IHG opens 3rd Kol property, plans to expand to other Bengal cities
Times of India | 27 June 2025
12 Kolkata: IHG Hotels & Resorts is planning to open several hotels in Bengal, with Siliguri, Darjeeling, Digha, Santiniketan, Asansol and Durgapur in their sights. The group opened its third hotel in the city — Holiday Inn Express, New Town — on Thursday. The 113-room New Town property is owned by real estate firm Samhi, and managed by IHG.IHG MD (South-West Asia) Sudeep Jain said that the state had immense potential for tourism and hospitality industry, and Kolkata itself could have at least 20 Holiday Inn Express hotels."India is the most under-penetrated hotel market, and Bengal is no exception. Kolkata has a lot of unbranded hotels, and in the future, a lot of customers would come for the branded category," Jain said, and added that the group's next hotel outside Kolkata would be in Siliguri. According to him, the hotel could be under Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, or even luxury brands. "Siliguri is a wedding destination for a lot of people in the northeast, and the market is strong there," Jain said.You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in KolkataSamhi MD and CEO Ashish Jakhanwala talked about how the realty company had looked into airline traffic and growth in office space while assessing opportunities in the city. Going by passenger traffic, Kolkata airport is among the top 5 in the country, he added. The New Town Holiday Inn Express is Samhi's first investment in the east. Samhi owns 12 Holiday Inn Express hotels in India.Samhi looking to acquire hotel in central biz districtReal estate investor Samhi is looking to acquire a hotel in Kolkata's central business district. MD and CEO Ashish Jakhanwala said the company had initiated discussions with a group in this regard. "We are looking at an upscale hotel in the city, and will turn it into Kolkata's crown jewel," he added. Samhi has management tie-ups with IHG, Hyatt and Marriott.