Dubai’s homegrown hospitality brand, JA Resorts & Hotels, has announced its expansion into China through a joint venture.

With a new vision and mission to reinvigorate the brand through new properties, renovations and significant international expansion, JA Resorts & Hotels announced it is expanding into China this year.

In partnership with Novel International Group, a Shanghai investment fund, JA Resorts & Hotels are forming JA Novel Hospitality China. The new group will be acquiring buildings to be retrofitted, renovated or completed as hotels in two distinctions. The first is upper upscale hotels which will be branded as JA Hotels and the second segment will be upper midscale lifestyle hotels branded as ‘Big Bed by JA’.

“We are targeting 27% of China’s population”

Anthony Ross, CEO of JA Resorts & Hotels, commented on the move: “We are targeting 27% of China’s population, the ‘ba ling hou’ and the ‘jiu ling hou’ – the millennials and our objective is to have 30 Big Bed hotels by 2034 and at least three JA branded properties.

“It is an ambitious year of growth and change, but we are ready for it. Our owners are extremely supportive, our team is poised and ready and we are working with the right partners for success.”

For the upper upscale hotels, the company is currently exploring three property options in two destinations and another 5-6 areas in the coming years. The vision for the Big Bed brand (or Dà chuáng in Chinese) is to roll out 30 units by 2024 – spread across various cities in China.

The Big Bed or Dà chuáng will be a lifestyle hotel brand for Chinese millennials that incorporates technology into every touch point and is very contemporary in style, featuring street art and vibrant colours.

JA Resorts & Hotels are now in the final stages of brand design and expect to be ready by July, working with brand specialists who have launched multiple niche players in the market successfully.