By BW Hotelier TRANS INDIA Holidays Group, is venturing into the online travel space with its new venture BigBreaks that specialises in personalising customer tours to the last detail. BigBreaks aims to fill the existing gaps and voids in the travel industry’s offerings and revolutionize the way Indian travellers plan and book their tours. BigBreaks aims to touch this hitherto unreached aspect of travel planning, and customise travel plans to meet customer requirements to the last detail. The idea is the brainchild of Kapil Goswamy, Managing Director, BigBreaks, (see photo) a veteran of the travel organizing industry, according to a press release issued by the company. ’Being a part of the travel for so many years, I not only relate to the industry professionally, but also personally. With every successful travel experience, I get a sense of achievement, as I’m able to fulfil somebody’s travel dream. However, for a long time now I have felt a gap that leaves customers a little unfulfilled despite the best of travel packages. I realized that while the industry was offering them standard packages, they lacked the flexibility of personalizing their trips. They had to compromise on their small desires and quests to fit in their plans to the standard travel packages. At BigBreaks, consumers can book their flights and hotels, customise their destinations and services to the last detail,’ said Goswamy. ’Unlike others OTA’s who are primarily technology companies selling travel, we are a travel company adopting the latest internet technologies to give our clients the advantages of lower costs, wider variety and the convenience of 24 x 7 bookings. Being a late entrant in the online space may mean that other OTAs already have a established presence in the field, but it also gives us a unique advantage of having a clear picture of what needs improvement in the industry. We have modeled our services to remove the problems existing in the industry including lack of flexibility in product offering, poor responses from Customer Service teams, slow and tedious refund processes etc.- It is these important customer requirements that we seek to fulfill,’ he added. According to a survey by US-based Travel Consulting Firm Phocuswright, the size of the Indian travel market in 2014 stood at Rs 90,000 crores, out of which the share of online travel market was just Rs 36,000 crores. With greater penetration of Internet, this share is set to rise majorly over the next two decades. The hotels and packaging segment which remains underpenetrated would be the key growth driver in the OTA space. BigBreaks aims to tap this market with better packaging and more personalized services. Besides offering regular flight and hotel bookings, BigBreaks specialises in offering customised package deals to its customers. Goswamy has been a part of the travel industry for 30 years. He owns and runs a Rs 100 crore brick and mortar travel booking business, and Big Breaks is his first venture in the online world of travel, the press release added.
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By BW Hotelier INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS Group (IHG) has launched its 2016 Trends Report ’Meaningful Membership: Transforming Membership in The Age of I’, at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. The report challenges brands to engage with consumers in a way that builds Membership Communities, a powerful asset for brands in today’s dynamic consumer landscape. Fuelled by the growth of social media channels, there is an increasing demand from consumers to belong to a like-minded community, sharing opinions and insight as they connect around their experience of a brand. In doing so they also want to maintain their individuality, amounting to what is being termed the ’The Age of I’ ’ a desire from consumers to maximize both inclusiveness and individuality. IHG’s 2016 Trends Report highlights how brands can manage this challenge and make membership meaningful for consumers by creating Membership Communities. To do this, brands need to recognize the universal need of the community as well as, through personalization, what resonates with individual members - their likes and dislikes, what they need and when they need it. The Report identifies a new set of rules, The Essentials for building Membership Communities, to follow in order to create and build meaningful Membership Communities. These include ensuring brands humanize interaction with their customers. Dialogue is increasingly digital in today’s world, so trust grows when communications with Membership Communities are given a human face. Also important is encouraging members of their loyalty programmes to move up the ’loyalty ladder’. Richard Solomons, Chief Executive Officer, IHG, (see photo) said, "The relationship between consumers and brands requires a new mind-set. In today’s digital age, an organization’s interaction with the outside world is more than transactional - it needs an emotional engagement to succeed, stay relevant and most importantly, maintain trust. ’For IHG, we believe that understanding this interplay is key to generating value for our guests and our business. Our 2016 Trends Report identifies how to begin to unlock this value by creating Meaningful Membership. It represents our commitment to building and maintaining guest loyalty, which we do through the world’s biggest and fastest growing hotel loyalty programme, IHG Rewards Club and our portfolio of brands across more than 5,000 hotels worldwide.’ Other key findings in the report include: There is a big difference between ’Signing In’ and ’Signing On’: Signing In is a behaviour, anyone can register or enrol. Signing On creates pride of belonging to the Membership Community. People do not just want to log in. They want to link up. They want a relationship. We live in a world of now: ’One-Think Decision-Making’ creates Meaningful Membership as people expect to be satisfied in nanoseconds. If brands do not deliver on her promises quickly, perceptions of quality, leadership and trust can be damaged. Belonging is a universal need: Members of Membership Communities want to belong to a group that has a bigger purpose. Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives allow members to connect with important issues. A membership mind-set internally is as crucial: To build a successful Membership Community outside, it is necessary to build meaningful membership inside. A corporate culture which builds a meaningful membership mind-set generates trust in the organization’s brands. In IHG’s case this is achieved through a strong focus on training and building a service culture ’ to the benefit of our guests. The IHG Trends Report series track the global decline of trust in institutions. This insight is based on a series of related studies spanning a four year period and involving nearly 40,000 interviews with travelers across the globe. This year's report follows the 2013 report on 'The New Kinship Economy’, which highlighted a transition from brand experiences to brand relationships in the hospitality sector; the 2014 report on ’Creating Moments of Trust ’ the key to building successful brand relationships in the Kinship Economy’ which suggested that to win guest loyalty in the future, hotels need to deliver a global, local and personalized experience; and last year's report on 'Building Trust Capital: The new business imperative in the Kinship Economy’, which identified the growing importance for companies to build both brand and organizational trust. The 2016 IHG Trends Report has been compiled in association with IHG’s long-time partner, Arcature, and through using its own research and observations as well as a variety of external, third party sources.
