New Delhi: Global hospitality major Wyndham Hotel Group is embarking on an aggressive expansion in India with plans to have nearly 80 hotels within the next five years and may even consider acquisitions to strengthen its presence.
The company that currently operates 16 hotels under different brands, including Ramada Plaza and Wyndham Grand, will be opening 35 hotels in India over the next five years under the Howard Johnson brand through a partnership with real estate firm Unique Global group.
"Across Asia Pacific and after China, India is our second largest market with 16 open hotels and 22 under development. Considering the fast growing domestic travel market as well as the increasing inbound travel, the destination is attractive for the hospitality sector," Wyndham Hotel Group Managing Director (APAC) Frank Trampert said.
When asked if the group would consider acquisitions as a route to strengthen foothold in India, he said:
"As part of our strategic approach to development we are constantly evaluating various forms of expansion."
Sounding bullish on the Indian market, he said the recent announcements by the government related to the foreign direct investments would lead to a spurt of business travel in the country.
The hospitality major, which has presence across several verticals in the country, said that apart from metros it is also looking at other destinations for opening hotels.
"Expansion into secondary and tertiary cities is key to our development strategy as we are able to provide global connectivity and brand recognition," he added.
The other brands that the hospitality chain currently has in India are Ramada, Days Inn, Ramada Encore, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham and Dream.
It will be targeting the value conscious customers including business and leisure travellers in India through the Howard Johnson chain.
"The decision to bring HoJo (Howard Johnson) to India was driven by the success this brand enjoys in other markets around the world and its perfect fit for the India travel market," Trampert said.
Hotel group operates 475 hotels under the Howard Johnson brand in 13 countries. It encompasses more than 7,200 hotels with nearly 608,3000 rooms spread across 66 countries with presence in diverse segments from upscale to economy.
PTI
