Hyatt to manage Ista Hotels in India
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Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced that five Ista Hotels in India will take the Hyatt name.
Hyatt’s affiliate has signed management agreements with IHHR Hospitality Private Limited (IHHR) for rebranding five hotels in Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Amritsar.Under the agreement, the fully operational Ista Hotels will be known as Hyatt Bangalore, Hyatt Pune, Hyatt Hyderabad, Hyatt Ahmedabad and Hyatt Amritsar. All the five properties will complete the branding exercise by March 2013. The agreements were signed by both parties on 29 October 2012 in London.
“As a company we see a perfect fit with IHHR’s forward-thinking philosophy and vision. This opportunity allows Hyatt to further consolidate its distribution in India and offer its guests a choice in new markets such as Bangalore, Amritsar and Ahmedabad. The re-branding will also enhance our representation with a great collection of high quality hotels that are already recognised as market leaders in guest experience and performance,” said Ratnesh Verma, Senior Vice President, Real Estate and Development for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts in Asia-Pacific.
The association between the two hospitality companies will enable the five hotels to expand their global reach. It will become a part of Hyatt’s popular Hyatt Gold Passport loyalty program and other marketing initiatives, take advantage of Hyatt’s well-established systems and processes, and participate in Hyatt’s extensive network of hotels in 45 countries. This deal will also allow IHHR to re-focus its efforts on further developments and its other brands, which include destination spa brand Ananda in the Himalayas.
Ashok Khanna, Managing Director of IHHR said, “The time is now right to step back to our role as owners and hand these Ista hotels to a superb brand in Hyatt, which can take the business to the next level, through its marketing and brand strength. We are delighted with this relationship.”
“The association with IHHR comes at a particularly poignant time for us at Hyatt as we will mark 30 years since Hyatt Regency Delhi opened as the first Hyatt hotel in India’s capital. Since then, nine more hotels have opened under various Hyatt brands in India; and with the addition of the five Ista hotels, our portfolio stands at 15 business and resort hotels in India,” added Verma.
The re-branding of the five Ista hotels as Hyatt Hotels, will mark the entry of the fourth brand from the company’s portfolio into India. Currently, India has five Hyatt Regency hotels in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata, two Grand Hyatt hotels in Mumbai and Goa, and three Park Hyatt hotels in Goa, Chennai and Hyderabad. There are currently more than 50 Hyatt-branded hotels under development in India, which are expected to add more than 12,000 rooms.
The Hyatt Place brand will be the next to enter India, with Hyatt Place Hampi opening later this year, followed by Hyatt Place Pune, Hinjewadi. The next six months will also mark the opening of three other Hyatt hotels in India – Hyatt Regency Gurgaon, Hyatt Regency Ludhiana and Hyatt Raipur.