Category Archives: Hotels

Kairali Ayurvedic Group’s signature resort ‘The Ayurvedic Healing Village’ is the latest property to come under the Lux Hotels umbrella for marketing and promotion. Bhupesh Kumar, Director, Lux Hotels, spoke about the development, saying, “We are elated to have partnered with Kairali Ayurveda for their global and national brand awareness and developing incremental business. Also, we want to increase the visibility of the brand in the global and national market.” Kairali Ayurvedic group, came in to being in 1989 with the aim of propagating the ideologies of Ayurveda throughout the world and has been a name to reckon with in the wellness industry.

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts announced the opening of Sheraton Grand Pune Bund Garden Hotel, a newly renovated property set to welcome business and leisure guests. The hotel recently completed an extensive rebranding and renovation, featuring a complete transformation of its 177 well-appointed guest rooms, lobby and public spaces as well as added meeting facilities. The new hotel joins a portfolio of 36 Sheraton Grand properties. Owned by BrahmaCorp, Sheraton Grand Pune Bund Garden Hotel is the second ‘Sheraton Grand’ hotel in India and the fourth Sheraton hotel in the country. Jaswinder Narang, Complex General Manager of Sheraton Grand Pune Bund Garden Hotel, said, “We are thrilled to expand the Sheraton Grand presence in India with the opening of our second premier-tier hotel in the country. As Pune continues to make it possible for business travelers to find success as the IT capital of India, Sheraton is committed to delivering luxury to guests through excellence in service. Through this renovation and opening, we have worked diligently to solidify Sheraton as a leading global hotel brand of choice.”

MRS Group has launched its newest property- Narendra Bhawan Bikaner. It is the third property by the Group and the second in Bikaner, where it also operates Laxmi Niwas Palace. With a full inventory of 82 rooms, the hotel opens with 58 guest rooms and suites. Speaking on the launch, Manvendra Singh Shekhawat, Managing Director, MRS Group, said, “With the opening of Narendra Bhawan, we endeavour to put Bikaner on a traveller’s map. The hotel aims to offer discerning travellers, an oasis of tranquillity with service that is personalised. The experiences curated by the hotel will bring alive the vignettes of Narendra Singh Ji’s lifestyle and history of Bikaner.” The Hotel is a retelling of the legend of the last reigning Maharaja of Bikaner-Narendra Singhji (1948-2003). The facilities include outdoor areas like the Gaushala and the Verandah; indoor dining venues like the Mad Hatter Bake House and P&C; infinity swimming pool; Clinic Spa; large meeting spaces with banquet rooms and a courtyard for business and social events. A Reveille breakfast, Sundowners at the pastures, Royal Ascot and White Nights of the Rajputs are a few experiences for the guests at the new hotel.

After strategic tie ups with six state tourism departments across India, Stayzilla now gets on board with Andhra Pradesh Tourism for the joint promotion and development of homestays in the state. The MoU was signed in the presence of Ankit Rastogi, Vice President Marketplace, Stayzilla and Himanshu Shukla, IAS, Director Tourism of APT at Vijayawada. With this association, APTDC becomes the first Tourism Board to associate with a homestay aggregator in South India. Under this agreement, Stayzilla will lend its expertise to APT to conduct verification procedures and jointly boost homestays and unique stay experiences within Andhra Pradesh. This partnership will also enable verification and training of these new Homestays being developed right from the start. Stayzilla’s team in the South, headed by Stayzilla headquarters of Bangalore, will be part of the Service and Quality Assurance Committee under APT for Inspection, which includes property verification and screening. .

Sarovar Hotels forayed into yet another international market as it signed a hotel in the Ethiopian capital city, Addis Ababa. The hotel in Ethiopia marks Sarovar’s presence in the fifth country in Africa after Tanzania, Kenya, South Sudan and Zambia. This move comes after the group recently took over the management of a hotel in Lusaka, Zambia. The 101-rooms hotel will be called Sarovar Premiere Addis Ababa. This will be Sarovar Hotels’ seventh hotel in Africa. The group currently manages New Africa Hotel in Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), The Heron Portico in Nairobi, The Zehneria Portico in Nairobi and Panorama Sarovar Portico in South Sudan. The Lazizi Premiere opens in Nairobi in February 2017 and Sarovar Premiere Lusaka is expected to be opened in 2018. Commenting on the new endeavor, Ajay K. Bakaya, Executive Director, Sarovar Hotels, said, “We are very excited to be expanding to another new destination in the African region. With Sarovar Premiere Addis Ababa, we exceed a total of 1000 rooms in Africa. Being Ethiopia’s biggest commercial hub and the host location of the African Union headquarters, Addis Ababa has become a major destination for many travellers to the continent, business as well as leisure. We see great growth potential in this market with high demand and this development makes a momentous step in our growth and expansion strategy in the overseas market.”

