Archana Sharma – New Delhi
With an aim to further establish the Starwood Hotels & Resorts brand in the South Asian market, the company is planning to launch 10 to 12 properties in South Asia and six to eight hotels in India by the end of 2015. Dilip Puri, managing director, India and regional vice president, South Asia, Starwood Hotels and Resorts informed, “The South Asian market will observe the maximum number of Le Meridien properties opening by the end of this year. Le Meridien Mahabaleswar Resort and Spa will open its doors by end of April 2015, while Le Meridien Dhaka will be opening on June 1 followed by Le Meridien Paro, Bhutan in July.” Puri also stated that Sheraton Dhaka Hotel and Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel will be announced by July 1, 2015 while another conversion property Four Points by Sheraton Vadodara will also be announced by July 1, 2015. The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat would also be unveiled around October 1, 2015.
Puri was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of Le Meridien in Gurgaon following the re-branding of the existing Pullman Central Park Gurgaon hotel, which was earlier managed by Accor. Highlighting the significance of the newly launched property, David Hopcroft, general manager, Le Meridien Gurgaon, believes the location of the property to be the USP. “We are based in the middle of the Aravalli Hills in Gurgaon, which is going to be a dynamic and ever-growing business hub,” he opined.
Talking about the potential of the Indian market, Brian Povinelli, global brand leader, Westin and Le Meridien, stated, “We are committed to the Indian market and are looking at focusing on the meetings and weddings segments.”
