Usha Lexus To Foray Into Rajasthan

Neeti Chopra - New Delhi

Having established itself firmly in southern and northern India, Usha Lexus Group of Hotels is now looking at opening hotels in the western region. While confirming that the group is planning to bring Rajasthan under its umbrella, Sanjay Wadhawan, deputy executive director, Usha Lexus Hotels said that the details of the project would be announced soon. “There is no doubt that there is a market opportunity in Rajasthan and we want to grab our share. Therefore, we are now targeting Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur,” he said. The group’s seven existing hotels at Bangalore, Mysore, Hassan, Manali, Shimla, Khajuraho and Goa cater to inbound groups.

Apart from Rajasthan, the group is planning to open another hotel in Goa in another three years time. The group had opened its first property in Goa - Varca Palms Beach Resort last year. The resort is currently undergoing renovation and will be completely ready before the onset of the inbound season this year. As part of its marketing strategy, the group plans to rope in a brand ambassador for six months for its newly opened restaurant - Neel’s Kabana at Varca Palms Beach Resort. “Majority of business in Goa comes from Mumbai and Bangalore especially on weekends. In order to tap this particular market, we are looking at signing in a celebrity to promote our product. Any other hotel chain has not yet touched this concept. During the peak season starting October, we are expecting the restaurant to generate business worth a lakh per day,” explained Wadhawan.

Moreover, Usha Lexus’ property in Bangalore is also getting a facelift in order to position it as a boutique hotel. Taking forward the concept of specialty restaurants, the group will be opening an Oriental restaurant at this hotel. As far as the investments in all these projects are concerned, Wadhawan refused to comment on it.