Sheraton Hong Kong Tung Chung Hotel Opens in Picturesque Lantau Island

Sheraton Hong Kong Tung Chung Hotel, situated in picturesque Tung Chung, Lantau, opens its doors today. The new hotel will serve as the neighborhood hotspot for locals and travelers to enjoy meaningful connections and elevated guest experiences and adventures within and beyond the hotel.

Conveniently located atop T-Bay in Tung Chung, the newest community hub of restaurants, bars and shops, the hotel is only a 10-minute drive from Hong Kong International Airport and Asia-World Expo. It also enjoys close proximity to the Hong Kong Macau-Zhuhai Bridge, the Shenzhen border with China and local attractions which include designer shopping in Citygate Malls, The Big Buddha, Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car and Hong Kong Disneyland. Nature explorers can also have easy access to some of the city’s best hiking trails and beaches on Lantau Island.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the opening of our second Sheraton Hotel in Hong Kong. Sheraton is Marriott International’s most global brand, and this opening marks another exciting milestone for the brand’s continued expansion in the region.” said Henry Lee, President of Greater China, Marriott International. “We look forward to offering travellers more choices and flexibility through tailored services and inviting spaces that provide them chances to connect with the community as they visit this metropolitan city.”

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Marriott International Named One of the Top 10 Companies for Executive Women

Marriott International’s founders, J.W. and Alice S. Marriott, were partners in every sense, with Alice Marriott being a force behind every major decision and a “woman of firsts,” as the company’s first woman vice president and board director. She set a high standard for the role women would play in company leadership. “As a leader, I am proud of our long-standing commitment to carry on that legacy by building a workplace with opportunity, community and purpose where women hold many of the most senior and influential roles in our company,” said David Rodriguez, executive vice president and chief human resources officer.

As a leader in diversity, equity and inclusion, Marriott has firmly established its commitment to women’s advancement:

• Nearly two decades ago, Marriott established a board of directors’ committee focused on accountability and advancing inclusive opportunities for women, people of color and other stakeholders. The committee is chaired by Debra Lee, Marriott board of directors’ member and former CEO BET Networks and comprised of other board members and Marriott senior executives.

• Marriott’s Women’s Leadership Development Initiative, established over 20 years ago, focuses on increasing the presence of women at the highest level of management and in other decision-making positions. Core components of the initiative include leadership development, networking and mentoring, and responsive workplace policies that promote work-life integration.

• The Emerging Leader Program is Marriott’s 12-month program launched in 2014 to ensure the development of high-performing front-line leaders, senior leaders and other managers who demonstrate the ability to excel to higher levels. The program has been instrumental in increasing the number of women and people of color in leadership roles with 100 percent of program participants promoted or selected for strategic developmental roles.

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AMS Hospitality Group & Black Salmon Announce Joint Venture to Acquire $300 Million in Hospitality Assets Across the U.S.

AMS Hospitality, comprised of The Allen Morris Company and Stormont Hospitality Group, and Miami-based national commercial real estate investment firm Black Salmon today announced a joint venture with plans to acquire $300 million in hospitality assets across the U.S. within the next 18 months.

The December acquisition of The Pelham Hotel in New Orleans, a 65-key boutique hotel in the heart of New Orleans, marks the JV's first acquisition. The Pelham Hotel is designated a historic landmark and ideally set adjacent to the vaunted French Quarter, within the city's Central Business District.

The property will undergo a complete, multi-million dollar renovation of the ground-floor lobby, public areas, and guestrooms in order to modernize its design and enhance the guest experience.

The partnership between AMS Hospitality and Black Salmon leverages the key strengths and expertise of both firms across the disciplines of acquisitions, asset management, and capital raising. The JV will seek hotel properties that have undergone a price reduction from pre-pandemic values.

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Wyndham Goes High Impact, Low Contact with New Mobile App: Introduces Lightning Book and In-Stay Features

LONDON - Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world's largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,000 hotels across 90 countries, has announced the arrival of its new mobile app for iOS and Android, combining best-in-class design with personal experiences, account management, gamification and more.

