Leela takes up homework, not keen on going abroad for now

KOLKATA: In a change of strategy, Hotel Leelaventure, the holding company for Leela Palaces and Resorts, is learnt to be looking to concentrate on the domestic market as talks with prospective overseas partners have made no headway so far.

The group has been discussing operational and management contract offers from players in Mauritius, Maldives and the UAE (Abu Dhabi and Dubai) for properties on the lines of its Mumbai, Bangalore, Goa and Kovalam ones.

The group has now decided to consolidate its position in the domestic market and increase its room inventory by about 120% in three years. The current inventory stands at 1,087 rooms, which would go up to about 2,370, including 90 service apartments, by 2010.

According to captain C P Krishnan Nair, chairman, the group will concentrate on developing its projects at Gurgaon, Udaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune. While the first two projects will become operational in 2008, Chennai will throw open its doors by 2009. The last two have been slated for a 2010 opening.

The group, sources said, is also not looking to dilute the super luxury branding for its Gurgaon property. Properties in this category have to meet detailed parameters in terms of deliverables, aesthetics and designing, etc, which made it imperative for Leela to concentrate on its domestic ventures for the moment.

The group recently bought land in Delhi at a premium - paying Rs 611 crore for three acres for setting up a 250-keys property in the diplomatic enclave area of the capital.