Category Archives: Hotels

Hilton Worldwide is all set to open two new properties in India next year. Kaushik Vardharajan, Vice President, Development- India, said, “We have around 15 hotels in the pipeline for India with about 2500 rooms coming up. Next year we are going to open a Conrad Hotel in Bengaluru and we also have a Hilton Resort under construction at Goa which will also open next year. We continue to evaluate the markets around the country. While everyone is looking at Tier I cities, we believe that there is a lot of potential in Tier II cities. We have a property coming up in Lucknow as well.”

OYO Rooms  has launched a self-serve platform for business travellers on its mobile App, called OYO for Business. The platform offers rooms which cater specifically to the needs of corporate travellers and include amenities like air-conditioned rooms equipped with flat-screen television, free Wi-Fi, complimentary breakfast and 24×7 customer-care support. The rooms are present in over 6000 hotels spread across 180 cities in India. Ritesh Agarwal, Founder & CEO – OYO, said, “OYO has ushered in an era of reliable customer experience in the highly fragmented and unpredictable category of unbranded hotels in India. We are thrilled to extend our brand promise to business travellers across India’s premier corporates, SMEs and start-ups. We are confident that business travel in India will become more rewarding and hassle-free once booked through OYO for Business.”

MBD Group and Steigenberger Hotel Group (SHG) have announced a joint venture to manage and franchise hotels under the brand MBD STEIGENBERGER for the Indian Territory. MBD Group will have a 51% stake while Steigenberger Hotel Group will hold a 49% stake in the joint venture company. Management of the joint venture company would be in the hands of the MBD Group looking after the India wide operations of the brand including business development, management and franchising of hotels, India marketing, pre-opening and post-opening assistance, etc wherein Steigenberger would be providing international sales and marketing support, training and brand standards to be deployed in the Indian region to suit the expectations of a luxury traveller. The joint venture would target to open at least 20 hotels in India over the next 15 years with projected annual revenue of hotels under management and/ or franchise of nearly 2000 cr. MBD Steigenberger brand, in-line with the international positioning of the Steigenberger brand, shall be positioned to target the luxury segment in India, a segment that is expected to grow at an extremely fast pace in India. The flagship hotel under the JV will be the MBD Zephyr Bangalore – An MBD Steigenberger Hotel located in the heart of Whitefield Bangalore – the silicon city of India offering 184 rooms and 118 service apartments, interpreting luxury in the true sense of the word. Sonica Malhotra, Managing Director of the Joint venture & Joint Managing Director of the MBD Group, said, “We are extremely proud to announce our association with Steigenberger Hotel Group. The association will ensure that German excellence joins hands with the warmth of Indian hospitality providing the next level experience to …

jüSTa Hotels and Resorts has launched Design Hotel Chennai, at Phoenix Market City, Chennai. A 26-room boutique hotel, the property aims to seamlessly connect past and present international design movements to the timeless local traditions of South India. Designed on the styles of four distinct contemporary art, each floor at Design Hotel is an infusion of traditional South Indian Art / Architecture, namely – Ati, Maya, Rooh and Nunya; and has been designed by renowned interior designer – Pronit Nath.

YC Deveshwar is all set to step down as the Executive Chairman & CEO of ITC in February 2017. He completes his term on Februrary 4, 2017. However, he will continue to function as a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the company. Deveshwar is the longest serving Executive Chairman of ITC till date. The news has reportedly come in the form of the notice to the shareholders of the company, ahead of the AGM on July 22. Deveshwar joined ITC in 1968 and became the Executive Chairman in January 1996

The Lemon Tree Hotel Company is all set to launch its second upscale hotel in Gurgaon. Lemon Tree Premier, City Center will have 61 rooms and multiple room categories including Superior, Deluxe Room, Executive Room and Garden Room. The hotel will cater to both business and leisure travellers. The hotel is located in the heart of the millennium city and is close to NH 8 expressway and a short distance from Signature Towers, Unitech Business Park and Unitech Trade Centre.

