Category Archives: Hotels

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.”

India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), the public sector undertaking under the aegis of the Ministry of Tourism, posted a significant performance in half yearly results of the current financial year 2016-17. The total turnover in H1 ending September 2016 increased to Rs.221.34 cr as compared to Rs.205.88 cr in the corresponding H1 last year. The total turnover registered a jump of 7.51% as compared to the same period in last financial year. The company registered Profit Before Tax (PBT) at Rs. 8.58 cr as compared to Rs. 4.28 cr in the corresponding H1 last year i.e. 2016-17, an increase of substantial 100% as compared to the last financial year.

Nestled in the verdant hills of Coorg & Chikmanglur, Plantation Trails by Tata Coffee announced the launch of its new corporate brand identity and website. The new brand identity signifies the ongoing evolution of the Plantation Trail estate to perfection. Characterized by elements of ‘Plantation Trails by Tata Coffee’ varied offerings like heritage bungalows, picturesque coffee and tea estates and unique guided trails of these estates, the logo retains the icons that signify each of these experiences. The base design graphically demonstrates the icon of a ‘trail’ merging with the ‘coffee bean’ icon, while the ‘tea leaf’ and ‘coffee leaf’ flank are placed at the sides. The ‘trail’ passes through the centre of the ‘coffee bean’ and finally make its way ‘home’. Plantation Trails by Tata Coffee has embarked upon this transformational journey with a clear vision to reach out to patrons effectively and maintain a visual identity powerful enough to have a lasting effect. The redesigned website is user-friendly and provides ease-of-navigation, giving patrons a look and feel of the Plantation Trail by Tata Coffee Bungalows in a visually stunning format. The contemporary layout also has embedded social media buttons for faster and improved communications, thereby enabling guests to connect via multiple platforms, as per their convenience. Commenting on the re-branding exercise Gautam Prakash, Head- Plantation Trails by Tata Coffee Limited said, “Our new brand identity is in line with the growth and transformation that Plantation Trails by Tata Coffee has witnessed over the past years. With a brand new website in place, we are aiming at a digital integration that will enable us to narrate our store in a content rich format, which also ensures effective communication with …

The Fern Hotels & Resorts has announced the opening of The Fern Goregaon, an upscale business hotel located approximately 0.9 km from Bombay Exhibition & Convention Centre off western express highway. The hotel is designed on the theme of Mumbai and its culture. The hotel’s proximity to Western Express highway, important business and entertainment hub, exhibition centre makes it an ideal location for business traveller. The hotel offers 89 rooms, an all day dining restaurant cum coffee shop and range of facilities such as banquet hall, roof top swimming pool, fitness centre and many more. Located strategically off western express highway in Goregaon East; just 0.9 kms away from Bombay Exhibition and Convention centre, 7 kms from international airport, 7.5 kms from domestic airport. The unit is owned and promoted by IJB Hotels. The hotel is managed by Concept Hospitality.

Spreading its wings to Uttarakhand, RARE Destination & Experiences has added Soulitude’s two properties to its portfolio — Soulitude by the Riverside, Chanfi and Soulitude in the Himalayas, Gagar. Soulitude by the Riverside, Chanfi is a small seven suite boutique getaway set amidst an organic farm and carefully planted vegetation of flowering and fruiting trees. The property is just under an hour’s drive from the railhead in Kathgodam. Soulitude in the Himalayas, Gagar, on the other hand is over an hour from the Riverside including the walk up to the ancient bridge in Chanfi Village. The ten rooms and suites of Soulitude in the Himalayas are distributed in two similar looking blocks with sloping roofs, decks and brief terraces, that seem quiet in sync with the hills around, scooped into steps for farming.

Golden Tulip Hospitality group, South Asia, has announced the opening of Royal Tulip Kufri-Shimla. This will be the group’s first luxury property in the Himalayas. Located at 8,600 ft above sea level in Kufri, Royal Tulip Kufri offers views of the Himalayas spread over acres of Cedar forest range, Royal Tulip Kufri is a luxury resort that embodies the charm of a small hill station, overlooking the valley. Royal Tulip Kufri is a family holiday destination and also has a Club Kufri, a hub for children with various fun activities such as – billiards, games center etc. Royal Tulip offers banquet venues that can accommodate over 800 guests, ideal for destination weddings, events, corporate off sites and get togethers. There is also a spa and an indoor pool area. Those who are more adventurous can enjoy several outdoor and indoor recreational activities such as trekking, golf at Naldhera and skiing during season.

Deutsche Hospitality is very ambitious about the brand’s growth in the India market. In a recent interview, Puneet Chhatwal, CEO, Steigenberger Hotels AG, says, “We are very ambitious concerning our growth in the Indian market. In fact, we are already present there as partner in the joint venture ‘MBD Steigenberger,’ which is currently in process of being registered under Indian company law. Together with our Indian partner MBD group, India’s largest education and leading hospitality company, we are planning to open at least 20 hotels in India over the next 15 years. The first hotel will be in Bangalore.”

Sarovar Hotels has signed an agreement for a 60-room hotel, Presidium Sarovar Portico, in Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh and it is expected to be operational by the end of 2018. Presidium Sarovar Portico Dalhousie is Sarovar Groups’s third hotel in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The other two hotels are located in Mashobra and Palampur. The hotel will offer all modern facilities including an all-day dining restaurant, bar, gym, swimming pool, spa and banquet facilities. Commenting on the development, Ajay K. Bakaya, Executive Director, Sarovar Hotels, said, “We are happy to open a Sarovar Portico hotel in this charming town of Himachal Pradesh. With its unparalleled scenic beauty, Dalhousie is an important tourism destination with rising number of visitors from across the country. It is an important location for us and a significant addition to our portfolio. This hotel equipped with all amenities required by a modern day traveller is set to be the finest in the region.” The property is owned by Vikram Seth of Holy Heart Presidency School Amritsar.