Indian Hospitality Market Set for a Boom as Two Brands Announce Massive Expansion Plans
StayWell Hospitality Group has announced that it is expanding its Indian network by three hotels located in key areas of the country: Hyderabad, Greater Noida and Raipur.
By Alex Girda, Associate Editor
Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Noida, Raipur, India—India is set to see quite an increase in its hospitality industry after a number of properties were announced and a new venue recently held its grand opening. StayWell Hospitality Group has announced that it is expanding its Indian network by three hotels located in key areas of the country: Hyderabad, Greater Noida and Raipur. The new facilities will bear the company’s Leisure Inn brand and openings are set to be held starting in mid-2013.
The Hyderabad facility will have 82 rooms and will be located in the city center, with opening tentatively set for May of next year. A 192-key Leisure Inn will take shape in Greater Noida will focus on serviced apartment-style rooms and will open in the Q1 of 2014, while the third facility will have 99 rooms and will serve the Raipur area, as part of its largest retail mall. An opening date was set for some time in 2014. The three new spots will expand StayWell’s Indian operations to a total of 25 hotels by the end of 2014, according to company plans voiced by StayWell CEO Simon Wan. Furthermore, aggressive expansion is set to go on for the Sydney-based hospitality organization; by the end of 2016 its portfolio should comprise at least 50 hotels. Its incentive for growth comes from the rapidly developing hospitality market of India, a country that has seen interest go up in recent years.
In other hospitality news, the first Holiday Inn Express was launched by IHG, in the heart of Ahmedabad’s commercial and shopping district. The 173-key facility will open in one of the focal points of the flourishing capital of the state of Gujarat. The city is the fifth largest city in India, with around 5.5 million residents.
The service package put by IHG under the roof of the Holiday Inn Express include complimentary Wi-Fi, Express Start breakfast bar, in-room 32” LED TV, high-quality bedding, self-service laundry room, vending machines, fitness center and takeaway services. With 2,170 such venues across the world Holiday Inn has a strong image, one that is looking to gain a serious foothold in India as well. The brand will add 18 more hotels to major cities in India over the next 5 years.