Available in both platforms' app stores, the new Wyndham app provides travellers with a reimagined user experience to inspire upcoming getaways and 2021 travel plans.

The app, which prioritises low-contact in-stay features, comes at a critical time as both travellers and hoteliers look for innovative, digital solutions to help navigate the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

"More than ever, travellers are seeking drive-to accommodations and Wyndham offers the power of established brands that they know and trust—brands like La Quinta® by Wyndham, Days Inn® by Wyndham and Super 8® by Wyndham," said Jessica Davidson, senior vice president, Digital, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. "For everyday travellers, especially those travelling during the pandemic, this app is a game changer, delivering the features guests expect today alongside a robust foundation for the future."

Chief among the key offerings in the new Wyndham mobile app are features and functionality that simplify the hotel booking process.

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· Mobile Check-In / Checkout - Available at nearly 300 hotels throughout the U.S., with plans to expand more broadly, guests can leverage mobile check-in and checkout to reduce contact between themselves and hotel staff.

· Lightning BookSM - Designed for road trippers and road warriors, guests can search for and book the nearest Wyndham hotel for the night in as a few as three taps. They can also see in real time their proximity from the hotel and book using Wyndham Rewards® points, should they prefer to do so.

· Digital Room Key - Coming later this year to select U.S. resorts like the Wyndham Grand Bonnet Creek in Orlando, Fla. and Wyndham Grand Rio Mar in Rio Grande, P.R., guests may choose to receive their room key digitally via their mobile phone and use throughout the duration of their stay. Expansion to other hotels and resorts is anticipated over the next 12 months as additional locations choose to leverage and implement.

Creating an Immersive Experience
Building on the app's core features is a fully reimagined user experience that is filled with personal touches while anticipating and adapting to users' real-time needs based on where they are and what they want to do.

· In-Stay Mode - Open the mobile app within three days of a stay and the home screen defaults to prioritise and display information that's of the most relevance to the guest, such as important stay details, local attractions, mobile check-in availability and more.

· My App Passport - Guests can track their engagements with memorable stamps, animations and more when they achieve select in-app accomplishments such as booking a stay or redeeming points. New stamps and achievements are expected to be added over time.

· Special Offers - Open the mobile app without an immediate, upcoming or current stay and guests are greeted by name along with their current Wyndham Rewards point balance, search functionality and the latest promotional offers. Guests can learn more with a single tap and register for offers just as easily.

· Account Management - Guests can make the most of their travels with simple and intuitive account management, including the ability to easily update their Wyndham Rewards member profiles and stay preferences, add preferred methods of payment, view previous and upcoming stays, check their personalized offers, purchase points and more.

Added Davidson, "Our new app could not have arrived at a more critical time. The pandemic has propelled digital adoption and travellers now expect streamlined, low-contact experiences. This app allows our thousands of franchisees to help deliver upon those expectations, while providing the easiest and fastest possible path to booking direct. It's a win-win both for our guests and for our franchisees."

About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world's largest hotel franchising company by the number of properties, with over 9,000 hotels across approximately 90 countries on six continents. Through its network of 813,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveller, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 20 hotel brands, including Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Microtel®, La Quinta®, Baymont®, Wingate®, AmericInn®, Hawthorn Suites®, Trademark Collection® and Wyndham®. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is also a leading provider of hotel management services. The Company's award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty programme offers 84 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit www.wyndhamhotels.com.

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Spree Hospitality to open 8 new hotels by March 2021

Founded in 2010 by Keshav Baljee, who is co-promoter of his family business Royal Orchid Hotels, Spree Hospitality has an established footprint of 308 operational keys across seven hotels in Bengaluru, Pune, Goa, Chennai, Kochi, Coimbatore and Delhi.

