The Hindu Business Line : Shrishti, InterContinental to set up 5-star hotel in Kolkata

SHRISHTI Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (SIDCL), jointly with HUDCO, has tied up with the InterContinental Hotels Group Plc to set up a Rs 400-crore five-star hotel at New Town, Kolkata.

The foundation stone laying ceremony has already been completed. The hotel, scheduled for completion by 2008, will have 308 rooms. Shrishti has already signed up Delhi-based C. P. Kukreja Associates (CPK), as the principal architect for the hotel project. CPK has done large hotel projects such as the Intercontinental Hotel in New Delhi and Grand InterContinental Resort in Goa.

Mr Sujit Kanoria, Managing Director of Shrishti, said that the international architects roped in for the project include Cervera & Pioz of Spain, King Roselli Architetti of Rome and Ruben Anderegg of Switzerland. He said Cervera and Pioz are known for their emblematic buildings, and have pioneered new concepts of structure and construction like `Bio-structures.'

Green building: The Rome-based King Roselli, an architecture and design studio, is the winner of the Holcim Awards Gold 2005— Europe, for sustainable construction. Pointing out that the hotel complex will be a green building, Mr Kanoria said, "We feel this five-star InterContinental hotel at New Town will be the gateway of Kolkata, and should fuel tourism in eastern India in a big way.

Shrishti has already announced its own hospitality organisation (in association with HUDCO), to be developed under the brand name `Vedic Hotels' with a focus on India's traditional lifestyle.

The InterContinental Group has more than 3,600 owned, leased, managed and franchised hotels and 5.39 lakh guest rooms across nearly 100 countries and territories.It also owns a portfolio of hotel brands, including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts and Hotel Indigo TM, besides managing the world's largest hotel loyalty programme, 1Priority Clubs Rewards.