NEWS | ITC Hotels signs 297 keys Mementos property in Shimla

Mementos Shimla sprawls over an area of 10 acres with a total of 297 keys including 40 Villas of four bedrooms each.

Expanding its footprint in the picturesque state of Himachal Pradesh, ITC Hotels has now signed Mementos Shimla.

Mementos Shimla sprawls over an area of 10 acres with a total of 297 keys including 40 Villas of four bedrooms each. The 200 sq. mt. luxurious villas offer a marvelous view of the valley and are ideally suited to house large family and friends’ staycations.

Widely applauded for their versatile Food & Beverage repertoire, ITC Hotels bring the flavours of their cuisine legacy to Mementos Shimla. The food and beverage options at the property include an all-day dining multi-cuisine restaurant, a bar and a specialty rooftop restaurant.

Anil Chadha, Chief Executive-ITC Hotels stated “Himachal Pradesh is one of the key hill destinations that witnessed huge footfalls post pandemic. This state has unsurmountable beauty and is truly everyone’s favourite. From ‘white Christmas’ to green glory, our latest luxury outpost Mementos Shimla brings you the best of all seasons. With demand mainly stemming from road trips to nearby destinations, Shimla is poised to receive high influx of domestic tourism and destination weddings.”

Pankaj Gupta, Owner, Mementos Shimla stated "We are building one of the largest hotels in the hills, in the heart of Shimla and so we had to choose a partner that has the ability and experience in managing large luxury hotels. We are delighted to get ITC Hotels on board with their Mementos brand and are extremely confident that this alliance will deliver an outstanding luxury experience to guests".

Bringing nature’s splendor closer to guests, the hotel offers a great view of the mountains. Uniquely located, Mementos Shimla truly exemplifies the local lush offering all rooms a beautiful view of the rich green forests. Soak in the sunshine, plan a trek or a mountain picnic-each experience promises to be a wonderful memory. The enchanting beauty and serenity of the surroundings create beautiful scenic stories.

Already a much sought-after New Year destination, Shimla is being seen as a preferred ‘all time celebration destination’ , Mementos Shimla displays a massive 7500 sq. ft. pillar less banquet space to cater to the rising demand for destination weddings in the hills. Mementos Shimla is equipped with a state of the art fitness centre overlooking an all-weather swimming pool and spa. Be it business, leisure or bleisure, Mementos Shimla is your home away from home.

Mementos Shimla is situated in the heart of the city and is just a 30-minute drive from the Shimla Airport and 10 minutes’ drive from the Shimla railway station. The famous Shimla Mall Road is just a 15-minute drive from the hotel.

EVENT | Crowne Plaza New Delhi Okhla hosted the timeliness traditional of Cake Mixing Ceremony

Crowne Plaza New Delhi Okhla hosted the timeliness traditional of Cake Mixing Ceremony

Pradipt Sinha, Director of Food and Beverage kick started the spectacular show by narrating fables and history around the Cake Mixing ceremony. He informed that the activity marks the arrival of harvest season and onset of Christmas festivities.

“In olden times, a lot of dry fruits and nuts were harvested during the autumn season and were used in the preparation of traditional Christmas fruit cakes. They used to store the mix for the coming year with a hope of another fulfilling and abundant year. Later, this ceremony became a family affair where everyone got together and soaked the harvested fruits in wine or rum which are further dried and stored.” he shared.


Now it was time for the most awaited moment of evening – The Cake Mixing ceremony. Amidst the refreshing autumn breeze, the poolside was decked with twinkling lights and shining props, ushering the spirit of festivities. However, the star of the show was the mesmerizing assortment of dry fruits such as cashews, prunes, pistachios, almonds, figs, apricots, raisins, nuts, black current etc. in a boat shaped cauldron.

The hotel patrons and team members rolled on their sleeves and wore the aprons to participate in a hearty

mixing of the dry fruits with spices and spirits. The live music, varieties of Christmas bakes, Sangrias and Mulled Wine added to the charm of the ceremony. Post the ceremony, the mixture was put into airtight container so that it soaks up the spirits and spices.

The same mix would be used by the Chefs to bake array

of goodies such as Plum Pudding, Plum Cake Dandee cake, Mince pie, Christollen, Christmas cookies which will be available at French Heart - patisserie of the hotel. Guests will also have option to customize delectable Christmas hampers for gifting and indulgence.

Shuvendu Banerjee, General Manager, Crowne Plaza New Delhi Okhla said, “Although the cake mixing ceremony is a warm-up to the festive holiday season, it

has far more significant in the current times. The underlying essence of the ceremony is also a reminder of the cross-cultural impact of celebrations. The festivities come wrapped with hopes and revival for a happier tomorrow.”

The event also marked the announcement of the ‘Grills by the Pool’ experience at the hotel with the invitees being the first ones to taste the new menu. With the nip in the air, the ‘grilled-to perfection’ dishes paired with invigorating cocktails made for the perfect after-party.

Appointments | Mondrian Doha appoints new commercial director Peter Haber

Mondrian Doha in Qatar has brought in a new commercial director. Peter Haber has been with the luxury lifestyle property for four years, first joining as director of sales.

