Taj may end London tie-up with InterContinental

The Taj group, the largest hospitality chain in Asia, is reviewing its three-decade-old alliance with Crowne Plaza, a unit of the InterContinental Hotels group, for its four-star property in London. Located at a stone’s throw distance from Buckingham Palace, the residence of the British monarchy, the Crowne Plaza London-St James is the only Taj property globally that is marketed under another hotel operator’s brand and distribution channel. Now, chances are that Taj would call off this pact. When Taj acquired the 342-key hotel in 1982, marking the Indian firm’s entry into the UK market, it didn’t have a well-established sales and distribution network in the West and so it went with Crowne Plaza. However, having acquired properties in the US, South Africa, Maldives and Australia over the year, Taj has built a strong brand and a robust infrastructure globally, and looks set for a solo journey.