Indian Hotel Company makes £50m investment in UK estate

The Indian Hotel Company Limited (IHCL) has announced it will have invested approximately £50m in its UK portfolio over five years by the end of 2022.

IHCL will replace its Bank & Zander restaurant at the Taj 51 Buckingham Gate with an all-day brasserie designed by Conran & Partners in the next two months, while the group's first UK Chambers private members' club will open in the next seven to eight months.

Digvijay Singh, area director UK, said the club would be "less formal" and "more about networking" than in India. IHCL also plans to bring its House of Ming Chinese restaurant brand to London.

The group confirmed it is looking for additional opportunities in central London, Birmingham and Manchester. "Besides all the uncertainty, the UK as a market has been doing extremely well," added Singh.

The group announced the development of a third hotel last year, a 108-bedroom property at London's Heathrow Airport which will operate under its upscale brand Vivanta, set to open in 2021.

Founded in 1903 with the opening of the Taj Mahal Palace in Bombay, IHCL is one of India's largest hospitality companies and operates 170 hotels.

Alongside Taj and Vivanta, IHCL also operates the budget Ginger brand; there are currently no plans to launch the Ginger brand in the UK.

Indian Hotel Company to launch Vivanta brand into UK at Heathrow Airport >>