Vascon Engg lines up new resort

Spurred by the encouraging revenues from its existing resort, Vista do Rio-owned Pune-based Vascon Engineering is giving final touches to its new resort, Galaxy for the ensuing tourist season.

Headed by its chairman and managing director, R Vasudevan, Vascon Engineering Private is a premier real estate developer and engineering and construction contractor, which has operations in Mumbai, Pune, Goa and other states.

According to Naveen Sanil, senior manager (operations) of the resort, the image of south Goa had taken a hit with people talking of not getting rooms.

"We are in the process of changing that image... maybe from Friday to Sunday hotel rooms are chock-a-block, but on weekdays the occupancy level drops to 50 per cent," he told Business Standard.

Situated in the south Goa district, Galaxy is a 4-star premium resort located along the picturesque Utorda beach, has a total of 65 rooms""standard 31, sweet 30 and premium 4. Having a huge area of 5-acre of land, it will also have a mini-golf course to cater the international tourists.

The resort is working on going strong on the 'packages' for the coming season, which is expected to increase at least 60 per cent by December-end. "With the national-international mix of its occupancy being 60:40, we intend to open sales offices across the global," Naveen informed.

Naveen is optimistic of achieving 70 per cent occupancy between September and November. "I am confident that the occupancy rate of Galaxy will touch between 80-90 per cent," he claimed.

Goa is expected to cross the 1000 mark of charter flights landing in the world's fifth best holiday destination this year. "We are also in the process of signing a pact with foreign travel agencies for charter flights, since my charter flights are vying to land in Goa," he said.

For dining and entertainment, the beach resort will have a multi-cuisine restaurant, coffee shop, pool-bar, a beach shack pastry shop and boat club. Recreational amenities will include a full-fledged gym, massage and beauty parlour and an outdoor swimming pool.

Other amenities will include a business centre with broadband interent service, conference halls and a unique meditation and yoga along the beachside.

Interestingly, Galaxy has been recognised as the resort of international destination by the US-based group, Resort Condominium International (RCI).

Plans are afoot to revamp their existing hotel, Vista do Rio, in the north Goa district before the commencement of the tourist season. Presently, the hotel has a total of 40 rooms""standard 17, deluxe 12 and sweet 11.