Kolkata is all set to add two to three hotels in the ‘mid-market upscale’ to ‘super-luxury’ segments with approximately 600 rooms added during the year.
But that’s not all. With nearly seven hotels to become operational in the next three to four years, Kolkata is set to double the room capacity in the four to seven star segments from the existing 1,700. All the projects are in various stages of construction.
Two more projects — including the second campus of the city based ‘The Park’ — are awaiting clearances to start construction. The increased supply, however, is unlikely to bring down the tariffs. “The tariffs in Kolkata are 20 per cent lower than the national average and unlikely to see much correction,” said Mayank Saksena of real estate consultancy firm, Jones Lang LaSalle.
According to market sources, some of the star properties lined up for early inauguration are: The Taj’s Gateway, The Lalit’s Great Eastern, Shristi’s Westin and Salarpuria’s Novotel.
The other projects lined up for opening in 2015 and beyond include JW Marriot, ITC’s third hotel (after ITC Sonar and Fortune Select) and the yet unnamed Airport Hotel, being built by the DS Group.
The 200-room Taj Gateway on EM Bypass may be the first to open its doors. Developed by the Jalan Intercontinental; the hotel will be managed by Gateway Hotels and Resorts.
Raj-era heritage property, Great Eastern — located in the central business district — is eyeing a 2013 inauguration. Now controlled by The Lalit group, the 200-room hotel is undergoing extensive renovation. Both The Lalit and Gateway refused to comment on queries sent by Business Line . At the satellite township of Rajarhat, Novotel is looking at a 2013 or early 2014 opening, sources said. Westin Hotels — a brand from US major Starwood — will be inaugurated in 2014. Together, the two projects are estimated to add 600 rooms.
Interestingly, three of the seven projects in progress are coming up on the EM Bypass. Two more projects awaiting clearances are also located in the region. According to civic body sources, ITC is setting up the new 500-key property — next to the existing property on EM Bypass — at an estimated cost of over Rs 1,000 crore. Also coming up in the locality is the 300-room Marriot. The project is being developed jointly by the Emaar Group, SPS Group and Mani Group.
The 5-star Airport Hotel (formerly Airport Ashok) will make its debut in three years.