A team of the company was on a visit to the city last weekend to look for land for the Delhi-based luxury hotel group.

LEMON Tree will soon cover Orange City. Don’t be alarmed. The national capital-based Krizm Hotels Pvt Ltd that runs Lemon Tree chain of hotels is scouting for prime land in the city to start a luxury hotel. A team of the company was on a visit to the city last week-end for the purpose.

Lemon tree hotel in hinjewadi pune

Talking to The Hitavada, Aradhana Lal, Vice-President (Sales and Marketing) of Lemon Tree, said the company will spend a massive Rs 2,150 crore to set up a chain of hotels across the country by 2011. This would add 2,500 rooms to its chain. In Nagpur, the company is looking for a few acres land at a prime location the outskirts of the city. “The two-member team that visited the city is likely to submit its report by the weekend. The land acquisition will be done soon thereafter. The region may see its first Lemon Tree by 2012,” he said.

However, Lal did not disclose the investment that the chain has in mind for the city project. “It would be too early to speak about the investment at this point,” he said.

Lal, however, said it would be a “luxury budget” hotel that would offer customers value for money at a price point higher than one-star hotels but below three or four-star hotels in the region.”

He further said that once the MIHAN project was functional, Nagpur has the advantage of geographical location, will be one of the most happening cities in the country. “We look for cities having good manufacturing industries network and IT companies. Nagpur fits the bill. We can not afford to keep the city out of the Lemon Tree map,” he said.

While Lemon Tree designs, develops, and manages all its properties, the food and beverage function is usually outsourced. It trains its personnels at its Gurgaon hotel that is being converted into an institute.

On an expansion spree to become the second largest chain of hotels in India by 2011, the company plant; to build a total of 2,700 rooms under the Lemon Tree brand in India over the next few years.

It is planning to start 14 hotels in 12 cities aggregating 1,700 rooms. Its hotels in Ahmedabad, Indore, Aurangabad, Chennal and Jaipur will be coming up by next year. The company has reported a revenue of Rs 60 crore during the last fiscal and is targeting to cross Rs 100 crore in 2008-09.