Asmita Mukherjee - Hyderabad Tamara Leisure Experiences, a new entrant in the hospitality industry is currently on an expansion drive. Shruti Shibulal, the young CEO & Director of Tamara Leisure Experiences said that despite Covid-19 and its devastating impacts, the brand has managed to plan its third Tamara Resort, which is an Ayurvedic centre on the backwaters of Alleppey, Kerala. The brand also aims to add 1,000 keys to its kitty by 2025.
Speaking about her journey with the brand Shibulal said, “My journey to becoming the CEO of Tamara Leisure Experiences was quite organic. I had just completed an MBA at Columbia when the first Tamara Resort in Coorg was launched.
Since our inception, we have gone on to see the opening of five total properties under three different brands. We have our boutique resorts, The Tamara Coorg and The Tamara Kodai, our upscale business hotel in Trivandrum, O by Tamara and finally our mid-segment chain in Bangalore, The Lilac Hotels.”
While speaking on the economic impact observed at Tamara’s properties, due to the coronavirus, Shibulal said that there has been a lot of volatility and uncertainty in demand.
“We have seen a difference in the way that resorts versus city properties have rebounded. There was a large volume of domestic tourists seeking to travel once restrictions were lifted. These travellers flocked to nature resorts such as ours for a relaxing escape after the first few difficult months of lockdown. Hence, the resorts have been very quick to regain business. We have even met our previously set revenue forecasts.
The city portfolio, on the other hand, has been more deeply impacted. We had to look for alternative ways to bridge the gap. To do this, we focused heavily on tailoring our F & B offerings and realigning our city hotels to serve needs of the hour such as small weddings and gatherings,” she added.
Commenting on their expansion plans, she said, “We are currently on an expansion track on all fronts. Later this year, we will be opening a third Tamara Resort, an Ayurvedic centre on the backwaters of Alleppey, Kerala. We are also planning to add three more properties to the Lilac Hotels. Our goal is to have 1,000 keys by 2025, which I believe we are on track to achieve. So, we remain very bullish about growth.”
According to Shibulal, considering the limited opportunities for international travel, it is expected that the immediate future focus will be on domestic tourists.
Shibulal said that the group is very optimistic and focused on its growth. “In 2021-22, we will be launching a new Tamara Resort in Kerala as well as a Lilac in Guruvayoor. Several other hotels are in varying stages of development under our three brands. We are seeing some good opportunities, both to buy, as well as, to lease or take under a management contract. We are still bullish and we are open to looking at a variety of opportunities in the post-Covid market,” she added.
asmita.mukherjee@saffronsynergies.in
