As announced in February, Hyatt and BTG Homeinns have just revealed the name of their new brand dedicated to Chinese tourists: UrCove. It should open its first two hotels in Shanghai and Beijing by the end of 2020.

Initially, the two hoteliers set off for these two cities, but then expanded to others such as Guangzhou or Shenzhen. Designed specifically for business customers, the hotels will be located in strategic urban areas and will be equipped with all amenities, conference spaces and a catering offer to enable the organization of business dinners. 

The goal is to establish itself in an emerging market with a bright future, according to David Sun, Managing Director of BTG Homeinns Hotels Group and President and CEO of Homeinns Hotel Group: "We are a step closer to our commitment to improving the business travel experience in the growing mid-range segment." 

For Hyatt, it is also an opportunity to target the middle class, particularly those frequent travelers called  "Road Warriors", in a country where social climbing is still at work, by offering a product adapted to the needs of this population. "In light of the growing economic importance of China and the phenomenal growth of its middle-class segment, the UrCove brand strengthens our representation in the under-served upper middle segment and we believe that this locally developed brand will strengthen our commitment to this important market," said Stephen Ho, President, Greater China Global Operations, Hyatt. 

The UrCove brand literally means "your cove", translated into Chinese by Yifei (逸扉). The name refers to the idea of a refuge, according to the metaphor of a welcoming cove for a boat, understood as a "curvature of the shoreline, having some relation to the handle of a basket or a vase by its figure and forming an indentation in the land whose opening is not very wide." (Jal, 1848). The image of a safe place to moor a ship is even taken up by the design of the logo, namely the letter C suggests waves and reflects the image of a bay, because "UrCove hotels [are] the reliable shelter, as the brand aims to provide a cozy sanctuary for travelers to recharge with excellent quality and care," remarks Hyatt in a press release.

The arrival of this new brand happened within a more global context of strong growth in the Hyatt Group in the Asia – Pacific region, where it wants to grow its presence by 25% before 2020. It has already announced the opening of 21 units this year or next . The group is focusing on its upscale brands such as Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Andaz and Alila, with openings in cities such as Hefei or Shenzhen in Chine, Seoul or Jeju in South Korea, Niseko or Kyoto Japan and even Jakarta, Indonesia.