PROMOTIONS | Experience More When You Pay For Your Luxuriating Stay at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar this August

You Stay, We Pay

Experience More When You Pay For Your Luxuriating Stay at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar this August 

You Stay, We Pay

Experience More When You Pay For Your Luxuriating Stay at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar this August 

Mumbai, August 2021: This August, JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar, the city’s leading luxury business hotel, has crafted an exclusive staycation experience where a guest pays for his stay and receives 100 % of the booking amount as hotel credit. 

You Stay, We Pay is a unique staycation experience available across multiple room categories starting at INR 9,000 plus taxes, where a guest will receive a redeemable credit amount of the same value. The hotel credit can be redeemed against global dining options at our multi-cuisine restaurant, meal experiences via In-Room Dining, signature treatments at our award-winning 

Spa By JW and much more – The Experiences are Limitless.

For those looking to spend quality time with their loved ones, the exclusive offer allows you to savor mindful moments with a multitude of offerings, all under one roof. Families and couples can check in for a luxurious stay to unwind and rediscover moments of togetherness, allowing guests to experience a multitude of offerings. With the need to unwind and replenish the mind, the stay offer is all about providing multiple experiences in the safe confines of our luxuriating accommodation. So all you need to do is, Check-in!

The well-being of patrons has always been of paramount importance. Taking this practice a notch higher, the hotel is providing a heightened sense of safety and hygiene through a branded program devised by Marriott International – “Commitment to Clean”. The program covers a guest’s journey from arrival to departure ensuring safety at every stage. A dedicated cleanliness champion along with supervisors across all departments are appointed to ensure clinical level of cleanliness and hygiene across all 222 touch points in the hotel. Mandatory body temperature checks, contact-less check ins and payment options, regular disinfecting of frequent touch points, maintaining social distancing and providing menus, guest service directories etc digitally by displaying a QR code on the television screen are some key highlights of the Commitment to Clean program.

A Snapshot of You Stay We Pay Stay Offer

• Offer valid up till 30th September, 2021

• A guest will pay INR 9000* for 1 night stay and will receive redeemable credit of INR 9000.

• The guest can redeem these credits against Food and Beverage, Spa, Mini Bar and much more

• For more details , visit https://bit.ly/3jFYJwX or call 022 6882 8888

Terms & Conditions:

• The rate includes room only

• Credit to be used within the same stay

• Credit is of no cash value and is non-transferrable

• Cannot be redeemed against accommodation

• Certain hotel facilities will require prior appointment

• Extra person charge applicable

• Offer bookable and valid up till 31st August, 2021

About JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar

JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar offers effortless elegance and sophistication. Located 1 km away from the ChhatrapatiShivaji International Airport Mumbai, the luxury hotel makes for an ideal destination for business and stay. With 588 spacious rooms, including 39 suites, the property offers authentic cuisine crafted with passion, care and local flavors. The property offers indoor and outdoor convention space, 11 well-appointed meeting rooms with state-of-the-art conferencing facilities. Spa by JW, the first of its kind in Asia Pacific, extends its host of therapies so one can experience holistic wellness. Visit us online onwww.jwmumbai.com. For social media updates, follow us onFacebook,Instagram andTwitter on @JWSahar. For more information, follow us onLinkedIn,YouTube,Google Plus. 

About Marriott International

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of more than 7,500 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 132 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy™, its highly-awarded travel program. For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on Twitter and Instagram.



NEWS | Diggi Palace to up its F&B game

As a heritage hotel that has forever taken pride in promoting the culture and literature of the state, Diggi Palace has become synonymous with some of the most celebrated festivals across the city. Being the flagship brand for partnering with the Jaipur Literature Fest, the hotel has carved a niche for itself amidst Jaipur and even nationally and internationally. However, it is to be regarded that Diggi Palace has been an active collaborator with varied organizations from diverse verticals to endorse, partner, and host some of the most unique and celebrated festivals in the Pink City.

Not just the Jaipur Literature Fest, but the palace has been hosting the SAARC Sufi festival held in Jaipur for the last four years. “We have also been the proud partners for the Heritage Fashion Week of Rajasthan for the past three years among other events. Over the years, the Jaipur Literature Fest has come to garner massive media attention, thus propelling it into becoming one of the most celebrated events of Diggi Palace. However, the heritage hotel has over the years collaborated and shall continue to do so with events that are as much unique, celebrated, and diverse as the JLF festivals,” Rudra Diggi, Owner, Hotel Diggi Palace commented.

