Category Archives: Hotels

In one of its most momentous steps, Sarovar Hotels launched The Lazizi Premiere Nairobi, a luxury hotel positioned inside the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). The hotel, managed by Sarovar Hotels, was inaugurated by H. E. Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya. President Uhuru Kenyatta officially opened the 144-room premium hotel as part of the government’s tourism and hospitality transformation strategy. Conveniently located inside the JKIA airport, The Lazizi Premiere Nairobi is designed to be the best and most luxurious hotel in the area. Speaking at the launch, Ajay K. Bakaya, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels, said, “Kenya is the business hub for Africa and has one of the most diverse accommodation facilities. Nairobi being the hub of East Africa offers a great launch pad for our expansion and growing our footprint in the African region. Travellers in transit, airline crews and other local and international visitors intending to avoid traffic enroute to the airport have not had much luck as most hotels are still quite a distance from the main international airport in the capital city. We are aiming to tap that segment with The Lazizi Premiere”.

Phoenix-based Best Western Hotels & Resorts has acquired Sweden Hotels, a collection of 59 hotels across Sweden, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition makes Best Western the largest hotel chain in Sweden, with a total of 135 properties. Sweden Hotels, which has been in business since 1977, now gets access to Best Western’s loyalty program, Best Western Rewards, its distribution channels, and its customer relations, marketing, and purchasing services. Best Western said the deal will help the company grow its newly formed SureStay Hotel Group brand, as well. In a statement, David Kong, CEO of Best Western said, “Best Western is always on a quest to grow our offerings around the globe. The opportunity to broaden our footprint with a quality partner like Sweden Hotels is one that we couldn’t turn down. We look forward to what I’m confident will be a longstanding and prosperous venture.” In another press statement, Jenny Bänsch Larsson, chairman of Sweden Hotels said, “It feels good to be part of BWHR (Best Western Hotels & Resorts). With the merger with BWHR, we will now be able to help hotels better in areas such as distribution, marketing, purchasing and sales.”

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its ‘In Principle’ approval to transfer the property of Hotel Janpath, New Delhi to Ministry of Urban Development. The property can be considered for construction of Government offices and similar purposes which would save government funds spent in hiring of government offices. Details of implementation of the project, land usages, etc. would be taken subsequently by a Committee of Secretaries to be constituted under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary. The building of Hotel Janpath has to undergo major rehabilitation work since the building structure of Hotel Janpath has been found to be unserviceable, in distressed condition and deficit in the context of seismic requirements, according to the inspection report of IIT Roorkee. The Government of India has initiated the process of disinvestment of hotels / properties of the India Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. (ITDC). The decision on disinvestment-has been made, keeping in view that running and managing hotels on professional lines is not the work of the Government or its entities. In the first stage of the disinvestment process, it was decided to disinvest three hotels, viz. Hotel Lake View Ashok, Bhopal, Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok, Guwahati and Hotel Bharatpur Ashok. Hotel Janpath, New Delhi is next in the list.  

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) opened the doors to the first Kimpton outside of the Americas, with the Kimpton De Witt in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Sudeep Jain, Vice President-Development, South West Asia, IHG, says, “The concept of lifestyle hotels is about stimulating a diverse, innovative environment enhanced by a sense of belonging and style. It is encouraging to see the signature Kimpton experience being introduced to Europe. Lifestyle hotels have been trending for over 20 years, and now is the right time to accelerate our growth in India through the lifestyle segment.” Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants was acquired by IHG in 2015. IHG announced the further expansion of the brand across Europe with its second Kimpton hotel set to open in Paris in 2020. There are currently over 60 Kimpton hotels and more than 70 Kimpton restaurants, bars and lounges in 33 cities across Europe and the Americas. The hotel, which is in the heart of Amsterdam’s vibrant city centre and near the city’s Centraal Station, marks a milestone for IHG as it brings the Kimpton brand to Europe for the first time. This is IHG’s 20th hotel in The Netherlands and is an addition to the 675 IHG hotels across Europe. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants introduced the boutique hotel concept to the United States when it opened in San Fransisco in 1981. “Europe was the original inspiration behind Bill Kimpton founding the brand and now we’re bringing the brand home again. Opening in Amsterdam, gives us the perfect opportunity to indulge in the playful, creative and innovative approach to luxury that the city inspires in Kimpton’s unique and special way,” comments Angela Brav, IHG’s CEO, Europe.  “Amsterdam as a city …

The Fern Hotels & Resorts has announced the opening of The Fern Silvanus Resort, Alibaug, offering 34 cottages. The cottage rates start from an average Rs. 3000 plus taxes. The Resort is located in the coastal town at a distance of 9 km from the Nagaon Beach while the Kolaba Fort is 40 mins away. Other tourist attraction includes Akshi Beach, Varsoli Beach and Kihim Beach which are in close proximity to the resort. All cottages are spacious and offer a view of the surrounding hills and are equipped with all modern amenities required for a comfortable stay. On-site amenities at the resort includes all day dining at multi-cuisine restaurant ‘Vista’ , Swimming Pool and Games Room where leisure and relaxation becomes top priority which makes it an ideal place for a relaxed holiday or a corporate getaway. The unit is owned by Silvanus Resort and managed by Concept Hospitality, part of CG Hotels and Resorts.

