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<ul><li>India's largest budget hotel chain is looking to take its brand to more international cities.</li><li>Chairman <keyword id="6370083" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Patanjali-Keswani">Patanjali Keswani</keyword> reveals interest in properties New York, Bangkok, and Colombo.</li><li>The properties in the new cities will be managed, not owned by, Lemon Tree Hotels.</li></ul> Lemon Tree Hotels is India's largest hotel chain targeting middle-income customers. And the company is looking to tap the international market for Indians who frequently travel abroad. Chairman and Managing Director Patanjali Keswani said that it is likely to close deals in the next six months to manage hotels in New York, Bangkok, and Sri Lanka and the talks are at different stages. "26 million Indians fly out of India every year. And this is expected to double in the next five years. These guys stay 3-5 days in the places they visit. Which is 100 million room nights. Two-thirds of them stay in 8 cities only- London, New York, Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Colombo, and Kathmandu," Keswani said based on his findings. "Out of the 100 million room nights, 60-70 million are in these 8 cities. So, if I have loyal members why should I not have hotels in these cities? But I don’t want to put capital at risk. We said we will manage for others," he added. The company is betting <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/lemon-tree-hotels-loyalty-programme-smile-is-looking-to-ape-jet-privilege-and-plans-tie-ups-with-airlines-and-retailers/articleshow/68669196.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">big on its loyalty programme</a> to retain customers as well as for value creation. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/lemon-tree-hotels-patanjali-keswani-says-company-will-sell-stake/articleshow/68665953.cms" target="_blank">Lemon Tree will sell stake in all its hotels in 3 to 5 years: Chairman</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/lemon-tree-to-hire-a-cto-to-find-hotels-and-cut-costs/articleshow/68665032.cms" target="_blank">India's largest budget hotel chain is spending on technology instead of discounts</a>

Lemon Tree Hotels is eyeing properties in New York, Bangkok, and Colombo

<ul><li>India's largest budget hotel chain is looking to go asset light going forward.</li><li>The company will either retain a part stake or to manage the same hotels, Chairman <keyword id="6370083" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Patanjali-Keswani">Patanjali Keswani</keyword> explained.</li><li>The stake can be sold to <keyword id="148003" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="pension-funds">pension funds</keyword>, insurance companies, or sovereign funds that seek assured returns.</li></ul>Lemon Tree Hotels was already the largest Indian chain in the mid-market segment when the stock listed on the Indian stock exchanges just about a year ago. In the next five years, the business may look very different what it is today, according to revelations by founder and Chairman Patanjali Keswani, in an exclusive chat with Business Insider. The goal is to unlock value. "Broader point is, in the next three to five years, I will sell every hotel I own and then, either own a part stake in it or I will sell it and lease it back for a very long period with assured returns," said Keswani, who is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi) and Indian Institute of Management (Kolkata). How will the business make money? In some cases, the company will continue to own a part of the original stake. In the ones that are fully sold, the company will make money from the management of these hotels. "The new hotels, which are managed, I only charge a management fee. I, typically, get a seventh of the owner’s profit. Being asset light means seven hotels under management is the same as owning one hotel. It is a risk-free approach. We are right now very asset heavy," Keswani revealed. 
 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="So who will buy this- people like pension funds, or insurance companies or even a sovereign fund- those guys who want a long-term assured returns." auname="Patanjali Keswani, Chairman and Managing Director, Lemon Tree Hotels"></div>





 But he is not in a hurry to sell. "The question is the right price. If I am willing to sell my hotels today, I am sure I will find a buyer but I want a certain price, which is a return on my risk for developing hotels. When you develop a hotel there are multiple risks -- there are land title issues, government approvals, financing, my equity-- and so, I want a return. Therefore, I will not sell it cheap," Keswani explained, adding that the stake sale will happen only when the business cycle turns around. And by most accounts, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/heres-why-hotel-room-rates-in-india-may-double-in-the-next-3-to-4-years/articleshow/68664363.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">recovery is right around the corner</a>. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/lemon-tree-hotels-is-eyeing-properties-in-new-york-bangkok-and-colombo/articleshow/68666574.cms" target="_blank">Lemon Tree Hotels is eyeing properties in New York, Bangkok, and Colombo</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/lemon-tree-hotels-loyalty-programme-smile-is-looking-to-ape-jet-privilege-and-plans-tie-ups-with-airlines-and-retailers/articleshow/68669196.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Lemon Tree Hotels' loyalty programme may open doors to new partnerships</a>

