.
Russia’s hotel room yield is also growing, similar to China—rising by 10–15% in cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg—but the nature of this growth differs.
It results from a surge in domestic tourism amid a shortage of high-quality rooms.
While China attracts American billionaires and European tourists through visa-free group policies, Russia has placed its bets on "friendly" markets.
In recent years, Russia’s main sources of hotel guests have shifted to visitors from China, Iran, India, and Gulf states.
The group visa-free policy with China has become a lifeline for Russia’s high-end tourism industry.
China’s hotel industry today is a feast of futurism.
Ultra-modern navigation systems within hotels, robotic services, and full integration with ecosystems like WeChat make the foreign guest experience in China seamless and effortless.
The flourishing of China’s hotel sector proves: globalization hasn’t vanished—it has simply shifted battlegrounds.
Beijing demonstrates that openness is the best way to safeguard national interests.
Hyatt and Marriott’s revenue growth in China means tax contributions to China’s treasury and job creation for Chinese citizens—even though these brands originated in the United States.
Yet China is merely using Western brands to lead the world.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865837267350535/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.