Diggi informed us that the revival of tourism is happening steadily. At the beginning of the pandemic, the hospitality industry was greatly influenced and affected by international travel limitations. But now we are witnessing a surge in the national tourism sector. “We have had an influx of national tourists who are keen to experience and rediscover the city and the regality of Rajasthan in the absence of international travel opportunities, with weekend escapades from the city bustle in the lap of heritage and timeless hospitality at Diggi Palace,” he said.

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New Opening | Ramada by Wyndham announces opening in Sonipat

The proposed hotel will be located on National Highway 44, connecting Delhi to the North India states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

M/S Monika Associates Private Limited, a real estate and hotel development company based out of Delhi announced the signing of a franchise agreement with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts for new hotel development in Sonipat, Haryana under the Ramada by Wyndham brand.

The proposed hotel will be located on National Highway 44, connecting Delhi to the North India states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The location of this new property will offer guests great accessibility and connectivity.

Sonipat is a city and a municipal council in the state of Haryana, India. It comes under the National Capital Region and is around 44 kilometres from Delhi and 214 km from Chandigarh. Sonipat is a major industrial area with one of the largest bicycle-manufacturing centres in the country. It is a hub to the top educational institutions in the country including Ashoka University, O.P Jindal Global University, B.R Ambedkar National Law University. Sonipat is also famous for its monsoon time sweet dish Ghevar, which has its roots of origin here.

The hotel, scheduled to open by July 2024, will have a modern façade and will feature 101 contemporary rooms including six suites, a lobby lounge, an all-day dining restaurant and bar, meeting and event spaces, a business centre, refreshing wellness areas and an outdoor swimming pool.

“We are pleased to franchise our existing hotel with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts under their popular Ramada by Wyndham brand and become part of its rapidly expanding hotel portfolio in India and particularly in the state of Haryana. We are working closely with Wyndham to build the hotel to high international standards and look forward to welcoming the guests to our hotel.” said Krishan Kumar Wadhwa & Vikram Wadhwa, Director, M/s Monika Associates.

Business | Curefoods raises $13M from Iron Pillar, Nordstar, and Binny Bansal

Ankit Nagori

Curefoods has been acquiring and incubating multiple cloud kitchen brands in the last few months. The fresh influx of funds will be used to acquire many more digital food brands across geographies.

Curefoods, the spin off food tech brand founded by Ankit Nagori in 2020, which operates brands like Eatfit, Yumlane, Aligarh House Biryani, and Masalabox, has raised $13 million funding led by Iron Pillar, Nordstar, and Binny Bansal. Leading angels Adil Allana, Rashmi Kwatra, Lydia Jett, and Kunal Shah also participated in the round, according to a statement.

The company has been acquiring and incubating multiple cloud kitchen brands in the last few months. The fresh influx of funds will be used to acquire many more digital food brands across geographies. Moreover, Curefoods will look to expand its cloud kitchen footprint across multiple cities and build backend technology to manage its multi-brand, multi-city kitchens footprint.

With this fundraise, the total funding raised by the company is at $20 million between Seed and Series A. Curefoods is also looking to close a $10 million debt raise in the coming weeks. According to Ankit, the team now wants to expand from four cities to eight cities in South India in 12 months, and they want to acquire five more brands in the next 12 months.

In a conversation with YourStory, Ankit said, "The pandemic has transformed the way people eat and order food online. Some people did it for convenience and some people for entertainment. This made us believe that there is no one-size-fits-all. While we have been successful with Eatfit with a certain kind of audience at a certain time, we couldn't cater for entertainment of group order. We wanted to have a multi-brand approach that catered to different needs of the audiences."

He added that there are few Indian cloud-kitchen brands that are in the top 10 ordering choices of the consumer across the country, and the regional brands are part of the top 10 brands regionally. "This means the local regional brands haven't had velocity to reach a national level. So we thought to onboard local well-known cloud kitchen brands, which are digital brands, with Curefoods.

News | Weekend curfew in Karnataka districts cripples tourism industry

These districts have some of the most popular tourist destinations in the state, but local administrations have stifled businesses with micro-level restrictions.

It has been a rough 18 months for the multicrore tourism industry in Karnataka, with the pandemic wreaking havoc on the sector. And, just when economic revival appeared on the anvil, the state government has imposed weekend curfew in districts that adjoin Kerala and Maharashtra. These districts have some of the most popular tourist destinations in the state, but local administrations have stifled businesses with micro-level restrictions.

Officials suggest curbs in eight districts — Kodagu, Mysuru, Dakshina Kannada, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bidar, Chikkamagaluru, and Kalaburagi — has resulted in a loss of about 35% revenue for government tourism agencies while leaving 85% of private operators and tourism-dependent resorts and travel agents out of business.

