A myriad of new hotel brands looks set to hit the European market within the next few years.
Following Hilton Hotel Corporation's (HHC) takeover of its UK counterpart, Hilton International, other HHC brands, such as Double Tree, Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites could soon be introduced into Europe.
Wolfgang Neumann, president of Europe and Africa at Hilton, said: "We are currently evaluating which brands to bring across. We will be announcing details over the next few months."
Starwood has already begun its expansion of its W brand into Europe and the Middle East with the opening of W hotels in Barcelona and Dubai in 2008.
Roeland Vos, Starwood's president of Europe, Africa and the Middle East, said: "The expansion of both W and Aloft brands depends on maintaining clear brand definition and finding the right partners and locations."
Richard Hartman, managing director of Europe, Africa and the Middle East at InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, said its new US brand, Indigo, "had traction" outside the USA.
But he added: "We have been inundated with requests for Indigo franchises, but it won't work in Europe in its US format. We need to redesign it and then it will be a good city-centre brand."