Category Archives: Hotels

Best Western Hotels & Resorts has announced a partnership in India with RoomsXML, an accommodations wholesaler that exclusively services travel agents. Tajinder Singh, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Best Western Hotels & Resorts India, Bangaldesh & Sri Lanka, said, “We will provide them with ready access to our more than 4,100 hotels around the world. RoomsXML meets our business needs and aspirations as we look to grow our footprint across the region, and we are confident they will help us be successful in our mission moving forward.” RoomsXML is a winner of numerous industry awards and accolades, including India Travel Awards – West. All properties available on roomsXML are 3-stars and above.  RoomsXML is also the world’s first system to have a dedicated mobile interface exclusively for travel agents. Prakash Bang, MD, RoomsXML, said, “We believe our focus has led Best Western Hotels& Resorts to choose us as a preferred direct distribution partner. We are excited to formalise our relationship with Best Western. The association will bring incredible value to our travel agent partners, who will gain from seamless access to the company’s global portfolio of 4,100 hotels.”

Stayzilla has got on board with Assam Tourism Development Corporation for the joint promotion and development of homestays in the state. The MoU was signed in the strategic presence of Ankit Rastogi, Vice President Marketplace, Stayzilla and Anurag Singh, Managing Director, Assam Tourism Development Corporation. With this association, Stayzilla becomes the first aggregator to associate with governments in the East. Under this agreement, Stayzilla will lend its expertise to Assam Tourism Development Corporation to conduct verification procedures and jointly boost homestays and unique stay experiences within Assam. ATDC as Implementation Agency for Department of Tourism, Assam will be one of the first state tourism bodies to launch a model Rural Homestay scheme providing financial incentive for development and standardization of new Homestays in Assam. This partnership will also enable verification and training of these New Homestays being developed right from the start. Stayzilla’s team in the North East, headed by Regional Office of Kolkata, will be part of the Service and Quality Assurance Committee under ATDC for Inspection which includes property verification and screening. The Tourism Board & Stayzilla will also jointly conduct educational and training sessions for registered homestays on best practices such as online usage, content management, operations and expense management. Stayzilla team will also be involved in imparting Hospitality and Skill Training to all the New Homestays under the ATDC scheme.

Two of Asia’s most iconic luxury hotel groups, Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts and Mumbai-based Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, announced that they have formed a ground-breaking strategic alliance to broaden their reach and offer more unique experiences to guests across Asia and the world. The alliance will officially launch in March 2017 with the introduction of the “Warmer Welcomes” programme, which integrates Taj InnerCircle and Shangri-La’s Golden Circle guest loyalty programmes and will provide members reciprocal and seamless benefits at a scale never seen before under a hospitality alliance. Both Taj and Shangri-La are renowned worldwide for their exceptional service philosophy that is deeply rooted in, and inspired by, the cultures and traditions of the markets they operate in.

Lords Hotels & Resorts has recently signed its 26th property in Bharuch, Gujarat. To be branded under the Lords Eco Inn banner, it is scheduled to commence operations from December 2016. This makes Lords Hotels & Resorts the largest hotel chain in the state. Located between the two major cities of Surat and Vadodara, Lords Eco Inn – Bharuch serves as an ideal stopover destination. With a 48 rooms, the eco inn offers luxurious accommodations and full-service at friendly prices for the discerning business and leisure traveller. P.R. Bansal, CMD, Lords Hotels & Resorts, says, “The addition of this hotel to our chain of hotels marks a significant milestone and one that is unique, for us. From the first hotel back in 2007 which was set in this very state to this one in 2016, we have gone on to become the largest chain of true value hotels in Gujarat. Today our hotels dot the entire region. We now have all its four brands including Lords Plaza, Lords Inn, Lords Resort and Lords Eco Inn that caters to the leisure, corporate and also the pilgrimage tourists which Gujarat Tourism is known for in the state. Of the 15 Lords Hotels & Resorts properties in the state, this will be the sixth ‘Eco Inn’ brand for the group.” “We have been looking to aggressively establish our presence across the country while maintaining Gujarat as the home. In the last few months we have added three new properties in Jammu, Agra and Thrissur. We are looking to expand our portfolio not just in India but also outside, especially in the neighbouring countries where the hospitality sector still has a huge margin for …

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has revealed that it will not be pursuing the previously-announced Powai hotel project anymore. Raj Rana, Chief Executive Officer, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, said, “We are not pursuing the Powai hotel anymore as we are invested more in the upcoming property in Mumbai and other areas around Mumbai greater area. We have signed a new hotel which will be coming up next to the Mumbai International airport. The hotel is currently under construction and the civil structure is almost been built out and we expect the hotel to open in the next two years. Mumbai is a very important market for us and also the places close to Mumbai city. This year we opened a resort in Karjat, we already have an operating hotel in Alibaug. We look forward to adding more destinations in and around Mumbai and in the Maharashtra region.”

