Thursday, May 17, 2007

Gurgaon Based MDLR Group Build Four Hotels For Rs 1,000 cr

The severe hotel room shortage is attracting new players to set up hotels. The latest to join bandwagon is Rs 2,000-crore Gurgaon-based MDLR Group which will be opening four luxury hotels with a proposed investment of Rs 1,000 crore (excluding land price) in next three years.

MDLR, with business interests in real estate and multiplexes will be opening four hotels in Manesar, Gurgaon (near Delhi), Shimla and Jaipur. “The land for two hotel sites in Gurgaon and Manesar was acquired last year from Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation (HSIDC),” Gopal Goyal, chairman, MDLR group told ET.

The 11 acre land on which the Gurgaon hotel will be built today has marketable value of Rs 350 crore almost double of the value that it was bought at, thanks to the escalating land prices. While the Shimla property will start operations in the next three months, for NCR properties they are targeting the 2010 Commonwealth games. Delhi and NCR region are short of 30,000 rooms for Commonwealth games. It is this shortage which most of the hotel developers are trying to cash in on.

"By the end of next year we will be acquiring 10-12 more aircraft,” said Mr Goyal. The airline will be later expanding operations to Mumbai, Surat, Jaipur and Bhavnagar. “We are also in talks with ATR and Bombardier to acquire 10 aircraft and 10 more will be kept as an option,” said Harsh Vardhan, director, MDLR Airlines.

The airline has been positioned as a regional carrier for premium category competing with Paramount Airways. Its fares will be higher than low cost carriers but 10% lower than that of full service carriers. It will be opting for eight levels of fares with the cheapest being Rs 1,000.

Source://EconomicTimes