Julie Dai
Managing Director, Beijing, China
Ms. Dai heads up Horwath HTL's practice across the country.
Related Team
Crystal Liu
Director
Julie's Experience
Bold Steps Forward
We help clients achieve extraordinary outcomes
Destination Masterplan for Anji Sports Town
Anji, Zhejiang Province, China
Leisure
Destination & Lodging Masterplan for Grand Nianhua Bay
Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China
Tourism
Historical Canal Masterplan
Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
Tourism
SOE Brand Development Strategy
China
Hospitality
Disney Hotels Brand Development Strategy
China
Hospitality
Seller-side Valuation of an Upscale Suburban Resort
Shanghai, China
Hospitality
Four Points Lanzhou Management Contract Review and Negotiation
Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China
Hospitality
Marriott Contract Review and Negotiation for POE Dual-branded Property
Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, China
Hospitality
Expert Insights
Cutting edge analysis
China Hotel Industry Study 2026
The China Hotel Industry Study, jointly published by the China Tourist Hotel Association (CTHA) and Horwath HTL, is an authoritative annual statistical publication on China’s hotel industry. First published in 2003, it has been published for 24 consecutive years. In 2026, the study collected responses from 1,321 hotels, covering nearly 357,573 guestrooms and more than 437,310 food and beverage seats. The study provides comprehensive insights into hotel operating and financial performance across dimensions including star rating, management model, room rate segment, and city tier. It enables hotel operators to benchmark performance, identify strengths and areas for improvement, and support budgeting and operational decision-making. It also provides valuable market insights for hotel owners, investors, and industry professionals to inform investment and asset management decisions. Based on the internationally recognized Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI), the study continuously aligns with international hotel accounting standards, supporting the development of data-driven practices and benchmarking across China’s hotel industry.
Brand Changes in the 2025 China Hotel Market
China’s hotel market is entering a consolidation phase, with 1,900+ midscale-and-above hotels rebranded or de-branded in 2025 as competition shifts from new openings to performance, retention, and brand-property fit.
2025 China Hotel Industry
The 2025 China Hotel Industry Investment and Asset Management White Paper examines how China’s hotel sector is transitioning from expansion-led growth to a new phase focused on existing-asset optimization, professional operations, and long-term value creation. Drawing on extensive industry data and feedback from leading institutional investors and hotel asset owners, the report provides an in-depth analysis of hotel development, asset management, renovation, digital transformation, transactions, and exit strategies. It highlights the growing importance of refined operations, efficient space utilization, flexible management models, and data-driven decision-making in improving hotel profitability and asset performance. The report also explores changing investor preferences, the rise of franchising, increasing demand for hotel renovations, and the evolving role of financial exit channels such as asset sales and REIT-related structures. It offers practical insights for investors, owners, operators, and industry professionals seeking to navigate China’s changing hospitality investment landscape.
2026Q3-MSI·Hotel Market Sentiment Report
The national Hotel Market Sentiment Survey aims to provide judgments and predictions on the future insight for Chinese professional hoteliers. This survey is the 45th industry survey conducted by Horwath HTL on the Chinese hotel market, focusing on expectations for performance in Q3 of 2026 in terms of occupancy rate, average daily rate, and total revenue. We compared and analyzed the historical sentiment indices to effectively present the market‘s performance expectations for the hotel industry in different regions of China. In the performance expectations section of the survey, the sentiment index presented reflects the market‘s expectations for overall performance. The index ranges from -150 to +150, where “-150” indicates a very pessimistic performance expectation of the market, “0” indicates a neutral outlook, and “+150” indicates a very optimistic market performance expectation.
2026Q2-MSI·Hotel Market Sentiment Report
The national Hotel Market Sentiment Survey aims to provide judgments and predictions on the future insight for Chinese professional hoteliers. This survey is the 44th industry survey conducted by Horwath HTL on the Chinese hotel market, focusing on expectations for performance in Q2 of 2026 in terms of occupancy rate, average daily rate, and total revenue. We compared and analyzed the historical sentiment indices to effectively present the market‘s performance expectations for the hotel industry in different regions of China. In the performance expectations section of the survey, the sentiment index presented reflects the market‘s expectations for overall performance. The index ranges from -150 to +150, where “-150” indicates a very pessimistic performance expectation of the market, “0” indicates a neutral outlook, and “+150” indicates a very optimistic market performance expectation.
2026Q1-MSl·Hotel Market Sentiment Report
As an important part of the Horwath Global Hotel Market Sentiment Survey, the national Hotel Market Sentiment Survey aims to provide judgments and predictions on the future insight for Chinese professional hoteliers. This survey is the 43th industry survey conducted by Horwath HTL on the Chinese hotel market, focusing on expectations for performance in Q1 of 2026 in terms of occupancy rate, average daily rate, and total revenue. We compared and analyzed the historical sentiment indices to effectively present the market‘s performance expectations for the hotel industry in different regions of China. In the performance expectations section of the survey, the sentiment index presented reflects the market‘s expectations for overall performance. The index ranges from -150 to +150, where “-150” indicates a very pessimistic performance expectation of the market, “0” indicates a neutral outlook, and “+150” indicates a very optimistic market performance expectation.