Category Archives: Hotels

VITS Hotels Worldwide has announced a joint venture with Exhicon Group in Thailand. The new entity will operate under VITS-EXHICON (Thailand) Co. and an office with a seasoned team of professionals will be established in Bangkok. Vikram Kamat and Chandrakant Shetty will be directors in the new entity. The JV partnership will work on hotel acquisitions, OTA management, staff training, procurement and F&B operations within Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Dubai. VITS Hotels will provide hotel management expertise, marketing, sales support, human resources and distribution network while EXHICON will support with its local business network, project acquisitions and overseas procurement. Both VITS and EXHICON will own 50 per cent share in the joint venture management company. Vikram Kamat, Managing Director, VITS Hotels Worldwide, said, “Our partnership offers immense opportunities to leverage on each other’s expertise to expand the VITS hotel brand in Far East and Middle East. We aim to channelise our resources with our valued partner to establish footprints in key destinations and draw tourists from India and abroad.” Chandrakant Shetty, CEO, VITS Hotels Worldwide, said, “With our collaboration with EXHICON Group, we are now pleased to announce the VITS luxury experience in overseas shores. The joint venture will create a formidable recipe for establishing hotels in key destinations. We will be launching our first hotel in Phuket near Patong beach by January 2018.”

Hilton has announced the opening of Hilton Garden Inn Lucknow, the first Hilton Garden Inn and second Hilton property in Uttar Pradesh, following the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Agra. “India is an important growth market for Hilton Garden Inn and we are delighted to expand our portfolio by opening our fourth hotel in the country. We remain committed to giving our guests exceptional experiences while staying true to our brand promise to make the guests’ stay better,” said John Greenleaf, Global Head, Hilton Garden Inn. Hilton Garden Inn Lucknow boasts 125 contemporary guestrooms, including four junior and executive suites. The hotel provides an abundance of amenities to elevate guests’ stay experience, including bedding with hypoallergenic pillows, 43-inch LCD TV and a spacious workstation with Herman Miller ergonomic chair. Complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi access is available throughout the hotel and guests may choose to stay connected and productive at 24-hour business center, which offers complimentary printing facilities.    

Ashok Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Management (AIH&TM), the Human Resource Development division under India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), has been certified with ISO 9001:2015 certification for imparting quality education in hospitality and tourism management. To ensure that various activities undertaken by the institute are standardised with latest quality policy Ashok Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Management (AIH&TM) has now upgraded to ISO 9001:2015 Certification. Besides conducting short duration customised training programmes for hotels and restaurants, AIH&TM has offered hospitality-related training consultancy for Ministry of Tourism, President House, Prime Minister’s House, State Bhawans, Indian Foreign Services, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, public sector organisations and State Tourism departments. Commenting on the certification, Piyush Tiwari, Director Commercial & Marketing, ITDC, said, “ITDC stands for change and development in tourism and hospitality and assist in building a better nation. Also, we ensure that we are parallel to the advancements in terms of quality and technology. The ISO 9001:2015 certification confirms our capability to deliver knowledge and training in the best possible way to help build a skilled India.”  

Sterling Holiday Resorts has launched its new brand identity in line with its new service philosophy of delivering experiences and discoveries. Ramesh Ramanathan, Managing Director, Sterling Holiday Resorts Limited, shared that with the new branding, they are looking to become the leading holiday brand in India. “Today, we are not just opening a new chapter for Sterling but one in the Indian holiday market. We have been working on developing our new service philosophy and brand standards over the last few years and are now ready to make our customers ‘holiday differently’.” He added, “At Sterling, we are look forward to being a part of this new India that is looking to have newer experiences and take away a little bit of what they see and feel when they holiday. Over the past few years, we have invested in the revamp of existing resorts and launch of new ones. Our focus will be on delivery and service for all kinds of holidayers. In the process, we would also be contributing to local economies, creating jobs and taking the brand abroad to places where Indians holiday,” Ramanathan added.

The Fern Hotels & Resorts marks its foray in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh by launching The Fern Surya Resort, Dharampur (Kasauli Hills). The resort currently has 22 operating rooms in two categories: Winter Green Room & Winter Green Premium Room. The resort is 55 km from Chandigarh airport and 5 km from Dharampur railway station and bus stand. The COO of the group, Suhail Kannampilly said, “It is a big moment for us as we are entering a new state. This takes the tally of hotels managed by the company to 52. We will be opening a few more properties in the North in the near future.” The rooms are generously proportioned and fully equipped with ecofriendly bathroom amenities and contemporary furniture. Guests can unwind before the LCD TV or avail in-room dining service any time of theday. Various facilities offered by the resort include: Complimentary buffet breakfast,in-room tea & coffee facility, digital in-room safe, free car parking, concierge service, travel desk, etc.

