Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced aggressive expansion plans for the Indian sub-continent with a stated target of achieving 100 hotels in five to six years. The company, so far, has more than 10,000 keys in the region by owning 52 hotels within the Southwest Asia, having 50 of them operating within India and two from Nepal. 

Hyatt’s Managing Director for India and Southwest Asia, Sunjae Sharma, is optimistic about achieving this growth target. “Travel and hospitality is a growth sector in India, and we see a lot of demand for high-quality hospitality experiences. We are well-positioned to meet the needs of discerning travelers,” he said in an interview. 

The Indian portfolio marks Hyatt’s third largest portfolio outside the Americas and China, speaking volumes about the company’s thrust on the region catering to premium hospitality demand here. It would expand present brands such as Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Place, and Hyatt Centric besides rolling out new brands from Hyatt’s international portfolio in this country. 

Sharma mentioned the specific ‘Grand Showroom’ launch by Grand Hyatt Mumbai in order to provide the guests there with hyper-personalized experiences. He added that in order to strengthen the footprint of Hyatt’s business in India, in accordance with consumer demand, the company designed this strategy and did not let itself get disconnected from change in consumer needs. 

The future expansion plans, though, were announced for the Hyatt Regency brand, to grow and enter new markets through Kasauli and Ghaziabad. Hyatt Place also marked its inroads into new locations like  Aurangabad and Haridwar; in addition, Hyatt Place Dhaka Uttara marked its entry into the Bangladeshi market. 

Moving forward, Hyatt Hotels is concentrating more on the new openings wherein it is expecting eight properties to come online between the late quarters of 2024 through early 2025 that will add up to approximately 1,200 keys. The firm’s focus areas include loyalty, luxury, leisure, lifestyle, and wellness-these priorities are a shift in alignment with the direction of evolving customer preferences. 

Sharma emphasized the significant potential of the Indian market, positioning it as a key growth area for Hyatt globally. With the ongoing rise in both domestic and international tourism, he remains optimistic about India’s increasing importance in Hyatt’s global strategy.