Boosting Kashmir’s ailing tourism sector, the Taj group is launching a luxury hotel in the Valley. The project is a joint venture between the Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) — a part of the Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces — and Saifco Hill Crest Hotels Private Limited.
While the managing director of Saifco Hill Crest Hotels declined to comment, Tourism Director Farooq Ahmad said “they (Saifco) told us that the hotel will be commissioned on May 1.” A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two companies was signed in December 2009, in the presence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Announcing the addition to its “Vivanta family” — the Taj group’s recently launched brand — a press release issued by the hotel chain said: “Over the last few years, the tourism industry in J&K has seen a distinct upswing. The Indian Hotels Company Ltd has tapped into this upsurge and has added to its portfolio in keeping with its domestic expansion plans”.
The hotel will be constructed on a hillock in the foothills of Zabarwan Mountains, offering a panoramic view of the Dal Lake as well as Srinagar city, its forts and the Tulip Garden. Spread across six acres, it will have 89 rooms, with suites and guest rooms in villas. The site is about 20 kilometres from the Srinagar airport.
“After the Gulmarg cable car and Royal Springs Golf Course, this will be a big addition to the tourism infrastructure. This collaboration will encourage more hotels to launch joint ventures in the Valley,” said Ahmad.
“This will help revolutionise tourism in Kashmir,” said Riyaz Qureshi, a tourism expert. “One of the main obstacles in tourism here is that we do not have the requisite infrastructure for high income tourists,” he said.
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