Cygnett Inn is set to open its new property-Cygnett Inn Silver Leaf- in Nawanshahr, Chandigarh on November 28, 2017. With its 44 rooms including 26 Deluxe Rooms, 12 Superior Rooms, 5 Suites and a Penthouse, restaurants, lounge bar, swimming pool and gym, the Cygnett Inn Silver Leaf Nawanshahr promises to host business and leisure travellers alike. The restaurants include all-dining restaurant ‘Cygnett Pavilion’, lobby level contemporary lounge bar ‘Metro Lounge, a 24-hour restaurant and Kebab Sutra. The hotel offers spacious conference facility to hold 35 to 225 guests comfortably.

Vitizen Hotels has launched VITS Park Maple Amritsar, the group’s first hotel in the city. The hotel is strategically located near Amritsar Junction Railway Station, adding to the convenience of both business and leisure tourists visiting the holy city. Announcing the launch, Vikram Kamat, Managing Director, Vitizen Hotels says, “We are delighted to launch our first property in Punjab in the sacred city of Amritsar that would enable us tap the growing potential of tourist inflow. VITS Park Maple will exceed expectations of our guests with its exceptional hospitality services.” VITS Park Maple offers 40 Deluxe and Super Deluxe rooms. It also has a multi-cuisine restaurant, an open air terrace restaurant and a large banquet hall that can accommodate 150 guests. G. S. Khurana, Managing Director, VITS Park Maple, says, “We are extremely pleased to launch the VITS hotel brand in Amritsar. VITS Park Maple brings fresh flavour to the city’s hospitality landscape that will make every guest’s stay a pleasurable experience”.

InterContinental Hotels Group has partnered with SAMHI to rebrand approximately 2000 rooms (operating and under construction) within its India hotel portfolio, to Holiday Inn Express® hotels. The recently signed portfolio comprises 14 hotels, including 10 open hotels across key cities such as Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai. The additional four hotels are under construction. The signing sees IHG grow its pipeline by 41 hotels, positioning IHG as one of the largest players in India’s growing midscale hotel market. All hotels in the portfolio will be closed while they are being refurbished and upgraded with the latest design directives, to ensure the portfolio is fully representative of the Holiday Inn Express brand globally. The hotels will feature the next-generation design, several additional public areas and feature brand hallmarks to enhance guest service delivery. Commenting on the announcement, Sudeep Jain, Vice President, Development, South West Asia, IHG said: “It is with great pride and excitement that we are announcing our partnership with SAMHI for conversion of their existing mid-market hotel portfolio in India to Holiday Inn Express. This is a significant move towards establishing IHG as a leading player in the midscale hotel segment in India, while we continue to build on our upscale and luxury offering in the country with InterContinental Hotels & Resorts and Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts.” Jain added: “With this signing, we now have close to 60 hotels open and in the pipeline, across the Holiday Inn Brand Family. SAMHI is keen to accelerate Holiday Inn Express’ highly efficient operating model and engage the brand’s growing familiarity in the country. Holiday Inn Express is the rest and go hotel brand that delivers a …

  Marriott International has launched the new Club Marriott in India, a leading dining loyalty programme that integrates three powerful dining loyalty segments—Club Marriott, Eat Drink & More and Star Privilege—into a single paid membership programme. The newly combined Club Marriott provides members with more choices and benefits whenever they dine out in their hometowns or visit one of the 250 participating hotels across 16 brands in 13 countries across the region. The new programme will be granting its members exclusive access to a diverse assortment of hotels that will furnish locally relevant benefits and dining options. As Club Marriott members, the guests will have easy access to a range of select hotel facilities and also be entitled to lucrative discounts over fine dining and accommodation at the participating hotels across APAC countries. “We’re all set to recognise and reward our Indian guests with memorable experiences with a distinctive range of dining options and exclusive benefits across our wide portfolio of brands under Marriott International,” said Ralph Frehner, Vice President, Food and Beverage, Asia-Pacific for Marriott International.  

Sarovar Hotels announced the opening of Golden Sarovar Portico Amritsar. Situated in the hub of the city and just 10 minutes away from the Golden Temple, Golden Sarovar Portico, Amritsar is set to offer the best of services and facilities. Accommodation facilities categorised into Superior Rooms, Executive Rooms, Deluxe Suites and Presidential Suite ensure guests a delightful stay. Featuring elegant rooms with all modern amenities, the hotel is suitable for business travellers as well as tourists and pilgrims who travel to the city for visiting Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh. Golden Sarovar Portico, Amritsar offers all modern facilities including restaurant, bar, banquet hall, meeting room, fitness room and other amenities at par with international standards.