Shanghai-based Home Inns and Hotels Management recently announced the completion of the acquisition of two hotel chain operators in Anhui Province for approximately US$9.4 million. The acquisition is part of the company’s strategy to strengthen the presence of the brand in the emerging economy of Anhui Province. The local hotel chain operators – Anhui Youle Fashion Hotel Management and Anhui Meibang Hotel Management – are collectively referred to as ‘eJia Express’. The eJia Express portfolio consists of 13 leased-and-operated hotels that comprise 1,284 rooms. The portfolio includes nine hotels located at the heart of Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province. The average remaining lease term for all the hotels is approximately eight years. Post-acquisition, all the hotels of eJia Express will be rebranded and will operate under the Home Inns brand. The company projects investments of about US$1,578 per room for rebranding and redevelopment, which are expected to be completed by the next six months.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has announced the opening of the Sheraton Jiaozhou Hotel, the first Sheraton branded hotel in the new district of Jiaozhou, near Qingdao city in Shandong Province, China. The hotel is owned by Qingdao Greentown Jiaozhou Bay Real Estate. Sheraton Jiaozhou boasts 270 comfortable contemporary guestrooms including 31 suites. The hotel also features three food and beverage outlets, a fitness centre offering the Sheraton Fitness Programme from Core Performance, a Shine spa and 2,131 square metres of meeting and conference space. According to Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, a total of 12 Sheraton hotels will be opened in China by the end of this year.