There is a great deal of hubbub for making Vijayawada-Guntur the capital of the residuary State of Andhra Pradesh. Ironically enough, the city has no Five-Star hotel to boast.
According to sources in the hospitality industry, Krishna district has a Four-Star hotel - D.V. Manor in Vijayawada - and 10 Star hotels, which are rated as Three-Star. The hotels that fall under this category are Taj Gateway, Kay Hotel, Mid City, Fortune Murali Park and Marg Krishnaya. There are more than 200 hotels in the city, if lodge category facilities are also included, according to Vijayawada Hotel Owners’ Association president Kommareddi Pattabhiram.
There is ample scope for the hospitality industry in Vijayawada. Moreover, air, rail and road connectivity makes the city a hot destination for investors. Besides, there is talk of petro corridor, SEZs, and agri corridor. “The city is also known as the political capital, and there will be a flurry of activity, if it were made the capital. However, there are no Five-Star hotels in the region except Visakhapatnam,” says Mr. Pattabhiram.
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“At present, there are seven hotels that fall under Star category in Vijayawada and three in Guntur. This apart, lodges and unclassified hotels have also been established to cater for customers,” says Pradeep Kumar Dutt, secretary, Hotels and Restaurants Association of Andhra Pradesh. He feels that prospects for the industry in the Seemandhra region are high, as it will witness several developmental activities soon.
For constructing a Five-Star category hotel, at least an acre of land is required. Swimming pool, gymnasium, multi-cuisine restaurants and sufficient area for parking are the major requirements. There should be an exclusive water storage tank to deal with fire accidents. Above all, staffers should be recruited from recognised hotel management institutes, according to a source from the hospitality industry.