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By BW Hotelier IBIS GURGAON recently unveiled its fresh new look with a celebratory relaunch party. Located in the heart of the city’s business district, the ibis Gurgaon is the hotel of choice for business and leisure travellers looking for comfortable accommodation with easy access to local amenities and attractions. With renewed emphasis on comfort and simplicity across its 217 guest rooms, ibis Gurgaon’s new look includes the revitalization and reanimation of its d-cor and public spaces thus, providing the hotel an even more upbeat and vibrant appeal. Each guest room is refashioned to feature a 32 inch LED TV, LED lighting and the new iconic ’red chair’ to add more character. All public spaces, including the lobby, reception, restaurant, corridors, bar and alfresco area have undergone a contemporary makeover with vibrant floorings and furnishings, giving them a sophisticated yet warm and welcoming feel. The meeting rooms have also been given a facelift with the installation of the latest equipment to meet all business and conferencing needs. The relaunch event took place in the hotel’s newly refurbished alfresco area and was attended by more than 200 guests from amongst ibis Gurgaon’s corporate customers, senior management from AccorHotels and InterGlobe Hotels Ltd and members of the travel fraternity. The attendees were treated to an entertaining evening of specially curated music. An array of dazzling neon LED lightings and smoke guns, complete with candlelit tables, added to the celebrations. Speaking about the launch Jean Michel Casse, Senior Vice President, Operations, AccorHotels India stated how ibis Gurgaon, boasting a fresh new look, will address the discerning needs of corporate and leisure travellers, underlining the newfound focus on F&B and events. Addressing the guests at the event, Ravi Khubchandani, General Manager, ibis Gurgaon said, ’We are delighted to reopen our doors to our valued guests in the Millennium City - Gurgaon. It’s an all new ibis with new levels of comfort. Our strategic location, modern design and industry leading features such as an extended breakfast, 15-minute satisfaction guarantee, make the ibis Gurgaon the right choice for guests looking for value, comfort and a seamless experience. We look forward to welcoming guests at the rejuvenated and refreshed ibis Gurgaon’. The event ended with a sumptuous gala dinner specially prepared by the hotel’s chefs for the occasion. Photo: (L to R) Pathik Arora, Legal General Counsel & Company Secretary InterGlobe Hotels; Jean-Michel Casse, Sr.Vice President Operations, AccorHotels India; Ashish Kumar, CFO InterGlobe Hotels; Ravi Khubchandani, General Manager, ibis Gurgaon; Shwetank Singh, Vice President Development & Asset Management, InterGlobe Hotels; and Vinay Jaswal, Human Resource, InterGlobe Hotels.
