Category: Hospitality

The Fern Hotels & Resorts, India’s leading environmentally sensitive hotel chain has opened The Fern – An Ecotel Hotel, an upscale hotel amidst sylvan surroundings, in the picturesque hill town of Lonavla , 90 kilometres off Mumbai. This is the second property which the company has started managing in Lonavla. Earlier this year, Viola Beacon Resort started its operations. This takes the tally to 18 hotels managed by the company in Maharashtra. Overall the company is managing 66 hotels. “We are very happy to announce the opening of an ecotel in the Western Ghats, an area which has been declared ... Read more

Summer Escapes 2019 by Cinnamon, a combination of three unique edutainment camps including West End Theatre Camp, Culinary Camp and Summer Camp was completed successfully last month! Facilitated by leading local and international experts, each camp not only helped children identify their talents but also encouraged them to take on new challenges whilst having fun, exploring their surroundings and developing important life skills. From receiving a boost of confidence to becoming more independent, each child was driven to think out of the box and work together with fellow team members during the many activities, games, excursions and lessons, that were ... Read more

Dynamic independent hotel management company Aleph Hospitality has signed a franchise agreement with global hotelier Marriott International for a new Protea Hotels by Marriott hotel in Kisumu, Kenya. On behalf of the hotel owner, Bluewater Hotels, Aleph Hospitality will operate the new-build property under the Protea Hotels by Marriott brand. “We are thrilled to work with Marriott International to bring the first internationally branded hotel to Kisumu, Kenya’s third largest city. As Aleph Hospitality continues to expand across Africa and the Middle East, we are delighted to once again collaborate with Marriott International, following the signing of Four Points by Sheraton ... Read more

Marriott International, the world’s largest hotel chain, said Wednesday it will eliminate small plastic bottles of shampoo, conditioner and bath gel from its hotel rooms worldwide by December 2020. They’ll be replaced with larger bottles or wall-mounted dispensers, depending on the hotel. The move follows a similar announcement last month by IHG, which owns Holiday Inn, Kimpton and other brands. IHG said it will eliminate about 200 million tiny bottles each year by 2021. Last year, Walt Disney Co. said it would replace small plastic shampoo bottles at its resorts and on its cruise ships. Many smaller companies, like the ... Read more

Recognizing the need to uplift Sri Lanka’s travel industry in the wake of 4/20 incident, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts is set to host the third edition of the ‘Future of Tourism Summit’ (FOT 2019) on the 23rd September at Cinnamon Grand Colombo, Sri Lanka. Running under the theme ‘Challenges and Growth in the Face of a Crisis’, this year’s event will bring together top global destination experts who will share their specialist knowledge and insights on how tourism industries can implement sustainable strategies in the long-run and recover and rebuild following a variety of incidents ranging from terror attacks to ... Read more

Nayan Seth joins Taj Palace, New Delhi as General Manager. With over two decades of prolific experience, Nayan is an admired leader in the industry and a veteran with The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL). In his new role, Nayan will be responsible for the continued success of the Taj Palace, New Delhi through his strategic leadership, and ensuring margin enhancement and overall operational excellence. In his last assignment, Nayan led the fabled Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur, nestled in the midst of Lake Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan. “We are indeed fortunate to have Nayan join the team at Taj Palace, New ... Read more

Global icon, Bollywood star and former Miss Sri Lanka, Jacqueline Fernandez visited Sri Lanka as the first guest under Cinnamon’s ‘Bring a Friend Home’ (BAFH) campaign. This unique initiative by Cinnamon is to encourage Sri Lankans living here and overseas as well as expats in the country to nominate their foreign friends to visit the island nation. Hence, the hotel chain hosted Jacqueline from 10th to 14th August and created unique experiences for her in the country. As a Sri Lankan herself who is proud to support the recovery of the tourism industry, Jacqueline kick started the initiative by travelling ... Read more

With an experience of over 8 years in the wellness industry, Jyoti Rathore has joined Quan Spa, the award-winning Spa facility at JW Marriott Chandigarh, as its Spa Manager. Having an extensive experience in Spa Operations and Business and Customer Service Management, her primary responsibilities include managing Spa operations and budgets, enhancing Spa sales, Spa revenue management strategy, executing marketing as well as ensuring and delivering exceptional customer service. Prior to joining JW Marriott Chandigarh, Jyoti was working as the Manager – Cedar Spa by L’Occitane & Warren Tricomi Salon at JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa, Mussoorie ... Read more

