Category Archives: Hotels

In a major development for the hospitality segment following the COVID-19 outbreak, Click Hotels by Suba has acquired leisure budget hospitality chain 1589 Hotels, owned and run by Clarks Group of Hotels. With this deal, Suba added 35 new properties to its portfolio across 22 prime destinations in India which marks the milestone of total 2,000 rooms. This expansion drive is a part of Click Hotels’ acquisition of 1589 Hotels including GenX, RNB, and RNB Select. With this, Click Hotels by Suba has marked its transition to an asset-light business model and has expanded its footprint across key destinations like Ranthambore National Park, Jim Corbett National Park, and Dalhousie.

After operations being paused for the last few months, Fairmont Jaipur is back and ready to welcome guests with its signature engaging service, from 27th June 2021. Along with the re-launch of the property, the team has also announced several attractive stay deals, especially for the joy of the monsoons, to make every holiday an unforgettable Fairmont experience. On the auspicious occasion of the re-opening of the palace, General Manager, Rajiv Kapoor said, “The Heartists of Fairmont Jaipur are proud to re-open the gates of this breathtaking palace. We have missed our treasured guests and now look forward to creating unforgettable memories for every guest through handcrafted stays and curated experiences, all with the necessary ALLSAFE safety and hygiene protocols. As they say in Rajasthan, Padhaaro Mhare Des…!” Gleaming under the watchful eyes of the verdant Aravalli hills, glittering with history and culture of Rajasthan, the hotel is a sophisticated chateau that gracefully combines the glories of the past with modern day comforts. The story of Fairmont Jaipur inspires a vision of timeless hospitality, inviting guests to join them in imagining a place that is steeped in a rich and privileged heritage, yet is effortlessly modern. Every aspect of the hotel – the architecture, the layout, the décor and the hospitality has been inspired by the legends of two of India’s most celebrated rulers – the Mughals and the Rajputs. The magnificent façade stands tall as the ancient gates of the hotel open to welcome guests to this royal abode. Every unparalleled stay at Fairmont Jaipur is certified to be safe and hygienic, with Accor’s ALLSAFE Guidelines for the highest standards, including and going beyond local and international recommendations for …

Cross Hotels & Resorts, which already operates hotels across Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, has now expanded its reach further by entering the Japanese market with a remarkable seven-hotel deal in a master franchise agreement with AB Accommo Company. Cross Hotels & Resorts currently operates 21 hotels across three distinct brands – Cross, Cross Vibe and Away – in Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. It anticipates a rewarding future in Japan with seven properties initially, totalling 844 keys within four years and stretching across Okinawa in the far south to Hokkaido. The inaugural property, located on Kouri Island, will be called Away Okinawa Kouri Island Resort and seamlessly match the Away brand’s ‘Escape Everyday Life’ philosophy. “With the signing of Away Okinawa Kouri Island Resort we have brought to fruition our stated aspiration to grow our brands in the best markets in the Asia region. The Away brand emphasises the strength of our capabilities, our growth and our commitment to help our owners identify their product position in the marketplace,” says Harry Thaliwal, Chief Executive Officer, Cross Hotels & Resorts. To this, adds Kent Davidson, Managing Director, Cross Hotels & Resorts, “Taking our business and brands into the prized Japanese hospitality marketplace is a watershed moment for Cross Hotels & Resorts. This agreement to franchise our brands into the Japanese market speaks volumes for the work we have done to define our branding and distribution value proposition and the manner in which our partners have embraced it. This partnership has been made possible by our ability to curate a product for our partners’ specific needs. I have a deep respect for our colleagues in the enterprise and I see a long and …

According to Gus Gardner, Associate Travel & Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, “Budget hotel operators will be well-positioned to benefit from an increase in bargain-hunting travellers looking for the cheapest accommodation possible. With many countries still only permitting outbound travel to a handful of countries and domestic holidays booming in the short term, accommodation prices have risen.”

India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), through its education wing AIH&TM organized a session on ‘Yoga For Health & Wellness’ for its employees. The session conducted on the occasion of International Yoga Day was led by Shri Yoga Acharaya, who taught ‘Vedic Aashtanga Yog’ and shed light on simple yet powerful tools to manifest health & vitality in life. Further, the session also discussed the protocols of Yoga & Pranayam by the Ministry Of Aayush, Government of India.

