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Starwood Hotels & Resorts is planning to introduce Tribute Portfolio, its upscale brand targeting independent hotels, in India by next year.
“We are exploring opportunities for Tribute. A hotel which wants to stay independent but still affiliate with a brand can become a member of the Tribute Portfolio and can then tap into Starwood’s loyalty programmes and sales network,” Stephen Ho, President, Asia Pacific, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, told BusinessLine .
Globally, the company operates 10 brands – Westin, Sheraton, Le Meridien, The Luxury Collection, Aloft, Four Points by Sheraton, St Regis, W, Element and The Tribute Portfolio.
This month marked the entry of the first St Regis in Mumbai, taking the number of brands in India to seven. The company is also set to launch its brand W in Goa in the summer of next year.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we get the ninth brand, Tribute, by next year,” said Dilip Puri, Managing Director India and Regional Vice-President South Asia, Starwood Hotels.
With this, India would house all brands from the Starwood stable except Element, which boasts of eco-friendly design and features.
“The Element brand is a whole different game. We don’t want to do one Element with one owner, we have to do it as a portfolio. Targeting the business traveller, the Element brand can come in large IT parks, commercial centres where there is extended stay business. We need to find one good anchor partner to roll out a whole portfolio,” Puri added.
In India, Starwood currently has 44 operational properties and aims to touch 50 by the first quarter of next year. In South Asia, the hospitality company will achieve the 100-hotels mark by this year, Ho said.
It is also banking on domestic travellers and will open more resorts for tapping the MICE and leisure segment.
“The biggest opportunity for India is the rising domestic traveller segment. You need resort locations close to the large urban source markets. We will open a Westin resort in Pushkar next year. We are also in close discussions for doing a W resort in Lonavla,” Puri said.
Globally, the group runs 85 resorts currently. “In Asia Pacific, the company has around 50 resorts under construction with a plan to a St Regis in Maldives, and a Le Meridien in Paro (Bhutan),” Ho said.
The company has also signed agreements for W in Noida, Gurgaon, and Mumbai, Puri added.
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