He will be responsible for working to increase footfall and revenues across all aspects of Mondrian Doha. He will also work on forging relevant strategies across pricing, marketing, and public relations for Mondrian Doha. 

In his new role, he looks to increase the hotel’s market share, pushing it into markets such as Saudi, UAE, Bahrain, Australia and the USA. His renewed focus comes as the country’s hospitality sector looks to capitalise on the landmark FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

It is estimated that the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 could add US$20 billion to the national economy, according to officials within the country. That’s equivalent to around 11 percent of Qatar’s GDP for 2019.

On the hospitality side of tourism, the World Cup presents a golden opportunity to welcome international guests and potentially enjoy 28 days of full occupancy. Over the course of a month, more than 1.5 million people are expected to fly into Qatar for the winter event, close to the tourism figures for all of 2019.

Pushing Mondrian Doha’s vision

Vasileios Oikonomopoulos, Mondrian Doha GM, added: “I would like to congratulate Peter on his outstanding performance. I believe he will be a great addition to our commercial team, and I look forward to having him thrive at the property and make further achievements.”

Mikel Ibrahim, regional vice president of sales and marketing, said: “Peter has been part of our Mondrian Doha family for four years, and we are delighted to witness his efforts being acknowledged and rewarded. We are looking forward to his exceptional contribution to achieving Mondrian Doha’s vision in Qatar and beyond”.

Haber added: “I am thrilled to continue on this incredible journey with Mondrian Doha, and to carry on with the success story which started four years back. I look forward to start working relentlessly on enhancing the hotel’s positioning, as well as reaching out to new markets across the globe”.

NEWS | Marriott Bonvoy introduces Marriott Bonvoy Moments platform

The platform gives members the chance to use Marriott Bonvoy points earned from travel and everyday activities such as hotel stays at Marriott’s extraordinary hotel brands

Football fans have something to celebrate as exclusive NFL Moments go live on the Marriott Bonvoy Moments platform. These money-can’t-buy packages allow members of Marriott Bonvoy’s award-winning travel program to use their points to access incredible experiences at Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles.

The Marriott Bonvoy Moments platform gives members the chance to use Marriott Bonvoy points earned from travel and everyday activities such as hotel stays at Marriott’s 30 extraordinary hotel brands, co-brand credit card purchases, ride-sharing, or food delivery, to gain VIP access to bucket list experiences all over the globe. Members may redeem their points for either fixed-price experiences or use them to bid on packages through auctions.

The platform will offer multiple exclusive Super Bowl LVI experiences that will give members an unforgettable way to enjoy the biggest weekend in football. This includes the chance to meet NFL Legends, gain field access at Super Bowl LVI and attend Super Bowl LVI in style in the Courtyard by Marriott stadium suite. 

“Our members are passionate football fans excited to take their passion for the game back on the road this NFL season and for the return of in-person football experiences. We’re thrilled to be able to offer these once-in-a-lifetime Marriott Bonvoy Moments at the Super Bowl once again through our longtime partnership with the NFL, giving our members the chance to use their points to make unforgettable memories with friends, family, and new connections,” said David Flueck, Senior Vice President, Marriott Bonvoy.

NEWS | FHRAI appeals PM Modi to provide immediate relief to the industry from the abnormal increase in the cost of LPG

India’s apex Hospitality Association - Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) has submitted a representation requesting the Hon’ble Prime Minister – Shri Narendra Modi to provide immediate relief to the Hospitality industry from the abnormal increase in the cost of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG). The Association has requested that the tax rate charged on LPG supplied to standalone restaurants be reduced from the current 18 per cent to 5 per cent. It has stated that since standalone restaurants are not allowed to claim ITC, this move will help reduce the cost burden on restaurants.

The latest price hike is the second highest increase in LPG since January 1, 2014, when the 19-kg cylinder became costlier by Rs.353.50 (in Delhi). Restaurants, especially standalone, do not have any more headroom left to absorb such a steep increase in input costs. FHRAI has stated that LPG being one of the most essential commodities in the restaurant industry, the steep price increase will sound the death knell for hundreds of small restaurants from all parts of the country.

“The unprecedented increase in the cost of diesel has drastically raised the logistic tariff which in turn has led to an abnormal hike in the prices of grains, pulses, edible oil and other essentials raw materials. There has been an exponential increase in the cost of raw materials used in restaurants since the lockdown period. This cost escalation of roughly over 30 per cent is severely affecting restaurants that are trying to resume operations and stay afloat after a turbulent twenty months of lockdown and closures. Add to this, the steep hike in the LPG cylinders. Under these challenging circumstances, the sector is constrained to increase the cost of food items on the menu which will directly affect the working lower and middle class population that have to eat out. We request the Government to reduce the tax rate on LPG at least for standalone restaurants from the present 18 per cent to 5 per cent. Since standalone restaurants cannot claim ITC, this move will help reduce the cost burden on the restaurants which in turn will ensure that it does not burn a hole in the consumer’s pockets,” says  Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, Vice President, FHRAI.