Ashok Travels and Tours (ATT), the Travel division of India Tourism Development Corporation, New Delhi (ITDC) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) have signed an MoU, under which ATT will provide online travel solution for booking air tickets and travel-related services to 414 units and commands of CISF during official journeys. The MoU was signed by Shri. Rajiv Anand GM (ATT) and Shri. V K Yadav, AIG Administrator on 16th June 2021, in the presence of senior officials from both organizations. G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, C&MD, ITDC said, “The travel industry has been severely impacted with the ongoing pandemic. We are honoured that CISF has given us an opportunity to provide an essential service to them. We look forward to helping CISF in Resource optimization and facilitating optimal planning.”

Vidhi Godiawala, STR’s Business Development Manager for South and Central Asia, says, “Until March of this year, India and China were trading places for the highest intention to travel. While current travel sentiment remains clouded, recovery from the first wave gives us reason to believe there is light at the end of the tunnel for hotels in the country.”

Lords Hotels and Resorts, a  leading mid-segment hotel chain with over  42 hotels across India and Nepal is looking further to expand its presence across India and beyond.  The hospitality industry is facing an immense challenge due to this ongoing pandemic. Lords Hotels and Resorts with its extensive portfolio of brands like Plaza, Resorts, Inn, Eco Inn is seeking partnership with standalone hotel owners to enter into a management agreement. Pushpendra Bansal, COO of the group stated “ This is a right time for standalone hotels to partner with us as we offer a pan India sales network, dedicated revenue and market intelligence team, deepest pool of talent, extensive pre-opening support. Rigorous checks and balances during operations to enable owners maximize their revenues.” “In the coming months, Lords Hotel will be opening their second property both at  Rajkot and also in Jammu, followed by new hotels at Belgaum, Lucknow, Karjat, Shikrapur and three hotels in Gangtok. We are poised to reach more than 60 Hotels by 2022,” stated Bansal along with further expanding internationally. “Our new safety and Hygiene guidelines, along with vaccinated staff ensures a safe environment for all our guests. Individual hotels aligning with Lords Hotels can also benefit from our enhanced SOP and safety Protocol. A partnership with Lords Group is best suited for Individual hotels in these uncertain times to grow their Corporate, Mice and Leisure business,” he further said.  

Sanjay Wadhawan, a hotelier with 42 years of experience in the tourism and hospitality space, has begun a new innings with his team – Sehar Shamim and US Jamwal – by launching a fully serviced, luxury homestay brand ‘Earthaa Escapes’. The company’s flagship property, Aranya, at Mashobra, has seen great response within a couple of months of its launch and is running at 100% occupancy. Earthaa Escapes is poised to launch its next two properties in the Delhi-NCR region by mid-July, and is in final negotiations with 15 homeowners for signing them on to its platform. Earthaa will also shortly launch a riverside villa in Goa, and already has few other villas under discussion. The first phase of expansion will target states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Goa. Earthaa Escapes is also all set to launch its own booking engine and website soon.

Far East Village Hotel Yokohama officially opens its doors today. The hotel is managed by Far East Hospitality (Headquarters: Singapore, Chief Executive Officer: Arthur Kiong), one of the leading operators of hotels and serviced residences in Singapore. This is Far East Hospitality’s second property in Japan. Far East Village Hotel Yokohama encourages its guests to “Live Like a Local” Each Village Hotel provides guests with a Village Passport which details unique experiences that guests can enjoy within the vicinity of the hotel. This includes information on nearby restaurants, cafés, and attractions that locals often visit. Commenting on the reason for expansion into Yokohama, Arthur Kiong, Chief Executive Officer of Far East Hospitality Management said, “At Far East Hospitality, we are constantly looking at ways to expand our footprint in the region. As intra-Asia travel is likely to increase in the future, a country such as Japan will be even more in demand. We are excited that we have the opportunity to open our second hotel in Japan within a year and we now have a presence in 2 of the most popular cities in Japan. Both of our hotels are synergistic in that they cater to domestic travellers looking to experience a flavour of Singapore even when travelling for a functional reason between Tokyo and Yokohama. This hospitality concept is relevant especially through this season where international travel is still largely on hold. Hence, domestic tourism will be the main staple for some time to come and FEH wants to be in the markets such as Japan where the domestic tourism growth is robust.” A marriage of Singaporean and Japanese cultures Singapore and Yokohama are port towns. Hence, the hotel …