The Park Hotels: Revitalizing an Iconic Indian Brand

Priya Paul, chairwoman of The Park Hotels, an award-winning portfolio of thirteen boutique hotels scattered across India, was in the midst of a brand revitalization program. Landor Associates, a leading brand consultancy, had identified three areas of concern: the shrinking differentiation opportunity provided by a boutique hotel positioning, consumers’ negative perceptions of some of The Park Hotels properties, and a lack of consistency across the properties in the brand portfolio. Competition was heating up, and Paul had a goal to expand to 20 hotels in the next 10 years. She knew that she had to make some major changes to her brand, including reconsidering her value proposition, choosing a new logo, and selecting the right products and services to revitalize the brand. Additionally, she had to decide where to site the 7 new hotel properties to best compete against global behemoths Starwood, Marriott, Hyatt, and Intercontinental that were aggressively entering India. How could she best revitalize her brand to stand out in a crowded marketplace while preserving its rich heritage? Which changes would best propel The Park Hotels into the future? Teaching Note for HBS No. 314-114.