Category Archives: Hotels

India remains one of the strongest markets for Carlson where they have 84 hotels in operation and 140 hotels in the pipeline. The brand will soon be launching its new brand- Radisson Red in the Indian Market. Raj Rana, Chief Executive Officer, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, says, “Radisson Red is the newest addition in our portfolio. The first flagship property is under construction in Mohali, Chandigarh. It’s a beautiful hotel and we expect that to open in the first quarter of 2018. We believe that it will be a very successful brand because the cost of investment in building a Radisson Red is less than a typical upscale hotel and also it has been planned in such a way that the cost of operating the hotel is also lesser. For example, F&B services are all on a single plate and there is no concept of multi-kitchens. A lot of planning has done to make sure ease of operation and therefore better margins for the investors and good success for us.”

OYO has launched OYO Townhouse in Hyderabad. This is the first launch of OYO Townhouse – a brand-new category of “friendly neighbourhood hotel” – outside Delhi-NCR. This will be the 5th hotel in the Townhouse portfolio since it was launched in January this year. After Jubilee Hills, the company plans to introduce OYO Townhouse hotels at other popular locations in the city such as Banjara Hills, Hitech City, Gachibowli and Panjagutta. The rooms will be priced at INR 2,500 and upwards. Ritesh Agarwal, Founder & CEO – OYO, said “This is our first Townhouse offering outside Delhi NCR and we are excited to choose Hyderabad for our debut outside home turf. Hyderabad has transformed into a cosmopolitan city representing a millennial outlook towards experiences and expectations. OYO Townhouse’s efficient hospitality and multi-utility concept fits perfectly into this millennial lifestyle. It delivers a seamless experience through a format that operates as 25% hotel, 25% home, 25% cafe and 25% merchandise store in one place, providing a perfect complement to our guests’ lifestyle. OYO Townhouse represents our ongoing commitment to innovate and create world-class hotel experiences from India.” Elaborating on the philosophy behind Townhouse, Ritesh added, “Townhouse will deliver an all-encompassing experience to guests. We are excited to showcase and deliver this proposition in Hyderabad today. We are confident that our guests will love the experience of these tastefully done hotels staffed with Managers trained to deliver authentic and unique Townhouse service.” The hospitality industry in India suffers from a major disconnect between demand and supply of quality living space, forcing travellers and city-dwellers to compromise on decision variables of location, comfort and pricing. OYO Townhouse addresses this gap by creating a …

Park Plaza Noida has announced its rebranding as Radisson Noida, the first Radisson hotel to be inaugurated in Delhi-NCR. Strategically located, within proximity of Noida’s corporate hub as well as the central business districts of Ghaziabad and New Delhi, the hotel has completely reinvented itself to better serve its discerning guests with its signature Yes I Can!  service. “I am delighted to welcome this hotel to the Radisson brand family. Delhi NCR is a key market for us and Noida remains a promising destination due to its thriving corporate suburb. We appreciate the investment that our strategic partner, Bestech Group have made in upgrading this hotel and the trust they have demonstrated in the Radisson brand” said Raj Rana, Chief Executive Officer, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. “We have enjoyed working with Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group for 15 years where a high level of dedication and expertise is demonstrated in managing brands and hotels successfully. We are confident that the rebranding of Park Plaza Noida to Radisson Noida with new facilities and services would be greatly appreciated by our guests” said Dharmendra Bhandari, Managing Director, Bestech Hospitalities.

The Lemon Tree Hotel Company opened its twin properties in Gurugram—Lemon Tree Hotel, Sector-60 and Red Fox Hotel Sector-60, taking the count to 6 properties by the brand in the city. The 3.2 acre property follows the accessibility criteria to the T and offers specially designed rooms and suites for people of all abilities. Targeting the business sector in the area, the property boasts a separate convention centre spread over 20,000 sq. ft, which actually is one of the largest accessible MICE destination in Delhi NCR. In fact, 70 per cent of the work force in Lemon Tree Hotel, Sector-60 will be Opportunity Deprived Individuals (ODI), which are either differently-abled or come from economically and socially marginsalised sections of the society. Vikramjit Singh, President, Lemon Tree Hotels, said, “It is out sixth property in Gurugram, which continues top attract business and leisure travellers throughout the year and the twin property launch, along with the Convention Centre, proves how successful our brand has been in this market.”

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the initiation of the process of disinvestment of hotels/properties of the India Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. (ITDC). In the first stage of the disinvestment process, three hotels have been taken up for disinvestment—Hotel Lake View Ashok, Bhopal Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok, Guwahati, Hotel Bharatpur Ashok, Bharatpur. In all three cases, the hotels/properties are being given back to the concerned states. In the case of Bhopal and Guwahati, ITDC is divesting its share of 51 per cent in the Joint Venture Company formed for operation of the hotels whereas in the case of Bharatpur, the unit which was only managed by ITDC is being returned to the State Government. The decision on disinvestment has been made, keeping in view that running and managing hotels on professional lines is not the work of the Government or its entities. Further, there has been considerable development in the hospitality sector in the country in past years, with world class hotels and all leading international chains of hotels present in the country and providing services and facilities of highest standards. As part of the disinvestment policy, it has been decided to lease/sub-lease the hotels/properties jointly with the concerned states or return the properties to the states, after fair valuation. The states would then have the option to upgrade and operate the Hotels by involving the private sector or to utilize the properties as per their requirements. States have exercised their options accordingly, in each case going forward with the option best suited to their needs, in line with the overarching principle that it is not the business of Government to run or manage hotels.

