Category Archives: Hotels

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group have announced that it has acquired full ownership of Country Development & Management Services (CDMS), the joint venture between Country Inns & Suites by Carlson, Inc. and Chanakya Hotels that was set up to pioneer the Country Inns & Suites By Carlson brand in India. The Country Inns & Suites By Carlson brand in India will now be managed by Carlson Hotels (South Asia), the Indian affiliate of Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. This acquisition also includes four Radisson Blu hotels managed in India by CDMS. “Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has been committed to India for 25 years, with our initial growth accelerated due to the quality of our partners and strength of our brands. Our joint venture with Chanakya Hotels Private Limited, under the leadership of Ranjan Bhattacharya, positioned Country Inns & Suites By Carlson as a leading midscale hotel brand in India. This acquisition, resulting in the full ownership of CDMS, is a strategic move to further strengthen our position as the leading international hotel operator in India. We aim to have 170 hotels in operation and under development by 2020 in the country,” said Thorsten Kirschke, president, Asia Pacific, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.

Chototel, a London-based technology start-up has chosen India to set up its pilot ‘super-budget’ hotel where tariffs will start at Rs 100 per day. The hotel will offer uninterrupted electricity, water, gas and social infrastructure including daycare, infirmaries and community kitchen and gardens. The first project has already broken ground and construction is underway in Nagothane, an industrial town, 70 kilometres south of Mumbai and situated on the new Mumbai-Goa expressway. Chototel is currently in the process of acquiring land in Chakan, Goa and Gujarat for its next round of projects in India. The company aims to build 100,000 rooms in the next five years in the Mumbai-Pune-Goa corridor. The 240-room development will cater to 1,000 guests and is spread across 1.5 acres and 75,000 square feet of constructed area. The project cost is Rs 175 million, translating to a price of approximately GBP 7000 (or Rs 700,000) for a room size of 290 sq ft. The project has a wide frontage on the National Highway 17 (Mumbai – Goa). The first Chototel location will target its accommodations at the large bank of industrial workers, working within a 15-kilometre radius, and also those travelling on the Mumbai-Goa expressway. Through a diverse array of IOT, closed loop, real-time cash transfer, digital health and Big Data technologies, the project will be able to deliver efficiencies from construction through to hotel operations and maintenance. Says Chris Phillips, Chototel’s Chairman, “India’s diversified economy and robust growth prospects make it the most attractive location globally to set up our first project. We believe that policy-makers will take effective action to enhance the country’s economic strength and, in turn, the financial strength over coming years. With …

Preferred Hotels & Resorts expands its partnership with Fortune Hotels (a member of ITC’s hotel group) by announcing the addition of seven new properties to its portfolio within the first quarter of 2016, bringing its partnership with the group to 9 total properties across key destinations in India, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Gurgaon, Navi Mumbai and Noida. The association between Preferred Hotels & Resorts and Fortune Hotels began in 2014 when My Fortune Bangalore and My Fortune Chennai joined the brand. Since January 2016, the seven Fortune Hotels additions to the Preferred Hotels & Resorts portfolio include Fortune Select Trinity, Bengaluru; Fortune Park, Ahmedabad; Fortune Select Global, Gurgaon; Fortune Inn Grazia, Noida; Fortune Select Exotica, Navi Mumbai; Fortune Select Grand, Chennai; and Fortune Select Excalibur, Gurgaon. Fortune Hotels, a wholly owned subsidiary of ITC Ltd, was set up in 1995 to cater to the mid-market to upscale market segment in business and leisure destinations. With this association, Preferred Hotels & Resorts enhances its presence in India with a total of 32 member hotels across the country. These member properties are located in key leisure and business cities and constitute some of the finest luxury hotels in India. The alliance is pivotal to Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ growth campaign in the Indian market and further cements the brand’s ties with Fortune Hotels. “Throughout its history, ITC’s hotel group has successfully established itself as one of the foremost hospitality brands in India. We are pleased to further strengthen our partnership with Fortune Hotels under the umbrella of the ITC’s hotel group. The fusion of traditional Indian hospitality and contemporary international standards, along with the brand support from ITC’s hotel group, makes Fortune …

Golden Tulip Hotels South Asia announces the launch of its first property in the eastern region of India. Golden Tulip Salt Lake Hotel Kolkata, a four star contemporary luxury hotel will offer 55 rooms along with a multi cuisine restaurant and a coffee shop for both in house guests and outside patrons. A variety of different styled meeting rooms make it an ideal choice for social and corporate events in the region. The hotel is located just 20 kms from the airport and 5 minutes walking distance from the City Centre shopping mall and activity hub hence attracting a number of travellers looking out for leisure stay or corporate get together.

Lords Hotels & Resorts, a premier mid hotel chain, has announced the launch of its second property in Bengaluru in Jayanagar – Lords Eco Inn. Centrally located in the heart of the city in Jayanagar,the property is just 500 meters from Lal Bagh Botanical Garden. In addition to strategic location, the 28 keys hotel provides a lavish setting with plush suites and in room amenities. The room rates start from Rs 3000. The features include mini kitchen for extended stay , business centre with round the clock high speed Wi-Fi facility, in-house laundry and host of others facilities to make your stay comfortable. The hotel also offers exclusive fine dining restaurant Blue Coriander which serves Indian, Chinese, Continental and local cuisine. Besides, to meet the requirement of MICE segment, the hotel has a fully furnished banquet designed to accommodate 250 pax. It is also close to major commercial centres and entertainment zone of the city. The hotel, owned by Lords Varam Hotels, offers rooms designed to suit the needs of both domestic and international travelers alike. According to P.R. Bansal, Managing Director, Lords Hotels and Resorts, “Apart from being a vibrant and cosmopolitan city, Bengaluru is the IT capital of the country and demand for quality Hotel rooms at economical tariffs just keeps going north. With the opening of this property, we hope to be able to tap this demand. Besides, since the property is strategically located in major commercial hub of the city,the opening shall also help in enhancing the brand equity of the group.” With the opening of this property, Lords Hotels & Resorts now owns and manages 25 hotels in various cities across India covering business, leisure and …

