Category Archives: Hotels

Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton has announced the signing of a management agreement with Trillion Real Estate & Properties for a new DoubleTree by Hilton property in Maharashtra. Scheduled to open in Q1 2019, DoubleTree by Hilton Shirdi will be located at Shirdi’s historical town centre, marking Hilton’s entry into the popular pilgrimage destination. The latest addition increases Hilton’s pipeline of hotels in India to 19 properties. When open, the 125-room DoubleTree by Hilton Shirdi will be one of first global hospitality brands in Shirdi. It is located approximately four kilometres from the famous Shirdi Sai Baba Temple and is easily accessible to Sainagar Shirdi Railway Station, the town’s main train station, and the soon-to-open Shirdi Airport. In addition to a banquet hall and four meeting rooms, hotel will have an outdoor pool, a fitness center as well as three food and beverage outlets including an all-day dining restaurant. “With a fast-growing, global portfolio of more than 500 upscale properties, we are delighted that our award-winning DoubleTree by Hilton brand is gaining traction in India,” said Dianna Vaughan, Senior Vice President and Global Head, DoubleTree by Hilton. “With five DoubleTree by Hilton properties currently operating in India, DoubleTree by Hilton Shirdi will mark the brand’s sixth property in the pipeline in this burgeoning market. As the first upscale hotel in Shirdi, we look forward to delivering exceptional experiences to guests beginning with our signature, warm DoubleTree Cookie welcome.” Shirdi, famously known as the home of late spiritual leader Sri Sai Baba, is a popular pilgrimage town and an estimated 22 million tourists from across the country and overseas visit the famous Shirdi Sai Baba temple annually. Most recently, the city …

Indian Tourism Development Corporation’s (ITDC’s) Hotel Brahmaputra, formerly known as Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok, is reportedly all set to close its operations from September 1 this year, according to Assam Tourism Development Corporation Limited (ATDCL). ATDCL has announced in a notification that all pre closure business deals pertaining to Hotel Brahmaputra will be handled by them. ITDC has already exited from Hotel Lake View Ashok, Bhopal; Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok, Guwahati, and Hotel Bharatpur Ashok, Bharatpur, as part of its disinvestment strategy. The disinvestment decision was reportedly taken at the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) meeting  chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May this year. (Source: Economic Times)    

Radisson Blu launches ‘The Art of Weddings’, a campaign created exclusively for the India market. Building on the brand’s global ‘Something Blu, A Wedding of a Kind’ concept, the initiative will run across all of India’s 34 Radisson Blu hotels. ‘The Art of Weddings’ will roll out in the form of a two-day lavish experiential ‘Wedding Fair’ at Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar on August 25 and 26 and Radisson Blu Hotel Indore on September 2 and 3. Aimed at establishing the upper-upscale brand as the venue of choice for weddings and bridal related events, ‘The Art of Weddings’ is targeted at new age Indian couples and brings together the finest names in wedding services for a truly elegant, stylish and sophisticated wedding experience. Special privileges such as food and beverage discounts and a bonus of 25,000 Club CarlsonSM Gold Points, will be extended to all wedding bookings made at Radisson Blu hotels across India during the campaign period. Partnering with the campaign are – India’s finest couture designer, Payal Singhal who will present ‘The Azure Collection’, an exclusive line designed for Radisson Blu; renowned celebrity chef from Radisson Blu, Rakesh Sethi and his specially curated signature dishes; Ramit Batra, acclaimed destination wedding photographer and storyteller, who ties together vibrant and colorful memories of weddings through his photography; Puneet Gupta and his fashionable, bespoke wedding invitation designs; Jewels D’Allure that will bring together personalized, high-end jewelry and Eclairs Cakes; a specialist in designer wedding cakes. Leading make-up artist Kangana Kochhar will also participate in the New Delhi Fair to help would-be brides look their best on their special day. Bespoke wedding packages include Silver and Gold Tier options …

India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) has performed remarkably in the first quarter of the current financial year 2017-18. The total turnover in quarter ending June 2017 increased to Rs.109.60 cr as compared to Rs. Rs. 91.42 cr in the corresponding quarter last year. The PSU registered Net Profit Before Tax (PBT) at Rs. 25.19 cr as compared to Rs. 14.30 cr in the corresponding quarter last financial year i.e. 2016-17, which is an increase of 76.15% from last year. The details were announced at the Board of Directors’ meeting of the company held on August 14th, 2017 at The Ashok, New Delhi.

