Waldorf Astoria, the iconic luxury hotel brand of Hilton Hotels & Resorts, will make its India debut in Jaipur in 2028 as the parent firm has joined hands with the Dangayach Group to bring the celebrity favourite hospitality brand to the land of palaces and museums.

Renowned for its impeccable service, accommodation and culinary experiences, Waldorf Astoria has been over the years the first choice of state heads, royals, and film stars. Notably, Waldorf Astoria New York, the maiden hotel, is amid a relaunch this year after an eight-year-long restoration process.

Waldorf Astoria Jaipur will have as many as 51 expansive pool villas and 174 elegant guest rooms in a sprawling campus spanning 22 acres overlooking the Aravalli Hills. It will also come with a luxurious spa; an outdoor swimming pool; a state-of-the-art fitness centre; five distinctive dining experiences, including the world-famous Peacock Alley; the iconic lounge and bar synonymous with the brand; a meeting space spanning over 2,400 square metres; and open lawns, courtyards and gardens over 3,000 square metres.

The debut comes at a time when the US-based hotel chain hopes to capture the Indian market by doubling its presence in the coming years with both luxury and premium hotels from its wide portfolio. “India is a critical part of Hilton’s global strategy. As one of the world’s largest and most dynamic markets, it represents a major opportunity across brand segments. The market may be small now, but it has tremendous potential. In the next five years we plan to double our presence in India and 10x in the next 10 years,” Hilton’s President & CEO Christopher Nassetta said at the first Hilton’s Brand Showcase in India.

Ten brands from the Hilton portfolio— Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton and soon-to-debut brands, spanning luxury (Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Signia by Hilton), to lifestyle (Curio Collection by Hilton) and focused service (Spark by Hilton)—were displayed through installations and immersive experiences at the event in Bengaluru.

“Like every market, India has its unique circumstances. The idea is to build a network of all the different price points and then you’re hitting from one city to one resort location and hitting tier 2 and tier 3 cities and locations so that you have a network to serve all the different price points that the customers prefer to choose,” Nassetta explained.

In addition to Waldorf Astoria, the group will also launch its high-end LXR Hotel at Bengaluru, and Signia and Conrad at Jaipur in the coming months. Also, in the pipeline this year is the launch of Slohh by Roch, Curio Collection by Hilton—the group’s first lifestyle hotel in India in Bengaluru. These lifestyle hotels are being branded as destinations within themselves.

Last year, the hospitality group signed up with Olive by Embassy to develop 150 Spark by Hilton hotels and with Nile Hospitality to develop 75 Hampton by Hilton hotels across the country in the coming months.

The Brand Showcase also unveiled its latest global campaign featuring actor Deepika Padukone. It also showcased Goa-based artist Subodh Kerker’s interpretation of the legendary horse of Maharaja Pratap ‘Chetak’ using Rajasthani textiles and recycled rags and beads. The installation will eventually be part of the interactive zones, live experiences and curated galleries at Conrad Jaipur.