Argyle Hotel Group

Argyle Hotel Management Group, Pty Ltd. is an Australian hotel management company that provides a series of hotel and resort management services. It also owns and operates a number of hotels in China and across the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, the Philippines. The group was ranked as the world's 59th largest hotel company for 2018 by HOTELS magazine.[1]

Argyle Hotel Group
TypePrivately held company
IndustryHospitality
Founded2002
FounderKevin Zhang
HeadquartersSydney, Australia
Number of locations
141 (2019)
Area served
Asia-Pacific
Key people
Kevin Zhang (CEO)
ProductsHotels
Total assets$4.2 billion (April 2019)
Websitehttp://en.argylehotels.com

History

Argyle Hotel Group was founded in Perth, Australia in 2002 and began its operations in China in 2005. The company opened its first hotel, the Huagang Argyle, in Shanghai in 2007, followed by the Ausotel Dayu in Beijing in 2008. In 2014, the group launched its brand Ausotel as a mid-range international-standard hotel line, which would become the focus of its expansion in China.[2][3]

In January 2019, GreenTree Hospitality Group Ltd. entered into a share purchase agreement to become a major shareholder of Argyle Hotel Group.[4]

The name Argyle comes from the Argyle diamond mine in Western Australia the source of a rare pink diamond found only in Australia[5][6]

Businesses and operations

The hotel management services provided by Argyle include hotel consignment management, franchising operations, consulting services, and hotel management education and training. The group also operates a branded training program, Argyle Academy, which offers hospitality services training at the Tourism College of Bohai University, Shuigang Senior Technical School and Zunyi Intermediate Vocational School.[7]

Brands

The company maintains a retail brand called Bondi Shack, to market Australian-made products to its customers. In addition to an e-commerce platform for ordering, several Argyle hotels host Bondi Shack boutique stores where consumers may interact with products.[8]

China expansion strategy

After entering China in 2005, Argyle identified a lack of international-standard hotels in China’s regional second- and third-tier cities. To gain first-mover advantage in these markets, the company worked with Austrade to develop connections with provincial governments and local hotel developers. In 2009, Argyle signed a 13-year hotel management contract with a developer in Jinsha, Guizhou Province. To preserve its quality and management standards, Argyle established its Argyle Academy training programs. In 2016 the Company introduced its Bondi Shack brand to market premium Australian-made products to Chinese consumers. In 2019 Argyle signed an agreement with Australia Post as a provider of order management, logistics and distribution services for the Bondi Shack e-commerce platform.[9]

Awards
  • 57th Australian Export Awards - Business Services Award (2017, Finalist)[10]
  • AustCham Westpac Australia-China Business Awards - Business Excellence Award for Services (2016)[11]
  • China-Australia Chamber of Commerce - WestPac Business Excellence Award for Large Business (2013, Finalist)[12]
  • Australia-China Business Awards - WestPac Special Recognition Award (2013)[13]

References
  1. "Special Report: Hotels 325" (PDF). HotelsMag. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  2. "Mid-range hotel sector in China is booming". Want China Times. Archived from the original on 2015-11-20.
  3. "Argyle Hotel Group unveils new hotel brand". Travel Daily News Asia. Archived from the original on 2015-11-20. Retrieved 2015-12-29.
  4. "GreenTree Hospitality to Acquire Majority Stake in Argyle Hotel Management Group (Australia) Pty Ltd". Market Screener. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
  5. "Rio Tinto's Argyle diamonds showcased at The Australian Ballet's 2015 China Tour". Diamond World.
  6. "Mid-range hotel sector in China is booming". Want China Times. Archived from the original on 2015-11-20.
  7. "How this Australian hotel group expanded to China by targeting second- and third-tier cities". Angrymoo. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  8. "CEO of Argyle Hotel Group, Kevin Zhang: "17,960 Keys & Counting"". Advance.org. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  9. "Argyle Hotel's new ecommerce platform for Chinese consumers". eHotelier. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  10. "2017 Winners of Premier's NSW Export Awards". Australian Export Awards.
  11. "23rd Annual AustCham Westpac Australia-China Business Awards Winners Announced" (PDF). Investor Strategies.
  12. "Argyle Hotel Group: creating success in China for an Australian brand". Tourism Cambodia.
  13. "Argyle Hotels - Making the cut". Travel Daily News.
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