Bharat Hotels is now The Lalit

Bharat Hotels, India’s leading private hotels company, has changed its brand name to The Lalit, in memory of the group’s founder, the late Lalit Suri.

The Lalit will be the brand name for all the top-line hotels under The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group.

Jyotsna Suri, chairperson and managing director of Bharat Hotels, has said, “From now, all the properties under the Bharat Hotels banner will be known as The Lalit instead of the previous name The Grand. This is a proud moment for us as we embark on a new journey with The Lalit. While we carry forward the legacy of Lalit Suri, our new identity also reflects an evolving, progressive and dynamic group, with a promise of offering limitless hospitality.”

“The group,” Jyotsna Suri went on, “was not affected by the current downturn and it will continue with all its investment and hiring plans without any change.”

The Lalit Suri Hospitality group will continue their Rs 1,200-crore (Rs 12-billion) investment over the next three to four years to increase the number of rooms from 1,500 now to 3,600.

The company plans to add eight more hotels to its existing hotels in India, and open two hotels in Dubai and Thailand. The group also plans to build budget hotels with a capacity of 20-50 rooms.

The Lalit Suri Hospital group has said that around Rs 6 billion of the proposed amount will come from internal accruals and the remaining Rs 6 billion from borrowing.

The company has said that there will be no retrenchment due to the transition.

The Lalit group has completely renovated its property in Delhi, which will be known as The Lalit New Delhi. However, hotels in Mumbai and Goa will continue their association with IHG and will be called InterContinental The Lalit Mumbai and InterContinental The Lalit Goa Resort, respectively.

Currently the group has seven operational hotels under the brand name The Grand, and 10 hotels are under development. The seven hotels – in New Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Bangalore, Srinagar, Udaipur and Khajuraho – have an inventory strength of 1,500 rooms.

The Lalit Suri group, which had started a central reservation system from October 1, 2008, posted a turnover of Rs 500 crore in 2007-2008. “This year, the growth in turnover will be either flat or at most 5%,” Jyotsna Suri said.

The group has decided not to renew its franchise agreement with the global chain The Intercontinental, with which it had an agreement to use the brand name for four hotels.

“The agreement period for our Delhi and Goa hotels have culminated and that of our Mumbai and Goa properties would also expire within 18 months and we are not renewing them,” Jyotsna Suri said.