Hotel Formule1 has launched two hotels in Nashik and Chennai. With the new openings Hotel Formule1 expands its network across 9 cities in India. “Over the years, Hotel Formule1 has emerged as one the ideal choice for all travellers looking for comfortable, modern yet pocket friendly stay. The opening of Hotel Formule1 Nashik & Chennai OMR, is a step towards growing the brand portfolio keeping in line with the demand in the cities. Our hotels will strive to consistently provide guests a contemporary and refreshing stay experience at a great value,” says Balvinder Sahrawat, Vice-President, Hotel Formule1 India. Located in close proximity to industrial areas and popular tourist spots, the 101-room Hotel Formule1 Nashik has a self-service design concept best suited for business and leisure travellers to the city. Renowned as the holy city for Hindus, Jains and Buddhists, Nashik is one of the most up-and-coming cities in Maharashtra with a vibrant culture and entertainment ethos. Featuring 132 sound proof rooms, Hotel Formule1 Chennai OMR (old Mahabalipuram road), is strategically located amidst the business and IT hub of the city. Despite being an important city for manufacturing, health care, and IT, Chennai has developed as one of the cosmopolitan cities in India that plays an important part in the cultural, intellectual and historical growth of India. Hotel Formule1 rooms are indigenously designed and developed to make the best use of space that is conducive and comfortable.  Each room features a flat screen LED television Wi-Fi internet access and in-room amenities. F and B outlets include a lounge and a restaurant. The brand is the market’s first low-cost brand and it was revolutionized in 1985.  The hotel has a presence across …

A portfolio of seven Premier Inn hotels located in two of Thailand’s top destinations, Bangkok and Pattaya, as well as India’s most visited cities, New Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune and Goa, are being offered for sale through an international tender process with JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group. The tender for bids is scheduled from December 19 to 23, 2016. Owned by UK company Whitbread Hotels & Restaurants International, the portfolio offers two hotels in Thailand with a collective key count of 388: one property is located in the heart of Bangkok’s retail and entertainment precinct, Sukhumvit Soi 11, and is set to be completed in the first half of 2017; the other hotel is minutes away from Pattaya’s popular Second Road and enjoys close proximity to the town’s beaches, retail malls and famous Walking Street. Premier Inn’s India portfolio, comprising five hotels in prime locations in the nation’s best performing cities, will be among the largest hotel portfolios offered in India in recent times, with a total of 583 room keys. “Hotel portfolios with vacant possession, occupying prime central locations and of this scale are rare and hard to come by in the current market,” says Mr Mike Batchelor, Managing Director of Investments Sales, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group, Asia. “There is an expected high level of interest from global, regional and domestic investors attracted to this opportunity as they are able to immediately rebrand the hotels to the operator of their choice upon purchase.” India continues to be ranked as one of the fastest growing economies in the world with a 2016 forecast GDP growth of 7.6 percent. On India’s growing hospitality investment sector, Paul Chakkrit, Senior Vice President, …

In a recent event organised in Delhi, Rare Destinations and Experiences brought together some of their partners who recently have come on board. Shoba Mohan, Founder Partner, Rare, in conversation with TravelTV.News, said that they are aiming for a 44 per cent occupancy and want the partners to do more business. She said, “We started with four properties and now we are 44. We would like to cap it at 50. We want our hotels to start making money out of this. For most of our partners it’s a sustaining business. We are looking at 44 per cent occupancy and to break that barrier and reach 60-70 per cent is actually when they will start making money.”

Global Hospitality Conclave (GHC) 2017 will be held on January 7, 2017, at The Leela Ambience Gurgaon. The conclave, an independent initiative by the alumni of the erstwhile Oberoi School of Hotel Management (OSHM), now The Oberoi Centre for Learning & Development (OCLD), brings together a host of industry leaders to discuss the trends and developments in the hospitality industry. With the world of hospitality imperatively moving toward an era of extensive collaboration and partnerships, rules of the game are being rewritten every day. The Conclave seeks to touch upon trends and opportunities in the hospitality landscape of the country and the world, as well as, discuss priorities to arrive at all potential gateways and drivers of growth in the coming years. Organised annually, the Global Hospitality Conclave sees participants from across the world who have been part of The Oberoi Group in a leadership position. The objective of the Conclave is to get the Oberoi Hotels alumni together annually, who are presently employed in different sectors across the world such as banking, aviation, universities etc, and go beyond the customary batch reunions by creating a compelling platform of knowledge exchange, experiences and networking opportunities. GHC is open exclusively to all who have either graduated from OSHM/OCLD upto the year 2007 or have worked with the Oberoi Hotels in senior management for 10 years or more and is therefore a select club of top hospitality professionals.

Dilip Puri, who has been heading the regional operations of global hospitality major Starwood Hotels & Resorts since January 2011, will soon be joining the Lausanne Hotel School after his exit from Starwood. Commenting on this , Puri, MD -India and Regional Vice President (South Asia), Starwood Hotels & Resorts, said, ”My future plans include getting into the hospitality education space. Currently, we are working with 2-3 international brands in different verticals of hospitality education so we intend to do the 4 year core business hospitality management programs. We intend to do whole series of culinary education programs and expect to get into executive education as well. So all of these 3 programs with hospitality education working with the right international brands in those particular segments that is what I look for after completing my corporate career.”