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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 20-F

 

(Mark One)

 

 

Date of event requiring this shell company report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

Commission file number: 001-34656          

 

China Lodging Group, Limited

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Not Applicable

(Translation of Registrant’s name into English)

CAYMAN ISLANDS

(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

No. 2266 Hongqiao Road Changning District Shanghai 200336 People’s Republic of China (86) 21 6195-2011

(Address of principal executive offices)

Min (Jenny) Zhang Chief Executive Officer Telephone: +86-21-6076-0606 E-mail: zhangmin@huazhu.com Facsimile: +86-21-6195-9586 No. 2266 Hongqiao Road Changning District Shanghai 200336 People’s Republic of China

(Name, Telephone, E-mail and/or Facsimile number and Address of Company Contact Person)

 

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of Each Class		Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
American Depositary Shares, each representing four ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share		NASDAQ Global Select Market

 

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

 

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Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act: None

 

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report.

290,943,470 Ordinary Shares.

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

x Yes   o No

 

If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

o Yes   x No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

x Yes   o No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

x Yes   o No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

 

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o

 

Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:

 

 

If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow.

o Item 17   o Item 18

 

If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

o Yes   x No

 

(APPLICABLE ONLY TO ISSUERS INVOLVED IN BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Section 12, 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the distribution of securities under a plan confirmed by a court.

 

o Yes   o No

 

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			Page
CERTAIN CONVENTIONS			1
PART I			2
ITEM 1. IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS			2
ITEM 2. OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE			2
ITEM 3. KEY INFORMATION			2
3.A. Selected Financial Data			2
3.B. Capitalization and Indebtedness			4
3.C. Reason for the Offer and Use of Proceeds			4
3.D. Risk Factors			4
ITEM 4. INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY			27
4.A. History and Development of the Company			27
4.B. Business Overview			29
4.C. Organizational Structure			49
4.D. Property, Plants and Equipment			51
ITEM 4A. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS			51
ITEM 5. OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS			51
5.A. Operating Results			51
5.B. Liquidity and Capital Resources			71
5.C. Research and Development, Patents and Licenses, etc.			74
5.D. Trend Information			74
5.E. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements			74
5.F. Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations			74
5.G. Safe Harbor			75
ITEM 6. DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES			76
6.A. Directors and Senior Management			76
6.B. Compensation			78
6.C. Board Practices			80
6.D. Employees			82
6.E. Share Ownership			82
ITEM 7. MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS			84
7.A. Major Shareholders			84
7.B. Related Party Transactions			84
7.C. Interests of Experts and Counsel			86
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL INFORMATION			86
8.A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information			86
8.B. Significant Changes			87
ITEM 9. THE OFFER AND LISTING			87
9.A. Offering and Listing Details			87
9.B. Plan of Distribution			87
9.C. Markets			88
9.D. Selling Shareholders			88
9.E. Dilution			88
9.F. Expenses of the Issue			88
ITEM 10. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION			88
10.A. Share Capital			88
10.B. Memorandum and Articles of Association			88
10.C. Material Contracts			88
10.D. Exchange Controls			88
10.E. Taxation			88
10.F. Dividends and Paying Agents			94
10.G. Statement by Experts			94
10.H. Documents on Display			94
10.I. Subsidiary Information			94

 

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ITEM 11.  QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK	94
ITEM 12.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES	95
12.A. Debt Securities	95
12.B. Warrants and Rights	95
12.C. Other Securities	95
12.D. American Depositary Shares	95
PART II	98
ITEM 13.  DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES	98
ITEM 14.  MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS	98
ITEM 15.  CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES	98
ITEM 16A.  AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT	99
ITEM 16B.  CODE OF ETHICS	99
ITEM 16C.  PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES	99
ITEM 16D.  EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES	100
ITEM 16E.  PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS	100
ITEM 16F.  CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT	100
ITEM 16G.  CORPORATE GOVERNANCE	100
ITEM 16H.  MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE	100
PART III	101
ITEM 17.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS	101
ITEM 18.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS	101
ITEM 19.  EXHIBITS	101

 

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CERTAIN CONVENTIONS

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all translations from U.S. dollars to RMB in this annual report were made at a rate of US$1.00 to RMB6.5063, the exchange rate as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board on December  29, 2017. No representation is made that the RMB amounts referred to herein could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars at any particular rate or at all. On April 13, 2018, the exchange rate was US$1.00 to RMB6.2725. Any discrepancies in any table between totals and sums of the amounts listed are due to rounding.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, in this annual report,

 

·                   “ ADRs ” are to the American depositary receipts that may evidence our ADSs;

 

·                   “ ADSs ” are to our American depositary shares, each representing four ordinary shares;

 

·                   “ China ” or the “ PRC ” are to the People’s Republic of China, excluding, for purposes of this annual report, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan;

 

·                   “ leased hotels ” are to leased-and-operated hotels;

 

·                   “ manachised hotels ” are to franchised-and-managed hotels;

 

·                   “ Ordinary shares ” are to our ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share;

 

·                   “ RMB ” and “ Renminbi ” are to the legal currency of China;

 

·                   “ US$ ” and “ U.S. dollars ” are to the legal currency of the United States; and

 

·                   “ We ,” “ us ,” “ our company ,” “ our ” and “ China Lodging ” are to China Lodging Group, Limited, a Cayman Islands company, and its predecessor entities and subsidiaries.

 

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PART I

 

ITEM 1.                 IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS

 

Not applicable.

 

ITEM 2.                 OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE

 

Not applicable.

 

ITEM 3.                 KEY INFORMATION

 

3.A. Selected Financial Data

 

The selected consolidated statements of comprehensive income data and selected consolidated cash flow data for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2016 and 2017 and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2016 and 2017 are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements included herein, which were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or U.S. GAAP. The selected consolidated statements of comprehensive income data and selected consolidated cash flow data for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2014 and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2013, 2014 and 2015 are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements that have not been included herein and were prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The selected financial data set forth below should be read in conjunction with “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” and the consolidated financial statements and the notes to those statements included herein. The historical results presented below are not necessarily indicative of financial results to be achieved in future periods.

 

		Year Ended December 31,
		2013		2014		2015		2016		2017
		(RMB)		(RMB)		(RMB)		(RMB)		(RMB)		(US$)
		(In thousands, except per share and per ADS data)
Selected Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income Data:
Net revenues		4,168,629		4,964,728		5,774,624		6,538,631		8,170,196		1,255,736
Operating costs and expenses (1)		3,815,835		4,593,915		5,204,734		5,650,292		6,803,858		1,045,734
Income from operations		380,544		389,364		601,154		870,899		1,437,513		220,942
Income before income taxes		388,515		413,631		638,805		1,077,445		1,608,388		247,205
Net income		283,695		302,391		439,380		796,482		1,236,647		190,069
Less: net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest		3,837		(4,957	)	2,780		(8,133	)	(555	)	(86	)
Net income attributable to China Lodging Group, Limited		279,858		307,348		436,600		804,615		1,237,202		190,155
Earnings per share:
Basic		1.14		1.23		1.74		2.92		4.43		0.68
Diluted		1.12		1.21		1.70		2.84		4.24		0.65
Earnings per ADS (2) :
Basic		4.57		4.94		6.97		11.70		17.72		2.72
Diluted		4.49		4.86		6.82		11.38		16.95		2.60
Weighted average number of shares used in computation:
Basic		245,187		248,958		250,533		275,139		279,272		279,272
Diluted		249,486		253,004		256,104		282,889		293,074		293,074

 

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Notes:

(1) Includes share-based compensation expenses as follows:

 

2

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		Year Ended December 31,
		2013		2014		2015		2016		2017
		(RMB)		(RMB)		(RMB)		(RMB)		(RMB)		(US$)
		(In thousands)
Share-based compensation expenses		30,468		31,937		52,535		55,436		66,367		10,200

 

(2) Each ADS represents four ordinary shares.

 

The following table presents a summary of our selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017:

 

		As of December 31,
		2013		2014		2015		2016		2017
		(RMB)		(RMB)		(RMB)		(RMB)		(RMB)		(US$)
		(In thousands)
Selected Consolidated Balance Sheet Data:
Cash and cash equivalents		397,435		808,865		1,237,838		3,235,007		3,474,719		534,054
Restricted cash		3,317		—		360,500		500		481,348		73,982
Prepaid rent		363,581		385,158		429,588		446,127		659,973		101,436
Property and equipment, net		3,634,039		3,907,343		3,805,886		3,710,468		4,522,878		695,154
Intangible assets, net		101,845		104,537		144,812		342,694		1,643,972		252,674
Long- term investments		90,517		223,865		344,242		1,064,321		2,361,969		363,028
Goodwill		64,842		64,654		108,344		171,504		2,264,758		348,087
Total assets		5,185,052		6,182,906		7,693,521		9,993,364		17,427,442		2,678,549
Accounts payable		677,305		640,691		585,347		584,731		766,565		117,819
Long-term debt		—		—		—		—		4,921,774		756,463
Deferred rent — long-term		653,831		830,414		945,192		1,023,843		1,380,484		212,177
Deferred revenue		416,102		669,663		886,468		916,756		1,003,756		154,273
Total liabilities		2,357,261		2,964,193		4,252,773		4,577,207		10,953,162		1,683,470
Total equity		2,827,791		3,218,713		3,440,748		5,416,157		6,474,280		995,079

 

The following table presents a summary of our selected consolidated statements of cash flow data for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017:

 

		Year Ended December 31,
		2013		2014		2015		2016		2017
		(RMB)		(RMB)		(RMB)		(RMB)		(RMB)		(US$)
		(In thousands)
Selected Consolidated Statement of Cash Flow Data:
Net cash provided by operating activities		1,084,752		1,465,712		1,762,511		2,066,301		2,452,596		376,955
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities		(1,152,248	)	(1,063,186	)	(1,550,357	)	183,762		(6,716,254	)	(1,032,268	)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities		16,063		9,986		219,443		(266,194	)	4,536,103		697,186

 

Exchange Rate Information

 

This annual report contains translations of RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at specific rates solely for the convenience of the reader. The exchange rate refers to the exchange rate as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. Unless otherwise indicated, conversions of RMB into U.S. dollars in this annual report are based on the exchange rate on December  29, 2017. We make no representation that any RMB or U.S. dollar amounts could have been, or could be, converted into U.S. dollars or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular rate, or at all. The PRC government imposes control over its foreign currency reserves in part through direct regulation of the conversion of RMB into foreign exchange and through restrictions on foreign trade. On April 13, 2018, the daily exchange rate reported by the Federal Reserve Board was US$1.00 to RMB6.2725.

 

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The following table sets forth information concerning exchange rates between the RMB and the U.S. dollar for the periods indicated. These rates are provided solely for your convenience and are not necessarily the exchange rates that we used in this annual report or will use in the preparation of our periodic reports or any other information to be provided to you.

 

		Noon Buying Rate
Period		Period End		Average (1)		Low		High
		(RMB per US$1.00)
2013		6.0537		6.1412		6.2438		6.0537
2014		6.2046		6.1704		6.2591		6.0402
2015		6.4778		6.2869		6.4896		6.1870
2016		6.9430		6.6549		6.9580		6.4480
2017		6.5063		6.7350		6.9575		6.4773
October		6.6328		6.6254		6.6533		6.5712
November		6.6090		6.6200		6.6385		6.5967
December		6.5063		6.5932		6.6210		6.5063
2018
January		6.2841		6.4233		6.5263		6.2841
February		6.3280		6.3183		6.3471		6.2649
March		6.2726		6.3174		6.3565		6.2685
April (through April 13, 2017)		6.2725		6.2889		6.3045		6.2655

 

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(1)              Averages for a period are calculated by using the average of the exchange rates at the end of each month during the period. Monthly averages are calculated by using the average of the daily rates during the relevant period.

 

3.B. Capitalization and Indebtedness

 

Not applicable.

 

3.C. Reason for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

 

Not applicable.

 

3.D. Risk Factors

 

Risks Related to Our Business

 

Our operating results are subject to conditions affecting the lodging industry in general.

 

Our operating results are subject to conditions typically affecting the lodging industry, which include:

 

·                   changes and volatility in national, regional and local economic conditions in China;

 

·                   competition from other hotels, the attractiveness of our hotels to customers, and our ability to maintain and increase sales to existing customers and attract new customers;

 

·                   adverse weather conditions, natural disasters or travelers’ fears of exposure to contagious diseases and social unrest;

 

·                   changes in travel patterns or in the desirability of particular locations;

 

·                   increases in operating costs and expenses due to inflation and other factors;

 

·                   local market conditions such as an oversupply of, or a reduction in demand for, hotel rooms;

 

·                   the quality and performance of managers and other employees of our hotels;

 

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·                   the availability and cost of capital to fund construction and renovation of, and make other investments in, our hotels;

 

·                   seasonality of the lodging business and national or regional special events;

 

·                   the possibility that leased properties may be subject to challenges as to their compliance with the relevant government regulations; and

 

·                   maintenance and infringement of our intellectual property.

 

Changes in any of these conditions could adversely affect our occupancy rates, average daily rates and revenues generated per available room, or RevPAR, or otherwise adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

 

Our business is sensitive to Chinese and global economic conditions. A severe or prolonged downturn in the Chinese or global economy could materially and adversely affect our revenues and results of operations.

 

Our business and operations are primarily based in China and we depend on domestic business and leisure traveler customers for a significant majority of our revenues. Accordingly, our financial results have been, and we expect will continue to be, affected by developments in the Chinese economy and travel industry. As the travel industry is highly sensitive to business and personal discretionary spending levels, it tends to decline during general economic downturns. The growth rate of China’s GDP decreased from 2012 to 2016. Though the growth rate of China’s GDP increased in 2017, it is uncertain whether the growth of the Chinese economy will slow down again in the future. A prolonged slowdown in the Chinese economy could erode consumer confidence which could result in changes to consumer spending patterns for travel and lodging-related products and services.

 

There is a possibility that China’s economic growth rate may materially decline in the near future, which may have adverse effects on our financial condition and results of operations. Risk of a material slowdown in China’s economic growth rate is based on several current or emerging factors including: (i) overinvestment by the government and businesses and excessive credit offered by banks; (ii) a rudimentary monetary policy; (iii) excessive privileges to state-owned enterprises at the expense of private enterprises; (iv) the dwindling supply of surplus labor; (v) a decrease in exports due to weaker overseas demand; and (vi) failure to boost domestic consumption.

 

The global financial markets experienced significant disruptions in 2008 and the United States, Europe and other economies went into recession. The recovery from the lows of 2008 and 2009 was uneven and it is facing new challenges, including sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis since 2014, shadows of international terrorism spread by Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, which has been particularly intensified since the Paris terror attacks in November 2015, the uncertainty associated with the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, or EU, since the referendum in June 2016, the impact of the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States and his tax reform plan, the trade war between the United States and China and the Syrian airstrike in 2018. It is unclear whether such challenges will be contained or resolved and what effects they may have. There is considerable uncertainty over the long-term effects of the expansionary monetary and fiscal policies that have been adopted by the central banks and financial authorities of some of the world’s leading economies, including China’s. There have also been concerns over unrest in the Middle East and Africa, which have resulted in significant market volatility, and over the possibility of a war involving Iran or North Korea. In addition, there have been concerns about the economic effect of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan and the tensions between Japan and its neighboring countries. Economic conditions in China are sensitive to global economic conditions.

 

Any prolonged slowdown in the Chinese or global economy may have a negative impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition, and continued turbulence in the international markets may adversely affect our ability to access the capital markets to meet liquidity needs.

 

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The lodging industry in China is competitive, and if we are unable to compete successfully, our financial condition and results of operations may be harmed.

 

The lodging industry in China is highly fragmented. As a multi-brand hotel group we believe that we compete primarily based on location, room rates, brand recognition, quality of accommodations, geographic coverage, service quality, range of services, guest amenities and convenience of the central reservation system. We primarily compete with other hotel groups as well as various stand-alone lodging facilities in each of the markets in which we operate. Our HanTing Hotels, Orange Hotels and Ibis Hotels mainly compete with Home Inns, Jinjiang Inn, 7 Days Inn, various regional hotel groups and stand-alone hotels, and certain international brands such as Super 8. HanTing Hotels, Orange Hotels and Ibis Hotels also compete with two- and three-star hotels, as they offer rooms with amenities comparable to many of those hotels. Our JI Hotels, Starway Hotels, Orange Hotels Select, HanTing Premium Hotels, Ibis Styles Hotels, Mercure Hotels and Novotel Hotels face competition from existing three-star and certain four-star hotels, boutique hotels whose price could be comparable and a few hotel chains such as Vienna Hotels, Atour Hotels, Hampton Hotels and Holiday Inn Express. Our Hi Inns compete mainly with stand-alone guest houses, low-price hotels and budget hotel chains such as Pod Inns, 99 Inns and 100 Inns. Our Joya Hotels, Manxin Hotels and Grand Mercure Hotels compete with existing four-star and five-star hotels. Our Manxin Hotels and Crystal Orange Hotels also compete with boutique resort hotels. Our Elan Hotels compete with existing economy hotel chains such as 7 Days Inn, Home Inn or GreenTree Inn.  New and existing competitors may offer more competitive rates, greater convenience, services or amenities or superior facilities, which could attract customers away from our hotels and result in a decrease in occupancy and average daily rates for our hotels. Competitors may also outbid us for new leased hotel conversion sites, negotiate better terms for potential manachised or franchised hotels or offer better terms to our existing manachised or franchised hotel owners, thereby slowing our anticipated pace of expansion. Furthermore, our typical guests may change their travel, spending and consumption patterns and choose to stay in other kinds of hotels, especially given the increase in our hotel room rates to keep pace with inflation. Any of these factors may have an adverse effect on our competitive position, results of operations and financial condition.

 

Our financial and operating performance may be adversely affected by epidemics, adverse weather conditions, natural disasters and other catastrophes.

 

Our financial and operating performance may be adversely affected by epidemics, adverse weather conditions, natural disasters and other catastrophes, particularly in locations where we operate a large number of hotels.

 

Our business could be materially and adversely affected by the outbreak of swine influenza, avian influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome or other epidemics. In recent years, there have reports on the occurrences of avian influenza in various parts of China, including hundreds of confirmed human deaths. Any prolonged recurrence of such contagious disease or other adverse public health developments in China may have a material and adverse effect on our operations. For example, if any of our employees or customers is suspected of having contracted any contagious disease while he or she has worked or stayed in our hotels, we may under certain circumstances be required to quarantine our employees that are affected and the affected areas of our premises.

 

Losses caused by epidemics, adverse weather conditions, natural disasters and other catastrophes, including earthquakes or typhoons, are either uninsurable or too expensive to justify insuring against in China. In the event an uninsured loss or a loss in excess of insured limits occurs, we could lose all or a portion of the capital we have invested in a hotel, as well as the anticipated future revenues from the hotel. In that event, we might nevertheless remain obligated for any financial commitments related to the hotel.

 

Similarly, war (including the potential of war), terrorist activity (including threats of terrorist activity), social unrest and heightened travel security measures instituted in response, travel-related accidents, as well as geopolitical uncertainty and international conflict, will affect travel and may in turn have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. In addition, we may not be adequately prepared in contingency planning or recovery capability in relation to a major incident or crisis, and as a result, our operational continuity may be adversely and materially affected and our reputation may be harmed.

 

Seasonality of our business and national or regional special events may cause fluctuations in our revenues, cause our ADS price to decline, and adversely affect our profitability

 

The lodging industry is subject to fluctuations in revenues due to seasonality and national or regional special events. The seasonality of our business may cause fluctuations in our quarterly operating results. Generally, the first quarter, in which both the New Year and Spring Festival holidays fall, accounts for a lower percentage of our annual revenues than other quarters of the year. We typically have a lower RevPAR in the fourth quarter, as compared to the second and third quarters, due to reduced travel activities in the winter. In addition, national or regional special events that attract large numbers of people to travel may also cause fluctuations in our operating results in particular for the hotel locations where those events are held. For example, the 2016 G20 Hangzhou summit led to the decreased occupancy rates for our hotels in Hangzhou in September 2016. The 19 th  National Congress of the Communist Party of China led to the increased occupancy rates for our hotels in Beijing in October 2017. Therefore, you should not rely on our operating or financial results for prior periods as an indication of our results in any future period. As our revenues may vary from quarter to quarter, our business is difficult to predict and our quarterly results could fall below investor expectations, which could cause our ADS price to decline. Furthermore, the ramp-up process of our new hotels can be delayed during the low season, which may negatively affect our revenues and profitability.

 

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Our relatively limited operating history makes it difficult to evaluate our future prospects and results of operations.

 

Our operations commenced, through Powerhill Holdings Limited, or Powerhill, with midscale limited service hotels and commercial property development and management in 2005, and we began migrating to our current business of operating and managing a multi-brand hotel group in 2007. See “Item 4. Information on the Company — A. History and Development of the Company.” Accordingly, you should consider our future prospects in light of the risks and challenges encountered by a company with a relatively limited operating history. These risks and challenges include:

 

·                   continuing our growth while trying to achieve and maintain our profitability;

 

·                   preserving and enhancing our competitive position in the lodging industry in China;

 

·                   offering innovative products to attract recurring and new customers;

 

·                   implementing our strategy and modifying it from time to time to respond effectively to competition and changes in customer preferences and needs;

 

·                   increasing awareness of our brands and products and continuing to develop customer loyalty;

 

·                   attracting, training, retaining and motivating qualified personnel; and

 

·                   renewing leases for our leased hotels on commercially viable terms after the initial lease terms expire.

 

If we are unsuccessful in addressing any of these risks or challenges, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

 

Our new leased and owned hotels typically incur significant pre-opening expenses during their development stages and generate relatively low revenues during their ramp-up stages, which may have a significant negative impact on our financial performance.

