Category Archives: Hotels

Fern Hotels & Resorts is on an expansion spree not only in India but in neighbouring Nepal as well and is all set to close the financial year with three operational properties with a total of 233 keys, reveals Suhail Kannampilly, COO, Fern Hotels & Resorts. The company recently started managing the 73-room Summit Hotel, a Nepali-styled boutique hotel located 7 km from Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu. “The Fern Residency, Bharatpur in Nepal is a 48-key property which will be operational by the end of the current financial year,” Kannampilly informs. The company will also be managing another 112-room upcoming hotel property in Kathmandu under The Zinc brand. It is scheduled to be operational by year end as well. The company is looking to increase the key count to 500 in Nepal during the course of the next 18 months and aims to become one of the biggest hospitality players in Nepal by having presence in key destinations like Pokhara, Lumbini, Nagarkot, Biratnagar. The company already manages a chain of six boutique island resorts in Seychelles. “As of now we are managing seven properties outside India and will add two more to our kitty by the year end taking our tally to 9”, he said. “In the Indian market we are going to open a property every single month in the current financial year and are expecting to reach a figure of 59 operational properties,” he adds. “Our long-standing relationships with local Corporates and the Travel Trade, along with our strong connects with all the key OTAs, ensures volumes are driven into all our hotels from all these key channel partners”, he further elaborated. The company has appointed a full-fledged …

Dilip Puri, Former Managing Director and Regional Vice President of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, South Asia, announced his new education venture – Indian School of Hospitality (ISH) with a promise to reimagine hospitality education in India. ISH has partnered with LHC in preparation for an academic certification by Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), the world’s oldest and top ranked hospitality management higher education institution worldwide. Located at Sector 83, Gurgaon, ISH will be housed within a commercial campus that boasts of state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities. The campus, which is under development, will be ready by May 2018 for the first intake of students in August 2018. Puri said, “Education in hospitality is the beginning of a journey into a diverse and exciting range of career opportunities, not limited to hotels and food and beverage, or even the corporate world. While more and more businesses in the service sector are reaching out to professionals with a qualification in hospitality, a large number of young graduates are also pursuing entrepreneurial ventures straight out of college.”

Hoping to cash in on the growing leisure travellers in the city of the Taj, VITS Hotels Worldwide has launched a four-star property, VITS Agra. Chandrakant Shetty, Chief Executive Officer, VITS Luxury Business Hotels says, “Agra is a world renowned tourist destination, home to the Taj Mahal and also called city of love. We are delighted to launch our property in the city that would enable us tap the growing potential of tourist inflow.” VITS Agra offers 60 rooms with three categories- deluxe, suite and executive deluxe, each boasting of tastefully adorned décor, luxurious ambience and modern services. Each room is replete with amenities ranging from Wi-Fi connectivity, 24-hour room service, tea/coffee maker and an attached bathroom with complimentary toiletries. With major tourist attractions namely the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Akbar Tomb and Jama Mosque in close proximity, the hotel boasts of aesthetically designed rooms and suites ideal for business and leisure alike. VITS Luxury Hotels currently operates nine properties located and has an inventory of 600 rooms with host of banqueting, conferencing, restaurant and lifestyle facilities.

Royal Orchid Hotels has announced that it has reached an agreement to represent Bespoke Hotels in India. With this strategic partnership, Bespoke and Royal Orchid shall work together to enhance each other’s revenues and brand presence in their respective markets. Royal Orchid now has the ability to offer its guests hundreds of hotel options across multiple global markets. Bespoke, in turn, shall promote this new partnership in the Indian subcontinent to its guests. Bespoke Hotels has grown to represent and manage over 200 properties worldwide, with over 50 represented hotels in India, and stands as the UK’s Largest Independent Hotel Group. Founded in 2000 by Haydn Fentum and Robin Sheppard, Bespoke has consistently grown to the point where they now manage over 9,500 hotel rooms, 8,000 employees and £815 million of assets. Chender Baljee, Founder, Royal Orchid Hotels, says, “We are thrilled to have Bespoke Hotels on board, to offer our guests 100’s of hotels abroad, and to market our hotels to inbound International travellers. We are looking forward to growing and reinforcing the standing of both brands in the future.” With over 47 hotels under management and ownership, Royal Orchid Hotels encompasses a range of luxury and five star properties in Bengaluru, Jaipur, Mumbai, and Goa. Robin Sheppard, Founder, Bespoke Hotels, says, “We are delighted to have reached agreement to represent Royal Orchid and welcome them to our burgeoning international portfolio. They boast a portfolio in some of India’s finest locations, with a commitment to the highest standards of hospitality.”

A 60-room Cygnett Resort is set to open in Neemrana on Decemeber 15, 2017. The resort will offer 60 cottages and suites, a 24×7 multi-cuisine restaurant called ‘Cygnett Pavilion’, a Japanese specialty restaurant & metro bar, a large conference hall, open air party lawn, swimming pool, sports activity area and gamming zone, gym and rejuvenating spa area. Just 80 kms from Gurguram’s IFFCO Chowk, Neemrana is a magnificent town with great heritage and natural scenic beauty. It is a leisure and pleasurable destination on Delhi-Jaipur highway and has the presence of several major international and national industries.

