April 12, 2016 TnH Global 0

Minor to open first hotel in northeast India

Thailand’s Minor Hotel Group has secured a new hotel development in Bodhgaya, the Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Indian state of Bihar. The new Oaks Bodhgaya is already under construction and scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2016. It is expected to become Minor’s first operational hotel in India, and its first ever property in northeast India.

Earlier this year the company signed an agreement for another Oaks property, located close to Delhi, which is expected to launch in 2017. “Hot on the heels of our first Oaks India announcement earlier this year, we are thrilled to be bringing the Oaks brand to Bodhgaya,” said Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotel Group. “Religious tourism is a huge market and represents a great opportunity and Oaks Bodhgaya will be well placed to capitalize on this when it becomes the first Oaks in India upon opening towards the end of the year.”

Bodhgaya is home to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mahabodhi Temple, which features the bodhi tree where Buddha is said to have achieved enlightenment. When it opens, Oaks Bodhgaya will have a total of 78 keys, plus a restaurant, conference hall, landscaped gardens and a terrace with meditation area. A second phase is also under development that will add a further 60 rooms to the property, taking its total inventory to 138 keys. The hotel is located along the main road between the Mahabodhi Temple and Bodhgaya Airport.

Minor acquired the Oaks Hotels & Resorts brand in 2011 and has since expanded it from its Australian roots and into international markets such as New Zealand, Thailand and the UAE. As well as the two new Indian hotels, additional Oaks properties are currently under development in China and Indonesia.

News Source: traveldailymedia.com