Fresh Rs 1 billion investment in Pokhara hotels

Pokhara: Fresh investment of around Rs 1 billion has been made in different hotels in Pokhara.

Local entrepreneurs are opening new hotels and expanding capacity of the existing ones, thanks to growing number of tourists in the lake city.

The Glacier Hotel at Lakeside is on an expansion spree. The hotel, which was came into operation 12 years ago, is adding 31 rooms. Once the construction is completed, the hotel will have 45 rooms.

Rajendra Dhakal, proprietor of The Glacier Hotel, said he is making fresh investment in the hotel after seeing optimistic signs for the tourism industry in Pokhara. “Tourist spending is increasing which is a positive sing for the industry,” Dhakal said, adding that the new rooms were being built as per the concept of boutique hotel. Dhakal is investing Rs 150 million for the expansion.

Likewise, Bajra Inn Hotel recently added 27 rooms. The hotel now has 48 rooms. Bacchu Ram Tiwari, manager of the hotel, said they added new rooms as they were facing shortage of rooms in peak season.

Tiwari has invested Rs 50 million to add 27 rooms. We will be able to accommodate more guests when our new rooms come into operation, he said.

Major clients of Bajra Inn Hotel are Indian tourist. The hotel is enjoying fully occupancy at present. “Indians mostly come to Pokhara to visit the holy shrine of Muktinath and also to escape scorching heat back home,” added Tiwari.

Batika Hotel with 35 rooms is currently under construction in Lake Side. The hotel is expected to come into operation within a year. The hotel is being constructed with an investment of Rs 100 million. “The tourism industry in Pokhara is gaining momentum with the number of domestic as well as foreign tourists increasing with every passing year. It encouraged me to invest in the hospitality sector,” Dil Gautam, owner of Batika Hotel, told Republica.

According to Bharat Raj Parajuli, vice president of Paschimanchal Hotel Association Pokhara, 10 hotels are under construction in Pokhara. The total investment in new hotels stand at around Rs 1 billion, he added.

source: republica,20 may 2014