The Leela Palaces, Hotels And Resorts Announces Its Foray Into Northeast India With The Signing Of A 140 Room Hotel In Sikkim

Hyderabad, December 2023: The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, one of India’s leading luxury hotel brands, today announced the signing of a management agreement for a 140-room hotel in Ranka in Sikkim, marking the foray of the brand into Northeast India. Owned by the SIBIN Group, the project Leela Sikkim is located approximately 10 kilometres from the capital city, on a 17-acre plot overlooking the Gangtok Hill. Slated to open in December 2026, The Leela Sikkim is set amidst the serene backdrop of the Himalayas and is poised to redefine the hospitality landscape of the region with its inspirational design, thoughtful programming and the brand’s renowned signature services.

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Anuraag Bhatnagar, Chief Executive Officer, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts said, “We are delighted to introduce The Leela brand into Northeast India with the project Leela Sikkim. Sikkim remains a pristine destination with the right blend of urbanization, rich cultural heritage and unexplored natural beauty. This expansion is in lockstep with the growing demand from the discerning global leisure traveller to experience meaningful and transformative journeys that are an authentic expression of a region’s natural beauty, heritage, cuisine, and culture.”

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Neel Chhetri, Proprietor, Sibin Group said, “I am excited to partner with The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts to bring this uber luxury brand to Sikkim. We are confident that with this partnership and the investments we are making, the project Leela Sikkim will soon emerge as one of the most sought-after leisure and wellness destinations in the country and will help us to showcase the hidden Himalayan treasure to the world.”

The Leela Sikkim will offer guests a tranquil and luxurious experience complete with a range of leisure and wellness facilities and thoughtfully curated services. The resort will feature 35 independent luxury villas including 20 wellness villas, 13 twin villas, and a 6-room double storey villa and 88 luxury rooms in a hotel block. A range of dining options with an all-day dining restaurant, a speciality restaurant, a wellness restaurant and a lounge bar will also be offered. Guests will also be able to enjoy a state-of-the-art wellness centre and a casino along with a host of other indoor and outdoor activities.

Announcing its foray into the Northeast, The Leela takes pride to introduce Sikkim – a mystical Himalayan destination to leisure travellers and is embracing the hill state with authenticity to provide unforgettable experiences for guests to savour the true culture, art, wellness, flavours and the natural beauty of this unexplored region. This expansion is a testament to the company’s strategy to grow in key leisure and resort destinations across the country.

Hotels, restaurants in Mumbai to ring in the new year at 10.30pm

Adapting to the new Covid-19 night curfew guidelines, city hotels and restaurants have decided that they will ring in 2021 an hour and half early at 10.30 PM.

The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) has asked its members hotels and restaurants in the State to gear up for early celebrations on New Year’s Eve. With the State announcing a curfew post 11 pm, hotels and restaurants have decided to ring in the New Year Eve celebrations an hour and half early. The HRAWI has opined that ending the year earlier is a fitting tribute to Hospitality Industry's never say die attitude and welcome the New Year filled with hope and promise. The Association has also stated that while the curfew will disrupt Hospitality industry’s plans, it appreciates the Government’s pre-emptive measures to allay any threat of the pandemic’s second wave.

“Like every year, Mumbai will have its celebrations this year too, albeit a little earlier. The Government is doing its best to help keep its citizens safe and we see the intent behind the decision. But if it’s celebrations that Mumbaikars want, we will give it to them while ensuring that all norms and safety measures are adhered to. This is probably even better as people will get to be at their homes at midnight to bring in the New Year with their families,” says Mr. Sherry Bhatia, President, HRAWI.

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Hotels, SaaS and ‘The Great Leap Forward’ - Gregg Wallis

VANCOUVER—Hotel Business spoke with Michael Driedger, cofounder of Operto Guest Technologies, who recently stepped down from his position as CEO, to get his take on how the COVID-19 has affected hotel technology, specifically software as a service (SaaS) offerings.

2020 has been the year in which everything changed for global business and the hospitality industry. Where do you think the opportunities lie for hotels to capitalize on the current situation and make progress into 2021?

 Hotels have a real chance to leapfrog over legacy technologies that were just “placeholders” for modern software as a service (SaaS) offerings. A good example of this is the hotel door lock that can be opened with a phone app. While that seemed great at the time, it only dropped front desk visits by less than 20%. The app was confusing and hard to use. Guests were perplexed by the process and needed education. Now there are smart locks that can be opened with a phone or a code. A code has a 99% success rate at allowing people to skip the lobby and get into their room.

Examples like this have happened alongside the emergence of multichannel and automated hotel booking software, which are better than anything from five years ago and constantly improving. Since these new SaaS companies are based on a monthly subscription, hotels are always going to have access to the newest and best—upgrading is no longer a large, fear-inducing project. Contactless and online experiences are going to be easier to offer and that’s really what guests have been wanting for some time.

