Stepping Into New Territory

Amarnath Reddy, MD, AR Foundations, the man behind the Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa, on what it takes to build a premier resort property and the need to control costs.

Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa is the first hospitality project for realty major AR Foundations. It is also Sheraton’s first resort property in India, making it a rather significant opening. Located on the East Coast and built in collaboration with the FHD Group, its multi-level cube uses multiple rectangular frames to accentuate vistas of the rolling sea and the property’s large manicured flowerbeds and lawns. The hotel is well situated to explore the Tamil Nadu coast. Mahabalipuram is barely 20 minutes away.

Mathan Ramaiah, Director, FHD Group, talks to Amarnath Reddy, Managing Director, AR Foundations, on what made him enter the hospitality field, the planning involved, and how he managed to keep the cost in control.

Mathan Ramaiah (MR): It takes at least three years to complete a project of this scale, but you have finished it in a year-and-a-half. As a successful real estate developer, what made you enter the hotel industry?

Amarnath Reddy (AR): I always wanted to set up a resort, but the numbers, somehow, didn't make any sense. However, when I stumbled upon this property, it seemed ideal for a resort. So I decided to keep the numbers aside and follow my passion.

Initially we had thought of creating convention centres, and that would have given us good numbers. But it would have ended up becoming another Kalyana Mandapam rather than a resort, so we decided to opt for a hotel model with a convention hall, where we could accommodate up to 1,000 rather than 3,000 people. We added another 20 to 30 rooms.