Abad Hotels & Resorts, the hospitality arm of the Kerala-based ABAD Group, has unveiled a new brand identity as part of the group’s unified corporate architecture. The hotel chain, which has more than four decades of experience, is also preparing for a major expansion beyond Kerala and plans to double its room inventory to 1,000 over the next three years.
The new identity brings the hospitality business under the single master ABAD brand, alongside the group’s five other verticals: ABAD Fisheries, ABAD Builders, ABAD Foods, the Interiors division and ABAD Property Management Services. The group is targeting a turnover of ₹3,000 crore over the next three years, up from the current ₹1,500 crore.
“The new identity brings all our businesses under one name that Kerala has trusted for generations. For Abad Hotels & Resorts, it marks the next phase of growth, taking the Abad hospitality experience to more destinations across India while keeping the values of quality and honesty that our family has always stood for,” said Mr. Riaz Ahamed, Managing Director, Abad Hotels & Resorts.
The hotels division currently operates more than 500 rooms across 16 properties in nine destinations in Kerala:
- Kochi: Dutch Bungalow by ABAD, Fort Kochi; ABAD Atrium, MG Road; ABAD Plaza, MG Road; ABAD Fort, Chullickal; and The Old Court House by ABAD, Fort Kochi
- Kovalam: ABAD Serviced Villas and ABAD Harmonia
- Mararikulam: ABAD Turtle Beach
- Munnar: ABAD Copper Castle
- Kumarakom: ABAD Cruise on the Lake and ABAD Whispering Palms
- Thekkady: ABAD Green Forest
- Vagamon: ABAD Silver Mist
- Wayanad: ABAD Brookside Lakkidi and Parisons Plantation Experiences by ABAD
- Thrissur: Ayur On The Beach, Nattika
Two of these properties mark the group’s diversification into wellness and adventure tourism. Ayur On The Beach in Nattika, Thrissur, which opened recently, is the group’s debut in dedicated wellness tourism. The beachfront Ayurveda retreat has 20 independent cottages and seven treatment rooms. It stands on the historic shore where the film Chemmeen was shot, and it is aimed at serious Ayurveda clients, primarily long-haul visitors from Germany, Eastern Europe and Russia.
The second is ABAD Silver Mist, an adventure and eco-resort in Vagamon, Idukki, eight kilometres from the town centre. Vagamon is an emerging hill station alternative to Munnar and Thekkady. The 23-room boutique property offers views of valleys and tea plantations, with soft trekking trails, guided nature walks and an indoor solar-heated pool. A rebuilt Munnar resort is also in the pipeline.
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Beyond Kerala, the group has identified Karnataka as its next target, with a focus on Mysuru and Bengaluru. Abad prefers an asset-light growth model, supplemented by strategic acquisitions, and will continue to focus on the four-star mid-market and boutique segment.
The group’s hospitality journey began in 1982 with a 20-room Abad Hotel in Mattancherry, at a time when the area had few quality places to stay. Abad Plaza followed in 1987 on M G Road, Ernakulam, and its success encouraged the group to open hotels at major tourist destinations across Kerala. Five of the group’s properties are now in Kochi
“We have been in this industry for four decades, but this is our first exclusive Ayurveda product. Kerala is the birthplace of Ayurveda, and with Nattika, we offer a pure wellness experience away from distractions,” said Mr. Jibran Asif, Director, Abad Hotels.
Mr. Jibran Asif noted that high flight connectivity costs are affecting inbound traffic into Kerala, and that major national hotel chains are expanding aggressively in the state. Even so, he said Abad remains confident in its mid-market boutique positioning and the deep brand trust it has built as a regional player.
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