Hotels

Sarovar Hotels bets big on highway properties; 80 projects in pipeline

Hospitality firm Sarovar Hotels is broadening focus towards highway hotels and resorts close to major cities, capitalising on the country's rapidly expanding roads network, a top official said. The hotel chain has 80 projects in the pipeline over the next few years as part of its expansion plan, he said. "Highway hotels and resort-concept properties close to cities, within three-four hour journey, are a new high-growth segment for hospitality, at a time when competition is getting intense in urban centres," Sarovar Hotels Chairman Ajay K Bakaya told PTI in an interview. He said this strategic shift aligns with the ongoing road infrastructure development in the country. Enhanced connectivity is opening up opportunities for leisure and business travel, creating demand for accessible and convenient accommodation options, he said. "We haven't seen such development of highways in the past. Around 10,000 km of national highways are being constructed annually, which is remarkable. It is

25% discount on GMVN hotels for tourists in winter season, says CM Dhami

The Chief Minister directed the officials to promote the winter tourist destinations and other hidden destinations in the state

Indian mid-segment hotels enjoy competitive edge against int'l peers

Flexible contracts with suppliers and access to cost-effective cloud solutions are giving home-grown mid-segment hotel brands a competitive edge against international counterparts in India, according to a whitepaper by cloud-based hospitality technology solutions provider Hotelogix. According to the whitepaper, home-grown mid-market brands with small inventory can experience rapid growth in tier II, III, and IV cities, as it is exceedingly challenging for international brands to establish operational capabilities in those areas where 80-85 per cent of demand is domestic. India's home-grown mid-segment hotel brands control about 60 per cent of the total branded rooms available in the country, it mentioned. These domestic mid-market brands have also begun exploring management contracts and franchise models as a growth strategy, providing a significant competitive advantage over international chains, it said. Being Indian brands, they understand local people, culture, and tradition ..

Sealing of illegal hotel borewells in Delhi continues, authorities tell NGT

Authorities in Delhi have informed the National Green Tribunal that the drive to seal illegal borewells across hotels and guesthouses in the national capital's Paharganj area would continue. The green panel had sought reports from the authorities, including the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and the district magistrate of central Delhi, on illegal extraction of groundwater by 536 hotels or guesthouses in the area. Last month, while hearing the matter, the tribunal noted the stand of the authorities concerned that the hotels and guesthouses were operating after informing about their borewells under a Voluntary Disclosure Scheme (VDS). "Prima facie it appears that some kind of scam is going on where, though no VDS is available with the authorities, no authority knows who had framed the VDS and no one has a copy of the VDS. Yet, the authorities are extending the concessions based on VDS. We expect the chief secretary of the GNCTD (Government of the ...

Personalised, pricey and memorable: The cost of a 2024 Indian wedding

Couples must plan early to save expenses on decor, venue and menu

Strategic Partnership: Fine Acers Group and Wyndham Launch New Hotels in Dubai and India

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Novotel Guwahati inducts EVs in its fleet to reduce carbon footprint

Luxury hotel chain Novotel on Thursday said it has introduced a range of electric vehicles in its fleet to reduce carbon footprint, the first such move by any hospitality group in Northeast. Announcing the development, the company in a statement said that it will double the fleet of electric vehicles at its Guwahati property in the coming months. "Marking first of its own kind initiative by any 5-star property in Northeast India, Novotel Guwahati recently introduced two electric cars, marking a significant step in their commitment to reducing carbon footprint and promoting eco-friendly transportation," it added. The move was a part of the company's ongoing sustainability initiative aimed at supporting both the environment and the local community, the release said. In the spirit of continuous improvement, Novotel plans to expand its EV fleet with two more electric vehicles in the near future, it added. Commenting on the development, Novotel Guwahati general manager Manmeet Singh sa

Radhika and Anant Ambani's pre-wedding turns BKC hotels into goldmines

Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's wedding: Rates at one of the hotel properties in Mumbai's business district Bandra-Kurla Complex have surged to Rs 91,350 per night on July 14

ITC shareholders approve demerger of hotel biz with 99.6% majority votes

ITC Hotels will compete as an independent entity with rivals such as Tata-owned Indian Hotels Company, which operates Taj Hotels, and EIH Associated Hotels, which manages the Oberoi brand of hotels

As spiritual tourism rises, hotels and resorts queue up to pay obeisance

As spiritual tourism rises, hotels and resorts queue up to pay obeisance with properties, aartis, meditation, and more

$1,780 to spend night in a 'cocoon'? Hotels now betting on sleep tourism

AI-assisted beds, on-call hypnotherapists are taking sleep tourism to the next level