 

The operation of each of our leased and owned hotel goes through three stages: development, ramp-up and mature operations. During the development stage, leased and owned hotels generally incur pre-opening expenses ranging from approximately RMB 1.5 million to RMB10.0 million per hotel. During the ramp-up stage, when the occupancy rate is relatively low, revenues generated by these hotels may be insufficient to cover their operating costs, which are relatively fixed in nature. As a result, these newly opened leased and owned hotels may not achieve profitability during the ramp-up stage. As we continue to expand our leased and owned hotel portfolio, the significant pre-opening expenses incurred during the development stage and the relatively low revenues during the ramp-up stage of our newly opened leased and owned hotels may have a significant negative impact on our financial performance.

 

A significant portion of our costs and expenses may remain constant or increase even if our revenues decline, which would adversely affect our net margins and results of operations.

 

A significant portion of our operating costs, including rent and depreciation and amortization, is fixed. Accordingly, a decrease in revenues could result in a disproportionately higher decrease in our earnings because our operating costs and expenses are unlikely to decrease proportionately. For example, the New Year and Spring Festival holiday periods generally account for a lower portion of our annual revenues than other periods. However, our expenses do not vary as significantly with changes in occupancy and revenues as we need to continue to pay rent and salary and to make regular repairs, maintenance and renovations and invest in other capital improvements throughout the year to maintain the attractiveness of our hotels. Our property development and renovation costs may increase as a result of increasing costs of materials. However, we have a limited ability to pass increased costs to customers through room rate increases. Therefore, our costs and expenses may remain constant or increase even if our revenues decline, which would adversely affect our net margins and results of operations.

 

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We may not be able to manage our planned growth, which could adversely affect our operating results.

 

Our hotel group has been growing rapidly since we began migrating to our current business of operating and managing a multi-brand hotel group. In 2007, we launched our economy hotel product, HanTing Express Hotel, which was subsequently rebranded as HanTing Hotel , and our midscale limited service hotel product, HanTing Hotel , which was subsequently rebranded first as HanTing Seasons Hotel and then as JI Hotel . In May 2012, we completed the acquisition of a 51% equity interest in Starway Hotels (Hong Kong) Limited, or Starway HK, and in December 2013, we acquired the remaining 49% equity interest of Starway HK from C-Travel. We have retained the Starway Hotel brand. In addition, we launched Manxin Hotels & Resorts in October 2013, which was subsequently rebranded as Manxin Hotel , Joya Hotel , a new hotel brand targeting the upscale market, in December 2013 and Elan Hotel , a new economy hotel brand targeting business travelers, young customers and urban tourists, in September 2014. In January 2016, we completed strategic alliance transactions with Accor S.A. (“Accor”) to join forces in the Pan-China region to develop Accor brands and to form an extensive and long-term alliance with Accor. In May 2017, we completed the acquisition of all of the equity interests in Crystal Orange Hotel Holdings Limited (“Crystal Orange”), which holds hotels under the brands of Crystal Orange Hotel, Orange Hotel Select and Orange Hotel . We launched HanTing Premium brand in 2017. Through such organic growth and acquisitions, we increased the number of our hotels in operation in China from 26 hotels as of January 1, 2007 to 3,746 hotels as of December 31, 2017, and we intend to continue to develop and operate additional hotels in different geographic locations in China. Such expansions have placed, and will continue to place, substantial demands on our managerial, operational, technological and other resources. Our planned expansion will also require us to maintain the consistency of our products and the quality of our services to ensure that our business does not suffer as a result of any deviations, whether actual or perceived, in our quality standards. In order to manage and support our growth, we must continue to improve our existing operational, administrative and technological systems and our financial and management controls, and recruit, train and retain qualified hotel management personnel as well as other administrative and sales and marketing personnel, particularly as we expand into new markets. We cannot assure you that we will be able to effectively and efficiently manage the growth of our operations, recruit and retain qualified personnel and integrate new hotels into our operations. Any failure to effectively and efficiently manage our expansion may materially and adversely affect our ability to capitalize on new business opportunities, which in turn may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

 

Expansion into new geographic markets and addition of new hotel products for which we have limited operating experience and brand recognition may present operating and marketing challenges that are different from those we currently encounter in our existing markets. Our expansion within existing markets may cannibalize our existing hotels in those markets and, as a result, negatively affect our overall results of operations. Our inability to anticipate the changing demands that expanding operations will impose on our management and information and operational systems, or our failure to quickly adapt our systems and procedures to the new markets, could result in declines of revenues and increases in expenses or otherwise harm our results of operations and financial condition. Expansion through the introduction of new hotel products or brands may also present operating and marketing challenges. There can be no assurance that any new hotel products or brands we introduce will be well received by our customers and become profitable, and if it becomes profitable, it will be achieved in a timely fashion. If a new product or brand is not well received by our customers, we may not be able to generate sufficient revenue to offset related costs and expenses, and our overall financial performance and condition may be adversely affected.

 

Our multi-brand business strategy exposes us to potential risks and its execution may divert management attention and resources from our established brand, and if any of the new hotel brands are not well received by the market, we may not be able to generate sufficient revenue to offset related costs and expenses, and our overall financial performance and condition may be adversely affected.

 

We rebranded our HanTing Express Hotel as HanTing Hotel , our HanTing Seasons Hotel as JI Hotel and our HanTing Hi Inn as Hi Inn in 2012. In the same year we also acquired the Starway Hotel brand. In addition, we launched Manxin Hotels & Resorts in October 2013, which was subsequently rebranded as Manxin Hotel, Joya Hotel , a new hotel brand targeting the upscale market, in December 2013 and Elan Hotel , a new economy hotel brand targeting business travelers, young customers and urban tourists, in September 2014. We acquired Crystal Orange in May 2017, which holds hotels under the brands of Crystal Orange Hotel, Orange Hotel Select and Orange Hotel . We launched HanTing Premium brand in 2017. We are still in the process of developing the Elan Hotel, Joya Hotel, Manxin Hotel, Starway Hotel, Hi Inn, HanTing Premium, Crystal Orange Hotel and Orange Hotel Select brands on top of our established brands of HanTing Hotel and Ji Hotel . In addition to the hotel brands owned by us, we entered into strategic alliance transactions with Accor in January 2016, and are developing Accor’s certain hotel brands in PRC, Taiwan and Mongolia.

 

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We cannot guarantee the size and profitability of the various market segments that each new brand is targeting. The business models of these new brands are not proven and we cannot guarantee that they can generate return comparable to the established HanTing Hotel and JI Hotel brands. The process of developing new brands may divert management attention and resources from our established HanTing Hotel and JI Hotel brands. We may not be able to find competent management staff to lead and manage the execution of the multi-brand business strategy. If we are unable to successfully execute our multi-brand strategy to target various market segments, we may be unable to generate revenues from these market segments in the amounts and by the times we anticipate, or at all, and our business, competitive position, financial condition and prospects may be adversely affected.

 

We may not be able to successfully identify, secure and develop in a timely fashion additional hotel properties under the lease and ownership model or develop hotel properties on a timely or cost-efficient basis, which may adversely affect our growth strategy and business.

 

We plan to open more hotels to grow our business. Under our lease and ownership model, we may not be successful in identifying and leasing or acquiring additional hotel properties at desirable locations and on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Even if we are able to successfully identify and acquire new hotel properties, new hotels may not generate the returns we expect. We may also incur costs in connection with evaluating hotel properties and negotiating with property owners, including properties that we are subsequently unable to lease or own. In addition, we may not be able to develop additional hotel properties in a timely fashion due to construction or regulatory delays. If we fail to successfully identify, secure or develop in a timely fashion additional hotel properties, our ability to execute our growth strategy could be impaired and our business and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

 

We develop all of our leased and owned hotels directly. Our involvement in the development of properties presents a number of risks, including construction delays or cost overruns, which may result in increased project costs or lost revenue. We may be unable to recover development costs we incur for projects that do not reach completion. Properties that we develop could become less attractive due to market saturation or oversupply, and as a result we may not be able to recover development costs at the expected rate, or at all. Furthermore, we may not have available cash to complete projects that we have commenced, or we may be unable to obtain financing for the development of future properties on favorable terms, or at all. If we are unable to successfully manage our hotel development to minimize these risks, our growth strategies and business prospects may be adversely affected.

 

Our leases could be terminated early, we may not be able to renew our existing leases on commercially reasonable terms and our rents could increase substantially in the future, which could materially and adversely affect our operations.

 

The lease agreements between our lessors and us typically provide, among other things, that the leases could be terminated under certain legal or factual conditions. If our leases were terminated early, our operation of such properties may be interrupted or discontinued and we may incur costs in relocating our operations to other locations. Furthermore, we may have to pay losses and damages and incur other liabilities to our customers and other vendors due to our default under our contracts. As a result, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

 

We plan to retain the operation of our leased hotels upon lease expiration through (i) renewal of existing leases or (ii) execution of franchise agreements with the lessors. We cannot assure you, however, that we will be able to retain our hotel operation on satisfactory terms, or at all. In particular, we may experience an increase in our rent payments and cost of revenues in connection with renegotiating our leases. If we fail to retain our hotel operation on satisfactory terms upon lease expiration, our costs may increase and our profit generated from the hotel operation may decrease in the future. If we are unable to pass the increased costs on to our customers through room rate increases, our operating margins and earnings could decrease and our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

 

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We may not be able to successfully compete for franchise agreements and, as a result, we may not be able to achieve our planned growth.

 

Our growth strategy includes expanding through manachising and franchising, by entering into franchise agreements with our franchisees. We believe that our ability to compete for franchise agreements primarily depends on our brand recognition and reputation, the results of our overall operations in general and the success of the hotels that we currently manachise and franchise. Other competitive factors for franchise agreements include marketing support, capacity of the central reservation channel and the ability to operate hotels cost-effectively. The terms of any new franchise agreements that we obtain also depend on the terms that our competitors offer for those agreements. In addition, if the availability of suitable locations for new properties decreases, or governmental planning or other local regulations change, the supply of suitable properties for our manachise and franchise models could be diminished. If the hotels that we manachise or franchise perform less successfully than those of our competitors or if we are unable to offer terms as favorable as those offered by our competitors, we may not be able to compete effectively for new franchise agreements. As a result, we may not be able to achieve our planned growth and our business and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

 

We may have disputes with our franchisees and they may terminate the franchise agreements with us earlier if the franchised hotels’ performance is worse than they expected.

 

We may have disputes with our franchisees with respect to the performance of the franchise agreements. For example, we have in the past closed certain manachised and franchised hotels as a result of disputes with the franchisees regarding our measures to avoid competition between the franchisees, including keeping appropriate distances between the manachised and franchised hotels. In addition, our franchise agreements with franchisees typically provide that the franchise agreements could be terminated under certain circumstances. If franchise agreements are terminated early, we lose the franchise fees and related management fees. Furthermore, we may have to pay losses and damages to our guests, and our brand image may be adversely impacted. As a result, our business and results of operations and financial conditions may be adversely affected by early termination of our franchise agreements.

 

We plan to renew our existing franchise agreements upon expiration. However, we may be unable to retain our franchisees on satisfactory terms, or at all. If a significant number of our existing franchise agreements are terminated early or are not renewed on satisfactory terms upon expiration, our revenue and profit may decrease in the future. If we cannot get new franchisees to cover those expired or terminated franchises, our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

 

Acquisitions, financial investment or strategic investment may have an adverse effect on our ability to manage our business and harm our results of operations and financial condition.

 

If we are presented with appropriate opportunities, we may acquire or invest in businesses or assets. For example, we invested in UBOX International Holdings Co Limited in 2012, in China Quanjude (Group) Co., Ltd. and Beijing GOOAGOO Technology Service Co., Ltd. in 2014, in Homeinns Hotel Group (“HMIN”), Shanghai Founder Service Co., Ltd. and Beijing Qingpu Tourism Culture Development Co., Ltd. in 2015, in AAPC Hotel Management Limited (“AAPC LUB”), China Young Professionals Apartment Management Limited, Chengjia (Shanghai) Apartment Management Co., Limited (“Cjia”) and Shanghai CREATER Industrial Co., Ltd. (“CREATER”) in 2016, and in Mobike Ltd. (“Mobike”), Blossom Hill Hotel Investment & Management (Kunshan) Co., Ltd. and some securities in the hotel industry in 2017. We completed the acquisition of all of the equity interests in Crystal Orange in May 2017. As of December 31, 2017, Crystal Orange had 153 hotels in operation located primarily in tier 1 and tier 2 cities in China. In addition, we entered into a five-year memorandum of understanding in September 2017 with Oravel Stays Private Ltd. (“OYO”), where we agreed to make a US$10 million equity investment in OYO to become a minority shareholder (less than 5%). In January 2018, we announced we have formed a joint venture with TPG Capital Asia (“TPG”) which is 20% owned by us and 80% owned by TPG. The joint venture has entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire 100% equity interest of two hotel properties in Beijing, Novotel Beijing Sanyuan and Ibis Beijing Sanyuan, at a cash consideration of RMB1.18 billion from Ascendas Hospitality Trust (Singapore), subject to customary post-closing adjustments. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the first half of 2018. After the closing of this acquisition, the joint venture will renovate the hotels and we will continue to serve as operator.

 

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The existing and future acquisitions or investments may expose us to potential risks, including risks associated with unforeseen or hidden liabilities, risks that acquired or invested companies will not achieve anticipated performance levels, diversion of management attention and resources from our existing business, difficulty in integrating the acquired businesses with our existing operational infrastructure, and inability to generate sufficient revenues to offset the costs and expenses of acquisitions or investments. In addition, following completion of an acquisition or investment, our management and resources may be diverted from their core business activities due to the integration process, which diversion may harm the effective management of our business. Furthermore, it may not be possible to achieve the expected level of benefits after integration and the actual cost of delivering such benefits may exceed the anticipated cost. Any difficulties encountered in the acquisition or investment and integration process may have an adverse effect on our ability to manage our business and harm our results of operations and financial condition. If a financial or strategic investment is unsuccessful, then in addition to the diversion of management attention and resources from our existing business we may lose the value of our investment, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

 

Our legal right to lease certain properties could be challenged or affected adversely by property owners or other third parties or subject to government regulation.

 

A substantial part of our business model relies on leases with third parties who either own or lease the properties from the ultimate property owners. We also grant franchises to hotel operators who may or may not own their hotel properties. The land use rights and other property rights with respect to properties we currently lease , manachise or franchise for our existing hotels could be challenged. For example, as of December 31, 2017, our lessors failed to provide the property ownership certificates and/or the land use rights certificates for 74 properties that we lease for our hotel operations. While we have performed due diligence to verify the rights of our lessors to lease such properties, including inspecting documentation issued by competent government authorities evidencing these lessors’ land use rights and other property rights with respect to these properties, our rights under those leases could be challenged by other parties including government authorities. We also cannot assure you that we can always keep good title of the properties we lease currently or will lease in the future, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects before the lease agreements are terminated. If the ultimate owner of the property changes after the original owner of such property mortgages such property to any third party, our legal rights under the lease agreement may be affected adversely and we may not rank senior in the right of continuing occupying the property.

 

Under PRC law, all lease agreements are required to be registered with the local housing bureau. While the majority of our standard lease agreements require the lessors to make such registrations, some of our leases have not been registered as required, which may expose both our lessors and us to potential monetary fines. Some of our rights under the unregistered leases may also be subordinated to the rights of other interested third parties. In addition, in several instances where our immediate lessors are not the ultimate owners of hotel properties, no consents or permits were obtained from the owners, the primary lease holders or competent government authorities, as applicable, for the subleases of the hotel properties to us, which could potentially invalidate our leases or lead to the renegotiation of such leases that result in terms less favorable to us. Some of the properties we lease from third parties were also subject to mortgages at the time the leases were signed. Where consent to the lease was not obtained from the mortgage holder in such circumstances, the lease may not be binding on the transferee of the property if the mortgage holder forecloses on the mortgage and transfers the property. Moreover, the property ownership or leasehold in connection with our manachised and franchised hotels could be subject to similar third-party challenges.

 

Any challenge to our legal rights to the properties used for our hotel operations, if successful, could impair the development or operations of our hotels in such properties. We are also subject to the risk of potential disputes with property owners or third parties who otherwise have rights to or interests in our hotel properties. Such disputes, whether resolved in our favor or not, may divert management’s attention, harm our reputation or otherwise disrupt our business.

 

Any failure to comply with land- and property-related PRC laws and regulations may negatively affect our ability to operate our hotels and we may suffer significant losses as a result.

 

Our lessors are required to comply with various land- and property-related laws and regulations to enable them to lease effective titles of their properties for our hotel use. For example, properties used for hotel operations and the underlying land should be approved for commercial use purposes by competent government authorities. In addition, before any properties located on state-owned land with allocated or leased land use rights or on land owned by collective organizations may be leased to third parties, lessors should obtain appropriate approvals from the competent government authorities. As of December 31, 2017, the lessors of approximately 30% of our executed lease agreements subject to this approval requirement did not obtain the required governmental approvals. Such failure may subject the lessors or us to monetary fines or other penalties and may lead to the invalidation or termination of our leases by competent government authorities, and therefore may adversely affect our ability to operate our leased hotels. While many of our lessors have agreed to indemnify us against our losses resulting from their failure to obtain the required approvals, we cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully enforce such indemnification obligations against our lessors. As a result, we may suffer significant losses resulting from our lessors’ failure to obtain required approvals to the extent that we are not fully indemnified by our lessors.

 

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Our success could be adversely affected by the performance of our manachis ed and franchised hotels and defaults or wrongdoings of our franchisees may affect our reputation, which would adversely affect the results of our operations.

 

Our success could be adversely affected by the performance of our manachised and franchised hotels, over which we have less control compared to our leased and owned hotels. As of December 31, 2017, we manachised and franchised approximately 82.1% of our hotels, and we plan to further increase the number of manachised and franchised hotels to increase our national presence in China. Our franchisees for both our manachised and franchised hotels may not be able to develop hotel properties on a timely basis, which could adversely affect our growth strategy and may impact our ability to collect fees from them on a timely basis. Furthermore, given that our franchisees are typically responsible for the costs of developing and operating the hotels, including renovating the hotels to our standards, and all of the operating expenses, the quality of our manachised and franchised hotel operations may be diminished by factors beyond our control.

 

Our franchisees may not successfully operate hotels in a manner consistent with our standards and requirements. Our manachised and franchised hotels are also operated under our brand names. If our brands are misused by any of our franchisees, there may be an adverse impact on our business reputation and brand image. In addition, like any operators in service-oriented industries, we are subject to customer complaints and we may face complaints from unsatisfied customers who are unhappy with the standard of service offered by our franchisees. Any complaints, regardless of their nature and validity, may affect our reputation, thereby adversely affecting the results of our operations. We may also have to incur additional costs in placating any customers or salvaging our reputation. For example, in 2017, we closed 57 manachised and franchised hotels that did not comply with our brand and operating standards.

 

If any of our franchisees defaults or commits wrongdoing, there could be situations where the franchisee is not in a position to sufficiently compensate us for losses which we have suffered as a result of such defaults or wrongdoings. While we ultimately can take action to terminate our franchisees that do not comply with the terms of our franchise agreements or commit wrongdoing, we may not be able to identify problems and make timely responses and, as a result, our image and reputation may suffer, which may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

 

If we are unable to access funds to maintain our hotels’ condition and appearance, or if our franchisees fail to make investments necessary to maintain or improve their properties, the attractiveness of our hotels and our reputation could suffer and our hotel occupancy rates may decline.

 

In order to maintain our hotels’ condition and appearance, ongoing renovations and other leasehold improvements, including periodic replacement of furniture, fixtures and equipment, are required. In particular, we manachise and franchise properties leased or owned by franchisees under the terms of franchise agreements, substantially all of which require our franchisees to comply with standards that are essential to maintaining the relevant product integrity and our reputation. We depend on our franchisees to comply with these requirements by maintaining and improving properties through investments, including investments in furniture, fixtures, amenities and personnel.

 

Such investments and expenditures require ongoing funding and, to the extent we or our franchisees cannot fund these expenditures from existing cash or cash flow generated from operations, we or our franchisees must borrow or raise capital through financing. We or our franchisees may not be able to access capital and our franchisees may be unwilling to spend available capital when necessary, even if required by the terms of our franchise agreements. If we or our franchisees fail to make investments necessary to maintain or improve the properties, our hotel’s attractiveness and reputation could suffer, we could lose market share to our competitors and our hotel occupancy rates and RevPAR may decline.

 

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Interruption or failure of our information systems could impair our ability to effectively provide our services, which could damage our reputation.

 

Our ability to provide consistent and high-quality services and to monitor our operations on a real-time basis throughout our hotel group depends on the continued operation of our information technology systems, including our web property management, central reservation and customer relationship management systems. Certain damage to or failure of our systems could interrupt our inventory management, affect the manner of our services in terms of efficiency, consistency and quality, and reduce our customer satisfaction.

 

Our technology platform plays a central role in our management of inventory, revenues, loyalty program and franchisees. We also rely on our website, call center and mobile application to facilitate customer reservations. Our systems remain vulnerable to damage or interruption as a result of power loss, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, fires, floods, earthquakes, interruptions in access to our toll-free numbers, hacking or other attempts to harm our systems, and other similar events. Our servers, which are maintained in Shanghai, may also be vulnerable to break-ins, sabotage and vandalism. Some of our systems are not fully redundant, and our disaster recovery planning does not account for all possible scenarios.

