Hyatt Regency woos EV drivers in Hong Kong with expanded fast-charging facilities and discounts for Tesla drivers

The Hyatt Regency in Hong Kong’s Sha Tin district has partnered with Tesla to offer discounts for electric-vehicle (EV) drivers and has expanded its car-charging facilities in hopes of drawing new customers and supporting sustainable practices.

The hotel has added 12 Tesla Superchargers, making its charging station the largest such installation in the Asia-Pacific region, with a total of 32 of the high-speed Superchargers and 13 of Tesla’s slower Destination Chargers. The revamped facility opened on Thursday, right before the start of the Lunar New Year holiday.

Hong Kong’s hotel occupancy rates are steadily getting closer to their pre-pandemic levels, having improved to 87 per cent in the first 11 months of 2023, compared with 66 per cent in the same period in 2022, according to government figures.

“As consumers make the decision to buy EV cars, the infrastructure in hotels will need to evolve to meet changing consumer requirements,” said Sashi Rajan, executive vice-president for advisory and asset management in Asia-Pacific at JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group. “In both Hong Kong and other Asia-Pacific cities, hotel car parks need to adapt and must ensure they are meeting the market demand.”

Installing the chargers is only part of the process, he added. Hotels also need to raise awareness that they have such amenities to attract consumers.

The Hyatt in Sha Tin is offering dining and wellness discounts to Tesla owners, including discounted spa treatments.

In addition to the expanded charging station, the hotel is taking a number of other steps to make a positive environmental impact. These include helping meeting and event customers to integrate sustainable practices and collaborating with businesses to effectively manage energy, water resources and food waste.

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“We are committed to actively seeking out alternatives, innovations and ideas to continually care for the planet, people and responsible business,” said Wilson Lee, the general manager of Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, Sha Tin. “This project fully demonstrates the hotel’s strong support towards the development of sustainable transportation and a greener future.”

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“By providing Tesla owners with robust charging infrastructure, we enhance the convenience and accessibility of the charging network,” said Isabel Fan, the regional director at Tesla. The company’s chargers also work with cars made by some other EV manufacturers.

Charging facilities at Hong Kong hotels will be used mostly by locals, said Marcos Chan, head of research at commercial property agent CBRE Hong Kong.

“Most hotel guests in Hong Kong are tourists who do not usually drive,” he said. “Chargers instead might benefit hotels’ F&B customers and event attendees.”

Tesla’s Superchargers can add up to 321km (200 miles) of driving range in as little as 15 minutes, whereas Destination Chargers are similar to charging ports in residential homes.