Category: Hotels

Hospitality major Hilton, which has around 17 hotels in the country across five of its brands, plans to double it in the next three or four years. The company is planning to open a hotel and a resort in Goa and a hotel in Ahmedabad in 2019 and has strengthened its partnership with the Bengaluru-based Embassy Group. “When compared to other countries we are under represented in India as we have just 17 hotels in the country and there is a lot of scope to expand further. We plan to have 16 more hotels in the country in the near ... Read more

Europe’s leading hospitality group AccorHotels said it has plans to launch new hotel brands in luxury and service apartment space. The company is in advanced stage of discussions with a real estate developer in Gurugram to launch its first global apartment hotel brand, Novotel Suites in India. The construction of the project which comprises around 100 apartments is expected to start in the next few months. The company also has plans to launch similar projects in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. AccorHotels owns and runs around 20 brands across 92 countries. In India, it currently operates around 47 hotels under 10 brands, including ... Read more

Vishala Hospitality takes over the Gokul Ootupura Rooms in Kochi, a division of Gokul Ootupura, one of the leading vegetarian restaurant chains in Kerala. Launched in 1950, the Gokul Boutique hotel near the Ernakulam Shiva temple, has a background of providing hospitality and restaurant services for over fifty years. Now that with Vishala on board taking care of the marketing side of the hotel, Gokul Rooms, is all set to bring back the glorious days of the past. “The hotel  features nine well appointed air-conditioned rooms and a state-of-the-art vegetarian restaurant which serves North Indian and South Indian dishes,” said Ravi ... Read more

Isobar India, the digital agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has introduced the Blind Faith Upgrade, a thoughtful and cause-oriented initiative under accessible tourism. A sustainable step towards accessible tourism, this initiative explores the challenges faced by visually-impaired travellers and allows the hotel to transform any of its rooms into a visually-impaired-friendly room. The launch of the initiative was first introduced at Hotel Ramada, Ajmer. The Agency looks at expanding the initiative further to other corners of the tourism industry where accessibility is a major concern across the nation. A successful tourism product requires effective partnerships and cooperation across many sectors ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: Dubai Tourism Jumeirah Group, the global luxury hotel company and a member of Dubai Holding, announced the launch of Zabeel House by JumeirahTM. This exciting second brand from Jumeirah Group, which already operates the award winning luxury Stay DifferentTM brand, has been created in response to the continuing and growing travel trend for exploration and enrichment through travel experiences. Zabeel House by JumeirahTM will have a strong appeal for this increasing segment of travellers, from across a broad demographic, who want to connect meaningfully with their travel destinations. Photo Courtesy: Getty Images With five management agreements already signed ... Read more

Travel spice, an online hotel booking platform from Bangalore, has won the ‘Travel Tech’ start-up of the year 2018 award from the Government of Karnataka. Award, and a prize money of Rs 15 lakhs, was handed over by the Minister of Tourism Priyannk Kharge to the co-founders of travel spice Ankit Manglik and Prashant Mitta at Bangalore Palace. Photo Courtesy: m24news.com The company has business with over 8000-star hotels among 220 cities in India and abroad. Travel Spice provides online bookings with discounts as well as value-based services. “Travel Spice is based on the unique opaque model well suited for ... Read more

Avani Hotels & Resorts Avani Hotels & Resorts launches its first hotel in the historic town of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern Laos. The 53-room hotel is located on a narrow peninsula at the joining of the Nam Khan and Mekong Rivers. Currently known as the Azerai Hotel, the rebrand will be completed in March 2018. The French neo-classical architectural design resembles the style of the grand villas found in Luang Prabang. The hotel is situated on the doorstep of the famous night market where guests will find locally made appliqué blankets, Hmong batik fabrics, lamps, ... Read more

Crowne Plaza London – Albert Embankment Crowne Plaza London – Albert Embankment, the first luxury hotel in the Albert Embankment area, is all set to launch in May 2018. Located on the South Bank of the River Thames, this new hotel is symbolic of the new brand platform from Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resort that launched earlier in 2017 called ‘We’re All Business, Mostly’. Created by ADS Design and RPW Design, Crowne Plaza London – Albert Embankment offers breath-taking views over The Thames, including the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye. The sky terrace on the 14th floor offers ... Read more

