Category Archives: Hotels

InterContinental Hotels Group has announced the opening of the first Crowne Plaza in Pune-Crowne Plaza Pune City Centre. The 173-room hotel will operate under a management agreement with The Advantage Raheja Group and has been rebranded from an existing property. Room rates start from Rs 5000 plus taxes. Crowne Plaza Pune City Centre lies in the Koregaon Park district, just 20 minute drive from the airport and nearby key local businesses, venues and attractions, this hotel is ideal for hosting business travellers who need convenient access to the city while utilizing ample space for large corporate meetings and events. Designed to truly make business travel work, the hotel will undergo an extensive refurbishment to upgrade guest rooms, public areas, restaurants and meeting space. Furniture and fittings and other interior elements will be enhanced to create more inviting dining options and engaging spaces for both business and social interactions. Commencing June 2016, the refurbishment is anticipated to be complete early 2017 and the hotel will remain fully operational during this time. The hotel is equipped with 24-hour business services and meeting facilities as well as 11,800 sq. ft. of banqueting space. It also features a fully-equipped 24-hour fitness centre and a newly designed swimming pool, as well as a rooftop restaurant and lounge that are designed to keep guests productive, connected, rested, and refreshed during their stay.

Lords Hotels and Resorts, has announced the launch of its latest property in Agra – Hotel PL Palace. Located in the heart of the city at a close proximity to the Taj Mahal, the hotel aims at offering affordable luxury. Segmented under its brand, ‘Lords Inn’, Hotel PL Palace houses fifty-six contemporary rooms with all facilities, an in-house coffee shop, a specialty restaurant and bar, and is equipped with a state of the art health and fitness club, a rejuvenating spa and also a roof-top pool. “We take immense pride and pleasure in announcing the launch of our twenty-sixth property, especially because we did not have presence in the east, until now. Besides, this property will be the kind that will be as inviting for foreign tourists who visit India to witness the grand splendor of the Taj Mahal as it will be to MICE travelers,” says P.R. Bansal, Managing Director, Lords Hotels and Resorts.

The Al Sawari Group will purchase a six-acre site near the Taj Mahal from The Leela Group in the historical city of Agra to develop a hotel complex, marking the group’s entry into India. Al Sawari Holding has also entered into a management agreement with the Leela Group to operate a 100-room Leela Palace Hotel on this site. Another management agreement has been signed with AIANA Hotels and Resorts, a global hotel management company, to operate a 150-room Aiana Hotel on the same plot. An MoU was signed between H.E. Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani, Chairman of Al Sawari Holding and Al Faisal Holding and Vivek Nair, Chairman & Managing Director, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts. “We are delighted to partner with Al Sawari Holdings, and view this agreement as a forerunner to several other developments in India and overseas. The proposed Palace hotel will combine unparalleled views of the Taj Mahal with a truly luxurious hospitality experience in Agra. We are also looking forward to further strengthening our presence within the golden triangle by adding a Palace hotel in Jaipur and will continue our efforts to expand in Jodhpur and Jaisalmer,”said Vivek Nair, Chairman and Managing Director, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts. “We are delighted to announce the expansion of the AIANA portfolio in India with the signing of a management agreement with A Sawari Holding to operate AIANA Agra – a 150 room hotel in one of the most visited leisure destinations in India.”, said Amruda Nair Joint Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Aiana Hotels & Resorts L.L.C.“With the signing of our 6th hotel in India, we will continue to follow the cluster strategy …

Announcing the debut of its convention dedicated to India’s nightlife, Riyaaz Amlani, President, National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), revealed that it will be held at St. Regis in Mumbai from July 17-18, 2016. It will be the first platform specifically designed to bring together and recognise the various stakeholders of one of India’s most vibrant and fastest-growing industry – nightlife. The event is a joint initiative of Kickstart Entertainment and NRAI. “The two-day convention will have multiple business sessions with speakers from the sector from across India. This will include three international speakers as well. We are also looking to get attendance from the government, including the Ministry of Tourism, Home and Excise because we don’t fall under any single ministry. We are also inviting someone from the Government of Maharashtra since it is happening in Mumbai. We want them to listen to our problems and see that this is a serious industry.”

Sarovar Hotels has announced the launch of Seyfert Sarovar Portico, Dehradun. The hotel was inaugurated by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat in the presence of Ajay K. Bakaya, Executive Director, Sarovar Hotels and Rahul Saxena, General Manager, Seyfert Sarovar Portico, Dehradun. Seyfert Sarovar Portico, Dehradun, has 68 spacious and well-appointed rooms offering modern amenities and personalized service. The hotel offers state-of-the-art business and conferencing facilities, in-room dining, fitness centre, swimming pool, and all day dining multi-cuisine restaurant. With excellent settings, unmatched F&B offerings and seamless service, it is also the perfect venue to host social events. Speaking on the occasion, Rawat said, “I am very glad to inaugurate this hotel that brings a new level of hospitality services to our city. Dehradun is the gateway to numerous pilgrimage and tourist destinations in the upper and lower Himalayas, and I believe this hotel will be immensely beneficial to people travelling through this route as well as to the locals here with the excellent F&B and banquet services on offer.” Commenting on the launch, Bakaya said, “We are glad to be expanding our presence to yet another popular destination in Uttarakhand. With our immense focus on providing quality accommodation and services at the best rates, we hope to ensure a pleasant stay for all our guests travelling to this region. The hotel brings to the city exceptional facilities and houses the largest banquet in the city in terms of capacity and size covering 10,000 square feet.” Located close to Dehradun’s Jolly Grant Airport, bus stand and railway station, the hotel is conveniently accessible to guests. The hotel also brings the choicest of culinary delights to its guests at Café Travertine, an all-day …

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).