Amongst all the sectors, the hospitality sector in the country has taken the biggest hit due to the pandemic. Business came to a complete standstill after the lockdown came into effect. Since then, 30 per cent of hotels and restaurants in the country have shut down permanently due to financial losses. Close to 20 per cent of hotels and restaurants still haven’t opened fully and the remaining 50 per cent are running in losses with revenues below 50 per cent of the pre-COVID19 levels.

“The debilitating impact of the pandemic has dealt a colossal economic blow to businesses along with millions of job losses in the hospitality sector. The ripple effects of the two successive waves of the pandemic have destroyed the entire hospitality eco-system in the country and even today, when all other sectors in the country are being allowed to function normally, the hospitality sector faces several restrictions in operations. This situation has become more severe due to the steep hike in the LPG cylinders, making hospitality a most unviable business in the country. We, therefore, request the Government for its support on this very serious issue impacting millions in the foodservice industry in the country,” concludes Kohli.

Appointment | Westin Sohna Resort and Spa appoints Tusch Daroga as GM

In his new capacity, Daroga’s vision is to continue leveraging the reputation of the brand to lead it through its next phase of evolution.

The Westin Sohna Resort & Spa has announced that Tusch Daroga has been brought on board as its new general manager.

A seasoned hospitality professional equipped with over 15 years of diverse multicultural experience working with a myriad of luxury brands across the country in varying capacities, Daroga brings with him a wealth of knowledge, deep expertise in the industry, and great experience in handling the Indian market.

A management graduate from the Merit Swiss Asian School and having learned the finer nuances of hospitality from The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development; he began his career with the Oberoi Group in 2004 and worked with them for over a decade in five of their properties which covered both luxury and premium hotels in the business and resort space across the country. Thereafter he moved to The Leela Group where he held strategic roles with The Leela Palace Udaipur and The Leela Palace New Delhi in his efficacious stint of 3 years. His journey with Marriott International began in 2018 as Hotel Manager of The Ritz-Carlton Bangalore, where he was pivotal in scaling new heights and creating industry benchmarks in many aspects for the luxury hotel.

Appointment | DoubleTree Suites, Bengaluru, appoints Ajith Cheruvattath as executive chef

In his new role, the chef will be responsible for supervising smooth functioning of the F&B outlets and managing culinary operations at the hotel.

doubletree suites by Hilton Bengaluru have appointed Ajith Cheruvattath as the new executive chef. Having experience of more than two decades in food production, Cheruvattath possesses extensive culinary knowledge in International and Indian cuisine.

Prior to joining DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Bengaluru, he worked as an executive chef at Sarovar Group of Hotels, Bengaluru. He has also worked with reputed brands such as Radisson Atria Bangalore, Trident Kochi, ITC Fortune Bangalore, Le-Meridien Bangalore, and Carnival Cruise Lines. He has perfected his culinary skills effortlessly to become a crucial asset to every hotel he has been a part of.

Having an innovative approach to setting the stage for a customized dining experience, Ajith was a part of the pre-opening team of two Indian restaurants in New Zealand where he was also overseeing operations as a head chef.

Appointment | Hilton Chennai appoints Avijit Deb Sharma as Executive Chef 

Hilton Chennai appoints Avijit Deb Sharma as Executive Chef

Read More

Appointments | Zone by THE Park Hotels appoints Kiron Nair as its director-operations

Nair’s primary focus would be to enhance and lead operations and guide the team to strive towards growth.

Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd’s upscale social catalyst brand, Zone by The Park has appointed Kiron Nair as its new director of operations.

In his new role, Nair will be responsible for driving operating efficiencies across the Zone by THE Park Hotels. He will be focussing on positioning the brand as a market leader with his years of expertise in the hospitality sector.

Nair’s primary focus would be to enhance and lead the operations and help foresight and guide the team to strive towards excellence and growth.

An avid traveler and a cricket fan, Nair has been in the hospitality business for more than two decades now. He has previously worked with leading hospitality brands across the country which highlights his deep hotel industry experience and exposure in the rooms division and hotel operations.

Eclat Insights | GPOV - The Most Authentic Way To Look At All Your Service Interactions

POV - Point Of View is the mental position from which a story is observed or narrated. GPOV is the Guest Point Of View. When we look at every interaction, every process from the Guest's Point Of View.

Why is it relevant to Hospitality & Service Industries?

All hospitality and service stem from creating experiences for customers/guests. Everything we do should be aimed at creating lasting value and fulfilling the customer need.

Sometimes, however, over a period of time, processes become more team/operations-oriented, rather than guest-oriented. It then becomes paramount to relook at these processes with a fresh pair of eyes, especially the guests' so that we can eliminate, change, upgrade the process.

More Detail on the topic

Think of a big customer-facing process, and then look at it or go through it from a guest's point of view.

Let's take Hotel laundry. In many hotels, a laundry slip is still used. The guest is supposed to fill it up, marking the various items and count on a piece of paper which sometimes has a self carbon so that the guest can keep a copy as proof. This is both cumbersome and irritating, to the guest.