The industry directly or indirectly employs over 30 lakh people, and stakeholders have cried foul over the government’s ‘unscientific’ restrictions. They say while the inflow of foreign tourists and even those from other states has virtually dried up, those within the state – people from Bengaluru especially – are reluctant to travel because of weekend and night curfew.

Take the case of Girish Mattennvar. An entrepreneur, who set up two homestays in Chikkamagaluru and Belagavi before the pandemic struck, Mattennvar is today struggling to stay afloat.

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News | Tech-savvy tourism system can be a strong base for revival: Jyoti Mayal

Jyoti Mayal

Sharing her views on the relevance of tour operators and travel agents, Jyoti Mayal, President, TAAI said digital transition and move to a tech-savvy tourism system can be a strong base to revive the sector and eventually the travel agents’ business.

The TAAI President addressing a webinar organized jointly by Uttar Pradesh Tourism, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and Manyawar Kanshiram Institute of Tourism Management (MKITM) said that travel agents will have much more relevance in the post-Covid-era.

“Travel agents apart from their regular service will be monitoring the health and hygiene of its clients. Safety will take over everything and commitment towards the wellbeing of travelers will be the priority of the agents. We at TAAI have been putting our best efforts to educate, train and equip agents to handle post-pandemic traffic,” she said.

Mayal also said that the tourism industry is a very resilient sector. “There is a need to reinvent, restructure and reboot ourselves. Travel agents are looking at creating niche markets and I believe the focus on sustainable; rural and adventure tourism will be important. Promoting domestic products is the biggest sustainable model in the current times. We would need to move forward, travel agents will always be needed to navigate this strange new world of airlines, hotels, rental cars, and logistics but in a different format,” she said.

According to the TAAI President, the Indian travel trade needs a digital transition and should move to a tech-savvy tourism system which can be a strong base to revive the tourism sector and eventually the travel agents’ business. She said, “We need to tell travel agents to adopt relevant aspects beyond digitization, most importantly is positioning themselves as a specialist consultant. New advancements such as marketing on social media, skilling yourself and your employees, data analysis to know what your business is going to be in the future, form strategic alliances and most importantly, cash protection because, without liquidity, travel agents cannot sustain.”

Mayal further stated, “Coordinated actions across governments at all levels, private sector and the associations is very necessary to reignite the potential of the tourism sector. Industry status is very important to be able to become more effective, standardized, and Atma nirbhar. It is exactly what we at TAAI are doing – advocating for relevant policies and educating the travel business fraternity. We are continuously working to handhold our members, motivate them and see that they survive.”

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NEWS | UAE suspends visa-on-arrival for flyers from India

Abu Dhabi-based carrier Etihad Airways mentions that the visa-on-arrival has been temporarily suspended for passengers who are arriving from or have been in any of the high-risk countries, including India, in the past 14 days.

Almost a week after allowing visa-on-arrival facilities for Indian nationals with a visa or residence permit issued by the USA, United Kingdom or an EU Member State, the UAE has temporarily suspended the facility for flyers who have been in India in the past 14 days.

Abu Dhabi-based carrier Etihad Airways has updated its website with the latest regulation in which the categories exempted to fly to Abu Dhabi as their final destination include, a fully vaccinated resident of the UAE with proof of having received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine within the UAE no less than 14 days before travel. The others who are exempted include medical personnel, education sector workers or students studying in the UAE, those traveling for medical reasons, and federal government agency workers.

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Appointment | Hilton Jaipur Appoints Sandeep Sharma as Front Office Manager

Hilton Jaipur Appoints Sandeep Sharma as Front Office Manager

Hilton Jaipur announced appointment of Sandeep Sharma as Front Office Manager. Hilton Jaipur is owned by Fruitful Buildcon Pvt. Ltd.

Sandeep, Front Office Manager, Hilton Jaipur, said, “I am extremely delighted to be a part of Hilton family and foresee a sharp learning curve in my career graph. I will ensure stellar services in all aspects of guest relations & satisfaction, operations management and manpower planning.”

Sandeep brings 16 years of experience to his new role at Hilton Jaipur. In his former role at DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Bangalore, he was responsible for setting up & streamlining the front office processes leading to its successful improved rankings on Trip advisor and best-improved guest satisfaction scores in Hilton India. He was also nominated as Hospitality Champion for his contribution in handling operations during Covid.

Prior to Double Tree Suite by Hilton Bangalore, Sandeep was working with Hilton Shillim Retreat & Spa 2017-2019 & Jai Mahal Palace Jaipur 2011-2017- luxury flagship hotels of Hilton & Taj respectively. Sandeep received a Bachelor in Hospitality management from Institute of Hotel Management – Chandigarh.