AccorHotels and Cyberabad Convention Centre, a joint venture between Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) and Emaar Properties PJSC, Dubai, announced the renewal of their agreement for the management of the Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre and the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC). This follows the completion of a 10-year commitment to manage and operate the 287-room hotel and the 15-acre convention facility in Hyderabad. Both facilities operate in a complementary yet distinctive manner, guided by Novotel’s brand promise of meeting the needs of everyone, anywhere and anytime. Cyberabad Convention Centre and AccorHotels also announced a refurbishment programme for the hotel and the convention centre to build on the complex’s current position as South Asia’s most recognizable and modern convention facility.

Keys Hotels has announced its expansion plan with asset-light strategy and has already launched three new hotels – Keys Hotels in Vishakhapatnam, Keys Hotels Malabar Gate in Calicut and Keys Lite Om Niwas in Jaipur. While Vishakhapatnam is an owned hotel the other two are franchisee hotels. The company also plans to open 8-10 new management contract hotels in the next 12-18 months by adopting assest light strategy. Speaking about the expansion strategy, Anshu Sarin, CEO, Berggruen Hotels Pvt. Ltd. said, “Keys Hotels is committed to expand its footprint across smart cities and we will adopt assest light strategy to support this growth.  We are pleased to launch three new hotels as a part of this expansion plan. Calicut, Vizag and Jaipur are very important markets for us as all three cities attracting a large volume of tourists and business travelers. Apart from these cities we are looking to be present in major smart cities and we have aligned our growth plans accordingly.” While the Keys Hotel Malabar Gate, Calicut is ideal for nature lovers as it is situated 2kms away from the Calicut beach and 52 kms away from Thushagiri waterfalls, Keys Hotel Vishakhapatnam is best suited for history lovers as it is located at an optimal distance from the Visakha Museum, Submarine Museum and the Kailasa Giri. Keys Lite Om Niwas in Jaipur is best suited for people who are fond of architecture as it is strategically located near the iconic Pink City, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar and Amber Fort.

Lemon Tree Hotels is all set to cash in on growing Indian tourists and corporate travel to the UAE, as it plans to operate eight properties in the next three years in the region. The company will be opening a mix of hotels and serviced apartments in Abu Dhabi, Fujairah and Dubai, where it expects to operate its first property. According to Rattan Keswani, Deputy Managing Director, Lemon Tree Hotels, they are trying to harness the spending power of Indians through this development. Lemon Tree has tied up with the Sydney-based real estate agent Raine and Horne to open Lemon Tree properties in the region, including in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The company, which operates properties under the Lemon Tree and Red Fox brands, said the planned hotels would have between 60 and 100 rooms on average, and could include pool, spa and up to three restaurants. Lemon Tree Hotels is also looking at Sri Lanka and the Thai capital Bangkok. Sanjay Chimnani, MD, Raine and Horne, said it would be looking at neighbourhoods in Dubai such as Jaddaf, Business Bay, City Walk, Al Barsha, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Jebel Ali and Jumeirah Village Circle to open more properties.

InterContinental Hotels Group has announced the opening of the first Crowne Plaza in Pune-Crowne Plaza Pune City Centre. The 173-room hotel will operate under a management agreement with The Advantage Raheja Group and has been rebranded from an existing property. Room rates start from Rs 5000 plus taxes. Crowne Plaza Pune City Centre lies in the Koregaon Park district, just 20 minute drive from the airport and nearby key local businesses, venues and attractions, this hotel is ideal for hosting business travellers who need convenient access to the city while utilizing ample space for large corporate meetings and events. Designed to truly make business travel work, the hotel will undergo an extensive refurbishment to upgrade guest rooms, public areas, restaurants and meeting space. Furniture and fittings and other interior elements will be enhanced to create more inviting dining options and engaging spaces for both business and social interactions. Commencing June 2016, the refurbishment is anticipated to be complete early 2017 and the hotel will remain fully operational during this time. The hotel is equipped with 24-hour business services and meeting facilities as well as 11,800 sq. ft. of banqueting space. It also features a fully-equipped 24-hour fitness centre and a newly designed swimming pool, as well as a rooftop restaurant and lounge that are designed to keep guests productive, connected, rested, and refreshed during their stay.