Category Archives: Hotels

The Ultimate Travelling Camps (TUTC) has uber luxurious seasonal camps in Leh and Nubra Valley have begun operations from May 15, 2019, until end of September— a favourable time to visit Ladakh. A delight for the senses and soul, Chamba Camp Thiksey has a newly introduced Wellness Hermitage – Swadhya that will introduce guests to the most unique self-discovery and healing rituals waiting to be rediscovered. These healing therapies are an amalgamation of Ayurvedic and Tibetan healing that has been practiced for thousands of years in Ladakh. The packages start from Rs. 96000 per tent (on double sharing) for 3 night package in Diskit and Rs. 108000 per tent (on double sharing) for 3 night in Thiksey.

OYO Hotels & Homes has announced that it has now become the second-largest hotel group in China and is the world’s sixth largest chain of leased and franchised hotels, homes and living spaces. OYO has expanded its presence to 320 cities, nearly 10,000 OYO-branded hotels and 450,000 rooms, surpassing the scale of traditional and established hotel chain brands in China, such as Home Inn, Hanting and others. The franchisee contract renewal rate of more than 97% has been highly encouraging and reflective of the value that OYO creates for asset owners, while providing quality affordable accommodations to guests. Commenting on the development, Sam Shih, COO, OYO China said, “OYO Jiudian (Hotels) operates like a Chinese company and delivers better living for middle-income people across the country. We have ensured that for the first time you can get a great living space in less than RMB 150 as well. Everyday, over 200,000 heads are on OYO Jiudian pillows in China due to the great experience at low cost. Also, we have enabled jobs for over 100,000 young people due to the occupancy rise and, as more people stay in our hotels, more economic opportunities are created. I am humbled to see that over 97% of franchisee partners have come back and renewed their contracts, a testament to the impact we have had on their business, both at occupancy and revenue levels. Today, we are less than 2% of the country’s accommodation market that stands at ~35 mn rooms. We have an incredible opportunity ahead of us and we are just getting started.”

In a recent statement, Mohan Pandithage, Chairman, The Kingsbury, Colombo, said, “We greatly appreciate and thank you for your loyal patronage of The Kingsbury over the years and we consider you a dear friend of our establishment. The recent events have been very disturbing; however our passion to serve our valued guests remains resilient in the face of this challenge. We feel it is our duty by our staff and our patrons to restore normalcy and resume operations. Accordingly we have got Hotel accommodation, Banquets, the Spa, Laundry facilities and Restaurants, Yue Chuan, CÉ LA VI, and The Kings Bar, already functional to serve our clientele.” He further said, “Under the circumstances, we wish to reassure you that the security of the hotel has been strengthened in coordination with the state authorities. This includes enhanced security at the premises and the periphery of the hotel. All vehicles entering the perimeter of the Hotel from the main entrance are being scrutinized including an undercarriage check. Baggage and bag scanners and personal scanning devices will be used to clear visitors at the main entrance. Metal detectors will also be used at receiving areas to scan suppliers. The hotel is also protected by State security along with our own security team. All measures have been taken to heighten the safety of The Kingsbury property and all our valued guests who patronize it.”

Goldstone Hotels & Resorts has recently entered the hospitality industry as a boutique management company. The brand already has properties in Dehradun, Shimla, Udaipur, Nahan and Dhanaulti under its umbrella and will further expand to locations like Dharamshala, Manali, Patna, Prayagraj, Bareilly, Amritsar and Ahmedabad.  The brands under Goldstone Hotels and Resorts are- Comfort, Elite, Heritage, Exotic and Luxury. Apart from this, Goldstone Hotels & Resorts also strives to cater to the needs in the Home Stay Service Apartments & Co-living under its brand- Gold Stay’s.

The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) has recently announced the launch of its new hotel brand- SeleQtions and Ambassador New Delhi has been rebranded and joins the SeleQtions family. The property is now called as Ambassador, New Delhi IHCL SeleQtions. Rajindera Kumar, Director of the hotel, said, “Today, the hotel has come under the SeleQtions brand of IHCL and we are very proud of the same. I must compliment Puneet Chhatwal for this endeavour.” The new brand has launched 12 hotels across the country and the first phase include properties present in seven key lodging markets of India: President, Mumbai; Ambassador, New Delhi; The Connaught, New Delhi; Blue Diamond, Pune; Cidade de Goa; Tajview, Agra and Devi Ratn, Jaipur. The other hotels are Pratap Mahal Ajmer; Savoy, Ooty; Gateway Coonoor; Gateway Chikmagalur and Gateway Varkala.

The pipeline data for the Asia Pacific region by STR- a provider of premium data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights for global hospitality sector, showed 1,892 hotel projects accounting for 423,343 rooms in construction as of April 2019. This represented a 23.3% year-over-year increase in the number of rooms in the final phase of the development pipeline. Five countries reported more than 20,000 rooms under construction including India- 21,068 rooms (7.4%) .

THE Park Hotels has announced the opening of its new hotel located at Juhu Tara Road, THE Park Mumbai. The 60-room property will offer six categories of rooms; with views of either the Arabian Sea or the city while some overlook the historic Juhu airfield. The rooms and studio suites have been designed with a monochromatic colour palette with world-class amenities. The room rates start from INR 17,000 onwards.  

Sarovar Hotels has announced that it will open its Dalhousie property in September, 2019. The brand has also announced its plan to open a Hometel in Jalandhar by 2022. Talking about the brand’s expansion spree in India, Middle-East and Africa, Ajay K. Bakaya, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels and Resorts, says, “Besides, Saraovar’s pipeline, we would really like to be in are Varanasi, Bhopal and Patna. Our pipeline includes properties in Dehradun, Dahisar, Goa, Dibrugarh, Morbi, Junagarh, Bodhgaya etc.”

In a survey of 7,500 people in 12 markets globally, an Amadeus-IHG study titled ‘Drivers of Change in Hospitality’ reports that 40 per cent of Indians have stayed in a personalised room that was customised to their needs (e.g. furnished with preferred furniture and room accessories). Traditional room types will no longer be the core product offered by hotels. Instead, guests will choose from room configurations that match their needs, the report states. This is known as attribute-based booking. In-room amenities, non-room inventory, and even tickets for out-of-hotel attractions can be flexibly included in bookings, and this very much represents the way that consumers want to be able to buy. Attributes that can be added into rooms include functional items, both low-tech and high-tech – a cot for infants or smart room technology. For example, some 64% of global travelers are interested in having access to a voice assistant (e.g. Alexa, Google Home) in their hotel room. Choosing which floor you stay on is also a customizable option.

Accor has introduced the concept of ‘Day Stays by Accor’ at its 51 hotels across India. Through this concept, guests can make bookings for 12 hours or less and pay with a discount of 60 per cent on the best available rate of the day and can shorten their stay, rest and save time. Whether you are in transit and have ample time to relax or attending a seminar in the city, or have something to celebrate an occasion, come and experience the impeccable hospitality with Day Stays by Accor. Le Club Accor Hotels members can also earn points through this programme.