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Avani+ Ho Tram Resort under construction in Vietnam

Avani Hotels & Resorts has announced the signing of the first Avani+ upscale resort in Vietnam - Avani+ Ho Tram Resort. The property is scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2023.

Currently, the brand has a total of three properties under construction in Ho Chi Minh City, Doc Let and Cam Ranh, as well as two hotels in operation in Hai Phong and Quy Nhon

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Ginger Hotels Announces The Signing Of Three New Hotels

Ginger Hotels announces the signing of three new hotels –two in Chennai and one in Patna –designed around the brand's lean luxe philosophy. The two Chennai properties will take the total number of Ginger hotels in the city to five, while the Patna property will be the brand's second hotel in the city.

Chennai and Patna are both high demand markets. With the addition of these hotels in different micro-markets, the Ginger brand deepens its market penetration in cities that are important commercial hubs of India

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Radisson Hotel Group Signs Pakistan’s First Internationally Branded Serviced Apartments

Radisson Hotel Group announced the signing of the Radisson Blu Serviced Apartments, Islamabad in Pakistan, the first internationally branded serviced apartments in the country

This marks the group's second hotel in Pakistan, accelerating its ambition to have 10 hotels and 2,000 rooms in operation and under development across the country by 2025.

The new-build hotel will form part of a mixed-use development, which includes offices and a retail mall

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Thai hospitality firm Dusit International announces re-entry into India

Thailand-based hospitality firm Dusit International has announced its return to India with a plan to open at least two Dusit-branded hotels per year 2021 onward in tier I and tier II cities.

The company will focus on markets such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru – as well as key leisure destinations such as Goa.

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Report finds 80 percent of hotel guests would rather check in remotely

New research has found only eight percent of guests would feel comfortable checking in and checking out via a reception desk, as consumer habits favour a more digital guest journey during a hotel stay.

Research conducted by UK-based Criton highlighted that 80 percent of guests would download an app that would enable them to check in and check out

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Jonathan Bowen Appointed General Manager At Ibis Bridgwater, United Kingdom

Cycas's first UK partnership with Accor, in May Jonathan Bowen, became General Manager of the Ibis Bridgwater (opening January 2021). Jonathan's combination of 15 years' hospitality experience across the South West of England, as well as a strong relationship with Accor, ensures he is well placed to successfully open Cycas's first property in the region early next year.

Philip Steiner Appointed General Manager At Moxy and Residence Inn by Marriott double-decker hotel in Slough, United Kingdom

From September Philip Steiner will take up the General Manager position for Cycas's upcoming Moxy and Residence Inn by Marriott double-decker hotel in Slough(Opening April 2021)

In recognition of his hotel operations expertise, in February 2020 he became the first-ever winner of HSMAI Europe's Young Talent of the Year Award.

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Deutsche Hospitality opens second InterCity Hotel in Oman

Germany hotelier firm Deutsche Hospitality has opened its second IntercityHotel-brand property in Oman, part of the group’s plans to expand across the Middle East.

The hotel features 120 keys, as well as a restaurant, a café, and a pool bar. Despite the ongoing challenges presented by the coronavirus, the group has managed to continue this mission with the recent Omani opening.

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Hotels, weekly markets to open in Delhi

Hotels have been allowed to re-open in Delhi, while weekly markets will be allowed to open on a trial basis in the nation’s capital. The decision was taken in a meeting of Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Wednesday. Gymnasiums though will continue to remain closed.

Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi govt had on 6 August sent a proposal to Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal for the reopening of hotels and re-opening of weekly markets on a trial basis in Delhi.

That was a week after the LG rejected the government’s proposal to allow the opening of hotels, gyms, and weekly markets under unlock-3.

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Loews Hotels Launches New Brand Campaign

Loews Hotels has launched “Welcoming You Like Family,” a dynamic multi-channel brand campaign, utilizing video, photography, digital-experience platforms, and on-property touchpoints.

The Welcoming-You-Like-Family brand message stemmed from a positioning exercise Loews Hotels conducted through internal-stakeholder interviews, external focus groups, and a multi-disciplinary internal workshop.

On property, the campaign is further reflected as part of the “new normal” with signage and touchpoints throughout hotels to guide guests through their stay.

For More Information Click Below:

www.hoteliermagazine.com/loews-hotels-launches-new-brand-campaign/

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) Announced New Signings in Vietnam

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced the signing of InterContinental Halong Bay Resort and InterContinental Residences Halong Bay with Ha Long Investment and Development Limited Company.

Slated to open in 2023, the project draws inspiration from its beachfront location in Halong Bay.

For More Information Click Below :

www.leading-hoteliers.com/post/intercontinental-hotels-group-ihg-today-announced-new-signings-in-vietnam

Meet The Entrepreneur Whose Ghost Kitchen For Hotels Just Raised $15 Million

When Premtim Gjonbalic was 23 years old and operating a restaurant, he saw the inefficiency in the hotel market in regard to the food offerings and the in-room dining experience. A son of Albanian immigrants from Montenegro who moved to New York in the early nineties, he grew up in the back of the kitchen. His father worked a myriad of restaurant related jobs before opening his first eatery, where Gjonbalic worked as a busboy, food delivery, and later a manager.

