The Hindu Business Line : Marriott set to add 550 rooms

Hotels and resorts brand Marriott International is all set to add another over 550 rooms to its existing 2000-room inventory across cities in the next couple of weeks.

According to Mr Rajeev Menon, Vice-President (India, Pakistan and Maldives), Marriott International, the company is opening three new properties in Gurgaon, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad under the brand ‘Courtyard by Marriott' in the next two to three weeks.

The Gurgaon property will have 200 rooms; Hyderabad property will have 193 rooms and the one in Ahmedabad will have 170.

In April this year, it launched a 153-room ‘Courtyard' hotel in Pune.

What gives Marriott the confidence to launch more hotels at a time when the existing ones are experiencing poor occupancies and the resultant lower revenues?

Mr Menon says Marriott believes in signing long-term (25-30 year) management contracts.

“Two to three such economic cycles in a 30-year period is only natural,” he says. Moreover, even during the recession, each city reacts differently. For example, hotels in the NCR (National Capital Region) are doing pretty fine.

“Our JW Marriott in Mumbai is experiencing 80-85 per cent occupancy these days,” says Mr Menon. At the end of the day, it all depends on demand and supply ratio in a particular market.

Also, “we see some green shoots now. Demand is picking up.” However, he was quick to add that “though it may take some more time for the (room) rates to bounce back”.

Marriott operates seven properties in India under four brands – Marriott, JW Marriott, Renaissance and Courtyard by Marriott. Thanks to its mid-priced brands – Courtyard and Renaissance, the group enjoys 70 per cent occupancy on an average.

Marriott is planning to add four more properties (two in Pune, one each in Mumbai and Chennai) before the end of next calendar year.

Answering to a specific question on its Chennai property, Mr Menon said, the hotel will be under the brand ‘JW Marriot'. It will have 380 rooms and a 25,000-sq.ft. convention centre. “We are planning to launch it in October next year,” he said.