The Hindu : Business : GRT group to expand

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 21, 2004

Business

Business

GRT group to expand

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, APRIL 20. The GRT group of hotels is looking at vacant lands in Bangalore and Hyderabad for constructing `business class' hotels to cater especially to the growing information technology market.

"We are looking at suitable lands and also property for acquisition. We have made several exploratory trips as part of the group's expansion plans in the hospitality sector in the Southern region," said T. Nataraajan, Chief Executive Officer of GRT Hotels and Resorts.

Giving details of the refurbished GRT Temple Bay Leisure Hotel on the East Coast Road in Mamallapuram, Mr. Nataraajan told presspersons that the 49-acre property along with the hotel belonging to the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) was acquired under the Disinvestment plan of the Central Government at a cost of Rs. 6.90 crores on February 1, 2002.

"The GRT group, which had made its benchmark in the hospitality sector with GRT Grand in T.Nagar and Radisson GRT near the Chennai airport, has now invested about Rs. 12 crores over the two year period to help the property get classified under 5-star category of hotels," the CEO said adding that the new look GRT Temple Bay property had now a total of 72 elegantly furnished rooms, out of which 60 provide a breathtaking view of the beachfront.

A. V. Sivaraman, Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, GRT Hotels and Resorts, and Leo J. Fernando, Manager of the Temple Bay, explained that the leisure travel industry was looking up in view of the recent opening up of private airlines to South Asian region routes and with the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) trying to tap the charter flights operations to extend them from Goa, the leisure sector was poised to do well. They said with a 83-seater restaurant, two `theatre styled' conference halls, and with room price ranging from Rs. 3,500 for single occupancy to a suite costing Rs. 9,000, the GRT Temple Bay would soon come out with special non-seasonal packages for two nights/ three days weekend or non-weekend stays.

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