Conrad K Sangma lays foundation stone for Aurika Hotel, Shillong’s upcoming 5 star destination
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on December 4 laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of the Orchid Hotel as Aurika Hotel, Shillong (by Lemon Tree Hotels Ltd) in presence of Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh.
Other present included Chairman of Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation Sanbor Shullai, Chief Revenue Officer of Lemon Tree Hotels Ltd. Prashant Mehrotra, Dr. Vijay Kumar D, Commissioner, and Secretary of Tourism Department, and Cyril V Diengdoh, Director Tourism along with Board Members and staff of MTDC.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister expressed gratitude to the people who have made this project a reality.
He also lauded the efforts of the tourism minister, Paul Lyngdoh, and commended his deep understanding of the aspects of tourism and also his ambition to take tourism in the state to greater heights.
He said that the establishment of the third Luxury 5-star hotel, namely the Aurika Hotel, Shillong (by Lemon Tree Hotels Ltd), is the largest PPP—Public Private Partnership initiative undertaken by the Tourism Department to cater to the increase inflow of tourists, which is projected to have a 60% increase in the next 12 months.
He further announced that the project involves a 124-crore investment by Lemon Tree Hotels Limited and would service a total of 130 rooms, with an annual revenue share of 1% of gross revenue and a 2.5 crore annual lease rental to MTDC.
A 5 Crore amount is paid upfront.
An LOA—Letter of Acceptance—was handed over to the Lemon Tree group.
The project would be completed in two and a half years’ time.
The hotel would include Banquet Halls and a Conference rooms.
The chief minister said that the seeds which were sown in the last few years of this government are starting to bear fruit.
He also outlined the financial benefits for MTDC, including an upfront payment of five crores and annual revenue of two crores and five lakh project is a win-win situation for all stakeholders, providing financial stability for MTDC.
“In our entire plan of taking our state forward, tourism plays a very, very important role. But what we have to remember is tourism is not about a single event or a single hotel or a single restaurant or a festival that we have, but it is about the larger ecosystem that we create so that tourists will see Shillong and see Meghalaya as a destination, which they can come to, the continuity will be there, the brand of Shillong and the brand of Meghalaya will grow, and that’s when we will see the real outcome and real benefit of tourism as we move along,” he added.
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