It's high time we shift our focus in China

HospitalityNet, Rosewood Sanya

We just heard about another internationally branded luxury hotel opening in China. When will the global industry realize that what this country really needs are well-designed, well-appointed, sweet, simple, and affordable brand equivalents to an Ibis, or even Aloft ? With high-speed rail travel becoming more prevalent, increases in disposable income, and domestic tourism rising from 744 million in 2000 to 2.1 billion in 2010, it's obvious there's an entire demographic our industry is failing to cater to. It's high time we shift our focus and start building high quality budget hotels that are localized to serve domestic markets better than any international brand can.

Thoughts?