Kolkata, April 6 Global hospitality major Minor Hotels announced on Monday that it has signed a management contract to operate a luxury hotel at the upcoming Rs 2,400-crore World Trade Centre (WTC) in Salt Lake near Kolkata.
The hotel will be operated under the company's luxury flagship brand Anantara at the WTC, a joint venture project being developed by Aryan Realty and the Merlin Group.
The Anantara Kolkata Hotel is scheduled to open in 2032, and it will be Minor Hotels' first urban Anantara property in India.
"The Kolkata hotel is a management contract. We are the operators, and we do not have equity or investment in this project. The hotel cost estimate is Rs 200 crore," a Minor Hotels spokesperson said.
The hotel will have around 170 guest rooms and suites, two restaurants, including a specialty rooftop restaurant, a ballroom, a spa, gym and swimming pool.
William Heinecke, Founder and Chairman of Minor International, the parent company of Minor Hotels, said, "Signing Anantara Kolkata as our first urban Anantara in India represents an important step in our growth in the country, and reflects the brand's versatility across both city and resort settings."
Minor Hotels was founded in Thailand by American-born businessman Heinecke. The group opened its first hotel in Thailand in 1979 and launched the Anantara brand in 2001.
It now operates over 640 hotels, resorts and branded residences across 63 countries.
Located in Sector V, Salt Lake City, WTC is Eastern India's first World Trade Centre and anchors an 11-acre mixed-use development comprising Grade A premium offices and retail space.
Sanjay Saraf, Co-Chairman of Aryan Realty, said the WTC Kolkata was a landmark development that would strengthen the city's standing as a regional business and cultural centre.
Merlin Group Chairman Sushil Mohta said the partnership would "redefine how business and hospitality converge in Eastern India".
He said the project cost at current estimates has reached Rs 2,400 crore.
The Anantara Kolkata signing follows Minor Hotels' recent entry into India, with the Anantara Jewel Bagh Jaipur Hotel, which opened in 2025.
The group aims to expand to 50 properties in India within the next decade.