13 minute read
HOSPITALITY
from October 22
by whereabouts
ITC signs five boutique properties under ‘Storii’ brand
Popular leisure destinations Goa, Dharamshala, Solan, Sirmour and Kufri are the frontliner destinations
Advertisement
News Desk
With the Storii brand, ITC Hotels brings bespoke experiences at immersive locations through atypical hotels and resorts that are unique by character, design or heritage and strive to co-exist with the environment and the community. Every hotel under this brand will tell its own unique ‘story’ which could stem from its architecture, location, heritage, theme or even its facilities and offerings. This parameter is key for a property to qualify under the Storii by ITC Hotels brand even as there may be a lot more flexibility offered in terms of design approach, property size and a few other parameters. Elaborating more on this, Anil Chadha, Divisional Chief Executive, ITC Hotels said, “Leisure travel in India has grown in the last two years. Post-pandemic, the domestic traveller has not only explored destinations in India but also realised how much more there is to see and do in India.” “At ITC Hotels, we analysed the changing trends and recognised the demand for a boutique, experiential offering. Storii by ITC Hotels caters to this segment in a way that attracts the discerning traveller who is looking for unique accommodation and comfort without having to worry about consistency and quality of service. We are grateful to our Owners for their faith in ITC Hotels and our decades strong operational excellence in hospitality,” he added. The recently opened Storii by ITC Hotels, Goa is a boutique hotel that holds myriad stories within its century old walls, representing a confluence of Portuguese and Indian culture. Originally built in 1897 and called ‘Casa de Morada’ or home of happiness, this charming property was lovingly restored, and is now eagerly waiting to tell its Storii. The Storii by ITC Hotels, Dharamshala tells the story of a contemporary retreat offering plush and stylish rooms with mesmerizing views, an all-day dining restaurant and other food and beverage outlets. This experiential property will also offer a well-being zone along with recreational activities. With the addition of three more boutique properties in Sirmour, Solan and Kufri under the new Storii by ITC Hotels, the brand will further strengthen its footprints in Himachal Pradesh.
Seventy three keys ‘Pride Hotel Bhopal’ ready to receive guests
News Desk
Located in the heart of the city, ‘Pride Hotel Bhopal’ is easily accessible to prominent tourist and leisure destinations and marketplaces. The hotel encompasses 73 well-appointed rooms that perfectly fit the needs of the discerning traveller. Atul Upadhyay, Senior Vice President, Pride Group of Hotels said, “We are extremely thrilled to launch our new property in Bhopal which offers the signature Pride hospitality experience to our esteemed guests in the city.” “This full-service upscale hotel with all the contemporary amenities, banqueting, and F&B facilities will complement the needs of leisure and corporate travellers. With this launch, we now move a step further to establish our presence across popular destinations across the country.” The facilities at the hotel include 24-hours room service, a travel desk, a multi-cuisine restaurant, and 3 banquet halls. The hotel also boasts of a swimming pool and spa which will be operational later this year. Guests can enjoy a magnificent culinary journey that spans diverse gastronomic experiences and sumptuous cuisines at Café Pride. The 3 stateof-the-art banquets with a capacity to accommodate guests ranging from 50 to 400 are designed to host private parties, small gatherings, and social events. The banquets are well-equipped with all audio-visual facilities to conduct corporate meetings, special alliances, and training and development programs. All rooms are fully air-conditioned and equipped with tea/ coffee makers, Wardrobes, ergonomic work tables, Wi-Fi connectivity, LED TVs, and safety lockers. Well-connected through rail, road, and air to all major cities, the hotel gives you the best of the city of Bhopal.
KATA Group focuses on strengthening presence, aggressive marketing
We have been successful with couples, honeymooners as well as small families in the market; but with the increase in connectivity we believe that there is more that we can do in the market (in India), says Sassitt Thavornvongwongse, Assistant Vice President of Kata Group Hotels and Resorts. Rajesh Tiwari
Kata Group Resorts has been a prominent player in the hospitality industry in Thailand since 1980, making it one of the kingdom’s longest established hotel operators. The company owns a collection of properties in highly desirable beachfront locations with seven unique beach resorts in Southern Thailand. In a recent development, the company has decided to strenghten its presence in one of the biggest world source markets - India. Taking a step forward in this deirection, it has appointed RepsUnlimited to drive marketing strategies and awarness campaigns among the Indian travel agents, tour operators as well as the end users. In order to know more about KATA Group’s expansion plans and short term goals, Whereabouts has interacted with the Board Member and Assistant Vice President of Kata Group Hotels and Resorts, Sassitt Thavornvongwongse. Here are the excerpts.