If you saw this from a GPOV, you would realize that a lot of time we put our dirty laundry in the bag just after taking a bath. We then need to remove the dirty laundry and count it again to fill in that sheet. Why would anyone want to do that, just after getting dressed and about to leave for a meeting/work?

Can we then think about making this easier, better for the Guest?

This can be looked at in two ways:

  1. Incremental Change - small improvements

  • Increase the font size on the forms

  • Make the forms Index Card sized

  • Instead of big form for all possible items, make small ones specifically for the type of clothing etc.

2. Quantum Change - Rethink - Make it easy

  • Reduce categories. Instead of all types of items listed with varying prices, have one or two prices for all types. Then it is only about the total number of pieces and maybe the guest can just scribble that on the laundry bag itself.

  • Let the guest just dump all the laundry on the bed and when you collect it, send the guest a quick message with the laundry bag contents listed. If there is a discrepancy, the guest can reply, if not, it's all good.

Just thinking about what the guest feels, sees, goes through, can unlock remarkable innovation and value.

Actionable Insights

Go through every process as a Guest.

Team Exercise - Playback Theatre

Playback Theatre is an original form of improvisational theatre in which audience or group members tell stories from their lives and watch them enacted on the spot.

For our purposes, we will do this with Customer / Guest Stories. Guest interactions with the product or the service.

HOW TO DO IT

  • Get your team to sit together in a circle.

  • Ask one team member to recount/share a guest experience story. For example, a guest called the front desk because he thought he felt an earthquake.

  • After the story is shared, get team members to enact, retell the story by acting the scene out. Use as many actors are required. For the above example, one team member plays the role of the guest, the other of the front desk agent.

  • From time to time, pause the play and discuss the emotion being played out. Let the team talk about it. For the above example, it could be fear, reassurance etc.

Do this with as many stories - positive or negative, as you like.

Want to make this WOW?

Get your favourite / regular guests to participate in these workshops. Let them exaggerate some of the things that irritate or baffle them about your processes.

If you read this till the very end, here is a special something for you. You can reach out to me to discuss any process you like. I will also be happy to conduct a workshop on this with you and your team. This is completely FREE. p.bedi@eclathospitality.com

Prabhjot

Bedi

is an Hospitality Ideator. A process innovator, trainer, and professional speaker, he has worked with the Taj Group of Hotels, conducted training programs for hospitality leaders, launched a National Council Accredited Hospitality Institute as Principal, successfully launched and sold three hospitality businesses. He now assists hospitality leaders and educators in creating superlative services and products. He also edits the very popular www.hospemag.com - the largest hospitality career e-mag

Visit Maldives | Maldives Participates in An Online Travel Mart Organized By JATA

Maldives participates in an online travel mart organized by the Japanese Association of Travel Agents, JATA.

JATA 2nd Online Mart is organized by the Outbound Travel Promotion Division of JATA. The event consists of online seminars to be held from 16-17th November and business meetings to be held from 25th-26th November.

It connects travel industry professionals from Japan and overseas, allowing exchange of the latest information on border openings, travel restrictions, travel safety protocols and destination attractions. Visit Maldives is representing the country in the online event, while industry partners including CrossRoads Maldives, The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo & Grand Park Kodhipparu are taking part in the B2B meetings of the event.


Through this event Maldives is being promoted as a safe haven for Japanese travelers post lifting of travel restrictions in the country. This event is aimed at maintaining and strengthening destination presence and establishing Maldives as the top of the mind destination for Japan travelers. JATA Online Travel Mart provides a platform for industry stakeholders to meet and connect with travel trade partners from the market and create destination awareness on products, experiences and current travel guidelines. Through this online mart we will approximately connect to over 1000 agents from the Japanese market.

Participation in this event comes in line with Visit Maldives’ marketing strategy for the Japanese market, aimed at promoting the destination as a safe haven, emphasizing on the unique geographic advantage of our scattered islands which allow natural social distance for tourists. It helps to promote the Maldivian tourist products, including resorts, hotels, guesthouses and liveaboards, along with experiences unique to the Maldives to travel trade and tourists from Japan. This webinar assists in staying up to date with the latest market and sector trends including travel forecasts and consumer sentiment towards long haul travel in Japan. Such activities are expected to increase future bookings and arrivals from the Japanese market.

In 2019, a total of 44,251 travelers arrived from the Japanese market ranking Japan as the 9th top source market for Maldivian tourism. The Japanese border is currently closed for international leisure travel and therefore the Maldives have witnessed a drastic drop in the number of travelers arriving from Japan.

Visit Maldives aims to maintain destination presence and to place Maldives as the top choice destination to travel to as soon as the Japanese borders open for international travel. Activities in the pipeline for the Japanese market include media and celebrity familiarization trips, and social media campaigns.

Appointment | Sidharth Koul joins JW Marriott Bengaluru as its director of sales and marketing

JW Marriott Bengaluru has announced the appointment of Sidharth Koul as its director - sales and marketing. Koul brings to the table over 15 years of experience, and will be seen overseeing the room sales, events sales and marketing department.

Koul was last associated with Conrad Bengaluru as its commercial director where he focused on sales and marketing strategies to drive hotels revenue performance and brand positioning in a highly competitive landscape.

