Le Méridien to take over operations of Nagpur-based Sun-n-Sand Hotel

Staff Reporter
After almost nine years since its team visited the city to explore business opportunity, the Le Méridien is all set to make foray into hospitality industry in the Orange City. From September 1, Le Méridien will be taking over the operations of Sun-n-Sand Hotel along Wardha Road.
Sources confirmed the development and said that details had been worked out some time ago. From September 1, the name of the hotel will change from Sun-n-Sand to Le Méridien. Taking over of the operations is not the buying over of the hotel building, sources stressed. Taking over of the operations by the famed Le Méridien entails changes in interiors, collaterals, food and other specifications in conformation to its standards. The official is likely to be made some time later.
This development will mark the presence of Le Méridien in Nagpur, an indication of the city’s rising prominence on the map of hospitality industry. Already, the city has got another big brand in the industry like Radisson. Since 2006, when the city’s real estate was blooming, several big names in the industry including Kamat Group, Radisson, Le Méridien, Ginger Hotels of Tata Group, and Hyatt Group had started exploring possibilities of their presence in Nagpur.
Sun-n-Sand, a leading group of five-star hotels with its flagship five-star beach hotel started at Mumbai in 1962, also set its eyes on Nagpur. Already, it had five-star hotels at Pune and Shirdi apart from Mumbai, when it started its Nagpur unit in the year 2009. It chose a site along Wardha Road, closer from the airport. It has got 133 rooms, five banquet halls, a lawn, bar, restaurant by the pool and other facilities. It came up as one of the preferred destinations for gatherings, conferences, conventions etc.
Though the reason behind Sun-n-Sand handing over operations of its Nagpur unit to Le Méridien could not be known, industry insiders say that the development was a good news for the city of Nagpur as its status on hospitality map gets elevated. For, said a senior from the industry, it is becoming a practice in hospitality industry that one group owns a property and another looks after operations part. This way, he added, each brand in the industry does not have to incur huge costs on acquisition of properties and recruitment of new staff.
Le Méridien is an internationally known hotel group with more than 100 luxury and upscale hotels in over 50 countries worldwide, to its profile. A majority of its properties are located in the world’s top cities and resorts throughout Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia Pacific, and America. Le Méridien is actually one of the renowned brands of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Starwood, states its website, is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands -- St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Le Méridien, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft, Element, and recently introduced Tribute Portfolio. 

(02-07-15)