Hyatt Hotels is betting on India’s growing population and consumer spending power to help the U.S. hotel chain maintain double-digit percentage revenue growth in the Asian country this fiscal year, an executive said.Global hotel operators are building diversified property portfolios in the world’s most populous country, targeting more affluent consumers whose interest in domestic travel has strengthened since the easing of Covid restrictions.Hyatt, which has about 325 of its more than 1,400 hotels in Asia Pacific, is looking to expand in the region, and senior executive Carina Chorengel told Reuters on Wednesday that “India is a big part of that.”Hyatt said it plans to open six hotels this year in India, home to about 1.4 billion people, including in smaller cities from Ghaziabad in the north to Kochi in the south. It plans to double its number of hotels in India to 100 within five years.Many global brands, from fast-food restaurant operators to apparel retailers, are playing down a recent slowdown in Indian consumer spending to double down on it to take advantage of the country’s growing middle class over the long term.India’s growing population, rapid urbanization that has led to more people moving to cities, and their desire to travel more are key reasons Hyatt is focusing on India. Chorengel said.Sanjay Sharma, Hyatt’s managing director for India and Southwest Asia, said the hotel chain would report double-digit percentage revenue growth in India in fiscal 2026 after reporting similar growth in previous years.Late last year, rival Hilton Worldwide said it plans to quadruple the number of hotel rooms in India in five years.Hyatt, which has about 325 of its more than 1,400 hotels in Asia Pacific, wants to expand in the region, and “India is a big part of that,” senior executive Carina Chorengel told Reuters on Wednesday. Hyatt said it plans to open six hotels in India, home to about 1.4 billion people, this year in small cities from northern Ghaziabad to southern Kochi.Talking on this topic, Malay Sourav, a finance analyst at Big 4 firms, said, “Hyatt has been continuously expanding. In August 2024, Hyatt announced the planned acquisition of Standard International, an upscale boutique hotel operator, for $150 million, with an increase of up to an additional $185 million over time as additional properties are added to the portfolio. The acquisition includes 21 open hotels and more than 30 future properties under The Standard, Bunkhouse Hotels, Perry Hotels, The StandardX, and The Manor brands. With the transaction, Hyatt will create a new dedicated Lifestyle Group that will manage all lifestyle brands and operations, led by Amar Lalvani, Executive Chairman of Standard International.That same month, the Hyatt Regency Orlando, one of the region’s largest convention hotels, was sold to Los Angeles-based Ares Management and Houston-based Rida Development for $1.02 billion—the nation’s highest hotel sale in 2024. The 1,641-room hotel at 9801 International Drive sold for approximately $622,000 per guest room.”
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