Building on the pilgrim route

Please tell us how Daiwik Hotels came about being. Which locations are you currently in?

After we exited the multiplex industry when we sold our brand - 89 Cinemas - to Inox Leisures, we decided to enter the hotel industry but through the niche segment of pilgrim hospitality.

There were no other brands with a focus on this segment and we saw that as an opportunity. Currently, we are located in Rameswaram and Shirdi.

Your hotels are centred on religious circuits. Is expansion to other religious cities and towns on the cards?

Yes, we are already working on our next hotel and residences project in Tirupati. We are also exploring some other proposals that have come to us. We are open to leasing, management contracts, or even building hotels on JV models.

What is your strategy for marketing and promotions? Is there a new segment of travellers that you’re targeting?

We do a lot of digital marketing and SMS and mailer campaigns. Our website provides a lot of content to a traveller. We have connected to a lot of spiritual groups.

People visit pilgrim destinations not just for spiritual quests. In Rameswaram, the temple is a magnificent example of ancient architecture that brings in foreign travellers as well.

Rameswaram has some of the best beaches and it now offers some of the best water sports in the