 

Furthermore, our systems and technologies, including our website and database, could contain undetected errors or “bugs” that could adversely affect their performance, or could become outdated and we may not be able to replace or introduce upgraded systems as quickly as our competitors or within budgeted costs for such upgrades. If we experience frequent, prolonged or persistent system failures, our quality of services, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency could be severely harmed, which could also adversely affect our reputation. Steps we take to increase the reliability and redundancy of our systems may be costly, which could reduce our operating margin, and there can be no assurance that whatever increased reliability may be achievable in practice or would justify the costs incurred.

 

Failure to maintain the integrity of internal or customer data could result in harm to our reputation or subject us to costs, liabilities, fines or lawsuits.

 

Our business involves collecting and retaining large volumes of internal and customer data, including credit card numbers and other personal information as our various information technology systems enter, process, summarize and report such data. We also maintain information about various aspects of our operations as well as regarding our employees. The integrity and protection of our customer, employee and company data is critical to our business. Our customers and employees expect that we will adequately protect their personal information .  We are required by applicable laws to keep strictly confidential of the personal information that we collect, and to take adequate security measures to safeguard such information. Our current security measures and those of our third-party service providers may not be adequate for the protection of our customer, employee or company data. For instance, we were involved in a law suit where a customer alleged that we disclosed his personal information, although the court eventually ruled in our favor. We may face similar litigation in the future.

 

As of May 25, 2018, the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (general data protection regulation, “GDPR”), will impose certain requirements on the processing of personal data relating to natural persons. GDPR requirements will apply both to companies established in the EU and to companies, such as us, that are not established in the EU but process personal data of individuals who are in the EU (and in the European Economic Area subject to the enactment of implementation procedures), where the processing activities relate to: (a) the offering of goods or services, irrespective of whether a payment of the data subject is required, to such data subjects in the EU; or (b) the monitoring of their behavior as far as their behavior takes place within the EU. See “item 4. Information on the Company — 4.B. Business Overview - Regulation - Regulation on Information Protection on Networks.” Compliance with the GDPR will be a rigorous and time-intensive process that may increase our cost of doing business, and the failure to comply with the GDPR could expose us to sanctions from both a financial and business operations perspective. In addition, in case of control, non-compliance with the GDPR may expose us to damage to our reputation.

 

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In addition, computer hackers, foreign governments or cyber terrorists may attempt to penetrate our network security and our website. Unauthorized access to our proprietary internal and customer data may be obtained through break-ins, sabotage, breach of our secure network by an unauthorized party, computer viruses, computer denial-of-service attacks, employee theft or misuse, breach of the security of the networks of our third-party service providers, or other misconduct. Because the techniques used by computer programmers who may attempt to penetrate and sabotage our proprietary internal and customer data change frequently and may not be recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques. Unauthorized access to our proprietary internal and customer data may also be obtained through inadequate use of security controls. The laws and regulations applicable to security and privacy are becoming increasingly important in China. Any theft, loss, fraudulent, unlawful use or disclosure of customer, employee or company data could harm our reputation or result in remedial and other costs, liabilities, fines or lawsuits.

 

If the value of our brand or image diminishes, it could have a material and adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

 

We offer multiple hotel products that are designed to target distinct segments of customers. Our continued success in maintaining and enhancing our brand s and image depends, to a large extent, on our ability to satisfy customer needs by further developing and maintaining our innovative and distinctive products and maintaining consistent quality of services across our hotel group, as well as our ability to respond to competitive pressures. If we are unable to do so, our occupancy rates may decline, which could in turn adversely affect our results of operations. Our business may also be adversely affected if our public image or reputation were to be diminished by the operations of any of our hotels, whether due to unsatisfactory service, accidents or otherwise. If the value of our products or image is diminished or if our products do not continue to be attractive to customers, our business and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

 

Failure to protect our trademarks and other intellectual property rights could have a negative impact on our brand s and adversely affect our business.

 

The success of our business depends in part upon our continued ability to use our brands, trade names and trademarks to increase brand awareness and to further develop our products. The unauthorized reproduction of our trademarks could diminish the value of our brand s and their market acceptance, competitive advantages or goodwill. In addition, we consider our proprietary information systems and operational system to be key components of our competitive advantage and our growth strategy. As of March 31, 2018, we have received copyright registration certificates for 46 of our major proprietary information systems and for our operating system. However, none of our other proprietary information system have been patented, copyrighted or otherwise registered as our intellectual property.

 

Monitoring and preventing the unauthorized use of our intellectual property is difficult. The measures we take to protect our brands, trade names, trademarks and other intellectual property rights may not be adequate to prevent their unauthorized use by third parties. Furthermore, the application of laws governing intellectual property rights in China and abroad is evolving and could involve substantial risks to us. In particular, the laws and enforcement procedures in the PRC are uncertain and do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as do the laws and enforcement procedures in the United States and other developed countries. If we are unable to adequately protect our brands, trade names, trademarks and other intellectual property rights, we may lose these rights and our business may suffer materially.

 

We may also be subject to claims for infringement, invalidity, or indemnification relating to third parties’ intellectual property rights. Such third party claims may be time-consuming and costly to defend, divert management attention and resources, or require us to enter into licensing agreements, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.

 

If we are not able to retain, hire and train qualified managerial and other employees, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

 

Our managerial and other employees manage our hotels and interact with our customers on a daily basis. They are critical to maintaining the quality and consistency of our services as well as our established brands and reputation. In general, employee turnover, especially in lower-level positions, is relatively high in the lodging industry. As a result, it is important for us to retain as well as attract qualified managerial and other employees who are experienced in lodging or other consumer-service industries. There is a limited supply of such qualified individuals in some of the cities in China where we have operations and other cities into which we intend to expand. In addition, we need to hire qualified managerial and other employees on a timely basis to keep pace with our rapid growth while maintaining consistent quality of services across our hotels in various geographic locations. We must also provide training to our managerial and other employees so that they have up-to-date knowledge of various aspects of our hotel operations and can meet our demand for high-quality services. If we fail to do so, the quality of our services may decrease, which in turn, may have a material and adverse effect on our business.

 

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Our current employment practices may be adversely impacted under the labor contract law of the PRC.

 

The PRC National People’s Congress promulgated the labor contract law in 2008, and amended it on December 28, 2012. The labor contract law imposes requirements concerning, among others, the execution of written contracts between employers and employees, the time limits for probationary periods, and the length of fixed-term employment contracts. Because the PRC governmental authorities have introduced various new labor-related regulations since the effectiveness of the labor contract law, and the interpretation and implementation of these regulations are still evolving, our employment practices could violate the labor contract law and related regulations and could be subject to related penalties, fines or legal fees. If we are subject to severe penalties or incur significant legal fees in connection with labor law disputes or investigations, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected. In addition, a significant number of our employees are dispatched from third-party human resources companies, which are responsible for managing, among others, payrolls, social insurance contributions and local residency permits of these employees.  According to a new regulation on labor dispatch, which was promulgated in December 2013 to implement the provisions of the labor contract law, a company is permitted to use dispatched employees for only up to 10% of its labor force after February 29, 2016. To comply with the labor dispatch regulation, we have reduced the percentage of dispatched employees since December 2013 by using service outsourcing arrangement.  Under the service outsourcing arrangement, we have entered into service outsourcing agreements with a service outsourcing firm and relevant employees are deemed as employees of this service outsourcing firm. However, since the current labor dispatch regulation does not clearly define the distinction of labor dispatch and service outsourcing, our service outsourcing arrangement may be considered as labor dispatch by the relevant PRC government.

 

In addition, according to the Labor Contract Law and its implementing rules, if we intend to enforce the non-compete provision with our employees in the employment contracts or confidentiality agreements, we have to compensate our employees on a monthly basis during the term of the restriction period after the termination or ending of the employment contract, which may cause extra expenses to us.

 

Failure to retain our management team could harm our business.

 

We place substantial reliance on the experience and the institutional knowledge of members of our current management team. Mr. Qi Ji, our founder and executive chairman, Ms. Min (Jenny) Zhang, our chief executive officer, and other members of the management team are particularly important to our future success due to their substantial experiences in lodging and other consumer-service industries. Finding suitable replacements for Mr. Qi Ji, Ms. Min (Jenny) Zhang and other members of our management team could be difficult, and competition for such personnel of similar experience is intense. The loss of the services of one or more members of our management team due to their departures or otherwise could hinder our ability to effectively manage our business and implement our growth strategies.

 

We are subject to various franchise, hotel industry, construction, hygiene, health and safety and environmental laws and regulations that may subject us to liability.

 

Our business is subject to various compliance and operational requirements under PRC laws. For example, we are required to obtain the approval from, and file initial and annual reports with, the PRC Ministry of Commerce, or the MOC, to engage in the hotel franchising business. In addition, each of our hotels is required to obtain a special industry license and a fire control approval issued by the local public security bureau, to have hotel operations included in the business scope of its business license, to obtain hygiene permits and environmental impact assessment approvals, and to comply with license requirements and laws and regulations with respect to construction permit, zoning, fire prevention, public area hygiene, food safety, public safety and environmental protection. See “Item 4. Information on the Company — B. Business Overview — Regulation — Regulations on Hotel Operation.” If we fail to comply with any applicable construction, hygiene, health and safety, and environmental laws and regulations related to our business, we may be subject to potentially significant monetary damages and fines or the suspension of our operations or development activities. Furthermore, new regulations could also require us to retrofit or modify our hotels or incur other significant expenses.

 

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New zoning plans or regulations applicable to a specific location may cause us to relocate our hotel(s) in that location, or require additional approvals and licenses that may not be granted to us promptly or at all, which may adversely affect our operating results. Any failure by us to control the use of, or to adequately restrict the discharge of, hazardous substances in our development activities, or to otherwise operate in compliance with environmental laws could also subject us to potentially significant monetary damages and fines or the suspension of our hotel development activities or hotel operations, which could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Some of our hotels are not in full compliance with all of the applicable requirements. Such failure to comply with applicable construction permit, environmental, health and safety laws and regulations related to our business and hotel operation may subject us to potentially significant monetary damages and fines or the suspension of operations and development activities of our company or related hotels. We could be subject to any challenges or other actions with respect to such noncompliance.

 

Owners of our manachised and franchised hotels are subject to these same permit and safety requirements. Although our franchise agreements require these owners to obtain and maintain all required permits or licenses, we have limited control over these owners. Any failure to obtain and maintain the required permits or licenses by any owner of a manachised or franchised hotel may require us to delay opening of the manachised or franchised hotel or to forgo or terminate our franchise agreement, which could harm our brand, result in lost revenues and subject us to potential indirect liability.

 

Our limited insurance coverage may expose us to losses, which may have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We carry all mandatory and certain optional commercial insurance, including property, business interruption, construction, third-party liability, public liability, product’s liability and employer’s liability insurance for our leased and owned hotel operations. We also require our lessors and franchisees to purchase customary insurance policies. Although we are able to require our franchisees to obtain the requisite insurance coverage through our franchisees management, we cannot guarantee that our lessors will adhere to such requirements. In particular, there are inherent risks of accidents or injuries in hotels. One or more accidents or injuries at any of our hotels could adversely affect our safety reputation among customers and potential customers, decrease our overall occupancy rates and increase our costs by requiring us to take additional measures to make our safety precautions even more visible and effective. In the future, we may be unable to renew our insurance policies or obtain new insurance policies without increases in cost or decreases in coverage levels. We may also encounter disputes with insurance providers regarding payments of claims that we believe are covered under our policies. Furthermore, if we are held liable for amounts and claims exceeding the limits of our insurance coverage or outside the scope of our insurance coverage, our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

 

If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud.

 

We are subject to reporting obligations under the U.S. securities laws. The Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, adopted rules requiring every public company to include in its annual report a management report on such company’s internal control over financial reporting containing management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting. In addition, an independent registered public accounting firm must attest to and report on the effectiveness of such company’s internal control over financial reporting except where the company is a non-accelerated filer. We currently are a large accelerated filer.

 

In connection with the preparation of this annual report, we carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Our management excluded Crystal Orange from our assessment of the internal control over financial reporting, which was acquired on May 24, 2017 and whose financial statements constitute 12.6% and 7.8% of net assets and total assets, respectively, 9.5% of revenues and 8.1% of net income of our consolidated financial statement amounts as of and for the year ended December 31, 2017. Based on this assessment and evaluation, our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 201 7. See “Item 15. Controls and Procedures.” Our independent registered public accounting firm has issued an attestation report as of December 31, 2017. See “Item 15. Controls and Procedures—Attestation Report of the Registered Public Accounting Firm.” However, if we fail to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future, our management and our independent registered public accounting firm may not be able to conclude that we have effective internal control over financial reporting. This could in turn result in the loss of investor confidence in the reliability of our financial statements and negatively impact the trading price of our ADSs. Furthermore, we have incurred and anticipate that we will continue to incur considerable costs, management time and other resources in an effort to continue to comply with Section 404 and other requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

 

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We may not be able to develop hotel properties on a timely or cost-efficient basis, which may adversely affect our growth strategy and business.

 

We develop all of our leased and owned hotels directly. Our involvement in the development of properties presents a number of risks, including construction delays or cost overruns, which may result in increased project costs or forgone revenue. We may be unable to recover development costs we incur for projects that do not reach completion. Properties that we develop could become less attractive due to market saturation or oversupply, and as a result we may not be able to recover development costs at the expected rate, or at all. Furthermore, we may not have available cash to complete projects that we have commenced, or we may be unable to obtain financing for the development of future properties on favorable terms, or at all. If we are unable to successfully manage our hotel development to minimize these risks, our growth strategy and business prospects may be adversely affected.

 

We, our directors, management and employees may be subject to certain risks related to legal proceedings filed by or against us, and adverse results may harm our business.

 

We cannot predict with certainty the cost of defense, the cost of prosecution or the ultimate outcome of litigation and other proceedings filed by or against us, our directors, management or employees, including remedies or damage awards, and adverse results in such litigation and other proceedings may harm our business or reputation. Such litigation and other proceedings may include, but are not limited to, actions relating to intellectual property, commercial arrangements, leased properties, share transfer, employment, non-competition and labor law, fiduciary duties, personal injury, death, property damage or other harm resulting from acts or omissions by individuals or entities outside of our control, including franchisees and third-party property owners. For example, our PRC subsidiary, Huazhu Hotel Management Co., Ltd., has a pending arbitration with two third parties in China for dispute over the effectiveness of a share transfer agreement entered into in October 2015. The case is currently pending before the arbitration tribunal. Moreover, in the case of intellectual property litigation and proceedings, adverse outcomes could include the cancellation, invalidation or other loss of material intellectual property rights used in our business and injunctions prohibiting our use of business processes or technology that is subject to third- party patents or other third-party intellectual property rights.

 

We generally are not liable for the willful actions of our franchisees and property owners; however, there is no assurance that we would be insulated from liability in all cases.

 

Risks Related to Doing Business in China

 

Adverse changes in economic and political policies of the PRC government could have a material adverse effect on the overall economic growth of China, which could adversely affect our business.

 

We conduct substantially all of our operations in China. As the lodging industry is highly sensitive to business and personal discretionary spending levels, it tends to decline during general economic downturns. Accordingly, our results of operations, financial condition and prospects are subject to a significant degree to economic developments in China. China’s economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including with respect to the amount and degree of government involvement and influence on the level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. While the PRC economy has experienced significant growth in the past over 30 years, growth has been uneven across different regions and among various economic sectors of China. The PRC government has implemented various measures to encourage economic development and guide the allocation of resources. While some of these measures benefit the overall PRC economy, they may also have a negative effect on us. For example, our results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in environmental, health, labor or tax regulations that are applicable to us.

 

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As the PRC economy is increasingly intricately linked to the global economy, it is affected in various respects by downturns and recessions of major economies around the world, such as the global financial crisis and sovereign debt crisis in Europe. Stimulus measures designed to help China weather the global financial crisis may contribute to higher inflation, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. For example, certain operating costs and expenses, such as employee compensation and hotel operating expenses, may increase as a result of higher inflation. Measures to control the pace of economic growth may cause a decrease in the level of economic activity in China, which in turn could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. The PRC economy has been transitioning from a planned economy to a more market-oriented economy. Although the PRC government has implemented measures since the late 1970s emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in China is still owned by the PRC government. In addition, the PRC government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies.

 

The PRC government also exercises significant control over China’s economic growth through the allocation of resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies. Certain measures adopted by the PRC government, such as changes of the People’s Bank of China’s statutory deposit reserve ratio and lending guideline imposed on commercial banks, may restrict loans to certain industries. The State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or “SAFE”, and the relevant Chinese banks where our operating subsidiaries in China opened bank accounts may adopt restrictions on the cross-border payment obligations and dividends repatriation made by these subsidiaries by way of “window guidance” measures. These actions, as well as future actions and policies of the PRC government, could materially affect our liquidity and access to capital and our ability to operate our business.

 

Inflation in China may disrupt our business and have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

 

The Chinese economy has experienced rapid expansion together with rising rates of inflation and increasing salaries. Salary increases could potentially increase discretionary spending on travel, but general inflation may also erode disposable incomes and consumer spending. Furthermore, certain components of our operating costs, including personnel, food, laundry, consumables and property development and renovation costs, may increase as a result of an increase in the cost of materials and labor resulting from general inflation. However, we cannot guarantee that we can pass increased costs to customers through room rate increases. This could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Uncertainties with respect to the Chinese legal system could limit the legal protections available to us and our investors and have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

 

The PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Unlike in common law systems, prior court decisions may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value. Since the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties, which may limit legal protections available to us. For example, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce the legal protection that we enjoy either by law or contract. However, since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult than in more developed legal systems to evaluate the outcomes of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy. These uncertainties may impede our ability to enforce the contracts we have entered into. In addition, such uncertainties, including the inability to enforce our contracts, could materially and adversely affect our business. Accordingly, we cannot predict the effect of future developments in the PRC legal system, including the promulgation of new laws, changes to existing laws or the interpretation or enforcement thereof, or the preemption of local regulations by national laws. These uncertainties could limit the legal protections available to us and other foreign investors, including you. In addition, any litigation in China may be protracted and result in substantial costs and diversion of our resources and management attention.

 

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Rapid urbanization and changes in zoning and urban planning in China may cause our leased and owned hotels to be demolished, removed or otherwise affected and our franchise agreements to terminate.

 

China is undergoing a rapid urbanization process, and zoning requirements and other governmental mandates with respect to urban planning of a particular area may change from time to time. When there is a change in zoning requirements or other governmental mandates with respect to the areas where our hotels are located, the affected hotels may need to be demolished or removed. We have experienced such demolition and relocation in the past and we may encounter additional demolition and relocation cases in the future. For example, in 2017, we were obligated to demolish three leased hotels due to local government zoning requirements. As a result, we wrote off property and equipment of RMB2.8 million associated with these hotels and, after netting off RMB1.9 million cash received, recognized a loss of RMB0.9 million. In addition, as of December 31, 2017, we were notified by local government authorities that we may have to demolish seven additional leased hotels due to local zoning requirements. Our franchise agreements typically provide that if the manachised or franchised hotels are demolished, the franchise agreements will terminate. In 2017, we demolished seven manachised hotels due to local government zoning requirements. Similar demolitions, termination of franchise agreements or interruptions of our hotel operations due to zoning or other local regulations could occur in the future. Any such further demolition and relocation could cause us to lose primary locations for our hotels and we may not be able to achieve comparable operation results following the relocations. While we may be reimbursed for such demolition and relocation, we cannot assure you that the reimbursement, as determined by the relevant government authorities, will be sufficient to cover our direct and indirect losses. Accordingly, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.

 

Governmental control of currency conversion may limit our ability to pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders and therefore adversely affect the value of your investment.

 

We are a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. Our ability to pay dividends depends upon, among other things, our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to obtain and remit sufficient foreign currency. Our PRC subsidiaries must present certain documents to SAFE, its authorized branch, or the designated foreign exchange bank, for approval before they can obtain and remit foreign currencies out of the PRC, including evidence that the relevant PRC taxes have been paid. If our PRC subsidiaries, for any reason, fail to satisfy any of the PRC legal requirements for remitting foreign currency, our ability to pay dividends would be adversely affected.

 

The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. See “Item 4. Information on the Company — B. Business Overview — Regulation — Regulations on Foreign Currency Exchange” for discussions of the principal regulations and rules governing foreign currency exchange in China. We receive substantially all of our revenues in RMB. For most capital account items, approval from appropriate government authorities is required where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of bank loans denominated in foreign currencies. The PRC government may also at its discretion restrict access in the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currency to satisfy our currency demands, we may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders, including holders of our ADSs, which would adversely affect the value of your investment.

 

Fluctuation in the value of the Renminbi may have a material adverse effect on your investment.

 

The value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar, Euro and other currencies is affected by, among other things, changes in China’s political and economic conditions and China’s foreign exchange policies.

 

Our revenues and costs are mostly denominated in the Renminbi, and a significant portion of our financial assets are also denominated in the Renminbi. We rely substantially on dividends paid to us by our operating subsidiaries in China. Any significant depreciation of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar may have a material adverse effect on our revenues, and the value of, and any dividends payable on, our ADSs and ordinary shares. If we decide to convert our Renminbi into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our ordinary shares or for other business purposes, depreciation of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar would reduce the U.S. dollar amount available to us. On the other hand, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars into Renminbi for our operations, appreciation of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the Renminbi amount we receive from the conversion. See “Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk — Foreign Exchange Risk” for discussions of our exposure to foreign currency risks. In summary, fluctuation in the value of the Renminbi in either direction could have a material adverse effect on the value of our company and the value of your investment.

 

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PRC regulations relating to the establishment of offshore special purpose companies by PRC residents may subject our PRC resident shareholders to personal liability and limit our ability to inject capital into our PRC subsidiaries, limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to distribute profits to us, or otherwise adversely affect us.

 

On July 4, 2014, SAFE issued the Notice on Issues Relating to the Administration of Foreign Exchange for Overseas Investment and Financing and Reverse Investment by Domestic Residents via Special Purpose Vehicles , or Circular 37, which replaced the Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Corporate Financing and Roundtrip Investment Through Offshore Special Purpose Vehicles issued by SAFE in October 2005, or Circular 75. Pursuant to Circular 37, any PRC residents, including both PRC institutions and individual residents, are required to register with the local SAFE branch before making contribution to a company set up or controlled by the PRC residents outside of the PRC for the purpose of overseas investment or financing with their legally owned domestic or offshore assets or interests, referred to in this circular as a ‘‘special purpose vehicle.’’ In addition, such PRC residents or entities must update their SAFE registrations when the offshore special purpose vehicle undergoes material events relating to any change of basic information (including change of such PRC citizens or residents, name and operation term), increases or decreases in investment amount, transfers or exchanges of shares, or mergers or divisions. In February 2015, SAFE promulgated the Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving the Administration of the Foreign Exchange Concerning Direct Investment , which took effect on June 1, 2015. This notice has amended SAFE Circular 37, requiring PRC residents or entities to register with qualified banks rather than SAFE or its local branch in connection with their establishment or control of an offshore entity established for the purpose of overseas investment or financing. See “Item 4. Information on the Company — B. Business Overview — Regulation — Regulations on Offshore Financing” for discussions of the registration requirements and the relevant penalties.

 

We attempt to comply, and attempt to ensure that our shareholders and beneficial owners of our shares who are subject to these rules comply, with the relevant requirements. We cannot provide any assurance that our shareholders and beneficial owners of our shares who are PRC residents have complied or will comply with the requirements imposed by Circular 37 or other related rules. Any failure by any of our shareholders and beneficial owners of our shares who are PRC residents to comply with relevant requirements under this regulation could subject such shareholders, beneficial owners and us to fines or sanctions imposed by the PRC government, including limitations on our relevant subsidiary’s ability to pay dividends or make distributions to us and our ability to increase our investment in China, or other penalties that may adversely affect our operations.

 

We rely principally on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a material adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business.

 

We are a holding company, and we rely principally on dividends from our subsidiaries in China for our cash requirements, including any debt we may incur. Current PRC regulations permit our subsidiaries to pay dividends to us only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, each of our subsidiaries in China is required to set aside a certain amount of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund certain statutory reserves. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends. As of December 31, 2017, a total of RMB378.6 million (US$58.2 million) was not distributable in the form of dividends to us due to these PRC regulations. Furthermore, if our subsidiaries in China incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other payments to us. The inability of our subsidiaries to distribute dividends or other payments to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our businesses, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business.

 

PRC regulation of loans and direct investment by offshore holding companies to PRC entities may delay or prevent us from using the proceeds from offerings of the ADSs, ordinary shares or other securities to make loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC operating subsidiaries.

 

As an offshore holding company, our ability to make loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC operating subsidiaries is subject to PRC regulations and approvals. These regulations and approvals may delay or prevent us from using the proceeds we received in the past or will receive in the future from the offerings of ADSs, ordinary shares or other securities to make loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC operating subsidiaries, and impair our ability to fund and expand our business which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and result of operations. For example, SAFE promulgated the Circular of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Reforming and Regulating Policies on the Control over Foreign Exchange Settlement of Capital Accounts, or Circular 16, on June 9, 2016. Under Circular 16, registered capital of a foreign-invested company settled in RMB converted from foreign currencies shall be subject to certain limitations prescribed under Circular 16. In addition, foreign-invested companies may not change how they use such capital without SAFE’s approval, and may not in any case use such capital to repay RMB loans if they have not used the proceeds of such loans.

 

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Furthermore, any offshore funds that we use to finance our PRC entities, including the net proceeds from the offering of the ADSs, ordinary shares or other securities, are subject to the foreign investment regulations and foreign exchange regulations in the PRC. We may make loans to our PRC entities, but they are subject to approval by or registration with relevant governmental authorities in the PRC. Furthermore, the application of the proceeds under the ADSs, ordinary shares or other securities is subject to the foreign exchange regulations in the PRC. We may also decide to finance our entities by means of capital contributions. According to the relevant PRC regulations on foreign-invested enterprises in China, depending on the total amount of investment, capital contributions to our PRC operating subsidiaries is no longer subject to the approval of the PRC Ministry of Commerce or its local branches. Instead, we are required to file and submit required information and documents online within 30 days of such event. However, we cannot assure you that the regulations will always remain favorable to us. If the regulations are revised in the future or we fail to complete such registration or obtain such approvals on time, our ability to use the proceeds of the ADSs, ordinary shares or other securities and to capitalize our operations in PRC may be negatively affected, which could adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.

 

We may be subject to fines and legal sanctions imposed by SAFE or other Chinese government authorities and our ability to further grant shares or share options to, and to adopt additional share incentive plans for, our directors and employees may be restricted if we or the participants of our share incentive plans fail to comply with PRC regulations relating to employee shares or share options granted by offshore special purpose companies or offshore listed companies to PRC participants.

 

In February 2012, the SAFE issued the Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Individuals Participating in the Stock Incentive Plan of An Overseas Listed Company , or Circular 7, which requires PRC individual participants of stock incentive plans to register with the SAFE and to comply with a series of other requirements. See “Item 4. Information on the Company — B. Business Overview — Regulation — Regulations on Foreign Currency Exchange.” We are an offshore listed company and as a result we and the participants of our share incentive plans who are PRC citizens or foreigners having lived within the territory of the PRC successively for at least one year, or, collectively, the PRC participants, are subject to Circular 7. While we completed the foreign exchange registration procedures and complied with other requirements according to Circular 7 in June 2012, we cannot provide any assurance that we or the PRC individual participants of our share incentive plans have complied or will comply with the requirements imposed by Circular 7. If we or the PRC participants of our share incentive plans fail to comply with Circular 7, we or the PRC participants of our share incentive plans may be subject to fines or other legal sanctions imposed by SAFE or other PRC government authorities and our ability to further grant shares or share options under our share incentive plans to, and to adopt additional share incentive plans for, our directors and employees may be restricted. Such events could adversely affect our business operations.

 

It is unclear whether we will be considered as a PRC “resident enterprise” under the Enterprise Income Tax Law of the PRC, and depending on the determination of our PRC “resident enterprise” status, if we are not treated as a PRC resident enterprise, dividends paid to us by our PRC subsidiaries will be subject to PRC withholding tax; if we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise, we may be subject to 25% PRC income tax on our worldwide income, and holders of our ADSs or ordinary shares may be subject to PRC withholding tax on dividends on and gains realized on their transfer of our ADSs or ordinary shares.

 

On March 16, 2007, the PRC National People’s Congress passed the Enterprise Income Tax Law , and the PRC State Council subsequently issued the Implementation Regulations of the Enterprise Income Tax Law (the “Implementing Regulations”). The Enterprise Income Tax Law (amended in 2017) and its Implementation Regulations, or the “EIT Law”, provides that enterprises established outside of China whose “ de facto management bodies” are located in China are considered “resident enterprises” and are therefore subject to PRC enterprise income tax at the rate of 25% with respect to their income sourced from both within and outside of China. The Implementing Regulations defines the term “ de facto management body” as a management body that exercises substantial and overall control and management over the production and operations, personnel, accounting and properties of an enterprise.

 

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On April 22, 2009, the State Administration of Taxation, or the “SAT” issued the Notice Regarding the Determination of Chinese-Controlled Offshore Incorporated Enterprises as PRC Tax Resident Enterprises on the Basis of De Facto Management Bodies, or Circular 82. Circular 82 provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the “de facto management body” of a Chinese-controlled offshore-incorporated enterprise is located in China. In addition, the SAT issued Public Announcement [2011] No. 45 in 2011 and Public Announcement [2014] No.9 in 2014,  providing clarification for resident status determination and competent tax authorities. However, the above-mentioned tax circulars apply only to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises, not those invested in or controlled by PRC individuals, like our company. Currently, there are no further detailed rules or precedents applicable to us regarding the procedures and specific criteria for determining “ de facto management body” for a company like us. It is still unclear if the PRC tax authorities would determine that we should be classified as a PRC “resident enterprise.”

 

Although we have not been notified that we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise, we cannot assure you that we will not be treated as a “resident enterprise” under the EIT Law, any aforesaid circulars or any amended regulations in the future. If we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, among other things, we would be subject to the PRC enterprise income tax at the rate of 25% on our worldwide taxable income. Furthermore, if we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise, payments of dividend by us may be regarded as derived from sources within the PRC and therefore we may be obligated to withhold PRC income tax at 10% on payments of dividend on the ADSs or shares to non-PRC resident enterprise investors. In the case of non-PRC resident individual investors, the tax may be withheld at a rate of 20%.

 

In addition, if we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise, any gain realized on the transfer of the ADSs and/or shares by non-PRC resident investors may be regarded as derived from sources within the PRC and accordingly may be subject to a 10% PRC income tax in the case of non-PRC resident enterprises or 20% in the case of non-PRC resident individuals. The PRC tax on dividends and/or gains may be reduced or exempted under applicable tax treaties between the PRC and the ADS holder’s home country. See “Item 10. Additional Information — E. Taxation — PRC Taxation.”

 

The audit report included in this annual report was prepared by auditors who are not inspected by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and, as such, you are deprived of the benefits of such inspection.

 

Our independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit reports included in our annual reports filed with the SEC, as auditors of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the United States Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or the PCAOB, is required by the laws of the United States to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB to assess its compliance with the laws and professional standards of the United States. Because our auditors are located in the PRC, a jurisdiction where the PCAOB is currently unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the Chinese authorities, our auditors are not currently inspected by the PCAOB.

 

Inspections of other firms that the PCAOB has conducted outside China have identified deficiencies in those firms’ audit procedures and quality control procedures, which may be addressed as part of the inspection process to improve future audit quality. The lack of PCAOB inspections in China prevents the PCAOB from regularly evaluating our auditor’s audits and its quality control procedures. As a result, investors may be deprived of the benefits of PCAOB inspections.

 

The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures and quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside of China that are subject to PCAOB inspections. As a result, investors may lose confidence in our reported financial information and procedures and the quality of our financial statements.

 

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If additional remedial measures are imposed on the Big Four PRC-based accounting firms, including our independent registered public accounting firm, in administrative proceedings brought by the SEC alleging the firms’ failure to meet specific criteria set by the SEC, with respect to requests for the production of documents, we could be unable to timely file future financial statements in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

Starting in 2011, the Chinese affiliates of the ‘‘big four’’ accounting firms, (including our independent registered public accounting firm) were affected by a conflict between US law and Chinese law. Specifically, for certain US listed companies operating and audited in mainland China, the SEC and the PCAOB sought to obtain from the Chinese firms access to their audit work papers and related documents. The firms were, however, advised and directed that under Chinese law they could not respond directly to the US regulators on those requests, and that requests by foreign regulators for access to such papers in China had to be channeled through the CSRC.

 

In late 2012 this impasse led the SEC to commence administrative proceedings under Rule 102(e) of its Rules of Practice and also under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 against the Chinese accounting firms, (including our independent registered public accounting firm). A first instance trial of the proceedings in July 2013 in the SEC’s internal administrative court resulted in an adverse judgment against the firms. The administrative law judge proposed penalties on the firms including a temporary suspension of their right to practice before the SEC, although that proposed penalty did not take effect pending review by the Commissioners of the SEC. On February 6, 2015, before a review by the Commissioner had taken place, the firms reached a settlement with the SEC. Under the settlement, the SEC accepts that future requests by the SEC for the production of documents will normally be made to the CSRC. The firms will receive matching Section 106 requests, and are required to abide by a detailed set of procedures with respect to such requests, which in substance require them to facilitate production via the CSRC. If they fail to meet specified criteria, the SEC retains authority to impose a variety of additional remedial measures on the firms depending on the nature of the failure. Remedies for any future noncompliance could include, as appropriate, an automatic six-month bar on a single firm’s performance of certain audit work, commencement of a new proceeding against a firm, or in extreme cases the resumption of the current proceeding against all four firms.

 

In the event that the SEC restarts the administrative proceedings, depending upon the final outcome, listed companies in the United States with major PRC operations may find it difficult or impossible to retain auditors in respect of their operations in the PRC, which could result in financial statements being determined to not be in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, including possible delisting. Moreover, any negative news about any such future proceedings against these audit firms may cause investor uncertainty regarding China-based, United States-listed companies and the market price of our ADSs may be adversely affected.

 

If our independent registered public accounting firm were denied, even temporarily, the ability to practice before the SEC and we were unable to timely find another registered public accounting firm to audit and issue an opinion on our financial statements, our financial statements could be determined not to be in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such a determination could ultimately lead to the delisting of our ordinary shares from the Nasdaq Global Market or deregistration from the SEC, or both, which would substantially reduce or effectively terminate the trading of our ADSs in the United States.

 

Risks Related to Our ADSs and Our Trading Market

 

The market price for our ADSs has been and may continue to be volatile.

 

The market price for our ADSs has been volatile and has ranged from a low of US$ 47.72 to a high of US$146.25 on the NASDAQ Global Select Market in 2017. The market price is subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, including the following:

 

·                   actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly operating results;

 

·                   changes in financial estimates by securities research analysts;

 

·                   conditions in the travel and lodging industries;

 

·                   changes in the economic performance or market valuations of other lodging companies;

 

·                   announcements by us or our competitors of new products, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments;

 

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·                   addition or departure of key personnel;

 

·                   fluctuations of exchange rates between the RMB and U.S. dollar or other foreign currencies;

 

·                   potential litigation or administrative investigations;

 

·                   release of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on our outstanding ADSs or ordinary shares or sales of additional ADSs; and

 

·                   general economic or political conditions in China.

 

In addition, the market prices for companies with operations in China in particular have experienced volatility that might have been unrelated to the operating performance of such companies. The securities of some China-based companies that have listed their securities in the United States have experienced significant volatility, including, in some cases, substantial declines in the market prices of their securities. The performance of the securities of these China-based companies after their offerings may affect the attitudes of investors toward Chinese companies listed in the United States, which consequently may impact the performance of our ADSs, regardless of our actual operating performance. In addition, any negative news or perceptions about inadequate corporate governance practices or fraudulent accounting, corporate structure or other matters of other China-based companies may also negatively affect the attitudes of investors towards China-based companies in general, including us, regardless of whether we have engaged in any inappropriate activities.

 

The global financial crisis and the ensuing economic recessions in many countries have contributed and may continue to contribute to extreme volatility in the global stock markets, such as the large declines in share prices in the United States, China and other jurisdictions at various times since 2008. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the price of our ADSs, regardless of our operating performance.

 

We may need additional capital, and the sale of additional ADSs or other equity securities could result in additional dilution to our shareholders and the incurrence of additional indebtedness could increase our debt service obligations.

 

We believe that our current cash and cash equivalents, anticipated cash flow from operations, and funds available from borrowings under our bank facilities (including the undrawn bank facilities currently available to us and bank facilities we plan to obtain in 2018) will be sufficient to meet our anticipated working capital cash needs for at least the next 12 months. We may, however, require additional cash resources due to changed business conditions, strategic acquisitions or other future developments, including expansion through leased and owned hotels and any investments or acquisitions we may decide to pursue. If these resources are insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements, we may seek to sell additional equity or debt securities or obtain additional credit facilities. The sale of additional equity and equity-linked securities could result in additional dilution to our shareholders. The sale of substantial amounts of our ADSs could dilute the interests of our shareholders and ADS holders and adversely impact the market price of our ADSs. As of December 31, 2017, we had approximately 158,429,684 ordinary shares outstanding held as ADSs, options to purchase approximately 2.0 million ordinary shares (of which approximately 2.0 million were exercisable as of that date) and approximately 12.5 million nonvested restricted stocks outstanding. The conversion of some or all of the convertible senior notes will dilute the ownership interests of existing shareholders and holders of the ADSs. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased debt service obligations and could result in operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations. We cannot assure you that financing will be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all.

 

Future sales or issuances, or perceived future sales or issuances, of substantial amounts of our ordinary shares or ADSs could adversely affect the price of our ADSs.

 

If our existing shareholders sell, or are perceived as intending to sell, substantial amounts of our ordinary shares or ADSs, including those issued upon the exercise of our outstanding stock options, the market price of our ADSs could fall. Such sales, or perceived potential sales, by our existing shareholders might make it more difficult for us to issue new equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and place we deem appropriate. Shares held by our existing shareholders may be sold in the public market in the future subject to the restrictions contained in Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act and the applicable lock-up agreements. If any existing shareholder or shareholders sell a substantial amount of ordinary shares after the expiration of the lock-up period, the prevailing market price for our ADSs could be adversely affected.

 

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In addition, certain of our shareholders or their transferees and assignees will have the right to cause us to register the sale of their shares under the Securities Act upon the occurrence of certain circumstances. Registration of these shares under the Securities Act would result in these shares becoming freely tradable without restriction under the Securities Act immediately upon the effectiveness of the registration. Sales of these registered shares in the public market could cause the price of our ADSs to decline.

 

As our founder and co-founders collectively hold a controlling interest in us, they have significant influence over our management and their interests may not be aligned with our interests or the interests of our other shareholders.

 

As of March 31, 2018, our founder, Mr. Qi Ji, who is also our executive chairman, and our co-founders, Ms. Tong Tong Zhao and Mr. John Jiong Wu, in total beneficially own approximately 37.5% of our outstanding ordinary shares on an as-converted basis. See “Item 7. Major Shareholders.” The interests of these shareholders may conflict with the interests of our other shareholders. Our founder and co-founders have significant influence over us, including on matters relating to mergers, consolidations and the sale of all or substantially all of our assets, election of directors and other significant corporate actions. This concentration of ownership may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of us, which could deprive our shareholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their shares as part of a sale of us or of our assets and might reduce the price of our ADSs. These actions may be taken even if they are opposed by our other shareholders, including holders of our ADSs.

 

ADS holders may not have the same voting rights as the holders of our ordinary shares and generally have fewer rights than our ordinary shareholders, and must act through the depositary to exercise those rights.

 

Holders of ADSs do not have the same rights as our ordinary shareholders and may only exercise voting and other shareholder rights with respect to the underlying ordinary shares in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement. Except as described in the deposit agreement, holders of our ADSs may not be able to exercise voting rights attaching to the shares evidenced by our ADSs on an individual basis. Holders of our ADSs appoint the depositary or its nominee as their representative to exercise the voting rights attaching to the shares represented by the ADSs. ADS holders may not receive voting materials in time to instruct the depositary to vote, and it is possible that they may not have the opportunity to exercise a right to vote and/or may lack recourse if the ADSs are not voted as you requested.

 

ADS holders may not be able to participate in rights offerings and may experience dilution of his, her or its holdings as a result.

 

We may from time to time distribute rights to our shareholders, including rights to acquire our securities. Under the deposit agreement for the ADSs, the depositary will not offer those rights to ADS holders unless both the rights and the underlying securities to be distributed to ADS holders are either registered under the Securities Act, or exempt from registration under the Securities Act with respect to all holders of ADSs. We are under no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to any such rights or underlying securities or to endeavor to cause such a registration statement to be declared effective. In addition, we may not be able to take advantage of any exemptions from registration under the Securities Act. Accordingly, holders of our ADSs may be unable to participate in our rights offerings and may experience dilution in their holdings as a result.

 

ADS holders may be subject to limitations on transfer of their ADSs.

 

Our ADSs are transferable on the books of the depositary. However, the depositary may close its transfer books at any time or from time to time when it deems expedient in connection with the performance of its duties. In addition, the depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers of ADSs generally when our books or the books of the depositary are closed, or at any time if we or the depositary deem it advisable to do so because of any requirement of law or of any government or governmental body, or under any provision of the deposit agreement, or for any other reason.

 

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As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to, and we will, rely on exemptions from certain NASDAQ corporate governance standards applicable to U.S. issuers, including the requirement regarding the implementation of a nominations committee. This may afford less protection to holders of our ordinary shares and ADSs.

 

The NASDAQ Marketplace Rules in general require listed companies to have, among other things, a nominations committee consisting solely of independent directors. As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to, and we will, follow home country corporate governance practices instead of certain requirements of the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules, including, among others, the implementation of a nominations committee. The corporate governance practice in our home country, the Cayman Islands, does not require the implementation of a nominations committee. We currently intend to rely upon the relevant home country exemption in lieu of the nominations committee. As a result, the level of independent oversight over management of our company may afford less protection to holders of our ordinary shares and ADSs.

 

Our articles of association contain anti-takeover provisions that could have a material adverse effect on the rights of holders of our ordinary shares and ADSs.

 

Our amended and restated articles of association contain provisions that have potential to limit the ability of others to acquire control of our company or cause us to enter into change-of-control transactions. These provisions could have the effect of depriving our shareholders of opportunities to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain control of our company in a tender offer or similar transaction.

 

For example, our board of directors has the authority, without further action by our shareholders, to issue preferred shares in one or more classes or series and to fix their designations, powers, preferences, and relative participating, optional or other rights and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions, including, without limitation, dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the rights associated with our ordinary shares, in the form of ADSs or otherwise. In the event these preferred shares have better voting rights than our ordinary shares, in the form of ADSs or otherwise, they could be issued quickly with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change in control of our company or make removal of management more difficult. If our board of directors decides to issue preferred shares, the price of our ADSs may decline and the voting and other rights of the holders of our ordinary shares and ADSs may be materially and adversely affected.

 

The provisions of our articles of association may encourage potential acquirers to negotiate with us and allow our board of directors the opportunity to consider alternative proposals in the interest of maximizing shareholder value. However, these provisions may also discourage acquisition proposals or delay or prevent a change in control that could be beneficial to holders of our ordinary shares and ADSs.

 

You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through the U.S. federal courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law, conduct substantially all of our operations in China and the majority of our officers reside outside the United States.

 

We are incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and conduct substantially all of our operations in China through our subsidiaries in China. Most of our officers reside outside the United States and some or all of the assets of those persons are located outside of the United States. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the Cayman Islands or in China in the event that you believe that your rights have been infringed under the securities laws or otherwise. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind outside the Cayman Islands or China, the laws of the Cayman Islands and of China may render you unable to effect service of process upon, or to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers. There is no statutory recognition in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, although the courts of the Cayman Islands will generally recognize and enforce a judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction for a liquidated sum, other than a sum payable in respect of taxes, fines, penalties or similar fiscal or revenue obligations, and which was neither obtained in a manner nor is of a kind enforcement of which is contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands and which is not inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect of the same matters and which is not impeachable on grounds of fraud, without retrial on the merits under the common law by an action commenced on the judgment in the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands. A judgment of a court of another jurisdiction may be reciprocally recognized or enforced if the jurisdiction has a treaty with China or if judgments of the PRC courts have been recognized before in that jurisdiction, subject to the satisfaction of other requirements. However, China does not have treaties providing for the reciprocal enforcement of judgments of courts with Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and most other Western countries.

 

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Our corporate affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association and by the Companies Law (201 6 Revision) and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take legal action against our directors and us, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from English common law, which has persuasive, but not binding, authority on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedents in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and provides significantly less protection to investors. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action before the federal courts of the United States.

 

As a result of all of the above, our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests through actions against our management, directors or major shareholders than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a jurisdiction in the United States.

 

We may be classified as a passive foreign investment company, which could result in adverse United States federal income tax consequences for U.S. Holders of our ADSs or ordinary shares.

 

Based on our audited financial statements and relevant market and shareholder data, we believe that we should not be treated as a passive foreign investment company (a “PFIC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes with respect to the 2016 and 2017 taxable years. In addition, based on our audited financial statements and our current expectations regarding the value and nature of our assets, the sources and nature of our income, and relevant market and shareholder data, we do not anticipate becoming a PFIC for our 2018 taxable year. The application of the PFIC rules is subject to ambiguity in several respects and, in addition, we must make annual separate determination each year as to whether we are a PFIC (after the close of each taxable year). The determination of whether we are or will become a PFIC will depend in part upon the value of our goodwill and other unbooked intangibles (which will depend upon the market price of our ADSs from time to time, which may be volatile). Among other matters, if our market capitalization declines, we may be or become a PFIC for the current or future taxable years. It is also possible that the Internal Revenue Service may challenge our classification or valuation of our goodwill and other unbooked intangibles, which may result in our company being or becoming a PFIC for the current or one or more future taxable years. Accordingly, we cannot assure you of our PFIC status for our current taxable year ending December 31, 2018 or for any future taxable year. If we were treated as a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder held an ADS or an ordinary share, certain adverse United States federal income tax consequences could apply to the U.S. Holder (as defined herein). For a more detailed discussion of United States federal income tax consequences to U.S. Holders, see “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation—U.S. Federal Income Taxation—Passive Foreign Investment Company.”

 

ITEM 4.                 INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY

 

4.A. History and Development of the Company

 

Powerhill was incorporated in accordance with the laws of the British Virgin Islands in December 2003, and commenced operation with midscale limited service hotels and commercial property development and management in 2005. Limited service hotels do not contain restaurants and all amenities are provided by the staff at the front desk or housekeeping. Powerhill conducted its operations through three wholly -owned subsidiaries in the PRC, namely Shanghai HanTing Hotel Management Group, Ltd., or Shanghai HanTing, HanTing Xingkong (Shanghai) Hotel Management Co., Ltd., or HanTing Xingkong, and Lishan Property (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., or Suzhou Property. In August 2006, Suzhou Property transferred its equity interests in three leased hotels to Shanghai HanTing in exchange for Shanghai HanTing’s equity interest in Shanghai Shuyu Co., Ltd., which was primarily engaged in the business of sub-leasing and managing real estate properties in technology parks.

 

China Lodging Group, Limited, or China Lodging, was incorporated in the Cayman Islands in January 2007. In February 2007, Powerhill transferred all of its ownership interests in HanTing Xingkong and Shanghai HanTing to China Lodging in exchange for preferred shares of China Lodging. After such exchange, each of HanTing Xingkong and Shanghai HanTing became a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Lodging. In addition, in February 2007, Powerhill and its subsidiary, Suzhou Property, were spun off in the form of a dividend distribution to the shareholders.

 

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In 2007, China Lodging began our current business of operating and managing a multi-brand hotel group. In 2007, we first launched our economy hotel product, HanTing Express Hotel , which was subsequently rebranded as HanTing Hotel , targeting knowledge workers and value- and quality-conscious travelers. In the same year, we introduced our midscale limited service hotel product, HanTing Hotel , which was subsequently rebranded first as HanTing Seasons Hotel and then as JI Hotel . In 2008, we launched our budget hotel product, HanTing Hi Inn , which was subsequently rebranded as Hi Inn . In April 2007, China Lodging acquired Yiju (Shanghai) Hotel Management Co., Ltd. from Crystal Water Investment Holdings Limited, a British Virgin Islands company wholly owned by Mr. John Jiong Wu, a co-founder of our company. In January 2008, China Lodging incorporated HanTing (Tianjin) Investment Consulting Co., Ltd. in China and in October 2008, established China Lodging Holdings (HK) Limited, or China Lodging HK, in Hong Kong, under which HanTing Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. was subsequently established in China in December 2008.

 

In March 2010, we completed our initial public offering. We issued and sold 10,350,000 ADSs, representing 41,400,000 of our ordinary shares at a public offering price of US$12.25 per ADS. Our ADSs have been listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market since March 26, 2010. Our ordinary shares are not listed or publicly traded on any trading markets.

 

In May 2012, we acquired a 51% equity interest in Starway HK, a midscale hotel chain and increased our hotel brands to four brands. In December 2013, we acquired the remaining 49% equity interest of Starway HK from C-Travel. In addition, we launched Manxin Hotels & Resorts in October 2013, which was subsequently rebranded as Manxin Hotel, Joya Hotel, a new hotel brand targeting the upscale market, in December 2013, and Elan Hotel , a new economy hotel brand targeting business travelers, young customers and urban tourists, in September 2014.  In November 2012, we changed the Chinese trade name of our company from “HanTing Hotel Group” to “HuaZhu Hotel Group”.

 

In late 2014, we established Chengjia Hotel Management Co., Ltd. (“Chengjia”) in Shanghai, which started operation in the second quarter of 2015.  Since then, it has maintained a professional apartment service management team and provided apartment rental service that covers leases for a term from one month up to twelve months. In 2016, we sold Chengjia to Cjia, our equity investee. As of December 31, 2017, we held approximately 17% equity interest of Cjia.

 

In December 2014, we entered into agreements with Accor to join forces in the Pan-China region to develop Accor brand hotels and to form an extensive and long-term alliance with Accor. The transactions with Accor were completed in the first quarter of 2016. Pursuant to the amended and restated master purchase agreement with Accor, we acquired from Accor (i) all of the issued and outstanding shares of certain wholly-owned subsidiaries of Accor engaged in the business of owning, leasing, franchising, operating and managing hotels under Accor brands in the midscale and economy market in the PRC, Taiwan and Mongolia, and (ii) approximately 28% of the issued and outstanding shares of AAPC LUB, a Hong Kong subsidiary of Accor that engages in the business of owning, leasing, franchising, operating and managing hotels under Accor brands (x) in the luxury and upscale market in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, the PRC and Mongolia, and (y) in the midscale and economy market in Hong Kong and Macau and, pursuant to certain arrangements for specified brands, the PRC, Mongolia and Taiwan. Pursuant to the amended and restated securities purchase agreement, we issued 24,895,543 ordinary shares to Accor, which represented 9.0% of our ordinary shares outstanding after issuance, and granted to Accor a right to nominate one director to our board of directors.

 

In connection with the amended and restated master purchase agreement and the amended and restated securities purchase agreement, we and Accor also entered into a number of additional agreements, including, among others: (i) a master brand agreement and brand franchise agreements, pursuant to which Accor granted to us exclusive franchise rights in respect of “ Mercure ”, “ Ibis ” and “ Ibis Styles ” in the PRC, Taiwan and Mongolia, and non-exclusive franchise rights in respect of “ Grand Mercure ” and “ Novotel ” in the PRC, Taiwan and Mongolia (AAPC LUB being the only other entity with non-exclusive franchise rights in respect of “ Grand Mercure ” and “ Novotel ” in the same territories); all hotels under these brands will continue to be managed under Accor’s brand standards and have all benefits of Accor’s international distribution and loyalty platforms, and will also participate in our loyalty and distribution platforms and benefit from our on-the-ground support; (ii) a shareholders’ agreement in relation to the governance of AAPC LUB and our rights and obligations as shareholder of the company; (iii) a registration rights agreement in favor of Accor in respect of our ordinary shares that it acquired under the amended and restated securities purchase agreement; (iv) an amended and restated non-competition agreement that sets out certain business restrictions on us and Accor, and imposes certain lockup and standstill restrictions on Accor with respect to our equity securities; and (v) a deed of voting and ROFR, pursuant to which, among other things, (x) Accor has a right of first refusal in respect of transfers of our securities by Qi Ji or his affiliates, and (y) we and Qi Ji agreed to procure the appointment of a nominee of Accor to our board of directors (for so long as Accor and its affiliates own our ordinary shares or ADSs representing at least 8% of a pro forma number of our outstanding share capital, and subject to certain termination events described in the deed of voting and ROFR); and our articles of association were also amended and restated effective as of January 25, 2016 to give effect to Accor’s rights as described in the foregoing.

 

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In May 2017, we completed the acquisition of all of the equity interests in Crystal Orange, which holds hotels under the brands Crystal Orange Hotel, Orange Hotel Select and Orange Hotel . As of December 31, 2017, Crystal Orange had 153 hotels in operation located primarily in tier 1 and tier 2 cities in China.

 

In November 2017, we issued US$475.0 million of convertible senior notes (“the Notes”). The Notes will mature on November 1, 2022 and bear interest at a rate of 0.375% per annum, payable in arrears semi-annually on May 1 and November 1, beginning May 1, 2018. The Notes can be converted into our ADSs at an initial conversion rate of 5.4869 of our ADSs per US$1,000 principal amount of the Notes (equivalent to an initial conversion price of US$182.25 per ADS).

 

Our principal executive offices are located at No. 2266 Hongqiao Road, Changning District, Shanghai 200336, People’s Republic of China. Our telephone number at this address is +86 (21) 6195-2011. Our registered office in the Cayman Islands is located at the offices of Cricket Square, Hutchins Drive, P.O. Box 2681, Grand Cayman, KY1-1111, Cayman Islands. Our agent for service of process in the United States is CT Corporation System, located at 111 Eighth Avenue, 13th Floor, New York, New York 10011.

 

Investors should contact us for any inquiries through the address and telephone number of our principal executive offices. Our website is http://www.huazhu.com. The information contained on our website is not a part of this annual report.

 

4.B. Business Overview

 

We are a leading and fast-growing multi-brand hotel group in China and China’s second largest hotel operator in terms of the number of hotels in operation as of December 31, 2017 according to public data. We operate under leased and owned, manachised and franchised models. Under the lease and ownership model, we directly operate hotels located primarily on leased or owned properties. Under the manachise model, we manage manachised hotels through the on-site hotel managers we appoint and collect fees from franchisees. Under the franchise model, we provide training, reservation and support services to the franchised hotels and collect fees from franchisees but do not appoint on-site hotel managers. We apply a consistent standard and platform across all of our hotels. As of December 31, 2017, we had 671 leased and owned hotels, 2,874 manachised hotels and 201 franchised hotels in operation, 37 leased and owned hotels and 659 manachised and franchised hotels under development.

 

As of the date of this annual report, we own 11 hotel brands that are designed to target distinct segments of customers:

 

·                   Hi Inn , our budget hotel product which targets practical and price-conscious travelers, originally marketed under the name of HanTing Hi Inn ;

 

·                   HanTing Hotel , our economy hotel product which targets knowledge workers and value- and quality-conscious travelers, originally marketed under the name of HanTing Express Hotel;

 

·                   Elan Hotel, our economy hotel product which targets business travelers, young customers and urban tourists. Elan Hotel is committed to provide a unique business and travel life experience for its guests;

 

·                   Orange Hotel, our economy brand, features three-star standard facilities at affordable prices;

 

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·                   HanTing Premium , our entry level midscale hotel brand targeting middle class leisure travelers and midscale corporate events;

 

·                   Starway Hotel , our midscale limited service hotel product with variety in design and consistency in quality which targets middle class travelers who seek a spacious room, reasonable price and guaranteed quality;

 

·                   JI Hotel , our standardized midscale limited service hotel product which targets mature and experienced travelers who seek a quality experience in hotel stays, previously marketed first under the name of HanTing Hotel and then HanTing Seasons Hotel;

 

·                   Orange Hotel Select , our midscale hotel brand, is the mini version of our Crystal Orange Hotel ;

 

·                   Manxin Hotel, our mid-to-upscale hospitality brand including city hotels and resorts. Manxin Hotel targets business travelers, leisure travelers, families and corporate events.

 

·                   Crystal Orange Hotel , our mid-to-upscale hotel brand, features boutique design hotels equipped with advanced, five-star standard facilities; and

 

·                   Joya Hotel , our upscale brand concept targeting affluent travelers and corporate events. Joya hotels are typically located in central business districts.

 

In addition to the 11 hotel brands owned by us, we have also entered into brand franchise agreements with Accor and enjoyed exclusive franchise rights in respect of “ Mercure ”, “ Ibis ” and “ Ibis Styles ” in the PRC, Taiwan and Mongolia and non-exclusive franchise rights in respect of “ Grand Mercure ” and “ Novotel ” in the PRC, Taiwan and Mongolia:

 

·                   Grand Mercure , a brand that offers a upscale network of hotels and apartments that combine local culture with world-class services;

 

·                   Novotel , a mid-to-upscale brand that provides a multi-service offer for both business and leisure guests;

 

·                   Mercure , a midscale hotel brand that targets business and leisure travelers around the world;

 

·                   Ibis Styles , a midscale brand that offers comfortable, designer hotels at an all-inclusive rate; and

 

·                   Ibis , an economy hotel brand that is recognized across the world for its quality, reliability and commitment to the environment.

 

As a result of our customer-oriented approach, we have developed strong brand recognition and a loyal customer base. In 2017, approximately 76% of our room nights were sold to individual and corporate members of HUAZHU Rewards, our loyalty program.

 

Our operations commenced with midscale limited service hotels and commercial property development and management in 2005. We began our current business of operating and managing a multi-brand hotel group in 2007. Our net revenues grew from RMB5,774.6 million in 2015 to RMB6,538.6 million in 2016, and further to RMB8,170.2 million (US$1,255.7 million) in 2017. We had net income attributable to our company of RMB436.6 million, RMB804.6 million and RMB1,237.2 million (US$190.2 million) in 2015, 2016 and 2017, respectively. We had net cash provided by operating activities of RMB1,762.5 million, RMB2,066.3 million and RMB2,452.6 million (US$377.0 million) in 2015, 2016 and 2017, respectively.

 

We have received many awards for our business performance, including the “Hotels 50 - Top 50 Most Valuable Hotel Brands in 2017” for HanTing Hotel from Brand Finance in 2018, the “Top 100 Most Valuable Chinese Brands in 2017” for HanTing Hotel from Brandz in 2017, the “Golden Horse Awards of China Hotel” and the “National Brand of China in 2016 and 2017” awards for HanTing Hotel from the Review Committee of Golden Horse Awards of China Hotel in 2017, the “Top 300 Corporate Hotel Companies” award from the HOTELS magazine, the “Top 60 Hotel Groups in China in 2015” award from China Tourist Hotels Association, the “Best Hotel Management Groups of China” award at the 2015 Asia Hotel Forum Annual Meeting and the tenth China Hotel Starlight Awards in 2015, the “2015 China’s Best Local Emerging Hotel Brand” award for our Joya Hotel and the “2015 The Most Popular Newly opened Business Hotel in Northeast China” award for our Joya Hotel Dalian at the Twelfth Golden-Pillow Award of China Hotels in 2015, the “Top 100 Employers” certified by 61HR.COM in 2015, the “2015 Best Practice of Public Interest Award” at the Fifth China Charity Festival in 2015, the “Top 60 China’s Hotel Group in 2013” award from China Tourist Hotels Association in 2014, the “Industry’s Most Influential Brand” award from the Third China Finance Summit in 2014, the “China’s Outstanding Midscale Hotel brand of 2013” award for our JI Hotel from Hotel Modernization magazine in 2013, the “Chinese Hotel Industry’s Influential Brand” award from China Brand Leaders Alliance, the “Hotel Chain Brand with the Most Value of Investment and Development in 2013” and the “Hotel Chain Brand with the Highest Consumer Satisfaction in 2013” awards from the Global Times, the “Top One Enterprise in the Sixth High Growth Enterprises Selection” organized by the Entrepreneur Magazine in 2013.

 

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Our Hotel Network

 

As of December 31, 2017, we operated 3,746 hotels in China. We have adopted a disciplined return-driven development model aimed at achieving high growth and profitability. As of December 31, 2017, our hotel network covered 378 cities in 33 provinces and municipalities across China. As of December 31, 2017, we had an additional 696 leased and owned, manachised and franchised hotels under development.

 

The following table sets forth a summary of all of our hotels as of December 31, 2017.

 

		Leased and  Owned Hotels		Manachised  Hotels		Franchised  Hotels		Leased and  Owned Hotels  Under  Development (1)		Manachised and  Franchised  Hotels Under  Development (1)
Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou		222		773		56		18		117
Other cities		449		2,101		145		19		542
Total		671		2,874		201		37		659

 

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(1)          Include hotels for which we have entered into binding leases or franchise agreements but that have not yet commenced operations.  The inactive projects are excluded from this list according to management judgment. None of our owned hotels was under development as of December 31, 2017.

 

The following table sets forth the status of our hotels under development as of December 31, 2017.

 

		Pre-conversion  Period (1)		Conversion  Period (2)		Total
Leased and owned hotels		5		32		37
Manachised and franchised hotels		258		401		659
Total		263		433		696

 

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(1)          Includes hotels for which we have entered into binding leases or franchise agreements but of which the property has not been delivered by the respective lessors or property owners, as the case may be. The inactive projects are excluded from this list according to management judgment.

 

(2)          Includes hotels for which we have commenced conversion activities but that have not yet commenced operations. The inactive projects are excluded from this list according to management judgment.

 

Among the 37 leased and owned hotels under development as of December 31, 2017, we had 5 leased and owned hotels during pre-conversion period, for which we have entered into binding leases but of which the property has not been delivered by the respective lessors, and had 32 leased and owned hotels during conversion period, for which we have commenced conversion activities but that have not yet commenced operations. The anticipated completion dates for these leased and owned hotels during conversion period range from January 2018 to August 2018. Total budgeted development costs for these leased and owned hotels during conversion period, which primarily include construction costs for leasehold improvement and the furniture and equipment for hotel operation, were RMB850.5 million (US$130.7 million), of which RMB332.9 million (US$51.2 million) was incurred as of December 31, 2017. The average development costs per square meter for completed leased and owned hotels in 2017 were approximately RMB2,300 (US$354). The franchisees are responsible for development costs for our manachised hotels and franchised hotels.

 

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Leased and owned hotels

 

As of December 31, 2017, we had 664 leased hotels and seven owned hotels, accounting for approximately 17.9% of our hotels in operation . We manage and operate each aspect of these hotels and bear all of the accompanying expenses. We are responsible for recruiting, training and supervising the hotel managers and employees, paying for leases and costs associated with construction and renovation of these hotels, and purchasing all supplies and other required equipment.

 

Our leased hotels are located on leased properties. The terms of our leases typically range from ten to 20 years. We generally enjoy an initial two- to six-month rent-free period. We generally pay fixed rent on a quarterly or biannual basis for the first three to five years of the lease term, after which we are generally subject to a 3% to 5% increase every three to five years. Our leases usually allow for extensions by mutual agreement. In addition, our lessors are typically required to notify us in advance if they intend to sell or dispose of their properties, in which case we have a right of first refusal to purchase the properties on equivalent terms and conditions. 24 of our leases expired in 2017, among which 13 were renewed, three were converted to manachised and franchised hotels and eight were closed. As of December 31, 2017, 24 of our leases were expected to expire in 2018. Six of these 24 leases have been renewed, six of these 24 leases have been terminated and the rest of these 24 leases are subject to negotiation as of the date of this annual report.

 

The following table sets forth the number of our leases for hotels in operation and under development due to expire in the periods indicated as of December 31, 2017.

 

		Number of  Leases
2018		24
2019		24
2020		45
2021		49
2022		72
2023-2025		167
2026-2028		178
2029 and onward		105
Total		664

 

Manachised hotels

 

As of December 31, 2017, we had 2,874 manachised hotels, accounting for approximately 76.7% of our hotels in operation. The franchisees of our manachised hotels either lease or own their hotel properties and are required to invest in the renovation of their properties according to our product standards. We manage our manachised hotels and impose the same standards on all manachised hotels to ensure product quality and consistency across our hotel network. We appoint and train hotel managers who are responsible for hiring hotel staff and managing daily operation. We also provide our franchisees with services such as central reservation, sales and marketing support, quality assurance inspections and other operational support and information. Our franchisees are responsible for the costs of developing and operating the hotels, including renovating the hotels to our standards, and all of the operating expenses. We believe the manachise model has enabled us to quickly and effectively expand our geographical coverage and market share in a less capital-intensive manner through leveraging the local knowledge and relationships of our franchisees.

