Hilton has named Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asia key growth regions for the hotel group, according to a report from The Nation.
Key markets for growth in these regions include Myanmar and Vietnam, which are experiencing undersupply, Thailand, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nepal and Timor Leste. Of the 2,257 hotel projects in Hilton's global pipeline, 415 hotels are scheduled to open in Asia-Pacific. In Southeast Asia, 50 hotels are slated to open while a total of 28 hotels are set to open within the next three years.
The next Hilton hotel to open in Asia this year is the Waldorf Astoria in Bangkok in the third quarter of 2018, marking the brand's entrance in Southeast Asia. The opening of the DoubleTree by Hilton Ploenchit will follow soon after, boosting Hilton's portfolio of eight hotels in Thailand.
In the Maldives, the company recently signed the Curio Collection Maldives resort, which is scheduled to open at the end of 2018 and the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi Resort, which is scheduled to open in early 2019. These new properties will also be the first Waldorf Astoria and Curio Collection in the Maldives.
The new hotels follow the opening of Asia's first Canopy by Hilton, the signing of a six-hotel deal in Sri Lanka and the four approvals to open hotels in Vietnam in 2017. Hilton now operates 34 hotels in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
Also as a part of Hilton’s expansion plans in Southeast Asia, the group opened its third Myanmar hotel in Mandalay in late March 2018. The 231-guestroom Hilton Mandalay near Mandalay Palace and Mandalay Hill has 231 guestrooms joins the Hilton Nay Pyi Taw and the Hilton Ngapali Resort & Spa in Thandwe.