Category: Hotels

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

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

In order to drive international growth, OYO Hotels has appointed  Sam Shih as its Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the China market. As COO, Sam will be responsible for the overall regional operations, driving consumer experience and building operating efficiencies at scale across OYO China. Before OYO Hotels, Sam served as President of Global Consumables and CEO at Asia Pulp & Paper Co. Limited, a giant in the pulp and paper industry. He also led the operations at Red Bull and Accor Group, France. Sam started his career and spent over two decades in PepsiCo Inc. “We are really excited ... Read more

The Indian hospitality chain, Oyo, is all set to enter the Saudi Arabian market.  Other than its regular offerings such as hotel rooms, homestays and townhouses, Oyo is launching a new category for the Saudi market. The new category of offer is expected to tap the huge number of religious tourists visiting the country. OYO Hotels & Home has also set a target of reaching 12,000 rooms by 2020 in the Middle East market, which is a 10-fold jump from 1300 rooms on its platform in the UAE market. In September 2018, the company has raised some AED3.68 billion (US$1 billion) funding ... Read more

The Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) seeks assistance the of tourism ministry to find an amicable settlement of their dispute with online travel aggregators (OTAs) Go-Ibibo and Make My Trip (Go-MMT), and hospitality chain OYO Hotels. FHRAI has written to the Minister of State for Tourism, K J Alphons in this regard. It was informed by FHRAI in a media statement that they have written to the minister outlining the major issues of concern to the industry because of the OTAs’ unfair and arbitrary business practices. It claimed that a number of FHRAI’s members are experiencing ... Read more

Lemon Tree Hotels said it will be operating 85 hotels with 8,674 rooms across 57 cities by 2021, said Rattan Keswani, Deputy Managing Director, Lemon Tree Hotels and Director, Carnation Hotels. “This year, we have enjoyed very high occupancy, close to 79 per cent. We have opened a few properties this year, including Dehradun, Pune, Siliguri and Morjim. We should be able to open an owned hotel in Mumbai, followed by Kolkata. Then we should be able to open a managed property in Kalina, Mumbai,” he said.

Offering a chilled escape from the hubbub of the Trivandrum city, the aesthetically curated Avoki Resort, is home to 25 rooms, which includes 5 suite rooms.The hotel, which is located in a truly enviable location, is perfect for business and leisure holidays. The airy, open lobby with abundance of natural light and cool air, immediately gives the feeling of the environment around. Avoki Resorts, located at the Kinfra Film and Video Park in the Kerala capital, features 2 restaurants, a fitness centre and game zone. “The hotel is also planning to build a conference hall. The hall will be ready in ... Read more

Federation of Hotels and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) told ET that it is planning to approach the Competition Commission of India and the tourism ministry and that all four regional associations under FHRAI – North, South, East and West – are in line with its stance of nationwide protests if their demands are not met. Two weeks before FHRAI has warned of action against room aggregator OYO for large-scale breach of contracts, jeopardizing the safety of consumers and violation of laws. The move comes a week after the apex body issued a notice to online travel aggregators (OTAs) – ... Read more

Hyatt Place Pasadena, the first Hyatt-branded hotel in the city, is officially open. The new hotel features the Hyatt Place brand’s intuitive design, casual upscale atmosphere and enhanced food and beverage. Perfectly situated in the heart of downtown, the hotel is walking distance to Old Town Pasadena with many shops, restaurants and entertainment to choose from. The hotel is led by Ensemble Real Estate Solutions & Investments, and operated by Interstate Hotels & Resorts. Ensemble led the development of the Hyatt Place Pasadena, an upscale hotel for business and leisure travelers that offers views of the San Gabriel mountains and ... Read more

Abad Hotels and Resorts Group, who have been in the hospitality industry for the past 32 years, has recently opened two new properties in Kochi and Wayanad.  Dutch Bungalow, Napier Street, Fort Kochi and Abad Brookside, Lakkidi, Wayanad are the new properties. The Dutch Bungalow, Fort Kochi Dutch Bungalow is a Heritage property located in Fort Kochi. It was built in 1668 by the Dutch East India company and named as “Crystal Palace”. The natives called it “Kannadi Malika” meaning “Palace of glass”. The British took over the building in 1796 and used it for naval purposes. It came to private possession ... Read more

The water department of Maharashtra is all set to lease out 146 of its guest houses, with some 2,000 rooms near dams. The state government will float tenders in about a week regarding the same. It is proposing to lease out the guest houses for 10 years, with an annual hike of 10 per cent in rent. The guest houses were so far available only to senior government officials and political leaders. The most sought after dam and reservoir locations are Panshet near Pune, Pench near Nagpur, Bhatsa on the Mumbai-Nashik highway, Bhandardara near Nashik, Ujani in Solapur, Jaikwadi in ... Read more

The Indian Hotels Company is planning to spend Rs 180-200 crore to revamp budget brand Ginger Hotels. The estimated cost, as per ET reports, is Rs 8-10 lakh per key. The company is planning to renovate hotels located in key markets over the next two years and is evaluating monetising its assets to fund the proposed renovation. Six assets are being considered for the sale and lease-back arrangements, said the report. Ginger has recently launched its first prototype hotel with a new brand identity at Panjim, Goa. Ginger is present across 32 cities through 45 hotels with another 11 under ... Read more