Aims to open 150 hotels in next 10 years through strategic partnership with Ruptub Solutions

Aiming to embark on a new era of hospitality in India to drive accelerated growth of its portfolio in the country, Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) today announced the launch of its new India-exclusive midscale brand: Park Inn & Suites by Radisson. The new development is part of the Group’s aim to double its footprint in India, from around 150 hotels and resorts at present to 300 by 2025. RHG has partnered with Ruptub Solutions Private Limited, headed by Sidharth Gupta and running several economy and premium economy offerings under the Treebo brand, to achieve the numbers. Park Inn & Suites by Radisson has been customised for the Indian market and aims to deliver the products of an established hotel chain to Tier II, Tier III, Tier IV and Tier V markets in Karnataka, Kerala and the Seven Sister states in the Northeast.

“India is one of RHG’s largest strategic markets. The launch of Park Inn & Suites by Radisson brand in the country is a strong continuation of our Asia Pacific growth strategy. The brand will offer midscale hotels in India an opportunity to enhance their visibility, create customer confidence and access a wider audience through our multiple distribution channels and global sales structure. We are fully committed to bringing quality experiences to domestic and international guests in the country, from major metros to upcoming destinations across Tier III and Tier V cities,” shared Ramzy Fenianos, Chief Development Officer, Asia Pacific, at the launch.

Zubin Saxena, Managing Director and Vice President Operations, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, added, “With over two decades of operations in India, the launch of this brand in the market marks new opportunities for the Group as we continue to expand and strengthen our footprint across the country. We have dedicated all our efforts toward developing an indigenous brand architecture that will unlock economies of scale for the Group. We are delighted to have Ruptub Solutions as our trusted partner. This partnership is a timely and critical step toward our brand-building journey and meeting the growing demand of the discerning Indian traveller for high-quality accommodation.”

At the brand level, the aim is to launch 150 Park Inn & Suites by Radisson properties in the next 10 years, shared Sidharth Gupta, Founder and Director, Ruptub Solutions Pvt Ltd, adding, “Partnering with RHG is a truly enriching experience as it continues to be among the strongest hospitality players globally. With this partnership, we collectively aim to leverage the Group’s hospitality expertise combined with our technology offerings and wide presence in the market, especially in Tier II to Tier V destinations to chalk a strong and sustainable path for the brand to grow. During the past few months, while crafting this partnership, we have resonated with the Group’s ‘Yes, I can!’ mindset and see deep synergies between the two entities. The coming years will prove to be the game-changer for India’s hospitality industry as we collaborate to launch hotels under the Park Inn & Suites by Radisson brand across the country.”

The brand, with which the Group aims to harness the first-mover’s advantage, will provide high-quality, limited service offering to travellers in the suburban/ rural market, with 50-70 keys spread between King, Queen and Twin rooms having an area between 17 and 22 sq m. These hotels will be equipped with social spaces, a welcome corner, a fitness centre and services like free wi-fi and signature breakfast options for guests.

Looking ahead, the Group intends to catalyse the Park Inn & Suites by Radisson brand by way of master franchise, collaboration and brand development agreements with high-quality hotel development partners.

Speaking to BW HOTELIER on the side-lines of the launch, Saxena said that a few hotels under this brand are in the pipeline. “We hope to open the first hotel in the first half of next year, most likely in the south,” he said. Asserting that there are no plans at the moment to expand this brand to other places in India in the future, he added, “We would like to take it one step at a time and focus on quality and excellence. Once we achieve it, we will evaluate our next step.” While partnership is the primary driver for Radisson to focus on these markets, these regions also form the area where the Group itself wants to grow stronger and have more presence.

On customisation of the brand to India, Saxena said, “The tertiary – Tier III to Tier V – markets in India today do not have the depth of demand to be able to host 200-300 key hotels. Most of our other hotels in Tier I and Tier II markets tend to be much larger. We have customised the inventory sizes to fit to the market from a return on investment perspective for the owners who will build these hotels. We have, at the same time, tried to bring in a high-quality lodging product. These are not necessarily high-end resort markets but are developing now and we want to bring in a product which will fit into the market in terms of size and will bring in what is, perhaps, the only international branded lodging product in these regions.”

The properties opened under the Park Inn & Suites by Radisson brand will fall under the Radisson Rewards loyalty programme which Saxena hopes will allow the existing customers base to leverage these new properties while visiting the Tier II to Tier V cities instead of having to stay in unbranded accommodation.