A number of major hotel chains are expanding their global presence by opening at new locations around the world. Despite the fact that economies are still struggling in many countries, luxury hotels are constantly opening. One example of this can be seen in Starwood Hotel and Resorts Worldwide’s new W Hotel. The W brand is continuing its recent expansion by opening a new hotel in Paris. The W Paris Opera hotel is set in an historic 19th century building in the French capital, located close to the Opera Garnier, and offers guests luxurious and stylish accommodation. This is the W brand’s first hotel to open in Paris.
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide have also been extending another of their hotel brands, Sheraton Hotels. This worldwide expansion is set to continue throughout 2012 as 20 new hotels are due to open over the course of the year. New Sheraton Hotels plan to open throughout central Europe, Eastern Europe, North America and Asia in 2013 and 2014 with several new sites including branches in Pakistan and hotels in the Ukraine and Dubai.
InterContinental Hotels Group is another company that is expanding globally by opening more Holiday Inn hotels, particularly in Latin America. The InterContinental Hotels Group views business travellers and families as its target market for its Holiday Inn hotels and this brand is currently re launching itself in a bid to give the group a more contemporary image.
China, in particular, has experienced a steep increase in the number of hotel chains expanding into the country. Large hotel brands such as Hyatt and Hilton have increased their number of hotels in the country, as have other brands such as Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Sheraton. In the future, Ritz-Carlton is planning for around one quarter of its worldwide hotels to be located in China in the near future.
The Hilton hotel group is also planning to increase their number of hotels in China, and aims to reach a total of 100 hotels in the country by 2012. One of the reasons for the recent boom in new high-end hotels being built in China is that governments and businesses across the country want to have a large, grand hotel close by to attract business and to create a strong impression on visiting business contacts. However, other hotel brands that are currently experiencing some success in China include budget chains such as Home Inns and Hotels Management Inc. China’s growing importance as a major economic power and tourist destination is helping to ensure that major hotel chains will continue to expand throughout the country as there is such a potential for profit to be made from business and leisure travellers.
