Hyatt to operate 60 new hotels in 5 years

Over the next five years, Hyatt Hotels Corporation will increase the number of hotels it operates in India manifold to 70. The US hospitality major, which signed up just ten hotels in its 30 years of existence in India, will increase focus on mid-scale properties as it speeds up its expansion in the country, Ratnesh Verma, senior vice-president, real estate and development for Hyatt International Asia Pacific, said.

He said that there is a big opportunity in mid-scale hotels as urbanisation increases in India, tier-II cities become growth centres and domestic travel grows further, he said. Hyatt is scheduled to manage 4-5 new hotels over the next six months.

Besides, last month it signed a management agreement with IHHR Hospitality to rebrand five Ista hotels as Hyatt by March 2013. Another 50 hotels are in different stages of development and will become operational over the next five years. The new properties will be a mix of luxury, upscale and mid-market hotels.

Hyatt's brands include Park Hyatt in the luxury segment; Andaz, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt and Hyatt Regency in the upscale segment; and Hyatt Place and Hyatt House in the mid-scale market.