Hyatt may bring Hyatt Centric to India

NEW DELHI: After considering bringing its luxury boutique brand Andaz to New Delhi, the Hyatt hotel chain may get others such brands like Hyatt Centric to India.
The company will open hotels in Kochi, Rameswaram and Hyderabad next year and will increasingly focus on its brand Hyatt Place in India, Peter Fulton, group president - EMEA and SWA, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, told ET.

Hyatt’s presence in India is through brands Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt and Hyatt Place. The Chicago-based company launched a full-service boutique lifestyle brand Hyatt Centric globally in January last year. Hyatt Centric is present in Miami and Chicago.

“Our current India portfolio includes 24 hotels across 15 cities with a total of 6,000+ rooms. Our select service brand Hyatt Place is a large part of our growth strategy in India. The brand is becoming popular as it offers a stylish, comfortable and cost-effective option for business travellers and families,” said Fulton.

Hyatt launched Hyatt Regency Chandigarh and Hyatt Place in Candolim, Goa, this year. It will open Grand Hyatt Kochi, Hyatt Place Rameswaram and Hyatt Place Hyderabad next year.

“The Indian traveller – both business and leisure – is also playing an increasingly important role in our remaining 655 hotels worldwide. It is widely recognised by Hyatt and the rest of the industry that many Indian travellers have large disposable incomes, are discerning and look for the high-end luxury that our brands offer. The country has been, and will continue to be, one of the top growth markets for Hyatt globally,” Fulton said.

India has been a strong market for the brand for the past 18 months in terms of occupancy and room rates, said Kurt Straub, VP, operations India, for Hyatt Hotels and Resorts. “Lucknow, Varanasi, Coorg are some of the new locations that we are considering. These are locations which our customers would like to visit and we are not present there yet,” Straub said.