LUXURY HOTEL GROUPS

China’s five star hotel industry holds great potential for experienced New Zealand F&B exporters who are committed to China and ready to face the challenges it holds in return for the benefits it can reward. The reason international hotels are already a focus for New Zealand F&B is that the size of the groups means you can develop a series of high value relationships rather than going door-to-door and managing huge numbers of individual relationships.

In addition, five star hotels are some of the largest on-premise consumers of high quality imported goods. For New Zealand products that are usually of higher price points this is important. The following ten international hotel groups have been chosen for their suitability and capacity to buy Kiwi products. These groups are being courted by every importer in China and are offered high quality products at very competitive prices from around the world. Contracts are not easy to get so be patient, most tend to wait to see if you are a stayer and not just a fly-by-nighter before considering purchase.

• Make sure you prepare a comprehensive proposal in both Chinese and English before you engage.
• Ensure your whole offer is ‘hotel ready’ and can be implemented quickly and seamlessly.
• Always answer the phone. When they do finally call with an opportunity you need to be contactable.
• Always remember you are selling a solution not just a product.

And finally, it’s important to note that not one single person usually makes the decision. There are individual hotel managers and their owners, purchasing managers, F&B managers and finance departments, plus China corporate staff and regional heads. So you aren’t just talking to one person.