British hotel group says it plans India expansion

(Premier Inn)

Premier Inn, Britain's largest hotel chain, said Tuesday it planned to have ten of its budget hotels in India over the next five years as the Asian country's business-traveller market expands.

Premier Inn, owned by British leisure group Whitbread, plans nine more hotels in India by 2014 after opening its first there last week in Bangalore, the group said in a statement.

"Premier Inn is expanding in India to capitalise on the country's developing business traveller market," said the chain.

"Currently there are a limited number of budget hotel brands in India and this represents an excellent opportunity for Premier Inn, with its strong budget hotel model."

Premier Inn India's managing director Aly Shariff said the group was planning "10 hotels in five years," with one due to open in Delhi next year followed by another in Pune in 2011. The group added that it was studying other potential sites.

"India represents one of the fastest growing economies in the world today, and we are confident that Premier Inn will be successful in India," said Patrick Dempsey, managing director of Premier Inn UK.