Budget Hotels Gaining Momentum

The hospitality market in India, according to a Deutsche Bank report, is believed to be worth 10-12 billion USD. Seventy percent of this comprises of budget hotels and almost two-thirds of India’s rooms supply during 2020-2021 will comprise of budget hotels. Branded budget hotels are believed to be driving the growth of online booking of domestic hotels in the country.According to a report by Google Travel Trends published some time ago, queries for branded budget hotels in India were growing at a rate of 179 percent year-on-year, in comparison to just 36 percent growth in generic budget hotel queries. Ashok Malkani takes a look at this segment of the hospitality industry to understand the scope for its growth in India and what makes it so popular in the India’s hospitality industry.

Branded Hospitality, Beyond Metros

Like all other facets of life and times,  hospitality industry is also going through changes. One of the important changes or rather transitions that has been taking place in India’s hospitality industry during the recent years is the significant channelising of investments of branded hospitality projects in tier-II and tier-III cities of the country. Patna, Dehradun, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, madurai, Kanpur, Kochi, Vadodara, Jodhpur, Nashik are some examples of tier-II and tier-III cities of India.

Designing Wellness

Wellness business in India is growing impressively. According to the estimates of the Spa Association of India, spa industry in India is currently valued at around Rs. 11,000 crore and it will continue to grow at a fast pace. A report by KPmG had shown that the size of India’s beauty and wellness market was expected to reach Rs. 80,370 crore by 2017-2018 from Rs.41,224 crore during 2012-13.

A Spa For All Seasons

Located in the heart of the holy city of Amritsar, Hyatt Regency Amritsar offers an ideal zone for respite with a host of energising experiences. Offering world class amenities, seamless comfort, culinary delights and immaculate services, it comes across as an ideal retreat for relaxation after exploring the historic and religious attractions of Amritsar.

Tackling Indoor Air Pollution In Restaurants

To prevent indoor air pollution in restaurants successfully, all the products used to design the restaurant need to be of good quality — be it the furniture, carpets, blinds or curtains, or even the paint used for the interiors. Moreover, the restaurants and their kitchen/s should be well ventilated, and air-conditioners should be timely serviced.

Food Trends 2019

As 2018 comes to a close, the food and beverage industry is all set to embrace new trends that will dominate in 2019. This year, there is a clear conscious move towards sustainable practices, organic produce and reviving forgotten and lost ingredients. As new flavours are on the horizon, drawing inspiration from worldwide regions, we talk to well known chefs and find out what they have to say about top food trends.Chefs now days are proactive in catching up with future trends based on consumer behaviour and feedback and guest expectations from the food service industry. We talked to few Chefs: Chef Gaurav Narayan, Executive Chef, Novotel Guwahati, Chef Rajiv Malhotra, Corporate Chef – Chor Bizarre Restaurants and QSR & Casual Dining Habitat World, Chef Ravi Shankar Sharma, Executive Chef, Novotel Ahmedabad and Chef Swaminandan, Executive Chef, Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla, who forecasted the trends and resolution for 2019.

Improving IAQ The Need Of The Hour

Good IAQ is the quality of air that has no unwanted gases or particles in it at concentrations that will adversely affect human health.

Greenery In Hotels

Landscaping is an important component of hotel design and plays a crucial role in enhancing the property’s value.

Maintaining Data Security

Guests’ security in the hospitality industry, today, does not merely refer to physical safety but also involves protecting guest identity and mental peace of mind. With data breaches making headlines over the last few years the threat of misuse of stolen data has been a factor that is priority in the minds of the industry professionals. This is primarily due to two major factors: one, the hotels collect large amounts of data from their guests directly and through third parties; and two that the industry has a checkered track record in protecting guests’ personal information. There is, thus, a demand from the guests to focus strongly on data security. Though it is difficult for the hotels to escape data security threats in today’s fast moving, digitally charged environment, it is not an impossible task. With technologies that are continuously evolving to help hoteliers address their data security risks and concerns, the industry is now feeling a little relieved. Ashok Malkani takes a look at the current scenario and how the industry is tackling this issue.

Perfect Veda For Inner Wellbeing!

An Exclusive Interview with Jayan A Narayanana, Spa Manager, neoVeda Spa Jayan A Narayanana has been working in hospitality sector for few years now and before joining The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa as neoVeda Spa Manager, he worked with few other leading hotels like The Lalit, The Bagh Hotel, Rajasthan and Ishana as a Spa Operation Manager, handling a team size of more than 100 employees. He started his career as an Ayurveda Punchkarma Nurse with Ayurveda Kendra and this experience helped him to understand the essence behind traditional massage. In an exclusive interview, he talks about the trend, challenges and his own experience of being in spa industry:

Niraamaya Retreats Backwaters & Beyond, Kumarakom

Niraamaya Retreats welcomes its patrons in yet another stunning property in the picturesque location. Nestled on the banks of the historic Lake Vembanad, in Kottayam district of Kerala, Niraamaya Retreats Backwaters & Beyond offers rare experiences and glimpses of an authentic insight into the local life.