Lemon Tree will sell stake in all its hotels in 3 to 5 years: Chairman

<ul><li>Indian hotels have had a long down cycle and it is now turning around, says <keyword id="6370083" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Patanjali-Keswani">Patanjali Keswani</keyword>, founder of Lemon Tree Hotels.</li><li>Demand is growing faster than supply of new hotel rooms after a decade, according to analysts.</li><li>The changing dynamic in demand and supply may lead to a spike in hotel room rates.</li></ul> The wave is turning for India's hoteliers after a decade of anguish. The number of travellers seeking accommodation is growing faster than the rise in new hotel rooms for the first time since the global financial crisis struck a lethal blow. And Patanjali Keswani, the founder and chairman of Lemon Tree Hotels, believes the turnaround may be so strong that hotel rooms rates may double in the next three years. "My expectation is from October this year, for the next two years -- because it takes about five years for new supply to come in-- prices will keep going up. Then,the returns (on capital) will improve and new guys will plan their supply because then it will be a business worth investing in. But it will take a few years for that supply to come in. I guess, just like how it was the longest bottom-up cycle for hotels in India -- from 2009 to 2017-18 -- it will be a long top-up cycle because people who invested in hotels in India in the last 10 years have been so badly burnt, you will need a very brave guy to take a counter view. So my guess is, if you ask me what the room rates will be three to four years out, I will say it may be double of what they are today," Keswani said in an interview with Business Insider. Industry watchers agree with Keswani. Demand is expected to grow at a compounded annual rate of 6% until financial year 2022, that's one and a half times the 4% growth expected in new hotel rooms, according to advisors at Nirmal Bang Institutional Equities. Even now, average <keyword id="7487693" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="hotel-room-rates-in-india">hotel room rates in India</keyword> are still 30% below what they were at the end of March 2008, according to Axis Capital, which also sees definite signs of a turnaoround. Hotels raise prices when the occupancy rates cross 70% and the industry-wide rate last year was already at 68%, Keswani explained. Lemon Tree Hotels has an average occupancy of close to 80%, according to Keswani. The company has already hiked prices twice in the last two years. "In October 2017, we got a 13% price hike (in average room rate) and in October 2018 we got a 8.5% on a higher base. We are expecting similar, if not higher, price hike going forward because now, there is clearly a shortage of supply," he added. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 What will drive the demand? Aside from the slowdown in addition of new hotel rooms, Keswani projects a sharp spike in demand triggered by economic growth. "There are 3 parts of India. Half of India is earning less than $500 per capita- these are people who consume roti (bread), kapda (clothes), makaan (shelter), and mobile. Next 40% of India's population earns upto $2000 per capita. These are people who consume healthcare and education, which are non-discretionary to them, and some minor discretionary items- could be entertainment, leisure and a little bit of retail. The last 10% of India is upto $7000 per capita. This is the real consuming population of India, about 30 million households," Keswani explains, adding that when the economy grows there will be an exponential growth in the consuming population. According to him, if the per capita income grows 50% in the next seven years, the size of the big consuming segment will be thrice its current size. And that is the boom that the hoteliers like Keswani are waiting for. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/lemon-tree-hotels-patanjali-keswani-says-company-will-sell-stake/articleshow/68665953.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Lemon Tree will sell stake in all its hotels in 3 to 5 years: Chairman</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/lemon-tree-hotels-is-eyeing-properties-in-new-york-bangkok-and-colombo/articleshow/68666574.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Lemon Tree Hotels is eyeing properties in New York, Bangkok, and Colombo</a>

Here's why hotel room rates  in India may double in the next 3 to 4 years

In a bid to bump-up their businesses, Indian hotel and travel companies are now offering last-moment booking services. The special deals majorly are to make-up for the current fall in the sales, discloses an Economic Times report. 
 These last-minute bookings or check-ins made within 48 hours provide 10-50% of the total hotel bookings in India. Over one third bookings made in Lemon Tree Hotel’s last-minute check-in are 20-25% of Park Hotels. <keyword id="240533" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sarovar-Hotels">Sarovar Hotels</keyword>, however, witnessed a 50-60% growth in this category in the last one year. 
 Patu Keswani, chairman and managing director of <keyword id="136437" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lemon-Tree-Hotels">Lemon Tree Hotels</keyword> says, "In the current environment, where all India occupancies are around 60 per cent, the last-minute bookings are very significant." 
 Dilip Puri, managing director (India) and regional VP (South Asia) at <keyword id="128636" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Starwood-Hotels-Resorts">Starwood Hotels &amp; Resorts</keyword> said that around 20% bookings at a hotel chain tend to be made at the last minute. "We are seeing consistent growth in the use of mobile phones to make hotel reservations," he further said. 
 Industry professionals believe that <keyword id="4758225" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Last-minute-booking">last-minute booking</keyword>s assume more significance for hotels during off-season. For instance, during monsoon, when people travel lesser and there is a drop in travel business. Last-minute booking boosts occupancy by 15-20% and here is what hotels basically do. They offer attractive deals like up to 60% discount or special packages just to perk-up occupancy. 
 "Being a perishable inventory for hotels, the revenue from room nights unsold is lost forever," said Amit Taneja, chief revenue officer at travel portal <keyword id="132652" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cleartrip">Cleartrip</keyword>. 
 
For travel portal Goibibo, 55% of hotel bookings are reserved for last-minute check-ins. "This number used to be 20 per cent a year ago," said Ashish Kash yap, group CEO, Ibibo. 
Image: indiatimes

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