Starwood Hotels & Resorts is continuing its expansion in India, with 54 hotels operating and another 34 hotels under development.
Since January 2015, nine hotels were added to Starwood’s South Asia portfolio. These include
- Four Points by Sheraton Agra
- Le Méridien Gurgaon Delhi NCR
- Le Méridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa
- Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel
- Le Méridien Nagpur
- Four Points by Sheraton Vadodara
- The St. Regis Mumbai.
In Bangladesh, Starwood unveiled the Le Méridien brand in the capital with Le Méridien Dhaka.
In Bhutan, the company opened its second Le Méridien property in Paro – Le Meridien Paro, Riverfront.
Dilip Puri, Managing Director India & Regional Vice President South Asia for Starwood Hotels & Resorts said "Our growth continues to be fuelled by strong domestic demand for quality and branded accommodations in Tier 1 & Tier 2 markets. India is already Starwood’s fourth largest market in terms of number of hotels and will soon be its third after the U.S. and China. The momentum of 2015 will continue in 2016 with another eight to 10 hotel openings in the region,” said
Amongst the ones to open this year in India are W Retreat & Spa in Goa (opening June 1), Westin Pushkar Resort and Spa in Rajasthan (opening September 30), Westin Kolkata (opening September 1), Aloft in Goa (opening December 1) and Aloft in Delhi Aerocity (opening December 1). The St. Regis Mumbai is the first St. Regis hotel in South Asia. To read a review in Business Traveller’s February 2016 issue, click here.
New hotels to open this year include:
- The St. Regis Vommuli Resort, Maldives
- Sheraton Dhaka Banani Hotel, Bangladesh
- Le Méridien Resort & Spa, Bhaluka, Bangladesh
In India, Starwood signed five Sheraton hotels in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Ambala, Srinagar and Bodh Gaya (Bihar) for future openings.
Other signings include Le Méridien Nagpur, The Westin Pushkar Resort & Spa as well as Four Points by Sheraton hotels in Vijayawada, Thavanakadavu (on Vembanad Lake, Kerala), Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Srinagar and Sonmarg.
In addition to luxury brands, Starwood has had success in signing its Four Points by Sheraton brand in Tier 2 markets such as Thavanakkadavu in Kerala, Tiruchirapalli, Vijayawada, Aurangabad, and Bhopal. There are currently 10 hotels operating under the Four Points brand in India and the portfolio is expected to grow by 50 percent over the next three years.
“Globally, Four Points is experiencing incredible growth, having recently crossed its 200th operating hotel milestone,” said Sudeep Jain, Vice President, Acquisitions & Development, South Asia, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “India and South Asia will continue to play a key role in driving this growth for the brand in new markets.”
Another upscale brand, Aloft, is also experiencing impressive growth in both major and secondary urban centres. Currently there are six properties in Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad with two more at Delhi Aerocity and Goa expected to open in the next 12 to 18 months.
Akanksha Maker
