According to the Jones Lang LaSalle report, ITC Hotels plans to double its room capacity from its present level of over 3,000 rooms by March 2001 and has reserved over US$ 250 million for its ambitious growth plan.The expansion strategy also includes a foray abroad with hotels being planned in South-East Asian cities such as Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

The company has already opened its Bukhara restaurant in the UAE, Kathmandu. And Asian Hotels Ltd, the promoters of the Hyatt Regency brand, has drawn up a US$ 100-million plan to expand its Hyatt Regency chain of hotels to Calcutta and Mumbai.

The report states that East India Hotels has chalked out plans to invest up to US$ 280 million over the next few years to expand its chain of luxury and budget hotels across the country and overseas. To achieve major expansions in the overseas market, it also seeks to invest in equity in projects abroad.In its bid to maintain its market leadership, India's biggest hotel company and the owners of The Taj Group of Hotels, The Indian Hotels Co. Ltd, has outlined an aggressive growth strategy for acquiring 17 additional properties to its existing portfolio of hotels. The company is also looking at acquisitions in the South-East Asian region and West Asia.

Giving more examples, the report states that Hotel Leelaventure plans a capital expenditure outlay in excess of US$ 90 million to pursue an aggressive growth strategy by entering Bangalore, Udaipur and Goa markets.In a recent development, The Taj Group of Hotels has acquired the Hotel Blue Diamond in Pune and the City Inn, Baramati, in a US$ 9.3 million deal.

Acquisition of the Pune property forms an important part of The Indian Hotel Co. Ltd's expansion plans.

The report says that as part of their expansion programme, ITC Hotels has acquired 100 per cent equity in the Bay Islands Hotels Ltd, the owning company of the Hotel Welcomgroup Bay Islands at Port Blair.

ITDC has plans for a joint venture with Germany's Gebr Heinmann, one of the world's top three duty free operators, to operate its portfolio-of duty free and duty paid shops in India. ITDC has also announced a detailed plan for the opening of a logistic-cum-warehouse to systemise sales to duty free shops, hoteliers, diplomats and their licensed wholesalers.

International hotel chains are equally aggressive, says the report. Chicago based Hyatt International plans to pick up 50 per cent equity stakes in hotel ventures in Mumbai and Calcutta for the Grand Hyatt projects in the two cities. The estimated investment planned by Hyatt International in the two ventures is about US$ 70 million. Over the next five years, Hyatt International plans to have seven properties in India.

Nikko Hotels International, part of the Tokyo-based, 160,300-million yen Japan Airlines Hotels Co. Ltd, has announced its first Indian property, a proposed 175-room hotel in New Delhi. For this project, Nikko International has tied up with the New Delhi-based Sun Air Hotels.

The US$ 22-billion Carlson Group has identified its limited service chain-Country Inns and Suites-as the thrust area for development in India. Among the cities where country inns and suites are to be established are Pune, Calcutta, Puri, Katra Vaishno Devi, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Kochi and Mumbai.