The best known brands will soon be vying for a share of Chennai’s hospitality pie.
Chennai, now, has nine 5-star hotels. Over the next 16 months, that number could go up to 22. All the big brands like ITC, JW Marriott and Hilton have already started building new luxury hotels here.
And it`s not just new players. After a good run, with almost 85 per cent occupancy, many existing brands are setting up new ones. Rain Tree, backed by the Ceebros construction group is in the process of building 2 new luxury business hotels. One near the airport and another on Mount Road with 225 rooms.
“We will have a good spa of about 4000 sq ft. We will bring in international companies to manage it. There will also be a facility called ‘opti golf’, which is indoor golf,” said Subba Reddy MD, Ceebros.
The new boom in Chennai can also be attributed to its proximity to tourist spots like Mahabalipuram and Kancheepuram.
“There are more flights now. This brings in more tourists. That means more business for hotels. In the short term, only the stand alone hotels with no branding will be hit,” said Geoff Magee CEO - The Accord Metropolitan Hotel.
Many new entrants are also coming up with hotels on the city’s outskirts like the East Coast Road, Old Mahabalipuram Road and Sriperumbudur.