Despite Covid, two new hotels check into Ahmedabad

AHMEDABAD: In what seems to be a silver lining for the city’s hospitality sector, at least two new hotel properties are going to be launched in Ahmedabad over the next three months. Hospitality is one of the most adversely affected sectors during the Covid-19 pandemic. Taj Hotels is set to launch its 170-room branded property along Sindhu Bhavan Road in October. The luxury hotel chain of the Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) will further expand the number of rooms to 320.
Another hospitality major Marriott International is going to come up with a new hotel under its Courtyard brand in October-December quarter, said people aware of the development. The 100-plus room property will be located near Sindhu Bhavan Road in western Ahmedabad.
Originally, both the hotels were to be opened in the first half of 2020. Their launch, however, was deferred due to the Covid-19 outbreak. “Taj Hotel will be operational in the second half of October during the Navratri festival. We hope business will pick up during and after the festive season,” said Atul Budhraja, vice-president – operations for the hotel. An email query sent to the Marriott International regarding the upcoming launch of its hotel did not elicit a response.
The launch of these two hotels will add at least 270 new room keys to the city’s existing inventory of at least 4,000 keys. Industry experts claim that while the new launches do infuse optimism in Ahmedabad’s hospitality sector which has severely suffered during the ongoing pandemic, how far the occupancy levels will go up remains to be seen.
Industry estimates suggest that occupancy levels at branded hotels across Ahmedabad was barely one-third of the total capacity in the month of August. There is an estimated 70% decline in the occupancy against the same period last year.
Hoteliers, however, are bullish that there may be an inflow of revenues during and after Diwali, if larger gatherings are permitted by the union government. Inquiries have already begun pouring for wedding and social occasions alike.