GUWAHATI: Companies from the mainland have long explored the Northeast’s hotel industry sector, and now, an Assam-based group is going beyond the region.
The Poddar Group unveiled a Rs 800 crore expansion roadmap, with plans to develop 10 properties over the next decade. While the primary focus is on the Northeast, the group has plans to go pan-India, starting with Kolkata.
Hotel Palacio, the group’s ten-year-old premium hospitality brand which is rooted in Assam, launched its second property in Guwahati’s Paltan Bazar on Thursday. With this, the brand now operates three properties overall. The third is in Alipurduar of West Bengal.
“We take pride in the fact that the brand Hotel Palacio was built in Assam. We have seen the Northeast evolve significantly with rising aspirations, better connectivity, and increasing demand for quality hospitality experiences. Our focus has been to grow alongside this change in a thoughtful and consistent manner,” Poddar Group chairman Anup Poddar told media persons at the launch.
He further stated that the group’s larger vision is to build Palacio into one of the most respected hospitality brands to emerge from Assam, while staying rooted in the region’s identity and values.
“As we further expand beyond the Northeast, we will first explore Kolkata,” Poddar said.
Talking about the second property in Guwahati, he said the city played a central role in the group’s journey so far, and expanding within it was a natural next step.
“Guwahati, as a key gateway to the Northeast, continues to see strong demand across business, transit, and leisure segments. Hotel Palacio’s expansion is aligned with this broader shift — focusing on markets where demand is growing steadily and where there is scope to create meaningful hospitality experiences,” he further stated.