Skift Take
Taj isn't afraid to do things differently, whether teaming up with a competitor on an innovative loyalty program strategy, or deciding to whittle down its number of brands to just one. It's certainly a hotel company worth keeping an eye on going forward thanks to its contrarian approaches.
At a time when most hotel companies are looking to increase the number of brands they have, Mumbai-based Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, which has 100 hotels worldwide, is doing just the opposite.
Today, the company has decided to rebrand itself under a single name: Taj Hotels, Palaces, Resorts & Spas, and Safaris. By year's end, Taj's two other hotel brands, the upper upscale Vivanta by Taj and the upscale Gateway Hotels & Resorts will be phased out, and all 100 Taj, Vivanta, and Gateway properties will be completely rebranded as Taj.
"Part of the need for this new brand architecture was to differentiate ourselves in a more strong fashion compared to all the new brands that are coming, especially those coming into the country here in India — all the Marriotts, Hyatts, and Hiltons of the world," said Chinmai Sharma, Taj's chief revenue officer. "As the marketplace gets more crowded across all chain scales, from budget to upscale and luxury, we've created our own niche segment to create a substantial difference and better brand differentiation. With this mono brand approach, the value proposition is extremely clear in everyone's mind."
Sharma may have a point. Ask any consumer (or yourself) to tell the distinct difference between Marriott's SpringHill Suites or a Fairfield Inn & Suites brands, or to do the same with