Mercure makes its debut in the holy city of Dwarka with the opening of Mercure Dwarka. Strategically located in the Devbhumi Dwarka district of Gujarat, the hotel is a short drive from the Dwarkadhish temple, popularly known as Jagat Mandir. The hotel is conveniently located at a five minute drive from the railway station, an hour’s drive from Porbandar Airport and a little over two hours from the Jamnagar Airport. The hotel is also in close proximity to Nageshwar Temple, Gopi Talav Theertham, Rukmani Devi Temple and Hanuman Mandir. The opening of Mercure Dwarka marks AccorHotels’ fourth property in the land of legends, Gujarat. Featuring 99 guest rooms, including one suite, the hotel offers spacious interiors and modern design; the rooms are equipped with in-room amenities and high speed Wi-Fi access. Fitness enthusiasts can also enjoy a refreshing work out at the state-of-the-art fitness centre. Rishabh Gupta, Co-founder & Director, Blue Rock Hospitality Ventures, said, “Mercure Dwarka is the first hotel of Blue Rock’s portfolio, set in the holy city of Dwarka. It marks a commitment to develop branded upper midscale hotels in holy cities, industrial hubs, emerging destinations & undersupplied pockets of developed cities, across the country. The development of Mercure Dwarka aims to bring emphasis on design with a commitment on service offerings to our guests staying at the property.” Aadil Muscatwala, Co-founder & Director, Blue Rock Hospitality Ventures said, “The opening of Mercure Dwarka is our first step in realizing Blue Rock’s vision of becoming a leading asset ownership company as India’s vibrant hotelier industry. We will continue to invest in high yielding operational assets to create new supply of hotel rooms through our green field developments …

The Lodhi in New Delhi has now come under the The Leading Hotels of the World portfolio. The city property reflects a dynamic, new interpretation of simple and easy luxury. Spanning across seven acres on the green edge of Lutyens Delhi, the hotel is just across the road from the Delhi Golf Course. Guests can relish exotic delicacies at the restaurants, and enjoy the cool ambiance of the courtyards and public areas. It also preserves a sense of seclusion, peace and club-like atmosphere in its eight floors of guest accommodation. The property was extensively renovated in 2013, with all rooms and suites featuring private balconies. The hotel is in close proximity to the Lodhi Gardens, as well as many stylish shopping precincts.

VITS Hotel Worldwide has recently opened its Hotel VITS Devbhumi in Dwarka, located close to prominent landmarks of Dwarkadish temple, of Dwarka Devbhumi district of Gujarat. Announcing the launch, Vikram Kamat, Managing Director¸ VITS Luxury Business Hotels says, “This is our third property in Gujarat and we are extremely upbeat on the growth prospect in the region. VITS is positioned as a moderately priced full service luxury business hotel and enjoys high occupancy rate at all our 10 properties across India. We believe VITS Devbhumi Dwarka with its strategic location, imposing décor, banqueting and host of hospitality will appeal to both leisure and business tourists.” VITS Devbhumi Dwarka offers 58 rooms providing four-star deluxe experiences. It offers well-equipped conference room, travel desk, multi-cuisine restaurants, open air terrace restaurant, gaming zone and banqueting facilities. VITS Luxury Hotels presently operates 10 properties located in Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik, Latur, Ankleshwar, Silvassa, Agra, Chakan and Bhubaneshwar. The Hotel chain presently has inventory of 900 rooms with host of banqueting, conferencing, restaurant and lifestyle facilities. As part of its expansion plans VITS Hotel will unveil the VITS hospitality experience in Mumbai (Colaba), Nanded, Dahej, Ahmedabad and Mangalore by April 2018. The company plans to penetrate its reach nationally with 20 properties scheduled for launch primarily in Tier 2 and tier 3 in cities within the next three years.