Preferred Hotels & Resorts has added 24 member hotels over the past three months, which mark the company’s debut in key regions, signal the expansion of existing partnerships, and represent enhanced presence in key markets. Highlights of the new hotel additions include: The Hari London in United Kingdom, Lancaster Bangkok in Thailand, Vivienda Granada & Vivienda Residences in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tarrytown House Estate & Conference Center in Tarrytown, New York. Additional properties that joined the Preferred Hotels & Resorts brand portfolio from August through early November 2016 include: Rosen Centre (Orlando, Florida, United States), Rosen Plaza (Orlando, Florida, United States), Rosen Shingle Creek (Orlando, Florida, United States), AT Six (Stockholm, Sweden), Hotel Monville Montreal (Montreal, Canada), The Domain Hotel & Spa (Manama, Bahrain), Pendry San Diego (San Diego, California, United States), Hotel Royal Palm Tower Indaiatuba (Indaiatuba, Brazil), Mukul Residences (Rivas, Nicaragua), Dukes Dubai (Dubai, United Arab Emirates), Nordic Light Hotel (Stockholm, Sweden), AKA University City (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States), Edgewood Tahoe (South Lake Tahoe/Reno, Nevada, United States), Zota Beach Resort (Longboat Key, Florida, United States), Hyde Resort & Residences (Hollywood, Florida, United States), among others.

Banyan Tree Holdings has entered into a long-term partnership with AccorHotels under which both parties intend to collaborate to develop and manage Banyan Tree branded hotels around the world. Banyan Tree will also have access to AccorHotels’ global reservations and sales network, as well as its loyalty programme Le Club AccorHotels. AccorHotels will invest an initial SGD 24 million (c. €16 million) in Banyan Tree and both parties will then co-develop the brands owned by Banyan Tree around the world. This investment will be made through a mandatory convertible debenture that at conversion will give AccorHotels an approximately 5% stake in Banyan Tree. AccorHotels has an option to purchase an additional approximately 5 per cent stake. Ho Kwon Ping, Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree, said, “Our strategic alliance with AccorHotels allows us to remain an independent company, enabling us to continue securing hotel management agreements on our own and yet accelerating Banyan Tree’s speed and scope of expansion but with AccorHotels helping us to grow our brands around the world. We believe this agreement will propel our brands rapidly to global reach and range and strengthen our ability to embrace change and innovation in the hospitality industry with a strong global partner.” Sebastien Bazin, CEO and Chairman of AccorHotels, said, “Our collaboration with Banyan Tree is a great opportunity to complement our business proposition to owners with iconic brands, while always better servicing our Guests. Banyan Tree Holdings has created key leading positions across Asia with luxury resorts, one of the fastest growing segments in the industry. We will bring scale to the network through our ability to develop and manage hotels under the Banyan Tree brands globally, hence strengthening …

The Montcalm Luxury Hotels has opened its sixth property, the Montcalm Royal London House – City of London. Located just a stone’s throw away from Liverpool Street station and close to Shoreditch, the 253-bedroom hotel marks a remarkable transformation of an imposing mid-century office building into a stylish five star property with uniquely striking views of London’s City skyline. At the Montcalm Royal London House – City of London, the group’s trademark timeless elegance has breathed new life into the building’s fine mid-century features, with statement copper pipe lighting and exposed brick walls mixed with original reclaimed parquet flooring and silk-lined corridors, feature staircases and turquoise leather stools. More information on the hotel can be found at http://www.montcalmroyallondoncity.co.uk/.

Singapore-based Banyan Tree Holdings enters into agreement with AccorHotels. Under a long-term partnership, both parties intend to collaborate to develop and manage BanyanTree branded hotels around the world. Banyan Tree will also have access to AccorHotels’ global reservations and sales network, as well as its loyalty programme Le Club AccorHotels. AccorHotels will invest an initial SGD 24 million (c. €16 million) in Banyan Tree and both parties will then co-develop the brands owned by Banyan Tree around the world. This investment will be made through a mandatory convertible debenture that at conversion will give AccorHotels an approximately five per cent stake in Banyan Tree. AccorHotels has an option to purchase an additional approximately five per cent stake. Ho Kwon Ping, Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree, said, “This agreement is not only transformational for Banyan Tree, but is also an innovation for the global hospitality industry. With the current consolidation of mega hotel companies, smaller but also global players – many family-controlled – are also seeking strategic alliances with the global giants. Our strategic alliance with AccorHotels allows us to remain an independent company,enabling us to continue securing hotel management agreements on our own andyet accelerating Banyan Tree’s speed and scope of expansion but with AccorHotels helping us to grow our brands around the world. We believe this agreement will propel our brands rapidly to global reach and range and strengthen our ability to embrace change and innovation in the hospitality industry with a strong global partner. We are excited and committed to this partnership.” Sebastien Bazin, CEO and Chairman of AccorHotels, said, “Our collaboration with Banyan Tree is a great opportunity to complement our business proposition to owners with iconic …

Marriott International has announced that the company will continue to grow its leadership position in luxury, doubling its portfolio of luxury hotels through the recent merger with Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Providing travelers a selection of high-end experiences in 61 countries, the Marriott International Luxury Brands group now includes the iconic St. Regis, The Luxury Collection and W Hotels brands, in addition to the company’s hospitality hallmarks The Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, EDITION and JW Marriott. Looking ahead, Marriott International is scheduled to open nearly 30 luxury hotels in 2017 and has a total of 180 luxury hotels in its development pipeline, representing 20 new countries, from Iceland and Nepal to Cuba. Tina Edmundson, Global Brand Officer, Marriott International, said, “Spanning the world from the most iconic hot spots to the ultimate undiscovered gems, the unmatched breadth and depth of our luxury portfolio uniquely positions us to cater to the increased demand of the rapidly-expanding cadre of affluent travelers. With luxury travel up nearly 50% over the past five years, we see a long runway for growth at the high-end and have a world-class, dedicated luxury structure in place to nurture and strengthen this coveted portfolio of eight diverse luxury brands.”