The arrival of the budget chain Campanile in China has been in the pipeline for some time now, and was even planned when Louvre Hotels Group was acquired by Jin Jiang International a year ago. The Jin Jiang teams told us this from the outset," recalls Pierre-Frédéric Roulot, CEO of Louvre Hotels Group. They love Campanile, and see it as a highly innovative concept with a French touch that perfectly meets the expectations of a new, emerging and buoyant Chinese clientele." This entry into the Chinese market is now a reality, with the inauguration on 15 October of a hotel in Shanghai, a ten-minute walk from the Bund.
To achieve this, the Campanile and Jin Jiang teams worked together to adapt the concept developed in France to the expectations of local customers, while at the same time embodying the "French touch" through a restaurant offering designed as a cultural bridge. Campanile has also brought its new Le Comptoir living spaces to Shanghai. "This vast, unstructured space, built around an iconic central bar, is destined to become a place of conviviality and exchange for our Chinese customers", says Pierre-Frédéric Roulot.
This opening is the first of many, if the Group's plans are to be believed. Four hotels, currently in the planning stage, are due to open in 2017. And by 2020, Campanile should have 250 hotels across China. That's a rate of 1.5 new establishments per week for four years.
