Carlson Rezidor is planning a major expansion program of new hotels in South India’s main pilgrimage sites.
The Group operates 74 hotels across the country including several close to religious sites in the North, such as Ajmer, Varanasi and Haridwar, and plans to replicate this in the South, said Raj Rana, South Asia CEO for Carlson Rezidor.
“Depending upon availability of partners and locations, we would set up at least 20 heritage hotels in these centres in five to seven years. South India has vast potential for religious tourism and the group is focusing its attention to develop hotels in major pilgrimage centres like Tirupati, Madurai and Rameshwaram,” Rana said.
The group will look at converting and renovating existing hotels, Rana said and besides these latest plans, also has a further 40 hotels in the pipeline nationwide.
Rana also said occupancy rates throughout India have remained steady at 60% over the last two-three years.
Gloabally the group operates the Quorvus Collection, Radisson, Park Plaza, Park Inn under Radisson, and Country Inns & Suites’ brands.
