Hyatt, Carlson sign hotel deals in India, China

Hyatt Hotels Corp and Carlson on Wednesday unveiled plans to expand their Asian hotels businesses, showing that hoteliers are continuing to grow in India and China as the United States and Europe recover from the financial crisis.

Hyatt said it has 11 new hotel management agreements in China, doubling its total number of contracts there to 22. Travel and hospitality company Carlson said it will open eight hotels in India this year and plans to add at least another 15 in 2011.

Lodging companies like these emerging markets where potential demand for hotel rooms outstrips supply. About a quarter of Hyatt's hotels are outside North America, and it runs 17 hotels in China. It said the new agreements are for properties in growing Chinese cities like Dalian, Qingdao and Wenzhou.

The company said four China hotels -- Park Hyatt Ningbo, Hyatt Regency Jinan, Hyatt Regency Guiyang and Hyatt Regency Qingdao -- are slated to open in 2011, with an additional nine properties expected to open in 2012.

Privately held Carlson, which operates Radisson and Country Inns & Suites by Carlson, said it plans to have more than 100 hotels in operation in India by 2015. Properties expected to open this year include the 178-room Radisson Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar, the 120-room Radisson Hotel Rudrapur and the 73-room Country Inn & Suites Gurgaon Sector 12.

Carlson operates about 1,075 hotels worldwide. Hyatt, which went public last year, has a portfolio of 445 properties, with more located in China than any other country except the United States.