The St. Regis Lhasa Resort in the Tibet autonomous region. (Photo provided to China Daily)
Banyan Tree Huangshan in Anhui province. (Photo provided to China Daily)
Thanks to their growing spending power, many mainland travelers are enjoying the luxury and comfort of upscale accommodation
Luxury is very much a thing of the present for many Chinese tourists, thanks to the increasing wealth that allows them to enjoy the upscale creature comforts of the world's high-end hotels.
Huang Shiming, who owns a private English tutoring business in Hunan province, is one such fan of five-star hotels.
He has chosen to stay at several different luxury hotel brands, such as Four Seasons and Hilton during his business or family trips over the past three years.
"The hotel you stay at is such a large part of your trip, and a good hotel allows me to get a good rest," Huang said.
Good sanitation and superior amenities are just two of the benefits of staying at a luxury hotel, he added.
More people from the Chinese mainland are willing to splash out for both better service and an enhanced overall travel experience, according to a report produced by the China Tourism Academy and the country's biggest online travel agency, Ctrip.
International luxury hotel brands, especially those that are landmarks or that boast top facilities, have become the leading choices for China's wealthy.
Nearly 70 percent of high-end hotel guests are from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong province, according to a recent report by HHtravel, the high-end branch of Ctrip.
Most guests are aged between 26 and 45.
Female guests are slightly more interested in luxury hotels than their male counterparts and have put a premium on personal needs, the report pointed out.
Nearly half of all Chinese guests at luxury hotels booked rooms for two people, while 29 percent booked for three or four people.
A hotel's brand, its location and distinctive elements are the top three factors that wealthy Chinese people consider when they choose which hotels to stay at, HHtravel's report showed.
Luxury hotel guests also value high-quality accommodations, Michelin-starred dining, local culture and special designs offered by upscale hotels, according to the travel agency.
Banyan Tree and Four Seasons are two luxury hotel brands that have grown in popularity on the mainland.
Banyan Tree stands out for its romantic and vibrant vacation ambience, while Four Seasons wins customers over with its carefully developed custom-made services and sustained innovation, the report explained.
