Mayfair to expand in west with ‘Elixir’

Mayfair Hotels & Resorts is shifting its focus towards expanding its footprint across India, with a special emphasis on the western region through its Mayfair Elixir brand. Adopting an asset-light model, the group has already established two operational properties in Goa and Alibag, and a third property is in the pipeline.

Hazel Jain

After having conquered the eastern and north-eastern market in India, Mayfair Hotels & Resorts is now focused on expanding in the western part of India. It opened its second property after Goa in the west – Mayfair Manor Alibag. It is an experiential seven-room villa, spread over three acres of land, nestled in the coastal town of Alibag, just a 20-minute speedboat ride from Mumbai. Bjorn DeNiese, Managing Director, Mayfair Elixir, said, “Mayfair Manor Alibag embodies our commitment to exceptional service, elegance, and unforgettable experiences, as we expand our presence through Mayfair Elixir. We are expanding in a big way – we are adding 200-odd keys at Mayfair Guwahati, currently at 160 keys. Soon, we will have a total inventory of 380 rooms in just Guwahati that will probably make it the largest hotel in the region.”

Mayfair Elixir follows the asset-light model and Mayfair Hotels is focussing on expanding under that. DeNiese said, “The number of our owned and operated properties stands at 15 today. Our Chairman is also in the process of building the Mayfair Sanctuary, which is going to be a huge project in Bhubaneswar. With that, I think, we focus more on the asset-light model; it is something that we are looking to expand further, and also develop a few more brands under this model and take the Mayfair brand further out into the market across the country and across borders as well.”

Why Alibag? DeNiese explained, “The western part of India has always been something that we have been keen on pushing for Mayfair. We are known as an eastern India brand but we would like to change that perception. We have been present in Goa for a while now. With Alibag, which is a close option from Mumbai, it is an opportunity for developers, travel agents and corporates to also discover the brand and experience the Mayfair hospitality. Besides, we are also looking to expand in Shirdi which will be coming up very soon.”

Offbeat locations

DeNiese shared that the Mayfair brand has traditionally been coming up in a lot of offbeat locations, apart from capital cities. For example, there is Mayfair Rourkela, which is now home to the Hockey World Cup. The hotel group also has Mayfair Purnea in Bihar, which is again an offbeat destination. “It is in the tier II and tier III cities where we see a lot of opportunity and requirement for the brand and good hospitality overall. We will also be focusing on the religious circuits; we already have one property in Puri, and Shirdi will be another one that our Chairman has been passionately following up on. We are also looking at properties in Varanasi and other such locations,” he said.

Randhir Gupta, VP – Commercial & Business Development, Mayfair Elixir, said, “This is our first hotel close to Mumbai and our 19^th hotel overall. Of these, 15 properties are under legacy brands and four properties that come under Mayfair Elixir – created to expand the brand under management contracts. You will be seeing many Mayfair properties opening in most of the key destinations within the country, as well as outside the country.”

Mayfair Manor Alibag boasts of

• Two lavish villas with 2 and 5 bedrooms
• Swimming pool and jacuzzi for relaxation
• Library and games area featuring pool, carrom, and table tennis
• Lush greenery, trees, and plants creating a unique microclimate
• Expansive lawns and private areas for leadership meets, private celebrations and get togethers
• Vibrant colours and aesthetics, signature to the Mayfair brand