“Covid has caused a huge disruption in the industry as a result of which single property owner-operators across the country are now seeking the value of working with a professional brand like Spree. Moreover, there are several mid-market and budget hotels being built but with limited expertise to run them efficiently and sustainably. We partner with developers in the long term, to run these hotels. We are opening 8 new hotels before March 2021 and have signed hotels in locations like Manali, Haridwar, Dehradun and Goa which are beneficiaries of the domestic tourism boom that is happening especially, for cities that are driving distances away from key metros” said Keshav Baljee, Managing Director, Spree Hospitality.

Investment

While the company has made investments in headcount for the corporate office, regional sales force and technology, to manage this expansion; the investments in developing the hotels are made by the hotel owners, estimated at ₹120 crore.

Elaborating on the benefits of partnering with Spree, Baljee said, “occupancy rates of the hotels which sign up with us typically increase to our group average occupancy of 75 per cent for business hotels and 65-70 per cent for leisure properties. With enhanced quality of service, room rates have increased by varying rates ranging from 20 - 50 per cent. We have delivered better food and beverage performance by approximately 25 per cent in the properties that we manage, decreased staff turnover and greatly improved staff quality.”

As of December 2019, the country had 61,100 rooms in the mid-market segment including 3 Star and 4 Star hotels, growing at 6-7 per cent annually. And the supply pipeline for the segment was pegged at 25,200 rooms up to 2024, as per estimates from hospitality consulting firm Hotelivate.

Swiggy to reward its employees with ESOP liquidity program

According to Entracker, foodtech major Swiggy is going to reward its employees with a new ESOP liquidity program that will see participation from the family offices of leading industrial houses in India and a few individuals. This is the second such liquidity program by Swiggy. In June 2018, the Bengaluru-based firm had concluded a similar program.

“As the food delivery business makes a steady recovery and the future continues to look promising, we want to reward our team that has worked relentlessly over the last many months with a meaningful wealth creation opportunity through an ESOP liquidity program,” said Girish Menon, vice president of HR at Swiggy in an email.

“Over 40% of our employees with ESOP benefits – current and those we had to, unfortunately, part ways with earlier this year- will be eligible to exercise their stocks. Some of them will be able to liquidate their ESOPs at as much as 3x premium of the allotted price,” Menon added.

While the company hasn’t disclosed the size of the transaction, several media reports estimated it at around USD 7-9 million.

The development has come at a time when the online food delivery players are expecting to come up to their pre-Covid levels. Recently, Swiggy said that its food delivery business has recovered to around 80-85% of pre-Covid-19 levels in terms of order value. According to Swiggy, it had delivered over 100 million orders since the start of the lockdown in March till the first week of October.

Address Beach Resort set to open in Dubai next month

Nestled in the heart of The Beach and Jumeirah Beach Residence, the Address Beach Resort is set to open its doors in December, 2020 and is the first-ever Address beachfront property.

The project is developed by Al Ain Holding with two 77-floor twin towers, connected with the tallest inhabited skybridge in the world. Moreover, this unique project is a candidate for the Guinnes Records for the highest infinity pool.

Rabih Karam, Group CEO, Al Ain Holding, stated “The opening of Address Beach Resort and Address Beach Residences is testament to our undoubted commitment to develop landmark projects with best-in-class partners adding new dimension to the luxury offering of Dubai”.

With reservations now open for hotel stays from December, Chris Newman, Spokesperson, Emaar Hospitality Group, said, “We are excited to bring the Address experience to life at the brand’s first beachfront property located at one of the most popular locations in Dubai, loved both by residents and tourists alike. From a number of food and beverage outlets and a luxury award-winning spa, to an array of luxury room offerings and spectacular beachfront views, Address Beach Resort is set to leave guests with unforgettable experiences.”

The iconic 77-storey tall twin towers houses Address Beach Resort and Address Beach Residences, and will feature 217 guest rooms and suites including deluxe rooms, one and two-bedroom suites as well was a three-bedroom Presidential Suites. The Residences feature 443 fully furnished and serviced apartments and 478 unfurnished residential apartments that offer an supreme lifestyle.