In his new role, he is focused on optimizing hotels revenue performance across all verticals and maintaining the market leadership position of the flagship Marriott brand.

In his leisure time, he likes to expand his knowledge by reading leadership and autobiographies on business leaders and athletes in the sports world.

On his appointment, Sidharth said, “I look forward to working with the seasoned team members to create experiences and foster connections for our esteemed guests.”


NEWS | Goldfinch Hotel taps into food festivals for recovery growth

Goldfinch Hotel taps into food festivals for recovery growth

Food festivals, apart from highlighting the culinary expertise of a restaurant, hold more significance for 5-star hotels and resorts as they help in marketing other facilities of the property.

Successful hotels are not islands unto themselves, partnering with neighbors or others in the area is a popular way to offer something different for guests and draw in locals, as well as build on consumers’ quest for local flavour. Hotels are using this strategy to great effect when it comes to food and beverage.

Goldfinch Hotel in Mumbai has been organising a lot of food festivals at their Banjara restaurant. While The Grand Trunk Road food festival has just ended, the hotel has announced “10 ka DUM,” to promote their dishes in one offer.

The food festivals, apart from highlighting the culinary expertise of a restaurant, hold more significance for 5-star hotels and resorts as they help in marketing other facilities of the hotel apart from just food. Such food promotions are used as a marketing tool to keep a hotel or restaurant on top of a customer’s mental and emotional recall, thus enabling that hotel or restaurant to become a vibrant F&B destination in the city while also using patrons’ visits as an opportunity to highlight other offerings of the hotel.

“The food festival becomes a talking point on all fronts, guests talk about it and the hotel’s social media handle promotes it. Patrons look forward to experiencing something new and more walk-ins are also seen in the restaurant during the festival,” commented Subhadeep Datta, general manager, Goldfinch Hotel Mumbai.

The property witnesses at least a 30 percent increase in footfall during such festivals. For the Grand GT Road festival, inspiration has been to take guests on a culinary sojourn along with one of Asia’s oldest highways, where one could relish traditional fare from Chittagong and Kolkata to Kabul via stopovers at Amritsar, Delhi, and Allahabad.

“We are expecting a good footfall at the food festival. With the reducing number of covid cases and the fact that more and more people have got vaccinated, guests have regained confidence to step out of their homes, especially in hotel brands that are known for their strict adherence to hygiene,” Datta added.

The hotel is nearly back to doing pre-Covid business volumes. Datta states that the hotel expects to see a continued rise in terms of bookings and footfalls during the coming festive and year-end season.

Though food festivals are revenue-centric and organised to add to incomes, they also enable the chefs and culinary staff to explore more ideas and experiment with unusual cuisines which are not found on the regular menu.

NEWS | ITC Hotels announces its second Mementos property in Rajasthan

This luxury property in Jaipur will feature 130 rooms, offering the hotel brand’s signature services.

ITC Hotels has signed yet another property in Rajasthan, with the announcement of Mementos Jaipur. This is the second Mementos property by the group, the first one being in Udaipur, which was signed recently.

Both properties are poised as top-notch wedding destinations. Mementos Jaipur presents a unique venue in “Shahi Bagh”, inspired by the Mughal Gardens. Spread over 2 acre, it offers a picturesque setting for grand weddings, special celebrations and MICE events.

This luxury hotel located in Kukas in Jaipur, celebrates the architecture, art, culture and colours of Jaipur. This new addition will offer guests immersive experiences as it showcases the best of traditional hospitality that Rajasthan is acknowledged for.

Mementos Jaipur will have over 130 rooms spread over 25 acre of land. All rooms have the luxury of space with a minimum room size of 50 sqm, and comfortable sit-out courtyards.

The Food and Beverage options at the property include a multicuisine restaurant, Kebabs & Kurries (the acclaimed north Indian signature cuisine from ITC Hotels) and a bar. There are a multitude of offerings to choose from, including a library, the Kayakalp spa and the Ollies Club for young adults.

Anil Chadha, chief executive, ITC Hotels stated, “ From ‘Mementos Udaipur’ earlier this month to ‘Mementos Jaipur’, we are rapidly adding to the brand’s inventory. Brand “Mementos” helps us deliver unique luxury stays across different destinations through collaboration with asset owners who choose ITC Hotels for its top notch hospitality expertise.”

Mementos is the latest luxury brand by ITC's Hotel Group which brings together a collection of unique hotels, across varied destinations ranging from modern marvels, hidden retreats to historic treasures.

New Opening | Ginger Hotels steps into Coimbatore

he 72-key hotel will feature the hospitality chain’s newly-designed signature rooms.

Ginger Hotelsstrengthens its footprint in southern India with the signing of a new property in Coimbatore. The hotel will be designed around the brand’s lean luxe design and service philosophy of offering a vibrant, contemporary, and seamless hospitality experience to its guests.

Commenting on the signing, Deepika Rao, MD, and CEO, Ginger Hotels, said, “This development is in line with the brand’s growth strategy of expanding its presence in metros and key commercial hubs across India. Coimbatore is the second largest city of Tamil Nadu and a major industrial center. We are delighted to partner with Geetha Kumar’s Hospitality & Healthcare Private Limited for the hotel.

