Hotel Chains Line Up 2 Dozen Projects for the North-East

The N-E drew ₹4.3 tn in investor interest at a govt summit, signalling rising tourism potential

- Varuni Khosla

From Kaziranga and Cherrapunjee to Agartala and Gangtok, India's North-East is witnessing a surge of interest from major hotel chains betting on the region's long-term tourism potential. Backed by public-private partnerships in some cases and growing government support, Lemon Tree Hotels, Radisson Hotel Group, and Indian Hotels Co. are lapping up management contracts with hotel owners in India's north-eastern states.

Juniper Hotels and Hotel Polo Towers are also investing heavily across the region, with new properties planned in destinations such as Guwahati, Shillong, Itanagar, Dibrugarh and Jorhat.

Lemon Tree Hotels will open a five-star Aurika property in Gangtok under a public-private partnership, while its other upcoming hotels in the region include managed properties in Shillong, Guwahati, Chirang, Tezpur, Agartala, and Dibrugarh.

Across its north-east portfolio, Lemon Tree Hotels is adding an inventory of more than 560 rooms, up sharply from its current 80 rooms in the region. Radisson Hotel Group is in active talks with hotel owners in Sikkim and Tripura.