Marriott International will be opening Fairfield, a three star business brand, in the country within 18-24 months. Marriott is looking at the suburbs of major metros for the brand, including tier II cities. In the US, the company uses the Fairfield Inn & Suites brand, but it will be called Fairfield in India, said a senior official.
?We are looking at mixed use sites for Fairfield, having properties at malls and office spaces,? said Simon F Cooper, president and managing director, Asia-Pacific, Marriott International. He added that the Fairfield brand will make majority of the 100 hotels planned by the company by 2015.
?We are estimating 40% of our portfolio in India to be Fairfield in the next five years,? he said. Marriott is looking at a franchisee model for the brand and has expressed interest to tie up with its franchisee partners from the US, specifically those that either have a presence in India or those that are looking to make an entry into the country to develop its Fairfield brand. One of such partners could be HP Rama run JHM Hotels.