IHG plans four hotels in Buddhist Circuit of India

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), in partnership with Lotus Trans Travel Private Limited, is planning to establish four hotel portfolios under the banner of Holiday Inn in Bodhgaya, Kushinagar, Gorakhpur and Shravasti. Expected to open between 2020 and 2023, the four properties together will add 450 rooms to IHG’s inventory in India.

As part of the agreement, Holiday Inn hotels in Bodhgaya, Kushinagar and Shravasti will be refurbished and upgraded while Holiday Inn Gorakhpur will be a newly build hotel. With this partnership, IHG has become the first International hotel chain to have presence in the Buddhist Circuit of India.

Bodhgaya in Bihar and Kushinagar, Gorakhpur and Shravasti in Uttar Pradesh are few prominent pilgrimage centres for Buddhism in India and together form a part of the Buddhist Circuit of India.

“Lotus Trans Travel Private Limited have very strong presence in the Buddhist Circuit of India and are vastly experienced in selling these destination as one circuit in India. We are positive that this agreement will be fruitful to IHG and will assist it’s expansion spree in the South West Asia Market,” said Sudeep Jain, Vice President – Development, South West Asia, IHG.

“In the form of IHG we have partnered with one of the most experienced companies in terms of hotel management and the brand value which Holiday Inn carries will further help us in serving the tourists coming from within India and abroad in particular for Buddhist Circuit. Buddhist Circuit of India is one of the most unharnessed areas in terms of religious tourism and with these four properties we will try to cater to this untapped market,” said Lajpat Rai, Managing Director, Lotus Trans Travel Private Limited.

Rs 20 crore each will estimated for the refurbishment and upgradation of three properties. IHG currently has 31 hotels operating across it’s four brands in India and as of June 30, 2018, development of more 43 properties are in the pipeline.