Trump Hotels chain sees significant US expansion

[WASHINGTON] Amid calls for US President Donald Trump to divest from his real estate empire, his namesake luxury hotel chain said on Wednesday it plans to expand primarily in the US market while he is president.

"We see significant growth opportunity in the United States for both our hotel brands," a Trump Hotels spokesperson told AFP in an email, referring also to the newly announced Scion brand of more moderately priced hotels.

That statement came after comments from the chain's chief executive at a hotel conference on Tuesday saying he plans to move into many major US cities.

"There are 26 major metropolitan areas in the US, and we're in five," Trump Hotels CEO Eric Danziger said at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit in Los Angeles, Bloomberg reported.

"I don't see any reason that we couldn't be in all of them eventually," he said, adding that the company is looking at Dallas, Seattle, Denver and San Francisco.

And with President Trump lambasting any company offshoring jobs, Mr Danziger said previous plans to take the hotel brand into China are "pretty much off."

"Both brands and any others we create will have a domestic emphasis for the next four or eight years," he said.

Mr Trump refused to divest from his businesses, but turned over operations to his two older sons, and pledged to have a compliance officer review any proposed deal.

There are eight Trump hotels currently in the United States.

The company has properties in Hawaii and Virginia, as well as Chicago, New York (two), Las Vegas, Miami and the newest site just blocks from the White House.

The lower-priced Scion chain will be located in smaller cities, with the first due to open this year, Mr Danziger said during the panel discussion.

AFP