Raffles to make debut in India with two hotels

Accor chairman and chief executive Sebastien Bazin said the announcement of Raffles Jaipur and Raffles Udaipur signalled a “new direction for Accor in India” and a “stronger focus on luxury and premium brands” in the country.

Both the hotels are in the popular state of Rajasthan, but will certainly not be the only luxury hotels there, with many brands competing with iconic hotels there.

“It is with immense pride that we announce the arrival of the Raffles brand in India, a hallmark of luxury and sublime service in a country that is famous for delivering luxury at the highest level,” Bazin said. “We look forward to delivering the distinctive Raffles experience to travellers in India.”

Raffles is a brand with 130 years’ heritage since the creation of Raffles Singapore – which is set to reopen later this summer following a huge renovation – but has just 13 hotels in 11 countries. These include Seychelles, Singapore, Poland, France, Turkey and, most recently, the Maldives.

The 101-room Raffles Udaipur will be on a 21-acre private island in Udai Sagar lake, one of the five prominent lakes of Udaipur, and is expected to open by mid-2020.

Raffles Jaipur is being built at Kukas and is anticipated to open in 2022, combining private residences and courtyards adjacent to a larger hotel complex that also houses the Fairmont Jaipur, as that brand makes its debut in India as well.

“The opening of Raffles Udaipur and Raffles Jaipur is a key moment in our strategic growth in India and represents a new era of highly differentiated ultra-luxury experiences,” said owner of the two Raffles hotels Ratankant Sharma (pictured above with Bazin), who also owns the Fairmont. “This partnership reinforces our foresight of India becoming a global gateway with world-class facilities that set new standards for residents and visitors alike.”

Accor currently features 4,800 hotels and around 10,000 private homes worldwide.