Category Archives: Hotels

India Sales Associates, which has been representing Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts for many years in India, organised a showcase for the travel trade at The Park, New Delhi, for all the brands they are representing now, including Far East Hospitality Group; Panacea Koh Samui; Oasia Suites, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Nusa Dua Hotel & Spa, Bali. Representatives from two properties of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts—Banyan Tree Seychelles and Banyan Tree Ungasan were also present at the showcase. Manas Sinha, Director, India Sales Associates, shared that they organised the event because their partners do get business from India, but not enough in terms of the potential that India has. “Our partners want to do some product knowledge with our travel partners. Hence, we have organised a closed door, by-invitation-only B2B product training as well as networking sessions. Our partners are looking to expand their base to our network as a GSA in India and further increase their market share from India,” said Sinha at the event.

With over 75 operating hotels across 50 destinations in India and Africa, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts has signed an agreement for a 72-room hotel, Nataraj Sarovar Portico Jhansi. Owned by Nataraj Sai Hotels, Nataraj Sarovar Portico is expected to open in January 2018. With a prime location, the hotel under development has 72 rooms with all-day dining, bar, banquet halls, conference & meeting facilities, swimming pool, gymnasium, salon and rooftop open air banquet space. It is located in the center of city about 2 km from Railway Station. Commenting on the development, Ajay K. Bakaya, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts, said, “We are happy to open a Sarovar Portico hotel in this historic city of Uttar Pradesh. With its significant development and rich antiquity, Jhansi is an important destination with rising number of visitors from across the country. It is an important location for us and a significant addition to our portfolio. This will the best hotel in the city and will cater to the needs of Corporate, Groups, Leisure and MICE.” Some of the expected openings this year include hotels in Amritsar, Raipur, Mahipalpur, Somnath and Jaisalmer.

Thailand-based hotel and property development company, Dusit International, has opened a new Global Sales Office (GSO) in Mumbai, India, to promote Dusit Hotels & Resorts in India. The new office will manage sales across all market segments, including leisure, MICE and corporate business. Primarily, the team will focus on tier-I cities, such as New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, but will also cover smaller cities. Keshwar Bhagat, Director of Sales – GSO India, will head the India office. Lim Boon Kwee, Chief Operating Officer, Dusit International, says, “With the volume of outbound travel increasing by about 25 per cent a year, India is now one of the fastest growing outbound travel markets in the world. If the prediction of United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) about the number of outbound Indian travellers reaching 50 million by 2020 is likely to be true, now is the perfect time for us to open a GSO in the country. This comes in tandem with our own growth, which will see our current tally of 29 hotels and resorts crossing 80 worldwide within the next three to four years.”

Hyatt announced today the opening of Hyatt Regency Lucknow, the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Lucknow. Hyatt Regency Lucknow is the 27th Hyatt-branded hotel in India and further expands the company’s brand presence in South Asia. With 206 guestrooms, including 19 suites, Hyatt Regency Lucknow offers elegantly decorated, bright and spacious accommodations. Kurt Straub, Vice President, Operations for India at Hyatt, said, “The opening of Hyatt Regency Lucknow marks a significant milestone for the Hyatt Regency brand as it continues to expand its footprint throughout India.” “Not only is the hotel strategically located for business travelers visiting Lucknow, it is also well positioned for leisure guests who are interested in enjoying a journey through the Uttar Pradesh Heritage Arc of Lucknow, Agra and Varanasi.” “We are delighted to announce the opening of Hyatt Regency Lucknow in the dynamic capital of the largest and most populous state of India. Chartered Hotels Private Limited remains focused on developing full service hotels across tier one and tier two cities in India for the ever growing business and leisure traveler,” said Varun Saraf, managing director, Chartered Hotels. “The hotel’s strategic location along with the food and beverage offerings and large state-of-the-art meeting and banqueting facilities will provide guests with an unforgettable experience which Lucknow has not yet seen.” Conveniently located in the corporate hub of Vibhuti Khand, Hyatt Regency Lucknow is designed to connect business and leisure travelers to all Lucknow has to offer. The hotel is in close proximity to the city’s High Court and multiple public sector head offices, and the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport is less than 16 miles (25 kilometers) away. Additionally, landmarks and tourist attractions include Bara Imambara, La …

