Carlson Rezidor eyes 200 hotels in India by 2020

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group is planning to have 200 hotels in India by 2020 and expecting to introduce two new brands Raddison Red and Quorvus Collection in the country soon.
"We currently have 66 properties in operation and 42 in the pipeline in India. This year we are planning 12 properties in the country. We are eyeing 200 hotels by 2020 in India," Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Chairperson Diana L Nelson said.
The main focus of the US-headquartered hospitality group is to penetrate all markets, she said, adding that after establishing presence in the metros the company is now looking at extending its brands to tier II and the capital cities.

"Most of our growth will come from our mid-scale brands," she said.
She further said that in India, the opportunities will be more from the domestic travellers.
The group has four brands in India - Radisson Blu, Park Plaza, Country Inns & Suites by Carlson and Park Inn by Radisson.

"We are now planning to introduce two more - Radisson Red and Quorvus Collection - in India," Nelson added.
Radisson Red is mainly targeted at the tech savvy 'generation Y', she said.
"We are hoping to introduce Radisson Red by 2015. This brand will work very well for the tech savvy crowd mainly in tier-1 and 2 cities. We have a target of 60 properties under this brand globally," Nelson said.

About the Quorvus Collection, she said it is a flexible luxury brand inspired by the lifestyle and sensibilities of the contemporary global traveller.
"The Quorvus Collection could be a resort or a historic property, which can be custom made. We are looking for opportunities for this brand in India. It could be this year, but the property has to be exactly right," she said.
The hospitality group, which has 13,500 people in India, is expecting to increase it by 30 per cent by 2020, in line with the growth in its properties, she said.
The strongest growth for the group came from the Asia Pacific in 2013.

"Asia Pacific provided a very strong growth last year. About 15 per cent of the growth was contributed by India. Going ahead, we expect to keep a similar pace. We are bullish on India," Nelson said.