Sarovar Hotels to check in Gulf

Sarovar Hotels, a multi-brand hotel management company in India, is foraying into the West Asia, for which it has signed deals for three-star and four-star hotels in Dubai and Muscat.

As part of the overseas expansion plans, it is also looking at other cities in West Asia.

"We were approached by a local hospitality chain in Dubai and Muscat and after the due diligence, we took up the proposal. The hotel in Dubai will be a brownfield project and the one in Muscat will be a greenfield project with 150 rooms. It will be operational in 18 months," said Anil Madhok, managing director, Sarovar Hotels.

For the hotel in Muscat, the design details are being worked out with the architects.

The company might use its own brand or seek permission to use Park Plaza or Park Inn brands of Carlson Hospitality Worldwide, with which it has a tie-up.

"Though we don't have the right to use Carlson's brands in West Asia, we have asked Carlson if we can use either of their brands. We might also go ahead with one of our own brand names for the hotels," added Madhok.

Back home, the company will be investing Rs 250 crore (Rs 2.5 billion) on its five brands -- Park Plaza, Park Inn, Sarovar Premier, Sarovar Portico and Hometel.

In Mumbai, it is coming up with a 112-room Hometel and a 300-room Sarovar Premier. The company will also be building up a 500-room Hometel near the Mumbai airport.

The company is building a Park Plaza in Bangalore and Delhi and a Park Inn in Ludhiana. It plans to build a Sarovar Portico in Pushkar and Indore.

Its Lucknow property will be spruced up to 150 rooms from 60 rooms. It is also in talks for land in Chandigarh, Ahmedabad and Pune.

"We are hoping that in next the two years, we will be able to add 1,500 rooms through our owned and managed properties," said Madhok.

Special economic zones are also areas of interest for Sarovar Hotels to build its Hometel brand. The company also plans to open Geoffrey's pubs in Kochi and Agra.

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