Leading North Indian real estate companies like DLF, Uppal and Amrapali Group have started executing their plans in the hospitality business quite aggressively.

DLF, which had signed a JV with California-based Hilton Hotels in 2006, is on an intense land hunt in Bangalore and Hyderabad to set up five-star hotels. In Kolkata, it has already acquired a six-acre plot to build such a hotel by early 2011. The joint venture, DLF-Hilton, plans to set up 75 hotels and service apartments over the next five years.

DLF plans to develop, in the next seven years, 25,000 rooms to be spread across business, luxury and super-luxury hotels. It has also entered into a partnership with the US-based chain of super-luxury hotels, Four Seasons.

Delhi- based Uppal Group, which recently joined hands with Marriott International to operate two five-star luxury hotels and also outlined plans to build 10-12 hotels in the next few years, is now mulling a strategy to enter budget hotel segment by early 2009.

Amrapali, also from Delhi, has tied up with Choice Hotels to launch its Clarion brand hotel in Greater Noida. The hotel is expected to come up in the next one and a half years at a cost of Rs. 120 crores. Located in a township spread over 22 acres, this new hotel will be the only one in Delhi NCR which would have 60% of its 200 rooms as suites.