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Tuesday 10 May 2011

Royal Orchid can use Orchid name for now

This story first appeared in DNA Money edition on Tuesday May 10, 2011.

Bangalore-headquartered Royal Orchid Hotels Ltd (ROHL) has got permission for the use of the name ‘Orchid’ for its immediate hotel launch in Vadodara, Gujarat, from the Bombay high court.

Following Kamat Hotels India Ltd’s (KHIL) interim injunction order last month, ROHL promoters filed an appeal to a division bench of the Bombay high court, which stayed the earlier order of the single judge.

“The division bench has admitted the appeal of Royal Orchid which is now scheduled to come up for hearing in July,” Fredun De Vitre, senior advocate, appearing for Royal Orchid Hotels, said.

Meantime , ROHL has been allowed to open Vadodara hotel under the Royal Orchid banner. Chender K Baljee, chairman and managing director, ROHL, said, “The partial stay order is a bit of a relief for us. We have 10 hotels in the advanced stages of completion and the first one is opening in Vadodara this month. We requested the court to allow launching this hotel under the Royal Orchid brand which has been agreed up on.”

The Kamat Hotels management however is not perturbed. Vikram Vithal Kamat, executive director, KHIL, said they have sought complete injunction against the use of their trademark and the court has seen merit in their case.

“The permission has been granted on the condition that if the other party loses the appeal, they will refrain from using the term Orchid in any of their future launches including the Vadodara hotel which will have to be rebranded,” he said.

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