Alibaba Group and Marriott International have announced the establishment of a joint venture to redefine the travel experience for the hundreds of millions of Chinese consumers travelling abroad and domestically every year. Drawing on resources from both Marriott and Alibaba, the joint venture will manage Marriott’s storefront on Fliggy, Alibaba’s travel service platform. It will also market directly to Alibaba’s customer base, provide a link between Marriott’s loyalty programs and Alibaba’s loyalty program, and support Marriott hotels globally with content, programs and promotions customised for the Chinese traveller. This new venture is designed to satisfy consumers’ expectations for seamless, integrated, personalised, and convenient travel solutions that connect travellers directly to Marriott’s portfolio of international hotel brands. The travel industry is an important growth opportunity as China’s travellers are expected to take an estimated 700 million trips over the next five years. Marriott’s owners and franchisees globally will benefit from the joint venture by capturing a greater share of this growing Chinese travel market and lower distribution costs associated with the joint venture. “We are proud to join forces with Marriott International – combining our large-scale consumer base, leading-edge technology and consumer insights with their unparalleled hospitality expertise,” said Daniel Zhang, Chief Executive Officer of Alibaba Group. “Together, we are elevating and redefining the travel experience for Chinese consumers to be more seamless and personalized as they embark on adventures to discover the world.” “We have long admired Alibaba’s digital expertise and deep understanding of Chinese consumers’ needs and behaviors,” said Arne Sorenson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International. “By forming this partnership, we are pairing our hospitality expertise with Alibaba’s digital travel platform, retail expertise and digital payment platform, …

Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, a part of Marriott International Inc, has announced the opening of the Le Méridien in Goa, Calangute further strengthening the Paris-born brand’s presence in India with its 10th property. Situated on the bustling Calangute- Candolim road, Le Méridien Goa, Calangute’s chic design, is inspired by Goa’s first settlement – the “Kunbi Tribe” and the arrival of the Portuguese into the state. The hotel features the Le Méridien Hub, a concept that reinterprets the hotel lobby into a social gathering space meant for guests to convene and converse. With 146 rooms (including Family Studio Rooms and Suites), each room features the signature Le Méridien Discovery Bed, 43 inch LED TV, designer bath amenities and high speed internet access. “Le Méridien Goa, Calangute is our 10th Le Méridien property in India. We are extremely elated to invite and host curious travelers to unlock India’s favourite beach destination with our carefully curated local experiences and engaging brand programmes. Goa being an ideal expansion to our brand offering, we are pleased to unveil the Le Meridien Goa, Calangute with the promise to deliver an unparalleled experience for every guest visiting” said Neeraj Govil, Area Vice President – South Asia, Marriott International, Inc. “We are thrilled to unveil Le Méridien Goa, Calangute, a highly anticipated addition to our India portfolio. With the Le Meridien’s brand promise of “destination unlocked”, the property is set to be the preferred destination for connoisseurs of all things Goan – coordinate, culture & cuisine and music,” said Norton Pereira, General Manager Le Méridien Goa, Calangute offers interactive multi-compatible meeting spaces spread over 10,000 sq. ft featuring a premium outdoor terrace venue, ballroom and a16-seater boardroom. …

Country Inn & Suites by CarlsonSM Kota opened its first hotel in Kota, making it the first-ever international brand to have presence in the city. Located within the proximity to corporate zones and educational service institutes, the hotel offers 85 rooms and suites which is suited for both business and family guests. “I am delighted to welcome Country Inn & Suites by CarlsonSM Kota to our growing portfolio in India. With 557 properties in operation and under development globally, Country Inns & Suites by CarlsonSM is a leader in the upper midscale hotel segment. We are glad to partner with Prem Singh Bajor and Priyavrat Singh, to pioneer the first international brand in the city and extend its hallmark, Be Our Guest service philosophy to our guests,” said Raj Rana, Chief Executive Officer-South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. The hotel offers a host of modern amenities and an expansive 20,000 square feet outdoor garden and flexible banquet hall and meeting space of over 10,200 square feet for all types of corporate and social events. “I am proud to inaugurate Country Inn & Suites by CarlsonSM Kota. I am confident that guests will find this hotel a great place to unwind, relax and rejuvenate. I am also thankful for this partnership with Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group that ushers in an exciting new beginning for travelers headed to Kota,” said Prem Singh Bajor, Chairman, Bajor Group of Companies.