Spanish hotel group Sol Meliá and Jin Jiang International Hotel Company have signed a strategic agreement today to cooperate in marketing, sales, operations and development which will allow both chains to grow in the markets in which the other enjoys competitive advantages through a joint growth strategy in China and Europe.

For both companies, the growing influence of Asian tourism creates a need to work closely on cultural exchanges and hotel management systems between China and Europe. Sol Meliá initiated its international growth in 1985 in Bali and has since witnessed growing demand from Europe for travel in Asia. In 2010 the company inaugurated the Hotel Gran Meliá Shanghai and has since been working on a plan to generate greater growth in China, and to stimulate the Chinese tourism feeder market towards Sol Melia’s hotels in Spain and Europe.

The alliance announced today lays the foundations for a long-term partnership encompassing hotel development, marketing and sales, reservation systems and loyalty programs. To enhance the successful and sustainable development of its objectives, the agreement is largely based on reciprocal cultural exchanges including language, management processes and culture, gastronomy, and human resources training and development programs.

The alliance is viewed as a partnership amongst equals given that both companies are leaders in their respective markets and are of a similar size, in addition to the fact that the hotels included in the agreement have similar quality standards.

In a first stage, the partnership will focus on 6 hotels managed by Jin Jiang in major Chinese cities and 6 hotels managed by Sol Meliá in major European capitals. The selected hotels in China are the Jin Jiang Tower and Marvel hotel in Shanghai, the Xinai Jin Jiang hotel in Beijing, the Jin Jiang Sanya Royal Garden Resort in Sanya, the Wuhan Jin Jiang International Hotel in Wuhan and the West Capital International Hotel en Xian.

In Europe the agreement will apply to the Meliá Barcelona and Meliá Madrid in Spain, the Meliá White House in London, the Meliá Berlin, and the Meliá Royal Alma and Tryp François in Paris. All of the selected hotels provide similar levels of services and facilities for guests.