Starwood Hotels and Resorts Brings Aloft to India

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Brings Aloft to India
1. What are the drivers of Indias economic boom? Will the Indian government continue being cooperative and welcoming to foreign investors?
2. Do the deeper pockets (e.g., cash and other resources) of international hotel chains give them a
competitive advantage over domestic chains? Why or why not? If an advantage does exist, is the
advantage of deep pockets a sustainable advantage?
3. As the popularity of Indian market grows, will other global and domestic chains increase their
aggressiveness, posing enhanced competitive threats?
4. Why is Starwood expanding with a newly created and untested brand like Aloft? Does the brand
concept work outside of the US? Why or why not?
5. Will the brand work in India as a new generation of Indian customers emerges? What elements of the
Aloft brand make it easy or difficult to bring to India?