Sandeep’s extensive hospitality and guest experience, makes him the perfect choice for his current position. He keenly looks forward to his new role, utilizing his expertise to elevate the property’s renowned reputation to greater heights.

Hilton News | These Three Hilton Destinations that Bring Theater Lovers Center Stage

In March 2020, more than 40 New York City Broadway theaters were forced to halt production due to COVID-19 restrictions. But starting this September, the Great White Way will once again light up with the talents of thousands of singers, dancers, and actors, as dozens of highly anticipated Broadway shows resume performances. 

The lineup of shows runs the gamut for theater lovers, with classics like West Side Story and Chicago, to award-winners like Hamilton and The Lion King, poised to take the stage.

Grab your tickets now—and make a night of it by stopping in for pre-show drinks or a night’s stay at one of these Hilton properties.

Visit Museums by Day, Shows by Night

Located in the heart of Manhattan, the all-suite, luxury Conrad New York Midtown offers discerning travelers a uniquely spacious and innately residential retreat. Conrad New York Midtown’s 54 floors encompass 562 luxury suites, striking views, a curated art program a 1,500 square foot fitness center and 6,000 square feet of flexible function space. Set on a quiet side street just steps away from Central Park, the hotel is surrounded by the best of New York City including Rockefeller Center, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Theater District.

Stay for a Show and a Handcrafted Cocktail in the Heart of Midtown

Located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, Hilton Garden Inn Times Square is minutes from Broadway, Central Park, Rockefeller Center and the Museum of Modern Art. It’s the perfect home base before the opening act or after the curtain closes in the theater district.

Enjoy Lunch & a Sunday Matinee

In Times Square, Hampton Inn by Hilton Manhattan/Times Square Central is just a short walk from Broadway musicals. While guests staying at the hotel can enjoy free breakfast and views of Midtown from the rooftop deck, it’s the hotel’s hospitality and service that’s worthy of a standing ovation.

Premium cocktails brand O’ Be Cocktails raises INR 3.5 cr angel funding to continue expansion

The investment raised in this round will fund O’ Be Cocktails’ core strategy of growing sales through retailers as well as continuing to increase its production of a new premium cocktail range.

Bengaluru-based RTD cocktail startup, O’ Be Cocktails announced raising its first round of investment led by First Cheque, Letsventure, Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati from Ola, Abhishek Goyal – Founder, Tracxn, and Sprout Investments. The investment raised in this round will fund O’ Be Cocktails’ core strategy of growing sales through retailers as well as continuing to increase its production of new premium cocktail range.

The global ready-to-drink cocktails market size is expected to reach USD 1775.1 million by 2028, registering a CAGR of 12% over the forecast period as per research and market global reports. According to another report published by Goldstein Market Intelligence, India is the third-largest alcoholic beverage market, after China and Russia, estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.4% during the forecast period of 2017-2030.

With most of the country under lockdown and restricted movement, RTD beverage sales spiked last year, and with an increase in consumers who prefer to drink their cocktails at home, O’ Be Cocktails identified a gap in the market for premium ready to drink cocktails that could be experienced anytime and anywhere.

Launched by Nitesh Prakash in 2020, O’Be Cocktails is focused on giving the consumers a memorable experience of cocktails that titillate all the senses even at the comfort of their homes. The product is unique as it reimagines cocktails in the context of cultured and tasteful Indian consumers who are now on the constant lookout for experiences that are modern, globally inspired and absolute.

“Everyone loves a cocktail, but not everyone has the know-how or means to make one at the comfort of their homes. The Indian alcohol market is still in very early stages of growth on per capita consumption and premiumisation. With O' Be Cocktails, we have seen tremendous response from consumers and an even greater amount of demand for RTD alcoholic beverages. Our aim is to become the pioneers of the ready to drink category growth with the right blend of product, brand and sales.” Says Nitesh Prakash, Founder and CEO of O’ Be Cocktails.

“The Indian Alcohol market is a huge, fast growing $35 billion market. We however haven’t seen much product innovation from the incumbents over the past few years despite newer categories like Ready-To-Drink cocktails gaining lots of ground internationally. We believe the time is ripe for ready-to-drink cocktails to take the Indian market by storm and we love the product and brand that Nitesh and team are building” said Kushal Bhagia, CEO, FirstCheque.vc

To cater to the ever-growing demand for “something new and fresh, alluring and exciting” from the been-there-done-that millennial customer, O’ Be Cocktails is focusing on premium drinks that are way off the cocktail charts. It offers crafted drinks such as O’ be Fab Cosmopolitan, O’ be lively LIIT and O’ be Zesty Mojito ranging across premium spirits. The brand is currently present in 200 premium stores and has recorded strong growth and consumer reception for the cocktails across Bangalore and Goa.

