Marriott Seeks Bigger Pie, To Bid For Hci Properties

International hotel chain Marriott is keen to bid for some of the Hotel Corporation of India (HCI) properties. According to Ed Towfighnia, general manager, JW Marriott Hotel, Hong Kong, the group may consider to acquire Centaur-Delhi, one of the five properties of HCI, if the government decides to sale off these properties.

"India is one of the most important tourist destinations and Delhi being the gateway of India, is strategically very important for any hotelier. Marriott is also looking forward to have its presence in the Indian capital," Towfighnia said. HCI - a 100 per cent subsidiary of Air India - has two hotels in Mumbai and one each in Delhi, Srinagar and Rajgir in Bihar. Jardine Fleming has bagged the mandate for being the global advisor for the proposed sale of HCI properties.

So far Marriott has one property operating in Goa and two more properties under the same brand name is going to be open in Mumbai by the end of this year, according to a company official. International hotel majors Bass Hotels & Resorts has also evinced interest in Hotel Corporation of India properties in Delhi and Mumbai.

UK-based Bass Hotels, owners of brand names such as Holiday Inn, Intercontinental and Crowne Plaza, is also understood to have lined up direct investments of approximately $25 million to be made in India, hotel industry sources said.

Apart from the international hotel majors, other hotel companies which have expressed their intention to get a pie of HCI-run properties include the Taj group, The Oberoi Group, the Leela group and Le Meridien.

The proposed sale of HCI properties will be done on a bidding basis and there will be individual biddings for each of the properties. However, HCI has also suggested that a bidder bidding for prime properties, such as those in Mumbai or Delhi, will also have to take a smaller hotel as part of a package deal.