China’s H World has announced further international expansion for its JI brand, adding sites in Malaysia and Cambodia.
The debut in Malaysia will be with the opening of JI Downtown Kuala Lumpur, expected in late 2026. Local partner Saadiq Tri Venture will develop the 101 room property, which will be in the Dang Wangi district of the Malaysian capital. The hotel will feature the latest look for the brand, what the company calls its 5.0 design.
Building in the Cambodian market
In addition, H World has signed two hotels in Cambodia, adding to a presence that began in December 2024 when the MAXX Phnom Penh Downtown opened. Since then, the group has also signed Steigenberger Phnom Penh.
Now, it will add two JI branded hotels to the mix. JI Hotel Phnom Penh City Centre will launch in Q2 of 2026 with 130 rooms, after the transformation of an existing property. It will be followed in the next quarter by the launch of JI Hotel Phnom Penh Mekong Riverside, a 110 room new build hotel which will offer guests dining with a river view from the restaurant.
H World is also expanding in other Asian nations. In May 2025, the company revealed it has signed four hotels in Laos, bringing its IntercityHotel, Orange and JI brands to the country. The hotels to come are in Vientiane and Luang Prabang, and for the Orange brand this will be the first opening outside China.
“This is an exciting step in our Asia Pacific strategy,” said Murphy Zhu, the company’s president of Asia Pacific. “By introducing JI Hotel to Malaysia and deepening our presence in Cambodia, we are extending the international reach of one of our flagship brands. Beyond introducing a highly recognized Chinese brand, we are also bringing the strength of H World’s supply chain, development expertise, and digital capabilities to our partners across Southeast Asia.”
H World unveiled the JI brand in 2010, offering a relaxed vibe with plenty of personal space in bedrooms. In the years since, the brand has become a major market presence in China, with over 2,000 hotels opened in 31 Chinese provinces and regions. The first international outing for the brand was the launch of the Ji Hotel Orchard Singapore.
A steady growth plan
In August 2025, H World revealed its first half results for the year. At that point, the company counted 12,137 hotels in operation, with an occupancy rate in its Asia business of 81%. The Chinese business has close to 3,000 signed hotels in its pipeline, showing a consistent growth plan for the coming years.
The company also has a business building in Europe, via its DH division based out of Germany. There, it has 121 hotels open, leading with brands such as Steigenberger, IntercityHotel, MAXX, Zleep and Jaz in the City.