NEWS | Manu Chandra announces departure from Olive Group

The partner of the group company and founder of iconic Monkey Bar, Toast & Tonic and Fatty Bao brands broke the news on social media, and was followed by a statement issued by AD Singh, MD of the Olive Group of restaurants.

Chef Manu Chandra announced his departure from the Olive Group on social media on Monday, August 23, 2021.

Chandra, who was co-founder of Olive Cafes South Pvt. Ltd, along with Chetan Rampal and then partner of the group company in a long post on Instagram as well as Facebook entitled ‘So Long and Thanks for all the Baos’ announced his departure.

“To run a restaurant is a great honour and greater responsibility…And that has been mine for seventeen years as a chef at Olive Beach, and subsequently as a partner with the company. For this I shall always be deeply grateful. It is wrenching to walk away from the many spaces which I have built, and which have been home to these precious milestones in your life. And this departure is no less of a milestone in my journey as a chef,” Chandra wrote.

He went on to speak about the brands which he had built and created.

“Monkey Bar was India’s first gastropub which updated and reimagined traditional Indian flavours…Fatty Bao turned a setback—the shuttering of Likethatonly—into a learning that paved the way to a runaway success…Toast & Tonic led to the revival of gin, striking that rare balance between comfort and cool. Cancan upgraded the ubiquitous Chinese restaurant with great elan. We persisted, we survived, we excelled,” he said.

On what his plans were for the future, he simply said, “I step forward towards a bigger canvas and greater ambition—to finally bring to fruition cherished dreams and ideas that were set aside to focus on the daily grind.”

AD Singh, Managing Director, Olive Group of restaurants, also issued a statement on the departure.

“All good things must come to an end goes the adage. Though what it does is pave the way for fresh beginnings and new legacies. It is with sadness that we announce the moving on from the Olive Family, its two partners Chetan Rampal and Manu Chandra,” he said, adding that, “As we part ways amicably, we know that some relationships transcend mere employment, and remain grounded in the goodwill and camaraderie built over these past many years. We wish them the very best in whatever they pursue on their new journeys and am sure they will continue to delight and entertain you as they always have.”

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New Opening | Tossin Pizza opens four new outlets in four cities

These include four each in Gurgaon (Haryana), New Delhi and Mumbai (Maharashtra) and two in Noida (Uttar Pradesh) and one each at Pune (Maharashtra) and Hyderabad (Telangana).

Tossin Pizza has launched four new outlets in New Delhi, Noida, Pune, and Mumbai. With these launches, not only has the homegrown gourmet Pizza brand entered the Pune market, it has also further expanded its presence in New Delhi, Noida & Mumbai.

Tossin Pizza now has Sixteen (16) outlets in five (5) states in India. These include four each in Gurgaon (Haryana), New Delhi and Mumbai (Maharashtra) and two in Noida (Uttar Pradesh) and one each at Pune (Maharashtra) and Hyderabad (Telangana).

Commenting about the launch, Chef Rohit Narang, Co-founder, and the Head Chef at Tossin Pizza said, “In spite of the pandemic, our delivery model helped us survive. Our partners have reposed faith in us seeing the appreciation for our gourmet Pizza. We already have leadership in the Gourmet Pizza category in North India and will be seeking to expand to every city that loves its gourmet delicacies.”

“It is indeed great to see the love we have received over the years for Tossin Pizza. We have been able to work with a 100% workforce without any layoff. Moreover, our employees have readily been vaccinated to ensure safe delivery to our customers. We look forward to serving lip-smacking gourmet pizza and much more to our customers in the same passion and hope to spread joy by curating the ultimate pizza experience,” added Honey Mehta, Co-founder at Tossin Pizza.

“We will continue seeking new partners and focus on expanding our presence in in the Tier-I & Tier-II cities. We are looking at doubling our presence in the next three years” further added Chef Narang.

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NEWS | Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and Travel & Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) met the the Goa Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant to appeal for charter flights

The importance of restarting charter tourism in Goa cannot be understated. According to available information with the Goa Tourism department, in 2018-19, there were 813 charter flights bringing in more than 2 lakh tourists into the state. In 2020, that figure was somewhere in the region of 600 flights before the lockdown was announced.

Soon after a joint delegation of the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and Travel & Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) met the Goa Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant to appeal for him to begin working towards restarting international charter tourism to Goa—Sawant came out with a statement that the state would the state government will write to the Centre to take steps to revive tourism.

