A Bangalore-based hotel under the Lemon Tree chain. The city hotel will be based on this design

Ranchi, June 22: More luxury hotels are looking at Jharkhand as a safe bet.

After the Radisson Group’s recent decision of setting up a five-star hotel here, it may well be time for Saha Sprague to follow suit.

Saha Sprague is a Mumbai-based company working primarily in the power and energy sector. But of late, it has shown interest in the hospitality sector by taking franchise units of brands, including Pizza Hut, in different parts of the country.

“We intend to come up with a 150-200 room four-star hotel in Ranchi. However, we would not like to disclose any location details just yet. We will be ready to announce that in about eight to 10 weeks,” reads an e-mail from Kuna Saha, one of the directors of the company, in response to The Telegraph’s query.

Sources in the company, however, divulged that the company is purchasing land in and around Siram Toli locality, which is close to Ranchi railway station. The Birsa Munda airport is within a 4km radius while Albert Ekka Chowk would be 2km away.

A prominent hotelier also confirmed that Saha Sprague has been in constant touch with the management of Lemon Tree group of hotels, spurring speculation that the company is still deciding whether to opt for a franchisee or not.

Sprague, if it sets shop here, would be the second big group coming up with a hotel in the state. Recently, Radisson Group’s decision of coming up with a five-start hotel has been of great interest in the state capital.

Carlson Hotels Worldwide (Asia-Pacific) agreed to lend its Radisson brand-name to the five-star hotel being set up by Nandini Gupta, the executive director of Jagmohan Lal Gupta Estates Private Limited.

Radisson is the upscale, full-service brand in Carlson’s portfolio. With the Radisson tie-up, the family-run company, which has a robust country liquor business in the state, will not only make its debut in the hospitality sector but will get the backing of an international brand, too.

Radisson is expected to come up in Kadru by 2009. The hotel industry in Ranchi, as of now, has major players like Capitol Group’s two hotel — Capitol Hill and Capitol Residency, Green Horizon and Green Acres, Hotel Ashoka, Chanakya BNR, Yuvraj Palace, Hotel Yuvraz and Hotel Arya among others.