Publications
Publications
- February 2022 (Revised January 2023)
- HBS Case Collection
Huazhu: A Chinese Hotel Giant's Journey of Digital Transformation
By: Feng Zhu, Yulin Fang, Bonnie Yining Cao and Duan Yang
Abstract
Based in Shanghai, China, Huazhu Group, the world’s third-largest hotel operator, was known for its standardized IT system. It helped the company boost efficiency during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chief Digital Officer Xinxin Liu also faced some longer-term challenges: What resources and digital strategy would the company need as it tapped into the higher-end hotel market to become a multi-brand hotel giant? How should Huazhu balance the needs between using its IT solutions to scale its own operations on one hand and to empower other hotels on the other?
Keywords
Hotel Industry; COVID-19 Pandemic; Labor; Business or Company Management; Emerging Markets; Information Technology; Operations; Strategy; Digital Transformation; Accommodations Industry; China; United States; Singapore; Germany; Hong Kong
Citation
Zhu, Feng, Yulin Fang, Bonnie Yining Cao, and Duan Yang. "Huazhu: A Chinese Hotel Giant's Journey of Digital Transformation." Harvard Business School Case 622-071, February 2022. (Revised January 2023.)