- Hilton and Olive signed an agreement to develop 10 Spark hotels in India.
- This advances their 2024 plan to develop 150 franchised Spark hotels.
- The signings also support Hilton’s growth in India’s midscale segment.
HILTON WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS and Olive Hospitality signed agreements for the first 10 Spark by Hilton hotels in India. This advances their 2024 agreement to develop 150 franchised Sparks across the country.
The hotels will open in Bengaluru, Karnataka, Jaipur, Rajasthan; Nashik and Pune in Maharashtra; Mathura, Uttar Pradesh; Rajkot, Gujarat; Hyderabad, Telangana and Goa, Hilton said in a statement. The expansion reflects Hilton’s strategy to expand beyond metros into growth cities driven by mobility, infrastructure investment and commercial hubs.
“These signings demonstrate our belief in India’s mid-market segment and allow us to bring a wider network of new owners and guests into the Hilton ecosystem,” said Clarence Tan, Hilton’s senior vice president of development, Asia Pacific. “We are targeting a mix of metro and non-metro locations to debut these hotels, which will provide a new level of hospitality to India’s emerging domestic travelers.”
Separately, Hilton recently contracted Regenta Hotels Pvt. Ltd. to franchise and open 125 Hampton by Hilton hotels in India by 2035. The hotels will be developed in western and southern India, including Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Spark’s focus
Spark by Hilton hotels in India will focus on simplicity and service, the statement said. Public spaces will include communal tables and rocking chairs for breakfast, socializing or work. The brand will offer complimentary breakfast with local items and a 24-hour retail market for travelers.
Kahraman Yigit, Olive’s co-founder and CEO, said India is defined by diverse markets and requires a model that can scale across them while maintaining consistency.
“Crossing 10 signings is an important milestone and sets the pace of growth we are building together," he said. "With these signings, we are building a pipeline for speed, reliability, and long-term owner value. Our approach is centred on enabling efficient conversions, allowing owners to enter the branded ecosystem while delivering a consistent guest experience from day one.”
The signings boost Hilton’s growth in India’s midscale segment, the statement said. The partnership with Olive Hospitality adds to Hilton’s expansion, including agreements with NILE Hospitality for 75 Hampton by Hilton hotels and Royal Orchid Hotels for 125 Hampton hotels. These agreements and Hilton’s pipeline position the company to exceed 400 hotels in India in the coming years.
“Spark by Hilton was created to bring Hilton’s reliability to a new generation of travelers who value quality, comfort and consistency at an accessible price point,” said Andrew Ling, Hilton’s regional head for focused service and all-suites brands, Asia Pacific. “As the brand takes root in India, our focus is on delivering the core Spark experience of thoughtful simplicity and essentials, while adapting to local preferences.”
Olive, the hospitality arm of Bengaluru-based Embassy Group, has 4,472 keys signed across 20 cities in 10 states, with 2,178 keys operational in metros and tier-2 and tier-3 markets including Tirupati, Mathura, Rajkot and Nashik.
