My friend, who looks after hospitality section of a big company, has a frequent complain. There is just no space available in any star hotel in the city. Executives, who are entitled for suites, do not agree to put up in 3-star hotels (not that the situation there is any better, but it’s better than the 5-stars). Which means urgent official works get postponed. On the flip side, if she books accommodation in advance and the executives do not turn up (aren’t they busy!), the hotels charge hefty cancellation fees.
Looking at it, it is amply evident that the top-class hotels in Kolkata rarely have vacant rooms. This is especially so in winter when there are fairs and conferences every other day. Presently, Kolkata has 5 5-star hotels, ITC Sonar Bangla, Hyatt Regency, The Park, Taj Bengal and The Oberoi Grand, totaling roughly 1063 rooms in all for occupancy, ITC (238) and Hyatt (235) leading the list with maximum rooms on offer.
But clearly Kolkata needs more. And there is no dearth of new properties coming in. While the Grand Great Eastern – presently under renovation – now owned by the Bharat Group of Hotels, will have 244 rooms, there are quite a few brand new additions in the pipeline, most of them in New Town Rajarhat area. Here’s a quick look (..more):
- Shrishti Inter Continental, New Town, 250 – 300 rooms
- Bengal Ambuja’s 150-room 3/4-star hotel atop City Center 2, Rajarhat
- 250-room Marriot Courtyard inside Infospace, Bengal Unitech’s IT park in Rajarhat
- 5-star hotel on EM Bypass by DLF-Hilton
- Emaar-MGF’s luxury hotel on EM Bypass between ITC Sonar Bangla and Silver Spring housing project
There may be more as The Oberoi Grand too is looking to develop a second property in (perhaps) yet-to-be-selected Bypass Rajarhat area. Consider then how many rooms are coming into being in the next few years? It’s 1000, or even more, if all those being planned see the light of the day. Experts feel there will be glut of rooms, and experts feel the more there’s supply, the more there’ll be demand.
In terms of hotel building spree, Kolkata is not alone. Reports suggest it’s same across the country in every big metro. For example, Bangalore is set to have a mind-boggling 8000-room addition at an investment of around Rs.9000 crores, according to real estate consultants DTZ Debenham Tie Leung, an LSE-listed company (reference: Graphiti, TT, Dec 3).
Phew, that blows the mind away indeed! What about budget rooms, the ones for us, the less moneyed? That too will happen, no doubt. But after the big ones change the face of Indian hotel industry forever. Till then, it’s a wait, a longish wait for that matter.
Proposed 5-Star Shristi InterContinental – Tallest in India? [Picture source]
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