Address Beach Resort offers an array of unique and exotic options that cater to every mood and occasion. ZETA Seventy Seven features the most stunning infinity rooftop pool in the world with an incomparable view of the sea, Bluewaters Island and Palm Jumeirah. Featuring a delicious fusion of Lebanese and Brazilian flavours, Li’Brasil is set to become the talk of the town.

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Eco-tourism spots in Coimbatore reopens today

The Forest Department has decided to reopen eco-tourism spots in Yercaud and Attur ranges here for the public from Wednesday following weekly maintenance works on Tuesday.

According to Forest officials, the Karadiyur view point, the eco park in Yercaud and Annavari muttal waterfalls in Attur will be made accessible to the public. Visitors to these places will have to strictly adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols.

District Forest Officer R. Murugan said, “visitors will have to follow the COVID-19 safety measures like wearing masks, maintaining physical distance and ensuring hand sanitation. The public will be prevented from crowding at any place at these spots.”

V.P. Subramaniyam, Forest Range Officer, Yercaud, said visitors would be allowed between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and they were advised to follow safety protocols strictly. He said sanitisers would be placed at the entrance and steps were being taken to prevent gathering of the public at a point.

The Yercaud eco park, also known as deer park, recently received tourist attractions such as decorative lights and lighting in the shape of butterflies, rose-shaped LED lights resembling flower bed among others. The department recently reopened Kurumbapatti zoological park to the public

Marriott International Signs Agreement With Magellan Development Group To Debut The St. Regis Brand At Chicago's Iconic Vista Tower

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) today announced it has signed an agreement with Magellan Development Group to introduce its iconic St. Regis Hotels & Resorts brand to Chicago. The project is anticipated to include 191 hotel rooms – including 33 spacious suites – and 393 branded residences within the 101-story building. Previously under construction as the luxury Wanda Vista Hotel and Vista Tower, the property is being rebranded as the St. Regis Chicago and the Residences at the St. Regis Chicago. Expected to welcome its first residents in December 2020 and hotel guests by July 2021, the project will serve as a key property in the neighborhood given its unique architecture and ultra-luxury experience.

“The St. Regis Chicago will mark the start of an exciting new era by bringing an unsurpassed luxury lifestyle to one of the city’s most desirable neighborhoods, Lakeshore East,” said Timothy Grisius, Global Real Estate Officer, Marriott International. “We are pleased Magellan Development Group has chosen to introduce the St. Regis brand to this vibrant community in the heart of Chicago.”

Located downtown, The St. Regis Chicago will span a total of three towers within the sought-after Lakeshore East community. The vibrant area includes a mix of residential and corporate properties, all centrally anchored by a public park. The project offers expansive views and exposures overlooking over the Chicago River to the north, Lake Michigan to the east, Millennial and Grant Parks to the south and the Loop skyline to the west.

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IHCL expands its presence in the East with Ambuja Neotia

Indian Hotels Company, (IHCL) has announced the signing of three Taj hotels – two in Kolkata, West Bengal and one in Patna, Bihar. These new hotels are in partnership with Ambuja Neotia Group, who have already partnered with IHCL for two other hotels in the East – Taj Chia Kutir, Darjeeling, West Bengal and Taj Guras Kutir in Gangtok, Sikkim.

Commenting on the signing, Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IHCL, said, “We are very committed to the Eastern part of India as we believe that it has tremendous potential. With the announcement today, we are further strengthening our footprint in the region and building on IHCL’s legacy in some of the most commercially and culturally important cities of the East. These signings also cement our relationship with the Ambuja Neotia Group.”

The Taj hotel at Ambuja City Centre, Kolkata is strategically located in close proximity of the airport and the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, one of the largest convention centres in South Asia. The hotel, with 147 keys, has been in operation for over 10 years and is slated to undergo extensive refurbishments before it re-opens as a Taj hotel in 2021.

