Choice Hotels plans to open 11 new hotels in India in 2020

Choice Hotels India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the US-based hospitality company Choice Hotels International, is looking to open 11 new hotels in India in 2020. "Currently, we have 32 operating hotels in India spread across the country. In 2020, we are looking at opening 11 new properties, mainly in tier II and III cities, taking the total to 43," Choice Hotels India CEO Vilas Pawar told here.

The upcoming hotels, which are under various stages of development, will be in cities including Gurugram, Lucknow, Dehradun, Indore, Bengaluru, Kochi, Abu Road, Dalhousie, Khanvel, Lakhimpur and Rishikesh, under the franchise model, he said.

The new hotels will be opened under Comfort Inn, Quality Inn and Clarion brands as the company is mainly present in the mid-scale segments in India, he added.

"Most of our new properties will mainly be in tier II and III cities as they are fast growing market. As we follow the franchise model we don't invest in the property. We invest in our distribution platforms, in our systems that deliver values and in training. Going forward we see great opportunities in India and we see great opportunities in the mid-scale segment," he pointed out.

In India, Choice Hotels operates mainly under three brands - Comfort (three star), Quality (four star) and Clarion (basic five star).

The company also has The Ascend Hotel Collection brand in India that offers upscale boutique and historic hotels.

When asked if the company is looking to add any new brand in India, Pawar said there are no such plans at this point.

"At this point we would like to consolidate the existing brands and strengthen their presence. I don't think the market is mature enough for expanding with new brands. However, market scenario may change in 1-2 years and we may think about introducing some new brand in India," he said.

Choice Hotels International is a global lodging franchisor with over 7,000 hotels representing more than 5,00,000 rooms in more than 35 countries and territories.