Sudipta Dev – Mumbai
Haridwar, the yoga capital of the world, is a year round destination for both domestic and international tourists. To leverage the potential of the rapidly evolving market, the hospitality industry in the pilgrim town has been going through dynamic times, with the opening of new properties. The recently relaunched Ganga Sadan by Hive, with 19 additional rooms and renovation of the existing ones is set to ride this wave with continued interest in the destination. The USP of the property is that it has its own private ghat. “For Haridwar, people go to have dip in the holy Ganges. Our property gives its guests the advantage of direct access to the river. We have our own private ghat with a changing room next to it. This privacy is particularly appreciated by the guests, in particular the ladies,” said Harjeet Wasan, vice president, Tux Hospitality.
As many as 24 rooms in the hotel directly face the Ganga. There is a rooftop restaurant and a small coffee shop at the ghat itself. Positioned as an upscale boutique hotel, the target clientele of Ganga Sadan by Hive are upmarket domestic and international guests. The property is close to Har ki Pauri, which is a main attraction in Haridwar. “We are almost in the heart of the city,” mentioned Wasan, adding that yoga forms an important part of their offering to guests. Along with yoga classes which are currently organised, the hotel will soon introduce a spa which will have massages and therapies.
Pointing out that the hospitality scenario in Haridwar is recession proof like many other pilgrim centres, Wasan stated, “The hospitality industry here is a financially viable market. Then there are mega events like Ardh Kumbh, which is happening from January to April this year. There is no dearth of business.”
Tux Hospitality has five properties – two Mosiac and three Hive. Hive hotels are managed properties and Mosaic is its own brand which the company builds and manages. “As we are a new entrant in this field, we felt the need of going into Tier III markets like Alwar, Panipat and Haridwar with standardised hotels. We look at smaller cities and smaller number of rooms. Other bigger chains are constrained by larger inventory,” he stated. The company is targeting Rajasthan and North India, but is open for any properties at different destinations.