 

We collect fees from the franchisees of our manachised hotels and do not bear any loss or share any profit incurred or realized by our franchisees. They are also responsible for all costs and expenses related to hotel construction and refurbishing. Our franchise and management agreements for our manachised hotels typically run for an initial term of eight to ten years.

 

Our franchisees are generally required to pay us a one-time franchise fee typically ranging between RMB80,000 and RMB500,000. In general, we charge a monthly franchise fee of approximately 5% of the gross revenues generated by each manachised hotel. We also collect from franchisees a reservation fee for using our central reservation system and a membership registration fee to service customers who join our HUAZHU Rewards loyalty program at the manachised hotels. Furthermore, we employ, appoint and train hotel managers for our manachised hotels and charge the franchisees a monthly fee for services we provide.

 

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Franchised hotels

 

As of December 31, 2017, we had 201 franchised hotels, accounting for approximately 5.4% of our hotels in operation. We collect fees from the franchisees of our franchised hotels and do not bear any loss or share any profit incurred or realized by our franchisees. Services we provide to our franchised hotels generally include training, central reservation, sales and marketing support, quality assurance inspections and other operational support and information. We do not appoint hotel managers for our franchised hotels.

 

Our hotel chain has grown rapidly since we began migrating to our current business of operating and managing a multi-brand hotel group in 2007. The following table sets forth the number of hotels we operated as of the dates indicated.

 

		As of December 31,
		2008		2009		2010		2011		2012		2013		2014		2015		2016		2017
Leased and owned hotels		145		173		243		344		465		565		611		616		624		671
Manachised hotels		22		63		195		295		516		835		1,376		2,067		2,471		2874
Franchised hotels		—		—		—		—		54		25		8		80		174		201
Total		167		236		438		639		1,035		1,425		1,995		2,763		3,269		3,746

 

Our Products

 

We began our current business of operating and managing a multi-brand hotel group in 2007. As of the date of this annual report, we own 11 hotel brands that are designed to target distinct segments of customers:

 

·                   Hi Inn , our budget hotel product which targets practical and price-conscious travelers, originally marketed under the name of HanTing Hi Inn ;

 

·                   HanTing Hotel , our economy hotel product which targets knowledge workers and value- and quality-conscious travelers, originally marketed under the name of HanTing Express Hotel;

 

·                   Elan Hotel, our economy hotel product which targets business travelers, young customers and urban tourists. Elan Hotel is committed to provide a unique business and travel life experience for its guests;

 

·                   Orange Hotel , our economy brand, features three-star standard facilities at affordable prices;

 

·                   HanTing Premium , our entry-level midscale hotel brand targeting middle class leisure travelers and midscale corporate events;

 

·                   Starway Hotel , our midscale limited service hotel product with variety in design and consistency in quality which targets middle class travelers who seek a spacious room, reasonable price and guaranteed quality;

 

·                   JI Hotel , our standardized midscale limited service hotel product which targets mature and experienced travelers who seek a quality experience in hotel stays, previously marketed first under the name of HanTing Hotel and then HanTing Seasons Hotel;

 

·                   Orange Hotel Select , our midscale hotel brand, is the mini version of our Crystal Orange Hotel ;

 

·                   Manxin Hotel, our mid-to-upscale hospitality brand including city hotels and resorts. Manxin Hotel targets business travelers, leisure travelers, families and corporate events;

 

·                   Crystal Orange Hotel , our mid-to-upscale hotel brand, features boutique design hotels equipped with advanced, five-star standard facilities; and

 

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·                   Joya Hotel , our upscale brand concept targeting affluent travelers and corporate events. Joya hotels are typically located in central business districts.

 

In addition to the 11 hotel brands owned by us, we have also entered into brand franchise agreements with Accor and enjoyed exclusive franchise rights in respect of “ Mercure ”, “ Ibis ” and “ Ibis Styles ” in the PRC, Taiwan and Mongolia and non-exclusive franchise rights in respect of “ Grand Mercure ” and “ Novotel ” in the PRC, Taiwan and Mongolia:

 

·                   Grand Mercure , a brand that offers a upscale network of hotels and apartments that combine local culture with world-class services;

 

·                   Novotel , a mid-to-upscale brand that provides a multi-service offer for both business and leisure guests;

 

·                   Mercure , a midscale hotel brand that targets business and leisure travelers around the world;

 

·                   Ibis Styles , a midscale brand that offers comfortable, designer hotels at an all-inclusive rate; and

 

·                   Ibis , an economy hotel brand that is recognized across the world for its quality, reliability and commitment to the environment.

 

We believe that our multi-brand strategy provides us with a competitive advantage by (i) enabling us to open a larger number of hotels in attractive markets, (ii) capturing a greater share of the spending of customers whose lodging needs may change from occasion to occasion or evolve over time, and (iii) providing us a greater benefit of economy of scale through shared platforms.

 

Hi Inn

 

Launched in late 2008 and originally marketed under the name of HanTing Hi Inn , Hi Inns target rational and price-conscious travelers. These hotels offer compact rooms with comfortable beds and shower facilities and complimentary wireless Internet access throughout the premises. These hotels provide basic and clean accommodations. As of December 31, 2017, we had 396 Hi Inns in operation and an additional 32 Hi Inns under development.

 

HanTing Hotel

 

Launched in 2007 and originally marketed under the name of HanTing Express Hotel , HanTing Hotel is our economy hotel product with the value proposition of “Quality, Convenience and Value.” These hotels are typically located in areas close to major business and commercial districts. The HanTing Hotel targets knowledge workers and value- and quality-conscious travelers. These hotels are equipped with complimentary wireless Internet access and laser printers, and a cafe serving breakfast and simple meals. As of December 31, 2017, we had 2,244 HanTing Hotels in operation and an additional 161 HanTing Hotels under development.

 

Elan Hotel

 

In September 2014, we launched Elan Hotel . Elan Hotel is our economy hotel product which targets business travelers, young customers and urban tourists, and is committed to provide a unique business and leisure life experience for the hotel guests. The hotels’ modern and nature design elements create a fresh and refreshing atmosphere for the hotel guests. Elan Hotel brand conveys the concept of enjoyment of life and nature. As of December 31, 2017, we had 226 Elan Hotels in operation and an additional 19 Elan Hotels under development.

 

Orange Hotel

 

Orange Hotel is our economy brand. These hotels feature three-star standard facilities at affordable prices. As of December 31, 2017, we had eight Orange Hotels in operation.

 

HanTing Premium

 

Upgraded from HanTing Hotel , HanTing Premium is our entry-level midscale hotel brand targeting middle class leisure travelers. These hotels offer 24/7 “Niiice Cafe”, ready-to-go breakfast and a variety of self-service facilities, including self-check-in/self-check-out kiosks, self-service lockers and self-service laundry facilities, providing convenience at both leisure and corporate levels. As of December 31, 2017, we had five HanTing Premium Hotels in operation and an additional 39 HanTing Premium Hotels under development.

 

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Starway Hotel

 

Starway Hotel features hotels with varied designs and targets middle class travelers who seek a spacious room, reasonable price and guaranteed quality. Starway Hotels offer rooms with a quality comparable to three- to four-star hotels, but are priced at competitive rates. In addition, these hotels typically offer complimentary Internet access throughout the premises, spacious lobbies and meeting areas with complimentary tea and coffee. As of December 31, 2017, we had 174 Starway Hotels in operation and an additional 34 Starway Hotels under development.

 

JI Hotel

 

JI Hotel , which was previously marketed first under the name of HanTing Hotel and then HanTing Seasons Hotels , features hotels typically located in city centers or central business districts. These hotels target travelers who seek a quality experience in hotel stays . JI Hotels offer rooms with a quality comparable to three- to four-star hotels, but are priced at competitive rates. In addition, these hotels offer complimentary wireless Internet access throughout the premises, spacious lobbies with laser printers, computers, free drinks, and a cafe serving breakfast and simple meals. As of December 31, 2017, we had 390 JI Hotels in operation and an additional 186 JI Hotels under development.

 

Orange Hotel Select

 

Orange Hotel Select is our midscale hotel brand. These hotels are mini versions of our Crystal Orange Hotels with advanced sound-proof design. As of December 31, 2017, we had 103 hotels branded Orange Hotel Select in operation and an additional 74 hotels branded Orange Hotel Select under development.

 

Manxin Hotel

 

Manxin Hotels & Resorts was launched as a brand of resorts in October 2013, and was subsequently rebranded as Manxin Hotel . Nowadays Manxin Hotel is becoming a brand with city hotels and resorts. These hotels are typically located in city center or business districts and holiday resort areas. Manxin Hotel offers high quality rooms, intelligent service system, rich breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and even coffee and drinks. Moreover, Manxin Hotel is aimed to bring the guests a distinct experience by presenting amazing space design and attractive activities. Live Lively is Manxin Hotel ’s proposition. As of December 31, 2017, we had 11 Manxin Hotels in operation and an additional 16 Manxin Hotels under development.

 

Crystal Orange Hotel

 

Crystal Orange Hotel is our mid-to-upscale hotel brand featuring boutique design hotels. These hotels are equipped with advanced, five-star standard facilities, including free high-speed wireless internet access, intelligent lighting system, wireless speakers and sound-proof design. As of December 31, 2017, we had 42 Crystal Orange Hotels in operation and an additional 20 Crystal Orange Hotels under development.

 

Joya Hotel

 

In December 2013, we launched Joya Hotel . These hotels are typically located in areas close to major business and commercial districts in first and second tier cities and target affluent travelers and corporate events. Joya Hotel is designed for guests to enjoy an all-inclusive service, including complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea, healthy snack, mini bar free drinks, gym, automatic massage cabins and other premium services. The rooms are equipped with high-speed fiber access, full wireless coverage and Bluetooth speakers. As of December 31, 2017, we had six Joya Hotels in operation and an additional three Joya Hotels under development.

 

Grand Mercure Hotel

 

Grand Mercure is a brand that offers an upscale network of hotels and apartments that combine local culture with world-class services. With hotels that are uniquely adapted to each market, the brand helps guests “discover a new authentic”. As of December 31, 2017, we had four Grand Mercure Hotels in operation and additional four Grand Mercure Hotels under development.

 

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Novotel Hotel

 

Novotel is a mid-to-upscale brand that provides a multi-service offer for both business and leisure guests, with specious, modular rooms, 24/7 catering offers with balanced meals, meeting rooms, attentive and proactive staff, kid areas, a multi-purpose lobby and fitness centers. These hotels are typically located in the heart of major international cities, business districts and tourist destinations. As of December 31, 2017, we had four Novotel Hotels in operation and an additional seven Novotel Hotels under development.

 

Mercure Hotel

 

Mercure is a midscale hotel brand that combines the strength of an international network with a strong quality commitment with the warm experience of hotels that are rooted in their local community, targeting business and leisure travelers around the world. These hotels are typically located in city centers, by the sea or in the mountains. As of December 31, 2017, we had 20 Mercure Hotels in operation and an additional 33 Mercure Hotels under development.

 

Ibis Styles Hotel

 

Ibis Styles is a midscale brand that offers comfortable, designer hotels typically located in city centers or close to activity centers. The brand’s distinctive all-inclusive package includes the room, all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet and broadband Internet connection, plus a host of little extras. As of December 31, 2017, we had 13 Ibis Styles Hotels in operation and an additional 14 Ibis Styles Hotels under development.

 

Ibis Hotel

 

Ibis is an economy hotel brand that is recognized across the world for its quality, reliability and commitment to the environment. It created the revolutionary bedding concept Sweet Bed TM  by ibis and features welcoming, designer common areas and the modern food and beverage offer, ibis kitchen. As of December 31, 2017, we had 100 Ibis Hotels in operation and an additional 54 Ibis Hotels under development.

 

Hotel Development

 

We mainly use the manachise and franchise models to expand our network in a less capital-intensive manner. We also lease the properties of the hotels we operate. Other than the properties we acquired as part of our strategic alliance with Accor in 2016, we typically do not acquire properties ourselves, as owning properties is generally much more capital intensive. We have adopted a systematic process with respect to the planning and execution of new development projects. Our development department analyzes economic data by city, field visit reports and market intelligence information to identify target locations in each city and develop a three-year development plan for new hotels on a regular basis. The plan is subsequently reviewed and approved by our investment committee. Once a property is identified in the targeted location, staff in our development department analyzes the business terms and formulates a proposal for the project. In the case of a lease opportunity, the investment committee evaluates each proposed project based on several factors, including the length of the investment payback period, the rate of return on the investment, the amount of net cash flow projected during the operating period and the impact on our existing hotels in the vicinity. When evaluating potential manachising and franchising opportunities, the investment committee considers the attractiveness of the location as well as additional factors such as quality of the prospective franchisee and product consistency with our standards. Our investment committee weighs each investment proposal carefully to ensure that we can effectively expand our coverage while concurrently improving our profitability.

 

The following is a description of our hotel development process.

 

Manachised and franchised hotels

 

We open manachised and franchised hotels to expand our geographical coverage or to deepen penetration of existing markets. Manachised and franchised hotels provide us valuable operating information in assessing the attractiveness of new markets, and supplement our coverage in areas where the potential franchisees can have access to attractive locations by leveraging their own assets and local network. As is the case with leased and owned hotels, we generally look to establish manachised and franchised hotels near popular commercial and office districts that tend to generate stronger demand for hotel accommodations. Manachised and franchised hotels must also meet certain specified criteria in connection with the infrastructure of the building, such as adequate water, electricity and sewage systems.

 

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We typically source potential franchisees through word-of-mouth referrals, applications submitted via our website and industry conferences. Some of our franchisees operate several of our manachised and franchised hotels. In general, we seek franchisees who share our values and management philosophies.

 

We typically supervise the franchisees in designing and renovating their properties pursuant to the same standards required for our leased and owned hotels, and provide assistance as required. We also provide technical expertise and require the franchisees to follow a pre-selected list of qualified suppliers. In addition, we appoint or train hotel managers and help train other hotel staff for our manachised hotels to ensure that high quality and consistent service is provided throughout all our hotels.

 

Leased and owned hotels

 

We seek properties that are in central or highly accessible locations in economically more developed cities in order to maximize the room rates that we can charge. In addition, we typically seek properties that will accommodate hotels of 80 to 300 rooms.

 

After identifying a proposed site, we conduct thorough due diligence and typically negotiate leases concurrently with the lessors. All leases and development plans are subject to the final approval of our investment committee. Once a lease agreement has been executed, we then engage independent design firms and construction companies to begin work on leasehold improvement. Our construction management team works closely with these firms on planning and architectural design. Our contracts with construction companies typically contain warranties for quality and requirements for timely completion of construction. Contractors or suppliers are typically required to compensate us in the event of delays or poor work quality. A majority of the construction materials and supplies used in the construction of our new hotels are purchased by us through a centralized procurement system.

 

Hotel Management

 

Our management team has accumulated significant experience with respect to the operation of hotels. Building on this experience, our management team has developed a robust operational platform for our nationwide operations, implemented a rigorous budgeting process, and utilized our information systems to monitor our hotel performance. We believe the system is critical in maximizing our revenues and profitability. The following are some of the key components of our hotel management system:

 

Budgeting . Our budget and analysis team prepares a detailed annual cost and revenue budget for each of our leased and owned hotels, and an annual revenue budget for each of our manachised and franchised hotels. The hotel budget is prepared based on, among other things, the historical operating performance of each hotel, the performance of comparable hotels and local market conditions. We may adjust the budget upon the occurrence of unexpected events that significantly affect a specific hotel’s operating performance. In addition, our compensation scheme for managers in each hotel is directly linked to its performance against the annual budget.

 

Pricing . Our room rates are determined using a centralized system and are based on the historical operating performance of each of our leased and owned and manachised hotels, our competitors’ room rates and local market conditions. We adjust room rates regularly based on seasonality and market demand. We also adjust room rates for certain events, such as the China Import and Export Fair held twice a year in Guangzhou and the World Expo in Shanghai in 2010. We believe our centralized pricing system enhances our ability to adjust room rates in a timely fashion with a goal of optimizing average daily rates and occupancy levels across our network. Room rates for our franchised hotels are determined by the franchisees based on local market condition.

 

Monitoring . Through the use of our web-based property management system, we are able to monitor each hotel’s occupancy status, average daily rates, RevPAR and other operating data on a real-time basis. Real-time hotel operating information allows us to adjust our sales efforts and other resources to rapidly capitalize on changes in the market and to maximize operating efficiency.

 

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Centralized cash management . Our leased and owned hotels deposit cash into our central account several times a week. We also generally centralize all payments for expenditures. Our manachised and franchised hotels manage their cash separately.

 

Centralized procurement system . Our centralized procurement system has enabled us to efficiently manage our operating costs, especially with respect to supplies used in large quantities. Given the scale of our hotel network and our centralized procurement system, we have the purchasing power to secure favorable terms from suppliers for all of our hotels.

 

Quality assurance . We have developed an operating manual to which our staff closely adhere to ensure the consistency and quality of our customer experience. We conduct periodic internal quality checks of our hotels to ensure that our operating policies and procedures are followed. We also engage “mystery guests” from time to time to ensure that we are providing consistent quality services. Furthermore, we actively solicit customer feedbacks by conducting outbound e-mail surveys and monitor customer messages left in hotel guestbooks as well as comments posted on our website and third-party websites.

 

Training . We view the quality and skill sets of our employees as essential to our business and thus have made employee training one of our top priorities. Our HuaZhu University, previously known as HanTing College, together with our regional management teams, offers structured training programs for our hotel managers, other hotel-based staff and corporate staff. Our hotel managers are required to attend a three-week intensive training program, covering topics such as our corporate culture, team management, sales and marketing, customer service, hotel operation standards and financial and human resource management. Approximately 80% of our hotel managers have received training completion certificates. Our HuaZhu University also rolled out a new-hire training package in October 2009 to standardize the training for hotel-based staff across our hotel group. In addition, we provide our corporate staff with various training programs, such as managerial skills, office software skills and corporate culture. In 2017, our hotel-based staff and corporate staff on average have received approximately 60 and 48 hours of training, respectively.

 

Hotel Information Platform and Operational Systems

 

We have successfully developed and implemented an advanced operating platform capable of supporting our nationwide operations. This operating platform enables us to increase the efficiency of our operations and make timely decisions. The following is a description of our key information and management systems.

 

Web property management system (Web-PMS) . Our Web-PMS is a web-based, centralized application that integrates all the critical operational information in our hotel network. This system enables us to manage our room inventory, reservations and pricing for all of our hotels on a real-time basis. The system is designed to enable us to enhance our profitability and compete more effectively by integrating with our central reservation system and customer relationship management system. We believe our Web-PMS enables our management to more effectively assess the performance of our hotels on a timely basis and to efficiently allocate resources and effectively identify specific market and sales targets.

 

Central reservation system . We have a real-time central reservation system available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our central reservation system allows reservations through multiple channels including our website, mobile apps, call center, third-party travel agents and online reservation partners. The real-time inventory management capability of the system improves the efficiency of reservations, enhances customer satisfaction and maximizes our profitability.

 

Customer relationship management (CRM) system . Our integrated CRM system maintains information of our HUAZHU Rewards members, including reservation and consumption history and pattern, points accumulated and redeemed, and prepayment and balance. By closely tracking and monitoring member information and behavior, we are able to better serve the members of our loyalty program and offer targeted promotions to enhance customer loyalty. The CRM system also allows us to monitor the performance of our corporate client sales representatives.

 

Internet service system . Our Internet service system consists of our website (www.huazhu.com), our mobile website (m.huazhu.com) and our mobile apps for smart phones running iOS, Android or other systems. The system provides our HUAZHU Rewards members and the general public with convenient, friendly and updated services, including information and search services for our hotels, such as location, amenities and pricing, reservation services, online payment and online room selection functions, membership registration and management and member community services. Our members can reload their individual account balance through the system as well. Our mobile apps also provide location-based services, including search services for our nearby hotels.

 

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Multi-functional HUAZHU Rewards Membership Card . The HUAZHU Rewards membership card is a multi-functional card that is available to our HUAZHU Rewards members. The HUAZHU Rewards membership cards represent the membership identity and offer a variety of functions for our HUAZHU Rewards members to utilize hotel facilities. For example, our HUAZHU Rewards members can use it as a pre-paid card for in-hotel purchases and are entitled to free beverage and Internet access when using it in the business areas. It also enables elevator and room access, easy check-in and express check-out. We also roll out HUAZHU Rewards membership cards in innovative formats, such as the co-branded card with Voice of China, a popular televised singing competition in China, so that our HUAZHU Rewards members can enjoy benefits offered by third parties, and cards in the form of cell phone covers which combine membership cards and cell phone covers in one.

 

Sales and Marketing

 

Our marketing strategy is designed to enhance our brand recognition and customer loyalty. Building and differentiating the brand image of each of our hotel products is critical to increasing our brand recognition. We focus on targeting the distinct guest segments that each of our hotel products serves and adopting effective marketing measures based on thorough analysis and application of data and analytics. In 2017, approximately 87% of our room nights were sold through our own sales platforms and the remaining 13% of our room nights through intermediaries.

 

We use our Web-PMS system to conduct pricing management for all of our hotels except for our franchised hotels. We review our hotel pricing regularly and adjust room rates as needed based on local market conditions and the specific location of each hotel, focusing mainly on three factors: (i) optimum occupancy rate of the hotel and our other hotels nearby, (ii) seasonal demand for the hotel and (iii) event-driven demand for the hotel.

