Ritz-Carlton opens in India in 2012

INDIA will see the arrival of a Ritz-Carlton in 2012, even as the brand continues to plant flags across Asia, targeting 15 new hotel signings in the region by 2015.

“We are very excited to be introducing The Ritz-Carlton brand to India next year with the opening of The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore. This will be a new market for the brand in Asia, and we feel confident of continued growth in key gateway cities in India,” The Ritz-Carlton Asia area vice president Victor Clavell told TTG Asia e-Daily. The 250-room property will also have extensive meetings and events space and a floor devoted to high-end retail stores.

“China is our fastest growing market, and we expect to open six hotels in China in the next six years alone. We are expanding away from the main metropolitan hubs, and have recently signed hotels in Chengdu, Qingdao, Wuhan, Dalian and Haikou,” he said. The brand currently has 17 hotels operating in Asia.

Noting a shift in spending power from the West to East, Clavell said Asia was very much “leading the way in the luxury hospitality sector”. He added that customers were now expecting more than the usual luxury experience, a trend its new brand platform hoped to address.

Launched in September, a large part of its Let Us Stay With You positioning revolves around creating unique memories.

“We want guests who stay with us to take something away with them when they leave – an emotion, a memory, a feeling, an experience that will stay with them for years to come,” said Clavell.

The new brand platform includes components such as an online portal with personal stories, a mobile app and the use of social networks like Foursquare.

He said: “We feel this will differentiate us from other hotels, and enable people to engage with The Ritz-Carlton and experience our hotels and our service on an emotional level.”

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