Planet Hollywood Names Former TGI Friday's CEO To Head India & Asia Expansion

Planet Hollywood International, a global hotel and casino-styled resorts chain themed around Hollywood, has appointed former TGI Friday's India head Rohan Jetley to lead its hotels and resorts division in India and Asia as it looks to expand in Asia.

"India has the capacity to take 10 Planet Hollywood Hotels over the next two to three years, as a mix of new builds and conversions," Jetley told sources.

Robert Earl, a serial entrepreneur, founded Planet Hollywood.

"We will be looking for local partners to develop the hotels," Jetley stated. "The market for the lifestyle hotel category is rapidly growing and has become the preferred category with global travellers," he said. Partnerships with ancillary brands in the Planet Hollywood group, which could be added to the hotel and resort projects, could be part of the expansion plans.

Earl Enterprises Corporation, based in Florida, currently operates two hotels in India, one in Mumbai and one in South Goa.

"Jetley will lead the team that will focus on opportunities throughout Asia and India for Planet Hollywood Hotels and Resorts worldwide," according to a statement from the company.

The Jetley family-owned Bistro Hospitality had sold his stake in TGI Friday's India operations to Universal Success Enterprises, a Singapore-based diversified hospitality and real estate group. TGI Friday's now has a very limited presence in India because it could not compete with larger fine-dining brands that have consistently invested in India.

Jetley joined Reef Technologies, a real estate group, as chief executive for the Middle East region after selling Bistro's stake in TGI Friday's.

The Indian hospitality sector is recovering strongly after the pandemic, with discretionary spending at an all-time high, and many large hospitality brands, including Hilton Group, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, and Radisson Hotels, have announced the establishment and expansion of luxury brands in the country.

Executives said rapid infrastructure development in India, better roads and highways and premium airports are providing new opportunities for luxury brands to set up operations in India.

Analysts have forecast robust growth for the sector, on the back of improved Revenue Per Available Room and increase in the ARR (Average Room Rate). A recent report by Motilal Oswal said the occupancy rate of the hotels sector stood at 65 percent in the December 2022 quarter, adding that it expected the occupancy rates to cross pre-Covid levels in the upcoming quarters. The report attributed the growth to the G20 Summit meetings, the ICC Cricket World Cup, increase in discretionary spending and rapid growth of foreign travel into India.