Offbeat Locales Hold Immense Tourism Potential

India is a land of immense tourism potential, which is manifested through its myriad natural splendours, immensely popular and lesser-known historical legacies, fascinating wildlife and adventure tourism options.

Making Room For Hygiene

Adequate training, strict supervision and ensuring safe and healthy working conditions of the cleaning staff are key to maintaining room hygiene in a hotel

Ensuring Women Guest Safety

A valuable growing niche segment for Hotels

A Wellness Sojourn!

Adya - Crowne Plaza New Delhi Rohini

Work-life Balance Improves Hospitality

Continuous contact with customers and long hours make working in the hospitality industry strenuous. Employees have to be on their toes, charming and fresh, irrespective of whether the employee has just reported for duty or is continuing in the double shift. In this industry, service with a smile is the maxim, irrespective of whether she/he is overworked or tired. The problem does not end there.Many a time due to work related fatigue, a great many of the employees in India’s hotel industry couldn’t give adequate time to family and social life. Ashok Malkani takes a look at how the hospitality industry can help in tackling the work-life balance issues.

For Spirituality, Heritage and More

Amritsar is world renowned for its Golden Temple which is formally known as Sri Harmandir Sahib.

Laundry Options In Hospitality

Even as industrial laundry technologies continue to evolve, the debate in India’s hospitality industry on the comparative merits and demerits of in-house vs outsourced laundry facilities simply refuses to die down.

Marriage Season In Hotels

They say marriages are made in heaven. We have little knowledge regarding that but we know that weddings are nowadays celebrated in style, in high-end hospitality properties in India.

Hospitality In Spirituality

The enormous revenue earning potential of religious and cultural tourism in India needs to be more effectively harnessed by the Indian tourism and hospitality industry, and in this regard, our states and the Union Government should play a more proactive role than they are doing at present.

The Appeal Of Offbeat Locales

India is a land of awesome tourism potential, which is manifested through its myriad natural splendours, known and lesser known historical legacies, and fascinating wildlife and adventure tourism options.

Exuding Art, Facilitating Business

Surya Palace, the renowned thirty-year-old hotel in the culturally rich city of Vadodara, has been rebranded in the recent past (in late June 2017) to Grand Mercure Vadodara Surya Palace.

A Classy Expression In Hospitality

A Classy Expression In Hospitality

Wellness Solutions For Hospitality

The way spas are being viewed and used has evolved over the centuries and today they are attracting both leisure and business travellers. Spas now are considered as havens for wellness and leisure experience, which provide treatments and services that promote physical and mental relaxation. Managements of high-end hotels and resorts in our country now find spa as an essential feature for their guests. The last issue discussed the main clientele of spas in India, and the diversified benefits of spa, in the context of the Indian hospitality industry. In this issue, Ashok Malkani takes a look at the space requirement for spas and the different spa services provided by the hotels and resorts. He also throws some light on the safety aspects of spas.

Exploring Health, Wellness and Entertainment Avenues

FitnessRx for Women and MHP 2016 Arnold Model Search Winner

The Savvy Hotelier

In the recent past, JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar celebrated its one year anniversary.

Presenting a Buffet of Quality Hospitality

In the recent past, JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar celebrated its one year anniversary.

Mobile Apps For Competitive Advantage

In today’s competitive business environment hotels have to adopt every means to have an edge over other contenders and a key weapon in their arsenal is technology. Mobile apps are being used constantly by the industry to provide better service to their customers. Mobile websites and apps help customers to browse through the hotel’s services, read the reviews and book rooms. Latest technological advances have contributed towards making check-in and check-out and other guest related processes easy, seamless and fast. Some hotels have even made it possible for guests to have voice controlled rooms where they can control the lighting, temperature, TV, draperies, etc in their rooms vocally. Ashok Malkani examines how hotels have managed greater guest satisfaction, while at the same time enabling them to have a better rapport with guests by understanding their likes and dislikes with the aid of mobile apps.

The Rise Of Eco-mmodation

Eco-friendliness, for the hotel industry is steadily evolving from a nice-to-have trend to a must-have priority as, according to U.N. World Tourism Organisation there will be 1.6 billion eco-inspired trips taken by 2020. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has created GSTC industry criteria suggesting indicators for hotels to enable them to come to a common understanding of sustainable tourism. Ashok Malkani takes a look at the Indian hotel industry and the efforts that hoteliers are making to make their properties eco-friendly. There is a concerted endeavour by some hotels to meet the increasing demands of the eco-friendly tourists. While it is vital for the environment which is battling the threat of global warming, the hoteliers have realised that eco-friendly policies can also help the hotel achieve economically.

Styling Heritage Palace Belgadia Palace

The extravagantly decorated Belgadia Palace of the Maharaja of Mayurbhanj is a heritage building depicting the rarest engineering skills and architectural excellence of a bygone era.