Luxury resort promoters Phoenix Group will soon open their first property, Zuri Whitefield, in Bengaluru. Aabhas Sharma spoke to Aditya Kamani, director, India.
What prompted you to launch Zuri properties in India?
Having been in the hospitality industry for over a decade, we felt it was time for us to establish ourselves as a strong player with our own brand of hotels. We are excited at the launch of this property and hopefully, this is just the beginning of a new chapter in our history.
Tell us about Zuri Whitefield. What can we expect from the property?
Zuri Whitefield is the first Zuri property in India and will be a five-star business hotel. We have hotels in Africa, the UK and Asia. Bangalore is a top destination in India and we felt there was need for an international-standard hotel here. We are confident of welcoming guests with a unique experience of style, pleasure and comfort.
What are the kind of amenities that Zuri would provide and the kind of audience you will be targeting?
We will aim to be stylish, urbane, young, and exciting in our aim to differentiate ourselves as a “progressive” hospitality brand. Our hotel will lay emphasis on F&B, offering the best of cuisines and dining experiences. We hope to make Zuri Whitefield one of the most sought after hotels in the city.
The property will seek to strike a balance between business and leisure for seasoned travellers. Also, there is the proximity (45 minutes drive) to the new airport.
After Bengaluru, what are the other cities you are looking at?
We are also looking at another luxury resort in Bengaluru. Then, there are also plans to build another property in Chennai. Hopefully, in the next 24 months, you will see a few more properties come up.
Do you think this is the ideal time to launch a new property considering the current economic scenario?
Well, these are testing times but we are confident that it should not affect our plans in any way. Plus, we feel that the industry will surivive the current scenario. The industry may suffer ups and downs but we have a long-term vision and plan for the Indian market and we will stick to it. There may be an impact but we are confident we’ll tide over it.