Category Archives: Hotels

WelcomHeritage is looking for expansion towards South and Northeast India with new properties. Sunil Gupta, CEO, WelcomHeritage shared, “There is a lot of potential in South and North East. WelcomHeritage is known for its best heritage properties and by further expanding to these regions, we will be bringing the values and rich hospitality of these regions on a global platform. We have already identified properties and are in discussion with the properties owners.” The next property, immediately, to be flagged will be WelcomHeritage Ashdale in Nainital, which is an old manor from the British era, owned by the Royalty of Sahaspur.  Thereafter, WelcomHeritage will be flagging two nature resorts, one in Tadoba, Maharashtra, and the other in Coorg, Karnataka. Both these properties are in the advance stages of the project, and will be launched within this financial year.

Sarovar Hotels & Resorts has launched its newly redesigned website. Guests can now explore the website which has been designed to offer a more user-friendly experience and is mobile and e-commerce optimised. The initiative further signifies the group’s effort in enabling guests a superlative experience and its strong expansion plans. The website is now live at www.sarovarhotels.com. The new website offer add-on benefits to customers booking rooms from the brand website directly with services such as customized meal by the Chef, takeaway breakfast on early check out, check-in/check-out at your convenience and free high speed internet browsing. Ample usage of imagery showcases the brand and its properties in the finest form. Sarovar Hotels is targeting to have 100 hotels under its portfolio by 2020. Expected openings in 2018 include hotels in Jaisalmer, Jhansi, Jaipur, Somnath, Dibrugarh, Junagadh, Gorakhpur and Lusaka, Zambia.

The 2018 AccorHotels Showcase in Mumbai and New Delhi will be held on March 21 at Sofitel Mumbai BKC and March 23 at Pullman New Delhi Aerocity respectively. The event is expected to have representatives from 15 countries representing more than 35 hotels and resorts worldwide, offering travel agents, wholesalers, corporate clients, tourism partners and MICE organisers’ an insight into the group’s new developments, products and services. Entering its 15th year, the event will provide an opportunity to discover AccorHotels’ accommodation trends, news and stunning hotels and resorts from around the world. Exhibitors from destinations such as France, Spain, Netherlands, Turkey, Thailand, UAE,South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, China and Singapore, representing celebrated hotels like Raffles Dubai and Saudi Arabia, RIXOS Turkey, Fairmont Ajman, SO Sofitel Bangkok Singapore, Novotel Amsterdam City and Novotel Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, and more are set to attend the event in each city. “The signature event serves as a great platform for us to interact and share knowledge with our clients and industry partners. With increased international and domestic travel, we expect this year to be the bigger and more exciting than last year, with interesting insights given our enhanced network and leadership position in the Asia Pacific region,” said Arif Patel, Vice President—Sales, Marketing, Distribution & Loyalty, AccorHotels India. 

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts started its annual India mission at Hotel Sea Princess in Mumbai. Around 14 hotels are participating at the roadshow from destinations like Sri Lanka, Oman, Doha, Malaysia, Singapore, etc. After Mumbai, the delegation will then travel to Delhi and Kolkata, and eventually conclude in Bengaluru. Shangri-La is also promoting its recently opened Shangri-La Colombo and a new programme ‘Buds by Shangri-La’ focusing on children and families, which was launched at Shangri-La Singapore. Speaking at the roadshow, Vivek Braganza, Director of Business Development- India, Regional Liaison Office, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts said, “We plan to target MiCE, leisure and luxury travellers and would like to thank all our partners across the cities. We look to grow exponentially this year as we have in the past. India continues to be an important market for Shangri-La. We will be following this show with another activity targeted at the MiCE and wedding segment, set to take place in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore in September.”

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group announces its rebranding to Radisson Hotel Group, effective immediately, at the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin. The new go-to-market name, Radisson Hotel Group, capitalizes on a strong partnership between Radisson Hospitality, Inc. (formerly Carlson Hotels, Inc.) and Rezidor Hotel Group AB (publicly listed on Nasdaq Stockholm, Sweden and headquartered in Brussels, Belgium) who has master franchise agreements to develop and operate several brands across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Currently, the 11th largest hotel group in the world, Radisson Hotel Group is made up of eight hotel brands with more than 1,400 hotels in operation and under development. The launch of the group’s new identity is a significant milestone in a five-year operating plan that will transform the business and position it to become the preferred choice for guests, owners, investors and talent. “Today is the start of an exciting era for the Radisson Hotel Group, united by our new brand and long-term vision to become a top three hospitality company in the world,” said Federico J. González, President & CEO, the Rezidor Hotel Group and Chairman of the Global Steering Committee, Radisson Hotel Group. “Our five-year operating plan includes initiatives that redefine our value proposition, optimize our portfolio, streamline operations, invest in new technology systems and align our team members to deliver on our signature, Every Moment Matters. ‘Every moment Matters’ is about how we do business at the Radisson Hotel Group and who we are at the core – a place of purposeful encounters. For everyone. Everyday. Everywhere. Every time. Our rebranding is just the beginning.”

