Hilton's Lofty Ambitions

In its 100th year, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, which has become the most valuable hospitality brand in the world, is turning its attention to India to tap the potential of the market.

- Gurmeet Sachdev

The group is looking to grow at a breakneck speed in India, and the APAC region, on the back of growing travel for business and leisure. A hospitality group that pioneered several hospitality concepts, is ranked #1 on 100 Best Companies to Work In by Fortune magazine, and is considered the most valuable brand in the world, has yet to make huge inroads in India. Although they may have missed the last cycle, they are looking at ramping up their presence with an aggressive new strategy and a new team which is geared to achieve the expansion ambitions. Alan Watts, president, Hilton APAC and Navjit Ahluwalia, country head, Hilton India, tell Hotelier India what it takes to expand your footprint.

ALAN WATTS, PRESIDENT, HILTON APAC

What has Hilton’s journey been like in the APAC markets as well as in India?

It’s our 100th anniversary; we have just opened our 300th hotel in the Asia Pacific and 200th property in China. If you consider the fact that Hilton International took back Hilton Worldwide less than a decade ago, it has been a phenomenal growth story. Here in India, it’s been more of a challenging journey for us. We have been in India for a long time but through a strategic partnership. Since that did not work out, we have missed the last cycle. That's the reason why Hilton has got a relatively smaller footprint in this market. But its RevPars have doubled over the last few years and our market share has increased. We have reinvested in India; we have got a new management team, have had really successful openings and a successful growth strategy under the new leadership.

In the APAC region, Hilton has seen almost a double-digit growth last year. What has led to this growth?