HANTING INN 

Brand Debut Project ｜Opening Date｜Aug. 2026

Address｜No. 2445 Zhouzhu Highway, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China

Building on Hanting’s Legacy: Rethinking the Value of Existing Hotels

Since its founding in 2005, Hanting has remained committed to its founding vision: “A welcoming home for 1.4 billion people, near and far.” By understanding travellers' everyday needs, the brand has built widespread recognition and trust.  As China’s hotel industry shifts from expansion to revitalising existing properties, balancing investment, operational efficiency, and guest experience has become a new challenge.

 In developing and designing Hanting Inn, Vermilion Zhou Design Group (VZDG) takes an integrated approach to brand value, investment, operations, and guest experience, exploring how systematic design can revitalise existing hotel assets while sustaining brand trust and long-term commercial value.

Revitalising Existing Properties: Design as a Strategy for Cost Efficiency

Renovating existing hotels is challenging not only because of limited budgets but also because existing buildings, spatial configurations, and operational requirements impose constraints. VZDG adopts a design-by-subtraction approach, rethinking the relationship between space, construction, and operations. Through modular design, standardised production, and an integrated supply chain, the design makes effective use of existing building conditions, eliminates unnecessary elements and repetitive construction, reduces renovation costs, and improves consistency and scalability.

Self-Service and Flexible Options: Greater Operational Efficiency, More Freedom for Guests

As a hospitality brand serving the broader public, Hanting has always been rooted in an understanding of everyday Chinese lifestyles and travel habits.  Hanting Inn's innovation isn't about changing these habits, but about meeting familiar needs more efficiently through self-service solutions and flexible options.

VZDG integrates self-check-in, breakfast, laundry, luggage storage, and essential amenities into a compact, multifunctional public area.  This centralised layout maximises spatial efficiency while simplifying staffing and management, improving safety, reducing energy consumption, and optimising daily operations.

Breakfast offers a clear example. Familiar hot meals and freshly prepared noodles remain part of the experience, while an automated noodle-cooking system reduces dependence on dedicated chefs, ensuring greater consistency, standardisation, and scalability. Through self-service and flexible options, guests can choose what they need, avoiding unnecessary costs while improving operational efficiency and guest experience.

Flexible Room Configurations: Responding to Diverse Travel Needs

As family holidays, multigenerational travel, and trips with friends become more common, traditional hotel room configurations designed primarily for one or two guests must evolve to meet diverse needs.

Alongside simple, durable, low-maintenance standard guestrooms, Hanting Inn offers larger rooms over 35 square meters, connecting rooms, and optional dining and social facilities. These flexible configurations let families and groups of friends stay together, creating a more comfortable, sociable experience while keeping travel expenses manageable.

For existing properties with larger guestrooms, this approach also turns spatial constraints into distinctive product advantages. Design not only solves spatial challenges but also creates new market value through product differentiation.

Less by Design, More in Value

As a new member of the Hanting family, Hanting Inn addresses the investment and operational needs of the existing hotel market while upholding the trust consumers have placed in the brand. Products may become simpler and operations more efficient, but reliable hospitality remains essential.

For VZDG, design by subtraction is not simply about reducing costs, but about finding the right balance between brand values, investment, operations, and guest experience. It lets investors revitalise existing assets, operators improve efficiency, and guests enjoy dependable accommodation at accessible prices.

Hanting Inn shows how thoughtful design can meet real needs with limited resources while balancing operational efficiency and guest experience. Beyond aesthetics and space, design solves problems, creates value, and builds lasting brand vitality.