Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is to relocate its global headquarters from the Unites States to India in March 2015 for a month-long immersion programme.
The company’s senior executives will split their time between Mumbai and Delhi. The month-long immersion follows similar programmes implemented by the hotel operator in China in 2011 and Dubai in 2013 to foster relationships in key growth markets.
Starwood President & CEO Frits van Paasschen said: “This is a particularly exciting time for us relocate to India. Its renewed focus on travel infrastructure is much needed, as travel demand is fuelled by economic growth and a population expected to overtake China by 2030.”
“We all know of India as a hotbed of technological innovation and global services. Coupled with the rise in entrepreneurship and investment, millions of people are joining its middle class every year. And, of course, this means millions of new travellers. At the same time, India is both unique and immensely diverse. Our extended time there will allow us to immerse ourselves and appreciate new approaches to the business of hospitality,” he added.
| Advertisement |
During the relocation, the team will travel to cities throughout India, including Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Kochi, as well as other South Asian destinations such as Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Maldives to meet with associates, customers, owners, and prospective developers.
Van Paasschen commented: “With South Asia as our home base, we’ll be within a five-hour flight from nearly 40% of our global pipeline for new hotels. This includes major cities as well as some of the world’s most remote and untouched destinations. As we look at these growth markets, we will explore how we create opportunities for the thousands of people who will enter the global workforce through Starwood. We will also work to find ways for humans to coexist with nature while preserving it.”
Starwood entered the Indian market with the Sheraton brand in Mumbai in 1973. It now claims to be the largest global operator in India with 40 operational properties and another 36 hotels under development.
Starwood president of global development Simon Turner added: “Overall demand for hotels in India is growing and evolving as the domestic economy expands and international visitation increases.
"With our existing base of operations as a very solid foundation, we have a significant opportunity to continue to grow our footprint through both new-build and conversions across the luxury, upper upscale and mid-market segments in gateway cities, tier 2 markets as well as in resort destinations.”
The company has a target of 100 hotels in operation or under development in South Asia by 2016 and has signed seven new properties in the region in 2014 in locations such as Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Pimpri Pune, Delhi NCR, Kathmandu, and Paro (Bhutan).
Search our database of more than 2,700 industry companies