Sarovar Hotels has announced the signing of a new hotel in Ajmer, marking the group’s strong footprint in the state of Rajasthan. The group has signed an agreement for an 88 room hotel, Mittal Sarovar Portico in this old pilgrimage city. Owned by Mittal Dewellers, Mittal Sarovar Portico is Sarovar’s sixth hotel in the state of Rajasthan. The group has three operational hotels in Jaipur, one in Jodhpur and an upcoming hotel in Jaisalmer. Designed as per the brand characteristics of a Sarovar Portico hotel, the property enjoys access to all key tourist attractions and will be offering all modern facilities including an all-day dining restaurant, bar, gym, swimming pool, spa and banquet facilities. The hotel is expected to be operational by October 2019. Commenting on the development, Ajay K. Bakaya, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels, said, “We are happy to open a Sarovar Portico hotel in this significant city of Rajasthan. With its rich history, Ajmer is an important tourism destination with rising number of visitors from across the country and overseas. It is an important location for us and a significant addition to our portfolio. This hotel equipped with all amenities required by a modern day traveller is set to be one of the finest in town.” Sarovar Hotels is focused on strategic expansion throughout India and Africa. Some of the expected openings this year include hotels in Amritsar, Raipur, New Delhi Mahipalpur, Somnath and Jaisalmer.

Global hospitality group Carlson Rezidor announced the entry of Radisson in Mumbai with the signing of a 112-key property called Radisson Mumbai Andheri MIDC. The hotel is being developed in partnership with GHV Hospitality India and will be managed by Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. Raj Rana, Chief Executive Officer, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, South Asia, said, “We are delighted to sign the management agreement for Radisson Mumbai Andheri MIDC, which is significant to us in many ways. Radisson is a firmly established global brand with over 200 hotels in operation and development throughout the world.” Source: PTI

The Ultimate Travelling Camp (TUTC) is set to extend its philosophy of luxury to lodges and palaces. The rebranded luxury lodge called Jaagir Lodge Dudhwa, located in the rainforests of the Terai, Uttar Pradesh, will be operational from December 19, 2017 to June 15, 2018 when the game viewing is at its best. The colonial structure built in the 1940’s is a gateway to India’s four distinct forests reserves – Dudhwa, Katarniaghat, Kishanpur and Pilibhit. The lodge is a witness to the Bengal Tiger conservation programme – ‘Project Tiger’ championed by renowned conservationist Billy Arjan Singh. Rajnish Sabharwal, COO, TUTC said, “We are excited to unveil our new jungle lodge safari experience in Dudhwa. A beautiful colonial structure like Jaagir Lodge preserved deep in the Terai is a rare find and we thought it was a great opportunity to bring this hidden gem to the esteemed travellers seeking wildlife encounters in the comforts of luxury. TUTC’s Jaagir Lodge Dudhwa is infused with the same warmth and exceptional services as our other luxury camping properties.”  

The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) certified 13 hotels in Maharashtra under new norms which are more contemporary and global in standards as compared to existing ratings. As per the new norms, hotel properties will be classified, rated or graded under six categories listed as Budget, Classic, Premium, Luxury, Deluxe Luxury and Primo Luxury, and will be uniform for both domestic and foreign tourists. “The objective behind developing the IHQS is to educate our members on modern quality standards as well as reduce the burden of the Ministry of Tourism (MoT). The Government can now focus on improving and promoting tourism, while, we from the industry, are doing our bit to support the initiative,” says Dilip Datwani, President, HRAWI. The Shalimar Hotel, The Fern Residency, Golden Swan Beach Resort, The Emerald, Peninsula Grand Hotel, Sun-N-Sand Hotel, Holiday Inn Mumbai international Airport, Waterstones Hotel, T24 Residency, Hotel Transit, Hotel Meluha, Renaissance Mumbai Hotel and Convention Centre and Hyatt Place are among the first hotels to have been audited as per the new classification standards and have been officially certified as of October 25, 2017.

Marriott International announced the opening of its brand new hotel- Fairfield by Marriott in Coimbatore. Neeraj Govil, Area Vice-President, South Asia, Marriott International, says, “We believe the market is ideal for Fairfield, which is a brand that enables purpose driven travel and delivers optimised value at a great price. As Marriott further expands its brand portfolio across the growing Tier II markets in India, we definitely see great potential and the opportunity for Fairfield by Marriott becoming a favourite with business and leisure travellers in the city.” The property offers 126 guest rooms, amenities include an inviting living area in the lobby, smart, contemporary interiors and high speed Wi-Fi connectivity. The hotel also has an all-day dining restaurant plus a 24/7 Market where one can shop for an assortment of drinks and snacks when required. The hotel has both banqueting and meeting room facilities with modern technology and a fitness centre.