Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is agreeing to swell out the count of its hotels in India to 100 by 2015, according to the company reports. The American hospitality firm is currently the largest international operator in the country with 63 hotels.
“India is a priority for us. We have more hotels here than in China,” said Simon Barlow, president, Asia Pacific for the company. Carlson opened 13 hotels in 2012, after a record year in 2011 when they opened 18 hotels. This year, the plan is to open another 13 properties which will take them closer to their target of 100 hotels.
“We have 50 hotels in the pipeline that will open in the next few years,” he said. Carlson operates brands such as Radisson Blu, Radisson, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson and Country Inns & Suites by Carlson in India through the management and franchise route.
“With only 6.5 million international tourists to India, there is a huge opportunity to tap the growing domestic travel market in the country. That is the future,” he said.