Global brands plan India growth

India’s increased visitor numbers and “stabilizing” hospitality market have caught the eye of international hotel chains like Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Worldwide, InterContinental Hotel Group and Carlson Rezidor. All of these companies are bringing their brands to India, seeking return on investment from brand differentiation. 

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts is set to launch its luxury brand Andaz this year in New Delhi. The 401-room hotel will be located in Delhi Aerocity, and will include 129 serviced apartments for extended-stay options. Hyatt already has 24 properties across five brands in India. 

Hilton will open its second Conrad property in Bengaluru next year and is reportedly looking to bring its Walforf Astoria and Curio brands to the country. "Demand continues to grow and India is a strong market from the point of view of demand and the population base,” Kaushik Vardharajan, VP of development at Hilton Worldwide, said. “We continue to make investments in infrastructure here to make sure we are ramped up for what's going to happen over the next 5-10 years.” 

Carlson Rezidor is looking to sign a deal next year for its Quorvus Collection in Goa or Kerala. Carlson aims to have 120 hotels up and running in India by 2020, out of which 77 properties are in operation and 41 are in the pipeline. “Brand differentiation is getting better in India and expectations are tailored to what the brand stands for,” said Raj Rana, CEO, Carlson Rezidor, South Asia. “The sector has started gaining traction from the last quarter of 2015 and occupancy is on the rise.”

In April, IHG announced plans to have between 100 and 150 hotels in India within 10 years, including its existing properties and hotels currently in the pipeline. “We are adding 11 cities, so we will have our presence in 25 cities here,” Pascal Gauvin, COO, India, Middle East and Africa, IHG, said at the time. “Our priority is midscale because of the large domestic market opportunity. Holiday Inn Express has been developed as a niche midscale brand that delivers everything a time pressed traveler needs and has nothing they don’t need.”

And Wyndham Hotel Group, which has several franchised properties in India, will bring in its  Wyndham Garden brand to the country in the next six to eight months.