AKARYN Hotel Group, the Thailand based luxury boutique resort specialist, has appointed Demeiter Vaubell as Group Director of Sales and Marketing. A seasoned international hotelier with more than 25 years of experience, the Australian national, Demeiter, has extensive experience driving international sales, partnership marketing and managing customer relations across Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, United Kingdom and the United States of America. Having completed Hospitality Management & Tourism studies at both the College of Tourism & Hospitality (QLD) and Victoria University in Australia, Demeiter started her hospitality career in Hong Kong where she was part of a successful team that ... Read more

Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hospitality group, has signed a hotel management agreement for two new hotels owned by Al Bandary Hotel Management LLC. The agreement represents the third and fourth Doha properties Centara will manage on behalf of Al Bandary, which also owns Centara West Bay Residences & Suites Doha, an upper upscale property that opened earlier this year and recently earned a 5-star official classification from the Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC); and the previously signed Centara Grand Hotel Doha scheduled for opening in 2020. The B Premiere Hotel, a member of the Centara Boutique Collection, is ... Read more

Cinnamon’s Bring A Friend Home (BAFH) introduces an exclusive initiative to spearhead tourism in Sri Lanka and also to overcome challenges faced by the tourism industry. BAFH encourages fellow Sri Lankans living in the island nation and overseas as well as expats living in Sri Lanka to nominate foreign friends to visit the island through an array of attractive packages. The key objectives of this campaign are to communicate a sense of urgency to visit Sri Lanka and create user-generated content to spread the message that Sri Lanka is safe to visit. The campaign is developed to generate much needed ... Read more

After eight months of renovation work, Dan Hotels is re-launching Dan Caesarea under a unique concept. The iconic Dan Caesarea Hotel, established in the 1960s by Baron Rothschild, has now become an updated innovative resort at an investment of NIS 80 million. The entire complex, comprising of 116 guestrooms and suites; lobby; dining room; children’s Danyland club and all the public areas are renovated and upgraded and completely transformed. In addition, the property’s 62 verdant dunams have been newly landscaped. Salon Bocca replaces the lobby area, offering delicious cocktails prepared especially for the resort by the Suramare group, (an exclusive ... Read more

The Fern Hotels & Resorts, India’s leading environmentally sensitive hotel chain, has opened The Fern Spazio Leisure Resort at Anjuna in Goa. The Fern Spazio Leisure Resort is a 43-room resort centrally located in the heart of ‘happening’ Anjuna in North Goa. An oasis of peace and tranquility, this beautiful resort is a stone’s throw from Anjuna and Vagator beaches, the flea/night markets, the Sunburn Festival venue and Goa’s famous nightclubs, bars and restaurants. The resort provides guests a first-hand Goan experience, right from the design of rooms that incorporate Goan culture with private balconies, tile paintings, warm hospitality extended ... Read more

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, posted Africa’s highest average daily rate (ADR), according to the most recent 12-month data from STR. The market will play host to the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) on 23-25 September at the Sheraton Addis. From July 2018 through June 2019, Addis Ababa registered an absolute ADR of US$163.79 when measured in constant currency, which removes the effects of inflation. That figure was a 1.1% increase year over year. The next closest STR-defined markets in Africa were Accra Area, Ghana (US$160.34) and Lagos Area, Nigeria (US$132.51). “Addis Ababa continues to maintain high ADR levels when compared internationally,” ... Read more

Ramada Khajuraho Wyndham is on an expansion spree – new Ramada hotels to be launched in Kapurthala, Bengaluru, Jaipur and Lucknow. The brand will have hospitality properties in Gandhidham, Aligarh and Thiruvananthapuram by 2020. This expansion is part of the company’s comprehensive plan to bolster its footprint in the wider Indian sub-continent, including India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ portfolio in region currently includes 46 hotels and more than 4,100 rooms with plans to add 40 hotels and more than 5,000 rooms by 2025, reinforcing its presence in the region’s rapidly growing mid-market hospitality segment. ... Read more