Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has launched its new Radisson Red hotel brand in India, a key market in which Carlson Rezidor is established as the number one international hotel operator by number of hotels. The launch of this upscale Lifestyle Elect brand is part of Carlson Rezidor’s expansion plans for India, which are aimed at extending the group’s lead in a country where it currently has 74 hotels in operation and 43 more in the pipeline.
“The economic outlook is optimistic and the demand for rooms in India has been growing by double-digit percentages over the past decade and this is expected to continue for the next few years. Domestic travel is growing and international arrivals are on the increase. This is a market that is prime for our Radisson Red brand, which is positioned to address the needs of savvy travelers, while meeting the expectations of bottom line-focused owners. Radisson Red offers a differentiated guest experience, with lower construction and operating costs than traditional upscale hotels due to a multi-functional approach to design and efficient space-planning. Radisson Red also gives owners the flexibility to customize the specifics to cater to the unique demands of each locale,” said Thorsten Kirschke, president, Asia Pacific, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.
Radisson Red is a new hotel concept where the focus is on design and detail, choice, personal interaction and technology. Its Lifestyle Elect proposition enables guests to elect the type of stay experience that best reflects their lifestyle. Radisson Red offers a non-traditional stay experience that combines work and play, and appeals to the growing millennial-minded segment. This key segment cuts across age groups to include all travelers who seek unique experiences when they travel and who have an affinity for technology and a lifestyle that integrates work and play.
To ensure that guests always stay connected, Radisson Red provides Free Internet to all. Upon arrival, guests enter a Hi All Gallery where locally-inspired art is incorporated into the overall design. And instead of typical meeting facilities, guests can book an event studio with state-of-the-art technology for meetings or gatherings. Red Cafe, Oui Bar and the 24-hour Red Deli, are connected, open and social spaces that set the scene for interaction and games. To cater to local market needs, Radisson Red hotels in India will have an option of a full service restaurant. Guests can dine at the restaurant or enjoy in-room dining while working in their rooms, which are designed with usage flexibility in mind. The traditional guestroom desk makes way for a multifunctional table at which guests can work, eat and surf the internet. Guests can also enjoy a movie on the super-sized TV screen with surround sound using content from their personal devices.
The first Radisson Red hotel was signed in October 2014 in China. Radisson Red Shenyang Hunnan, part of a twin hotel development which includes Radisson Blu Shenyang, is scheduled to open in 2016. In India, Radisson Red will be ideal for primary/secondary such as Ahmedabad, Benguluru, Chennai, the Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Lucknow, Mumbai and Pune, as well as leisure and religious destinations suchas Goa, Jaipur, Katra, Shirdi, Tirupati. Carlson Rezidor expects to have 60 Radisson Red hotels globally by 2020.
