Tag Archives: MD & CEO

Hotel Association of India has elected its new Executive Committee, and KB Kachru, Chairman Emeritus & Principal Advisor, South Asia at Radisson Hotel Group is the new President of the prestigious association for a two-year term. Vice President is Rohit Khosla, Executive Vice President, IHCL; JK Mohanty, MD Swosti Group is the Hony. Secretary and Sanjay Sethi, MD & CEO, Chalet Hotels, is the new Hony. Treasurer for the association. Two new EC members include Shashank Bhagat, MD, Radisson Blu Marina Hotel and Sonali Chauhan, General Manager, IHCL.

Puneet Chhatwal, MD & CEO, Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) has claimed that they are bringing out new hotels almost every day. He informs, “We just signed a contract for another Taj Wellington Mews. We signed another property in a resort in India. We are very much on track to deliver one hotel a month, which can also become 1.5 or 1.3 hotel a month, owing to the lockdown or construction bans because of pollution.”

The Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru is investing Rs 13,000 crore for infrastructure expansion, including the South Runway, which is operational, and the first phase of Terminal 2, said Hari Marar, MD & CEO, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL). The investment is being made to support its growth. The airport welcomed 33.65 million passengers in 2019, registering 4.1 per cent growth in passenger traffic compared to 2018. To support this growth, the airport He also estimated that passenger volumes at the airport will be between 55 to 65 million passengers per annum (mppa) in the next five years. Currently, Bengaluru is connected to 82 destinations, including 25 international cities. Thirty-six passenger airlines (eight domestic and 24 international, including four Indian carriers) operate to and from BLR Airport on a regular basis.

InterContinental Hotels Group has partnered with SAMHI to rebrand approximately 2000 rooms (operating and under construction) within its India hotel portfolio, to Holiday Inn Express® hotels. The recently signed portfolio comprises 14 hotels, including 10 open hotels across key cities such as Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai. The additional four hotels are under construction. The signing sees IHG grow its pipeline by 41 hotels, positioning IHG as one of the largest players in India’s growing midscale hotel market. All hotels in the portfolio will be closed while they are being refurbished and upgraded with the latest design directives, to ensure the portfolio is fully representative of the Holiday Inn Express brand globally. The hotels will feature the next-generation design, several additional public areas and feature brand hallmarks to enhance guest service delivery. Commenting on the announcement, Sudeep Jain, Vice President, Development, South West Asia, IHG said: “It is with great pride and excitement that we are announcing our partnership with SAMHI for conversion of their existing mid-market hotel portfolio in India to Holiday Inn Express. This is a significant move towards establishing IHG as a leading player in the midscale hotel segment in India, while we continue to build on our upscale and luxury offering in the country with InterContinental Hotels & Resorts and Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts.” Jain added: “With this signing, we now have close to 60 hotels open and in the pipeline, across the Holiday Inn Brand Family. SAMHI is keen to accelerate Holiday Inn Express’ highly efficient operating model and engage the brand’s growing familiarity in the country. Holiday Inn Express is the rest and go hotel brand that delivers a …

Ginger Hotels, the dominant budget hotel chain from the house of TATA continues its growth in the country with the opening of Ginger Mumbai, Andheri East. This is their second hotel in Mumbai. Strategically located off the Western Express highway, 3.5 kms from the airport, Ginger Mumbai, Andheri East is in close proximity to the Bombay Exhibition Center as well as the railway station. The hotel also provides convenient access to the city’s thriving corporate hub on the Andheri Kurla Road. With 142 rooms, this hotel offers a unique check-in experience of Coffee and Keys, an interactive social lobby, seamless high speed free Wi-Fi, a multi-cuisine restaurant and bar, a pan Asian eatery, a state-of-art fitness center, RFID access control and efficient meeting facilities. Ginger is a great choice for today’s value conscious and discerning travelers. Sharing his thoughts on the opening, Rahul Pandit, MD & CEO, Ginger Hotels said, “We are proud to expand our presence in the commercial capital of India with the opening of Ginger Mumbai – Andheri East, our second hotel in Mumbai. This Ginger hotel gives our customers a small insight into the refreshed Ginger experience. Ginger Hotels is the pioneer and the largest chain of branded budget hotels in India with a resilient promise of safety, cleanliness, a relaxing sleep experience, an invigorating shower experience, a hearty breakfast and seamless Wi-Fi. We assure travelers of a consistently pleasant experience across our 42 properties in 30 locations around the nation.”

Global assistance and travel insurance provider, TrawellTag Cover-More has announced a partnership with GoAir India wherein the insurance provider will offer specialised travel assistance services including insurance for GoAir passengers opting for domestic travel. The association rides on Cover-More’s upgrade of their proprietary optimisation platform, ‘Impulse’ which works in real time to offer travel protection plans matching the customer’s profile based on the details provided while booking tickets. Cover-More’s expertise has enabled it to serve clients like Malaysia Airlines, Air New Zealand & Virgin Atlantic. This alliance perfectly marries with GoAir’s motto of ‘Fly Smart’ that is aimed at offering passengers a holistic, quality-assured, and time-efficient service through value for money in fares and services. Dev Karvat, MD & CEO, TrawellTag Cover-More, said “’Impulse’ is the key to our new strategic partnership as it not only equips the travelers with holistic travel protection but also enables our client to enhance ancillary revenue though an agile online technology. Indians are gradually realizing the risks of travelling even within the country and service providers have taken up the onus of educating travellers and ensuring they travel smart and safe.” He added that TrawellTag Cover-More has upgraded its team and infrastructure to provide dedicated support to GoAir in product innovation, claims management and emergency assistance.

Ginger Hotels has announced the opening of 90-room Ginger Vapi. Strategically located 7 kms from the railway station on the Mumbai-Surat highway, Ginger Vapi is in close proximity to the GIDC industrial area and provides convenient access to the city’s thriving industrial sector. The hotel offers free Wi-Fi, a multi-cuisine restaurant, a well-equipped fitness center, reliable security and efficient meeting facilities. The hotel is also a great option for travelers visiting the Daman and Jampore beaches. Sharing his thoughts on the opening, Rahul Pandit, MD & CEO, Ginger Hotels, said, “We are proud to expand our presence in Western India with the opening of Ginger Vapi, our fourth hotel in Gujarat. Ginger is the pioneer and the largest chain of branded budget hotels in India with a resilient promise of safety, cleanliness, relaxing sleep experience, refreshing shower experience, a hearty breakfast and seamless Wi-Fi. We assure travelers of a consistently pleasant experience with us.”

Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India has launched its new 75-room resort in Hatgad, Maharashtra, six kilometers from the hill station of Saputara, Gujarat. Spread over an area consisting of approximately three acres, Club Mahindra Hatgad is located on the Nashik-Saputara road with views of the Saputara Hills as well as of the famed Hatgad Fort. Kavinder Singh, MD & CEO, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited, said, “At Club Mahindra we constantly try to add new and unexplored holiday destinations to create differentiated experiences for our members. Saputara, the only hill station of Gujarat, is a great holiday destination for the entire family as it offers diverse attractions including a rich indigenous cultural history, an abundant waterfall, a wildlife sanctuary and various adventure activities. Club Mahindra Hatgad is within driving distance from Nashik, Surat, Ahmedabad, Pune and Mumbai, making it an ideal family getaway destination for our members.