Anant Raj plans 16 luxury hotels near Delhi

Delhi-based property developer Anant Raj Industries plans to set up 16 hotels in the four- and five-star categories in the National Capital Region (NCR). The company is planning to complete the projects by 2010 to coincide with the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

The company has also entered into a 50:50 joint venture with Reliance ADA Group to develop hotels and infrastructure in the NCR region. The JV has started two hotels and one SEZ project in the region and invested nearly Rs 500 crore for acquiring land.

Currently, the company has three hotels under construction in Manesar and Rai in Haryana and one in south Delhi. It has tied up with Sri Lankan hotel chain Aitken Spence to run the hotel in Delhi, which will be operational by November. The company is investing nearly Rs 700 crore in these three properties and is talking to Aitken Spence and Althof Hotels to manage other two hotels.

"The NCR has huge shortage of hotel rooms and with the Commonwealth Games in 2010, the region will see enormous demand for hotel rooms,"said Amit Sarin, executive director, Anant Raj Industries.

Apart from hotels, the company was also setting up service apartments in Kapashera and Haus Khas in Delhi as well and talking to a leading Singapore chain to manage these apartments, Sarin said.

According to hospitality industry estimates, Commonwealth Games are going to be a major driving factor for the hospitality industry in the NCR region, with the international tourist arrival in Delhi for 2010 forecast at 18 lakh and that of domestic tourists at 35.8 lakh.