By BW Hotelier

CARNATION HOTELS is geared to enter Tiruchirappalli with a-70-room Red Fox Hotel. This will be the group’s first managed hotel under the budget Red Fox-brand and will be operated by M/s N. Krishnasamy & Sons.-The hotel which is currently run by the owning company will be extensively refurbished and-renovated by Carnation’s joint venture partner, Lemon Tree, whose in-house project -management company, Grey Fox, has been assigned the task of overseeing the hotel-renovations.

The management agreement between Carnation Hotels and M/s N. Krishnasamy & Sons was signed by Rattan Keswani, Co-Promoter and Chairman, Carnation Hotels & Dy. Managing Director, Lemon Tree Hotels and K. Madhu, Director of the owning company. This is Carnation Hotels’ second contract with K. Madhu, the first being Lemon Tree Hotel, Shimona in Chennai, which was signed last year.

Speaking on the occasion, Rattan Keswani, Chairman, Carnation Hotels said, ’Trichy has always been a landmark city in the history of Tamil Nadu. Presently the fourth largest city located close to many tourist attractions like the Rockfort, the Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam and the Jambukeswarar temple at Thiruvanaikaval, Trichy is also an important educational hub and the energy equipment and fabrication capital of India. It attracts a lot of leisure and business travellers. We are excited about including it in our portfolio and are delighted to partner with N. Krishnasamy & Sons for their second project with us.’

Lemon Tree Group operates three brands - Lemon Tree Premier, an upscale brand, Lemon Tree Hotels in the midscale range and Red Fox Hotels in the economy range. The Group currently owns and operates 26 hotels in 15 cities with about 3000 rooms.

K. Madhu, Director, N. Kishnasamy & Sons stated, ’We are pleased to bring Red Fox Hotel to Trichy. Our past experience with Lemon Tree Hotels has been excellent and this encouraged us to once again partner with India’s fastest growing hotel chain and bring its world class management, in the city. With Lemon Tree’s expertise by our side, we are sure to delight the discerning business and leisure travelers visiting our city.’

The property is expected to open for business in October 2016.-Citing reasons for the acquisition, the Co-promoter and Chairman of Carnation Hotels, Rattan-Keswani said that Tiruchirappalli was an important city in Tamil Nadu, in terms of size,-history, education and business and ’located close to many tourist attractions like the-Rockfort, the Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam and the Jambukeswarar temple at-Thiruvanaikaval’, attracting ’leisure and business travelers’.