Leela expands in India and seeks global meetings

MUMBAIThe Leela Group of Hotels, India, has announced plans to expand into five new cities of India: Delhi (Gurgaon), Hyderabad, Udaipur, Chennai and Pune, and is targeting CEI business.

"Although, the CEI market presently accounts for less than ten per cent of our business, it is extremely important for us," said Girish Rao, vice-president, corporate communications, Leela Hotels. "The Leela group will seek to raise the share of premium CEI business to over ten per cent in the mid-term." The five projects will give 1,543 more rooms. Peter J Leitgeb, president of the group, said: "We are opening sales and marketing offices in Dubai and London by September 2006. "We are also targeting the international CEI market with this overseas foray."