Today, however, the wheels seem to be firmly in motion and the hoped-for developments are beginning to materialise. With 50 hotels expected by the end of 2012, Starwood Hotels will have almost doubled its presence in the country in the space of two years, with landmark openings in 2011 such as Le Méridien Coimbatore and the Sheraton Bangalore. The Carlson group is preparing to do even better, crossing the 50-station mark this year, compared with 33 at the end of 2010. Its top-of-the-range Radisson brand will see 11 new establishments in just twelve months.
The Indian hotel market, which is still largely under-equipped despite the presence of powerful local players such as Taj and Oberoi, offers huge development opportunities for the four- and five-star brands of the world leaders, particularly in fast-growing cities such as Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad, not to mention the country's two major metropolises, Mumbai and New Delhi.
In Mumbai, the upscale offering continues to expand with the recently announced arrival of W Hotels, expected in 2013. This will be preceded by the inauguration of a Sofitel later this month and a Shangri La in October. In New Delhi, Hilton Worldwide has just taken over the management of two establishments in the Mayur Vihar business district. In a complex of twin towers, a 196-room DoubleTree by Hilton will open shortly, while the 173-room Hilton New Delhi Mayur Vihar is due to open in a few months' time.
But in a country where the middle class is constantly growing and international businessmen are looking for economical solutions, hotel groups are seeing new opportunities for their mid-range brands. Accor's Ibis and Rezidor's Park Inn and Park Plaza have already started to build their networks across the country. April also saw the announcement, in quick succession, of the forthcoming construction of 15 Fairfield hotels by the Marriott group, while IHG has signed a partnership agreement for 19 new Holiday Inn Express hotels over the next five years.