The Taj hotel at Eco Park, located in New Town, is a 57-room hotel overlooking Eco Park’s 112-acre water body. The resort hotel with state-of-the-art banqueting and convention facilities spread across 50,000 sq. ft. is slated to open in 2021.

Le Meridien Kochi opens fast dining restaurant, Car-Go Bites

At a time when the pandemic has limited the gastronauts’ food expeditions, Le Meridien Kochi has now come up with a quick and easy dining option. It has opened Car-Go Bites, a fast casual dining restaurant which serves international and India inspired food for Kochites those who want a casual, al-fresco, no-fuss dining experience and also for the long-distance highway road commuters.

Car-Go Bites offers serves food and beverage three ways, grab-and-go for the ones on the go, in-car dining and at the table, following all social distancing, hygiene & safety norms. For those who wish to make the evenings special with food, music and some camaraderie in the safe confines of their cars, the newly opened restaurant would be an ideal choice.

Car-Go Bites will be open from 4 pm to 11 pm from Sunday to Thursday. Fridays and Saturdays would be more special with live music and the place will remain open till midnight.

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Mandarin Oriental to debut in Saudi Arabia next year

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has signed a management agreement with Al Khozama Company to handle operations of the Al Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh. Once rebranded and renovated, it will be the group’s first hotel in the Kingdom.

The group will take over management in Q1 2021 but will not reflag to Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh until the end of that year when refurbishments to guest rooms and public areas are complete.

“The Al Faisaliah Hotel has been a leading light in Saudi Arabia’s hospitality sector since opening its doors 20 years ago. We are pleased to be partnering with Mandarin Oriental to further develop the hotel and to create the most luxurious and sophisticated property in the region,” said Khalid Abuhaimed, CEO of Al Khozama.

“We are delighted to further strengthen Mandarin Oriental’s presence in the Middle East by introducing the brand to Saudi Arabia and bringing the Group’s legendary service to Riyadh,” said James Riley, group chief executive of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. “We look forward to collaborating with the Al Khozama Company in transforming the hotel into the city’s most exclusive luxury property,” he added.

The hotel features 321 keys, with the new interiors being done by New York’s Adam Tihany Design. Once finished, the hotel will have ‘refreshed’ restaurants, lounge and bars, including a top floor venue giving views of the capital.

Mandarin Oriental has a compact presence in the Middle East, with the Mandarin Oriental Jumeirah Dubai and Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. Both of which only came into the MO portfolio last year.

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Dubai hotel occupancy higher than Paris and London

The emirate of Dubai ranks second globally in terms of hotel occupancy right now, behind only Singapore and ahead of both London and Paris.

That is according to The Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing’s (DTCM) Director-General Helal Saeed Almarri, citing figures from analytics firm STR.

Almarri was speaking to more than 600 people from across hospitality, travel and leisure in DCTM's first physical stakeholder meeting since the start of the pandemic. Speaking at an outdoor venue at Dubai’s Fitness Village, the tourism head explained how Dubai had seen occupancy rates of 51 percent this September and is more than capable of alluring additional visitors this year.

He briefed partners on various achievements this year which have made Dubai so resilient, including the recent UAE-UK air bridge, the resumption of international tourism in July 9 and the emirate’s range of health and safety measures.

Additionally, he discussed initiatives such as ‘Retire in Dubai’, which is aimed at bringing in new working professionals into Dubai and thus benefitting the tourism sector greatly.

Carried by state news agency WAM, he explained, "We are grateful to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, for his visionary leadership and guidance that has enabled us to efficiently tide over the challenges posed by the pandemic and inspired us to develop innovative initiatives to further enhance our competitiveness as a destination. Dubai’s proactive approach and exceptional cross functional management of the situation, has put us in a first mover position to reopen to global markets as and when they reciprocally open, allowing the city to be ahead of the curve.

"We are greatly encouraged by the pace of the industry’s recovery since the city opened its doors to international tourists almost five months ago. The steady influx of travellers indicates that we are on the right track. We hope to perform even better before the year draws to a close, accelerating momentum as we move towards the full reopening of the sector. This critical period has highlighted the resilience of our ecosystem, especially the hotel industry, which took the lead in reviving domestic tourism and creating a positive perception of the industry."