Amaravati, the futuristic capital region of the sunrise state of Andhra Pradesh, adds yet another jewel to its crown with the foundation stone being laid for ITC Hotel’s 144 keys five-star property – ‘My Fortune, Guntur’ in Guntur. This will also mark ITC Hotel’s debut in the city. The hotel will be built with an investment of R. 145 crore and will create employment generation for about 550 people. ITC is also planning to come up with a similar five-star hotel offering 150 rooms in Vishakhapatnam. The foundation stone was laid by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. Chandrababu Naidu in the presence of Y. C. Deveshwar, Chairman, ITC Limited. The location of the hotel, on Ring Road, the heart of the city, is going to be an added advantage. Among the other facilities that the hotel will present its patrons with include a 5000 sq. ft. pillar-less ballroom with a capacity to accommodate 500 guests, along with all-day dining. Naidu said “This is the first 5 star hotel in Guntur which is close to the new capital Amaravati. Andhra Pradesh is the new destination for tourism with long stretches of beaches, with hills on one side and sea on the other side, excellent canals. It is also a State with the richest God, Lord Balaji at Tirupati, a city of 100 lakes. Amaravati even has a special gallery in the British Museum, London and there is a map which shows that Amaravati was the gate way to South East Asia even in those times.” Y. C. Deveshwar, Chairman, ITC said, “It gives me immense pleasure in being part of this unveiling of our first property in Guntur. Guntur …

Dhananjay Kumar is the new General Manager at The Suryaa. With over 21 years of experience, having worked with brands such as Radisson Blu Hotel (Chennai), Hilton (Chennai), Technopak Advisors Private Limited (Gurgaon), The Claridges Hotel (New Delhi), Shangri – La (New Delhi), The Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, The Park Royal (New Delhi), DLF Hospitality (Gurgaon), & Hyatt International. His last assignment was with Radisson Blu Marina as General Manager. Kumar’s last stint at The Suryaa was as a Resident Manager for a year in 2012. He specialises in hotel operations, revenue management, performance enhancement, best practices implementation, setting up process and implementation, organization development and human resources and training. Throughout his career DJ has been certified with various recognitions for commendable work in the field of hospitality.

AccorHotels and Brigade Group, Bangalore announced the opening of Grand MercureMysuru in South India’s Mysuru. The hotel has 146 spacious rooms and suites and is located within close proximity of all major tourist attractions as well as the central business district. The Grand MercureMysuru is situated on the legendary new SayajiRao Road. The sixth floor of the hotel features a viewing gallery overlooking the Dasara procession. To celebrate the opening, the hotel is offering a Deluxe rooms stay with breakfast for two inclusive of any one main meal from Rs 7,250 per night. This offer is valid from now until 30th June, 2016. The rate for a Standard Room is from Rs 6,000.

HNA Tourism Group, a division of HNA Group Co, a Fortune Global 500 company with operations across aviation, tourism, hospitality, finance, and online services among other sectors, and Carlson Hospitality Group has announced that they have entered an agreement for the acquisition of Carlson Hotels. The combination of HNA Tourism Group and Carlson Hotels will have increased ability to accelerate growth through investments in areas such as digital, owned assets in major gateway cities, building of Radisson RED and other new brands. The Transaction is subject to receipt of regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, and is expected to close in the second half of (calendar) 2016. Under terms of the Agreement, which were unanimously approved by the Carlson Board of Directors, HNA Tourism Group will acquire all of Carlson Hotels, including its approximately 51.3 percent majority stake in Rezidor Hotel Group.

The Oberoi Al Zorahis all set to open in 2016 as one of three new luxury properties for The Oberoi Group this year. The other two properties include The Oberoi Marrakech, Morocco and The OberoiSukhvilas, Chandigarh. The Oberoi Al Zorah is a luxury eco-destination resort, only 30 minutes from Dubai International Airport. The property is nestled amidst the natural surroundings of Al Zorah which boasts a beautiful long beachfront, azure lagoons, lush mangroves and 247 acres of natural forest with exceptional biodiversity. All three of The Oberoi Group’s luxury hotel openings this year will be located in stunning natural environments and offer the impeccable standards of luxury and service associated with the group’s worldwide portfolio. The Oberoi, Al Zorah is nestled alongside a beautiful untouched coastline, perfectly framed by natural mangroves and boasts an ultra-modern layout that harmonises with the natural environment. Each of the 113 villas, suites and penthouse are elegant and modern with an abundance of natural light and breathtaking sea views. The spacious and luxuriously appointed rooms and suites all have private balconies, while the villas offer terraces and temperature-controlled private pools. The Oberoi, Al Zorah in Ajman offers al–fresco, beachside and indoor dining venues all serving the finest cuisine. Synonymous for offering some of the world’s finest spa and wellness experiences, the spa at Oberoi offers signature therapies as well as a traditional hammam, a 80–metre pool, a fully equipped gymnasium, and daycare facilities for families. Earlier this year, the Group announced two new properties in Qatar – a 250 key luxury hotel in the West Bay area of Doha, and a 148 key luxury serviced apartment located in Lusail, Doha.