The chief minister said, “It (allowing charter flights) is in the purview of the Government of India (GoI) and until the GoI does not give the permission, we cannot start. Even earlier this request had been conveyed to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Tourism. This time also we will be writing for them (TTAG). Until now we have not taken any decision but there is a willingness now and there is no harm in thinking positively about this. They (TTAG) want it to be started by October, which is still two months away. They wanted time to prepare for this and in case the number of Covid-19 cases increases, we can cancel it (permission for charter flights),”

As the leading international leisure tourism destination of India, the delegation asked the Chief Minister to take immediate steps to restart charter services on a reciprocal basis from countries that have opened their borders for Indian citizens. They said that charter flights from destinations like Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, should be allowed to operate to Goa.

“With the full closure of international flights and visas since March 2020, many operators and stakeholders have closed offices and are facing severe financial constraints,” the delegation said.

The delegation demanded the opening of International tourist charters from October onwards so that foreign operators have time to market and prepare for the operations. This will also help to save this season from going to waste. In case there is a third wave of COVID-19, the cancellation can be made by September or October.

Since the Visas are suspended for international tourists, special charter tourist visas should be worked out which can be issued manually by the local embassies or temporary landing permits can be issued on arrival to tourists, as done in the past, the delegation said.

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Achievements | Managing Director of Atelier House Hospitality awarded UAE Golden visa

Making waves in the largely male-dominated industry, Mahendra runs a global hospitality enterprise in the Middle East and was awarded the Golden visa for her contributions and accomplishments to the UAE.

Panchali Mahendra, the Managing Director of Atelier House Hospitality has just been awarded the UAE Golden visa. Making waves in the largely male-dominated industry, Mahendra runs a global hospitality enterprise in the Middle East and was awarded the Golden visa for her contributions and accomplishments to the UAE.

In four years as Managing Director of Atelier House Hospitality, under the guidance of Founder and CEO Ahmass Fakahany, Panchali has brought the Michelin star restaurant Marea to Dubai, which has won its own local accolades and awards. She also conceptualized local home-grown brand Mohalla, which is a Dubai-based Indian restaurant brand set to open 10 new locations in Saudi Arabia.

“I am honored and grateful for the recognition and privilege in being awarded the 10-year golden visa. I am thankful to Federal Authority for Identity and Nationality and General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs- Dubai for recognizing my efforts,” she said. To be recognized based fully on my skills and contribution to the industry and achievement in such a competitive field is such an honor..”

Looking ahead, Atelier House Hospitality is also partnering on a new and exciting unique concept called 11 Woodfire, in collaboration with a celebrity chef, in the late fall of 2021

Mahendra was also featured in the Power 50 List as the only Indian woman to ever be featured and The Power Women list in 2020 and 2021.

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NEWS | Charcoal Eats raises Rs 1 cr from revenue financing major GetVantage

Food tech start-up Charcoal Eats has raised Rs 1 crore growth capital from revenue-based financing major GetVantage. The funding will be used to fuel expansion through new product launches and marketing in the coming months.

The revenue-based funding comes a few months after the Rs 16 crore equity funding round, which was witnessed in November last year. The round was led by Lokmat Investments and saw participation from other investors, including business leaders from the financial and FMCG sectors.

CharcoalEats FoodTech Pvt Ltd is a tech-enabled, direct-to-consumer venture that started operations in 2015 with 'Delivery-only' outlets with just 6 SKUs. Currently, it operates 32 outlets across three cities, with over 70 SKUs, serving over 45,000 orders - over 60,000 consumers - a month. It is present on leading food platforms, including Zomato and Swiggy.

GetVantage, meanwhile, has made over 150 investments in over 75+ digital-first brands across sectors while supporting many 'Made in India' brands like Charcoal Eats. The revenue-based financing major is aiming to fund more than 250 brands in the next 12 months. Mumbai-based GetVantage makes data-driven investments that range from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 2 crore to boost growth for digital brands.

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News | startup Bigspoon raises Rs 15 Cr in pre-Series A round

Bigspoon is a cloud kitchen startup with a focus on Tier-II destinations, and will this funding for growth initiatives.

On the funding received, Kapil Mathrani, CEO and Co-founder, Bigspoon said, “Our mission is to democratise fresh-prep food across Tier-II and III markets of India from its cloud kitchen platform, and minimise the delta between fine-dine and delivered-food experience.”

According to the CEO, Bigspoon caters to over 50,000 dinners every month. The startup has created a full-stack solution for cloud kitchens, with its own brands, Brand-as-a-Service, and Kitchen-as-a-Service verticals.

Vishal Pereira, MD, CreedCap Asia said, “Our partnership with Bigspoon is led by our mutual belief in Bigspoon’s Tier-II/III thesis. India-II is a 300-city market, and highly under-penetrated, which they have successfully focussed on and cracked. Secondly, the virtual food-court is a future-looking concept, capturing all food-ordering use cases.”

