Dhaka is set to welcome half a dozen international hotel chains over the next couple of years, brought about by the growing influx of business travellers to Bangladesh.
“The economy is expanding and so is the number of guests,” said Md Jashim Uddin, vice-chairman of Bengal Group of Industries, which is constructing a 370-room hotel in the capital’s Niketan area for about BDT 600 crore.
The property will be managed by Swiss hotel chain Swissôtel Hotels and Resorts. “We want to make the ultimate business hotel, which we do not have in the city yet,” he added.
Bengal is not the only local business group pouring in funds to expand the capital’s luxury hotel landscape; Jamuna, Marium and Premier are entering the fray too.
New business opportunities have come up for construction of large infrastructure projects such as the Padma bridge, Rooppur nuclear power plant, metro rail and LNG terminals.
At the same time, the flow of business travellers related to the export-oriented garment industry is set to get bigger as the apparel makers chase an export target of $50 billion in 2021.
Altogether, the new hotels are expected to bring forth investment of about BDT 5,400 crore, according to industry insiders and a banker.
Marium Group is establishing a 200-room hotel in Hatirjheel area for about BDT 1,500 crore. The property will be christened the Holiday Inn Dhaka City Centre and is expected to open its doors to guests by the end of this year.
“There is a huge demand for luxury hotels. In fact, it is more than the supply in the city,” said Alam Ahmed, managing director of Holiday Inn.
No comments:
Post a Comment