Asia is beginning to look a lot more like America – at least when it comes to hotels. Major US hotel chains are aggressively expanding into Asia, creating new options for travelers looking for familiar brands abroad.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts plans to open 34 to 40 properties in the Asia Pacific region this year, or about three hotels a month, including the first St Regis in Japan, the first W in Thailand and the first LeMeridien in Taiwan. Hilton plans to open new hotels in Japan and China by year-end.

And Marriott will add about 20 properties, including four JW Marriott properties in India, four Courtyard by Marriott properties in China and a Ritz-Carlton in Shanghai.

The expansions are being driven by US hotel companies eyeing largely untapped Asian markets, particularly in India and China, where emerging economies are expected to generate an increase in travel. “The battle for the foreign traveler is intensifying,” said Vivian Deuschl, a spokesperson for the Ritz-Carlton brand, which has six hotels throughout China, with a second Shanghai location in Pudong opening in early May.

In the fall, it plans to open what is billed as the world’s tallest hotel on the harbor in Kowloon, an area in Hong Kong. But the increasing presence of American hotel chains in Asia is also a welcome development for travelers who like to earn points for their loyalty to a particular chain or who simply don’t want any surprises when they walk into their hotel.

“Americans are not as comfortable in Asia yet,” said Joe Brancatelli, publisher of Joesentme.com, a subscription site focused on business travel. Unless booking at the high end with an Asian luxury brand like Taj or Oberoi, he added, Americans “don’t know what they’re getting.”

Indeed, though the Internet has made it easier for travelers to research just about any place online, it can be difficult to tell whether the advertised bathroom with tub and shower really includes a standing shower or just a tub with a hand-held showerhead hose. The American chains, with their cookie-cutter rooms, standard showers and English speakers, offer peace of mind in this sense — a familiar place to return to after the culture shock that can set in when exploring a foreign city.

They also tend to offer more value for the money than their US counterparts. A 50-minute massage at the new Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong, will cost $90. A 50-minute massage at the Ritz-Carlton Dallas: $125. But travelers say the service and amenities are really what set them apart.

“The biggest difference is the number and quality of restaurants in Asian hotels,” said JP Drevline, an elite Starwood hotel member from Kohler, Wis, who recently stayed at the Sheraton Hong Kong. “There were multiple places to eat, including a Morton’s steakhouse, an upscale bar on the top floor and an extensive spread at the breakfast buffet,” he said. “Compared to the even new, and newly renovated, Sheratons in the US, this is a huge difference.”

Drevline also said he appreciated the small staff-to-guest ratio common in Asian hotels, but added “it can be overwhelming” at times. At the Grand Hyatt Mumbai, he said, “I once had three people trying to help me at once when just walking through the lobby, not needing anything.”