Core Insights - Huazhu Group reported a revenue of 11.8 billion yuan for the first half of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 3.5%, and a net profit of approximately 2.4 billion yuan, up 41.2% [1][4] - Key performance indicators in the Chinese market, including average daily rate (ADR), occupancy rate, and revenue per available room (RevPAR), showed a decline compared to the previous year [1][5] - Despite the challenges, Huazhu continues to expand aggressively, with a total of 12,137 stores as of mid-2025, an 18% increase year-on-year, and 2,947 additional stores in the pipeline [1][9] Financial Performance - In Q2 2025, Huazhu's revenue reached 6.4 billion yuan, a 4.5% increase year-on-year, with adjusted net profit of 1.35 billion yuan, up 7.6% [4] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q2 was 2.3 billion yuan, reflecting an 11.3% increase [4] - The operating profit for Q2 was 1.8 billion yuan, a 13.7% increase year-on-year [1] Market Conditions - The hotel industry is facing overall pressure, with STR reporting a 5% decline in average RevPAR for the industry in the first half of 2025 [8] - Huazhu's ADR was 290 yuan, down 1.9% year-on-year, and occupancy rate was 81%, a decrease of 1.6 percentage points [1][5] - RevPAR decreased by 3.8% to 235 yuan [1][5] Expansion Strategy - Huazhu's strategy involves rapid store openings, focusing on economy and mid-range hotels, with 595 new openings in Q2, 44% of which were economy hotels and 42% mid-range [8] - The company aims to balance the pace and quality of new store openings while upgrading existing stores [12][11] Business Segmentation - Huazhu's revenue from its Chinese operations was approximately 9.6 billion yuan, a 5.6% increase, contributing 81.4% to total revenue [14] - The international segment generated about 2.2 billion yuan, a decrease of 4.9%, accounting for 18.6% of total revenue [14] - The management franchise and licensing models are expanding, with 92% of hotel rooms operated under these models, up 2% year-on-year [17] Cost Management - Huazhu's hotel operating costs were 7.356 billion yuan, a 0.82% increase, while the cost per store decreased by 14.19% to 607,900 yuan [10] - The company has achieved a 10% to 20% reduction in procurement costs across various categories [10] Membership and Customer Engagement - As of Q2 2025, Huazhu's membership base reached 288 million, a 17.5% increase year-on-year [14] - The company upgraded its direct booking platform and membership club, introducing a dual guarantee feature to enhance customer service [14] Competitive Landscape - Huazhu ranks first among China's four major hotel groups in terms of revenue, with 23.891 billion yuan, but faces competition from faster-growing peers like Atour [18][20] - The company is also exploring retail opportunities, although results have yet to be significant [21]