
Royal Orchid looking to triple hotels to over 300, room count to 20k in 5yrs: CMD
Royal Orchid Hotels
Ltd is embarking on an aggressive expansion with plans to triple the number of properties and rooms to over 300 and 20,000, respectively, in the next five years, according to its Chairman and Managing Director
Chander K Baljee
.
The company, which has worked on brand architecture and segmentation of its properties, is also getting into the budget segment targeting youngsters and Gen Z customers under the 'Regenta Z' brand, Baljee told PTI in an interview.
He also said that as part of the expansion programme, the company expects to increase its headcount to 20,000 from the current number of about 9,000 employees.
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"We are 115 hotels today. In the last one year, we've added 14 hotels. Looking forward, in the next one to one-and-a-half years...we will be adding 30 hotels...In the next five years, we are targeting to triple our room count and also the number of hotels," he said.
He was responding to a query on the company's expansion plans.
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"In the next five years, we are targeting 300-plus hotels. Right now, we have about 7,000 rooms in operation and have already signed another 2,000-plus rooms.
So by next year, we will have 10,000 rooms in operation. Our target is to reach about 20,000-plus rooms in five years," Baljee said.
Last year, the company had added over 960 rooms through the 14 new hotels, he said, adding that in the next one to one-and-a-half years, the company will add over 2,000 rooms through the planned addition of 30 properties.
Sharing the company's work on its brand architecture, he said it is "one thing which we have been working on for the last one year, and that has been finalised".
Baljee said the company is introducing a new 5-star brand, 'Iconiqa' and "all further absolute five-star hotels will be under the
Iconiqa brand
".
Moreover, he said, "We are getting into the budget hotel segment with the brand 'Regenta Z' catering to the youngsters and Gen Z. It would be operated under a franchise model."
There will be other hotels under the Regenta and Regenta Place brands, he said, adding, "certain hotels which don't fit into the normal brand standard but are boutique and nice will be housed under the 'Crestoria' brand".
The work on the brand architecture and segmentation was carried out after feedback from customers, Bajlee added.
Under its aim to offer a hotel for every market, Royal Orchid will now have seven brand offerings -- Iconiqa, Hotel Royal Orchid, Royal Orchid Central, Crestoria, Regenta, Regenta Place and Regenta Z.
Royal Orchid is also getting into wellness and ayurveda concepts to offer lifestyle treatments for ailments like diabetes, weight loss, and hypertension, he said, adding that the first one will come up in the company's Brindavan Garden, Mysore property and will look to expand it more in other resort hotels.
The company has also introduced its loyalty programme and is trying to integrate AI into its operations to reduce costs and increase efficiency, Baljee said.

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