Accor: 45 hotels in India by 2015
At the entrance, the staff welcomes you with a "hello-namaste." In the room, remind you of Paris macarons, but the decor is no doubt: you are in India. At the table, it offers a good curry and burgundy … Welcome to the Sofitel Mumbai KBC, the first hotel brand in India since its move upmarket, which began in 2007. The first stone was laid that year in the new business district of Bombay, near the largest stock of diamonds. The hotel was inaugurated this week. "The biggest challenge in India, the construction time. There are a lot of bureaucracy. We had to ask more than one hundred licenses, "said Robert Gaymer-Jones, CEO Sofitel Worldwide.
The 5-star luxury 302 rooms (first prize $ 250 a night) employing 520 people is to compete with the chains located in Bombay: Indian Taj and the Oberoi, but Four Seasons, Hyatt, Westin and Shangri-Here which opened its first facility in mid-June "There is not enough supply, so there is market share to take," said Denis Hennequin, CEO of Accor, decided to accelerate in India. The group has 15 hotels today and will end the year at 23. We stay away from the expansion in China, where Accor has more than 120 addresses. "There are high barriers to entry into India. Everything takes time. We must find the right partners, "explains Denis Hennequin. Eleven openings are planned this year, with five this month, the first Pullman and Formule 1.
Goal of becoming the first hotel outside India
By 2015, Denis Hennequin is 90 hotels open or under construction and the place of the first international hotel group in India. "This represents a sixty hotels open," says Christian Karaoglanian, managing director of hotel development, which indicates that 30 to 40 million euros are invested annually in India, where the group is developing with local partners. The Sofitel Mumbai represented an investment of about fifteen million euros for Accor, which owns some of the walls. All operations undertaken in India is so far a total of 223 million euros worth of assets of 1.15 billion.
The leading position covered by Denis Hennequin is occupied by Carlson, with 52 hotels. The battle promises to be tight. "We have a very privileged position in India that is the envy said Hubert Joly, CEO of Carlson. We will try to keep it. "The group plans to build 48 hotels and has signed a partnership agreement with the Indian Bestech Hospitalities to open fifty Park Inn by 2024.
But places are to be taken. "There are 150,000 hotel rooms across India, as well as in the city of Shanghai," said Christian Karaoglanian. Accor, the openings will be especially Formula 1, Ibis and Novotel. Sofitel two are scheduled to Bombay with a "So Sofitel" contemporary design. Outside of Bombay, Robert Gaymer-Jones looks as opportunities in Delhi, Bangalore and Goa.
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