Hilton Hotels Corporation, in an official announcement, said its joint venture company with DLF will develop 10 hotel projects in India under the full service Hilton brand, as well as the business hotel brand, Hilton Garden Inn, and long stay brand Homewood Suites. The first to open will be the Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Saket, Delhi in 2008.
Ian Carter, Executive Vice President and CEO of Hilton International Operations said in Delhi: “Having identified 20 key sites in India, we are moving quickly towards realising our goal of becoming a household name in India in the next five years, with the first 10 hotel projects underway. We are very confident in our partnership with DLF.”
Hilton Hotels Corp had recently unveiled plans to open 1,000 hotels in the US in the next five years and 1,000 hotels outside North America in the next 10 years. A key focus for the group is the Indian market, where the company aims to develop and own 50 to 75 hotels over the next five to seven years, a company statement said.
The first 10 sites where the Hilton-DLF joint venture will open hotels are: Hilton Garden Inn, Saket, Hilton Garden Inn Rohini, New Delhi, Hilton Garden Inn Mysore, Hilton Whitefield Bangalore, Hilton Kolkata, Hilton Garden Inn Bhubaneshwar, Homewood Suites Bhubaneshwar, Hilton Garden Inn Hyderabad, Homewood Suites Hyderabad and Hilton Goa Convention Centre.
{{/usCountry}}The first 10 sites where the Hilton-DLF joint venture will open hotels are: Hilton Garden Inn, Saket, Hilton Garden Inn Rohini, New Delhi, Hilton Garden Inn Mysore, Hilton Whitefield Bangalore, Hilton Kolkata, Hilton Garden Inn Bhubaneshwar, Homewood Suites Bhubaneshwar, Hilton Garden Inn Hyderabad, Homewood Suites Hyderabad and Hilton Goa Convention Centre.
{{/usCountry}}In addition to Hilton Hotels’ plans to open properties through its joint venture with DLF, the company will manage five new properties scheduled to open in India in the next two years. This will include Shilim Retreat by Hilton, Hilton Bangalore, Hilton Residences Bangalore, Hilton Chennai and Hilton Hyderabad.
Koos Klein, President Hilton Hotels Asia Pacific said: “We are conducting extensive research into what the Indian business traveler wants on the road and these insights will help us customise short and long stay business hotel prototype concepts for the Indian traveler’s needs. We aim to define the business hotel segment in India.”
Following the acquisition of the hotels business of Hilton International Plc by Hilton Hotels Corporation in February 2006, Hilton Hotels is now the largest international hotel chain worldwide, by profit. The group operates 2,800 hotels with 480,000 rooms in 76 countries.