Category Archives: Hotels

Marriott International has marked an important milestone in India with the opening of its 100th hotel in the country – the Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel & Convention Center in Bengaluru. Arne Sorenson, President and CEO, Marriott International, who is on a week-long visit to the country, attended the opening ceremony of the hotel. The company is poised to further grow its profile in the country in years to come, with more than 50 signed projects in the pipeline. The Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel & Convention Center has 360 rooms with 39 suites. It also features the Sheraton brand’s signature amenities and facilities like Shine Spa for Sheraton, Sheraton Club Lounge, Sheraton Fitness and Sherato Signature Sleep Experience. “India is one of Marriott International’s most important markets in Asia with the second highest number of hotels and rooms after China. Given India’s robust economy and rising middle class, we see an incredible opportunity to continue working with owners to open hotels from across Marriott’s extensive array of brands, particularly in the upper midscale, upscale and luxury segments,” said Paul Foskey, Chief Development Officer, Marriott International.

Indian Hotels Co Ltd (IHCL) has announced that Rahul Pandit, MD and CEO, Roots Corporation, a subsidiary of IHCL that owns and manages Ginger Hotels, has resigned effective April 2, 2018 due to personal reasons. Pandit has been with the company for around three years. Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director, IHCL and CEO, Roots Corporation, said, “The Board respects Pandit’s decision and thanks him for his leadership. During his tenure, Ginger expanded its portfolio  in line with the company’s growth strategy whilst achieving its highest customer satisfaction ratings . We wish him the very best with his endeavors. There is a stable leadership team in place at Roots Corporation and we will continue to pursue our aggressive plans for the company.” Pandit stated, “It has been an honour to lead Roots Corporation over the last few years. It was an exceptional learning experience which added value to my professional journey. I would like to thank my board members and colleagues for their support during my stint.”

Ginger Hotels has opened its second hotel in Goa with the launch of Ginger Goa, Dona Paula. The move is in line with Indian Hotels Company Limited’s (IHCL) focus on increasing its footprint across segments to meet the consumer demand at various price points. The hotel offers 24 rooms with a choice of a private terrace or a balcony. Rahul Pandit, Former MD & CEO, Roots Corporation says, “We are delighted to expand brand Ginger in Goa with the opening of Ginger Goa, Dona Paula – our second hotel in Goa and the 17th in the western region. This move will only add momentum to the city’s thriving tourism and is in line with IHCL’s commitment to Goa.” Ginger Goa, Dona Paula enjoys a prime location and is situated between the Dona Paula beach and Vainguinim beach. The hotel is within a 40-minute drive from the airport and is near Panjim city centre as well as the Karmali railway station (Old Goa). It features a multi-cuisine restaurant, fitness centre, swimming pool, meeting facilities and complimentary Wi-Fi.

Cox & Kings-owned Meininger Hotels and investor LGIM Real Assets have signed an agreement for a hotel in Glasgow, scheduled to open in 2020. It will be located on West George Street opposite Queen Street Train Station and will offer 160 rooms and 590 beds. This will be Meininger Group’s second hotel in the UK. It already operates a hotel in London since 2006. Hannes Spanring, CEO, Meininger Hotels, says, “Great Britain is a very important market for us and Glasgow as Scotland’s largest city is the perfect location for another Meininger hotel in the UK. The Glasgow hotel is an excellent addition to our portfolio, due to its prime location in the heart of the city centre.” The room types will range from classic double rooms through private multi-bed rooms to beds in a dorm room. The public areas include reception, lobby, lounge, breakfast room and bar as well as a guest kitchen and game zone. At basement, ground and mezzanine levels, the scheme will also create around 1400 sqm of new retail space. Due to its proximity to the train station, the hotel is well connected to both local and long-distance destinations, with trains running to the north of Scotland and to Edinburgh, which can easily be reached within 40 minutes. The nearest underground station is also just 160 meters from the hotel.  

Vacations exchange platform and part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands, RCI added 11 newly-affiliated resorts to its exchange network in India in 2017. These additions include destinations that have been experiencing heavy tourist inflow in the past few years. They include Ananta Spa (Udaipur), Sterling La Vida (Goa), Palm Greens Club (Ahmedabad), Global family homes (Ladakh), Hawthorn Suites by Pacifica (Dwarka), Neon Lifestyle & Recreation Club (Nadiad), Valencia Group (Mount Abu), Sterling Kanha (Kanha), Sterling Wayanad (Wayanad), Krishna Bhumi Holydays (Vrindavan ) and Shivpuri Resort (Madhya Pradesh). “Vacationers today are looking for quality time with their families. At RCI, we believe in offering a complete experience be it luxury, adventure sports or just an invigorating experience. Through these associations, we are looking forward to reaching out to more travellers and leverage our strong network of affiliated resorts not just in India but internationally as well. Over the past year, we’ve added some exceptional properties to the RCI exchange network,” said Gordon Gurnik, President, RCI. “Through strategic partnerships with both new and existing affiliates, our 3.8 million subscribing members have thousands of options to choose from in sought-after destinations around the world when planning their next vacation,” says Sabina Chopra, Managing Director, RCI India.

