Kamat Hotels enters heritage segment

To develop Lotus Suites in Aurangabad, Nagpur, Baddi, Raipur

Dinkar Farwaha - Mumbai

Kamat Hotels (India) is entering into the heritage segment with its upcoming Orchid Heritage hotel. The group is developing the Jadhav Gadhi Fort in Pune into a hotel. The 42-room palace hotel is likely to be operational by November this year.

The company will also expand its Lotus Suites brand. Param Kannampilly, the group's technical director, said, "We are building four-star Lotus Suites properties in Aurangabad, Baddi, Raipur and Nagpur."

The Aurangabad property, earlier called Vidanta Hotel, is being refurbished by the Kamat group and developed into an ecotel. The company plans to open the 100-room hotel by the end of this financial year (31 March). The business hotel in Baddi and the property in Raipur will also have 100 rooms each. The Nagpur property will be part of a mixed-use development including a catering college. "There will be a premier catering institute attached to the Nagpur property," informs Kannampilly. The group also plans to develop Lotus Suits in Amboli and Aronde.

Meanwhile, Kamat Hotels is also planning to build five-star Orchid properties in Nagpur and Raipur and will be expanding its Orchid property in Mumbai. "We will be adding 130 rooms to the Orchid in Mumbai," added Kannampilly.

The group is also in the process of building a 450-room property in Balewadi (Pune). "We are a joint venture partner in the project and want to open the hotel before the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games to be held in Pune," announced Kannampilly.