Sofitel hopes to have up to 10 properties in India in next seven years
Sofitel Luxury Hotels, a French luxury hotel chain under the Accor group, which currently has two new properties under developmental stage in Mulund in Mumbai is expected to open by 2017. One hotel will be a Sofitel Luxury Hotel which will cater to MICE and FIT segments, while the other will be a Sofitel So, a label under the Sofitel Luxury Hotel brand, to cater to young travellers. The hotels will be built on three pillars – Softel Luxury Hotel mounted on two pillars and Softel So on one pillar – with panoramic lifts from outside.
The Sofitel Luxury Hotel will have a capacity of 300 persons and Sofitel So a capacity of 200 persons with both sharing a common convention hall of 3000 sq mts. Furthermore, Sofitel hopes to increase their number of hotels in India to10 in the next seven years with Softel Luxury Hotel, Sofitel So and Sofitel Legend located across Bengaluru, Chennai and New Delhi. The expansion would be through management contracts. Markland Blaiklock, senior vice president – Asia Pacific, Sofitel Luxury Hotels stated, "We are ambitious to have properties in New Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai. We are also interested in resort destinations and if there is a right opportunity for a palace hotel then we are interested in taking over a palace hotel and turning it into a Sofitel Legend.
We are anticipating to have up to 10 hotels in India. We are first focused on signing the agreement in the next two-three years and then the projects would take four years for development." Speaking on the reason for the delay in opening of the two Mumbai properties, Blaiklock explained, "The hotels are in a new development area in Mumbai and if the hotels open next year then it would be too much too soon in that area. So we are delaying it and waiting for the area to develop." There are further plans for opening three more hotels in Mulund under the Accor brand in the second or third phase, he added.
Sofitel Luxury Hotels, a French luxury hotel chain under the Accor group, which currently has two new properties under developmental stage in Mulund in Mumbai is expected to open by 2017. One hotel will be a Sofitel Luxury Hotel which will cater to MICE and FIT segments, while the other will be a Sofitel So, a label under the Sofitel Luxury Hotel brand, to cater to young travellers. The hotels will be built on three pillars – Softel Luxury Hotel mounted on two pillars and Softel So on one pillar – with panoramic lifts from outside.
The Sofitel Luxury Hotel will have a capacity of 300 persons and Sofitel So a capacity of 200 persons with both sharing a common convention hall of 3000 sq mts. Furthermore, Sofitel hopes to increase their number of hotels in India to10 in the next seven years with Softel Luxury Hotel, Sofitel So and Sofitel Legend located across Bengaluru, Chennai and New Delhi. The expansion would be through management contracts. Markland Blaiklock, senior vice president – Asia Pacific, Sofitel Luxury Hotels stated, "We are ambitious to have properties in New Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai. We are also interested in resort destinations and if there is a right opportunity for a palace hotel then we are interested in taking over a palace hotel and turning it into a Sofitel Legend.
We are anticipating to have up to 10 hotels in India. We are first focused on signing the agreement in the next two-three years and then the projects would take four years for development." Speaking on the reason for the delay in opening of the two Mumbai properties, Blaiklock explained, "The hotels are in a new development area in Mumbai and if the hotels open next year then it would be too much too soon in that area. So we are delaying it and waiting for the area to develop." There are further plans for opening three more hotels in Mulund under the Accor brand in the second or third phase, he added.