30 Minute Interview

'There is huge potential for Courtyard in India'

Marriott International has plans to expand to 21 properties over the next three years. Edwin Fuller, president and managing director (Lodging International), Marriott International, speaks with Andrea Lopez about the company's endeavours.

Edwin Fuller President & MD (Lodging international), Marriott international

Tell us about the expansions in India.

We plan to expand to 21 properties representing six lodging brands that will include the new Ritz-Carlton, totaling 5,524 rooms, over the next three years. The chain's brand portfolio in India will more than triple by the end of 2010, while the number of rooms will more than quadruple.

Included in the expansions are three JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts properties and one Ritz-Carlton hotel in the luxury tier, one Marriott Hotels & Resorts and one Renaissance Hotels & Resorts property in the upscale category and one Marriott Executive Apartments property for extended-stay travellers. All hotels will operate under long-term management contracts.

These six hotels join nine previously-announced properties that are soon to start, or are currently under, construction in Bangalore, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Noida and Pune. In addition, the existing 286-room Renaissance Mumbai Hotel is undergoing a 302-room expansion that is scheduled for completion in 2008.

What spurred this expansion plan?

Asia is a vibrant market. India and China are both forerunners in this game, although China is a fairly more mature market. The idea of expanding on a large scale was to appeal to different traveller sensibilities. We had previously announced nine properties due to start in Bangalore, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Kolkata and a few other cities in India by 2010. We are also looking at the Asian market to draw our staff from. We have opened a development office in New Delhi whose goal is to strengthen our representation in India.

Marriott has added quite a few Courtyard hotels. How do you see this model evolving?

Courtyard hotels are pegged below our standard five-star brand of hotels and are therefore less opulent. They are primarily designed for the business traveller and with India growing as an IT hub, there is a huge opportunity to develop the Courtyard model. All of them are strategically located - the one in Mumbai will be a few kilometers from the Mumbai International Airport.

Budget hotels have hogged their share of limelight in India. Do you think this model will outlive the five-stars?

The Marriott group has sustained its brand for years. Budget hotels have become the choice for many travellers, but ultimately the experience of a hotel is what counts.

What is Marriott doing to get into the carbon neutral mode?

We also have many energy management programmes underway to reduce energy costs - we practice recycling at all our hotels and have been recognised internationally with numerous awards for our environment-friendly undertakings.