Newstrack

Orange County keen to tap Karnataka potential

Priya Krishnaswamy - Bangalore

The Orange County Resorts & Hotels (OCRH), keen on tapping the latent potential of the state of Karnataka, is all set to increase its reach. OCRH, investing about Rs 120 crore has acquired sufficient land in Hampi, Karvar, Kabini and Kumbalgodu (near Bangalore) for expansion. The first resort Orange County, Kabini, is scheduled to be open by December 2006.

Talking on the expansions, Jose T Ramapuram, director, marketing, OCRH, says, "Like our existing property in Coorg, all the other properties will also target high-end tourists. The Kabini resort, to be situated near the dam, will have about 30-40 luxury suites. Of these about 8 suites will have their own private pools. There would also be an infinity pool overlooking the reservoir. Clearly, the tariffs at the Kabini property will be slightly higher."

The group is adding a theme to all its properties. Orange County, Kabini will be based on a tribal village, while Orange County, Hampi, which will be operational by 2009, will be built on the Vijayanagar theme. Targeting the European travellers, Jose adds that those showing a keen interest in the architecture of Hampi will find the property immensely interesting.

While the Orange County in Coorg is a part of time-share, none of the other properties will be part of it. "We want to create a brand. If Orange County in Coorg is successful, so will our other resorts," says Jose. The group also promotes their in-house coffee brand, Sidapur that is 100 per cent coffee for all guests at Coorg. Talking about expansions in this segment, Jose adds, "We would not want to immediately enter the retail market but introducing coffee lounges eventually are part of the game plan. Also, we are open to investing in good properties that come our way. We would not be limiting our expansions to South India alone."