The Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts has embarked on an aggressive three year expansion plan which will see it more than doubling its room capacity and introducing few new properties in…
The Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts has embarked on an aggressive three year expansion plan which will see it more than doubling its room capacity and introducing few new properties in Gurgaon – Delhi, Udaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune at an investment of over US$ 270 million.
Leela’s appetite for growth is driving it to explore operating management contracts in source markets like Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It is also strengthening its international marketing and distribution infrastructure in UK, Middle East and North America by opening up its own offices in London, Dubai and New York.
Moreover, Kempinski, its international marketing and distribution partner, held its first ever global sales and strategy conference outside Europe at Leela hotels in Mumbai, Bangalore and Kovalam.
Earlier the Leela Palaces Hotels Resorts with Kempinski Hotels announced the extension of its exclusive business partnership in India. In addition to The Leela Kempinski hotels in Mumbai, Bangalore and Kovalam, the five new hotels in New Delhi – Gurgaon, Udaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune will be included in the agreement in the next four years. This exclusive agreement covering (current and proposed) Leela Hotels in India was signed by the heads of the two groups, Reto Wittwer, President & CEO of Kempinski and Captain C.P. Krishnan Nair, the visionary Chairman of The Leela Palaces & Resorts.
According to Peter J. Leitgeb, President, Leela Palaces Hotels Resorts, the new agreement offers Kempinski a great business opportunity to spread its footprints in a dynamic and rapidly growing market like India. The Indian hospitality industry is experiencing a boom and most international brands are constantly looking for entry opportunities in this market. As part of this enhanced sales & marketing agreement between the two, the Leela Palaces Hotels Resorts will help Kempinski set up its maiden sales offices in India, in Delhi and Mumbai.
The first of the new hotels under this agreement which opened in 2005 has been rechristened as The Leela, Kempinski Kovalam Beach Kerala.
In the North of the country, India’s capital, New Delhi, will see the opening of a new landmark hotel The Leela, Kempinski Gurgaon, Delhi. This is Leela’s first operations and management contract.
A new palace hotel in Udaipur overlooking the Lake Pichola, The Leela Palace, Kempinski Udaipur is under construction, and scheduled to open in December 2007.
In the harbour city of Chennai, formerly Madras, a 15-storey hotel, The Leela Palace, Kempinski Chennai is being constructed and will open by end 2008. The Leela Palaces & Resorts is investing USD 75 million in this new premium development which will be sprawled across seven acres of pristine beach front.
The Chennai project will coincide with a further investment of USD 70 million to be made in a luxury hotel in Hyderabad, in the Deccan plains. The Leela Palace, Kempinski Hyderabad will welcome guests to a very upmarket central location in Banjara Hills in 2009.
Pune, the new IT hub, is the fastest growing second tier city of India. In fact, urban experts see Pune developing as an extension of Mumbai. The Leela Palaces & Resorts and a business park is part of this development. The group will invest USD 30 million into building a luxury hotel by late 2008.
The Leela Kempinski Mumbai has completed a USD 25 million renovation.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
