AB Holdings, a company focused on project development and equity investment, is set to operate two chain hotels in Kathmandu and outside the valley with an investment exceeding Rs 5 billion.
AB Holdings has expanded its investment in the hotel sector with the introduction of the globally renowned French hospitality brand "Mercure" by Accor Hospitality Company for the first time in Nepal. While Nepal has already welcomed chain brands from countries such as India, the USA, Thailand, and Cambodia, the company is now bringing the French brand to Kathmandu.
Located in Sukedhara, Kathmandu, the "Mercure Kathmandu Hotel," with an investment exceeding Rs 3 billion, is set to open soon. Similarly, the company has also introduced the "Ramada" brand, part of the American multinational Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. The Ramada chain will be launched in Itahari, Sunsari, which is in its final phase of construction, according to the company’s chairman, Deshbandhu Basnet.
With the introduction of the American Ramada brand, Basnet stated that the Itahari hotel will be fully operational from April 13, 2025.
"AB Holdings is now preparing to launch two hotels," said Basnet. "Accordingly, the Mercure Hotel in Kathmandu will be fully operational from January 15, 2025, while the Ramada Hotel in Itahari will start operating from April 13, 2025."
He added that the Itahari hotel will see an investment of over Rs 2 billion.
"This investment will make a significant contribution to Nepal's infrastructure and hospitality sector," said Basnet. Aiming to position Nepal as a global hospitality destination, he revealed that Mercure Kathmandu will generate direct and indirect employment opportunities for up to 220 people.
Accor, the French hotel chain, manages over 5,700 hotels across 110 countries with 45 different brands. Spanning six ropanis of land, Mercure Kathmandu offers 104 rooms.
The construction of the Itahari hotel is in its final stages.
The Ramada Hotel in Itahari, is in the process of obtaining five-star certification. According to Basnet, an agreement has been signed with Wyndham for the brand. The Ramada will feature 80 premium rooms along with facilities such as a conference and meeting hall, banquet hall, restaurant, pub, swimming pool, gym, and wellness centre. Wyndham, one of the largest hotel chains in the USA, manages 9,100 hotels in 95 countries worldwide.
AB Holdings prioritises investments in sectors such as hospitality and tourism, agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing, energy, technology, and education.
