Hilton said on Tuesday it planned to double its presence in India over the next decade. Hilton currently operates 32 hotels in India. Another 29 are in the planning stages.
In the coming years, five new Hilton brand names will be introduced in the country. That starts this year with the Curio Collection by Hilton in Bengaluru and the first Signia by Hilton in Jaipur.
More high-end offerings are also on the way, including LXR Hotels & Resorts in Bengaluru in 2026 and Waldorf Astoria in Jaipur by 2028. India will be first in Asia Pacific for Hilton’s entry level brand, Spark by Hilton. Hilton has plans for 150 Spark properties The first is in Goa.
Christopher Nassetta (Hilliary’s President and Chief executive officer) said that India was the market with the highest growth potential and most opportunity. He made this statement during Tuesday’s Hilton Brand Showcase, held in Bengaluru. There’s no market with more opportunities than India.
Focus on the Mid-Market Boom
Hilton’s expansion includes luxury hotels, but the focus is really on India’s rapidly growing middle class. Nassetta summed it up plainly: “The mid market is where the game really is.” This is where brands like Spark by Hilton and Hampton by Hilton come into play.
Skift had earlier reported that Hilton signed an agreement to introduce 75 Hampton By Hilton properties in India with the Indian hotel management company NILE Hospitality. Currently, there is just one Hampton by Hilton hotel in India. This property is located in Vadodara.
Spark, the newest addition to Hilton’s family, is in the premium-economy segment. The company has been growing quickly. “The potential for a Spark in this market is into thousands of hotels… the potential is much much greater,” Nassetta said.
Hilton’s strategy is to offer something for every kind of traveler — from budget-conscious to high-end luxury. Nassetta said that it’s easy to determine which brand is most appropriate. “It really is driven by what the customer wants and what the customer will pay for… Spark will work in primary cities, primary resorts, secondary and tertiary type of locations because the rate structure of it, is such.”
Hilton is exploring lifestyle-focused brands. After acquiring NoMad, the first deal was signed for Singapore’s Orchard RoadIndia is also a priority. Nassetta’s response when asked if NoMad had a place in India was very clear. “Absolutely.”
India’s Travel Landscape is Changing
India’s road, airport, and train networks continue to expand rapidly.
Alan Watts said, “The infrastructure building happening in India gives India a real boost in the travel and tourism space”, said Alan Watts. The Indian hospitality industry is exploding thanks to that infrastructure.
Hilton hopes that by expanding to tier 1 cities and major resort destinations as well as tier 2 towns and tier 3 towns they can build a customer base of loyal customers who will stick with them worldwide.
India teaches us a lot
Hilton’s journey in India hasn’t been an easy one. “India for us has been a hard road, harder than almost any other market on earth… there were times where we did not have the right partners or the right type of hotels or locations,” said Nassetta.
He believes the company is now in its stride. He said, “I believe we have fantastic partners, locations and hotels.” “That is why you are seeing the momentum increase.”
Recent partnership agreements have built a strong pipeline. Hilton’s CEO emphasized that these are not pipe dreams but real deals.
As Nassetta put it, “We’re not going anywhere… There is no going backwards.”
Accommodations Stock Index Performance from Year to Date
What am I seeing? The performance and stock prices of the hotels and short term rental sector within the ST200. The index comprises companies listed on global markets including international and local hotel brands, REITs in the hotel industry, hotel management firms, alternative accommodation, timeshares, and other hotel companies.
The Skift Travel 200 This number combines the financial results of 200 travel agencies worth more than one trillion dollars. See more hotels and short-term rental financial sector performance.
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