Indian
Hotels eyes Rs 50 cr business from spas in
5 yrs
Financial
Express — December 17, 2003
Indian
Hotels Co Ltd (IHCL) is targeting a business worth
around Rs 50 crore from its spa division in the
next five years. It has also set its sights on
starting an exclusive signature brand of spa experiences
which will first be launched at its various properties.
The company is looking at setting up 12 new spas
in the next three years and reckons that this
division will do well to improve the fortunes
of the company. Regarding the separate spa division,
which began operations in August this year, Raymond
Bickson, managing director, IHCL, told FE that
the company would soon be setting up a spa at
its luxury service apartments — Wellington Mews
— sometime in May-June next year and another 14,000
sq feet big spa at its resort in Mauritius in
October 2004. Currently, the spa division has
39 spas under its umbrella. Mr Bickson said that
the endeavour was to promote India as a major
spa destination over countries like Thailand and
Malaysia as most techniques have originated from
India. The spa market is dubbed as a $14-billion
global industry. The company is in the process
of setting up the Taj Spa School in north Mumbai
(various properties are being identified) which
will train staff about the various therapies in
an effort to make the entire spa initiative exclusively
Taj’s!
Mr Bickson said that the company was looking at
the north of the country and was exploring the
possibility of setting up destination resorts
based on what he called ‘The Himalayan Experience’
for which IHCL has been in the process of examining
various properties in the region.
The main aim behind the Himalayan Experience is
to try and promote certain areas like Himachal
Pradesh as a 12-month destination, rather than
for a specific period and to develop a city environment
within the chosen area.
The company is also looking at Qatar, Doha, Palm
Island and Dubai for a possible resort destination
in the near future.
Mr Bickson also said that a joint venture with
IHCL, CC Africa and the Chaudhury Group was on
the cards and should be signed in June 2004.
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