HYATT Hotels Corporation, celebrating nearly 30 years since the opening of the first Hyatt hotel in India, has announced plans to grow its presence in Delhi, Goa, Kolkata and Mumbai, as well as expand into 15 new Indian markets, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune, over the next five years.
The company said it will open the 306-room Hyatt Regency Pune, Hyatt Regency Chennai, which has 329 rooms and a spa, and the 314-room Grand Hyatt Goa in 2010.
It has also chosen India as the first location outside the US for its upscale select-service brand, Hyatt Place.
Full-service hotels under the Hyatt Regency, Grand Hyatt and Park Hyatt brands are currently under development to join the Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa, Grand Hyatt Mumbai, Hyatt Regency Delhi, Hyatt Regency Kolkata and Hyatt Regency Mumbai.
And Hyatt Hotels Corporation president and CEO Mark Hoplamazian said approximately a quarter of the company’s global pipeline of more than 120 properties is earmarked for India.
Hyatt is seeking to increase opportunities for all its brands in India by expanding in second and third-tier cities, where business travel is increasing.
“Creating brand preference by enhancing our distribution in India is a top priority,” said Ratnesh Verma, senior vice president of real estate and development for Hyatt in South Asia. “Our strategic approach is focused on ensuring that our brands are represented in gateway markets while also gaining presence in key emerging markets.”
As part of its expansion, Hyatt is seeking to attract and develop high-quality talent in India to drive future growth. Currently, more than 3,500 associates are employed at Hyatt hotels in India, more than 10,000 more are expected to join the Hyatt family and the company is investing in training and leadership programmes.
As well as the three hotels scheduled to open this year future plans include:
• Hyatt Regency hotels in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru (Koramangala and Jakkur), Chennai, Hyderabad, Navi Mumbai and Vizag
• Grand Hyatt hotels in Pune and selected other markets
• Park Hyatt hotels in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai and
• Hyatt Place hotels in markets such as Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Indore, Lucknow, Mangalore, Mundra and Mysore.