According to Bigspoon, the food tech market in India was valued at Rs 289.36 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach Rs 1,868.19 billion by 2025, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 39 percent during the 2021-2025 period.

Neelesh Bhatnagar, MD – NB VC, said, “We are excited to partner with Bigspoon, who are transforming the cloud kitchen landscape in Tier-II and III cities, with fresh-pier food and tech-led disruption in the F&B space. Our expertise in the Food-tech sector and their focus on a full-stack solution has great synergy.”

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Reopening | Naladhu Private Island Maldives to Relaunch in November Following Complete Renovation

Naladhu Private Island is due to relaunch in November with an impressive new look and feel, following a complete renovation during a six-month closure. The resort is undergoing a total redesign with the public areas and accommodation being renovated and the resort’s top suite, the Two Bedroom Pool Residence, reopening with its own 20 metre private beach. Located on the edge of a pristine lagoon in the South Malé Atoll, Naladhu Private Island is 30 minutes by luxury speedboat from Velana International Airport in Malé.

Home to just 20 ‘Houses’, Naladhu offers the ultimate in privacy and seclusion for the most discerning guests. The resort is being redesigned by New York based designer Yuji Yamazaki, with new sleeker furniture throughout and a lighter colour palette creating a modern colonial South East Asian style.  Yamazaki has focussed on maximising the number of spots around the houses where guests can have a moment of pause, ranging from ocean-side seating for breakfast to pre-dinner cocktails on the chaise longue overlooking the pool. The restaurant, bar, wine cellar and gym are among the public areas receiving a complete new look.   

The resort’s two categories of Houses, each with 300 sqm of living space, are surrounded by tropical vegetation and invite a total immersion in nature. The Beach House with Pool has direct access to the white sands and lagoon, whilst the Ocean House with Pool and Private Beach Cabana has a large terrace with panoramic ocean view, in addition to its own dedicated cabana, where guests can relax on their oversized day bed and enjoy drinks, snacks or lunch served by their butler, to be known as a Kuwaanu. Each House will be named after an indigenous Maldivian flower or plant that can be found on the island, with each chosen flora growing alongside in the House’s garden. 

The guest experience at Naladhu will be completely bespoke. The Kuwaanu, deriving from storyteller in Dhivehi the Maldivian language, will be at guests’ disposal 24 hours a day, both as their guide and to provide services ranging from unpacking or serving early morning coffee to organising a private island picnic.  The resort will also introduce some new experiences, including a snorkelling tour with the in-house marine biologist to see some of the 2,000 species of tropical fish and sea mammals and to understand more about the coral conservation programme. 

The jewel in the resort’s crown is the 600 sqm Two Bedroom Pool Residence. Sleeping up to six guests, this vast space guarantees both privacy and quality time with loved ones. The Residence benefits from both sunrise and sunset views, with its pool and large deck facing the ocean, along with loungers, al fresco dining area and a swing, and its new private beach offering direct access to the lagoon. 

The resort will be expanding its no-menu dine anywhere concept, enabling guests to choose their favourite dishes and dining spots round the clock - whether it’s in The Living Room with views over the lagoon, a Champagne floating breakfast in the pool or moonlight midnight snacks on the beach.  Led by new Peruvian Chef de Cuisine, Patricio Basombrio Cedano, the resort’s culinary team is experienced in cuisines from around the globe ranging from Arabic to Italian, French to Sri Lankan or Japanese to Indonesian.   

As part of the sustainability programme, Naladhu has started working with Parley Air to reduce marine plastic pollution and recycle plastic waste, plus all single use plastic has been banned on the island. Educating guests about the Maldives’ ecosystem and locale will also be a high priority when the resort reopens, including guided walks of the island to learn about the flora and fauna and private sessions with the marine biologist focused on the ocean and coral. In addition, the resort’s furniture from pre-renovation has been donated to the Maldives’ only hospital for mental health. 

Naladhu Private Island will be renewing its focus on wellness with a new dedicated spa treatment area including a double treatment room with a bathing and changing area. A Naturopath and Nutritional Therapist will also be resident on the island. Guests will be offered the opportunity to focus on their nutrition to help overcome stress, sleep issues and unhealthy eating patterns as well as their digestion, immunity, weight management, hormones, skin and blood sugar balance.   

