Category: Hospitality

Rendering of The St. Regis Marrakech Resort From the Forum de l’Investissement Hôtelier Africain in Marrakech, Marriott International announced three new deal signings across North and West Africa, reinforcing the company’s commitment to expanding its presence across the continent. The new deal signings highlight the company’s growth in Morocco and Ghana, while marking its debut in Liberia. Organised by Bench Events, Forum de l’Investissement Hôtelier Africain is a gathering that unites North and West African countries in a bid to develop their economies and support hospitality investment. The forum connects business leaders from international and local markets – driving investment into ... Read more

The Spice Village hotel by CGH Earth has bagged the Outlook Traveller’s Outstanding Property award at the Indian Responsible Tourism Awards 2019, held at Shangri-La Hotel, Delhi, today. Spice Village is a tribal village set in a spice garden at Periyar in Thekkady. Spice Village is modelled on the dwellings of the native Manan tribe of this region. Launched in 1991, Spice Village was the first theme resort to come up in Thekkady town. Spice Village has in place dry/wet waste management; efficient microbial composting, food waste composting; effluent treatment plant; solar panels for hot water requirements in the resort; recycling ... Read more

The all-inclusive, adults-only luxury resort, Bungalows Key Largo, has opened on the Northernmost island of the Florida Keys. The hotel, located just 63 miles south of Miami, features 135 private bungalows dotted across the property’s 12 acres. Opening as the first-ever all-inclusive in the Keys and  the upscale, boutique, waterfront resort  Organic textures, soothing tropical hues and all-natural materials complement the bohemian expression of Key Largo’s relaxed cabana lifestyle. The resort also features two floating six-seat tiki boats, aptly named the S S Rum Runner and S S Margarita. It also features Largo Larry’s food truck for quick beach bites, and the ... Read more

IHCL subsidiary, Roots Corporation Ltd, has signed a new Ginger brand hotel in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir. Ginger Srinagar will have 64 comfortable rooms including 9 suites offering a seamless stay experience for guests. The hotel, which will also have an all-day diner, is located at Barzulla, and is a comfortable drive from the airport and key tourist spots like Dal Lake,  Shankaracharya Temple, Shalimar Bagh, Pari Mahal, and Jama Masjid. Deepika Rao, MD & CEO of Roots Corporation Ltd has signed a management agreement with Habib Ullah Mir. “We are happy to partner with Habib Ullah Mir to develop this hotel ... Read more

The fifth National Budding Chef Competition by AURO University attracted over 15 teams across India with more than 75 participants. The participants were from Mumbai, Pune, Vadodara, Bhopal, Hyderabad, Rajkot, and Bengaluru. “The three-day gala chef competition marked the beginning of new era, which will surely establish Surat, Gujarat as the new culinary hub in western India,” said an official release. Chef Davide Cananzi (F&B Wizard), Chef Parvinder Singh Bali, Chef Sudev Sharma, Chef Veena Picardo, Reju S, Abhijeet etc were present at the event. The three-day annual National Budding Chef Competition, conducted from January 20-22, 2019 at the School of Hospitality, AURO ... Read more

Fortune Park Hotels has opened its 47th hotel, ‘Fortune Select Forest Hill, Solan’. Owned by Forest Hill Resort, the property is located amid a forest and on a hill that offers a wide range of guest services and facilities to today’s traveller. Set in the Solan Valley, the hotel is located 300 km from Delhi and 50 km from Chandigarh and can be reached in less than 20 km of hilly drive. “We are extremely delighted to partner with the Owning Board of Forest Hill Resort. This is a crown jewel in the brand’s collection of hotels in leisure destinations. We ... Read more

The Apeejay Surrendra Group, which owns The Park Hotels, is planning to double its inventory to 4,000 keys over the next five years. It is also planning to add niche offerings that include management of heritage properties and making them commercially viable. The Park and The Park Collection will target the luxury and super-luxury segments, while the Zone by The Park will cater to the upscale category. The company currently has an inventory of 1,770 keys, through 19 properties. Nearly 65 per cent of the rooms are located across own properties. According to Vijay Dewan, Managing Director, Apeejay Surrendra Park ... Read more

Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), has announced the opening of Vivanta Kathmandu, the company’s second property in Nepal.  This will be the company’s first property was Meghauli Serai, a Taj Safaris Lodge in Chitwan National Park. Vivanta Kathmandu is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Patan Darbar Square. The hotel is a perfect gateway to explore the land of yaks and yetis, snow peaks and ancient temples. “We are thrilled to embark on this exciting new venture in Kathmandu which will complete the tourist circuit by providing a stopover to UNESCO listed Chitwan National Park. Nepal offers medieval cities ... Read more

The Indian Railway Catering Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) is all set to open pod hotels near the Mumbai Central Railway station, for which they have already sent a proposal to the Western Railways, and approval is awaited. Pod hotels/capsule hotels were first developed in Japan and had attracted the world’s attention with their compact accommodation system which includes top-of-the-class amenities that one would find in any hotel room. India’s first such hotel opened in Andheri (Mumbai) in 2017. With these pod hotels,which is set to be spread over 4000 square feet, IRCTC is planning to provide a stopover option that is ... Read more

Marriott International has unveiled Marriott Bonvoy, the new loyalty brand replacing the current loyalty brands – Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) – and reflecting the unmatched benefits, single loyalty portfolio and experiences announced last year. Marriott Bonvoy is built on the belief that travel enriches us all and has the power to enrich the world. Marriott Bonvoy launches on February 13 when the logo and branding begins rolling out across all consumer touchpoints, including on property, marketing and sales channels, digital, mobile and co-brand credit cards, bolstered by a multimillion-dollar global media campaign starting in late ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: Tickety Boo Training Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS) has invited applications for its MBA in Travel and Tourism. The course is affiliated to University of Kerala and approved by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) The two year full-time MBA (Travel & Tourism) equip the students with management skills and professionalism to suit the requirements of tourism industry and the service sector. The programme consists of four semesters of six months each, spread across two years. The course integrates an academic knowledge of management studies with its applications in the travel, tourism and hospitality ... Read more

Sarovar Hotels and Resorts said the group is expanding its footprint in Jammu and Kashmir with signing of an agreement with a new hotel, Viraj Sarovar Portico, in Jammu. The 45-room hotel will become operational in mid-2019 and will be Sarovar’s second hotel in the state after RK Sarovar Portico in Srinagar, the company said in a statement. Viraj Sarovar Portico, Jammu, is strategically located in the epicenter of corporate, educational & industrial areas of Bari Brahmana. The hotel is in close proximity to Jammu Airport and railway station. The hotel will offer 45 rooms with contemporary amenities and extensive ... Read more

At the Maldives Travel Awards Gala 2018 held recently, Cocoon Maldives won in the category of ‘Leading Beach Resort’. Cocoon blends the best of Italian design with the Maldives’ stunning natural beauty, all set against the backdrop of the azure Indian Ocean. Cocoon’s interiors are exclusively designed by Lago, one of Italy’s finest design companies. This 5-star, family-friendly, stylish resort, based on the principle of ‘affordable luxury’, is the perfect destination from which to discover the Maldives, whether you are honeymooning, scuba diving, or just looking for a place to unwind and relax. Inspired by the concept of lightness, Cocoon aims ... Read more

AccorHotels has opened the 189-room ibis Kolkata Rajarhat, marking the debut of the brand in the City of Joy, Kolkata. This is the group’s 50th property in India, taking the brand’s total inventory in the country to over 3,000 rooms. At the launch, AccorHotels also announced the arrival of a new strategy for the ibis brand, designed keeping in mind the demands of today’s travellers. “The ibis brand and hotels in India have been successful in integrating into the hearts of Indians and our partnership with InterGlobe Hotels has been integral to this success. Last year we launched ibism, a campaign ... Read more

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced the opening of Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa, the first Hyatt branded hotel in Ethiopia and the seventh in Africa. The 188-room property is centrally located on Meskel Square, near shopping centers, restaurants, bars, and tourist attractions, including the National Museum. “We are excited to celebrate the opening of Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa and to introduce the brand to Ethiopia. We are confident that our loyal World of Hyatt members and global travelers will feel welcomed the moment they arrive and we look forward to serving them delicious blends of local flavors, while also offering an ... Read more