amenachem

There are plenty of resorts in Goa. I stayed by three during my last trip - Marriott, Radisson and Park Hyatt. I would definitely recommend the Park Hyatt - it is an incredible property if quite expensive (although no more so than any of the other resorts)...

GUWonder

I've stayed at the InterContinental Goa and the Park Hyatt Goa -- both (and especially the IC) are quite the drive from the main Goan airport serving the state -- and enjoyed them. They aren't over the top, but they were decent enough that I'm not hesitating returning early next year.

GUWonder

Here's the first wave on the table for development:

Hilton Goa Convention Center, Goa (Goa)
Hilton Whitefield, Bangalore (Karnataka)
Hilton Kolkata, Calcutta (W.B.)
HGI Rohini, New Delhi (Delhi)
HGI Saket, New Delhi (Delhi)
HGI Bhubaneshwar, Bhubaneshwar (Orissa)
HGI Hyderabad, Hyderabad (A.P.)
HGI Mysore, Mysore (Karnataka)
Homewood Suites Bhubaneshwar, Bhubaneshwar (Orissa)
Homewood Suites Hyderabad, Hyderabad (A.P.)

The HGI Saket-Delhi is slated to be the first one up and running out of the list above. Probably sometime in 2008.

zakami

Good news GUWonder. India really needs some quality mid-level accomodations and hopefully HGI will set that trend.

piyush

Come April 2008, Trident Hilton Hotels will be re-branded as Trident Hotels, including Mumbai’s landmark Hilton Towers.

This follows a decision by East India Hotels, the owners of the Oberoi Group of hotels, to terminate its strategic alliance for marketing and co-branding with the US-based hospitality chain, Hilton International.

Currently, there are seven Trident Hilton properties across the country in Gurgaon, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, Bhubaneshwar, Chennai and Cochin, apart from Mumbai property, with a cumulative inventory of 1,900 rooms. The Oberoi-Hilton alliance came into effect in 2004. Following the break-up, Mumbai’s Hilton Towers will now be re-branded as Trident Towers.

EIH chairman PRS Oberoi said, “We wish to independently pursue the development of the Trident brand in India but could not do so and maintain the Hilton alliance at the same time.”

EIH has already chalked out an aggressive expansion plan for the Trident brand in the country, with new properties set to open at Bandra Kurla in Mumbai, at the new international airport in Bangalore, and at Hitech City in Hyderabad, adding another 1,300 rooms in the process.

Kolkata, Chandigarh and Delhi are the other prospective destinations for the Trident brand, a senior company executive said. Speaking to ET, EIH vice-chairman S S Mukherji said Hilton’s multi-brand strategy in India could dilute the positioning of the Trident brand. “Using the Hilton name along with mid-market brand such as Garden Inn can send confusing signals to the customer,” he added.

More info here:

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...ow/2406214.cms

grayland

The property in Agra was not really fit to be a Hilton property anyway.
The Sheraton in Agra is a true 5 star and the Trident Hilton was hardly a 3 star.
The Gurgaon Hilton (Delhi) is a decent property but nothing great and has a really poor location.
Not sure about the others.

You want to go where?

The Mumbai Hilton will be a loss. It was attached to the Oberoi so you had access to the Oberoi restaurants in addition to those of the Hilton itself.

GUWonder

Some of these Trident Hiltons are great redemption values in-season. For the upcoming busy tourist season, eat it up while it lasts. After this, redemption opportunities in India will be quite limited for some time and more expensive in points than today.

Given Hilton's latest announced expansion plans did not include their rather recent partner inside India, this break-up was inevitable.

tenmoc

for $30 US a night it definitely was. But now there is NO reason not to stay at the sheraton there instead.

Athena53

Darn, that's a disappointment. I really liked the Hilton Trident Gurgaon- for me it was convenient to our offices in DLF. Glad I got one stay with Hilton points last May. With any luck I'll be able to bag another before the change in April.

GUWonder

Hilton has at least two or maybe it's even three or more properties slated to come up around DLF in the next couple of years.

JDiver

OTOH, do I recall something about Hilton Garden Inn coming to India?

I could imagine something less amazingly expensive than the top hotels, with HGI reliability, would be rather welcome on the subcontinent.

hserus

I heard that too - similarly there's a crowne plaza coming up in Delhi, and a Courtyard By Marriott up and running in MAA ..

GUWonder

Yes. There's at least one slated for the DEL area -- it might even be two around there.

JDiver

That is, IMO, very good news! ^