Category Archives: Hotels

With an aim to fuel growth from the Indian market, One Above Global DMC joined hands to create more awareness about Maldives hospitality brands in Delhi and Bengaluru in collaboration with Cora Cora Maldives and Centara Maldives recently. Close to selected 100 top outbound travel companies from each city were invited for the product presentation and cocktail event. Representing Cora Cora Maldives at Delhi event Karishma Kazi, Director, BlackTurtle said, the idea was to showcase the product and provide complete knowledge about the resort’s features and offerings to tour operators. I’m really happy with the response we received at the event. Speaking about the Bengaluru event, the representative from Centara Maldives added One Above offered a platform for Centara Maldives to establish direct contact with the top potential agents and to further increase its market share from Bangalore and other parts for South India Market. Speaking about event collaboration, Rahim Alsam, Founder, One Above DMC said, “Our major business leads are generated from the North and South India market, hence targeting Delhi and Bangalore cities which have immense potential for all the products we sell and promote. We look forward to more such engaging events with our partners in coming months.

Located on the banks of River Beas, Manali is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. It is known for its stunning snow-covered peaks, picturesque valleys, innumerable adventure activities, and much more. Spree Hospitality is known for its designed for the evolved, modern global traveler to India. It has satisfied million customers with its properties focusing on modern decor, a full-service, cutting-edge technology, and a deep respect for the environment. If you’re looking for the best places to stay in Manali, look no further! Come stay at Zip by Spree Hotels Avishi Greens and experience the very best that this fabled city has to offer. The resort is 2.1 Kms from Tibetan Monastery, 3 Kms from Circuit House and 39 Kms from Kullu-Manali Airport. This 4-star Spree hotel in Manali offers a wide variety of facilities and amenities to ensure that your getaway in the mountains is as comforting as can be, helping you rejuvenate your body, mind and soul. The hotel rooms are spacious and comfortable with modern amenities offering four different categories of rooms: Standard Room, Superior Room, Deluxe Room with Balcony and Executive Room. The in-house restaurant Treat serves a wide range of national and international delicacies with the panoramic view of the valley. The banquet space of this hotel can host social and corporate events seamlessly in the 1300sq. feet state of the art facility.

Radisson Hotel Group, one of the world’s largest hotel groups, is delighted to announce the opening of Radisson Resort Goa Baga strengthening its presence in India’s vibrant beach city of Goa. Located in the heart of North Goa, travelers and locals can find their balance in this newly opened resort that flows with relaxing natural spaces, thoughtful architecture, and details. Strategically situated just 800 meters from the famous Baga Beach and 39 kilometers from Dabolim Airport, Radisson Resort Goa Baga is a favorable destination for leisure and business travelers. Guests have a multitude of attractions within proximity, including the upbeat Saturday Night Market, top nightclubs, and a selection of popular beaches like Baga and Calangute. The property also offers easy access to places of worship, world heritage, and historic sites like Chapora Fort and Fort Aguada. The resort’s activity desk is equipped to help guests organize outdoor adventure activities, water sports, old city tours, and more. Boasting contemporary and modern-day architecture, Radisson Resort Goa Baga features multiple categories of aesthetically and spaciously designed rooms, including superior rooms, premium rooms with pool and balcony views, junior suites with pool and balcony views, and suites with terrace. The hotel also offers 24/7 in-room dining, free Wi-Fi and is well-equipped with facilities like a restaurant, bar, swimming pool, fitness center, and spa.  

Sandeep Raghav has been appointed as the Director (Business Development) for the India market. He has over 20 years of experience with international hotels. Working with brands such as Taj Group, Radisson UK Hotels, Jumeirah Group, Frasers Hospitality Singapore, Starwood Hotels, Marriott Hotels and Conrad Maldives has given him immense exposure to the luxury segment to handle FIT and group business from India. He is a seasoned hotelier specialising in luxury leisure and MICE segment for various outbound destinations. He has been a key element for their team goals. Raghav loves cricket, music and travel. He is a team player and goal-oriented in his actions.

As per an ICRA report the hotel industry witnessed a healthy start to FY2023, with 56-58% occupancy in premium hotels in Q1 FY2023. It was up from ~40-42% in FY2022 and closer to pre-Covid occupancy of 60-62% in Q1 FY2020. Pan-India ARR stood at ~Rs. 4,600 – 4,800 in Q1 FY2023, as against Rs. 4,200-4,400 in FY2022. It still remains at a 16-18% discount to pre-Covid levels on an average, although a few high-end hotels and leisure destinations witnessed ARRs spike to higher than pre-Covid levels in the last few months.