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NEWS | Reliance Hotel Group Aquires Two Premier Hotels in the Pittsburgh Area: Doubletree by Hilton Monroeville and Doubletree by Hilton Green Tree

Reliance Hotel Group announced the addition of the Doubletree by Hilton Pittsburgh Monroeville and Doubletree by Hilton Pittsburgh Green Tree to its collection of U.S. properties. The two prestigious properties become the companies first hotels in the Pittsburgh market. Reliance Hotel Group is thrilled to partner and elevate both properties along with the hotel’s ownership group FCI Investments. Nick Agostinelli, President RHG “Growing and developing properties along with the support of powerful ownership groups like FCI is our objective. We pride ourselves in bringing the vision of our experienced team to each property and inspiring every employee to excel.

Conveniently situated in the historic Borough of Green Tree and just 4 miles from downtown Pittsburgh the Doubletree by Hilton Pittsburgh-Green Tree features 460 guestrooms and 28 meeting rooms totaling 40,586 square feet of meeting space. The largest meeting room, the Green Tree Ballroom, is 9420 square feet accommodating 800 attendees.

Located 12 miles from downtown Pittsburgh and 30 from Pittsburgh International Airport the Doubletree by Hilton Pittsburgh-Monroeville features 191 guestrooms and 10 meeting rooms totaling 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. The largest meeting room, the Confluence Ballroom, is 5355 square feet accommodating 600 attendees.

Guests of both hotels enjoy the comforts of a full-service hotel including a full-service dining options, flexible meeting space, pool, hot tub and complimentary parking. 

Ownership plans for property improvements at both locations that include a revitalization of guest rooms, function space, food and beverage outlets and public areas.

Reliance Hotel Group founded in 2015 is an independent management company with properties across the US. Headquartered in Phoenix, AZ the team has operated full-service hotels across the country including Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Hyatt, Wyndham hotels and various independent hotels and resorts. With 150 years of combined hotel management experience, Reliance Hotel Group is committed to excellence in service resulting in maximized profitability and asset value for our clients.   

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Appointment | Bassim Ouachani Named General Manager for the Motto by Hilton New York City Chelsea

Motto by Hilton New York City Chelsea announces the appointments of Bassim Ouachani as General Manager and Ryan Cortese as Director of Sales and Marketing for the hotel slated to open this fall. Located in New York’s iconic Chelsea neighborhood, Motto Chelsea will feature 374 rooms, including a variety of flexible accommodation options, a vibrant signature restaurant, expansive fitness center and more.

Bassim Ouachani, General Manager, with two decades of experience in hospitality, will oversee all day-to-day operations at Motto Chelsea working to ensure profitability, efficiency and overall guest experience. Prior to joining the Motto team, Ouachani served as General Manager for Arlo Soho, a 325-room property in New York City. Ouachani has also held leadership positions with brands including Sofitel Luxury Hotels and Highgate Hotels. Ouachani earned an associate degree in Hospitality Management from LaGuardia College and has continued his hospitality education at New York University.

Ryan Cortese, Director of Sales & Marketing, brings more than 11 years of industry experience to Motto Chelsea’s executive team. Since graduating from the University of Scranton with a degree in Communications, Cortese has held various positions with Interstate Hotel & Resorts and Concord Hospitality Enterprises. Most recently, Cortese served as Complex Director of Sales with multiple NYC properties. In his new role, Cortese will lead all sales and marketing strategies for the property, which boasts 3,000 square feet of multi-purpose event space for meetings and social gatherings.

Motto by Hilton New York Chelsea is located at 113 West 24th Street New York, NY 10001

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Appointment | Kimberly Manna Named Senior Vice President of Retail and Licensing for Hard Rock International

Hard Rock announces the appointment of Kimberly Manna as Senior Vice President of Retail and Licensing. In her new role, Manna will draw on more than three decades of experience in the retail industry, including work with companies such as Panama Jack, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Brothers, to drive brand exposure and customer reach through engaging partnerships and various licensing opportunities. Manna will report directly to Jim Allen, Chairman of Hard Rock International.

In her most recent role as Chief Executive Officer at Panama Jack, Manna oversaw resort development as well as global wholesale, retail distribution, brand strategy and extension. During her time with Sony Pictures Entertainment, Manna assisted with the development of the brand's franchise properties such as Ghostbusters, I Dream of Jeannie, Men in Black, Godzilla, Jumanji, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune.

Kimberly's wealth of experience in brand strategy in the retail and licensing spaces will be a great asset to Hard Rock International as we continue to grow our retail footprint and expand our brand reach across the globe," said Jim Allen, Chairman of Hard Rock International.

"It is an honor to work with one of the world's most globally recognized brands," said Kimberly Manna, Senior Vice President of Retail and Licensing for Hard Rock International. "I look forward to bringing new and exciting collaborations to Hard Rock's international fan base."

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