Mandarin Oriental keen on re-entering India's luxury hotel sector

London Stock Exchange-listed Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Ltd plans to enter India’s growing luxury hospitality market, said a top company executive. The Hong Kong-based firm, also listed on the Singapore Exchange, is in talks with several property owners in India to set up its first luxury boutique hotel within the next one year, said Alexandra Yao, vice-president, development, Mandarin Oriental. Mumbai, Delhi and Goa are the key entry markets, she said, adding palaces in Rajasthan are some of the properties that Mandarin Oriental would consider. “We have some potential partners that we are speaking with. It’s something that we are putting a lot of effort into. For Mandarin, it is important to find the right location and the right partners. Our absence in the past was because we needed to find those two factors. In the last few years, India has been on top of our list," Yao added.