By Rashmi Pradhan
TAJ HOTELS Resorts & Palaces opened its second property in Pune, The Gateway Hotel at Hinjawadi. The property marks the foray of PSC Pacific, a Paranjape Schemes (Construction) Ltd. in the hospitality segment. The Gateway Hotel Hinjawadi Pune will be the 28th Gateway Hotel of the group and first in Pune. With an investment of Rs 115 crore, the 150-room property is under the management of Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces for a period of eight years initially.
Farhat Jamal, Senior Vice President - Operations (West India) & Africa, Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces, informed that there are two Gateway Hotels in the pipeline; Ajmer and Corbett, to open soon. ’We are scouting for opportunities in metros and tier II cities. We are happy to bring the Taj brand of hospitality to a second location in Pune. The Gateway Hotel is the full service upscale brand of the Group. We are excited to be present in new emerging locations like Hinjawadi,’ he added.
Spread across three-acre of the ten-acre of commercial area, The Gateway Hotel Hinjawadi Pune is located in the heart of the IT corridor of Pune and off the Pune - Mumbai Highway. The hotel is easily accessible from the industrial areas of PCMC, Talegaon and is 45 minutes away from Chakan MIDC.
Shashank Paranjape, Managing Director, Paranjape Schemes (Construction) Ltd. said, ’We are involved in the real estate business and hospitality is an obvious extension. The launch of The Gateway Hotel Hinjawadi Pune is a significant milestone as we foray into the hospitality industry. We are delighted to partner with the Taj Group.’
Speaking about the target audience, Albert Rebello, General Manager, The Gateway Hotel Hinjawadi Pune, said, ’We will be promoting the property as a leisure and business hotel. Its close proximity to the Blue Ridge Golf Course, Mall and movie theatre and local sight-seeing areas around Pune will make up for an ideal leisure getaway destination. We are hoping for an encouraging weekend business from Pune and Mumbai. The hotel is an ideal option for business travelers as well as guests looking for conferences and weddings. A unique offering would be the availability of night conferences considering the timing of the IT and BPO industry, a first in the city. The hotel offers more than 5500 sq. ft. of flexible meeting and event facilities.’
The F&B options- includes a cosmopolitan mix of international cuisine and authentic regional home-style delicacies at the all-day diner Buzz, savour contemporary Chinese and Thai cuisine at the Sian which will open soon or relax over a few drinks at Swirl the cocktail lounge bar. For the wellness seekers, Buzz offers an Active Foods Menu.
As a part of the unique regional cuisine offering, The Gateway Hotel Hinjawadi offers Maharashtra’s Varhadi cuisine at Buzz. The deli offers an exquisite selection of short eats, active chocolates, customized options of cakes, pastries and creatively presented desserts.- The hotel is equipped with a gymnasium, swimming pool, spa and salon and, a fitness centre.
The author is Assistant Editor of BW Hotelier.
Photo caption: (from Left to Right) Albert Rebello, General Manager, The Gateway Hotel Hinjawadi Pune; Shashank Paranjape, Managing Director, Paranjape Scheme and Farhat Jamal, Senior Vice President - Operations (West India) & Africa, Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces.