Category Archives: Hotels

Jean-Michel Cassé, Chief Operating Officer (COO) –India & South Asia, Accor has said that Accor will open new hotels in Udaipur and Mumbai in 2020. “Our upcoming properties for 2020 include the launch of Raffles Udaipur, Novotel Mumbai International Airport and ibis Mumbai LBS Road. We also have the Raffles Jaipur and Fairmont Mumbai Sahar, which are in the pipeline. Over the next few years, our focus is to continue to grow our regional network and introduce new brands. We have 25 hotels and approximately 5,000 keys in the pipeline and under active development.” he informed.

Lords Hotels & Resorts has added a new property in Guwahati, Assam, named Lords Eco Inn, which will be launched under the ‘Eco Inn’ brand. The hotel will start operations after implementation of brand standards and refurbishment. It will feature well-appointed rooms, a multi-cuisine restaurant and a banquet hall. The property is at a distance of 22 km from Guwahati Railway Station and walking distance from Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport. Pushpendra Bansal – Chief Operating Officer, Lords Hotels and Resorts said “Guwahati is a gateway to seven sisters in North East and increasingly emerging as a commercial and tourism hub. We see immense potential for business and leisure tourism in Guwahati and are proud to introduce Lords Eco Inn in this region”. Bhuban Pradhan, Mrs. Rinchin Droma promoters of Lords Eco Inn, Guwahati further added “It is indeed a pleasure for us to partner with Lords Hotels and Resorts to introduce the first Lords Hotel in North East Region of India. We are proud of the team that has been put together and are confident that our guests are going to be delighted every time they step into this property”.

India has steadily moved up the ranking in World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business report to rank 63 in 2019 compared to 142nd rank in 2014, reveals the ‘Ease of doing business – India Hospitality Sector’ report by HVS. India has also been ranked as one of the top 10 improvers across 190 countries, mentions the report.

GIFT city developed with India’s first intelligent and green infrastructure has welcomed its first international hotel with Grand Mercure Gandhinagar GIFT city. Located on the bank of the Sabarmati river, GIFT city connects Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar in Gujarat. The nine-floor hotel features 151 guest rooms and six meeting rooms. “We are extremely happy to launch Grand Mercure Gandhinagar GIFT city, the first international branded hotel, in the foremost operational smart city of the country. With the support of Brigade Group, we have successfully established three Grand Mercure properties in the country and look forward to collaborating for more hotels going forward,” said Jean-Michel Casse, COO, India & South Asia, Accor.

In Q3, 100 rooms have been signed in Meghalaya and 71 have been signed in Nagaland. Right now, there are no branded hotels/rooms in these states. Also, according to an official, the state of Meghalaya already has a Courtyard by Marriott under construction.  In a Hotel Momentum India Report for Q3  by JLL, 36 hotels with 2867 rooms have been signed in the region. However, branded hotel openings during the same period are 22 which have 1474 rooms.

Sarovar Hotels & Resorts has launched Royal Hometel Suites in Mumbai. The hotel features 112 rooms & suites and features two banquet halls to conduct conferences, wedding and social gathering which can accommodate up to 550 guests. Anil Madhok, Executive Chairman, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts, said, “The opening of Royal Hometel Suites strengthens our position in the Mumbai market in line with the brand’s growth strategy. The launch follows the growing trend of business and leisure hotels along with the brand’s quality assurance and ‘Signature Sarovar Hospitality’. Our new property is appropriate for both business and leisure travellers considering the location of the hotel.”

ibis Jaipur Civil Lines has refurbished its interiors, dining and 22 new premium rooms for the new-age traveller in line with the global ibis brand. Shwetank Singh – Vice President of Development & Asset Management, InterGlobe Hotels says, “The completion of the project has far exceeded expectations of what we had envisioned which is in line with our ‘New Generation’ Design and we are excited about the new look and feel of the hotel. The culinary offerings along with the vibrant and colourful public area bring about a great amount of energy to the place and it fits in well with the Rajasthani art and architecture. I would like to congratulate the operations team and our projects team whose tireless efforts resulted in the completion of the project within timelines and budget whilst the property was still operational.”

The government has approved transfer of 3.7 acres of land at Pragati Maidan here to ITDC and ITPO on a 99-year lease for Rs 611 crore to set up a five-star hotel. Giving details, Information and Broadcasting Minister, Prakash Javadekar, said India Trade Promotion Organisation, which manages Pragati Maidan, will undertake a mega project to redevelop the land into a world-class International Exhibition and Convention Centre. The implementation of the International Exhibition and Convention Centre (IECC) project is in full swing and scheduled to be completed in the year 2020-21, said an official release. The approval has been given for “transfer of 3.7 acres of land at Pragati Maidan on a 99-year fixed leasehold basis at a price of Rs 611 crore in favour of the special purpose vehicle (SPV), which will be formed by India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) for development and operation of a five-star hotel.” In order to ensure completion of the hotel project in a fast track mode, the SPV will take necessary steps including selecting a suitable developer and operator third party through a transparent competitive bidding process to construct, run and manage (directly or through a professional brand) the hotel on a long-term fixed lease basis. Throughout the world, a hotel facility is an integral part of any Meetings, Initiatives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) hub/destination, the release said. “Hotel facility will add value to IECC project and promote India as a global destination for trade and commerce along with employment generation,” it said. The International Trade Fair which has lakhs of visitors and small traders participating every year will also benefit from the transformation of Pragati …

Sarovar Hotels and Resorts has opened Shravanthi Sarovar Portico in South Bengaluru. This will be brand’s sixth hotel after Davanam Sarovar Portico Suites, La Marvella Sarovar Premiere, Radha Hometel, Radisson Blu and RBD Sarovar Portico. The hotel offers easy access to the Central Business District and electronic city and is in close proximity to major tech parks and entertainment hubs. It offers 80 newly renovated guest rooms, an all-day dining restaurant, club bar, fitness center and conferencing facilities. The redecorated lobby is spacious and comprises of a coffee lounge, just the perfect setting for relaxation or business networking. Shravanthi Sarovar Portico has different decorative themes on each of the four floors. From Scandinavian to Spanish county to Manhattan to the Royal, the hotel’s theme floors and rooms will leave the traveler with a signature experience akin to none. On the launch, Ajay Bakaya, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts, said, “We are happy to associate with Shravanthi Group for our new property in South Bangalore. We found great synergies with the group and are excited about our association. With an apt location and serene atmosphere, our new property will be a home away from home for both business and leisure travelers.”

In a recent interview, President and CEO of InterGlobe Hotels says, “We enter 2020 with enthusiasm and hope. We have 6 hotels with a total of approximately 1000 rooms under active development and are currently pursuing some very promising fresh deals in Pune, Goa, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. We expect the operating performance to generally improve as the fundamentals of the industry remain strong with a slowing supply graph and an improving demand curve which has historically been in the 8-10% range.”