DHNS
 
Mangalore Oct 4: After launching hotels in Bangalore and Mysore, the new concept of quality budget hotels is now catching on in the coastal city of Mangalore. Tata Group’s Ginger Hotel will open shop in the port city next year.

Ginger CEO Prabhat Pani told Deccan Herald that the Tata Group’s subsidiary has just purchased land in the fast industrialising city and would start construction shortly.

The budget hotel, having room tariff of Rs 1,000 for single and Rs 1,175 for double rooms, is likely to be opened by July-August of 2007. Speaking on the sidelines of a conference on low-cost airlines, organised by the Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation here, Mr Pani noted that Ginger has already opened five hotels in the country, including one in Mysore, which took off just last week.

The plans are to open a total of 10 hotels by March 2007 and 30 by March 2008. Ginger’s first hotel was opened in Bangalore in 2004 under the brand name of indiOne, but the name was changed to Ginger "to be in sync with fresh, simple yet stylish and warm world of smart basics", Mr Pani stated.

"Branded product was missing from the hotel industry in the country so far but this group of society can now look forward to stay in our hotels as we plan to enter every secondary and tertiary city in India. We also want to go to the Metros but there is the problem of land and, hence, we will focus on other cities," the CEO noted.

Asked about the facilities provided, he said Ginger has well-appointed rooms providing Wi-Fi internet connections which also have LCD TV, coffee maker, mini fridge, hot water etc.

The hotels have ATM, cyber café, restaurant, meeting room, gym and doctor on call, but without room service and swimming pools.