Bharat Hotels to set up 5-star hotel in Surat

Though the exact details of the hotel project are not known, local hotel industry sources have put the cost of the project at Rs 260 crore.

A leading Delhi-based group has evinced keen interest in setting up a five-star hotel in Surat," state industries minister Anil Patel and industries commissioner Amarjeet Singh said in Surat.

Officials of the Bharat Hotels have already visited Surat twice in the past two and a half months to scout for a prime property in the city.

Industry sources said Bharat Hotels may zero in on the Surat Dumas Road or the Hazira area.

Industry sources said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was also signed between the Gujarat government and Lalit Suri who is also a member of the Rajya Sabha. At present, the 132-room Holiday Inn Hotel is the only five star hotel in Surat.

Almost all the corporate leaders, officials and other celebrities during their visit to Surat city make a bee line for the Holiday Inn which was set up as the Rama Regency by the Rama Brothers based in the United States and the Gujarat Industrial Investment Corporation (GIIC).

The Rama Brothers have a huge motel chain in the US.

Surat was the only city in the country to have a revolving restaurant at the Tex Plazzo Hotel before such revolving restaurants came up in Mumbai and Ahmedabad.