The Economic Times of India reported Thursday that Berggruen Hotels plans to develop 30 hotels across India by 2015 that will focus on single women travelers.
According to Berggruen Managing Director and CEO Sanjay Sethi, over the next three years the company plans to invest into projects that will operate on management contracts or as fully-owned hotels. Berggruen was founded in 2006 and is funded by Berggruen Holdings, New York City.
“The quantum of the single lady traveler is currently between 8% to 10% (of the visitors’ profile) in the country,” Sethi said. “With the number of female executives and women business travellers on the rise, the proportion is expected to touch 20% in the next five years.”
Sethi said the new hotels will provide additional security features to female visitors, including videophones that will allow them to check the identity of the any person seeking access to guestrooms.
The chain currently operates hotels under the mid-market “Keys” brand with 10 hotels and 937 guestrooms.