Mohit Rathod – Mumbai
The recently opened InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort, a 106-room premium segment property, is targeting long-staying corporate guests and inbound travellers. The property, which is owned by Adyar Gate Hotels and managed by the InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, witnesses a large proportion of MICE, which contributes 60-65 per cent of the resort’s business.
Speaking to Food & Hospitality World, Vijai Singh, general manager, InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram Resort, said, “We are targeting long staying corporate guests, who stay for a period of three months upto a year, instead of taking apartments in the city. Our property is situated close to the industrial corridor, business parks, and IT hubs, which makes long staying corporate guests an important segment for us. Another segment for us is inbound foreign arrivals; we expect that this segment will form 30 per cent of our market in the future.”
“The East Coast Road got a new property after many years. With the opening of this resort, a new dimension has been brought to hospitality and new experiences for guests such as concierge service, food and beverage offerings, and more. We have seen a remarkable response from the market in a short period, which is growing month by month. We have also seen a change in guest profile, which is encouraging for us. The weekday business, which earlier consisted of around 10 rooms, has now reached 35-40 rooms,” Singh added.
Elaborating on the marketing strategies, Karuna Amarnath, director of marketing, InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram, informed, “Our initial strategy is targeted at domestic markets such as Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi, which are our biggest source markets. Once we cover this in the first six month, we will extend our marketing internationally, which will be done in a digital manner. There will be a focused and well targeted marketing.”
The resort plans to come up with a conecpt of evening sundowners on the beach, on weekends; and also open beach restaurants within three months.
