Atlanta-based America’s Best Franchising has signed a multi-year agreement with Mumbai-based Budgetel Hotels India Pvt. Ltd. to be the master licensee in India for the Budgetel brand. At least 50 Budgetel branded properties are expected to open in India within the next five years, or about one per month.
“Budgetel is a name that stands for value and quality, especially among India’s rising middle class and the increasing number of foreign tourists,” explains Aakash Sachdev, an Indian investor and entrepreneur who serves as managing director for Budgetel Hotels Pvt. Ltd.
“We intend to position Budgetel with owners and developers as a highly-desirable brand for new construction, but especially for conversion among India’s two and three-star properties – of which there are some 7,000 prospective candidates.”
According to Sachdev, the benefits of joining the Budgetel family of properties will include connection to the America’s Best Franchising worldwide reservation system; support from the company’s state-of-the art marketing and support services; and the consumer-appeal of about 20 amenities that will be signature elements for Budgetel in India, such as free WiFi, flat screen television, pillow-top mattresses, and luxury shower head fixtures.
“We offer a proven way for hotel owners to enhance their investment and to increase their year-over-year revenues,” adds Sachdev.
According to Doug Collins, Chairman and CEO of America’s Best Franchising, “India is a severely underdeveloped hotel market. It is the world’s second largest country by population, yet it has only about 150,000 hotel rooms – which is the same number as in cities like Las Vegas, New York, or Orlando.”
Adds Collins, “This new license agreement is a unique opportunity for us to compete very successfully in the world’s second largest budget hotel market with a brand name and a room quality that are highly dependable, highly desirable.”
Within the past two years, America’s Best Franchising has launched an aggressive international expansion of its brands, notably in China, India, and Nigeria. The company currently operates almost 250 properties worldwide under its upscale 3 Palms brand for independent hotels and its four upper economy brands – America’s Best Inns & Suites, Budgetel Inns & Suites, Country Hearth Inns & Suites, and Parkside Hotels & Resorts.
For inquiries about Budgetel franchising in India, contact Aaakash Sachdev at aakesh.sachdev@gmail.com.