Q. To start with, kindly elaborate on your presence and clientele in the Indian market?
A. Kata Group and Beyond Resorts has been around for close to 40 years, however, we haven’t been active in the Indian market. We have been successful with couples, honeymooners as well as small families in the market; but with the increase in connectivity we believe that there is more that we can do in the market.
Q. Since you have appointed a representation company in India, what are your short term plans & goals?
A. In general we want to focus on three pieces of business for the India market; corporate groups, honeymooners and families. Our resorts are well suited for the segments. In order to do that, with the help of RepsUnlimited, we are looking for presence though media and marketing as well as a couple strong travel partners who can really support us and our 2500+ rooms.
Q. Kindly through some lights on the latest developments, trade engagements and other promotional activities?
A. Kata Group and Beyond Resorts in partnership with RepsUnlimited was recently at TTF and OTM and we will continue to work these trade shows to gain traction in the market. Additionally, we are planning our attendance for SATTE and will join a Phuket Tourist Association initiated roadshow post-SATTE. In terms of our hotels and resorts, we are working hard at keeping our properties fresh and up to date. To this end 2023 will see Beyond Resort Kata be completely renovated as well as Beyond Resort Krabi be touched up and have new room categories and types come online. Exciting things await.
Q. What segment of travellers are you looking to attract?
A. As mentioned we position ourselves as a great value option for 5 start locations + facilities + service. So we are really looking forward to welcoming the travel savvy couples, the corporate groups and events, as well as the families looking to explore and go beyond.
News Desk
Sarovar Hotels has announced the historic milestone of opening its 100th hotel in India with the opening of Lagoon Sarovar Premiere, Pondicherry. A pioneer in mid- market segment with more than 27 years in operation, Sarovar Hotels is a leading hospitality chain in the country with presence in more than 67 destinations across India and Africa from Business to Leisure; Hills to Backwaters; Pilgrim to Heritage and Mountains to Beaches. While commenting on this remarkable achievement, Anil Madhok, Executive Chairman, Sarovar Hotels said, “2022 is a milestone year for us as we open our 100th hotel. This hotel holds a special place in our portfolio of hotels. Our vision 27 years ago was to make hospitality accessible in every part of the country. Our future vision is to strengthen our strong presence in tier two and tier three cities.” Lagoon Sarovar Premiere Resort is spread across 33-acres of land nestled on the banks of Chunnambar Backwaters. Pondicherry’s beautiful French colonial architecture is reflected through our resort’s rooms. Each has a private sitout area overlooking an infinity pool and tranquil backwaters. Paradise Island, a unique icon of Pondicherry is adjacent to Lagoon Sarovar Premiere Resort. Lagoon Sarovar Premiere Resort is conveniently located 20 minutes away from Pondicherry airport, three hours drive from Chennai International Airport. It’s well connected with Pondicherry’s train and bus stations.
CHATT sets up new Secretariat, appoints Anwar Shirpurwala as Secretary General
News Desk
The Confederation of Hospitality Technology and Tourism Industry (CHATT) has taken a major step forward by setting up a new secretariat to grow the organisation, meet the aspirations of the sector and promote the interests of micro entrepreneurs as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
CHATT was formed in June 2021 by top tech-based platforms in hospitality, tourism and leading online travel aggregators (OTAs) with the support of Union Ministry of Tourism as the only dedicated platform for small businesses, startups and new-age technology entities in this space. With a view to promote digital transformation of small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) and support the businesses in this ecosystem to adopt and adapt to digitally-enhanced business models, CHATT has appointed Anwar Shirpurwala, an influential techindustry leader with over 25 years of rich experience in the technology sector as its Secretary General. Anwar brings with him an extensive set of functional skills that will help strengthen the efforts of CHATT to bring together all the key stakeholders including government, industry, media, sector experts, think-tanks as well as tourists thereby harnessing the power of collective impact. Talking about his appointment and key priorities for CHATT, Anwar said, “This has been a chance that my appointment as Secretary General of CHATT coincides with my experience as a travel enthusiast and a technology industry professional.” He added, “The businesses across the hospitality, tourism and travel sector, most importantly the micro entrepreneurs and SMEs continue to face many challenges and need to come together to recover fully and rapidly from the damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic. I look forward to working with the government, our members, industry leaders, sector experts and other relevant stakeholders to reshape and to rejuvenate the sector.”
