PARIS-based Louvre Hotels & Golden Tulip is pressing ahead with expansion plans in Asia and will open 30 hotels in the region this year, including more than 10 in India, about seven in China and three in Thailand.
Aiming to grow its Asian footprint from its current eight hotels, and regional offices in Shanghai, Delhi and Bangkok, to more than 100 hotels by 2014, Louvre Hotels & Golden Tulip’s vice-president international operations & CEO, Olivier Derycke, identified China, India and Thailand as the chain’s three key growth destinations in Asia.
The hotel chain – the second largest in Europe and eight largest in the world – is expanding in the region mainly through management deals, but is also looking at equity agreements with local partners to roll out its three-star and budget Tulip Inn, Premiere Classe and Campanile brands.
The chain has already introduced its five-star Royal Tulip and four-star Golden Tulip brands in Asia. For now, it has no plans to introduce its three-star Kyriad Prestige and Kyriad brands in the region.
By Sirima Eamtako
