Category: Hotels

The hospitality sector has to focus on survival first. When the pandemic subsides, Kerala can evolve a marketing campaign around how well the state has tackled the health crisis, thus boosting the confidence of the tourists. Of course, as a tourism destination there is still a lot to learn and improve. Waste management is one such area, says Riaz Ahmed, industry veteran and managing director of Abad Hotels & Resorts. With regard to Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) 2020, he said no decision has been reached. If it gets postponed, it may be good to hold it in mid 2021, he ... Read more

Kerala needs to promote itself as the safest and most hygienic tourism destination in India. Some tourists may see Kerala just as any other Indian state, but we should show them the distinction, says Rupert Evers and Olga Ostapenko, Operators of Marari Villas, Alleppey. Excerpts from an interview: Q: What will be the future of travel and tourism after Coronavirus? After the coronavirus episode we may see a completely uncertain world. International travel may be obliterated until a vaccine is developed and that will take at least 12-18 months, plus time for distribution and administration of a vaccine to the ... Read more

The corona virus pandemic will change the tourism sector forever. It will change the way the sector will do its business, maintain its hygiene and treats its guests. In an interview, Hycinth Hotels Manager S K Sinha says considerable damage has been done to the morale of the employees and that’s probably more difficult to measure than the actual loss in monetary terms. Excerpts: Q: The hospitality industry is going through probably its worst ever phase in history. Did you think that the crisis would end up having such a devastating effect on the industry? A: Definitely no. This pandemic ... Read more

Legoland New York Resort and parent company Merlin Entertainments regret to announce the postponement of its new resort launch until 2021. The measure is consistent with the closure of venues and postponement of events worldwide, due to the corona pandemic. “Nothing is more important to us than the health, safety and security of our team, the partners we work with, and the communities we serve,” said Legoland New York Resort Divisional Director Stephanie Johnson. “We are in an unprecedented situation that has affected businesses worldwide. By opening Legoland New York Resort in 2021 we are building an attraction that not ... Read more

Prominent entertainment firms have partnered with Crystal Lagoons, to come up with 16 projects across the United States, known as Crystal Lagoons Island Resorts. The first project will be in Arizona. Crystal Lagoons is a multinational company with its US headquarters in Miami and offices in Dallas and Los Angeles, that has developed an innovative concept and technology, patented in 190 countries, allowing for the construction and maintenance of unlimited size of water bodies in crystalline conditions at low cost. The development will unite Universal Music Group, the world’s leading record label; Epic, the multinational entertainment company; Point Cloud, the ... Read more

Firstly, the coronavirus outbreak is a human tragedy, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. It is also having a growing impact on the global economy and the impact would depend on how long the epidemic lasts. Travel and tourism industry has been hit economically due to outbreak of coronavirus with many prospective domestic and foreign tourists cancelling their travel plans. This global pandemic has prompted the Indian government to impose increasingly tough restrictions on travel resulting in further drop in hotel occupancies since the imposition of the ban. Here I would like to emphasize on a few points how the ... Read more

The widespread impact of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, has created an unprecedented situation in the travel and tourism industry. As countries that comprise primary source markets for the Caribbean have closed their borders to protect their citizens, flights into Jamaica have come to a halt. In light of this, and in concert with global efforts to control the spread of COVID-19, The Holiday Inn Resort Montego Bay will close till May 31, 2020. Managing Director Kevin Hendrickson issued the following statement elaborating on the temporary closure. “Our dedicated team will be contacting all guests with existing reservations to ... Read more

Hilton’s new Singapore property is all set to become the hospitality major’s Asia-Pacific flagship. The new hotel is expected to be ready by early 2022, and will have over 1,000 rooms, five restaurants and bars and suites. Located in the middle of the Orchard Road shopping strip, the Hilton Singapore Orchard is in fact a $90 million make-over of the Mandarin Orchard Singapore. An extensive refurbishment will precede the rebranding, which will be underpinned by new meeting facilities to meet growing demand for regional and global conferences, including three ballrooms. Work is scheduled to begin by mid-year, as the current ... Read more

The tourism sector is about to undergo a transformation. There is bound to be significant restructuring especially in the hospitality sector and wage correction is expected at the top managerial levels. In an exclusive interview, Sajan Joseph, CEO and Co – Founder at BreakOut Hotels tells us the importance of keeping cash reserves. Liquidity is so important to tide over such a crisis, he feels. Excerpts: Q: The hospitality industry is going through probably its worst ever phase in history. Did you think that the crisis would end up having such a devastating effect on the industry? A: Who would ... Read more

The hospitality sector has been ravaged by the corona virus pandemic, with booking cancellations at a record high. In an interview while detailing the impact that the outbreak is having on the sector, UDS Hotels CEO Dr.Raja Gopaal Iyer says it’s important for hotels to control the costs going forward. Iyer says the strategy should be to depend more on technology and reduce manpower costs. Excerpts: Q: The hospitality industry is going through probably its worst ever phase in history. Did you think that the crisis would end up having such a devastating effect on the industry? A: I am ... Read more

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and ESJ Resort LLC has announced the signing of an agreement for the former to assume the management of El San Juan Hotel, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The property will join the globally renowned Fairmont portfolio of luxury hotels, as Fairmont El San Juan Hotel. “El San Juan Hotel is proud to welcome the global hospitality group Accor and its luxury Fairmont brand to Puerto Rico. Both El San Juan and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts share a distinguished international reputation and unparalleled history of service excellence. In joining together these iconic brands, we look forward ... Read more

Marriott International has announced an agreement to debut The Ritz-Carlton brand in the Maldives, with a 100-villa resort amid white sandy beaches. The property, to be called The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, is slated to open late 2020. The company signed the agreement with CPRC (Maldives) Private Limited, a member of Singapore-based Pontiac Land Group (“Pontiac Land”), which is developing the resort. “We are pleased to collaborate with Pontiac Land in bringing the Ritz-Carlton brand to one of the world’s most famous travel destinations,” said Paul Foskey, Chief Development Officer, Asia Pacific, Marriott International. “The development of The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, ... Read more

Hyatt Hotels has announced furloughs and pay cuts as the hotel industry reels from the corona virus pandemic. Hyatt on Wednesday said the pay cuts would affect all of its employees from April 1 through May 31. The company did not provide details on the amount of the pay cuts. The company will also impose temporary furloughs or significantly cut the schedules of two-thirds of its U.S. corporate employees. The chain had about 55,000 employees at the end of 2019, according to its annual report. Given the financial impact on our business, we have had to make difficult decisions that ... Read more

Indian-American hoteliers have come to the rescue of Indian students in the US. Many Indian students are left stranded following lockdown measures in the country, following the coronavirus pandemic. The hoteliers are providing a great help to these students by offering them free accommodation and meals. Many of the students have been asked to vacate their hostels and with India banning international flights for a week from March 22, more than 6,000 rooms in nearly 700 hotels were offered to them by Wednesday following a call from the Indian Embassy. The Indian Embassy have been running a round-the-clock helpline since ... Read more

Furloughed Hilton employees in the US will be given direct access to an online resource centre and expedited hiring processes at other companies. The global hotel chain has been forced to suspend services across US due to the corona virus pandemic. The company has approximately 60,000 direct employees in its corporate offices and hotels in US and 200,000 more through franchise hotels. While in furlough, employees continue to receive health benefits from Hilton and also get to apply for unemployment benefits. With the joint initiative to find temporary workers for its furloughed employees, the company hopes that its workers will ... Read more