SINGAPORE - Carlson Hotels Worldwide plans to add more than
50 properties or over 6,000 rooms to its India portfolio by
2011. The expansion will be spread across four brands -
Radisson Hotels & Resorts, Park Plaza Hotels &
Resorts, Park Inn and Country Inns & Suites By Carlson.
This is part of the group's strategy to double its regional
presence in Asia-Pacific over the next four years. This
year alone, Carlson plans to open several hotels in major
gateway cities in India including Delhi, Ahmedabad,
Amritsar, Kolkata and Bangalore. "India represents about 70
percent of our hotels currently under development across
the region and will remain our core growth market along
with China, Thailand and the South Pacific," said K.B
Kachru, Carlson's executive vice president, South-Asia.
India was the first regional market where Carlson launched
its affordable Park Inn brand. There are currently two Park
Inn properties in operation, with another five Park Inn
properties under development - Park Inn Gurgaon, Park Inn
Ludhiana, Park Inn & Suites Bangalore, Park Inn Jaipur
Jai Singh Highway and Park Inn Delhi CBD Shahdara. The
group also plans to bring its luxury Regent brand to the
country over the next two years. "Although we are currently
experiencing challenging economic conditions, in the
long-term, a growing number of Indians are expected to
enjoy unprecedented levels of affluence. It is therefore
important that our acclaimed luxury brand Regent, is
represented in this fast-growing market," added Kachru.