Disruption of normal life on account of the ongoing ‘Samaikyandhra’ agitation notwithstanding, the city is all set to witness a growth in luxury properties with at least four new luxury hotels coming up at different locations.
The new brand names to join the local market include Marriott, Novotel, Sarovar and Keys Hotel group.
The Novotel group which has close to 400 hotels and resorts in 60 countries, situated in business districts and tourist destinations of major international cities, is developing a property opposite Vinayak theatre on Eluru Road while the Marriott Hotels and Resorts, an international flagship brand of full-service hotels and resorts, is opening a local chapter on the Ring Road. The Sarovar group is scouting for appropriate land while the Keys Hotels Group is also exploring the local landscape to set up shop here.
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Will development of new properties mean more business? “As of now, the existing hotels can cater to the present needs. We have a good number of hotels with adequate number of rooms. In the event of bifurcation of the State followed by development of Vijayawada as capital of the new State, additional properties in the hospitality industry would mean growth in traffic which ultimately will translate into good business,” K. Pattabhi Ram, president of Vijayawada Hotel Owners’ Association, said on Tuesday.
In the event of division, Vijayawada will become a hot destination, feel local industrialists and hoteliers. They are not opposed to bifurcation, but have been raising their voices against the haphazard manner in which the UPA Government has been handling the sensitive issue of State division.
“We hoteliers are also part of the ‘Samaikyandhra’ agitation spearheaded by the APNGOs. The strike has dealt a blow to almost all sectors which are reeling under huge financial losses. The hospitality sector is no exception. People have stopped travelling to the coastal districts in view of the disturbances. Business has come to a stand still and nobody has a clue about how long it will take to recover the losses,” rued Mr. Pattabhi Ram.
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“The Joint Action Committee has done its bit to bring pressure on the Congress at the Centre to roll back its decision on Telangana. It is for the politicians now to take the task on to their shoulders and save Andhra Pradesh from bifurcation,” he said.