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'It's Service With An Eco Touch'
The first hospitality project of South India real estate
giant Ceebros - the Raintree is creating waves in India and
international circles for its unique sense of style,
eco-friendly practices and service. Geoff Magee, CEO, The
Raintree in conversation with Nithya Kamakshi highlights the
USP of the property and the group's future plans. Excerpts.
EH&C: From real estate to hotels, what prompted this drastic
shift?
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Geoff Magee: A shift for a
realtor into hospitality is a natural transition,
especially given the equity and credibility that
Ceebros has built over the last three decades in the
south. So this was a planned move with sound
groundwork rather than a drastic shift. We are
currently working towards an Ecotel certification
for our first hotel and have hired an environmental
officer to follow the strict norms pertaining to the
classification. |
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Where will the Raintree brand get its
funding from? What is the investment structure?
The funding has been entirely done from
internal sources. The budget for the upcoming projects is
still in its nascent stage and it is difficult at this
juncture to reveal anything.
How do you aim to position your
property amidst the overcrowding industry?
The Raintree is an original Ceebros brand
and all hotels and resorts that we develop will be branded
so, irrespective of whether or not we enter into
international management contracts. Although we are open to
such synergies. Looking at the market dynamics today, it
makes sense for established brands to consider dual
properties. Although this is our main strategy for Chennai,
we want to serve different niches and demands in different
cities. According to Ceebros, a mix of four-star, budget and
service apartments is ideal. For instance, our second hotel
will come up on Mount Road, centrally located on Chennai's
main road, which points towards the mid-market profile like
a four-star deluxe. Our approach is to let the market
realities for the given locations determine the positioning
of the hotel.Similarly, the Raintree property is
contemporary, new age and trendy and we have branded it as a
business class hotel.
How do you foresee the concept of
Ecotel develop in the country?
The culture of Ecotel is bound to grow
with the increasing focus on the environment. Today, there
are more hotels looking at the prospect of going
eco-friendly. The industry has already seen a mammoth change
in the way it functions and the concept of Ecotel is
expected to be an answer for the various ecological
problems. As far as Ceebros is concerned, we practice the
'3R' theory; reduce, reuse and recycle.
What about future expansions and
projects?
We are coming up with two more properties
in Chennai on Mount Road and near the airport. Ceebros'
expansion could also potentially include a resort in
Mahabalipuram and a hotel in Coimbatore. This is keeping
with the recent trend of property developers tapping the
hospitality sector like the Rahejas and more recently Oberoi
Constructions. The Ceebros approach, unlike its counterparts
in the Indian western region is quite different. We are keen
on having international hotel management firms operating our
hotels while we concentrate on building them. |
