Shilpi Madan
25-Apr-2025
Candice D’Cruz, Vice President of Luxury Brands at Hilton, Asia Pacific, shares valuable insights into the future of hospitality, discussing trends, innovations, and Hilton’s strategy for creating exceptional guest experiences.
It’s homecoming for Candice D’Cruz, Vice President of Luxury Brands at Hilton, Asia Pacific, as the expanding portfolio of luxury properties at Hilton and the rapidly evolving market in India bring her frequently to the country for shaping the growth momentum in the region.
Brought up in Mumbai and now based in Singapore, Candice is leading trailblazing initiatives to strengthen Hilton’s positioning in the luxury space. Powered by over 20 years of experience that lends depth and dimension to every strategic manoeuvre, she is also wielding her expert hand across 60 trading and pipeline properties in Asia Pacific spanning the company’s luxury brands: Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, LXR Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts.
Excerpts from a conversation:
1. The connotation of luxury hospitality is shifting rapidly. What are the key levers in the making of the luxury hospitality industry in 2025?
Luxury is becoming more informal. The sheer ease of being in luxury spaces – whether a hotel, spa or restaurant – is critical for guests, as the spaces need to feel like an extension of their lifestyle. Secondly, guests are coming back frequently and looking for different dimensions, deeper connections, through different lenses as opposed to scripted itineraries. They want authentic experiences and want more stories to tell once they return to their own homes. They look at eating street food, bringing in multi-generational dips into local experiences like walking through vineyards and the bazaars, and spending time with locals.
Thirdly, solo travel is becoming bigger. People are looking at destinations that make them feel safe. Solo women travellers are driving this emerging trend.
Travel based on purpose is on the rise too, with ‘Racqueteering’ picking up. Resorts and hotels are offering the chance to learn a new sport, adding amenities to play pickleball, tennis, pick up snorkelling, scuba diving and more. People are coming with the leisure mindset to stay for a few weeks. We have brought in these dimensions for our guests at many properties.
2. How important are culinary considerations in decision-making?
Culinary is a big decision maker for the luxury traveller and often makes the guest come back to a hotel. Storytelling is the draw. Guests want to sojourn through the food lens through destinations. This stands true for urban leisure locations as well. For instance, we have brought in the ConradCurates programme at Conrad Pune as a first (before taking it to Conrad Bangalore next). Experiencing the pulse of the local copper-making market, walking trails around heritage spots, and then weaving the nuances into an experiential dinner at the property – with local ingredients, age-old recipes specific to the region, and copper glasses making it to the spread.
3. What is that mark of distinction for a luxury property?
There are always new shiny products in the market. The distinction and the edge lie in the consistent luxury service and culture of excellence. With the growing number of UHNW individuals and their verbal recommendations within their own circles, we need to ensure that the guests savour the rarity quotient. Rarity isn’t easy to find. Once found, how do you maintain that to retain the super-exclusive edge – here lies the challenge.
4. What are the biggest gaps that you observe in the industry today?
Post-pandemic, not enough hospitality professionals returned to the industry. It is easier to be a YouTuber today. The challenge is, in view of this gap, how do you make the hospitality industry feel a little sexy? Creating new luxury dimensions and empowerment of human capital are two pivotal ways. We are diving deep to shape luxury mindsets through programmes. We are training a cluster of 40 general managers from different luxury properties across the world, as they learn what new-age luxury connotes. It is a start.
5. Luxury also means exclusivity. Are you capping the number of locations for the Hilton presence in India?
Waldorf Astoria opens in Jaipur in 2027, following its unveiling in Osaka days ago. We are revealing the second Waldorf in Shanghai, which is more modern compared to the pre-existing Waldorf in the city that embodies the heritage vein. Sometimes the location and density of demand call for more than one property presence. We are unveiling plans for LXR in locations in India in May.
Hilton’s culture is super strong, humble, and simple. We are pushing it through a new perspective through storytelling. By creating unforgettable experiences at each of our properties, we are looking at maximising the sizable outbound volumes too. For instance, Conrad Athens opens up this year, and when you enjoy the experience of staying at Conrad Pune or Conrad Bangalore, you are liable to look at staying at the sister properties abroad when you travel. We are drawing on local experiences at our properties across the world to create memorable experiences for all our guests.
6. How are you planning to target different wallets?
There are amazing cities in Tier 1 and Tier 2 segments in India and stunning locations for resorts. Then there is religious tourism, niche lodges, the expanding wellness market, and more. Ranthambore, Ooty, Goa and more bring in exciting room for introducing all our brands, from LXR Hotels & Resorts to Waldorf Astoria to Spark by Hilton to Hampton by Hilton. We are configuring presence in keeping with the right location for the right brand.
7. In view of the wellness industry growing by the day, does Hilton plan to focus on the wellness aspect specifically at its properties?
We are aligning different aspects for different brands, yet staying connected to the ethos and destination. Umana Bali, LXR Hotels & Resorts, is in a location where wellness is perceived through a spiritual lens. There are two temples on the premises; guests are welcomed with the tying of the sacred thread on their wrists…after all, who doesn’t need blessings? The focus is on the return on experience through the sleep rituals, yoga, walks, spa, and other options. The property stands connected to what Bali stands for and touches the soul.
(In Image : Umana Bali, LXR Hotels & Resorts)
Hilton has aligned with the Calm app to place the premium on sleep. For us, it goes beyond just a comfortable mattress and pillows, curating the entire sensorial experience from the scent in the room to the functioning of the shower to the regulation of white noise. The focus is on mindfulness and helping our guests to relax.
8. What’s next?
Focussing on ground activations in India, launching new properties in the country, keeping an eye on the growing inbound and outbound markets, and creating special experiences for our guests through loyalty programmes. Hilton has been voted the No. 1 Best Company to Work at in the US and ranks in the top three across Asia. We want to translate this in our offerings to our guests.
9. What have you learnt so far?
I believe in reverse learning. My children teach me many lessons: Don’t sweat the small stuff and share how you feel. I have learnt to honour my roots and to be grateful for my journey.
10. A pearl of wisdom.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, raise your hand, and go out of your comfort zone, and you will find your own grit and focus.
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