Category Archives: Hotels

The sixth edition of France’s worldwide culinary extravaganza, Goût de/Good France was celebrated over five continents between 14th-22nd October. French Embassies and Consulates hosted culinary events promoting a commitment to a “greener” and more inclusive global gastronomy ‘à la française’. This year the gastronomy of the ‘Centre-Val de Loire’ region was honoured. In Mumbai, Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet,  the Consul General of France in Bombay hosted an exclusive soiree at the French Residence on 21st October where guests enjoyed the succulent flavours of France’s renowned cuisine thanks to a specially curated menu designed by the Sofitel Mumbai for this occasion. Seen here on the left is Sami Bouakaze, Deputy Consul, Consulat Général de France à Bombay alongside Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet, Consul General of France in Bombay, at the event. France’s worldwide gastronomical event, Goût de France/Good France, is back for its 6th edition, and restaurants in India once again participated in force. From October 14 to 22, dozens of restaurants across India served French-style menus focused on sustainable gastronomy. They joined chefs and restaurants across the world and over 150 French embassies and consulates in this annual event celebrating French cuisine. This year’s edition focused on the gastronomy of the future by highlighting commitment to a more eco-friendly, sustainable cuisine, as well as on the Centre-Loire Valley region, the “Garden of France” whose gastronomy dates back to the Renaissance and has shaped an exceptional way of life, opening a window onto French excellence. Restaurants across India, chefs, importers of French products and other stakeholders of gastronomy in India took part in the initiative by creating menus that promote French gastronomy, French gourmet food products and wines in sync with the themes of the event. …

Cygnett Group of Hotels and Resorts plans to launch 9 new properties across multiple cities in different regions of India over the next six months. The new properties will come up in Dehradun, Jaipur (2 hotels), Bhiwadi, Dalhousie, Solan, Kolkata, Rajkot, and Goa. “There is a lot of pent-up demand, especially in the smaller cities and towns, and we want to aggressively capitalize on that demand,” said Sarbendra Sarkar, MD & Founder Cygnett Hotels & Resorts

The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts announced the opening of their second hotel in the Garden City,The Leela Bhartiya City Bengaluru. Nestled amidst the pristine environs of Bhartiya City, one of India’s largest integrated smart cities, spread across 125 acres, the hotel exudes modern luxury and sophistication.“Bhartiya City is a unique place that celebrates local history and environment and has become a landmark in Bengaluru today. We are pleased to welcome The Leela to Bhartiya City to join us in our vision of providing space and legendary luxury to our customers. We hope that this launch will be a step in redefining the future of hospitality”. said Snehdeep Aggarwal, Founder-Chairman, Bhartiya.

IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a management agreement with Dinesh Kumar Choudhary (HUF) for a new hotel – Holiday Inn Express & Suites Jaipur Karoli Bagh located at Gopalpura Byepass, in the capital of Rajasthan. The brownfield hotel featuring 141 rooms is expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2023. Sudeep Jain, Managing Director, South West Asia, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said, “We are thrilled to announce the signing of a new Holiday Inn Express & Suites hotel in Jaipur and solidify our presence in the state of Rajasthan. With a rich culture, history and cuisine, Jaipur is one of the most popular tourist destinations of India. With diverse guest profiles visiting the city, there is an increasing need for mainstream accommodation, and we are confident that Holiday Inn Express & Suites Jaipur Karoli Bagh will be a great choice for travellers looking for a simple and engaging hotel stay experience.

Sudesh Poddar, recently-elected president of Hotel & Restaurant Association of Eastern India, says, “In spite of several requests to all state governments we haven’t been able to get any relaxation of property tax. There has been no relaxation of excise license fees too. We have sent several letters and sent delegations to respective departments without any effect. We have met several ministries and relevant government departments with our requests, but we haven’t been able to resolve these issues.”  

Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) has done a special tie-up with Sarovar Hotels across India for offering special hotel rates to TAFI members. An initiative by the TAFI Hotels & Resorts Committee, the tie up will allow members to sell inventory of these hotels and resorts using these special rates for their clients. Jigar Dudakiya, Committee Representative, TAFI, says, “To use the facilities, TAFI members must have a TAFI logo and membership number on their email signature. The same will be verified and checked for authenticity by principals. Team TAFI is Pro-actively working to get more such deals to benefit their members.”

Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels has announced the signing of Zone Connect Darjeeling in West Bengal. Zone Connect brand falls under Zone by The Park portfolio. Currently, the hotel is undergoing phased upgradation and is being primed to open its doors to welcome guests in the coming winter season. The 65-rooms hotel is a perfect fusion of tastefully crafted contemporary décor with wooden flooring, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and modern amenities. Vikas Ahluwalia –General Manager and National Head – Zone by The Park Hotels, said “This strengthens our position in the East along with Zone by The Park, Kolkata and our upcoming hotel Zone by The Park Dimapur, which is expected to open by the end of this financial year.”

Mark Willis, CEO – India, Middle East and Africa, Accor, has said that after Raffles Udaipur, India is soon to get its second Raffles property in Jaipur. “It’s wonderful to see India recovering. We recently opened the first Raffles there and we have a second raffles coming up as well, which is also interesting as there will be two ultra-luxury properties coming in the same country within a close time frame. The future looks bright for India,” he said.

Baywatch Stayzz has been appointed as the GSA for The Fern Creek in Kodaikanal, which are experiential glam tents situated in the heart of Kodaikanal. Manish Kriplani, MD, Baywatch Stayzz and Baywatch Travels, says, “These are unique tents in 1.5 acres of land, offering experiential luxury for patrons. With 7 tents, one restaurant and indoor and outdoor lounge areas, they offer everything a traveller can ask for. We are also looking at expanding the number of tents in future.”

Oyo Hotels have filed for a local listing, seeking a valuation of $10 billion to $12 billion that could be the first for a hospitality firm since 2019. The initial public offering (IPO) comes as travel restrictions are being alleviated worldwide and the tourism sector sees a rebound, with stuck-at-home people heading out on vacations. The offering will consist of a fresh issue of shares of up to 70 billion rupees and an offer for sale of as much as 14.30 billion rupees, as per a copy of its draft red herring.