What Gjonbalic noticed was that hotels were actually losing money on room service, due to high labor costs and inconsistent order volumes, yet they needed these amenities as they qualified them additional stars.

“They were losing money because there was no benefit to scale for them. You had a 150 room hotel that had a full staff, 7 days a week, 3 shifts a day, selling a product that is disposable,” Gjonbalic says. “They had created a monster that where it was not advantageous to not have because they could not sell corporate groups with inclusive breakfast, and if they did have it, they were losing a lot of money.”

The company operates from four such hotel restaurants in New York, delivering food and other room service amenities to 119 hotels and a total of over 30,000 rooms. Among its clients, Butler Hospitality counts hotels like Hilton, Marriott, Hampton Inn, and Holiday Inn.

Gjonbalic says that the company has doubled the room count it serves year over year, ending the year with 250 employees (all of whom are full-time). Butler Hospitality currently operates in New York City, but it is growing to three additional markets this year: Chicago, Miami and D.C.

The company operates as a B2B2C model, with hotel customers ordering directly through Butler, and the hotel collecting payments at the front desk through the folio. Butler Hospitality receives 90% of the revenue with 10% going to the respective hotel.

Though the investment comes at a difficult time for the hospitality and tourism industries as Covid-19 has had a decimating effect, Gjonbalic is hopeful that hotels and in-room service won’t lose their charm, as soon the industries recover. 

Following the initial $5 million seed round in 2018, the total amount of equity financing in the company has grown to just over $20 million. 

“Hotel guests were stuck ordering club sandwiches and chicken tenders because they thought the hotel service would take too long and would be very expensive,” Gjonbalic says. “I thought that was unfortunate because in-room dining should be this indulgence feeling. We wanted to make it feel like magic, which is what a hotel is.”

Sleep Under The Stars With Switzerland’s Stellar New Hotel Concept

In an effort to draw visitors to less-known regions throughout the summer, Switzerland Tourism has launched the brand new accommodation concept, Million Stars Hotel.

Accommodation options, designed for two, range between a cozy hotel room in a mountain gondola to a tented treetop stay and rooftop set-up in Zurich.

For More Details Click Below :

www.forbes.com/sites/laurenjadehill/2020/07/07/sleep-under-the-stars-with-switzerlands-stellar-new-hotel-concept/#592b22e8159b

Hyatt sets opening dates for new Buckhead, Savannah Hotels

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced it plans to open new properties in Buckhead and Savannah next year. The properties, Thompson Buckhead and Thompson Savannah are the first of the brand to enter the Georgia market.

Thompson Savannah is also being developed by Regent Partners and is scheduled to open in the summer of 2021 with 193 rooms. 

The new hotels continue Thompson’s expansion into the south with hotels under development in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin, Texas.

For More Information Click Below:

www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2020/07/07/hyatt-hotels-buckhead-savannah.html

Fine Dine restaurants urge govt to revisit alcohol ban; most to stay shut till ban is lifted

Leading fine dining restaurants and cafes including Social, Smoke House Deli, Town Hall, Olive, The Beer Cafe and Lord of the Drinks, which have opted to keep the majority of their outlets shut even one month after lockdown curbs were eased
While announcing Unlock guidelines, the government had issued standard operating procedures for restaurants including reducing the seating capacity to half, ensuring social distancing, and restricting serving liquor.

Industry estimates say the restaurant sector risks losing about two million jobs, with many brands having to deal with permanent closure.

For More Information Click Below:

economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/hotels-/-restaurants/fine-dine-restaurants-urge-govt-to-revisit-alcohol-ban-most-to-stay-shut-till-ban-is-lifted/articleshow/76837658.cms

Distressed deals in hospitality biz on the rise

Owners of hotels and resorts are dialling real estate consultants in desperate efforts to sell their properties amid the demand destruction in the tourism and hospitality industry from the coronavirus pandemic.

These properties, which have gone on sale in the past two months, are valued between ₹50 crores and ₹500 crores each and include some of the top domestic and international hospitality brands.

For More Information Click Below:

www.livemint.com/companies/news/distressed-deals-in-hospitality-biz-on-the-rise-11594254376840.html

Mandarin Oriental Announces New Hotel and Residences in Vienna to Open in Late 2023

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced that it will manage a luxury hotel and branded residences in Vienna, Austria that is scheduled to open in late 2023.

The 17 Residences at Mandarin Oriental will be located on the top two floors of the building and will have private access to the roof, with several of the apartments offering outdoor terraces and stunning citywide views.

The project is owned by Brisen Group, headquartered in Geneva. London based designers, Goddard Littlefair, have been appointed to create the hotel and residence interiors.

For More Information Click Below:

www.hotelnewsresource.com/article111462.html