Business & Finance
Hilton accelerates expansion in India amid broader Asia-Pacific growth
The hotel operator is targeting secondary cities and pilgrimage hubs with mid-scale brands to capitalize on domestic and intra-regional travel demand.
The short version
- Hilton is expanding rapidly in India, projecting the country will become the third-largest lodging market globally.
- The company has 60 hotels under construction in India and commitments for approximately 400 additional properties with local partners.
- The growth push focuses on mid-scale offerings in tier-two and tier-three cities, contrasting with slower performance in China.
Key facts
- Alan Watts, Hilton's president of Asia Pacific, stated that India is projected to become the world's third-largest lodging market.[CNBC]
- Hilton has 60 hotels currently under development in India and commitments for roughly 400 more with major local partners.[CNBC]
- The hotel chain is deploying mid-scale brands like Hampton and Spark to secondary cities and pilgrimage centers, including Ayodhya and Tirupati, with local property owners funding the construction.[CNBC]
- Hilton reported that around 80% of room nights in the Asia-Pacific region are driven by travelers originating within Asia.[CNBC]
- Hilton's Asia-Pacific revenue per available room rose just over 1% in the second quarter, which executive leadership attributed to weak consumer confidence in China damping double-digit gains elsewhere in the region.[CNBC]
What remains uncertain
- The timeline and completion rate for the 400 partner-committed hotel properties in India remain unspecified.[CNBC]