Two of three local hotel properties managed by Taj are to be re-branded with significant double digit investments expected in them. The first, Taj Exotica in Bentota, was already been re-branded as the Vivanta by Taj Bentota (attracting the upper upscale consumer segment) as of last Friday, September 24, at 8.50 a.m. while the second, Taj Airport Gardens, would "migrate" to Taj's Gateway brand (targetting the upscale consumer segment) by January of 2011.
However, room rates are not expected to change at any of Taj's three local properties, according to comments made by a group comprising Taj's parent's, Indian Hotels Company's Chief Executive (Raymond Bickens) and its heads of finance (Anil Goel) and sales / marketing (Ajoy Misra) who were in Sri Lanka to launch the company's new local brand offerings.
Also noted was that Taj's three local properties had all experienced a "dramatic turnaround" over the last 12 months, with room rates having gone upto a current level of close to $100 while occupancy had also improved. The group also indicated that over the 25 years that Taj had been in Sri Lanka it had invested a total of $75 million.
In addition, for the first time, Mr. Bickens also made known his company's plans for China, indicating that by the end of next year it would be opening its first hotel there at the "Temple of Heaven". It was also announced that the second of the company's Chinese properties will also be following soon after at upmarket Hainan Island, while Beijing was also suggested as a possible third, unconfirmed destination.
It also emerged that the company would be opening a total of 13 hotels over the next year, one every three weeks, with the next opening being a palace-type resort in Hyderabad, India.
Responding to questions from the media, Mr. Bickson said his company is also interested in setting up hotels on both Sri Lanka's coastlines but these opportunities had not as yet even been looked at. Additionally, the company's local Taj property in Colombo would also be revamped next year as it needed a lot of work. |
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