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By BW Hotelier TRIPADVISOR HAS announced the winners of its Travellers’ Choice awards for hotels. Travellers’ Choice award winners were determined based on the millions of reviews and opinions collected in a single year from TripAdvisor travelers worldwide. Now in its 14th year, the Travellers’ Choice awards have recognized more than 7,000 properties around the world, with lists covering 97 countries and eight regions worldwide. The hallmarks of Travelers’ Choice winners are remarkable service, quality and value. Speaking on the announcement, Nikhil Ganju, Country Manager, TripAdvisor India, said, ’I am delighted with this year’s edition of the awards and no surprises for guessing why! An Indian hotel is the No 1 hotel in the world, as determined by the truest yardstick possible, the reviews and opinions of the world’s largest travel community. I doff my hat to the Umaid Bhawan Palace hotel for achieving this extraordinary distinction, and to all the other distinguished Indian hotels that stud each of the 6 different category lists. And to our Indian traveler audience ’ I beseech you to explore the 2016 lists and start planning your travel to some magical accommodations.’ Chinmai Sharma, Chief Revenue Officer, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces said ’We are extremely proud to have been recognized by millions of TripAdvisor travelers who have voted us as Best in the World through their unbiased reviews. Our Palace hotels offer a glimpse into the life of regal yesteryear, and the majestic Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur (see photo) leads this field in luxurious service and attention to detail. We are delighted that some of our other iconic hotels were also recognized as amongst the best in the world. These awards are testament to Taj’s legacy of world-class service, rooted in the nobility of Indian heritage and traditions. Our committed Taj colleagues strive to deliver this exceptional service to our guests with our signature warmth and sincerity.’ The India Story Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur comes out on top this year by not only taking the No 1 position in the top hotels category in India and the world, but also winning the most number of awards (7) by an Indian hotel across categories. Rajasthan continues reign at the top with 58 awards - #1 ranking hotels in three categories ’ Luxury, Small and Top are from the state Kerala with 26 awards is second after Rajasthan Four hotels from Kerala make it to the Asia list: Kaiya House (#6) and InDa Hotels (#16) in Bargain; Royal Mist (#7) and Munroe Island Backwaters Homestay (#14) in B&Bs and Inns category While Kaiya House continues to be a part of the Asia list, it dropped out of the world list this year Karnataka ranks third with 20 awards Orange County Resorts Kabini wins five awards under the Top and Best Service categories in the India, Asia and World lists. Goa and Himachal Pradesh tie for the fourth place with 14 awards each Bougainvillea Guest House, Goa makes it to the World list for the first time under the Bargain category. It also ranks third in the Asia list and first in India under the same category. Casa Da Praia, Goa takes #1 spot in India under B&Bs and Inns category and #4 on the Asia List
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By BW Hotelier MAKING ITS way to the first of a new generation curated upscale business service, Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel and JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar have stretched the boundaries of what an executive lounge ought to be with the launch of Sphere. A premium, by-invitation-only club designed for the elite guests will transform the way businesses are done. A great way for business networking, guests can choose their venue at the executive lounge of Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel or JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar. Considering the strategic location and the wide corporate clientele of the two hotels, Renaissance Mumbai Convention Center Hotel and JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar, Sphere - a members’ only premium club is designed to provide an exclusive space for networking for the Gen X leaders, offering them with unique and customized services befitting their business needs. Rex A G Nijhof, General Manager of Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel and Lakeside Chalet ’ Mumbai, Marriott Executive Apartments, said, "We pride ourselves in offering this exclusive programme that will change the way businesses are done. With the launch of Sphere, we aim to provide our esteemed clientele an experience that will stay with them forever. The membership will immerse them in a stylish and sophisticated business lifestyle. Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel located in the heart of the city’s business hub provides easy accessibility to city’s commercial centers. We are excited to launch Sphere and provide our guests with bespoke services.’ Saeid Heidari, General Manager, JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar, said, ’Soaked in prestige and exclusivity, Sphere is an elegant way to do business. It is also a great networking opportunity and to build relationships with like-minded people. Being closer to the airport, we look forward to welcoming guests not only within the city but those who visit the city for a short duration." Keeping in mind the passion points of the guests, who are well-traveled and appreciate the finer things in life, the two hotels in Mumbai have incorporated exclusive services which resonate with their requirements. Members not only get access towards the executive lounge but special discounts on food and beverage, spa, room reservations and suite upgrade, business center, etc. The hotels will be reaching out to Club Renaissance Members, Service apartment guests from Lakeside Chalet ’ Mumbai, Marriott Executive Apartments, members of Presidency Golf Course Chembur, Forums Organizers (IMA), Club Marriott Dining Program, honchos and CEOs, top corporates in targeted area, CEO/CFO from Powai, Ghatkopar, Andheri, Hiranandani, and other premium areas in the vicinity.
