On March 31, 2024, Delonix Group (“Delonix”) and Ocean Link jointly announced an equity investment in hotel MONday, Japan’s leading hotel chain with a strong presence in Tokyo. Following Delonix’s growth in China over the years and its expansion into Indonesia last July, this strategic investment reaffirms Delonix's commitment to expand as a pan-regional hospitality platform.

Delonix operates a diversified portfolio of 10 core hotel brands spanning mid to high-end and across business and resort categories, with approximately 1,400 hotels in operation and pipeline in more than 200 cities. The core brands include Grand New Century, Maison New Century, Found Retreat, Grand House, Wonderland Resorts, CANARY, Ruby, Manju, Yiju and MORA. "Betterwood", Delonix’s loyalty program with approximately 35 million members, rewards points to members based on the nights stayed, and is renowned for its unique "10 nights for 1 free night" cross-brand offering.  

Ocean Link is a private equity firm with a focus on travel, consumer and TMT sectors. Ocean Link led the privatization of Kaiyuan Hotels in 2021 and is the founding investor of Delonix.

Hotel MONday is one of the few scaled operators with all properties located in tourist-friendly areas in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. It currently operates 24 properties, among which 20 are in Tokyo, under hotel MONday, hotel MONday Apartment and two other brands. These properties, featuring brand-new and comfortable facilities in modern Japanese-style, are all located in prime locations, making them top choices for both domestic and inbound travelers.  

The investment represents a strategic move for Delonix’s regional expansion. Firstly, it establishes Delonix as a pioneer in Japan’s thriving travel market. As a "tourism-oriented nation”, the Japanese government has implemented a series of policies to support the travel industry, in particular post COVID reopening. These initiatives have been successful, with the number of foreign visitors exceeding pre-pandemic levels since November 2023.

Secondly, hotel MONday has been making significant inroads into the Tokyo market since its inception and has emerged as one of the few scaled operators with a sizable footprint in the city. Aspiring to become a leading pan-Asia hospitality platform, Delonix aims to collaborate with hotel MONday to further build out a hotel network in Japan, paving the way for future regional expansion and providing more overseas travel options for “Betterwood” members.

Thirdly, Delonix will also empower hotel MONday through systematic IT upgrades, potential inbound demand from a large and fast-growing membership base and well-established operating know-how. These initiatives will unlock significant potential for hotel MONday and solidify its leadership in Tokyo.  

Mr. Zheng Nanyan Alex, Executive Chairman of Delonix, commented, "Delonix is dedicated to becoming a leader in hospitality management and lifestyle services. We look forward to bringing our know-how across product, membership and IT to overseas markets, in particular Japan, following this investment."

Mr. Jiang Tianyi Tony, Partner of Ocean Link, commented, "Ocean Link has a longstanding commitment, expertise and track record investing in travel, mobility & hospitality sectors.  Global travel market has demonstrated strong resilience and a positive outlook, and we are particularly optimistic on Japan’s inbound travel market. This investment in hotel MONday is not only another investment in a top hospitality operator, but also a milestone in Ocean Link's expansion in the APAC region."

Mr. Akira Hirabayashi, Founder of hotel MONday, commented, "We believe hotel MONday will reach new heights through the synergy and support from Delonix and Ocean Link. The business is also seeing strong momentum as global inbound travelers gradually return to the Japan market."

With the domestic market as a base, Delonix is elevating itself to become a pan-Asia hospitality platform, supported by strategic moves over the past two years.

Domestically, Delonix revamped its brand portfolio post the privatization of Kaiyuan Hotels in 2021. Grand New Century has become a household name of Chinese premium hospitality for business and leisure. Maison New Century, Delonix’s core mid-end brand with modern Chinese design inspired by Tang Dynasty aesthetics, was among China’s top 10 mid-to-upscale brands in 2022.

In addition, Delonix has rolled out loyalty program "Betterwood", which features the unique "10 nights for 1 free night" cross-brand benefit, and has attracted approximately 35 million loyalty members.

In January 2024, Delonix and Marriott officially announced a strategic cooperation. Over 100 Delonix hotels (including Grand New Century and other premium brand hotels) will be part of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio brand. The hotels will be available for booking through Marriott’s direct booking channels (such as Bonvoy app) and will participate in Marriott’s loyalty program.

In July 2023, Delonix Group became the leading investor in Indonesia’s largest hospitality platform, which includes Swiss-Belhotel and Artotel.

Now, with the investment in hotel MONday, Delonix reaffirms its dedication to becoming a leading hotel operator in the APAC region.

Delonix has expanded its brand portfolio to 20 distinct brands, with approximately 1,400 hotels and over 204,000 rooms in operation and in pipeline.