Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc, one of the largest budget hotel brands in China, has announced plans to open a total of 260 to 280 new hotels in 2011, as part of its efforts to expand its presence in the country.

The company said in a statement that 100 to 110 properties will be leased-and-operated hotels and 160 to 170 will be franchised-and-managed hotels. In addition, it also plans to enter into the midscale hotel segment in China with three to four new hotels in 2011 under a second brand, Yitel.

The company says that the total of number of hotels in the group is expected to reach 1,100 at the end of 2011.

Home Inns opened 208 new hotels in 2010, adding 67 new leased-and-operated hotels and 141 new franchised-and-managed hotels, and ended the year with a total of 818 hotels in operation, net of closures of three leased-and-operated hotels and three franchised-and-managed hotels mainly due to local re-zoning.

According to Home Inns its number of openings in 2011 will be a record high for the budget hotel industry in China.