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By BW Hotelier THE INDIAN hospitality industry has emerged as one of the key industries driving the growth of the services sector and, thereby, the Indian economy. The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) Indian Hotel Survey 2014-2015 aims to provide the most comprehensive guide to all-India performance trends for this industry. Results of the Survey will empower industry stakeholders such as owners, investors, operators, business analysts and researchers with information on the operational aspects of the industry. It will also help owners benchmark the performance of their operations against industry standards and seek professional help if corrective measures are required. The data for the FHRAI Indian Hotel Survey 2014-2015 has been contributed by the member hotels of FHRAI. The FHRAI had sent a questionnaire to each of its members (numbering approximately 2,600), the responses to which are then analyzed and presented in this Survey. The data presented in the current edition is culled from 1,358 responses. The participating hotels have been classified into three categories: 'Less than 50 rooms', '50 to 150 rooms', and 'More than 150 rooms'. Also a comparison has been drawn between chain-affiliated and independent hotels. The Survey highlights countrywide trends and statistics using data from the past five years surveys. Subsequently, the city scenarios are highlighted for the seven major cities (Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi-NCR, Goa, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Pune) and 12 secondary cities across the country.- These cities were Agra, Ahmedabad, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kochi, Madurai, Mysore, Nashik, Thiruvananthapuram, and Udaipur. The average rate for 2014-15, Rs 4,789, showed a modest improvement over that last year (Rs 4,729), which was previously the highest since 2009-10. Hotel occupancy, too, increased to 61.3 per cent after two years of stagnation at 60.4 per cent. Click to read the complete report-HVS - FHRAI Indian Hotel Industry Survey 2014-2015
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By BW Hotelier ABSOLUTE HOTEL Services has rebranded Eastin Easy Kurseong Darjeeling to Eastin Hotel Kurseong, Darjeeling. This will be the first International four-star Deluxe Resort Hotel in Kurseong, Darjeeling, West Bengal. The property is scheduled to open in April 2016. This information was revealed by Sameer Dharkar, Managing Director, Absolute Hotel Services India/Middle East. Located on the foothills of the Himalayas, Eastin Hotel Kurseong, Darjeeling will offer 100 rooms a combination of superior, deluxe and suites rooms. Each room will offer breathtaking views of the Himalayan mountain range, lush green woods and tea estate. Other recreation activities include star gazing, sightseeing, local dance and music, trekking, bird watching and tea tourism. Facilities include a signature multi cuisine all day dining restaurant, a specialty vegetarian restaurant, lounge bar, terrace caf- to relax and admire the scenic beauty including Kangchenjunga Himalayan range, banquet and meeting centre, wellness centre including spa treatment rooms, gym, meditation and yoga. In addition to this it will also have temperature controlled swimming pool to suit the climate and will feature first of its kind Teahouse which will offer finest Darjeeling tea and spiced up creative tea mocktails/cocktails to the guest. The contemporary wooden teahouse will provide the guest a warm cosseting atmosphere and will remind them of the colonial era. The resort hotel has ease access to attractions like Eagle Craig, Dow hill, Giddapahar View Point and many more along with the tea estates, temples & churches, museums, as well as famous historic schools that were setup during the British colonial days.
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By BW Hotelier THOMAS COOK (India) Ltd. has launched Thomas Cook Holiday App, mobile app that allows customers to search, select and buy their Holidays instantly. Driven by strong adoption of data consumption on mobile devices, research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) expects India to overtake USA as the second-largest global smartphone market by 2017. And with holidays featuring high on the Indian digital native wish-list, Thomas Cook India sees strong value in harnessing this powerfully emerging ’m-Holiday market’; hence the launch of its Thomas Cook Holiday App that offers a range of holiday options (across tour packages, hotels, flights; together with foreign exchange, visas and insurance), backed by online inventory and seamless transactions. The mobile application is currently available on Android (version 4.0 and above) and will soon be launched on iOS (version 7 and above) Amit Madhan, Chief Operating Officer - IT & E Services, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., (see photo) said ’With India's mobile commerce market expected to grow exponentially by 850 per cent, to USD 19 billion by 2019, and with Cisco projecting a near five-fold jump in India’s smartphone users, to 651 million by 2019, this translates to a powerful yet underleveraged market for holidays; hence the launch of our Thomas Cook Holiday-App is timed perfectly to harness this potential.’ Our intent is to empower Indians with seamless end-to-end holiday transactions, also smart tools like our experiential search and wish list- across an array of over 1000 plus holiday options,’ he added. Today’s Indian mobile consumer falls into two key categories: the m-booker and the m-searcher, and Thomas Cook’s Holiday App is smartly designed to delight both. For m-bookers (tech savvy and impatient), who prefer the ease and immediacy of buying holidays on-the-go, Thomas Cook’s Holiday App offers a seamless end-to-end search-select-buy experience. Given Boston Consulting Group’s data, that in addition to booking, 95 per cent of Indians use digital resources equally to search/plan trips and share experiences, Thomas Cook’s Holiday App empowers such m-searchers with special tools like its Experiential Search, a unique Wish-List to share with friends or book later. In addition to its range of international and domestic holidays across price points, the Thomas Cook Holiday App also features a special Deal Section with attractive offers. Unique Features: Experiential Search Wish-list option View availability of holiday package Calculator for total package price (basis room type and travelers, etc) End-to end holiday bookings: with online confirmation & payment Range of over 1000 holiday options Booking for services like Flights, Hotels or Buy Forex Booking/assistance for visas and travel insurance Branch Locator to nearest Thomas Cook outlet
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