Absolute Hotel Services India has announced the opening of Eastin Hotel Kurseong Darjeeling, the first International four-star deluxe resort hotel in Kurseong Darjeeling. The hotel has opened its door to guests on April 15, 2017 with special opening rates starting from Rs. 4,999++ per room per night. Located on the foothills of the Himalayas, Eastin Hotel Kurseong Darjeeling will offer 35 rooms under Deluxe, Executive and Suites with views of the Himalayan mountain range, green woods and tea estate. Other recreation activities include star gazing sightseeing, local dance and music, trekking, bird watching and tea tourism. Facilities include a signature all day dining multi-cuisine restaurant, specialty vegetarian restaurant, lounge bar, terrace café to relax and admire the scenic beauty, banquet and meeting centre, wellness spa,, gym, meditation and yoga. It will also feature first of its kind teahouse which will offer finest Darjeeling tea and spiced up creative tea mocktails/cocktails to the guest.  The contemporary wooden interiors will provide guests a warm cosseting atmosphere reminding them of the colonial era. The resort hotel has easy access to attractions like Eagle Craig, Dow hill, Giddapahar View Point amongst many, along with tea estates, temples, churches, museums, as well as famous historic schools that were setup during the British colonial days.

RARE has taken on board, Pepper Trail, located in 200 acres of spice plantation in Wayanad, north Kerala. A part of the plantation heritage, Manglam Carp Estate founded by Colin Auley Mackenzie, Pepper Trail is a sliver of dense land that is visually fenced in by flat paddy lands, large swathes of forests and a road leading up from Sultan Bathery. Accommodation in the tree houses, bungalows and pool villas are designed as intimate abodes to relax, play, walk, read, cycle or indulge in a spa till city life claims you or your itinerary urges you ahead. Thoughtfully plated meals, serving Kerala’s delicacies with a hint of surprise, cater to well-travelled palates. ‘Pazhey Bangala’ – the beautifully restored Mackenzie colonial home offers two suites. Soon, two beautiful pool villas will be ready within the plantation Wayanad stretches across the Western Ghats, ranging between 700m to 2100m. The higher regions induce a kind of misty romanticism intensified as the sun goes down and dusk turns its head to the sun at dawn. Picture this on a continually farmed, active plantation of tea, coffee and spices from the high grounds of a 200 acre plantation and you are in nature’s idyll.

Clarks Inn Group of Hotels has announced the signing of a hotel property in Belgaum, Karnataka. The new property, a 60-room strategically located business hotel, is currently in its last phase of development and is slated to start operation by the year end. The hotel is merely an hour’s drive from Goa. Speaking on the latest addition, Rahul Banerjee, Associate Vice President–Operations, Clarks Inn Group of Hotels, said, “Clarks Inn witnessed one of its biggest growth year in 2016 opening and signing a total of 21 new properties, including 12 operational, with the total tally reaching 75 hotels last year spread across 17 states in India and one in Nepal. With a strong development pipeline, we are expecting another year of robust growth in 2017. And with the latest addition at Belgaum we are confident of reaching a 100 hotel portfolio milestone by the end of the year.” With the latest addition Clarks Inn now boasts of a portfolio of 76 hotel properties, including 42 in operation, spread across 17 states in India and one in Kathmandu, Nepal. “The 60-key Clarks Inn Belgaum will be a vibrant hotel property with strategic location that will cater to all the needs of the modern day discerning business and as well as leisure travellers. As a hotel company, we now have the most widespread presence in Karnataka with as many eight hotels currently in operation at Badami, Bagalkot, Bengaluru, Gadag, Hampi, Hubli, Mysore and Shimoga and four more slated to open door over the next one year,” said Rupam Das, Area Director-Operations (South), Clarks Inn Group of Hotels.

AccorHotels has announced the opening of Uttar Pradesh’s first Novotel in the capital city of Lucknow – Novotel Lucknow Gomti Nagar. The business hotel is located in the heart of the city’s commercial hub – Gomti Nagar, a short drive from Lucknow airport and railway station. The hotel features 106 rooms, including two suites, all equipped with modern in-room amenities, plush interiors and high speed Wi-Fi connectivity. Designed to meet the needs of today’s modern and hyper connected travellers, the business hotel’s lobby features a dedicated web corner equipped with Mac PCs, a multi-touch table interactive platform that allows guests to experience a wide range of entertainment from fun learning games for children to the latest movie blockbusters for guests and a virtual concierge help desk that gives guests access to important information on their fingertips to plan their travel itinerary in the city. Jean-Michel Cassé, Chief Operating Officer, India & South Asia, AccorHotels said, “The cultural capital of North India, Lucknow has traditionally been the epicentre of literature, cuisine, and performing arts. The city’s radial expansion has given way to new growth corridors, attracting plentiful investments. It is this confluence of culture and business that makes Lucknow a compelling destination for travellers and we are delighted to open our very first Novotel property here.”

Created exclusively for the ultra-luxury market, One&Only Resorts recently held a presentation over lunch in Pune city. About 60 agents attended the event that had presentations from all One&Only Resorts, with a focus on One&Only Royal Mirage. A similar presentation was held in Ahmedabad this week as the focus for the hospitality group is on Tier-II cities of India this year.