Aiana set to launch 7 hotels in GCC

Amruda Nair, granddaughter of legendary hotelier Captain Nair.

Qatari-Indian hotel management firm's flagship property is taking shape in Doha.

By Isaac John

Published: Wed 15 Jul 2015, 7:00 PM

Aiana Hotels & Resorts LLC, a joint venture global hotel management company set up by Qatari and Indian entrepreneurs, is on track to launch its first property in Doha this year and will have seven hotels in the region within five years.
Amruda Nair, joint managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of the company - a third generation hotelier from a family of Indian entrepreneurs - said her 50:50 venture with Shaikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, chairman of Al Sawari Holding and Qatari Business Association, envisages Doha as its flagship market in the Middle East.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Amruda, granddaughter of legendary hotelier Captain Nair, who started The Leela at the age of 65, said Aiana brand's first property, a serviced apartment, would be located in West Bay, Doha.
"We expect this property to be operational this year. Under the Aiana brand, we plan to have seven hotels, either operational or under development, in the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia over the next five years - all under management contracts."
The Doha project, currently in the design phase, can also be replicated in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, said Amruda.
"I am confident about the unique appeal of the Aiana concept and we are currently focused on creating top-of-mind recall for hotel owners and real estate companies who want to diversify into the hospitality sector. This process would eventually see us adding more properties by the end of the decade."
Amruda said Shaikh Faisal, with whom she signed the joint venture agreement in April, shared her vision of creating a brand that would appeal to young professionals and global travellers and provide guests with enriching experiences as well as bring the first Asian-inspired hotel to Qatar.
"I am a third generation hotelier from a family of entrepreneurs and I was keen to create a brand that resonates with the traveller of today. My generation believes in being independent, taking risks and being proud of their roots. The new hospitality brand Aiana is about being authentic, intuitive and proud of being Indian," she said.
She said the primary focus of the company is to stay within a four-hour flight radius which covers the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia.
Outlining her brand's vision, Amruda said Aiana aims to be a globally respected hospitality brand that "embodies the best of Indian service culture as a leading operator of properties in South Asia and the Middle East. Exuding a passion for innovation and creating unique, enriching experience for guests, colleagues and owners, we will achieve our vision by innovating fresh service, design and operating concepts, creating smart, stimulating places in tune with our environmental and social values as well as delivering an intuitive hotel management model that resonates with the next generation of travellers."
Aiana means 'eternal blossom' in Sanskrit. It is also a place of refuge or retreat. "Those two powerful, evocative images have been our inspiration. We have blended them to create a unique vision of contemporary living and global hospitality."
She described her collaboration with Shaikh Faisal as a combination of synergies. "Shaikh Faisal is a strong proponent of Qatar's long-standing relations with India and he shares my passion for extending the legendary Indian hospitality to the world."
The joint venture company, headquartered at Qatar Financial Centre, will build greenfield projects that will be designed and constructed to Aiana brand specifications but will also look at a few select conversions in key destinations that comply with the group's brand standards.
In India, Aiana is looking primarily at leisure destinations and a few key gateway cities. "Our growth will be determined by a cluster strategy that offers both hotel owners and our guests accessibility and consistency in service delivery. Currently, we are focusing on south India as it offers a diversity of leisure experiences from mountain-top plantations to backwaters and beaches. We are currently in discussions for several greenfield projects in weekend destinations but will also look at conversions going forward," said Amruda.
- issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com