Holiday Inn Lavasa to open in Mugaon, India by 2015

Lavasa Corporation recently signed an agreement with IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms to open Holiday Inn at Mugaon, the second town under development at Lavasa. Holiday Inn Lavasa, Mugaon, a 200-room mid-scale hotel is expected to open by 2015. Lavasa, India's first planned hill city is located in the western region of India in the picturesque landscape of the Sahayadri Mountains, amidst 7 hills and 60 km of lakefront. A three-hour drive from Mumbai and an hour's drive from Pune, the city is one fifth the size of Mumbai.

Mugaon, located close to the first town Dasve is being developed as a residential, educational, business and commercial hub. Major attractions in the new town are the Town Centre with shops, cafes, cultural institutions, spiritual centres, Apollo Medicity, schools and colleges, sports academies like Manchester City Football Academy, Nick Faldo Golf Academy and a USSRC supported Space theme Park and a Hollywood - Bollywood style theme park.

Holiday Inn Lavasa, Mugaon will exemplify the standards of the USD $1 billion Holiday Inn relaunch, featuring new signage, new exterior landscaping and design, an enhanced welcome experience with a re-designed lobby, de-cluttered reception desk and all-new signature scents and sounds. The 200-room hotel will offer an extensive selection of food and beverage outlets. A fully-equipped business centre along with conferencing facilities and expansive banqueting facilities will make the Holiday Inn Lavasa, Mugaon an ideal business and leisure destination. Construction of the new hotel is likely to commence in the third quarter of 2013.

Commenting on the development, Mr. Rajgopal Nogja, Group President – Development Companies, HCC said, "We are pleased to partner with IHG, a reputed and established hotel operator for opening the Holiday Inn hotel at Mugaon. Tourist traffic to Lavasa is on the rise with close to 1 lakh tourists visiting the city every month. The proposed development at Mugaon which includes theme parks, medi city, sports academies and the business hub will only augment the tourist numbers. The opening of Holiday Inn at Mugaon will help us further cater to tourist demand for quality hotel accommodation."

Douglas Martell, Vice President Operations, South West Asia, IHG said, "We are extremely excited to partner with HCC and welcome Holiday Inn Lavasa, Mugaon – India's first planned scenic hill station and an emerging tourist destination. With a growing economy and an expanding middle class, we foresee a strong demand for midscale hotels in the country, and the Holiday Inn Lavasa, Mugaon will be a great product of the next generation of hotels planned for India."

Holiday Inn, the world's most recognised mid-market hotel brand, is specifically designed for both business and family oriented leisure travellers in need of a full-service lodging experience.

Lavasa enjoys a pleasant year-round weather, making it a perfect tourist destination. With an array of options in entertainment, sports, events and hospitality, the hill city plans to welcome an estimated 20 lakh tourists every year when the city is completely built by 2021. Lavasa at present offers tourists a range of accommodation options varying from luxury to budget hotels. The city currently has 230 rooms with an average occupancy of over 70%. Lavasa International Convention Centre with a capacity of 1,500 persons started operations last year. This has further enhanced the mid week MICE traffic. X-Thrill the adventure sports facility hosts close to 5000 visitors a month, both FITs and corporate.