Rotana Hotels planning to open 20 hotels in India in the next ten years

Rotana Hotels is aiming to foray into the Indian market with plans to have 20 hotels in the country within the next decade. The Abu Dhabi operator hopes to secure its first hotel projects in India this year as part of its plans for an expansion across India, as it looks to grow beyond the Middle East and North Africa.

The operator is setting up its office in Gurgaon and expects legal formalities to be completed within the next month. The move is part of Rotana's plans this year to expand outside the Middle East and North Africa, and it is also studying opportunities to open hotels in Africa, Central Europe, Turkey and Iran, El Zyr said. But its move into India is at the most advanced stage.

Rotana, which is already in discussions with many developers, is hoping to sign one of two management agreements in India this year. It is then likely to take a couple of years to build and open those hotels, according to a report in The National.

The company has already appointed a head of development at the office, who will lead the Indian expansion plan. The estimated investment for the company before it was likely to see revenue in from India was AED 10 million (USD 2.7m) to AED 15 million, including setting up the office and paying salaries for about the next three years.