Jinmao Group officially ended its cooperation with Hyatt Group concerning the Hyatt Regency Chongming Shanghai Jinmao hotel and renamed it the Shanghai Chongming Jinmao Yiyin Hotel. This transition to independent operation took effect in August 2026, with Jinmao Group assuming full management of the property.
History of Jinmao’s Cooperation with International Hotel Brands
Jinmao Group began collaborating with international hotel chains in 2007 with the opening of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Jinmao Tower, located in Shanghai’s Lujiazui financial district. This project marked Jinmao’s entry into the high-end hotel market, leveraging Grand Hyatt’s brand strength and operational expertise to establish a foothold.
During years of cooperation, including multiple
high-end projects with Hyatt, Jinmao accumulated industry experience and developed systematic operational capabilities.
Strategic Shift to Independent Branding and Operation
Starting around 2015, Jinmao initiated a gradual shift toward independent hotel operation, beginning with projects such as the Lijiang Jinmao Pure Snow Mountain Hotel that moved away from international brand reliance. In 2021, Jinmao formally launched five self-owned hotel brands, including Jinmao Yiyin, Jinmao Joy, and Jinmao Pure. This brand matrix covers diverse market segments and focuses on aligning hotel products with specific local resources and consumer preferences.
Drivers for Independent Operation
The decision to end reliance on international brands arises from accumulated Jinmao operational competence and changing market conditions. The
Chinese high-end hotel sector has experienced oversupply, which weakened the traditional traffic benefits international brands provided. The source noted “that international brands bring with their own traffic is weakening. In addition, the annual fixed brand management fee is changing from a” value-added service to a rigid cost, making independent operation economically advantageous for Jinmao.
After over 20 years of development and operational experience, Jinmao possesses professional teams and systems necessary for self-management.
Positioning of Jinmao’s Self-Owned Brands and Operational Platform
Jinmao Joy targets urban business travel and complex accommodation needs, with hotels already operating in Ningbo and Jiangyin. The Ningbo Jinmao Joy project maintains an average room rate
around 700 yuan and occupancy exceeding 60%.
Jinmao Yiyin emphasizes natural resources and low-density resorts catering mainly to parent-child leisure and health care. Key properties under this brand include the formerly Hyatt-operated Shanghai Chongming Jinmao and Taicang Jinmao Yiyin Rose Manor.
Jinmao Pure focuses on high-end boutique and immersive resort experiences, exemplified by the Lijiang Jinmao Pure Snow Mountain Hotel near Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
To support these brands, Jinmao has established a hotel commercial management platform responsible for brand standards, operational systems, and membership management, enabling independent and differentiated hotel management.
The renaming of the former Hyatt Regency Chongming
Shanghai Jinmao to Shanghai Chongming Jinmao Yiyin illustrates Jinmao’s strategic reorientation from a property developer relying on international brand management to an independent hotel operator emphasizing local experience and product differentiation.
