Thailand headquartered Minor Hotels, that has a strong presence in APAC and the Middle East had launched Oaks Bodhgaya early this year in India. The hotel group is in fact one of the three investors in the property. “We have guests from Thailand, Japan, Sri Lanka and India, we are familiar with these markets. Also, there are no good properties in the local market, and there was a need for quality accommodation,” said Marion Walsh Hedouin, VP marketing and PR, Minor Hotels.
The centrally-located property has 74 rooms and four suites, along with meeting facility, meditation area, and other facilities. “We would love to see the expansion of our brands in India, in particular Anantara, which is a special brand that fits the DNA of India,” said Hedouin, adding that it is about finding the right opportunities for the brands. “We are in discussion with various partners,” she revealed.
India being a key source market for Minor Hotels, the properties in many countries have been drawing Indian guests, not just families and couples but also the wedding segment and MICE. The hotels in Sri Lanka have a significant focus on the India market. Thailand properties also have been popular with the India market, in particular two in Bangkok – Anantara Riverside and Anantara Siam. “Both welcome a lot of Indian guests – for leisure and for destination weddings. We have a lovely property in the south of Thailand called Anantara Si Kao, where we again welcome a lot of Indian guests, particularly for destination weddings. We are receptive to what a guest wants and have Indian chefs in a number of our hotels,” mentioned Hedouin.
Anantara Riverside is adjacent to Avani Riverside, both properties together have 500 rooms, and the meeting space can accommodate upto 1000 people. With increased air connectivity to secondary cities in India, Anantara Siam has also seen a significant rise in high-end MICE groups in the last one year. Remarked Hedouin, “India is a solid market for us, in Thailand there have been some upheavals in the past but that has not affected the Indian guests, who are very resilient and keep coming.”