Category: Hotels

Studio One Hotel has launched a staycation deal which only costs Dhs10 per hour. The sole condition is that one needs to stay for at least 24 hours but check-in is allowed at any time of the day. The room price also includes a Dhs150 voucher to spend in any of the hotel’s restaurants, for each night you stay, according to a report in What’s On. The dining voucher is valid at Larte, The Maine Street Eatery, The Irish Village, Mr Miyagi’s and El Chapo’s Tacos. You’ll get three Dhs50 vouchers to spend, so you can split between multiple venues ... Read more

Hycinth Hotels has taken a series of steps to ensure safety and security of its guests, in wake of the coronavirus transmission. Hygiene is the name of the game now, the hotel’s manager Santosh Kumar Sinha has said. “A super-hygiene culture needs to be set in place.” “We have got the ball rolling with apt measures for swiftly addressing hygiene related concerns owing to the pandemic that the world is currently fighting,” he said. “Safe, secure and quality service like never before is our primary aim now and for the days to come.” The hotel has outlined the followed guidelines: ... Read more

On Friday afternoon, Kerala Tourism tweeted what seemed like an innocuous comment. The tweet read, “The loyal fans of the Malabar cuisine simply cannot keep their #handsoffporotta, lockdown or not. Share your favourite porotta recipes with us.” But soon, it became apparent that it had reference to a news report that frozen porotta attracts 18% Goods & Services Tax (GST) as opposed to the earlier 5%. To make matters worse, ready-to-eat rotis and chapathis did not see a rise in GST.  Malayalis erupted on Twitter, and #handsoffporotta became a viral hashtag. Kerala Tourism saw the rising wave and chipped in with ... Read more

Home sharing platform Airbnb India has said it will focus on domestic tourism and local experiences to revive business. The company said that Indian hosts earned over ₹190 crore in 2018 using its platform and it will continue to focus on providing them support during these tough times. Amanpreet Bajaj, country manager, Airbnb India, said that people in India are looking for staycations and holidays within 300 kms of their location preferably at secluded locations. “Travellers want control over the place they are staying in and they do not wish to share it with others,” he said. Since the pandemic began, ... Read more

To ensure that visitors feel safe while eating out, restaurants need to take several measures to make them feel comfortable and at ease, post lockdown. Towards this the Ministry of Tourism has laid out procedures to be followed by   restaurants and dining facilities in other accommodation units. Restaurants in containment zones shall remain closed. Only those outside containment zones will be allowed to open. Takeaways to be encouraged, instead of dine-In. Persons above 65 years of age, persons with comorbidities, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years are advised to stay at home, except for essential and ... Read more

Sagara Beach Resort, Kovalam, will be open to guests from today. The popular beach resort was closed in line with the directions from the government, in order to control the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Sagara’s managing director, R Sisupalan, said it was meaningless to shut business activities for a long time. “So, we have decided to move slowly. We will promote ayurveda to boost immunity of our guests,” he said. Sagara Beach Resort is adjacent to the Light House at the southern end of Kovalam Beach. It overlooks and shares the Light House beach, the southernmost and most popular ... Read more

Given the current COVID-19 outbreak, it is important that all hotels, restaurants and other hospitality units take suitable measures to restrict any further transmission of the virus while providing accommodation and other tourist services post lockdown, the Ministry of Tourism has said. The guidelines aim to minimise all possible physical contacts between a staff and guests and maintain social distancing and other preventive and safety measures against COVID-19. It also tries to make the traceability of the guests easier, in case a situation in future warrants so. These guidelines will apply to Bed and Breakfast (B&B), Homestay and Farmstay units. ... Read more

