The newly rebranded Radisson Hotel Group announced its expansion plans at Hotel Investment Conference South Asia (HICSA) 2018, with the group looking to open more than 200 hotels in operation and under development by 2022 in South Asia.

The group has already signed Radisson Blu Resort Visakhapatnam, Radisson Panipat City Centre and Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Agra in the first quarter of 2018. Radisson Gwalior opened last month and the group is on track to open another eight more hotels in India this year.

“This is a most exciting period in our company’s long history,” said Katerina Giannouka, president, Asia Pacific, Radisson Hotel Group. “With the rebranding of our company and many other initiatives in the pipeline, we are positioning Radisson Hotel Group for a bright future. One of the new giants of the global economy, India has been a key market for us for many years. We look forward to working with hotel investors, owners, developers and other stakeholders across the country as we accelerate the expansion of our portfolio and introduce exciting brand concepts such as Radisson Collection to India,” added Giannouka.

“We excitedly continue the momentum on our growth and signings in 2018. With a robust performance, ahead of industry average and continued investment in technology and revenue driving platforms, we are optimistic about meeting our five-year goals. I am delighted that India is leading the way in Asia Pacific with a total of seven global brand offerings which will further strengthen our business in the region,” said Raj Rana, Chief Executive Officer, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group.

Anchored on growth and improvement plans for three main levers vis-à-vis business performance, people and owner relationships, Radisson Hotel Group has developed robust plans for each area whereby the operating structure has been realigned and investments are being made into strategic areas of marketing, revenue generation and procurement to drive desired outcomes. The group is focused on enhancing profitability, ensuring brand standard compliance and uplifting guest experience while aiming to open landmark hotels in strategic locations and growing its mid-scale brand footprint. It saw healthy occupancy and average rates ahead of industry performance in 2017 and has continued the momentum in the first quarter of 2018.

The group has also recently added Radisson Collection, a premium collection of exceptional hotels to its brand portfolio. Radisson Collection Agra, located on Taj East Gate Road, with 239 rooms and suites, will join a global list of 13 other hotels to be launched as Radisson Collection. This takes the group’s brand portfolio to a total of seven brands in India where it already operates Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson and Country Inn & Suites by Radisson brands.

There are 90 hotels operational under Radisson Hotel Group across the country which is expected to reach 100 hotels by the end of 2018. - TradeArabia News Service