Sriperumbudur-Oragadam, Chennai’s upcoming industrial and automobile belt, saw the opening of its first international hotel – Mercure Chennai Sriperumbudur. This marks AccorHotels’ sixth property in Chennai and seventh in Tamil Nadu. Mercure Chennai Sriperumbudur features 100 guest rooms, including six suites. The hotel is located 45-minute drive from Chennai International Airport and an hour’s drive from the historic monuments and beaches of Mahabalipuram. Neeraj Govil, Chief Executive, SMP Management Group said, “We have a long standing association with Chennai and hence, it was quite logical for us to commence our association with AccorHotels from Chennai. We are privileged to partner with AccorHotels in bringing Mercure, the first international brand to the new and fast-growing industrial corridor of Oragadam.” “It is a proud moment for us to announce our first Mercure in Sriperumbudur. The opening of the hotel marks yet another milestone for AccorHotels’ expansion and growing brand presence in the country,” said Jean-Michel Cassé, Chief Operating Officer, India & South Asia, AccorHotels. “Chennai is an important market for us as it enjoys the unique positioning of being a business hub with a rich cultural heritage. The launch of this hotel has made us the largest hotel operator in Chennai with six hotels and a combined inventory of more than 950 rooms. We are well represented in the Tamil Nadu market with brands like Novotel, Mercure and ibis.” said Cassé.

AccorHotels has launched its latest Novotel in partnership with the Alcon Victor Group and its fourth property in Goa called Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort that was earlier Dona Sylvia Resort. Situated in South Goa, the resort features 181 rooms, villas and suites on the Arabian Sea coastline. Varun Albuquerque, Director, Alcon Victor Group, paid tribute to the late Charles Correa who had originally conceptualised and designed the resort. He said “Dona Sylvia Resort has always resonated with old-world charm and new-world luxury, creating an authentic Goan ambience along with its perfect location on Cavelossim Beach. Today through the rebranding of the property, as a Novotel Resort, we look forward to offering an international standard product to our guests.” Also present on the occasion was Jean-Michel Cassé, Chief Operating Officer, India & South Asia, AccorHotels. He said, “The rebranding of Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort strengthens AccorHotels’ presence in the Indian market. With 17 Novotels in the country, we believe this brand is particularly well targeted for the modern Indian traveller and international guests. We are delighted to partner with the Alcon Victor Group and look forward to bringing our expertise in hospitality to this relationship.” Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort features two conference rooms with a capacity to serve about 200 guests. The resort also offers two seaside lawns by the Cavelossim Beach.

The Fern Hotels & Resorts has added another hotel to its portfolio with the launch of Avins Beacon Hotel in Udaipur. This is the seventh hotel which is managed by the company under the Beacon Hotels brand. The other Beacon properties are located in Ajmer, Amritsar, Bhopal, Jodhpur, Mumbai and Udaipur. Beacon Hotels, a brand owned by The Fern Hotels & Resorts, are positioned as ‘smart and efficient’ hotels in the economy segment, providing value-for-money accommodations and offering limited services. Suhail Kannampilly, COO, The Fern Hotels & Resorts, said, “This is the second property which the group is managing in Udaipur. We already have The Fern Residency, Udaipur. With the launch of Avins Beacon, we are looking to service a different segment of clientele in Udaipur which is growing at a very fast pace.” Avins Beacon Hotel has 22 rooms with 19 Deluxe Rooms and three larger Executive Rooms.

Royal Orchid Hotels has announced the opening of its new hotel in Nashik named Regenta Resort Soma Vine Village. The property has 32 rooms offering boutique accommodation with varied dining and banquet facilities. On-site amenities at the hotel include a restaurant, winery, state-of-the-art fitness centre, outdoor pool, business centre and spa services. Chander K. Baljee, Managing Director, Royal Orchid Hotels said, “The hotel is the perfect complement to our recently refreshed Regenta portfolio of hotels across India. We are taking continuous steps towards expanding our presence all over India. The new hotel in Nasik is one such move towards achieving our aim. The government push toward tourism sector is giving us the much needed enthusiasm to go aggressive in adding new properties to our bouquet. Till now, we have added eight properties – Mysore, Ahmedabad, Dehradun, Kanpur, Dwarka, Indore, Pushkar and now Nasik in the current fiscal year taking the number to 49 hotels. We will continue our efforts in expanding our presence all over India.”

Niraamaya Retreats, a Jupiter Capital Venture, has announced its expansion in Nagaland with its management lease of Classic Inn, a charming boutique property at Kohima in Nagaland. It has now rechristened Niraamaya Retreats Aradura. Manu Rishi Guptha, CEO, Niraamaya Retreats, says, “This expansion is the first in the series of many more that Niraamaya Retreats has envisaged for this year. In Aradura, we saw a perfect alignment to our philosophy of Niraamaya Retreats being a selection of bespoke experiences in spectacular locations that our clientele expects from us.” The property has a total of 12 accommodations with expansive views. The suites are equipped with modern amenities and are a fusion of tribal and contemporary design.