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"Over ten years of operating Atour hotels, I've influenced various partners around me to open no fewer than 50 Atour properties."

This statement comes from Langnan, a partner with a decade of experience operating Atour hotels in Zhengzhou, whose social media is filled with Atour-related content. He mentioned also operating hotels under other brands but, due to his high recognition of Atour's culture, frequently shares related content proactively. "We partners have a group chat. When new partners in the group say certain things, I often respond, and they ask if I'm an Atour plant. I say I'm truly not; it's genuine belief from the heart. Because only when Atour develops well will each of us partners do well."

At the end of June, Langnan and 11 other partners from across the country gathered in Shanghai to participate in the "Partner Night Talk" hosted by Atour Lifestyle Holdings Limited. Founder Yelu Yin, President of the Major Accommodation Business Group Tian Jian, and other members of the Atour Lifestyle Holdings Limited management engaged in a face-to-face, in-depth exchange with them.

The atmosphere at the scene evolved gradually. Initially, there was a degree of formality, with much talk of "gratitude" and "recognition." However, as the conversation deepened, the partners gradually opened up. Topics ranged from the operational status of Atour Light hotels to the design of early products; from pricing strategies for new and existing hotels to specific actions in regional management. Real issues were raised one after another, covering an increasingly broad scope with growing intensity. The Atour Lifestyle Holdings Limited management did not avoid them, responding to each point. By the end of the night talk, some issues were settled on the spot, while others were clearly recorded for follow-up after the meeting. No one treated this dialogue as a mere "catch-up session."

This form of dialogue is known within Atour's partner mechanism as the "Partner Night Talk." Traditionally, in the franchise business, the relationship between a brand and its franchisees often ends with the contract—signing, design, opening, operation—completing a cycle within the project timeline. But Atour Lifestyle Holdings Limited is attempting a different path, striving to extend and deepen the partner relationship.

Partner Suggestions Already Implemented in Product Iteration

In fact, prior to this night talk, some tangible changes had already taken place.

Yuzhao, a partner who operates three Atour hotels in Shenzhen, attended the Atour Partner Night Talk for the first time. He said the changes Atour has made this year in partner operations pleasantly surprised him. Yuzhao gave a specific example: he had previously offered suggestions to the group regarding certain design details of the Atour Light product, such as the showerhead area and basin design. These opinions were accepted and addressed in subsequent product iterations. "New stores have these improvements, and issues with old stores have also been resolved."

For Yuzhao, these practical changes and the high-level discussions of the night talk together construct an efficient and close-knit partner ecosystem. In his view, Atour has placed partners in a more important position. "Now there's a Partner Center. When we raise opinions, the group listens and can provide feedback quickly."

At the event, partners also mentioned the brand potential of Atour Light. Atour responded on-site that Light is Atour's next thousand-store brand, and the group is fully supporting its iterative upgrade from multiple dimensions including brand power building, operational cost model optimization, and product standardization, while maintaining focus on the operational status of early partners.

Furthermore, a partner from Zhejiang stated at the scene that after nearly two years of operating Atour hotels and opening four stores, he hopes veteran partners can receive more targeted support when making repeat investments. Atour responded that in the future, it will assist in evaluating the profitability models of new projects, including rent structures and location assessments, to ensure projects are invested stably and opened smoothly.

First Batch of Partners Receive "Experience Officer" Certificates

In Atour's terminology, franchisees are called "partners," but these three words are more than just a title.

Over the past six months, Atour has begun systematically building a partner community mechanism to drive continuous improvement in the partner experience. Examples include the "Newcomer Shiqiao Tour," helping first-time Atour partners integrate faster; "Partner Old Friends Day," gathering partners in a region to share experiences; and the annual "Partner Night Talk" to listen to and respond to issues. These mechanisms continuously connect partners scattered across different cities and at various operational stages, fostering long-term value alignment. The relationship between the two sides is gradually evolving from a transactional one towards symbiotic growth.

Moreover, in June of this year, Atour also upgraded its "Six Major Service Commitments for Partners," proposing "One-click feedback, guaranteed response," committing to a 24-hour response, 48-hour resolution, with full-process traceability.

It is worth noting that during this night talk, Atour also presented partners with "Partner Experience Officer" certificates. This means that in the future, partners will have more opportunities to participate deeply in areas such as product development and service experience.

As Yelu Yin said at the conclusion of the night talk: "The '合' (he, meaning 'together') in 'partner' means everyone is under one roof, everyone can speak. Only then can there be harmony, can we cooperate, and move forward together." This night talk demonstrated Atour's sincerity. These communication mechanisms will ultimately be implemented in specific management actions, becoming perceptible changes in the business.

On a Shanghai evening during the rainy season, a group of partners from across the country left the venue. Some were still discussing the operational details just mentioned, others were already studying their own store data, and partners gathered together enthusiastically exchanging market observations from various regions. Perhaps this is the truest form of "symbiotic growth": the business operates in different cities, but everyone's concerns converge under the same roof.