Ginger Coimbatore will be located on Avinashi Road with convenient access to the Coimbatore International Airport and commercial center of the city. The 72-key hotel will feature Ginger’s newly designed signature rooms, Café Etcetera – the all-day diner, a bar, fitness center, banquet facility, and a meeting room.

Coimbatore is a hub for the textile industry in South India. Other major industries are manufacturing, education and healthcare. With the addition of this hotel, the Indian Hotels Company(IHCL) will have 17 hotels in Tamil Nadu, including four under development.

Award | 9 Fern Resorts win prestigious Hospitality India Travel Awards 2021!

9 Fern Resorts win prestigious Hospitality India Travel Awards 2021!

The Fern Hotels & Resorts, India’s leading environmentally sensitive hotel chain won big at the Hospitality India Travel Awards with nine of its resorts grabbing the awards at a glittering ceremony held in New Delhi on 12th November 2021. Besides seven others from the Fern family were awarded for outstanding performances in the fields of Sales & Marketing, Business Development, F&B and Operations.

The awards were presented by the Chief Guests, Mr Prem Bahadur Ale, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Government of Nepal, Mr Vijay Goel, Member of Parliament-Rajya Sabha, and others.

 

Congratulating the winners, Noshir A Marfatia, senior vice president, sales and marketing said, “It is a matter of great pride for us that so many resorts and individuals achieved recognition. The entire team has shown great commitment to accomplish this.”   

 

Following nine properties were awarded

1. Mr Tushar Mali, General Manager - The Fern Leo Resort & Club, Junagadh for The Best Luxury Resort & Club in Gujarat

2. Mr Nikhil Singh Rawat, Operations Manager - The Fern Sattva Resort, Dwarka for The Best Coastal Temple Town Resort in Gujarat

3. Mr Ranjeet Kumar, Operations Manager - The Fern Gir Forest Resort, Sasan Gir for The Best Jungle Safari Resort in Gujarat

4. Mr Brajesh Soni, Operations Manager - The Fern Sattva Resort, Polo Forest for The Best Nature-Friendly Resort in Gujarat

5. Mr Gurpreet Singh Kandhari, Operations Manager - The Fern Seaside Luxurious Tent Resort, Daman for The Best Luxury Tent Resort in Daman & Diu

6. Mr Ramesh Kumar Gupta, General Manager - The Fern-An Ecotel Hotel, Lonavala for The Best Luxury Hillside Resort in Maharashtra

7. Mr Dinesh Kumar Yadav, General Manager - The Fern Samali Resort, Dapoli for The Best Leisure Resort in Ratnagiri

8. Mr Arindam Bahel, General Manager - The Fern Brentwood Resort, Mussoorie for The Best Hill Resort in Uttarakhand

9. Mr Amit Mishra, General Manager - The Fern Denzong Hotel & Spa, Gangtok for The Best Hotel in Sikkim

 

The Fern Hotels & Resorts is India’s leading environmentally sensitive hotel chain and amongst the fastest growing hotel brands in India, with 84 hotels & resorts currently operational under management or opening shortly across 69 locations in India and internationally, under The Fern, The Fern Residency, The Zinc by The Fern and Beacon Hotels brands, with 15 hotels opened during the pandemic lockdowns of 2020 & 2021. The company is a part of CG Corp Global, a multi-dimensional Nepalese conglomerate.

Launch | Wyndham launches Meetings Collection

Launching with eight hotels and resorts in the US, the company plans to expand the new network of premium meetings-focused hotels in the future

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has launched the Meetings Collection, the latest element to its Wyndham Business program. Initially launching with eight hotels and resorts located across the U.S. in popular meetings destinations and with plans to expand in the future, the collection was created to help event organizers book multiyear meetings at different hotels.

The collection’s portfolio comprises hotels under the Wyndham Grand, Trademark Collection by Wyndham, Wyndham, and Dolce Hotels and Resorts brands, and have more than 900,000 collective square feet of flexible meeting space and more than 4,400 total guestrooms.

Meeting planners will be able to earn Wyndham Rewards point when booking two or more meetings at participating hotels simultaneously or within 30 days of the contract for the first meeting. The offer includes:

• A 5 % discount on total meeting revenue when contracting multiple meetings or events at participating hotels
• Up to 30% attrition
• A streamlined contracting process and a single point of contact for each meeting or event
• Exclusive destination experiences at participating hotels
• The opportunity to earn up to 50,000 Wyndham Rewards points per meeting.

“It is a pivotal time in the meetings and events industry, with group travel beginning to return to fully in-person and hybrid meetings,” said Carol Lynch, Wyndham's SVP, global sales. “We are launching this collection to support planners during every phase of the process and are excited to be able to now offer a highly efficient way for them to source and book hotels at competitive rates, earn generous rewards and deliver an exceptional experience for their group.”

