Newstrack

Rajkot the next heritage hospitality hub

Sayoni Bhaduri - Rajkot

In an attempt to revive the glory of the royal traditions of Gujarat, HH Mandhatasinh Jadeja has invested Rs 25 crore to renovate and restore three of his ancestral properties in Rajkot - Rajkot Darbargadh, Sardhar Darargadh and Randarda Lake Resort - and convert them into hotels. Jadeja said, "The restoration of all these properties will take one and a half to two years."

He has not approached any hotel group yet but will do so after the restoration is complete. Both Rajkot Darbargadh and Sardhar Darargadh will be 20-25 room properties, while Randarda Lake Resort will have 50 rooms. "These properties will be under three-star categories or up," he added. He also hopes to convert part of these hotels into museums.

Managed by three different companies - Raj Heritage Hospitality, Gujarat Heritage Conservation and Trident Developers - Jadeja has plans to acquire 15 such properties in and around Gujarat through acquisitions or on lease. Of them, Jadeja has already acquired Vasa Haveli, close to Ahmedabad, Sidhpur Fort near Patan, Ider Fort near Himmat Nagar, Idergarh. He has also taken on lease Maihar Fort in Satna, Madhya Pradesh. He will be restoring and developing these properties to convert them into hotels as well.

Jadeja hopes that this will give a boost to the tourism sector in Gujarat, particularly the Saurashtra region. "Rajkot is the gateway and the business hub for Saurashtra. We also have NRIs flocking down to promote trade in the region," said Jadeja.