New Delhi : Europe’s oldest luxury hotel chain, Kempinski Hotels, hosted a press briefing at the Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi with Mr. Duncan O’Rourke, Chief Operating Officer, Kempinski Hotels and Mr. Ulrich Eckhardt, Managing Director & President India, Middle East & Africa, Kempinski Hotels. Mr. O’Rourke led a discussion on the vision and mission of Kempinski Hotels, as well as their growth and expansion plans. The brand currently has one hotel in operation in India and 73 hotels globally, with plans to open 112 hotels by 2017.

Talking about the importance of the Indian market, Mr. O’Rourke stated, “India is a rapidly growing economy with a burgeoning middle class that appreciates and has the resources to enjoy high-end luxury. The country also plays an important role in terms of outbound travel to our numerous properties across the globe.”

“We plan to operate three new hotels in India by 2020. We already have an operational hotel, the Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi, and these additions will take our total strength to four hotels in the country in the next 5-6 years”, commented Mr. O’Rourke on their plans for the Indian market.

Talking about their strategy for expansion, Mr. Ulrich Eckhardt added, “While we are bullish on our expansion in the country we have put a cap on growth as we want to be known for our luxury and exclusivity. India is an extremely important market for us and we are looking to follow a tactical planned approach to grow our footprint in the country.”

The three properties are planned in the cities of Mumbai, Kolkata and Kerala and the company will follow a management contract model for these new hotels. Each of the upcoming hotels will feature 150-250 keys and the property in Kerala is planned to be a resort, the first for Kempinski Hotels in India.