According to the Houhai Data Platform, in 2024, mid-scale hotels dominated brand changes in China's hotel market. A total of 1,186 hotels underwent rebranding, impacting approximately 97,000 rooms—accounting for 61% of all rebranded rooms, a figure consistent with the previous year.
Specifically, upper midscale hotels saw a 23% brand change rate, upscale hotels 13%, and luxury and above hotels about 2%.
Continuing the previous year’s trend, upper midscale hotels led in rebranding.
In total, 170 upper midscale hotels were rebranded, involving about 22,000 rooms. Notably, 128 independent hotels transitioned to branded operations, the highest among all categories.
Competition among established brands is intensifying, particularly in prime markets, with tourist destinations seeing the highest rate of brand removals. In 2024, 104 hotels removed their brand affiliations, representing 60.8% of total brand changes.
International brands showed strong rebranding performance in the high-end segment. In 2024, 22 hotels rebranded under international brands, adding approximately 6,600 rooms—58% of all high-end market rebranded rooms.
During rebranding, 75% of hotels maintained their original tier, while 25% underwent tier changes. Post-rebranding, over 64% of hotels became non-standard soft brands.
China’s hotel market is undergoing a major reshuffle, with a surge in hotel closures. According to the Houhai Data Platform, over 1,000 midscale and above hotels shut down in 2024, affecting approximately 100,000 rooms. While the number of closed rooms accounted for only 10% of newly opened hotels, the trend is on the rise.
Among the closed hotels, 68% were midscale, and together with upper midscale hotels, they made up 95% of all shutdowns. Of these, 75% had been operational for more than five years.
Independent hotels were particularly vulnerable, accounting for 85% of total closures, highlighting their challenges in a fiercely competitive market.