The island of Lombok, which is part of the magnificent Indonesian archipelago, (known for) is renowned for the pristine beauty of its untainted landscape, which draws travelers from all over the world. Away Lombok Mandalika and Amber Lombok Beach by Cross Collection have joined the company’s expanding portfolio on the back of a hotel management agreement (HMA) that Cross Hotels & Resorts and PT. Origin Resorts Lombok inked. The announcement brings the total number of Cross-branded boutique properties in Indonesia to six, following on from a twin-hotel management deal in the prominent tourist destination of Bali in April 2022. These include Away Bali Legian Camakila, Cross Bali Breakers, Tanadewa Resort and Spa Ubud by Cross Collection and Tanadewa Villas and Spa Nusa Dua by Cross Collection. A truly tropical haven, Away Lombok Mandalika attracts travellers with a league of its own accommodation options, including deluxe garden and pool suites adorned with organic elements and indigenous crafts. Away Lombok Mandalika, located close to Kuta, offers its guests the chance to “Escape Everyday Life” and check off a number of bucket-list items, including phenomenal surfing, breathtaking sunsets, and late-night partying. “We are honoured to partner with PT. Origin Resorts Lombok and I am excited about the continued expansion of our eco-friendly footprint on the beautiful island of Lombok. With these two magnificent resorts joining the Cross family, I am confident our strong international network will help bring a new genre of holidaymaker to Lombok. Cross Hotels & Resorts is committed to the focused expansion of our business in Indonesia. Our dedication and flexible execution are key as we continue to transform hospitality for all,” said Harry Thaliwal, Chief Executive Officer, Cross Hotels …

The Ascott Limited (Ascott) announced it is acquiring Oakwood Worldwide (Oakwood), a premier global serviced apartment provider, from Mapletree Investments Pte Ltd. The acquisition increases Ascott’s global portfolio by 81 properties and about 15,000 units. Oakwood’s approximately 8,500 operational units are expected to immediately contribute to Ascott’s recurring fee income streams upon completion of the transaction slated in 3Q 2022. Ascott’s acquisition of Oakwood will leapfrog Ascott’s global presence to more than 150,000 units in about 900 properties across over 200 cities in 39 countries. It will add new markets which include Cheongju in South Korea; Zhangjiakou and Qingdao in China; Dhaka in Bangladesh as well as Washington D.C. in the United States of America (USA). Recently named the ‘Best Serviced Residence Brand’ in DestinAsian Readers’ Choice Awards 2022, Oakwood’s award-winning portfolio includes flagship properties Oakwood Premier Tokyo and Oakwood Premier Coex Center Seoul which were ranked top 10 properties in their respective countries in the DestinAsian awards. New properties such as Oakwood Premier Melbourne and Oakwood Hotel Oike Kyoto, will also add to the group’s destination highlights. Mr Kevin Goh, CLI’s Chief Executive Officer for Lodging, said: “This acquisition of Oakwood is part of Ascott’s roadmap to playing a bigger role in the lodging market. There are significant synergies between Ascott and Oakwood, given our complementary footprint and product offerings. We intend to build on the strong reputation and heritage of the Oakwood brand, especially in markets across Southeast Asia, North Asia and North America. Oakwood will continue to grow alongside Ascott’s current portfolio of global brands as we continue to build growth momentum for our lodging business. We will be able to leverage Ascott’s extensive expertise as a …

Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts has appointed Tekla Maira as the Regional Director of Sales – India for its five key hotels and resorts in Thailand, namely Banyan Tree Bangkok, Banyan Tree Phuket, Angsana Laguna Phuket, Cassia Phuket and Homm Bliss Southbeach Patong. “We are pleased to have Tekla, a well-known industry professional joined our team as Regional Director of Sales. Having created successes for different hotel brands in the luxury and premium space, Tekla’s expertise and rich experience will see her implementing innovative sales and marketing strategies for our Thailand hotels post-COVID and create greater awareness for the global multi-brand ecosystem of Banyan Tree Group in India.” said Benjawan Meksakul, Regional Director of Sales & Marketing – Thailand & Laos of Banyan Tree Group Currently, with direct flights operating to both Bangkok and Phuket and relaxed entry guidelines, these five distinctive hotels will be very attractive to the Indian travelers seeking purposeful travel – by catering personalised experiences to the wedding, meeting and leisure market segments alike.

FHRAI has submitted a representation to Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, highlighting problems faced by inbound tourists with filling the online Air Suvidha form and has requested for its immediate withdrawal. With several passengers having missed their flights to India, the Association has appealed for the Ministry to at least provision physical forms as an alternate to the online forms.

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has decided to remove a host of tax exemptions and hike rates for an even larger number of mass-consumption items. It approved a proposal to impose a 12% tax on hotel rooms costing below Rs 1,000 per day. So far, only hotels above the threshold were charged 12% GST. The two-day GST Council meeting in Chandigarh, is being chaired by the FM.