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas has announced plans to open Six Senses Fort Barwara featuring 48 suites in Rajasthan – its first in India. Situated 68 miles (110 kilometres) southeast of Jaipur, the property is located in the village of Chauth ka Barwara on the site of a 700-year-old fort, which was owned by the Rajasthani royal family. Prithviraj Singh, heir of the family, is now restoring the fort to its previous glory in tandem with Espire Group. The project team will seek the five-star green rating for the Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) certification, the highest classification of national sustainable design ratings in India. Bernhard Bohnenberger, President, Six Senses, said, “Six Senses Fort Barwara marks the second heritage property that Six Senses will manage. It is slated to open in late 2018.” Six Senses Fort Barwara will feature two restaurants, a bar and a lounge, a spa and a fitness centre spread over 30,000 sq ft, two swimming pools, a banquet space, a retail boutique and a kids club. The key focus of the landscape concept is at reinterpreting the gracious and regal ambiance experienced at Rajasthan’s royal forts and palaces. Rooted in the rich history of the fort, the design will include traditional gardens and water features as well. Shekhavati art will be used to depict the rich history of the fort in the landscape. A Six Senses Spa, located in the original women’s palace, will feature an extensive ayurveda programme, meditation and Six Senses Integrated Wellness programmes, including Six Senses Integrated Wellness and Sleep with Six Senses. Thirty minutes from the Ranthambhore National Park, Six Senses will offer daily safari drives into the 1,400 sq km park.

Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) has appointed Puneet Chhatwal as its new CEO. He was earlier the CEO of Deutsche Hospitality, which owns the Steigenburger chain of hotels in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Chhatwal reportedly said, “IHCL has some of the most iconic hotel properties in India and at key gateway locations across the world. I look forward to working with the talented teams at IHCL and under Mr. Chandrasekaran’s leadership to take this iconic company forward.” He will replace Rakesh Sarna who is stepping down with effect from September 30, 2017.  Chhatwal started his career with ITDC and was the Chief Development Officer of the Rezidor Hotel group, which owns the Radisson brand of hotels, before joining Deutsche Hospitality in 2012. Raj Rana, CEO, South Asia at Carlson Rezidor, reportedly said, “I welcome him back to the hospitality industry in India where he started his career.” Source: The Economic Times

The Supreme Court has clarified that the ban on sale of alcohol within 500 meters of state and national highways does not apply within city limits, granting relief to the liquor and hospitality industry. The Apex Court’s directive that no liquor shop shall be visible and directly accessible from the highways nor it should be situated within 500 metres of the outer edge of the national or state highway or of the service lane, created chaos in the hospitality industry. While lakhs of people lost their jobs, the MICE business impacted a great deal in the country. Terming it as a landmark order, Dilip Datwani, President, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) says, “This was a much needed clarification as millions of jobs and the very survival of the nation’s tourism industry was at stake. It has been HRAWI’s contention right from the start that the original order could not have been directed at hotels and liquor vends within city limits. We are thankful to the Bench and the Hon’ble Justices for unequivocally clarifying this. The order will bring relief to almost 70 per cent of the affected hotels.”

Travel Boutique Online (TBO) Group has launched its budget hotel chain under the brand name- BOHO Hotels. “The focus with BOHO Hotels is to cater to the budget segment of travellers. We believe there is a lot of demand for budget hotels in the market and especially with GST being implemented, we felt it was the right time to venture into the Tier-II and Tier-III cities. To begin with, we have opened the first hotel in Rishikesh. The second hotel will be launched in a few months in Delhi,” said Ankush Nijhawan, Managing Director, Nijhawan Group of Companies. The company will soon venture into other cities like Jaipur, Pune, Hyderabad and Cochin, added Nijhawan.

Its first hotel in Lucknow and 46th in the country, Fortune Park BBD has been designed as an upscale, full service, contemporary hotel that offers a wide range of facilities and amenities for business and leisure travellers. The hotel is offering inaugural room rate starting from Rs 4,999 per night. Strategically located on Rana Pratap Marg, Fortune Park BBD is in close proximity to Hazratganj – the iconic commercial centre of Lucknow, the High Court, and all other major attractions of the city. Fortune Park BBD offers a selection of 63 well-appointed rooms, two restaurants and a bar & lounge and an in-house patisserie. The hotel also offers high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity, swimming pool, well-equipped gymnasium, board room, travel desk and airport transfers. It is equipped with state-of-the-art conference and banquet facilities that can accommodate up to 450 guests.

Centara Hotels and Resorts recently organised its first roadshow in India in two metro cities – at St. Regis in Mumbai and at The Leela Palace in New Delhi. Centara is a large Thai hotel chain with its strong presence in Thailand, Srilanka , Maldives, Vietnam and Oman. Paul Wilson, V.P Sales, Centara Hotels and Resorts, says, “The growth of Indian traffic to Centara has been astronomical and Centara wants to be at the forefront of every Travel agent who thinks about any of the countries where Centara is present.” The group has plans to organise roadshows in more cities and frequently. Centara’s tradition goes back over 30 years, continues to grow and expand in destinations, which include China, Oman, Qatar, Turkey, UAE, Indonesia, Laos, the Maldives, Vietnam, Combodia and Thailand. With hotels in prime destinations and a wide array of services, Centara has properties to suit any need. Whether it is a family holiday trip, travelling on company business or organising a corporate meeting or conference Centara caters to all.