Skift Take

The lodge chain’s a hundred and fiftieth property in India might be at Katra, near Hindu pilgrimage website Vaishnodevi temple.

Srividya Kalyanaraman

Marriott’s journey in India started 25 years in the past. The firm at present boasts of over 100 lodges, with one other 79 in building. 

Marriott can also be specializing in rising organically in India, weaning away from buying firms to enter and develop in a market. 

“Within Marriott there is a strong level of optimism that this country is going to continue to grow and eventually be the third biggest market for us,” stated Rajeev Menon, president for Marriott International for Asia Pacific excluding Greater China at Skift’s inaugural India summit. “We are racing towards becoming the third-biggest in India over the next few years.”

Does India Need A Homegrown Brand?

Marriott just lately launched the Moxy model in India with 128 rooms near the Bangalore airport. Does India want a homegrown model? Menon stated perhaps ultimately, and solely after plenty of analysis and adapting to the Indian shopper.

Menon stated that the Marriott Group has 31 manufacturers and 17 of these are operational in India. 

“One thing we’ve been very clear about is that when we bring a brand in India, we spend enough time researching the brand and figure out if that fits what the consumer here wants,” Menon stated.

Menon gave the instance of bringing Marriott’s Fairfield Inn to India. He famous that the very first thing the corporate needed to do was drop the phrase “Inn” from its identify, on account of its unfavourable connotations. Second, the Indian shopper desires supply to the room, regardless of whether or not the lodge is three star or 5 star, and in second-tier markets, lodges function the social hub. So when Marriott launched Fairfield in India a decade in the past, it supplied room service and had a restaurant for gatherings. 

Midscale Hotels, Upscale Travelers

Addressing the query of whether or not the Indian shopper will discover a midscale lodge upscale, Menon warned in opposition to underestimating the spending energy within the nation.

“Keep in mind that Indians are transitioning themselves,” Menon stated. “And you will be amazed how much spending power is in the secondary and tertiary markets and often it is the Fairfield or the courtyard that ends up becoming the social hub for the city.”

Menon added that Marriott could in some unspecified time in the future take into account bringing its worldwide manufacturers to India, however for now the corporate feels prefer it has the best model combine to develop out there. 

Religious Tourism

When it involves customizing choices to India as a market, Marriott is within the combine serving the spiritual traveler or the marriage crowd. 

Marriott’s a hundred and fiftieth lodge in India might be in Katra, on the best way to the Vaishnodevi temple, a holy pilgrimage website for Indian Hindus. Menon additionally sees the Marriott lodge manufacturers in secondary and tertiary markets as wedding ceremony venues. 

“Religious tourism represents a great opportunity for the industry,” Menon stated.

“In the past, there was really nothing but guest houses for us to stay at. And you know, as Indians from overseas show up in the country or as Indians within the country acquire wealth and travel to these destinations, they want a better product.”