Bhubaneswar, Nov 1 (IANS): Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday inaugurated Welcomhotel Bhubaneswar, the state's first LEED Platinum Certified Hotel.

Located in New Bhubaneswar, the hotel is 8 km away from the airport and is in close proximity to the suburban institutional, educational, and residential development hub. Drawing inspiration from the magnificence of the 500-plus temples across the state, Welcomhotel Bhubaneswar is heavily influenced by local indigenous stone architecture.

Speaking on the occasion of the launch, Sanjiv Puri, Chairman and Managing Director, ITC Ltd, said: "I am confident this world-class property will make a meaningful contribution to the signature tourism assets of Odisha. Apart from the hospitality sector, ITC's investments in Odisha encompass sustainable agriculture and manufacturing as well as multi-dimensional interventions that contribute to social development."

Nakul Anand, Executive Director, ITC Ltd, stated: "The new opening will undoubtedly strengthen our footprint in the eastern region as Brand Welcomhotel continues to surge forward adding a number of properties across India to its portfolio."

Welcomhotel Bhubaneswar has 107 well-appointed guest rooms, including a presidential suite, three executive suites and four junior suites. The hotel has also been designed to serve as a venue for celebrations, corporate events, weddings, conferences and meetings. The outdoor lawns and banquet venues are spread over 2600 square metres.

The hotel is reflective of the ITC's growing presence in Odisha's economy. Recognising the potential of food processing, ITC is investing in a state-of-the-art integrated foods manufacturing facility at Khurda, which will manufacture packaged food brands such as Aashirvaad atta, Bingo! snacks, Sunfeast biscuits and YiPPee! noodles. ITC also supports rural livelihoods in Odisha through its agarbatti brand Mangaldeep.