MUTHOOT ACQUIRES COSTA RICA PROPERTY

Muthoot Leisure and Hospitality Services (MLHS), an arm of Muthoot Group, today said it has acquired Xandari Resort & Spa Costa Rica. Based in Alajuela, Costa Rica, Xandari Resort & Spa a luxurious property becomes the first overseas acquisition by the company, MLHS said in a statement, without disclosing the deal size. MLHS has also extended collaboration with Raxa Collective to manage the property hereon, it said, adding that it plans to spend 200 crore on expansion in the next two years. Xandari Resort & Spa is a "tropical paradise" of 24 individually designed villas nestled on a 40 acre plantation overlooking the central valley of Costa Rica, it said. Costa Rica is the most visited nation in the central American region, with 2.2 million foreign visitors in 2011. International tourist receipts rose to USD 2.4 billion in 2012, and the lead country of origin was the United States, followed by Nicaragua and Canada. This is the first acquisition by an Indian hospitality company in Central America, said George M George, Executive Director, MLHS. "I am confident that the uniqueness of this property will appeal to global visitors and will go a long way in strengthening our business here. Having said that, India continues to be our focus market and we will announce our domestic expansion plans very soon," he said.