SIHRA announces ‘Annual Convention’ from Nov 18th - 20th
South India Hotels & Restaurants Association (SIHRA) has announced the dates for its forthcoming Annual Convention from 18th to 20th November 2022 at Bengaluru in Karnataka. Adding to the announcement, SIHRA’s President, K Syama Raju said, “With the Indian hospitality world opening up post pandemic, it has brought in the challenges especially in the area
of optimising human resources and sustaining the growth story at the same time.” “The three day annual convention will bring in over 600 delegates from the southern states serving as a platform to meet and discuss new trends, optimising human resource potentials and opportunities in the hospitality sector,” he added. Elaborating on the focal point of the Convention, Chairman, K Ravi said, “The Convention will focus on emerging hospitality technologies, human resource management, Food & Beverage trends and will be a vital networking platform for hoteliers and restaurateurs in the Southern Region.” South India Hotels and Restaurants Association (SIHRA) was incorporated in 1951 as a Company under Companies Act without having a share capital. SIHRA constitutes the Southern Region of Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), the Apex Trade Association for the Hospitality industry in India. SIHRA’s Membership comprises the smallest Restaurants to the Five Star deluxe Hotels in the Southern States of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
Vivanta Meghalaya, Shillong along with the upcoming hotel Courtyard by Marriott will give a huge boost to high-value tourism in the State, said the Chief Minister.
News Desk
In a remarkable and historic development, Meghalaya’s first ever five-star hotel Vivanta Meghalaya Shillong was inaugurated by State’s Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma. It is owned by Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) and has been leased out for a period of 33 years on a (Public Private Partnership) PPP mode to be operated by the IHCL. While speaking on the ocassion, the Chief Minister highlighted that the work for the hotel had been going on since 1986 and could be completed only after a strong push was given by the current government. He congratulated and thanked all the stakeholders for completing the project despite the COVID-induced disruptions. The Chief Minister called this a truly momentous occasion in the history of Meghalaya. The Chief Minister also said that the Vivanta Meghalaya, Shillong along with the upcoming hotel Courtyard by Marriott will give a huge boost to highvalue tourism in the State. This model will be further replicated going forward to transform Meghalaya into the most preferred destination for ecotourism. Today we have handed over the hotel to IHCL and the hotel will soon be open for guests. The State faces a shortage of highquality rooms and the presence of fivestar hotels in Shillong would allow the government to attract high-value tourists, host national and international music and sports events, and other seminars and conferences. The Chief Minister said that the Vivanta Meghalaya, Shillong would herald an era of luxury tourism in the State and will go a long way in fulfilling the aspirations of the residents of the State. With a built-up area of about 8,800 sq. m., the hotel has 101 rooms and other facilities including a speciality restaurant, coffee shops, bar, retail shops, and a banquet hall. The event was attended by cabinet Ministers, Member of Rajya Sabha from Meghalaya, Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Chairperson MTDC, Senior Government Officials, delegates from the media and members of the civil society.
News Desk
In an effort to build strong relationships with the Indian travel community and promote Haritha Villas + Spa as an upmarket luxury boutique Resort , Thanuja Weerasinghe, Sales & Marketing Manager, Haritha Villas + Spa interacted with Indian agents at Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad. The company is poised to cater the affluent traveller and simultaneously to attract more Indian inbound visitors to Sri Lanka. While elaborating on the offerings, Weerasinghe said that Haritha Villas + Spa offers an experience like nowhere else. “Our three pillars of strength include unscripted dining experience, farm-to-table concept and Ayurveda. A special mention for our Villa-masters who help in creating a holistic experience for our guests. All front-line staff have a minimum of 10 years experiences in brands such as One & Only, Aman, Jumeirah, Four Season, Ritz Carlton, Six Senses, Anantara and more. We would like to welcome you all to Haritha Villas + Spa on your next trip to your beautiful neighbour-next-door,” he added. “The fact that Haritha Villas + Spa is a niche product with only nine villas, makes it ideally suited to the most discerning and up-market traveller offering highly personalized exclusive service to each guest. This has been well received by niche operators and distinguishes Haritha Villas + Spa from its competitors. Furthermore, our exclusivity and size make us ideal for buyouts” mentioned Dietmar Koegerl, Consultant. The villa’s most recent addition is the ELANOR app, where technology and user experience come together. It is a guest’s very own private companion that provides access to soft check-in, wining & dining alternatives, general resort information and experiences to pre-book before arrival. What makes Haritha Villas + Spa truly unique is personalized Villa Master service. The villa masters are not only with the guest within the resort, but also accompany guests outside and act as tour guides during excursions within 100 kms of the resort. Another unique feature is unscripted dinning; our chefs discuss with each and every guest their meal plan according to their preferences and curates dishes to cater to every palate. Farm to table concept complements a guest’s culinary journey where most of the ingredients offered are coming from our own garden or locally sourced. The resort’s Jungle Spa offers the very best wellness therapies using celebrity products such as Elemis and Margaret Dabbs for facial treatments and manicure and pedicure. In the Ayurveda Centre, we offer holistic treatment such as singing bowl, acupuncture, acupressure and cupping treatment.
