GreenTree Inns plans US$150m IPO in U.S.

格林豪泰確認赴美上市融資

GreenTree Inns, a Chinese budget hotel chain, is expected to list on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as early as the end of May, the Beijing Business Today reported Monday, citing an anonymous inside source.

If all goes as planned, Shanghai-based GreenTree Inns will be the fourth budget hotel chain in China to pull off a U.S. listing, following in the footsteps of Home Inns, 7 Days Group and Hanting Inns & Hotels.

GreenTree Inns is expected to raise US$150 million through the initial public offering (IPO), almost 1.5 times the amount raised by Home Inns, 7 Days and Hanting, which raised US$102, US$111 and US$101 million respectively.

GreenTree Inns declined to release details of the planned IPO, because the company is not allowed to make any public comments about the IPO during the quiet period leading up to the listing. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission orders companies making an IPO to be silent about it for 25 days after they file registration statements, so as not to artificially inflate the value of the stock.

By the end of the first quarter of this year, Home Inns, 7 Days and Hanting owned 848, 619 and 476 properties nationwide. GreenTree Inns currently has only about 300 locations, and 75 percent are leased, not owned. However, it's expected to open more new stores after the US listing, which was also the case with its other listed competitors.

記者從格林豪泰內部得到確認，格林豪泰赴紐交所上市幾成定局，最快5月底就能正式在紐交所掛牌。

如果成功上市，格林豪泰有望成為在如家、七天連鎖和漢庭后第四家赴美上市的企業。

對比之前如家融資的1.02億美元、7天融資的1.11億美元、漢庭融資的1.01億美元，本次格林豪泰計劃上市融資1.5億美元，融資額超越前幾家一半左右。

　　對于格林豪泰此次赴美上市的具體進展，格林豪泰官方表示，由于格林豪泰目前尚處在紐交所對上市公司規定的靜默期，從目前開始到格林豪泰IPO后的25日之內，格林豪泰不得從官方渠道對上市做出任何回應。

截至2011年一季度，如家、7天和漢庭的門店數量分別是848家、619家和476家。格林豪泰目前的門店數量約300多家，但加盟比例高達75%。但格林豪泰的門店數量有望在上市后增加，因為此前上市的經濟快捷酒店都是如此。