Carlson hotels has announced plans to open 19 additional hotels in India by the end of 2011 across its Radisson, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson, Park Inn and Park Plaza brands. Delivering the announcement at the recently concluded Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) in Mumbai, Carlson president and chief executive officer Hubert Joly said “This will be another record year for Carlson. Our momentum is in line with our plans to have more than 100 hotels across India by 2015.”
Carlson’s India expansion plan is part of the company’s Ambition 2015 strategy to grow its global portfolio by at least 50 percent to more than 1,500 hotels by 2015.
“We continue to secure projects in India as an established hotel operator with a long standing commitment to the country. The development community has a strong confidence in our four brands: Radisson, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson, Park Inn and Park Plaza,” said Carlson Hotels executive vice president south Asia K.B. Kachru.
Carlson had 33 hotels in operation in India at the end of 2010. With the addition of 19 new properties, the number of hotel
operations will exceed 50 at the end of 2011. The new openings span across Carlson’s four hotel brands – Radisson will see the biggest number of properties. There were 15 Radisson properties in operation in India at the end of 2010 and a contracted pipeline of 25, leading to a total portfolio of 40 properties in the country. There are 11 Radisson properties set to open in 2011.
There were six Park Plaza properties in operation in India at the end of 2010 and a contracted pipeline of 13, leading to a total portfolio of 19 properties in India – of these five properties are scheduled to launch during this year.
Country Inns & Suites By Carlson had 10 properties in operation in India by the end of last year with a signed pipeline of 13 more adding up to a total portfolio of 23 hotels in India – two of the additional 13 will open this year.
Park Inn which has three properties, will soon see three more properties of which one is expected to be up and running during 2011.
In what could be read as a testimony to the potential in India’s hospitality-scape and the brand’s committment to India, Carlson has not only the largest footprint but also the largest pipeline in India vis-a-vis Asia Pacific – it has over 30 operating properties and over 50 in the pipeline compared to 10 operating properties and 11 ongoing projects in China; 3 operational and 3 ongoing projects in Thailand and 11 operational with 7 upcoming projects in the rest of Asia Pacific.
