Hilton Worldwide is exploring all options to bring its luxury brands- Waldorf Astoria and Curio-A Collection by Hilton- to India, taking the luxury segment one notch higher.Hilton has 15 hotels in 11 Indian cities with 20 under development and now the luxury brand is opening another Conrad property in Bengaluru next year and a resort in Goa.
Andre A Gomez, the new head of operations for India at Hilton Worldwide, told ET, “We have the opportunity and scope to target various markets in India through our portfolio of brands. We have been rolling out Waldorf Astoria throughout Asia and India's not an exception. We are looking for an opportunity to roll that here at some point.”
Gomez said Indian travellers are getting more sophisticated in their expectations. “Conrad will be about modern, smart luxury," said Gomez.
Hilton has its presence in India through Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton by Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton as well.
"We might be the only company to do that in India. Having exposure overseas is critical as employees bring a lot back with them. We will also be piloting some other initiatives in India," he told ET.
Now, Hilton is also mulling at dual branding strategy in India, which is successful in several Asian markets.
Dual branding refers to chains housing two brands under one property or cluster to beat land costs and the real estate crunch. The move also leads to shared services.