Sarovar lines up 25 new hotels

Sarovar Hotels, a prime player in the hospitality segment in the country, has firmed up plans to depart from its current strategy of managing hotels and resorts and look at having its own properties.

Speaking to Business Standard, executive director Ajay K Bakaya said, "Sarovar has lined up 25 new hotels in different parts of the country and they all will be ready in a few years' time. Of the 25 planned, a handful of them would be Sarovar's own properties with the first one to be opened by February next, at Indore. More such properties are to come up in Hyderabad and Chennai."

The Sarovar Hotels executive director said that work is currently on to add more rooms and facilities at Sarovar-run properties in Thiruvananthapuram, Poovar and Kochi.

The Thiruvananthapuram property - The Muthoot Plaza - will add more space with the company setting aside close to Rs 25 crore for the project. This apart, the hospitality major also "has plans to open its business hotel ventures at overseas destinations such as Dar es Salam, Tanzania and Dubai soon," Bakaya said.

Sarovar, which operates unique brands such as Premiere, Portico and Hometel hotels in three different categories, is all set to give a push in its efforts to strengthen the Hometel brand.

According to Bakaya, at least 10 Hometels would come up in different parts of the country in the next five years. He added cities like Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Jaipur and Pune would soon play host to the Hometel limited three-star hotels.

The company also has opened its restaurant venture christened Aaheli, specialising in Bengali cuisine in the country. The first one has started operations in Kolkata.