Hospitality Design - January/February 2012 - 77

This and opposite page, clockwise from far left: Rosewood Hotel Georgia’s restored lobby; the bar at Hawksworth Restaurant exudes a masculine feel; and the grand staircase highlights the painstaking restoration of the hotel’s original mahogany detailing.

Opposite page: A rendering of the Puccini Group’s Thai restaurant at the Dusit Devarana hotel in New Delhi. Above: The Oberoi, Gurgaon’s lobby, set in a “jewel box” comprised of glass and stainless steel, and overlooking a sprawling reflection pool.
next would be a guest house or unorganized accommodation,” points out Ratnesh Verma, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts’ senior vice president, real estate and development for Asia Paciﬁc. Best Western, in the midst of its own fast-paced growth, has plans in ﬁrst quarter 2012 to establish a presence in Ajmer, Indore, and Jalandhar, raising its operational properties within the country to 26. “The India growth story has many factors playing out in its favor simultaneously, fuelling eight percent-plus economic growth for the past eight to ten years,” explains Sudhir Sinha, president and COO, Best Western India. “Foremost among them is the fast growing, almost two hundred million strong Indian middle class, with high purchasing power. Add to this the predominantly young demographics of India, where about ﬁfty-seven percent of its population is in the ﬁfteen to ﬁfty-nine years working age group, and it is quite clear why the Indian economic growth engine will continue to steam ahead for the next few decades.” Of course, luxury accommodations are synonymous with India, and that category maintains a stronghold. In 2011, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts opened its newest property in Gurgaon, where the lobby is housed in a striking glass and stainless steel “jewel box” overlooking a 36,000-squarefoot reﬂecting pool, and guests are soothed by the sight of a 10,000-squarefoot green wall of cascading potted plants. This year, Fairmont will make its mark on India with the palatial 200-room and villa Fairmont Jaipur, while Taj Hotels, Resorts & Palaces will also expand its “upper upscale” Vivanta by Taj portfolio with two new properties in Bekal and Coorg. And recently, Hampshire Hotels & Resorts, led by Sant and Vikram Chatwal, announced plans to launch 52 hotels in India over the next ﬁve years, with deals for 18 Dream and Night properties already signed under franchise and management models. “As India integrates more strongly into the global economy we are continuing to see a larger number of discerning guests arriving in the country. They want the best and they are willing to pay for it,” says Rajiv Kaul, president, Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts. His company is rapidly expanding with modern palace properties on the horizon from Chennai to Jaipur, Agra, and Ashtamundi. “There are one hundred twenty thousand rooms currently available, and even by the more conservative estimates, at least another one hundred seventy thousand are needed in the near future,” he notes. “This gap between demand and supply for accommodation can only be bridged by dramatically expanding room capacity.”

Inside India
As the seventh largest country in the world, there is no single growing area in India—development is happening across the country in various cities and regions, each offering a unique experience and opportunity for visitors and developers alike. Hilton, which recently opened Hilton Chennai, Hilton New DelhiNoida-Mayur Vihar, and Hilton Mumbai International Airport, has a dozen properties on the boards. “We are growing in known metropolitan and business regions such as Bangalore, Mumbai, and New Delhi, but also in more leisure-focused areas such as Shilim, Goa, and Kochi,” says Dave Horton, global head of Hilton Hotels & Resorts. “We recently opened a hotel in Chennai, which is one of the cities actively helping India become a powerful emerging market due to its ﬂourishing economy, especially in software services, automobile manufacturing, ﬁnance, and textiles industries. The upcoming Hilton Shilim Retreat will cater more to the resort and leisure guest with robust wellness offerings.” For the debut of its ﬁrst India property later this year, Ritz-Carlton has chosen Bangalore. “Bangalore works extremely well for us as it is a dynamic and growing city with an excellent mix of both domestic and international luxury travelers, as well as an afﬂuent local community,” assures Victor Clavell, area vice president, Ritz-Carlton, Asia Paciﬁc. Best Western’s Sinha realizes that the northern and western regions of India have traditionally been growth drivers, but now the country’s southern and eastern cities have gotten a boost “powered by strong

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - January/February 2012
