‘Our Decision To Tap Smaller Towns And Cities Paid Off’

Sarovar Park Plaza completed 10 years in the hospitality business in India in 2004. Anil Madhok, chairman and managing director, Sarovar Park Plaza, tells Reema Sisodia about the initiation of two new brands and other plans…

You have been at the helm of Sarovar Park Plaza since its inception. How would you reflect on the decade that passed by?

We began our journey in July 1994 and I look back with a lot of satisfaction. The ten years have gone by quite well, especially since we started off with no money at all. When we started out, we did not know how many projects we would be managing in 10 years. Things just moved on with time, projects kept coming in and we kept expanding our brand steadily. Our decision to tap smaller towns and cities has worked in our favour. Today, I can say with pride that our brand has its presence across the length and breadth of the country.

How do you plan to navigate the company in future?

We have many plans in place with regards to expansion. We firmly believe in spreading our wings further in smaller towns and cities. Apart from expansions, we are in the process of introducing an all-new no-frills brand called Hometel. The flagship property would be in Bangalore and in all probability commence operations in September 2005. These would be basic hotels, but providing total value for money for business travellers. Our target market for the Hometel brand is the Indian business traveller. The operational cost with regards to Hometel would be low.

Nowadays Indian hospitality brands and investors are looking at international ventures. Are you also thinking on the same lines?

I see a lot of potential and work on the domestic front and there is too much scope for expansion in India. I am shutting my thoughts to going international, especially for the next three years. In fact we are planning to also create an all-new domestic brand, especially for the Indian market and for cities and towns that may not require an international name and branding. The new domestic brands would be called Sarovar Plaza and Sarovar Inn.

After establishing Sarovar as one of the leading management brands of the country, are you planning to get into the ownership segment of the hospitality industry?

Well, yes. Getting into ownership is something that we have thought of, but there is nothing concrete. We are also looking at running leased out properties.