East Asian hotel chains ramp up India presence

East Asian hotel brands are sharpening their focus on India, exploring possible partnerships for quality-driven expansion into major metro cities and leisure destinations, besides the prominent Tier-II and -III cities.

- ROSHNI SHEKHAR

From a few existing properties, Minor Hotels, Dusit International, Atmosphere Core, Banyan Tree, among other Japanese and Thai-based hotels, intend to take share from American and European hotel chains in India.

Tokyo-headquartered Seibu Prince Hotels and Resorts, which is currently present in Jaipur and Goa, sees India as a critically important market for achieving its vision to expand its global footprint to 250 hotels by 2035, with 150 of those properties outside of Japan.

“Our expansion will be concentrated in major commercial and cultural hubs. Consistent with our global strategy, we are targeting growth in key metropolitan areas such as Mumbai and Delhi, as well as other high-potential locations that align with our luxury and upscale brand positioning,” said Lee Richards, chief executive officer, international division, Seibu Prince Hotels and Resorts.

The firm's strategy is to pursue “quality-driven hotel development” with a clear focus on the luxury and upscale segments, he added.