Hard Rock International (HRI) and Convention Hotels India (CHI) have severed ties with Gurgaon-based Spectra Hospitality Services for the management of India's first Hard Rock Hotel in Goa. According to a statement by HRI in December 2014, the property was to be managed by Spectra Hotels & Resorts, which is a joint venture between Convention Hotels and Spectra Hospitality.
The association, dna has learnt from industry sources, has been already called off and Spectra Hospitality has nothing to do with the management of Hard Rock Hotel Goa. The Goa hotel will now be managed by Hard Rock International while CHI will continue to own the property.
"Spectra is no longer the management company (of Hard Rock Hotel Goa). HRI is the operator-cum-manager of the property while CHI is the asset owner," said a source familiar with the development.
When contacted, executives from Hard Rock Hotel Goa did not offer comment on calling off of the joint venture / management agreement. Calls to Spectra Hospitality office in Gurgaon did not elicit a response and emails to company executives including Navneet Nagpal, principal consultant, remained unanswered.
The 135-room property which went from being Swissotel Goa to North 16 Goa and finally Hard Rock Hotel Goa was soft-launched last week. The hotel will be officially launched in March 2016.
Interestingly, the statement issued last year also said that Convention Hotels India and Spectra Hospitality Services were exploring other in-country hotel opportunities in partnership with HRI. However, with Spectra Hospitality out of the picture now those plans are unlikely to fructify.
CHI was set up in 2006 as a hotel investment platform in South Asia. The company has invested Rs 450 crore towards hotel development across India. The company owns and operates the Legends Club that delivers bespoke long-term vacation experiences for families and corporates.
HRI has a total of 204 venues in 64 countries, including 157 cafes, 22 hotels and 11 casinos. While the Goa hotel is HRI's first in India, the company already operates – through India franchisee JSM Corp – a chain of eight Hard Rock Cafe outlets across Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