Radisson to open second hotel in Ayodhya with EaseMyTrip, Jeewani Group

This comes just weeks after Radisson announced that it will make its debut in Ayodhya with Park Inn

IHCL aims to strengthen position in spiritual tourism, to add more hotels

Tata group hospitality firm Indian Hotels Company Ltd is looking to strengthen its leadership position in spiritual tourism, developing properties in noted locations in India with spirituality expected to play a more significant role globally, according to a top company official. The company currently has 66 hotels either operational or under development at spiritual destinations, including the latest hotspot Ayodhya, and will continue to grow the portfolio. "I think spiritual destination and spirituality is going to play a more significant role across the globe. Not just for us, but generally for the world population, a very important role and I'm glad to say that we are at the forefront of it," company Managing Director & CEO Puneet Chhatwal told PTI. On why the company sees a huge opportunity in the segment, Chhatwal said, "spiritual destinations are a safer bet because people in good or in bad times go to get the blessings of the Lord, whether it's any kind of good, bad, sad ..

Oberoi Realty ties up with Marriott to manage two new hotels in Mumbai

Oberoi Realty on Friday said it has entered into an agreement with Marriott International for the management of two new hotels in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). In a regulatory filing, the company informed that it has "entered into an agreement with Marriott International, aimed at enriching luxury living experiences in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region." The agreement marks the development of two Marriott properties -- 'JW Marriott Hotel Thane Garden City' and 'Mumbai Marriott Hotel Sky City' in Borivali, both set for completion in 2027-2028. Vikas Oberoi, Chairman & Managing Director, Oberoi Realty Limited, said, The JW Marriott Hotel Thane Garden City will be set in Oberoi Garden City, Thane, our integrated development spread across 75 acres which will also consist of luxury residences and world-class amenities." The Mumbai Marriott Hotel Sky City will be part of Sky City, its integrated living development, spread across 25 acres in Borivali East. The project also consists of .

Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels to ramp up portfolio to 4,603 keys in 5 years

The hospitality brand, which started its first hotel on Park Street in Kolkata, has about 30 hotels across 20 cities today - 7 are owned and 3 leased

Public to be allowed to use toilets in restaurants in Bengaluru: BBMP

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has in a status report submitted to the High Court put forth several measures being undertaken to help people access toilets in the city. These measures include allowing the toilets in 172 'Indira Canteen', which was meant only for the staff, for public use. The city civic body has also proposed permitting the general public to use toilets situated in public restaurants and hotels. The Special Commissioner (Health) and Chief Health Officer (Health) have been directed to take necessary steps and pass necessary orders/circulars in this regard. The BBMP will also be inviting tenders for construction of 100 toilets exclusively for women, called 'SHE' toilets. Alternatively, the BBMP has also proposed to construct such toilets on its own and allotted a budget of Rs 25.50 crore for it in the 2024-25 Budget. The status report was filed by the Chief Engineer, Solid Waste Management, BBMP following a HC direction in a public interest ...

Zubin Saxena succeeds Navjit Ahluwalia as Hilton's senior VP, country head

Zubin Saxena will take charge in January 2024; he was previously working at the Radisson Hotel Group for over eight years

ICC Men's Cricket WC final: Room tariff crosses Rs 1L, airfares soar 400%

This frenzy is having a domino effect on airfares and hotel bookings in the city, which are seeing a massive spike

Hotels to steel: India Inc unlocks subsidiaries' value with mergers, splits

Combined value of deals reaches $32.9 bn in Q3 CY2023, the highest quarterly total since Q2 CY2022

Commercial Taxes dept detects multiple QR code use by hotels to evade tax

The vigilance wing of the Commercial Taxes department unearthed some hoteliers who were using 30 QR codes to suppress actual turnovers and evade taxes. The search operation also led to the detection of Rs 1.47 crore cash from the residence of one of the proprietors. In a statement on Monday, the Commissioner of Commercial Taxes (Karnataka), C Shikha said the Vigilance wing conducted searches in Hoskote, Bengaluru Rural District and successfully unearthed the modus operandi used by some hoteliers wherein suppression of GST turnovers was detected. After conducting multiple surveys and reconnaissance, searches were made by a team of 50 officers at the business premises and residences of such hoteliers who were mainly engaged in supply of biriyani and other non-vegetarian items, she said. "The modus operandi is receiving payments by using numerous UPI accounts (in addition to cash) and constantly changing the UPI accounts, so that the actual turnovers are suppressed and taxes are evade