Helal Almarri added, "A diversified multi-geographic strategy that allows us to react quickly to market changes across source markets combined with the strong economic relief programme put in place by the local and federal governments, as well as the support of our stakeholders have helped the destination remain highly competitive in spite of global challenges. Our constant dialogue with stakeholders and partners, especially in these tough times, allows us to keep them abreast of the latest domestic and global developments. This provides them an opportunity to be aligned with new industry initiatives and take advantage of diverse campaigns and efforts being made to ensure Dubai stays at the forefront of the world’s safest destinations."

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WTTC hosts first virtual AGM with 120 members and WTTC ambassadors

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global travel and tourism private sector, hosted its first ever virtual AGM, attended by more than 120 CEOs from across the globe, to discuss the progress made so far, the challenges our sector has faced through this pandemic, and the importance of international collaboration.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has devasted the global Travel & Tourism sector, WTTC has been at the forefront of leading the private sector in the efforts to rebuild global consumer confidence, and the drive to rebuild international travel.

In its first ever virtual AGM, the meeting was chaired by Chris Nassetta, president & CEO of Hilton and WTTC chair, and saw contributions from members around the world and WTTC’s vice chairs including: Gary Chapman, president group services & dnata, Emirates Group; Jeffrey C Rutledge, chief executive officer, AIG Travel; Jerry Noonan, co-founder, Global Hospitality & Leisure Practice, Spencer Stuart and Darrell Wade, co-founder and chairman, Intrepid Group.

The regional vice chairs who were also in attendance included: Jane Sun chief executive officer of Trip.com; Desirée Bollier chair and chief merchant, Value Retail; Manfredi Lefebvre, chairman, Silversea Cruises; Arnold Donald, president & CEO, Carnival Corp; Alex Zozaya, executive chairman, Apple Leisure Group; and Hiromi Tagawa, Executive Advisor, JTB Corp.

The meeting was also attended by WTTC ambassadors, Taleb Rifai, WTTC global ambassador; chairman of International Advisory Board of International Institute for Peace through Tourism and former UNWTO Secretary-General; Michel Taride, WTTC ambassador EU, strategic advisor, former group president Hertz International and chair of the GTTP Advisory Board; Michael Frenzel, WTTC ambassador EU and president of Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry; and Peter Greenberg, WTTC ambassador US and CBS News travel editor.

Major 2020 initiatives presented to attendees included WTTC’s ground-breaking 100 million Jobs Recovery Plan, which was presented to and welcomed by the G20 during an historic meeting between G20 Tourism Ministers, and more than 45 CEOs and Members of WTTC in October, under Saudi Arabia’s leadership.

Furthermore, in its ‘G20 Declaration’ announced last week, the Heads of State said they would continue their efforts in collaborating with stakeholders, including the private sector, to facilitate the Travel & Tourism sector’s recovery from the pandemic.

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Accor to merge with Ennismore to create hospitality’s ‘leading lifestyle operator'

The owner operator of The Hoxton and Gleneagles is to enter into a merger with Accor in a bid to create the ‘world’s leading lifestyle operator in the hospitality sector’.

Ennismore and Accor have entered into ‘exclusive negotiations’ to become a combined entity that will comprise 12 brands, with 73 hotels in operation and a pipeline of more than 110 hotels and another c.70 hotels under ‘active discussion’.

The brands include The Hoxton, Gleneagles, Delano, SLS, Mondrian, SO/, Hyde, Mama Shelter, 25hours, 21c Museum Hotels, TRIBE, JO&JOE and Working From_.

The new entity will be headquartered in London and will take the name Ennismore.

Sharan Pasricha, founder and CEO of Ennismore and Gaurav Bhushan, CEO of the Accor Lifestyle division will become co-CEOs.

Accor will be the majority shareholder of the new entity, with Sharan Pasricha holding a substantial minority position, with the deal expected to be completed in the ‘first semester’ of 2021.

