Louvre Hotels group has signed master franchise agreement with Orange Tigers Hospitality to introduce brand Kyriad in India market. The group aims to open 15 Kyriad hotels in India by March 2019 out of which eight are already operational. The eight operational properties are located in Kumbakonam, Goa, Chennai, Amba Ghat, Bijapur, Pune, Hubli and Hesaraghatta in Bengaluru.
Speaking about the brand, Saurabh Chawla, CEO, Louvre Hotels said, “The brand Kyriad was launched globally in 2001, so fairly it is a new brand for us. We have 261 Kyriad Hotels globally out of which most of them are in France and Europe. Over the last couple of years, there has been a constant effort to roll Kyriad worldwide. Our presence in India has largely been the Golden Tulip brand and the presence really in India is due to Sarovar Group which has a huge brand power amongst the domestic market. The presence will now be boosted with the launch of the Kyriad Brand for which we have partnered with Orange Tiger Hospitality. With the new Kyriad brand we have 130 hotels in the country which makes us the largest hotel chain in the nation.”
Under the new partnership, the scope of the agreement is not just limited to India; but encompasses opportunities for development in Nepal, Sri-Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Pakistan and Mauritius.
Abhijeet Shrivastava, CEO, Orange Tiger Hospitality said, “The demand for midscale full service hotels is ever growing in India and over the past few years, the liking for an International brand is on an upswing. With our expertise of managing the hotel operations as well as revenues, we are sure to take brand Kyriad to newer heights in South Asia. Through our strong network of 10 sales offices in India we will take Kyriad brand to the next level. Kyriad in India will be a full service mid scale hotel chain. Kyriad is a very individualistic hotel chain connected to each other by the theme of travel.”
According to further plans, the group is looking to open up more properties in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Also for the Kyriad Brand the group will be majorly focusing on the Tier II and III cities for growth. “Currently we have two properties in Tamil Nadu, three in Karnataka, two in Maharashtra and one in Goa. In the near future the growth will be in Maharashtra. We are also in final stages in Andhra Pradesh. We will be looking at a combination of both Greenfield and Brownfield projects. The brand allows conversion very easily as the brand markers are such that the property can easily be made into a Kyriad. The markets which we are focusing on are Tier II and III cities. There is a demand and supply gap in these smaller cities. There is a requirement for a hotel chain, and if there is an international hotel chain, people are ready to pay,” Shrivastava added.
