IHCL & Ambuja Neotia Group ink pact for 15 new hotels, focus on east, northeast region

New Delhi: Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), India’s largest hospitality company,

Monday announced the agreement signing for 15 new hotels across IHCL’s brands cape with the Ambuja Neotia Group. This capital light arrangement will grow the partnership to over 40 hotels.

Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, IHCL said, “IHCL’s pioneering legacy of building destinations like Rajasthan, Kerala, Goa and Andaman and Lakshadweep Islands will now extend to unlocking the tourism potential of the East and North East with this agreement. We are delighted to extend our partnership with the Ambuja Neotia Group, known for their luxury hospitality developments showcasing the spirit of this region.”

He added, “These projects, predominantly under the Taj brand are expected to come on stream over the next five years beginning with the signing of four hotel operating agreements for a Taj in Darjeeling and a SeleQtions in Kolkata and Siliguri each and one Tree of Life in Lataguri.” The 15 new sites identified to be developed are a combination of greenfield, brownfield and conversion projects and are spread across the states of West Bengal, Sikkim and Himachal. This includes a Taj resort in Sunderban, Darjeeling, Shimla and Rabong, SeleQtions hotels in Kolkata and Siliguri and a Tree of Life in Lataguri.

A few select projects will also include Taj branded villas, Darjeeling, Sikkim, Lataguri and Raichak.

Harshavardhan Neotia, Chairman, Ambuja Neotia Group, said, “This announcement follows closely on the heels of IHCL’s strategic partnership with the Ambuja Neotia Group for Tree of Life, reflective of the strength and success of our ongoing collaboration. IHCL with its iconic brand Taj, recently ranked as the World’s Strongest Hotel Brand is renowned for its world-class service, enabling it to showcase these destinations on the global

tourism map.”