Thiruvananthapuram: Berggruen Hotels is planning to set up its first Greenfield budget hotel in Thiruvananthapuram under the ‘Keys’ brand in August 2009.

The 101 room property will be primarily targeted at corporates. However, the hotel chain is likely to attract leisure clientele visiting the city.

Sanjay Sethi, Managing Director, Berggruen Hotels said, “We are bullish about the scenario at Thiruvananthapuram. Our property will be positioned at par with the Muthoot Plaza and the Fortune South Park.”

The hotel chain is using the hub and spoke model for growth in the country and is constantly in the process of identifying new locations for the same. To fuel its growth, the group has also increased its investment in the country by USD 40 million. This year, the company will launch seven hotels which will have a total inventory of about 750 rooms. It will add more 1,000 rooms in 2010.

Berggruen Hotels has recently signed properties under the management contract in Hyderabad and Jaipur. While the property taken up in Hyderabad is a Brownfield project currently operating with 45 rooms, the hotel will undergo an up gradation. It is expected to be fully operational with about 120 rooms by mid-2010. The property in Jaipur is also expected to be operational at the same time.

Sethi added, “While we have significantly covered South India with properties under development in Bengaluru, Vishakapatnam and Chennai, we now aim to focus on the other regions in the country.”