Royal Orchid Hotels announced the launch of its third hotel in Mysore with Regenta Central Herald. The hotel is located on Nelson Mandela Road, Bannimantap in Mysore which is approximately just 4 kms from Mysore Railway Station. The hotel offers 70 rooms, fitness centre, mini bar and a multi cuisine restaurant. One can also enjoy MICE facilities with multi-functional banquet spaces which can accommodate up to 300 guests making it an ideal venue for social and corporate events. With this launch, the Royal Orchid chain of hotels stands proudly today with 43 hotels in 28 different cities in India and ready to add 5 more hotels in its portfolio for coming months. This is Royal Orchid’s third hotel in Mysore and adds to Royal Orchid Brindavan Garden & Royal Orchid Metropole in Mysore, Karnataka, which opened a decade ago. With the addition in Mysore, Royal Orchid hotels will have an attractive offering of the Mysore City attractions i.e. Mysore Palace, Brindavan Gardens, Chamundi Hills etc. Moreover, the Royal Orchid Hotels will be looking for more properties to manage untapped areas across India and other countries. The Royal Orchid Group of hotels is in a strategic alliance, with the owners of Regenta Central Herald for managing the operations of the hotel, which is also a part of an identified plan for their growth in India. On the occasion of the launch, Chander Baljee, Chairman & MD, Royal Orchid Hotels Limited stated, “As we embark on this expansion drive, we are very particular in identifying strategic, high value markets that present a unique fit for our time-tested services and ambitious growth plans. We are in a consolidation mode & are looking at …

India remains one of the strongest markets for Carlson where they have 84 hotels in operation and 140 hotels in the pipeline. The brand will soon be launching its new brand- Radisson Red in the Indian Market. Raj Rana, Chief Executive Officer, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, says, “Radisson Red is the newest addition in our portfolio. The first flagship property is under construction in Mohali, Chandigarh. It’s a beautiful hotel and we expect that to open in the first quarter of 2018. We believe that it will be a very successful brand because the cost of investment in building a Radisson Red is less than a typical upscale hotel and also it has been planned in such a way that the cost of operating the hotel is also lesser. For example, F&B services are all on a single plate and there is no concept of multi-kitchens. A lot of planning has done to make sure ease of operation and therefore better margins for the investors and good success for us.”

OYO has launched OYO Townhouse in Hyderabad. This is the first launch of OYO Townhouse – a brand-new category of “friendly neighbourhood hotel” – outside Delhi-NCR. This will be the 5th hotel in the Townhouse portfolio since it was launched in January this year. After Jubilee Hills, the company plans to introduce OYO Townhouse hotels at other popular locations in the city such as Banjara Hills, Hitech City, Gachibowli and Panjagutta. The rooms will be priced at INR 2,500 and upwards. Ritesh Agarwal, Founder & CEO – OYO, said “This is our first Townhouse offering outside Delhi NCR and we are excited to choose Hyderabad for our debut outside home turf. Hyderabad has transformed into a cosmopolitan city representing a millennial outlook towards experiences and expectations. OYO Townhouse’s efficient hospitality and multi-utility concept fits perfectly into this millennial lifestyle. It delivers a seamless experience through a format that operates as 25% hotel, 25% home, 25% cafe and 25% merchandise store in one place, providing a perfect complement to our guests’ lifestyle. OYO Townhouse represents our ongoing commitment to innovate and create world-class hotel experiences from India.” Elaborating on the philosophy behind Townhouse, Ritesh added, “Townhouse will deliver an all-encompassing experience to guests. We are excited to showcase and deliver this proposition in Hyderabad today. We are confident that our guests will love the experience of these tastefully done hotels staffed with Managers trained to deliver authentic and unique Townhouse service.” The hospitality industry in India suffers from a major disconnect between demand and supply of quality living space, forcing travellers and city-dwellers to compromise on decision variables of location, comfort and pricing. OYO Townhouse addresses this gap by creating a …

Park Plaza Noida has announced its rebranding as Radisson Noida, the first Radisson hotel to be inaugurated in Delhi-NCR. Strategically located, within proximity of Noida’s corporate hub as well as the central business districts of Ghaziabad and New Delhi, the hotel has completely reinvented itself to better serve its discerning guests with its signature Yes I Can!  service. “I am delighted to welcome this hotel to the Radisson brand family. Delhi NCR is a key market for us and Noida remains a promising destination due to its thriving corporate suburb. We appreciate the investment that our strategic partner, Bestech Group have made in upgrading this hotel and the trust they have demonstrated in the Radisson brand” said Raj Rana, Chief Executive Officer, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. “We have enjoyed working with Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group for 15 years where a high level of dedication and expertise is demonstrated in managing brands and hotels successfully. We are confident that the rebranding of Park Plaza Noida to Radisson Noida with new facilities and services would be greatly appreciated by our guests” said Dharmendra Bhandari, Managing Director, Bestech Hospitalities.

The Lemon Tree Hotel Company opened its twin properties in Gurugram—Lemon Tree Hotel, Sector-60 and Red Fox Hotel Sector-60, taking the count to 6 properties by the brand in the city. The 3.2 acre property follows the accessibility criteria to the T and offers specially designed rooms and suites for people of all abilities. Targeting the business sector in the area, the property boasts a separate convention centre spread over 20,000 sq. ft, which actually is one of the largest accessible MICE destination in Delhi NCR. In fact, 70 per cent of the work force in Lemon Tree Hotel, Sector-60 will be Opportunity Deprived Individuals (ODI), which are either differently-abled or come from economically and socially marginsalised sections of the society. Vikramjit Singh, President, Lemon Tree Hotels, said, “It is out sixth property in Gurugram, which continues top attract business and leisure travellers throughout the year and the twin property launch, along with the Convention Centre, proves how successful our brand has been in this market.”