Major hotel brands are bending over backward to cater to theneeds of the world’s most sought-after traveler: the Chinesetourist.Now arriving on American shores in unprecedented numbers thanks to a streamlined visa processand a rising Chinese middle class, Chinese tourists are being treated to the comforts of home whenthey check in at the front desk. That means hot tea in their rooms, congee for breakfast andMandarin-speaking hotel employees at their disposal.Chinese “welcome programs” at reputable chains like Marriott and Hilton even address delicatecultural differences: No Chinese tour group should be placed on a floor containing the numberfour, which sounds like the word for death in Mandarin.“They’re very relieved, like finally somebody’s doing these things that make sense,” said RobertArmstrong, a sales manager who handles all bookings for incoming Chinese travelers at theWaldorf-Astoria in New York. “Finally somebody’s catering to them.”

More than a million Chinese visited the U.S. in 2011, contributing more than $5.7 billion to the U.S. economy. That’s up 36 percent from 2010, according to the Department of Commerce. By 2016, that figure is expected to reach 2.6 million Chinese.In a striking departure from the traditional Chinese business traveler, a growing number of themare simply coming to America for fun with lots of cash on hand. (The average Chinese visitorspends more than $6,000 per trip.)And so hotels are openly competing to win the hearts of the Chinese, who generally travel in largegroups and stick to a tight itinerary, often packing multiple cities into a two-week American tour. What they’re looking for is a hotel that makes them feel at ease with their surroundings, said RoyGraff, a travel consultant who educates hotels in proper Chinese culture and hospitality.That may take the form of slippers and a tea kettle in the hotel room or a Mandarin-speakingemployee at the front desk or all of the above.

新聞資訊：據美國《星島日報》報道，從卷著舌頭學說普通話，到架起爐子學煮中式粥，全美酒店業今夏將陸續推出貼心服務，迎接中國游客這棵搖錢樹。業者形容，中國游客將是他們有史以來“最大的商機”。報道援引華爾街日報消息指出，希爾頓和喜達屋(Starwood)這兩家酒店集團，分別定于11日宣布專為中國游客而設的新服務，其中希爾頓特地以漢語拼音把計劃命名為“希爾頓歡迎”選擇加入計劃的旗下酒店，需在前臺派駐一名通曉中文的接待員，房間要有中文電視頻道，早餐也必須有點心、粥和炒面等傳統中式食物。計劃將在8月開始，目前已有30間酒店加入。