Source

Appointments | The Fern Hotels & Resorts appoints Ms.Malini Menon and Afroz Shaikh

Malini Menon

Ms. Malini Menon has been appointed as General Manager - Sales & Marketing (South India) for The Fern Hotels & Resorts.

Malini has completed her B.A (Psychology) and PGDBA in Marketing & HR from SCMS Kochi.

She has over 20 years of hospitality sales experience with renowned brands like ITC Welcomgroup, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels, Lalit Hotels and Resorts, etc.

Her last assignment was with Raviz Hotels & Resorts handling pan-India Regional Sales Offices.

Afroz husain Shaikh – Operations Manager  The Fern Residency, Hubballi

Afroz Shaikh has been appointed as the Operations Manager for the newly-opened hotel, The Fern Residency, Hubballi.

Afroz has over 11 years of work experience with The Fern Hotels & Resorts. His previous assignments with The Fern were at The Fern Residency Vijayapura, The Fern Kadamba Hotel & Spa, Goa and UK 27 The Fern, Belagavi.

He has completed his bachelors in commerce from Karnataka University, Dharwad in 2008.

His last employment was with The Belgaum Presidency Hotel and Club.

New Opening | Hyatt Place Kathmandu Celebrates Official Opening

Hyatt Place Kathmandu Celebrates Official Opening

153-room Hyatt Place hotel opens in the heart of Kathmandu

  Hyatt Place Kathmandu, the second Hyatt-branded hotel in Nepal, is officially open, expanding the Hyatt Place brand’s footprint globally in markets that matter most to guests and World of Hyatt members. The new hotel features the Hyatt Place brand’s intuitive design, casual atmosphere and practical amenities, such as Free Wi-Fi Everywhere and 24-hour food offerings. Ownership of the hotel includes Akshay Golyan, Executive Director and Shakti Golyan, Chairman of City Hotel Ltd.

Because Hyatt’s efforts are grounded in listening and fueled by care, Hyatt Place hotels combine style, innovation and 24/7 conveniences to create an easy to navigate experience for today’s multitasking traveler. Hyatt Place Kathmandu is located in the lively city of Kathmandu, set in a valley surrounded by the beautifully scenic Himalayan mountains. Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is steeped in rich history, long associated with ancient traditions and a vibrant culture. The hotel is only a short two-and-a-half-mile (four-kilometer) journey from the bustling city center and its attractions, which include many World Heritage sites like the remarkable ancient temple, Swayambhunath Stupa, and the sacred Hindu temple in Pashupatinath. For those looking for some retail therapy, the hotel is close to several popular shopping centers including New Road, Thamel and Durbar Marg.

“As Kathmandu continues to be a sought-after spot for both business and leisure travelers, we are excited to add to the momentum of the thriving city by welcoming the first Hyatt Place to Nepal in this truly unique capital city, which is bursting with history and cultural traditions,” said General Manager Varun Talwar. “With our smartly designed social spaces and guestrooms with separate work and sleep areas, our multitasking guests can easily accomplish what they need to do while on the road.”

Hyatt Place Kathmandu offers: 

  • 153 spacious guestrooms with separate spaces to sleep, work and play, as well as a Cozy Corner sofa-sleeper

  • Breakfast Bar featuring an inviting selection of hot and cold items to suit all guests’ needs

  • Zing World of Flavors delivers good food, fast, combining local and worldly ingredients with bold tastes from South-East Asia with some Italian-Mediterranean options.

  • Zing Sky Bar & Lounge is an energetic poolside venue with breathtaking sunset views, offering curated cocktails and Nepal’s best brews

  • The Market serving freshly prepared meals anytime, day or night

  • The Bar featuring specialty coffees and premium beers, as well as wines and cocktails

  • Necessities program for forgotten items that guests can buy, borrow or enjoy for free

  • Free Wi-Fi Everywhere throughout hotel and guestrooms

  • Event Spaces offer approximately 5,382 square feet (500 square meters) of flexible, high-tech meeting/function space

  • Fitness Center featuring cardio equipment with LCD touchscreens

“Kathmandu is a vibrant city, filled with historic and artistic sites, friendly people, exciting neighborhoods, and an ever-expanding list of places to visit and experience,” said Akshay Golyan, Executive Director, City Hotel Ltd. “Our hotel is central to all of them and we are confident that the Hyatt Place Kathmandu will exceed guest expectations and provide them with everything they need while visiting our area.”

HYATT PLACE KATHMANDU LEADERSHIP

Hyatt Place Kathmandu is under the leadership of General Manager Varun Talwar and Head of Sales and Marketing Achint Rastogi. In his role, Talwar is directly responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the hotel, including overseeing the hotel’s 150 associates and ensuring guests encounter the thoughtful service for which the Hyatt Place brand is known. Rastogi is responsible for providing sales service and support to travelers and meeting planners frequenting the Kathmandu area. 

For more information, please visit HyattPlaceKathmandu.com      

Guided by its purpose of care, Hyatt’s multi-layered Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment further enhances its operational guidance and resources around colleague and guest safety and peace of mind. More information on Hyatt’s commitment can be found here: https://hyatt.com/care-and-cleanliness     

The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.

