The steel city will have a new five-star addition on its beachfront. The Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach, a new luxury hotel will launch its commercial operations from Wednesday.

The hotel with 225 rooms, a conventional centre and Varun Inox have been constructed at a cost of Rs 140 crore. The Varun Group Chairman and Managing Director and the hotel's proprietor, Mr V. Prabhu Kishore, said it was a diversification for the group.

With its agreement with Accor, the world's leading hotel operator and market leader in Europe that specialised in managing convention centres it would be a premiere destination for conventions. He and General Manager- Delegate, Andhra Pradesh of Accor, Mr Paul Archer, stated that the hotel did not want to share business but wanted growth in business.

The Varun Group would expand in the hospitality sector by taking up ventures in Vijayawada and Hyderabad also. Mr Archer said Visakhapatnam was the next big conference destination. He identified Asia-Pacific region with potential growth for hospitality sector.

vzchs@thehindu.co.in