Crowne Plaza, Kochi Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India, issues fresh guidelines with aim to streamline hotel classification, to make them simple, transparent and time-bound. Liquor shops and stores on the premises of a hotel other than bars will not be considered for classification under star hotels “with alcohol” category, to remove any ambiguity. Besides, all hotels will now have to mandatorily display their classification status prominently at the reception and on their websites under a separate icon on the opening page, which will display the order of classification issued by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Unlike previously, ... Read more

Web Desk International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) Kolkata, will open the country’s one and only tourism university. IIHM is investing over Rs. 150 crore in setting up the University out of which Rs. 70 crore has already been invested towards setting up the infrastructure and state-of-art facilities in Salt Lake Electronic Complex Sector 5. IIHM Campus in Kolkatta Named as the IIHM University and is registered under the West Bengal Private University Act, the new institution is a joint venture between IIHM and Institute of Advanced Management (IAM). “Our vision is to co-create one of the finest Tourism Universities ... Read more

Web Desk Mövenpick Resort & Spa Boracay Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has announced its plans to open a third property to its portfolio in the Philippines. Located in Metro Manila, the Mövenpick Hotel & Residences Quezon City, is scheduled to open by Q4 2021. The new hotel will have 350 guestrooms and suites as well as 250 residences. All 600 units will offer state-of-the-art technology and upscale amenities, making the hotel ideal for both short and extended stays. The new Manila hotel will also feature two upscale restaurants serving Chinese and international cuisine respectively, plus a chic rooftop restaurant and ... Read more

 Web Desk Photo Courtesy: Ramada Muscat (Representative image) Oman is soon to have two brand new hotels from Wyndham Hotel Group and Oman-based contracting firm Al Khaleel Group, under the brand Ramada. Ramada Encore, a three-star hotel offering 140 deluxe rooms and 24 suites, will be located along Sultan Qaboos main road in Al Ghubrah, close to Muscat International Airport. The property will feature state-of-the-art business facilities, leisure amenities, a rooftop cafe and pool as well as male and female fitness centres and all-day dining restaurants and coffee lounge. Photo Courtesy: Ramada Muscat (Representative image) The second hotel, which is ... Read more

Web Desk Marriott International launches its third property in the UK and the second in Stratford under its experiential hotel brand Moxy Hotels. The 294-bedroom Moxy London Stratford is located very close to the Stratford International Station. Moxy is an affordable hotel for every budget with the soul of a boutique hotel. Marrying smart service and technology with contemporary style, Moxy is do-it-yourself made easy. Photo Courtesy: Marriott “Our Fun Hunter guests continue to seek inspiration from their travel. The new Moxy London Stratford will offer guests a cocktail at check-in, spontaneous games in the lively communal spaces, and an ... Read more

Web Desk Photo Courtesy: Offthemaptravel From the Arctic beauty of the North with its midnight sun, to the castles of the southernmost province Skåne with its more continental flavour, Sweden has never failed to attract globetrotters to this magnificent land. And now, to add to its magnanimity and the magic it offers, Sweden is going to be home to a new floating hotel and spa that freezes into the ice of the Lule River in the winter and floats on top of the water in the summer. Photo Courtesy: offthemaptravel The Arctic Bath Hotel and Spa will be launched in ... Read more

Web Desk The Government of India is considering a complete exit from the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) by selling 87 per cent of its shares. As part of its disinvestment exercise, the Cabinet, in September 2017, has approved the transfer of Hotel Jaipur Ashok and Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, Mysore, to the governments of Rajasthan and Karnataka respectively. It also cleared disinvestment of ITDC’s 51 per cent equity in Donyi Polo Ashok, Itanagar, in favour of Arunachal Pradesh. ITDC currently runs 16 hotels in Delhi, Patna, Jammu, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Bhopal, Bharatpur, Jaipur, Guwahati, Mysore, Puducherry and Itanagar. The ... Read more