For further information:

500 Reasons to Stay Here 

Explore new places and reward your spirit of adventure. World of Hyatt members can earn 500 Bonus Points for qualifying nights at Hyatt Place Kathmandu between November 27th 2021 through February 16th, 2022. Additional participating hotels and their offer stay periods can be found at worldofhyatt.com/newhotelbonus. No registration is required, and members can earn on top of other offers.

Terms & Conditions

Offer valid for 500 Bonus Points for each qualifying night stayed by World of Hyatt members in good standing during a hotel’s offer period at participating hotels and resorts.  Offer valid at participating hotels and resorts for stays with a checkout date during each hotel’s offer period.  For each hotel’s offer period, visit worldofhyatt.com/newhotelbonus.  To be eligible for this offer you must be a World of Hyatt member in good standing at time of reservation and stay, stay at a participating hotel with a checkout date during that hotel’s offer period, provide your World of Hyatt mmbership number at time of check-in, and either pay an Eligible Rate or redeem a free night award.  An “Eligible Rate” and “Ineligible Rate” are defined in the World of Hyatt Terms and Conditions (located at worldofhyatt.com/terms).  Only one point bonus may be earned per member, per stay, regardless of the number of rooms booked.  Only the room occupied by the member will count toward this offer.  Two or more consecutive nights at the same hotel will be deemed one stay.  All points awarded under this offer are Bonus Points.  This offer is subject to the complete terms and conditions of the World of Hyatt program.  Please allow 3-4 weeks after travel is completed for World of Hyatt Bonus Points to be credited to your Account.  To join World of Hyatt, visit worldofhyatt.com.  Qualifying nights will automatically be tracked when you provide your World of Hyatt membership number at check-in.  A limited number of rooms are allocated to this offer; reservations subject to availability. Offer not valid with groups, conventions, other promotional offers, tour packages or special rate programs. Promotional blackout periods may apply due to seasonal periods or special events, and normal arrival/departure restrictions apply. Hyatt reserves the right to alter or withdraw this offer at any time without notice.  The trademarks Hyatt®, World of Hyatt® and related marks are trademarks of Hyatt Corporation or its affiliates. © 2019 Hyatt Corporation. All rights reserved.

About Hyatt Place

Hyatt Place hotels combine style, innovation and 24/7 conveniences to create an easy to navigate experience for today’s multi-tasking traveler. Guests can enjoy thoughtfully designed guestrooms featuring distinct zones for sleep, work and play, and free flowing social spaces that offer seamless transitions from work to relaxation. With more than 385 locations globally, Hyatt Place hotels offer freshly prepared food around the clock, efficient service and differentiated experiences for World of Hyatt members. For more information, please visit hyattplace.com. Join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram, and tag photos with #HyattPlace and #WhySettle.

About Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company guided by its purpose – to care for people so they can be their best. As of September 30, 2021, Hyatt’s portfolio included more than 1,000 hotel and all-inclusive properties in 69 countries across six continents, and the acquisition of Apple Leisure Group added 96 properties in 10 countries as of November 1, 2021. Hyatt’s offerings include the Park Hyatt®, Miraval®, Grand Hyatt®, Alila®, Andaz®, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt®, Destination by Hyatt™, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt®, Hyatt Ziva™, Hyatt Zilara™, Thompson Hotels®, Hyatt Centric®, Caption by Hyatt, JdV by Hyatt™, Hyatt House®, Hyatt Place®, UrCove, and Hyatt Residence Club® brands, as well as resort and hotel brands under the AMR™ Collection, including Secrets® Resorts & Spas, Dreams® Resorts & Spas, Breathless® Resorts & Spas, Zoëtry® Wellness & Spa Resorts, Alua® Hotels & Resorts, and Sunscape® Resorts & Spas. Hyatt’s subsidiaries operate the World of Hyatt® loyalty program, ALG Vacations®, Unlimited Vacation Club®, Amstar DMC destination management services, and the Trisept Solutions® travel technology platform. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.  

Trends | The Thinnai Jaffna hosted their Christmas Cake Mixing Ceremony

Heralding the oncoming season of Christmas, The Thinnai Hotel Jaffna, hosted its traditional Christmas cake mixing ceremony (November 008, 2021). Led by Mr. Janitha Madawala, the General Manager of the hotel, hotel staff and guests kick started the traditional festivity by mixing the ingredients of the Christmas cake.

Armed with gloves and Santa hats, all came together to celebrate the festivities and merriment of cake mixing. The hotel used premium quality spices and dry fruits to get the best cakes of the season. Guests & Staff were seen pouring wine and mixing the ingredients together with a lot of excitement and gaiety. The event saw a good response as young and old together got into the act under the supervision of the chef’s presence at the event.

Amid Preparations, Mr. Janitha C. Madawala said, "Cake mixing is an age-old tradition around the world, and we are so excited to be hosting this unique ceremony at The Thinnai as we prepare for a festive season filled with joy and we are grateful to all the patrons and guests who participated at the event and are looking forward to hosting you all throughout the next few weeks for a string of celebrations, fun activities, special holiday promotions as well as our trademark year-end dinner gala.”