Argyle Hotel Group

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Argyle Hotel Management Group, Pty Ltd., also known as Argyle Hotel Group, is an Australian privately held company that manages hotels and resorts. Founded in 2002 by Kevin Zhang, it is based in Sydney and operates across the Asia-Pacific region, including China, Australia, and the Philippines. The group had about 141 locations in 2019 and assets of around $4.2 billion as of April 2019. Kevin Zhang serves as CEO. In 2018, HOTELS magazine ranked Argyle as the world’s 59th largest hotel company.

History and growth
- Argyle started in Perth in 2002 and expanded into China in 2005.
- The first hotels were Huagang Argyle in Shanghai (2007) and Ausotel Dayu in Beijing (2008).
- In 2014, Argyle launched the Ausotel brand, a mid-range, international-standard hotel line focused on China’s growth.
- In January 2019, GreenTree Hospitality Group Ltd. became a major shareholder.

Name and brand
- The name Argyle comes from the Argyle diamond mine in Western Australia, the source of a rare pink diamond.

Services and training
- Argyle provides hotel management, franchising, consulting, and training services.
- It operates Argyle Academy, a training program with partnerships at Bohai University’s Tourism College, Shuigang Senior Technical School, and Zunyi Intermediate Vocational School.

Retail and e-commerce
- The Bondi Shack retail brand markets Australian-made products. It runs an e-commerce platform and hosts Bondi Shack boutique stores in some Argyle hotels.

China expansion strategy
- After entering China in 2005, Argyle sought first-mover opportunities in regional cities, working with Austrade to connect with provincial governments and local developers.
- In 2009, Argyle signed a 13-year hotel management contract with a Jinsha, Guizhou Province developer.
- To maintain quality, Argyle established the Argyle Academy training programs.

Recent developments
- In 2016, Bondi Shack was introduced to promote premium Australian-made goods in China.
- In 2019, Argyle signed an agreement with Australia Post to handle Bondi Shack’s order management, logistics, and distribution.