Following the company’s relocations to China in 2011 and Dubai in 2013, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced it will relocate its global headquarters from the United States to India in March 2015 for a month-long immersion. Starwood President and CEO Frits van Paasschen and the company’s top executives will split their time between Mumbai and Delhi.
Over the course of the relocation, the Starwood team will travel to cities throughout India — including Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad and Kochi, and also throughout South Asia to Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Maldives — to meet with associates, customers, owners and prospective developers.
Starwood currently operates 40 hotels in India with another 36 hotels under development. Across South Asia, Starwood has a goal of 100 hotels under operation or development in the region by 2016.
“This is a particularly exciting time for us relocate to India,” van Paasschen said. “Its renewed focus on travel infrastructure is much needed, as travel demand is fueled by economic growth and a population expected to overtake China by 2030. We all know of India as a hotbed of technological innovation and global services. Coupled with the rise in entrepreneurship and investment, millions of people are joining its middle class every year. And, of course, this means millions of new travelers. At the same time, India is both unique and immensely diverse. Our extended time there will allow us to immerse ourselves and appreciate new approaches to the business of hospitality.”