IME Group plans to expand homegrown hotel brand 'Ela' to all seven provinces

IME Group has announced plans to expand its homegrown hotel brand "Ela" across all seven provinces.

Speaking to journalists on Monday at Ela Resort in Gaidakot, Nawalpur, group chair Chandra Prasad Dhakal said the goal is to offer similar-standard service at roughly half the price charged by international hotel brands.

According to IME Hospitality, a roughly 65-room resort is operating in Gaidakot, and Ela Comfort properties are running in Harkapur and Baglung bazaar.

Preparations are underway to bring into operation a roughly 120-room resort in Basantapur, Palpa, and a nearly 100-room hotel in Lazimpat, Kathmandu. In Kailali, a roughly 20-room Ela Lodge is set to open initially.

In Pokhara, the group also runs the roughly 35-room Lake Side Retreat, and a roughly 120-room resort at Chandragiri.

The group said that, drawing on its experience building the cable car, resort and theme park at Chandragiri, it is looking to build similar tourism infrastructure in other provinces as well.

According to chair Dhakal, if such infrastructure is built in all seven provinces, the average stay of tourists visiting Nepal could double from current levels.

He said about 30 percent of staff at the group's hotels have experience working abroad. The group has been training cooks, waiters and housekeeping staff through its own training center called "Kathmandu Technical School."