Radisson Hotel Group eyeing expansion in tier 3, 4 cities

Radisson Hotel Group is aiming to have 200 properties in India by 2027 and increase presence in new tourist centres as well as business locations in tier 3 and 4 cities, a top company executive has said.

From business and tourist perspectives, there is paucity of quality accommodation in many locations especially in tier 3 and 4 cities and "we see ourselves playing a major role going forward in that space," Radisson Hotel Group Managing Director and Area Senior Vice President for South Asia Nikhil Sharma told PTI during a virtual interaction.

Sharma said the company has nine brands in the country, and going forward in 2025, there will be Park Inn & Suites by Radisson coming up in locations like Thrissur (Kerala), Bengaluru, and a lot of tier 3 and 4 cities.

"Looking ahead, we have a pipeline close to 200 hotels by 2027. By next year, we'll have over 150 operating hotels, and we expect consistent growth across our various brands.

Radisson will be the brand that will be grown in bulk but we have newer brands as well in the market like Park Inn & Suites by Radisson, Radisson RED...There will also be faster growth of these brands," he said.

The company, Sharma said, has also done soft branding, so there will be hotels under brands like Radisson Individuals and Radisson Individuals Retreats.

"So, this year, for example, we've opened six Radisson Individuals. These are hotels that have their own character. So, if you're in the north then, you would have heard of a hotel in Nainital in Uttarakhand for example, called Manu Maharani, which is now rebranded as Radisson Individuals.

So, we are rebranding boutique hotels and working with them as Radisson Individuals or Radisson Individuals Retreats so that's our other brands that you will see more growth," he added.

While talking about employment, Sharma said, the hospitality sector is the second largest employer in the country and its rapid expansion will generate more jobs.

"After agriculture, we are the second largest employers in India according to statistics. With every one room added into the country, 10 jobs are created, and opportunities will be huge going forward in line with the rapid expansion of the hospitality industry in the country," he said.

This is also creating an immediate shortage of manpower, for which Radisson Hotels Group is doing a lot of soft skilling and has also inked agreements with Hotel Management colleges, Sharma stated.

"We have signed 4 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and are adopting four institutes to not only train them for Radisson Hotel Group/RHG but to bring their training up to relevant international hotel standards, and for them to be more relevant when they pass out," he said.

The company has also signed an agreement with the Tourism ministry in this regard, Sharma added.