Category Archives: Hotels

India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) has recorded a turnover of Rs 465.69 crores whereas, Profit Before Tax (PBT) stood at Rs 32.42 crores and Profit After Tax (PAT) was recorded at Rs 22.55 crores. It was the fourth consecutive year that ITDC posted profit. Speaking on the occasion Umang Narula, IAS, Chairman & Managing Director, India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), said “FY 2015-16 has been a motivating year for ITDC. The profit is the result of several proactive initiatives taken by the organization to improve productivity and efficiency at the beginning of the year. The organisation took all necessary steps to keep the operational cost under control and to ensure that every division endeavours towards the profit making journey of the organisation.” The Hotels Division, Ashok International Trade division and Ashok events division of ITDC were other contributors to the profit for FY 2015-16. All three Delhi based hotels: The Ashok, Samrat and Janpath showed very good performance and clocked net profits. Hotel Patliputra Ashok, Patna and Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, Mysore also made profit. Other hotels of the Corporation also showed improved performance during the year.

The Fern Hotels & Resorts has announced the opening of The Fern Hillside Resort, Bhimtal, a premium Resort nestled in the hills of Bhimtal and overseeing Bhimtal Lake. The resort offers 30 spacious rooms with a contemporary design. The room rates start from Rs 2250 plus taxes. All rooms are spacious and offer a beautiful view of the surrounding hills, equipped with all modern amenities required for a comfortable stay; the resort also offers a multi-cuisine restaurant, a meeting space, in-door activity options such as Pool Table, Table Tennis, board games. The Resort also arranges for adventure sport activities such as rappelling, river crossing, rock climbing, kayaking, paragliding, trekking and boating. Located in the pristine hills of Bhimtal at about 30 minutes drive i.e 20 kms from Nainital Lake and a short 5 minutes drive i.e 2 kms from Bhimtal Lake. Other places of interest include – Ghorakhal Temple, Kainchi Temple, Naukuchiatal and Sattal are all in close proximity to the resort. The unit is owned and promoted by Pawar Hotels and Resorts. The hotel is managed by Concept Hospitality, part of CG Hotels and Resorts portfolio.

Sarovar Hotels has announced its foray into yet another international market as it takes over the management of The Panorama hotel in the capital city of the Republic of South Sudan. Now rebranded as The Panorama Sarovar Portico, Juba, it is Sarovar Hotels’ fourth operational hotel in Africa. The group currently manages The Heron Portico in Nairobi, The New Africa Hotel in Dar-Es-Salaam – Tanzania and The Zehneria Portico in Nairobi. Commenting on the new endeavour, Ajay K. Bakaya, Executive Director, Sarovar Hotels, said, “We are very excited to be setting our footprints to another new destination in the African region. We see immense growth potential in this market with high demand and good occupancies in most hotels. This is major step in our growth and expansion strategy and we are looking to operate 10 hotels in Africa in the next five years.” Located in the midst of a major business hub of Juba, the Panaroma Sarovar Portico is ideal for both business as well as leisure travellers. The hotel with 73 well designed rooms and suites offer a perfect balance of comfortable accommodation and warm hospitality. Each room equipped with state-of-the-art features and modern amenities has a balcony offering striking views of Juba. Dining options include restaurant serving local and international cuisine, a well-stocked bar offering best cocktails, wines, variety of beers and liquors. Nearby local landmarks such as the All Saints Cathedral and Bahr El Jebel Safaris makes it an attractive destination for travellers. Additional block of suites and a large conference and banqueting facilities will soon be added to the hotel. Sarovar Hotels Pvt. Ltd. currently operates over 75 hotels in India and abroad with a key …

Pune Marriott Suites offers 199 fully furnished, serviced apartments providing the comforts of a home in a luxurious hotel-like setting. Located on a private road in Koregaon Park, the property is only 5 kms from Pune airport and 3 kms from Pune Railway Station. Being the only pet friendly hotel in Pune, this luxury accommodation is ideal for discerning business and leisure travellers looking for respite from hustle bustle of the city. Guests can enjoy access to upscale leisure facilities, which include a fully-equipped fitness centre, outdoor pool and wellness centre. Regular rates for a one Bedroom Suite is Rs 8,650/night, 2 Bedroom Suite is Rs 13,750/night and 3 Bedroom Suite is Rs 15,250/night.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts’ 98-room Westin Pushkar Resort & Spa is set to open in September this year. The hotel has four distinctive and versatile rooms, including a 560-square-metre ballroom, total more than 900 square metres of welcoming space and feature a comprehensive range of amenities and services. The hotel has 4 meeting spaces with the largest one being 3,003 sq ft. Starwood Hotels and Resorts is pitching its growth plan in the South Asia market with the opening of three new properties this year. Barun Gupta, Global Account Director, Starwood Hotels and Resorts informs that other than Westin Pushkar, W Goa is also expected to open in September and St. Regis Maldives will open by the end of this year. Gupta adds, “In terms of Indian market we wanted to expand our footprint aggressively this year focusing mostly on the travel trade front where we are trying to get more and more partners through our SPG Pro network. Our major focus will be on the travel trade front for the leisure properties which are opening up this year.” The 160-room W Retreat & Spa Goa to open September 1, has two grand ballrooms, a function room, three meeting/VIP rooms, a function lawn and a pre-function area provide enough space for all your guests. The hotel has 6 meeting spaces with the largest one being 6,459 sq ft (600 sq.m).

OYO Rooms has expanded its portfolio in the North East, and is offering more than 250 standardised rooms in Gangtok and Darjeeling, to meet a range of budgets – from as low as Rs. 999 per night for standard rooms, to premium rooms for Rs. 2500 – Rs. 4000 per night. OYO Rooms are available in popular tourist spots like Tiger Hills and Mall Road in Darjeeling, and Tsango Lake, MG Marg in Gangtok. These hotels are situated in prime locations, and travellers can enjoy the scenic view of the Himalayan range, including the breathtaking snow-peaks of Kanchenjunga, straight from their rooms. Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and  CEO, OYO said, “We are thrilled to establish a strong network in the beautiful cities of Darjeeling and Gangtok. Our teams have worked very hard to deliver OYO’s level of standardization and predictability of guest-experience in the hotels here. Many travellers who want to visit the North-east hesitate due to concerns about lack of trusted accommodation options. It makes me very happy to assure them that with OYO now present in this region, they can plan their travel without any worry. The hospitality sector is still underdeveloped in the North-East and we are certain that the introduction of OYO’s standardized affordable stays will attract more tourists. We look forward to welcoming guests from across the country.” Speaking about the current business trends Ritesh added, “We receive queries for North-East from across the country, but Darjeeling and Gangtok receive the highest number of queries from Kolkata (40%), followed by Gujarat, Maharashtra and Delhi (15% each). Kolkata accounts for 30% of the bookings in Darjeeling and Gangtok while Delhi contributes 12% bookings in the region. This summer …

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.