Abad Hotels & Resorts will restart its properties across Kerala from today, after the government decided to lift lockdown restrictions to revive the economy. Abad, one of the best-known hospitality groups in Kerala, has properties in Kochi, Munnar, Marari Beach, Wayanad, Kumarakom, Thekkady, Kovalam and Alleppey. “Keeping pace with the present times, we have revised and enhanced our standard operating procedure to provide greater care to guests,” Abad Hotels & Resorts stated in its note, while announcing the reopening of its units. ·     Temperature check on arrival for all residential and non- residential guests. ·     Safe status on Arogya setu app as ... Read more

Sinclairs Hotels on Monday reopened its Siliguri property, a few days after restarting operations at Sinclairs Burdwan. The hotel has been opened in line with protocols laid down by the authorities, the hospitality group stated in a press release. Located at the Pradhannagar area, Sinclairs Siliguri is an expansive property spread over a campus of around 3 acres with a large lawn, a huge terrace and ample open spaces. It has taken extensive steps in sanitizing the entire property and setting up safety protocols to ensure that all norms with regard to touch-free check in and check out as well ... Read more

The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) has recommended that hotels should appoint a special officer nominated among managers, who will be responsible for Covid-19 response planning and implementation. In its reopening manual, addressed to all registered hotels and resorts in the country, FHRAI said the special officer will be the contact point for Covid-19 emergencies, having decision making powers as required. The officer has to be supported by the operations head, quality control, HR and a medical officer connected with the property. All hotels and resorts have to replace finger touch biometrics with alternatives, sanitise luggage ... Read more

ITC Hotels has launched Lavanderia, a contact-light laundry service, now available to customers in various metros across India. The initiative offers strict monitoring of safety and hygiene norms at each step. The service allows customers to hand over the items at a designated point at the hotel. The laundry would be ready for pick up by the customer within 24 hours, where the customer would be intimated via a message which would include a payment link to enable contactless payment. The entire process remains contact-light with safe distancing at every point. Anil Chadha, COO, ITC Hotels said, “We endeavour to ... Read more

CGH Earth, one of the most renowned hospitality groups in Kerala, has decided to reopen its resorts and hotels from June 9. Its diverse set of properties like Coconut Lagoon, Kumarakom; Marari Beach, Mararikulam; Brunton Boatyard, Fort Kochi; Spice Village, Thekkady; Chittoor Kottaram, Ernakulam and Casino Hotel, Kochi will reopen on that date. India has decided to allow hotels to open gradually, after easing lockdown restrictions across the country. The government has asked hotels and restaurant owners to encourage contactless mode of operations and offer digital payments, while maintaining social distancing guidelines. CGH’s announcement came with the marketing line ‘What ... Read more

Hotel bookings in China have returned to about 50% of pre-Covid levels, while airlines resumed operations at more than half of their capacity. China has decided to extend the exemption of value-added taxes for the tourism industry until the end of the year, thereby aiding the speedy recovery of the sector, as part of its efforts to shore up consumption. The epidemic plunged hotel occupancy rates to single digits in February, but the numbers have since bounced back to around 50%, based on information from operators and industry experts. Midmarket hotels are faring better than both high-end and low-end properties. ... Read more

The Health Ministry has come up with a new set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ease the nation into what is being called ‘Unlock 1.0’. The SOPs for restaurants, workplaces, shopping malls, religious places and hotels have been rolled out to restrict any further transmission of the coronavirus. According to the SOPs for restaurants, takeaways should be encouraged, instead of dine-in. Food delivery personnel should leave the packet at the customer’s door. Direct handover of the food packet to the customer will not be allowed. Hotels should advise guests to use room service, for dining purposes. “The staff for ... Read more

Hubloft Vacation Rentals has introduced a ‘Roadmap to Recovery’ initiative, under which it is implementing strict cleaning practices and guidelines before reopening. SOPs have been laid out for staff while dealing with guests on all its properties. The guidance will include specific instructions on best practices such as contactless check-in, mandatory use of face masks while in contact with guests and enhanced cleaning standards. “As we work to reopen, we want to assure travellers that our homes will be cleaner and safer than ever before when they are ready to travel again,” says Raiyaan Nayeem. “In order to build confidence ... Read more