Aman Nath and Francis Wacziarg’s style of business has been as niche as their properties. The founders of the Neemrana Hotels, and now the co-chairmen, started their first property back in 1991. After discovering the 15th century Neemrana Fort in Rajasthan, then in ruins, they bought it for Rs 7 lakh and restored it. The flagship hotel, complete with the flavour of Indian hospitality, has been a hit among foreigners and is today equally popular among Indian tourists.
Neemrana Hotels follows the model of restoring heritage properties (with internal accruals) and converting them into hotels. While few properties are owned , others are on long-term lease. The group today has 17 properties across the country, all of which are heritage sites that have been restored. Some of the popular properties include The Glasshouse on the Ganges, cricket legend Nawab Mansur Ali Khan’s residence Pataudi Palace, Hill Fort Kesroli and others. The group has around seven projects in the pipeline, including Tijara Fort Palace in Alwar, Rajasthan and Deo Vilas in Gwalior.
The USP of Neemrana’s ?non-hotel? hotels, as the group likes to call them, is the old-world charm and Indian hospitality that it offers, since it employs many locals. Aman Nath, 59 and Francis Wacziarg, 68, are in a way heritage tourism entrepreneurs and not just of hospitality.