IHHR Hospitality Pvt (IHHR) is to invest US$335m (242m euro, £164m) from 2008 to 2010 in new developments including three Ananda spa retreats in South Asia.

India-based IHHR is probably best known for its destination spa Ananda – In The Himalayas.

The new spas will be located in Jaipur and Puri, India, and in the Maldives.

The average development cost per spa facility will be US$37m (26.7m euro, £18.1m). IHHR reportedly intends to utilise the US$43m (31.1m euro, £21.1m) sales proceeds from its recent 15 per cent equity divestment to Morgan Stanley.

Speaking to The Economic Times, IHHR managing director Ashok Khanna said that the company was currently in the process of finalising land for each of the Ananda properties.

Ananda’s new spa training institute, which will be situated in the grounds of the Hotel Istra in Hyderabad, India, will also launch by March 2008.

Training programmes will be offered in a variety of different sectors, including beauty, yoga and ayurvedic therapy.