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Punjab’s QSR brand enters Delhi, aims to double its portfolio by next year

Uncle Jack's, with eight operational outlets in Punjab has set its foot in Delhi with the launch of its first outlet in the capital. Launched in 2016, the QSR brand masters in American food. “Delhi is a melting pot of flavours and cuisines. The city has something for every foodie. The food culture is so robust in the city and we have been hoping to join the fun for a long time,” Ankush Arora, Founder & MD, Uncle Jack’s - an all American creamery said.

At present, the QSR brand has two additional locations that are underway, one in West Delhi and the other in Connaught Place and is also targeting to double the number of outlets in the country by next year.
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Sarovar Hotels expands footprint in Gujarat with the signing of Sarovar Portico, Sasan Gir

Sarovar Portico, Sasan Gir is the latest addition to Sarovar Hotels and Resorts’ portfolio in the state of Gujarat. Sarovar Hotels are already operating hotels in Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Gandhidham, Junagadh, Rajkot and Somnath. Sarovar Portico, Sasan Gir will complement Sarovar’s existing leisure portfolio in Kerala, Goa, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Agra.

Sasan Gir well-known as Gir National park is a nature lover’s paradise and synonymous to the majestic Asiatic lion situated close to Talala Gir. A part of the erstwhile state of Junagadh, the region has maintained a fine balance of traditional forest life, ecotourism and modernity.

Sarovar Portico, Sasan Gir, upon completion will feature 56 deluxe and studio rooms offering spectacular views of unspoiled nature and rich uninterrupted jungle life. Guests can take delight in the extensive menu at the restaurant that offers local and global cuisine. The hotel also offers sizeable banqueting and conferencing facilities.

To reinforce that feeling of relaxation, Sarovar Portico offers an exclusive Spa facility with trained therapists to delight guests with a wide variety of treatments. For fitness enthusiast, there is gym and a badminton court. In addition, the hotel has a well-equipped activity center for Children, Swimming Pool and extensive lawns.

Sarovar Portico is just 3 km away from both Sasan Gir train station and the Sasan Gir Museum. Among the abundant of tourist attractions, travellers can explore world- renowned Gir National Park; Devalia Safari Park; Siddi Dhamal, a tribal community of Gir; Somnath Teemple; Diu; Jamjit Waterfall and Kamleswar Dam.

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Accor introduces Vivaah at Novotel

Novotel has introduced Vivaah at Novotel. Leveraging its 20 properties across 15 gateway cities across India. With Vivaah at Novotel, guests get to select a host hotel in any city as their wedding venue.

Puneet Dhawan, Senior VP Operations, Accor India and South Asia said, “We are fuelling our resources with digital innovations and entering into this new segment of virtual weddings to make our guest’s day special in the current times. Novotel is one of our most popular brands in India with 20 properties across the nation. With ‘Vivaah at Novotel Hyderabad Airport’ we strive to fulfil all our guests’ needs and demands with our dynamic hospitality services.”

Rubin Cherian, General Manager, Novotel Hyderabad Airport said, “We understand emotions and expectations of our patrons from wedding celebrations ‘Vivaah at Novotel’ provides guests an opportunity to choose from a range of options and design their dream wedding. Bearing the current situation and the restriction on the number of people one can invite for the wedding, Novotel Hyderabad Airport has introduced personalized wedding packages. The wedding packages are carefully crafted and are completely holistic in nature. They cover all the aspects that are required to make a wedding a festive and resplendent affair. Our teams are working continuously to help and assist them to make these celebrations more joyous. With our ALLSAFE label’s strict safety and hygiene protocols, guests can be rest assured and enjoy their moment.”

The two distinctive features of this initiative are Dawat by Novotel and Shagun by Novotel for food and gift hampers respectively which are the two integral parts of any Indian wedding.

