US-based hospitality group Hyatt Hotels & Resorts plans to hire 10,000 employees over the next few years to staff its expansion across India, a senior executive said Wednesday.
The company plans to open 38 properties across 15 cities in the Asian country, bringing its Indian property portfolio to 44 hotels by 2016.
“Focusing on…the emerging markets is a key element of our strategy,” Thierry Bertin, VP of worldwide sales for Hyatt International. “India has a very strong pipeline of hotel development.” The company is scheduled to open two properties in Abu Dhabi in the second half of 2011, the Park Hyatt on Saadiyat Island and the ‘leaning’ Capital Gate hotel.
“We already have three hotels in Dubai, with about 1,500 employees,” said Bertin. “With the two Abu Dhabi hotels we will increase staff numbers by another 600 to 700.”
Abu Dhabi saw a 10 percent rise in hotel guests in the first quarter of this year, according to government data, with increases also recorded for guest nights, occupancy levels and revenues.
Hyatt is in talks for future Middle East developments but has no firm plans, Bertin said. “We have nothing planned for the Middle East in the near future, we have conversations ongoing but nothing new planned. But things are changing all the time.”
Hyatt Hotels Corp reported a 2.7 percent decline in first quarter earnings to $109m, hit by an up to $400m scheme to upgrade its chain of properties.
