Hilton eyes 50 hotels in India in 5 yrs, to bring new brands

New Delhi, Dec 19 (PTI) Hospitality firm Hilton Worldwide is aiming to operate 50 hotels in the next five years in India and launch new brands -- 'Conrad' and 'Waldorf Astoria' -- in the country from its global portfolio. The firm Monday announced introduction of its middle segment brand 'Hampton' in the Asia Pacific region with the opening of a hotel at Vadodara (Baroda) in the western Indian state of Gujarat under a franchise agreement with Baywood Hotels India Pvt Ltd. "We expect to increase our presence in the country to 14 hotels by the end of next year and 50 hotels in the next five years," a Hilton Worldwide spokesperson in India told PTI. Hilton has more than doubled its properties in India this year by launching six hotels. "We have a robust pipeline of more than 20 projects," the spokesperson added. Globally, Hilton Worldwide has a portfolio of ten brands that cater to a variety of customer segments ranging from luxury, full-service to mid-market. In India, the company operates hotels under the upscale 'Hilton' brand, 'Hilton Garden Inn' (mid-market), 'DoubleTree by Hilton' (contemporary upscale and full-service) and the newly introduced 'Hampton' (mid-priced). "We plan to launch the luxury hotel brands 'Conrad' and 'Waldorf Astoria' in the Indian market," the spokesperson said but did not share the timeline. Hilton Worldwide, one of the leading global hospitality companies has more than 3,800 hotels in 88 countries. In India it has focused on management contracts of properties. PTI