China's Hotel Giants eLong, Dragon Hotel Set Plant-Based Menu Goals

A guest checking into one of eLong Hotel Technology's 3,000-plus properties across China may soon find the menu looks different — more tofu, more vegetables, fewer meat-heavy options. Across town, a business traveler dining at a Dragon Hotel restaurant in Hangzhou faces a similar shift. Both hotel groups have now formalized what is becoming an industry-wide movement: plant-based food is no longer a niche offering. It is becoming standard.

eLong Hotel Technology: Half the Menu, Plant-Based

One of the top 10 hotel groups in China, eLong operates over 3,000 hotels across more than 300 cities, eight overseas countries, and a membership base of 35 million. The group has announced plans to make half of its menu plant-based within three years — a meaningful but achievable step, given that approximately 40% of its menu is already plant-based.

"eLong has always focused on healthy eating and sustainable development, constantly exploring how to empower and support our partner brands to better respond to consumer needs," said a representative from eLong Hotel Technology. "We plan to gradually align the proportion of plant-based and animal-based dishes within the next three years, providing consumers with a richer and more nutritious selection, allowing customers to enjoy delicious food while contributing to the sustainable development of our planet."

Dragon Hotel Management Group: 30% Plant-Based by End of 2026

Affiliated with Hangzhou Commercial Tourism Canal Group, Dragon Hotel manages over 100 hotels nationwide under brands including Dragon Hotel, Dragon Resort, and Dragon Brilliant. By end of 2026, 30% of menu offerings across all its hotels will be plant-based. The group also plans to launch pilot programs collaborating with Lever China to develop innovative menus tailored to each brand's positioning and guest base.

"Food and beverage is one of the most closely linked aspects of hotel operations to guest experience, and it serves as a crucial entry point for advancing green operations and sustainable development," the company said. "We aim to contribute to the industry's sustainable development while ensuring the taste and quality of our dishes."

A Sector in Transformation

Both commitments arrive amid sweeping shifts in China's food landscape. A Lever China survey found that nearly 90% of Chinese consumers plan to increase plant-based food intake over the next year, while 85% expect hotels and restaurants to offer more plant-based options. China's draft 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026–2030 further reinforces the direction, explicitly framing plant-based and alternative proteins as a pillar of national food security strategy.

"Plant-forward menu strategies are quickly becoming a hallmark of industry leadership in the hospitality sector, delivering measurable benefits to both business operations and broader societal goals of public health and environmental sustainability," said Cecilia Zhao, Sustainability Program Director at Lever China.

As more hotel groups formalize plant-based targets, eLong and Dragon Hotel's commitments signal that the question is no longer whether to make the transition — but how quickly.