ABS Hotels India is poised to introduce its new budget-oriented hotel brand, ‘Smart Hotels,’ with ambitious plans to establish it in eight cities across India over the next two years, backed by a hefty investment of Rs 100 crore. Ashok Aneja, the chairman of the group, disclosed that their strategy is to significantly expand within the budget and resort segments of the hospitality market.
“Smart Hotels will be located in prominent cities including Goa, Jaipur, Bengaluru, and other locations such as Pune, Gwalior, Bhopal, Lucknow, and Delhi. The properties will be owned and managed by us, without resorting to external borrowings to finance these initiatives,” Aneja articulated clearly.
In addition to the launch of Smart Hotels, the company is also looking to bolster its resort brand, named Roop Hotels & Resorts, with an additional property planned in Gir National Park, Gujarat. This follows the successful establishment of Roop Resorts located in Jim Corbett National Park and the picturesque Kumaon region in Nainital. “We anticipate exploring additional resort locations in Uttaranchal and Dehradun, while also planning to position Roop Hotels in Bengaluru and Dehradun,” he stated.
Initially, ABS Hotels India operated as a master franchisee for the U.S.-based Microtel Inn & Suites and has already developed three three-star hotels in Bengaluru, Jaipur, and Mumbai under this brand. Although earlier plans to open 20 hotels were put on hold, the current environment has positioned ABS Hotels to reintroduce its own brand using the strategies previously developed with Microtel. “We hold the rights to the original hotel designs and development plans, allowing us to move forward with the project,” Aneja emphasized.
Moreover, the company is not merely resting on its laurels. ABS Hotels India possesses substantial land banks and might leverage these for further hotel development. In a bid to diversify its offerings, the firm is also venturing into the serviced apartments segment, with its 42-room Roop Residency launching in Bengaluru this year, earmarked for an investment of Rs 20 crore, he concluded.