Inside Radisson's 'Welcome India' Program, Expansion Plans, and Marketing Strategy

Skift

20-05-2025

Radisson now has 200 properties in its India portfolio and is optimistic about having 500 operating hotels in the next 5-7 years. But a strong marketing strategy is amiss as it relies on word of mouth and loyalty.
The Radisson Hotel Group is working on a program that aims to prepare its properties across the world for Indian travelers. The program, called Welcome India, is currently in the works, Nikhil Sharma, managing director and chief operating officer for South Asia at Radisson Hotel Group told Skift.
'We want our hotels globally to be ready for Indians because Indian travelers have their nuances like vegetarian food or multi-generational travelers,' he said. He added that India is among a handful of countries that have multi-generational travelers, with all of them having different needs.
'Indian travelers traveling with families want rooms next to each other, for example. These are very small quirks and nuances.' This is also true for destination Indian weddings, he said, where some hotels might not understand or have knowledge of the rituals that are a part of the ceremony.
He shared that the company is currently working on the blueprint. 'We will probably launch it in 2026 or 2027,' he said, adding that it will first be implemented in nearby countries like Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore, before expanding to Europe and Americas.
'The whole point is to make a playbook and ensure that Indians feel as at home in a Radisson anywhere in the world as they do in India.'
200 Hotels in India
Radisson's portfolio in India has expanded to 200 operational and developing properties. The chain has been present in the country for 26 years. According to Sharma, Indians relate to Radisson as an Indian brand. 'As an international brand, we are very local and nationalistic in our approach. We continue to grow because more than 50% of our portfolio is in smaller cities.'
He said that over the next 5-7 years, India could go from 185,000 branded hotel rooms to 1 million operating rooms. 'I truly believe that during this time, Radisson could easily reach 500 operating hotels,' he said.
According to Sharma, smaller cities and spiritual destinations are the drivers of growth in the country. 'If we want India to develop, the growth has to be beyond the top 10 cities. That is where we have been focused. We opened hotels in locations such as Karjat and Yavatmal which did not have tourists coming in,' he said.
While India has a large number of unbranded hotels, he said many are using a soft brand approach in which independent hotels collaborate with larger hospitality chains for sales and operational support while retaining their own unique name and identity. For example, Radisson has two soft brands - Radisson Individuals and Radisson Individual Retreats.
According to Sharma, unbranded hotels are also not always able to get a Radisson brand because they do not meet the requirements due to lack of resources. 'In the future, you will see more unbranded hotels transitioning into branded ones in the midscale, upscale, and upper-upscale segments,' he added.
Competition Intense, Marketing Missing
Competition is intensifying in India as the brands present in India are increasing their inventory and more brands are entering.
He said that Radisson is counting on word of mouth and loyalty to help distinguish itself among an increasingly discerning customer base.
'Loyalty is a core part of our system. We have 2.2 million Indians enrolled in our Radisson Rewards program, and last year, we saw almost 15% of them re-booking with us within a 3 to 6-month period. So repeat bookings are a huge pull.'
To further attract Indian audiences, Radisson is upping its experience. Radisson is one of the sponsors for Bangalore football club. 'We want to be associated with more youthful upcoming sports,' he said.
The company has also launched a new program called Literary Escapes for travelers who like to read. 'We intend to have book reading clubs in some of our hotels and partner with authors to continue the culture of book reading,' he explained. Initiatives like these will be brand differentiators to some extent, Sharma shared.
It is also promoting its 'Art of Weddings' program designed to help couples plan and customize their weddings at Radisson properties as Indian weddings become more extravagant. 'It is not that we weren't having weddings in Radisson, but we were not showcasing it.'