Rotana, Abu Dhabi-based hospitality firm, is projecting to offer range of hotels in India, with a target of launching 20 operating hotels within the next ten years.
“Currently, 9 per cent of the overall business in Rotana’s operating hotels comes from the Indian market. We plan to grow that figure to 14-15 per cent over the next few years,” Rotana Senior Vice-President (India) Aman Aditya Sachdev asserted. The chain currently has around 88 hotels primarily in the Middle-East and North Africa (MENA) region, of which 46 are in operation, comprising around 12,500 rooms.
Rotana operates four brands under its portfolio — Rotana Hotels & Resorts, Rayhaan Hotels & Resorts, Arjaan Hotel Apartments and Centro Hotels — encompassing upscale, upper upscale, service apartment and midscale segments. Of these, three brands Rotana, Centro and Arjaan are expected to be opened in India, Sachdev said.
Rotana has explored various markets such as Delhi – NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kochi, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Surat and Chandigarh, Sachdev said, however, without revealing any further details.
“In the next couple of months, we will be signing the first agreement with a property owner, following which details of our first hotel will be announced,” Sachdev added. Like most major global hoteliers, Rotana does not own its properties but enters into management contacts, under which it manages and operates properties under its brands.
“South Asia has been strong for business. Along with India, Rotana also plans to penetrate markets in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Maldives,” Sachdev said.