Trend Alert: Luxury car brands make inroads in Asian hotel industry

Tourism continues to boom in Asia thanks to a growing middle class with new money to spend. The hotel industry alone expects 7 percent annual growth over the next four years with significant growth for luxury branded hotels, according to the World Travel Market 2012 Industry Report.

Clothing designers and jewelers have already capitalized on the trend by slapping their brands on boutique hotels and it looks like luxury car brands are wising up to their ways. Tonino Lamborghini took the first step in the Asian region with a branded boutique in China.

“There is huge potential in the hospitality industry for our brand. We plan to open 40 5-star hotels in the next few years. The first will be in China, as for now our project is focused on Asian markets only,” says Gianluca Filippi, CEO of Tonino Lamborghini.

Other major companies seizing the branding opportunity in the growing hotel industry include India’s largest motorcycle manufacturer Hero Motors, which has partnered with Marriott to build a hotel in India, and Aston Martin, which recently extended its brand agreement to include global hotel properties.

Don’t be surprised to find Maserati hotels, Bentley boutiques, and Porsche resorts on future trips to Asia.