 

A key component of our marketing efforts is the HUAZHU Rewards, our loyalty program, which covers all of our brands. We believe the HUAZHU Rewards loyalty program allow us to build customer loyalty and conduct lower-cost, targeted marketing campaigns. A majority of individual members of the HUAZHU Rewards pay to enroll in the program. As of December 31, 201 7, our HUAZHU Rewards had more than 103 million members. In 2017, approximately 76% of our room nights were sold to our HUAZHU Rewards members. Members of the HUAZHU Rewards are provided with discounts on room rates, free breakfasts (for gold and platinum members), more convenient check-out procedures and other benefits. HUAZHU Rewards members can also accumulate points through stays in our hotels or by purchasing products and services provided at our hotels. These points can be redeemed for offset the room charges in our hotels, or used to buy products in Hua Zhu mall. We also have joint promotional programs with leading financial institutions and airlines to recruit new members of our loyalty program. The HUAZHU Rewards includes five levels of membership: star, silver, rose gold, gold and platinum. Star membership is the entry level and can be obtained from online registration for free. We charge RMB49 as the one-time membership fee for the silver membership. The one-time membership fee for the gold membership is RMB219 or RMB170, if purchased as an existing silver member. Star members and silver members may obtain gold membership by recharging their HUAZHU Rewards accounts, or binding their corporate membership cards to their existing membership. Rose gold membership is for employees of the corporate members of the HUAZHU Rewards and can be obtained by binding their respective corporate membership cards. Memberships can be upgraded to the next level or renewed upon the satisfaction of certain conditions. HUAZHU Rewards was previously known as HanTing Club and HuaZhu Club.

 

Our marketing activities also include Internet advertising, press and sponsored activities held jointly with our corporate partners and advertisements on travel and business magazines.

 

Competition

 

The lodging industry in China is highly fragmented. A significant majority of the room supply has come from stand-alone hotels, guest houses and other lodging facilities. In recent years hotel groups emerged and began to consolidate the market by converting standalone hotels into members of their hotel groups. As a multi-brand hotel group we believe that we compete primarily based on location, room rates, brand recognition, quality of accommodations, geographic coverage, service quality, range of services, guest amenities and convenience of the central reservation system. We primarily compete with other hotel groups as well as various stand-alone lodging facilities in each of the markets in which we operate. Our HanTing Hotels, Orange Hotels and Ibis Hotels mainly compete with Home Inns, Jinjiang Inn, 7 Days Inn, various regional hotel groups and stand-alone hotels, and certain international brands such as Super 8. HanTing Hotels, Orange Hotels and Ibis Hotels also compete with two- and three-star hotels, as they offer rooms with amenities comparable to many of those hotels. Our JI Hotels, Starway Hotels, Orange Hotels Select, HanTing Premium Hotels, Ibis Styles Hotels, Mercure Hotels and Novotel Hotels face competition from existing three-star and certain four-star hotels, boutique hotels whose price could be comparable and a few hotel chains such as Vienna Hotels, Atour Hotels, Hampton Hotels and Holiday Inn Express. Our Hi Inns compete mainly with stand-alone guest houses, low-price hotels and budget hotel chains such as Pod Inns, 99 Inns and 100 Inns. Our Joya Hotels, Manxin Hotels and Grand Mercure Hotels compete with existing four-star and five-star hotels. Our Manxin Hotels and Crystal Orange hotels also compete with boutique resort hotels. Our Elan Hotels compete with existing economy hotel chains such as 7 Days Inn, Home Inn or GreenTree Inn.

 

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Intellectual Property

 

We regard our trademarks, copyrights, domain names, trade secrets and other intellectual property rights as critical to our business. We rely on a combination of copyright and trademark law, trade secret protection and confidentiality agreements with our employees, lecturers, business partners and others, to protect our intellectual property rights.

 

As of March 31, 2018, we have registered 569 trademarks and logos with the China Trademark Office. The trademarks and logos used in our current hotels are under protection of the registered trademarks and logos. An additional 107 trademark applications are under review by the authority. We have also registered ten trademarks in South Korea, seven trademarks in Taiwan, four trademarks in Hong Kong, six trademarks in each of Malaysia and New Zealand, four trademarks in each of Japan and Australia and one trademark in each of Singapore and Macau. We have filed eight trademark applications in Macau, 12 trademark applications in Thailand, six trademark applications in each of Australia, Malaysia and Singapore. As of March 31, 2018, we have received nine patents; another 12 patents were applied and are under review in the PRC. We have also received copyright registration certificates for 46 software programs developed by us as of March 31, 2018. In addition, we have registered 131 national and international top-level domain names, including www.htinns.com, www.hantinghotels.com and www.huazhu.com as of March 31, 2018.

 

Our intellectual property is subject to risks of theft and other unauthorized use, and our ability to protect our intellectual property from unauthorized use is limited. In addition, we may be subject to claims that we have infringed the intellectual property rights of others. See “Item 3. Key Information — D. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business — Failure to protect our trademarks and other intellectual property rights could have a negative impact on our brand and adversely affect our business.”

 

Insurance

 

We believe that our hotels are covered by adequate property and liability insurance policies with coverage features and insured limits that we believe are customary for similar companies in China. We also require our franchisees to carry adequate property and liability insurance policies. We carry property insurance that covers the assets that we own at our hotels. Although we require our franchisees to purchase customary insurance policies, we cannot guarantee that they will adhere to such requirements. If we were held liable for amounts and claims exceeding the limits of our insurance coverage or outside the scope of our insurance coverage, our business, results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected. See “Item 3. Key Information — D. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business — Our limited insurance coverage may expose us to losses, which may have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.”

 

Legal and Administrative Proceedings

 

In the ordinary course of our business, we, our directors, management and employees are subject to periodic legal or administrative proceedings. Although we cannot predict with certainty the ultimate resolution of lawsuits, investigations and claims asserted against us, our directors, management and employees, we do not believe that any currently pending legal or administrative proceeding to which we, our directors, management and employees are a party will have a material adverse effect on our business or reputation. See “Item 3. Key Information — D. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business — We, our directors, management and employees may be subject to certain risks related to legal proceedings filed by or against us, and adverse results may harm our business.” As of December 31, 2017, we had several pending legal and administrative proceedings, including lease contract terminations and disputes and construction contract disputes. As of the same date, our accrued contingencies remained RMB41.0 million (US$6.3 million).

 

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Regulation

 

The hotel industry in China is subject to a number of laws and regulations, including laws and regulations relating specifically to hotel operation and management and commercial franchising, as well as those relating to environmental and consumer protection. The principal regulation governing foreign ownership of hotel businesses in the PRC is the Foreign Investment Industrial Guidance Catalogue issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the PRC Ministry of Commerce, or the MOC, which was most recently updated on June 28, 2017. Pursuant to this regulation, there are no restrictions on foreign investment in limited service hotel businesses in China aside from business licenses and other permits that every hotel must obtain. Relative to other industries in China, regulations governing the hotel industry in China are still developing and evolving. As a result, most legislative actions have consisted of general measures such as industry standards, rules or circulars issued by different ministries rather than detailed legislations. This section summarizes the principal PRC regulations currently relevant to our business and operations.

 

Regulations on Hotel Operation

 

The Ministry of Public Security issued the Measures for the Control of Security in the Hotel Industry in November 1987 and amended it in 2011, and the State Council promulgated the Decision of the State Council on Establishing Administrative License for the Administrative Examination and Approval Items Really Necessary To Be Retained in June 2004 and amended it in January 2009 and August 2016, respectively. Under these two regulations, anyone who applies to operate a hotel is subject to examination and approval by the local public security authority and must obtain a special industry license. The Measures for the Control of Security in the Hotel Industry impose certain security control obligations on the operators. For example, the hotel must examine the identification card of any guest to whom accommodation is provided and make an accurate registration. The hotel must also report to the local public security authority if it discovers anyone violating the law or behaving suspiciously or an offender wanted by the public security authority. Pursuant to the Measures for the Control of Security in the Hotel Industry , hotels failing to obtain the special industry license may be subject to warnings or fines of up to RMB200. In addition, pursuant to various local regulations, hotels failing to obtain the special industry license may be subject to warnings, orders to suspend or cease continuing business operations, confiscations of illegal gains or fines.

 

The State Council promulgated the Public Area Hygiene Administration Regulation in April 1987 and amended it in February 2016, according to which, a hotel must obtain a public area hygiene license before opening for business. Pursuant to this regulation, hotels failing to obtain a public area hygiene license may be subject to the following administrative penalties depending on the seriousness of their respective activities: (i) warnings; (ii) fines; or (iii) orders to suspend or cease continuing business operations. In March 2011, the Ministry of Health promulgated the Implementation Rules of the Public Area Hygiene Administration Regulation, which was amended in January 2016 and December 2017, according to which, starting from May 1, 2011, hotel operators shall establish hygiene administration system and keep records of hygiene administration. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, or the SCNPC enacted the PRC Law on Food Safety in February 2009 and amended it in April 2015, according to which any hotel that provides food must obtain a food service license China Food and Drug Administration, or the CFDA, enacted the Regulation on Administration of Food Business Permit in August 2015 and amended it in November 2017, according to which any entity involving sales of food or food services must obtain a food business license, and any food service license which had obtained prior to October 1, 2015 will be replaced upon expiry by the food business license. Pursuant to this law, hotels failing to obtain the food business license (or formerly the food service license) may be subject to: (i) confiscation of illegal gains, food illegally produced for sale and tools, facilities and raw materials used for illegal production; or (ii) fines between RMB50,000 and RMB100,000 if the value of food illegally produced is less than RMB10,000 or fines equal to 1000% to 2000% of the value of food if such value is equal to or more than RMB10,000.

 

The Fire Prevention Law , as amended by the SCNPC in October 2008, and the Provisions on Supervision and Inspection on Fire Prevention and Control , promulgated by the Ministry of Public Security and effective as of May 1, 2009 and was amended on November 1, 2012 , require that public gathering places such as hotels submit a fire prevention design plan to apply for the completion acceptance of fire prevention facilities for their construction projects and to pass a fire prevention safety inspection by the local public security fire department, which is a prerequisite for opening business. Pursuant to these regulations, hotels failing to obtain approval of fire prevention design plans or failing fire prevention safety inspections may be subject to: (i) orders to suspend the construction of projects, use or operation of business; and (ii) fines between RMB30,000 and RMB300,000.

 

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In January 2006, the State Council promulgated the Regulations for Administration of Entertainment Places, which was amended in February 2016. The Ministry of Culture issued the Circular on Carrying Out the Regulations for Administration of Entertainment Places in March 2006 and the Administrative Measures for Entertainment Places in February 2013 (amended in December 2017). Under these regulations, hotels that provide entertainment facilities, such as discos or ballrooms, are required to obtain a license for entertainment business operations.

 

On October 18, 2010, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and Standardization Administration approved and issued Classification and Accreditation for Star-rated Tourist Hotels (GB/T14308-2010), which became effective on January 1, 2011. On November 19, 2010, the National Tourist Administration promulgated the Implementation Measures of Classification and Accreditation for Star-rated Tourist Hotels , which became effective on January 1, 2011. Under these regulations, all hotels with operations of over one year are eligible to apply for a star rating assessment. There are five ratings from one star to five stars for tourist hotels, assessed based on the level of facilities, management standards and quality of service. A star rating, once granted, is valid for three years.

 

On September 21, 2012, the Ministry of Commerce promulgated the Provisional Administrative Measures for Single-purpose Commercial Prepaid Cards , according to which, if an enterprise engaged in retail, accommodation and catering, or residential services issues any single-purpose commercial prepaid card to its customers, it shall undergo a record-filing procedure. For a hotel primarily engaged in the business of accommodation, the aggregate balance of the advance payment under the single-purpose commercial prepaid cards it issued shall not exceed 40% of its income from its primary business in the previous financial year.

 

On April 25, 2013, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress issued the Tourism Law of the People’s Republic of China , which became effective on October 1, 2013 and was amended on November 7, 2016.  According to this law, the accommodation operators shall fulfill their obligations under the agreements with consumers. If the accommodation operators subcontract part of their services to any third party or involve any third party to provide services to customers, the accommodation operators shall assume the joint and several liabilities with the third parties for any damage caused to the customers.

 

Regulations on Leasing

 

Under the Law on Urban Real Estate Administration promulgated by the SCNPC, which took effect as of January 1995 and was amended in August 2007 and August 2009, respectively, and the Administrative Measures for Commodity House Leasing promulgated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-rural Construction, which took effect as of February 1, 2011, when leasing premises, the lessor and lessee are required to enter into a written lease contract, prescribing such provisions as the leasing term, use of the premises, rental and repair liabilities, and other rights and obligations of both parties. Both lessor and lessee are also required to go through registration procedures to record the lease with the real estate administration department. Pursuant to these laws and regulations and various local regulations, if the lessor and lessee fail to go through the registration procedures, both lessor and lessee may be subject to fines, and the leasing interest will be subordinated to an interested third party acting in good faith.

 

In March 1999, the National People’s Congress, the China legislature, passed the PRC Contract Law , of which Chapter 13 governs lease agreements. According to the PRC Contract Law , subject to consent of the lessor, the lessee may sublease the leased item to a third party. Where the lessee subleases the lease item, the leasing contract between the lessee and the lessor remains valid. The lessor is entitled to terminate the contract if the lessee subleases the lease item without the consent of the lessor.

 

In March 16, 2007, the National People’s Congress passed the PRC Property Law , pursuant to which where a mortgagor leases the mortgaged property before the mortgage contract is concluded, the previously established leasing relation shall not be affected; and where a mortgagor leases the mortgaged property after the creation of the mortgage interest, the leasing interest will be subordinated to the registered mortgage interest.

 

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Regulations on Consumer Protection

 

In October 1993, the SCNPC promulgated the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Consumers , or the Consumer Protection Law , which became effective on January 1, 1994 and was amended on March 15, 2014. Under the Consumer Protection Law, a business operator providing a commodity or service to a consumer is subject to a number of requirements, including the following:

 

·                   to ensure that commodities and services meet with certain safety requirements;

 

·                   to protect the safety of consumers;

 

·                   to disclose serious defects of a commodity or a service and to adopt preventive measures against damage occurrence;

 

·                   to provide consumers with accurate information and to refrain from conducting false advertising;

 

·                   to obtain consents of consumers and to disclose the rules for the collection and/or use of information when collecting data or information from consumers; to take technical measures and other necessary measures to protect the personal information collected from consumers; not to divulge, sell, or illegally provide consumers’ information to others; not to send commercial information to consumers without the consent or request of consumers or with a clear refusal from consumers;

 

·                   not to set unreasonable or unfair terms for consumers or alleviate or release itself from civil liability for harming the legal rights and interests of consumers by means of standard contracts, circulars, announcements, shop notices or other means;

 

·                   to remind consumers in a conspicuous manner to pay attention to the quality, quantity and prices or fees of commodities or services, duration and manner of performance, safety precautions and risk warnings, after-sales service, civil liability and other terms and conditions vital to the interests of consumers under a standard form of agreement prepared by the business operators, and to provide explanations as required by consumers; and

 

·                   not to insult or slander consumers or to search the person of, or articles carried by, a consumer or to infringe upon the personal freedom of a consumer.

 

Business operators may be subject to civil liabilities for failing to fulfill the obligations discussed above. These liabilities include restoring the consumer’s reputation, eliminating the adverse effects suffered by the consumer, and offering an apology and compensation for any losses incurred. The following penalties may also be imposed upon business operators for the infraction of these obligations: issuance of a warning, confiscation of any illegal income, imposition of a fine, an order to cease business operation, revocation of its business license or imposition of criminal liabilities under circumstances that are specified in laws and statutory regulations.

 

In December 2003, the Supreme People’s Court in China enacted the Interpretation of Some Issues Concerning the Application of Law for the Trial of Cases on Compensation for Personal Injury , which further increases the liabilities of business operators engaged in the operation of hotels, restaurants, or entertainment facilities and subjects such operators to compensatory liabilities for failing to fulfill their statutory obligations to a reasonable extent or to guarantee the personal safety of others.

 

Regulations on Environmental Protection

 

In February 2012, the SCNPC issued the newly amended Law on Promoting Clean Production , which regulates service enterprises such as restaurants, entertainment establishments and hotels and requires them to use technologies and equipment that conserve energy and water, serve other environmental protection purposes, and reduce or stop the use of consumer goods that waste resources or pollute the environment.

 

According to the Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China and the Environmental Impact Assessment Law of the People’s Republic of China promulgated by the SCNPC and latest amended on July 2, 2016, the Regulations Governing Environmental Protection in Construction Projects promulgated by the State Council on November 29, 1998 and amended July 16, 2017, and the Regulations Governing Completion Acceptance of Environmental Protection in Construction Projects promulgated by the Ministry of Environmental Protection on December 27, 2001, hotels shall submit a Report/Form on Environmental Impact Assessment and an Application Letter for Acceptance of Environmental Protection Facilities in Construction Projects to competent environmental protection authorities for approvals before commencing the operation. Pursuant to the Environmental Impact Assessment Law of the People’s Republic of China , any hotel failing to obtain the approval of the Report/Form of Environmental Impact Assessment may be ordered to cease construction and restore the property to its original state, and according to the violation activities committed and the harmful consequences thereof, be subject to fines of no less than 1% but no more than 5% of the total investment amount for the construction project of such hotel. The person directly responsible for the project may be subject to certain administrative penalties. Pursuant to the Regulations Governing Completion Acceptance of Environmental Protection in Construction Projects , any hotel failing to obtain an Acceptance of Environmental Protection Facilities in Construction Projects may be subject to fines and an order to obtain approval within a specified time limit.

 

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Regulations on Commercial Franchising

 

Franchise operations are subject to the supervision and administration of the MOC, and its regional counterparts. Such activities are currently regulated by the Regulations for Administration of Commercial Franchising , which was promulgated by the State Council on February 6, 2007 and became effective on May 1, 2007. The Regulations for Administration of Commercial Franchising were subsequently supplemented by the Administrative Measures for Archival Filing of Commercial Franchises , which was newly amended and promulgated by the MOC on December 12, 2011 and became effective on February 1, 2012, and the newly amended Administrative Measures for Information Disclosure of Commercial Franchises , which was promulgated by the MOC on February 23, 2012 and became effective on April 1, 2012.

 

Under the above applicable regulations, a franchisor must have certain prerequisites including a mature business model, the capability to provide long-term business guidance and training services to franchisees and ownership of at least two self-operated storefronts that have been in operation for at least one year within China. Franchisors engaged in franchising activities without satisfying the above requirements may be subject to penalties such as forfeit of illegal income and imposition of fines between RMB100,000 and RMB500,000 and may be bulletined by the MOC or its local counterparts. Franchise contracts shall include certain required provisions, such as terms, termination rights and payments.

 

Franchisors are generally required to file franchise contracts with the MOC or its local counterparts. Failure to report franchising activities may result in penalties such as fines up to RMB100,000. Such noncompliance may also be bulletined. In the first quarter of every year, franchisors are required to report to the MOC or its local counterparts any franchise contracts they executed, canceled, renewed or amended in the previous year.

 

The term of a franchise contract shall be no less than three years unless otherwise agreed by franchisees. The franchisee is entitled to terminate the franchise contract in his sole discretion within a set period of time upon signing of the franchise contract.

 

Pursuant to the Administrative Measures for Information Disclosure of Commercial Franchises , 30 days prior to the execution of franchise contracts, franchisors are required to provide franchisees with copies of the franchise contracts, as well as written true and accurate basic information on matters including:

 

·                   the name, domiciles, legal representative, registered capital, scope of business and basic information relating to its commercial franchising;

 

·                   basic information relating to the registered trademark, logo, patent, know-how and business model;

 

·                   the type, amount and method of payment of franchise fees (including payment of deposit and the conditions and method of refund of deposit);

 

·                   the price and conditions for the franchisor to provide goods, service and equipment to the franchisee;

 

·                   the detailed plan, provision and implementation plan of consistent services including operational guidance, technical support and business training provided to the franchisee;

 

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·                   detailed measures for guiding and supervising the operation of the franchisor;

 

·                   investment budget for all franchised hotels of the franchisee;

 

·                   the current numbers, territory and operation evaluation of the franchisees within China;

 

·                   a summary of accounting statements audited by an accounting firm and a summary of audit reports for the previous two years;

 

·                   information on any lawsuit in which the franchisor has been involved in the previous five years;

 

·                   basic information regarding whether the franchisor and its legal representative have any record of material violation; and

 

·                   other information required to be disclosed by the MOC.

 

In the event of failure to disclose or misrepresentation, the franchisee may terminate the franchise contract and the franchisor may be fined up to RMB100,000. In addition, such noncompliance may be bulletined.

 

According to the 2008 Handbook of Market Access of Foreign Investment promulgated by the MOC in December 2008, if an existing foreign-invested company wishes to operate a franchise in China, it must apply to the MOC or its local counterparts to expand its business scope to include “engaging in commercial activities by way of franchise.”

 

Regulations on Trademarks

 

Both the PRC Trademark Law adopted by the SCNPC on August 23, 1982 and revised on August 30, 2013 and the Implementation Regulation of the PRC Trademark Law adopted by the State Council on August 3, 2002 and revised on April 29, 2014 give protection to the holders of registered trademarks and trade names. The Trademark Office under the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, or the SAIC, handles trademark registrations and grants a term of ten years to registered trademarks. Trademark license agreements must be filed with the Trademark Office.

 

Regulations on Foreign Currency Exchange

 

The principal regulations governing foreign currency exchange in China are the Foreign Exchange Administration Regulations promulgated by the State Council, as amended on August 5, 2008, or the Foreign Exchange Regulations. Under the Foreign Exchange Regulations, the RMB is freely convertible for current account items, including the distribution of dividends, interest payments, trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, but not for capital account items, such as direct investments, loans, repatriation of investments and investments in securities outside of China, unless the prior approval of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or the SAFE, is obtained and prior registration with the SAFE is made.

