Leela Palaces plans to double in size
21 July 2005
Indian hotel group Leela Palaces and Resorts is to invest £179m upgrading and expanding its portfolio, with plans to double in size to eight hotels by 2010.
The privately owned hotel group opened its fourth property on the Kovalam coastline in Kerala last week, at a cost of 23m. It already has hotels in Bangalore, Mumbai and Goa.
Leela president Peter Leitgeb said: "We want to have eight properties by 2010 and be the premium hotel group in India."
The group is planning to upgrade its existing portfolio, spending 18m refurbishing the Mumbai property and £7m on a new wing for the Bangalore hotel.
Leela Palaces also intends to spend £131m acquiring new properties in Udaipur, Chennai and Hyderabad.
