Luxe Hotels’ Properties Become the First Properties in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills to Accept Alipay and WeChat Pay
LOS ANGELES & BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.October 09, 2017 10:00 — Continuing its commitment to provide state-of-the-art technology amenities for its guests, Luxe Hotels properties are now the first hotel properties in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills to accept Alipay and WeChat Pay through a partnership with Citcon, the Silicon Valley-based cross-border mobile payment solution provider. Both mobile payment solutions will be available at the flagship, Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel and Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel.
“Harnessing the growth of both e-commerce and China’s outbound tourism market by providing an omni-channel payment solution will help position Luxe Hotels as a preferred destination for the throngs of Chinese travelers that visit Los Angeles and Beverly Hills annually”
Accounting for 90 percent of the total market share and 70 percent of the total Chinese population, Alipay and WeChat Pay are the most popular mobile payment solutions for Chinese travelers. With more than one million Chinese tourists visiting Los Angeles in 2016, accepting these popular forms of payment is an important step in attracting the $2.9 billion spent by these tourists in California each year.
WeChat Pay is an integrated component of mobile social communication app WeChat, which allows users to share voice, photos, videos and text messages across their entire social eco-system. With over 963 million active monthly users, WeChat Pay provides Chinese consumers with a user-friendly experience when making payments. Alipay is a lifestyle app with more than 450 million active users, and works with over 40 overseas financial institutions and payment solution providers to enable cross-border payments for Chinese travelers. By accepting both WeChat Pay and Alipay, Luxe Hotels will connect with millions of Chinese consumers.
Commenting on the partnership, Adam Sydenham, regional general manager of Luxe Hotels, said, “We are always looking to enhance our guest’s experience, and for many of our international travelers that means offering mobile payment solutions like WeChat Pay and Alipay.”
“Harnessing the growth of both e-commerce and China’s outbound tourism market by providing an omni-channel payment solution will help position Luxe Hotels as a preferred destination for the throngs of Chinese travelers that visit Los Angeles and Beverly Hills annually,” continued Sydenham.
“China is changing rapidly. Mobile payment is the new frontier of commerce and China is leading this trend,” said Chuck Huang, Founder & CEO of Citcon. “We are excited to work with Luxe Hotels to provide an integrated and easy-to-use payment solution, to create a delightful and memorable experience that helps attract more Chinese customers and drive business growth.”
Both Alipay and WeChat Pay will be available for guests of the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel and Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel, starting December 2017. For more information on all the amenities available at Luxe Hotels please visit, www.luxehotels.com.
About Luxe Hotels
As a smart boutique hotel brand, Luxe Hotels offers a signature quality of service and a guest experience that blends genuine hospitality with casual luxury. Its current collection of hotels includes: the flagship Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel in Beverly Hills, the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel in the chic Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles and Luxe City Center Hotel in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. No two Luxe Hotels properties are alike yet; guests can be sure that they will receive consistent hospitality with individualized attention and comfort. Luxe Hotels is part of the Luxe Collection by L.E. Hotels, and is a brand of Harkham Hospitality, Inc.
About Citcon
Silicon Valley-based Citcon integrates mobile payment and marketing platforms to connect merchants to a market estimated to be worth $200 Billion in 2017 alone. As North America’s first authorized payment partner for WeChat Pay and Alipay, Citcon is blazing a trail as the seamless and secure China-ready payment option beyond Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. With extensive experience in Chinese outbound tourism market, mobile payment, and cross-border eCommerce and marketing, Citcon is the one-stop solution for global businesses to reach the massively untapped market of Chinese tourists and domestic consumers. Citcon was founded in 2015 by Chuck Huang, a payment product and technology veteran who held leadership positions in top notch US and Chinese payment companies, such as Visa, eBay, PayPal, Miteno Group, and Beijing All-Union. Citcon is backed by leading Silicon Valley venture capital firms and received strategic investments from leading technology and financial service companies in China. For more information, please go to www.citcon-inc.com.