With Dawat by Novotel, the guests attending the virtual wedding based out of key cities with a Novotel property will have the same culinary experience delivered at their home, which is served at the host hotel. This way even if physically they are in different cities, they will be able to enjoy the same delicacies as served at the wedding. If a particular town other than the host city has a substantial number of guests, Novotel Hyderabad Airport also provides an option to book a banquet in that particular city, which will also project the wedding on a big screen. The same food and beverage services will be provided at the hotel, which are being served at the host property.

Another aspect of this initiative is Shagun by Novotel, through which Novotel hotels in different cities help guests in delivering selected gift hampers to their relatives and friends. Guests can choose these hampers from plethora of options starting from Royale priced at INR 4000, Luxe package at INR 3000, Prestige hamper at INR 2000 and Premium at INR 1000.

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Odisha ready to promote Eco Retreat in five unique locations: Minister of Tourism, Odisha

Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, Minister of Tourism, Odia Language, Literature & Culture, Government of Odisha, said that Odisha is ready to promote Eco Retreat in five unique locations – Konark, Hirakud, Bhitarkanika, Daringbadi and Satkosia.

Aimed at the timely revival of the tourism and hospitality sector post-COVID-19, Odisha is extensively marketing its flagship campaigns, Odisha By Road complemented by the highly acclaimed Eco Retreat Odisha glamping festival, which is set to begin on 8 December 2020, upto 28 February 2021, he added.

Addressing the ‘Odisha Tourism Virtual Roadshow – 2020’ held for the Raipur, Bilaspur and Durg-Bhilai tourism fraternity, organized by Odisha Tourism and FICCI, Mr Panigrahi said that the Eco Retreats will offer tourists an opportunity to discover Odisha’s diverse tourism offerings, in style. “Chhattisgarh and Odisha are cultural siblings, with deep-rooted commonalities. Despite this, we have our own unique offerings to exhibit to explorers. Together, our states can make this region the most sought-after winter destination for Indians, looking forward to a getaway after reeling under the pandemic for eight months,” he said.

He further mentioned that to experience the true essence of Odisha, one must visit the state. “Odisha, under the leadership of the Hon’ble Chief Minister, Mr Naveen Patnaik ji, has transformed in the past 20 years,” said Mr Panigrahi. He also assured the full support of Odisha tourism for the revival of domestic tourism between the states.

Vishal Kumar Dev, Commissioner – cum – Secretary, Tourism Department and Sports and Youth Services Department, Government of Odisha said, “Odisha’s excellent road connectivity enables enjoyable road trips throughout the state. We have designed two exciting road itineraries starting from Chhattisgarh, including key destinations such as Hirakud and Debrigarh Sanctuary in one leg and Nrusinghnath and Satkosia Tiger Reserve in the other.”

Providing a glimpse of the upcoming Eco Retreat Odisha, Mr Dev said, “Eco Retreat Hirakud, Satkosia and Daringbadi are easily accessible by road, within 450 km. Worldclass amenities for camping in luxury tents are complemented by experiences ranging from jungle trails to water sports, camp-fires to boat rides, cycling tours to adrenaline pumping games, and lip smacking food. All this comes with Odisha’s stamp of tourist safety assurance, backed by its stellar record in COVID management. The synergised application of SOPs and technology for added safety will secure tourists’ experience at every Eco Retreat.”

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A pandemic won’t stop weddings

The events industry was one of the first industries which started facing strains when Covid-19 started spreading. Events were being cancelled, people were dropping out at the last minute as panic spread, leaving the organisers with little to do anything about it. The industry was trying to find ways to keep clients engaged and future projects coming during the lockdown, with ways like virtual workshops, seminars, conferences, and more.

The wedding industry, however, couldn’t survive solely through virtual events. Weddings needed to happen for organisers to survive. During the lockdown, people had desperately sought to get married at their own homes, with barely 10-20 people. No decorators, caterers, choreographers or anyone else were needed for these lockdown weddings. Now, after the series of unlocks and the cap being increased and decreased, the wedding industry still doesn’t have hopes from the upcoming wedding season.
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