Jukaso Journeys has acquired five properties in Udaipur, Corbett, Manali, Bhimtal and Dharamshala over the last three months. These are Jukaso Sai Palace Udaipur, Jukaso Jim Corbett, Jukaso Seven Heaven Bhimtal, Jukaso Mrikula Cottage Manali and Jukaso Palace Dharamshala. Jukaso Journeys is planning to expand and hence aims to open 15 properties by the end of 2018. Yajush Khanna, CEO, Jukaso Journeys, says, “We are excited about expanding our footprint in Tier-II cities in India with these properties. It is a great opportunity to enter the new market as we are trying to mark our presence in major tourist destinations. We intend to strengthen our upscale brand in the country.” The Jukaso group runs hotels in Delhi, Gurgaon, Pune, Vizag, Varanasi, Dharamsala, Corbett, Mahabaleshwar and Switzerland.

Vivek Nair, Chairman and Managing Director, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts has felicitated Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, who has also assumed the additional charge of Minister of Civil Aviation in a special ceremony organised recently at The Leela Palace New Delhi. Nair commented, “Civil aviation and tourism have to go hand in hand and only then can the industry grow. Now we have a new minister, who is known for his dynamism and we invite him to boost the synergies between the two sectors.” The ceremony saw in attendance the who’s who of the hospitality, tourism and services industry. The stakeholders of the industry put forth their views and suggestions to the minister for his consideration. Prabhu commented, “Today it is a trillion dollar economy knocking at our doors. We have to understand that one has to create concrete plans based upon the larger impact it will have on the common people. With one tourist in India, 15 jobs both direct and indirect can be created.”

One of the key takeaways from the AccorHotels Showcase 2018 was that MiCE is on the rise globally – with multiple events being held internationally, and also in India which is increasingly becoming a chosen destination for MiCE. Furthermore, with globalisation and Indian corporates opening offices around the world, the hospitality industry has seen traction for corporate travel both inbound and outbound. The AccorHotels Showcase 2018 witnessed participation from 35 hotels and resorts from the global network along with 22 hotels from India. The event was the ideal platform to discuss how to work together to benefit from the burgeoning travel market. The delegates were representing India’s topmost travel agents, wholesalers, corporate clients, tourism partners and MiCE organisers in attendance. Arif Patel, Vice President – Sales, Marketing, Distribution & Loyalty, AccorHotels said, “By 2020, Indian outbound travel is estimated to reach 48 million and foreign tourist arrivals is forecasted to cross the 10 million mark. This annual AccorHotels Showcase gives an opportunity for our attendees to engage with AccorHotels’ representatives from around the world to see how best we can work together given the opportunities in the market.” The daylong event in Mumbai on March 21 and Delhi on March 23 was packed with networking sessions where customers discovered the group’s newest offerings and met with hotel representatives from across the region.

Adding another milestone in its fast expanding network, Clarks Inn Group of Hotels debuts in Andhra Pradesh with the opening of Triguna Clarks Inn in Kurnool. With the latest addition, Clarks Inn now boasts of a portfolio of 84 hotel properties, including 44 in operation, spread across 18 states in India and one in Kathmandu, Nepal. Triguna Clarks Inn is strategically located in the city centre in close proximity to city businesses and a 10 minutes’ drive from Kurnool’s historical Konda Reddy Fort. The property boasts of 49 aesthetically designed rooms across different categories to cater to the needs of discerning business as well as leisure travellers. Speaking on the latest addition, Rahul Deb Banerjee, Associate Vice President – Operations, Clarks Inn Group of Hotels, said, “This opening marks our first foray in the state of Andhra. Both Kurnool and Andhra present huge opportunity for the hotel sector here because of the state’s fast growing economy as well as a growing tourism sector.” The hotel’s 49 guestrooms are epitomised by their elegant décor and are well equipped with modern and contemporary amenities. Clarks Inn’s signature multi-cuisine restaurant brand ‘The Bridge’ will delight guests with its offering of Indian and international cuisines.

With a strong development pipeline and industry’s and developers’ confidence in its ability to deliver profitable partnership, Clarks Inn Group of Hotels has now set sight to reach the magical figure of 100 hotel properties by the end of 2018. Last year, the group added 13 new hotel and resort properties, including eight operational. Three of the new operational properties have come up in Karnataka at Bagalkot, Mysore and Shimoga. Two properties have opened doors in Madhya Pradesh that include Ujjain and Gwalior. Clarks Inn has also entered the state of Jammu & Kashmir with a property in Srinagar. Besides, the company has also established presence in Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh and has added a second property in Patna in Bihar. Commenting on the strong growth for the company last year, S N Srivastava, President & Co-founder, Clarks Inn Group of Hotels, said, “We have seen another year of stellar performance and growth in 2017 with as many 13 new properties signed up and eight new properties that have joined operation. Our total portfolio today stands at 84 hotel properties, including 43 in operation, spread over 18 states in India and one in Nepal.”