Taj Hotels Resorts opens luxury wilderness lodge
The Hindu Business Line — October 27, 2006

Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces with Conservation Corporation Africa (CC Africa) and Cigen Corporation announced the opening of its luxury wilderness lodge at the Bandhavgarh National Park on Thursday. The lodging named "Mahua Kothi", on the border of Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh, will start functioning from November 1 and will be followed by the launch of the second lodge, `Baghvan', bordering the Pench National Park, in February 2007. Taj Wilderness Lodges Ltd, a Taj Hotels Resorts, CC Africa and Cigen joint venture, will run the Mahua Kothi.

The company is also planning to set up three other lodges at Panna, Kanha and Corbett by early-2008. The three companies will own around 33 per cent stake each in Taj Wilderness Lodges Ltd. Mahua Kothi is set up on 45 acres of land owned previously by a private party. "The lodge will have 12 suites designed on the lines of Central India architecture. It will have courtyards with shaded seating, traditional swings and mud floors. Mahua Kothi would be minimalist in look and high in comfort,'' said Mr Ajoy K. Misra, Senior Vice-President - Sales and Marketing, Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL).

The tariff for a night's stay at Mahua Kothi will be Rs 23,000 per person (price inclusive of accommodation, scheduled safari activities, food and beverages, laundry, emergency medical evacuation and government taxes). Mahua Kothi will be open for public from October 1 to June 30 every year. "We are planning to form a Wilderness Advisory Group comprising environmentalists, forest officials and NGOs. We will make a concentrated effort to improve the quality of safari management in the country,'' said Mr Raymond Bickson, CEO, IHCL.