 

On August 29, 2008, the SAFE promulgated the Notice on Perfecting Practices Concerning Foreign Exchange Settlement Regarding the Capital Contribution by Foreign-invested Enterprises , or Circular 142, regulating the conversion by a foreign-invested company of foreign currency into RMB by restricting how the converted RMB may be used. Circular 142 requires that the registered capital of a foreign-invested enterprise settled in RMB converted from foreign currencies may only be used for purposes within the business scope approved by the applicable governmental authority and may not be used for equity investments within the PRC. In addition, the SAFE strengthened its oversight of the flow and use of the registered capital of foreign-invested enterprises settled in RMB converted from foreign currencies. The use of such RMB capital may not be changed without the SAFE’s approval, and may not in any case be used to repay RMB loans if the proceeds of such loans have not been used. Violations of Circular 142 will result in severe penalties, such as heavy fines.

 

On March 30, 2015, SAFE issued the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Reforming the Administrative Approach Regarding the Settlement of the Foreign Exchange Capitals of Foreign-invested Enterprises , or Circular 19.  Circular 19 has superseded Circular 142 by restating certain restrictions on use of registered capital in foreign currency by a foreign-invested company.  Nevertheless, Circular 19 specifies that the registered capital of a foreign-invested company in foreign currency can be converted into RMB voluntarily and be allowed to use for equity investment in PRC subject to certain reinvestment registration with local SAFE. However, the interpretation and enforcement of Circular 19 by local SAFE remain significant uncertainties in practice.

 

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On December 25, 2006, the People’s Bank of China issued the Administration Measures on Individual Foreign Exchange Control and its Implementation Rules were issued by the SAFE on January 5, 2007, both of which became effective on February 1, 2007. Under these regulations, all foreign exchange matters involved in the employee stock ownership plan, stock option plan and other similar plans, participated by onshore individuals shall be transacted upon approval from the SAFE or its authorized branch. On February 25, 2012, the SAFE promulgated the Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Individuals Participating in the Stock Incentive Plan of An Overseas Listed Company , or Circular 7, to replace the Operating Procedures for Administration of Domestic Individuals Participating in the Employee Stock Option Plan or Stock Option Plan of An Overseas Listed Company . Under Circular 7, the board members, supervisors, officers or other employees, including PRC citizens and foreigners having lived within the territory of the PRC successively for at least one year of a PRC entity, who participate in stock incentive plans or equity compensation plans by an overseas publicly listed company, or the PRC participants, are required, through a PRC agent or PRC subsidiaries of such overseas publicly-listed company, to complete certain foreign exchange registration procedures with respect to the plans upon the examination by, and approval of, the SAFE. We and our PRC participants who have been granted stock options are subject to Circular 7. If our PRC participants who hold such options or our PRC subsidiary fail to comply with these regulations, such participants and their PRC employer may be subject to fines and legal sanctions.

 

Regulations on Share Capital

 

In October 2005, the SCNPC issued the amended Company Law of the People’s Republic of China , which became effective on January 1, 2006 and was amended in December 2013. In April 2006, the SAIC, the MOC, the General Administration of Customs and the SAFE jointly issued the Implementation Opinions on Several Issues regarding the Laws Applicable to the Administration of Approval and Registration of Foreign-invested Companies . Pursuant to the above regulations, shareholders of a foreign-invested company are obligated to make full and timely contribution to the registered capital of the foreign-invested company. On June 17, 2014, the MOC issued the Notice of the Ministry of Commerce on Improving the Administration of Foreign Investment Review .  Pursuant to which, restrictions or requirements on the percentage of initial capital contribution, the percentage of cash contribution and the period of contribution imposed on foreign-invested companies (including companies invested by investors from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao regions) are abolished.  A company which proposes to reduce its registered capital shall prepare a balance sheet and a list of assets. The company shall notify its creditors within ten days from the date of resolution on reduction of registered capital and publish an announcement on the newspapers within 30 days. The creditors may, within 30 days from receipt of the notice or within 45 days from the announcement date, require the company to settle the debts or provide corresponding guarantee

 

Regulations on Dividend Distribution

 

The principal regulations governing distribution of dividends of foreign-invested enterprises include the Foreign-invested Enterprise Law promulgated by the SCNPC, as amended on October 31, 2000 and September 3, 2016, respectively, and the Implementation Rules of the Foreign-invested Enterprise Law issued by the State Council, as amended on February 19, 2014.

 

Under these laws and regulations, foreign-invested enterprises in China may pay dividends only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, foreign-invested enterprises in China are required to allocate at least 10% of their respective accumulated profits each year, if any, to fund certain reserve funds unless these reserves have reached 50% of the registered capital of the enterprises. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends.

 

Regulations on Offshore Financing

 

On October 21, 2005, the SAFE issued Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Corporate Financing and Roundtrip Investment Through Offshore Special Purpose Vehicles , or Circular 75, which became effective as of November 1, 2005. Under Circular 75, if PRC residents use assets or equity interests in their PRC entities as capital contributions to establish offshore companies or inject assets or equity interests of their PRC entities into offshore companies to raise capital overseas, they are required to register with local SAFE branches with respect to their overseas investments in offshore companies. PRC residents are also required to file amendments to their registrations if their offshore companies experience material events involving capital variation, such as changes in share capital, share transfers, mergers and acquisitions, spin-off transactions, long-term equity or debt investments or uses of assets in China to guarantee offshore obligations.

 

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Moreover, Circular 75 applies retroactively. As a result, PRC residents who have established or acquired control of offshore companies that have made onshore investments in the PRC in the past were required to complete the relevant registration procedures with the local SAFE branch by March 31, 2006. Under the relevant rules, failure to comply with the registration procedures set forth in Circular 75 may result in restrictions being imposed on the foreign exchange activities of the relevant onshore company, including the increase of its registered capital, the payment of dividends and other distributions to its offshore parent or affiliate and the capital inflow from the offshore entity, and may also subject relevant PRC residents to penalties under PRC foreign exchange administration regulations. PRC residents who control our company are required to register periodically with the SAFE in connection with their investments in us.

 

The SAFE issued a series of guidelines to its local branches with respect to the operational process for SAFE registration, including the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Further Improving and Adjusting Foreign Exchange Administration Policies for Direct Investment , or Circular 59, which came into effect as of December 17, 2012. The guidelines standardized more specific and stringent supervision on the registration required by Circular 75. For example, the guidelines impose obligations on onshore subsidiaries of an offshore entity to make true and accurate statements to the local SAFE authorities in case any shareholder or beneficial owner of the offshore entity is a PRC citizen or resident. Untrue statements by the onshore subsidiaries will lead to potential liability for the subsidiaries, and in some instances, for their legal representatives and other individuals.

 

On July 4, 2014, the SAFE issued the Notice on Issues Relating to the Administration of Foreign Exchange for Overseas Investment and Financing and Reverse Investment by Domestic Residents via Special Purpose Vehicles , or Circular 37, which became effective and suspended Circular 75 on the same date, and Circular 37 shall prevail over any other inconsistency between itself and relevant regulations promulgated earlier.  Pursuant to Circular 37, any PRC residents, including both PRC institutions and individual residents, are required to register with the local SAFE branch before making contribution to a company set up or controlled by the PRC residents outside of the PRC for the purpose of overseas investment or financing with their legally owned domestic or offshore assets or interests, referred to in this circular as a “special purpose vehicle”.  Under Circular 37, the term “PRC institutions” refers to entities with legal person status or other economic organizations established within the territory of the PRC. The term “PRC individual residents” includes all PRC citizens (also including PRC citizens abroad) and foreigners who habitually reside in the PRC for economic benefit.  A registered special purpose vehicle is required to amend its SAFE registration or file with respect to such vehicle in connection with any change of basic information including PRC individual resident shareholder, name, term of operation, or PRC individual resident’s increase or decrease of capital, transfer or exchange of shares, merger, division or other material changes. In addition, if a non-listed special purpose vehicle grants any equity incentives to directors, supervisors or employees of domestic companies under its direct or indirect control, the relevant PRC individual residents could register with the local SAFE branch before exercising such options.  The SAFE simultaneously issued a series of guidance to its local branches with respect to the implementation of Circular 37. Under Circular 37, failure to comply with the foreign exchange registration procedures may result in restrictions being imposed on the foreign exchange activities of the relevant onshore company, including restrictions on the payment of dividends and other distributions to its offshore parent company and the capital inflow from the offshore entity, and may also subject the relevant PRC residents and onshore company to penalties under the PRC foreign exchange administration regulations.  See “Risk Factors—Risks related to our business—PRC regulations relating to the establishment of offshore special purpose companies by PRC residents may subject our PRC resident shareholders to personal liability and limit our ability to inject capital into our PRC subsidiaries, limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to distribute profits to us, or otherwise adversely affect us.”

 

Regulations on Merger and Acquisition and Overseas Listing

 

On August 8, 2006, six PRC regulatory agencies, namely the MOC, the State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the State Administration of Taxation, the SAIC, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, and the SAFE, jointly adopted the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors , or the New M&A Rule, which became effective on September 8, 2006. This New M&A Rule, as amended on June 22, 2009, purports, among other things, to require offshore special purpose vehicles, or SPVs, formed for overseas listing purposes through acquisitions of PRC domestic companies and controlled by PRC companies or individuals, to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to publicly listing their securities on an overseas stock exchange. On September 21, 2006, the CSRC published a notice on its official website specifying documents and materials required to be submitted to it by SPVs seeking the CSRC approval of their overseas listings.

 

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While the application of this new regulation remains unclear, we believe, based on the advice of our PRC counsel, that CSRC approval is not required in the context of our initial public offering because we established our PRC subsidiaries by means of direct investment other than by merger or acquisition of domestic companies, and we started to operate our business in the PRC through foreign invested enterprises before September 8, 2006, the effective date of the New M&A Rule. However, we cannot assure you that the relevant PRC government agency, including the CSRC, would reach the same conclusion as our PRC counsel. If the CSRC or other PRC regulatory body subsequently determines that CSRC’s approval was required for our initial public offering, we may face sanctions by the CSRC or other PRC regulatory agencies, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, reputation and prospects, as well as the trading price of our ADSs.

 

The New M&A Rule also established additional procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more time-consuming and complex, including requirements in some instances that the MOC be notified in advance of any change of control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise.

 

On July 30, 2017, for the purpose of promoting the reform of the foreign investment administrative system and simplifying the administrative procedures, MOC amended the Interim Measures for the Record-filing Administration of the Incorporation and Change of Foreign-invested Enterprises which was promulgated in October 2016. According to the amended interim measures, a record-filing administration system shall apply to foreign investors’ mergers and acquisitions of domestic non-foreign-invested enterprises and strategic investments in listed companies, provided that they do not involve the implementation of special access administrative measures prescribed by the state or involve the mergers and acquisitions of affiliates. To be specific, under the record-filing administration system, where a new foreign-invested enterprise is incorporated or a non-foreign invested enterprise changes to a foreign-invested enterprise through acquisition, merger or other means, such incorporation or change no longer requires pre-approval of MOC but should, prior to registration with SAIC or within 30 days after the updated business license issued by SAIC, be filed online on a foreign investment comprehensive administration information system operated by MOC.

 

Regulation on Security Review

 

In August 2011, the MOC promulgated the Rules of Ministry of Commerce on Implementation of Security Review System of Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors , or the MOC Security Review Rule, which came into effect on September 1, 2011, to implement the Notice of the General Office of the State Council on Establishing the Security Review System for Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors promulgated on February 3, 2011. Under these regulations, a security review is required for foreign investors’ mergers and acquisitions having “national defense and security” implications and mergers and acquisitions by which foreign investors may acquire “de facto control” of domestic enterprises having “national security” implications. In addition, when deciding whether a specific merger or acquisition of a domestic enterprise by foreign investors is subject to a security review, the MOC will look into the substance and actual impact of the transaction. The MOC Security Review Rule further prohibits foreign investors from bypassing the security review requirement by structuring transactions through proxies, trusts, indirect investments, leases, loans, control through contractual arrangements or offshore transactions.

 

Regulations on Labor Contracts

 

The labor contract law that became effective on January 1, 2008 , as amended on December 28, 2012, seeks to clarify the responsibilities of both employers and employees and codifies certain basic rights and protections of employees. Among others, the labor contract law provides that after completing two fixed-term employment contracts, an employee that desires to continue working for an employer is entitled to require a non-fixed-term employment contract. In addition, employees who have been employed for more than ten years by the same employer are entitled to require a non-fixed-term contract. The labor contract law also requires that the employees dispatched from human resources outsourcing firms or labor agencies be limited to temporary, auxiliary or substitute positions. Furthermore, an employer may be held jointly liable for any damages to its dispatched employees caused by its human resources outsourcing firm or labor agency if it hired such employees through these entities. According to the Interim Provisions on Labor Dispatch , which was promulgated in December 2013 to implement the provisions of the labor contract law regarding labor dispatch, a company is permitted to use dispatched employees for up to 10% of its labor force and the companies currently using dispatched employees are given a two-year grace period after March 1, 2014 to comply with this limit.

 

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Considering the PRC governmental authorities have continued to introduce various new labor-related regulations since the effectiveness of the labor contract law, and the interpretation and implementation of these regulations are still evolving, we cannot assure you that our employment practice will at all times be deemed in compliance with the new regulations. If we are subject to severe penalties or incur significant liabilities in connection with labor disputes or investigations, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected. See “Item 3. Key Information — D. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business — Our current employment practices may be adversely impacted under the labor contract law of the PRC.”

 

Regulation on Information Protection on Networks

 

On December 28, 2012, SCNPC issued Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on Strengthening Information Protection on Networks , pursuant to which network service providers and other enterprises and institutions shall, when gathering and using electronic personal information of citizens in business activities, publish their collection and use rules and adhere to the principles of legality, rationality and necessarily, explicitly state the purposes, manners and scopes of collecting and using information, and obtain the consent of those from whom information is collected, and shall not collect and use information in violation of laws and regulations and the agreement between both sides; and the network service providers and other enterprises and institutions and their personnel must strictly keep such information confidential and may not divulge, alter, damage, sell, or illegally provide others with such information.

 

On July 16, 2013, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or the MIIT, issued the Order for the Protection of Telecommunication and Internet User Personal Information . The requirements under this order are stricter and wider compared to the above decision issued by the National People’s Congress. According to this order, if a network service provider wishes to collect or use personal information, it may do so only if such collection is necessary for the services it provides. Furthermore, it must disclose to its users the purpose, method and scope of any such collection or usage, and must obtain consent from the users whose information is being collected or used. Network service providers are also required to establish and publish their protocols relating to personal information collection or usage, keep any collected information strictly confidential and take technological and other measures to maintain the security of such information. Network service providers are required to cease any collection or usage of the relevant personal information, and de-register the relevant user account, when a user stops using the relevant Internet service. Network service providers are further prohibited from divulging, distorting or destroying any such personal information, or selling or providing such personal information unlawfully to other parties. In addition, if a network service provider appoints an agent to undertake any marketing or technical services that involve the collection or usage of personal information, the network service provider is required to supervise and manage the protection of the information. The order states, in broad terms, that violators may face warnings, fines, public exposure and, in the most severe cases, criminal liability.

 

On June 1, 2017, the Cybersecurity Law of the People’s Republic of China promulgated in November, 2016 by SCNPC became effective. This law also absorbed and restated the principles and requirements mentioned in the aforesaid decision and order, and further provides that, where an individual finds any network operator collects or uses his or her personal information in violation of the provisions of any law, regulation or the agreement of both parties, the individual shall be entitled to request the network operator to delete his or her personal information; if the individual finds that his or her personal information collected or stored by the network operator has any error, he or she shall be entitled to request the network operator to make corrections, and the network operator shall take measures to do so. Pursuant to this law, the violators may be subject to: (i) warning; (ii) confiscation of illegal gains and fines equal to 100% to 1000% of the illegal gains; or if without illegal gains, fines up to RMB1,000,000; or (iii) an order to shut down the website, suspend the business operation for rectification, or revoke business license. Besides, responsible persons may be subject to fines between RMB10,000 and RMB100,000.

 

On May 25, 2018, the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC GDPR, will impose certain requirements on the processing of personal data relating to natural persons. GDPR requirements will apply both to companies established in the EU and to companies, such as us, that are not established in the EU but process personal data of individuals who are in the EU (and in the EEA subject to the enactment of implementation procedures), where the processing activities relate to: (a) the offering of goods or services, irrespective of whether a payment of the data subject is required, to such data subjects in the EU; or (b) the monitoring of their behavior as far as their behavior takes place within the EU. The GDPR imposes on concerned companies a large number of obligations, which relate for example, but are not limited, to (i) the principles applying to the processing of personal data: e.g. lawfulness, fairness, transparency, purpose limitation, data minimization and “privacy by design”, accuracy, storage limitation, security, confidentiality; (ii) the ability of the controller to demonstrate compliance with such principles (accountability); (iii) the obligation to identify a legal basis before the processing (special requirements apply to certain specific categories of data such as sensitive data); and (iv) data subjects rights (e.g. transparency, right of access, right to rectification, right to erasure, right to restrict processing, right to data portability, right to object to a processing). This leads to companies being under the obligation to implement a number of formal processes and policies reviewing and documenting the privacy implications of the development, acquisition, or use of all new products and services, technologies, or types of data. The GDPR provides for substantial fines for breaches of data protection requirements, which, depending on the infringed provisions of the GDPR, can go up to either: (i) 2% of the annual worldwide turnover of the preceding financial year or EUR10 million, whichever is greater, or (ii) 4% of the annual worldwide turnover of the preceding financial year or EUR20 million, whichever is greater.  The fine may be imposed instead of, or in addition to, measures that may be ordered by supervisory authorities (e.g. request to cease the processing). The GDPR and EU Member States law also provide for private enforcement mechanisms and, in the most severe cases, criminal liability.

 

4.C. Organizational Structure

 

The following diagram illustrates our corporate and ownership structure, the place of formation and the ownership interests of our subsidiaries as of March 31, 2018.

 

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The following table sets forth summary information for our significant subsidiaries as of March 31, 2018.

 

Major Subsidiaries		Percentage of Ownership		Date of Incorporation/Acquisition		Place of Incorporation
China Lodging Holdings (HK) Limited		100	%	October 22, 2008		Hong Kong
China Lodging Holdings Singapore Pte. Ltd.		100	%	April 14, 2010		Singapore
Shanghai HanTing Hotel Management Group, Ltd. 1		100	%	November 17, 2004		PRC
HanTing Xingkong (Shanghai) Hotel Management Co., Ltd. 1		100	%	March 3, 2006		PRC
HanTing (Tianjin) Investment Consulting Co., Ltd.		100	%	January 16, 2008		PRC
Yiju (Shanghai) Hotel Management Co., Ltd. 1		100	%	April 12, 2007		PRC
HanTing Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.		100	%	December 3, 2008		PRC
HanTing (Shanghai) Enterprise Management Co., Ltd.		100	%	December 14, 2010		PRC
Starway Hotels (Hong Kong) Limited		100	%	May 1, 2012		Hong Kong
Starway Hotel Management (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.		100	%	May 1, 2012		PRC
HuaZhu Hotel Management Co., Ltd. 2		100	%	August 16, 2012		PRC
Jizhu Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. 3		100	%	February 26, 2014		PRC
Mengguang Information Technology Co., Ltd.		100	%	November 7, 2013		PRC
ACL Greater China Limited		100	%	May 9, 2016		Hong Kong
Ibis China Investment Limited		100	%	April 22, 2016		Hong Kong
TAHM Investment Limited		100	%	August 4, 2016		Hong Kong
Yagao Meihua Hotel Management Co., Ltd.		100	%	February 16, 2015		PRC
Crystal Orange Hotel Holdings Limited		100	%	May 25, 2017		BVI
Orange Hotel Hong Kong Limited		100	%	May 25, 2017		Hong Kong
Orange Hotel Management (China) Co., Ltd.		100	%	May 25, 2017		PRC
Beijing Crystal Orange Hotel Management Consulting Co., Ltd.		100	%	May 25, 2017		PRC

 

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1.                  Shanghai HanTing Hotel Management Group, Ltd., HanTing Xingkong (Shanghai) Hotel Management Co., Ltd. and Yiju (Shanghai) Hotel Management Co., Ltd., which were the subsidiaries of China Lodging Group, Limited, have been subsidiaries of China Lodging Holdings (HK) Limited since April 2017.

 

2.                  In April 2017, HuaZhu Hotel Management Co., Ltd. reduced its registered capital from RMB300 million to RMB297 million.

 

3.                  Jizhu Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. was previously known as Mengguang Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

 

4.D. Property, Plants and Equipment

 

Our headquarters are located in Shanghai, China and occupy nearly 10,900 square meters of office space, about 1,500 square meters of which is owned by us and the rest is leased. As of December 31, 2017, we leased 664 out of our 3,746 hotel facilities with an aggregate size of approximately 3.6 million square meters, including approximately 83,300 square meters subleased to third parties. As of December 31, 2017, we owned seven out of our 3,746 hotel facilities with an aggregate size of approximately 53,900 square meters, of which less than 1,000 square meters subleased to third parties. For detailed information about the locations of our hotels, see “Item 4. Information on the Company — B. Business Overview — Our Hotel Network.”

 

ITEM 4A. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

 

Not applicable.

 

ITEM 5.                                                 OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS

 

5.A. Operating Results

 

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this annual report on Form 20-F. This discussion may contain forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under “Item 3. Key Information — D. Risk Factors” or in other parts of this annual report on Form 20-F.

 

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