NEWS| Jit Bose - elected as a "Fellow of IIHM" and becomes member of the "IIHM International College of Distinguished Fellows"

The IIHM (International Institute of Hotel Management) International College of Distinguished Fellows conferred the Fellow of IIHM to 28 global hospitality leaders for their exemplary contribution to their industry at a glitzy virtual event. Streamed over Zoom and YouTube on January 12, the convocation ceremony had Suborno Bose, CEO, International Institute of Hotel Management & CEO, International Hospitality Council, and Prof David Foskett, MBE, chairman - International Hospitality Council, London, coming together to confer the fellowship. 

The IIHM International College of Distinguished Fellows had elected 56 dedicated professionals to become Fellows of IIHM. All of them have greatly contributed to the international hospitality industry in one way or another. The list of distinguished industry stalwarts includes Ms. Camelia Punjabi ( Group Director – Masala World) , Mr. Vijay Thacker – Managing Director – HTL Howarth), Chef. Lepinoy Sebastien (3 Michelin Star Chef Les Amis Restaurant Singapore) to name a few.  

Speaking about the recognition Mr. Jit Bose, Area Director South India, IHG Hotels & Resorts and Director of Sales & Marketing Crowne Plaza Chennai Adyar Park  said “ I look forward to working with IIHM towards contributing to the field of Hospitality Education & continue to excite people to join our industry which has so much to offer” 

Profile : 

Jit Bose is the Area Director of Sales & Marketing South India at InterContinental Hotels Group (South West Asia Region). He is currently based at Crowne Plaza Chennai Adyar Park. Jit has been with the hospitality industry for over two decades and has been with IHG Hotels & Resorts for the last four and a half years. He strongly believes that success comes from building strong teams.  

A strategic, outgoing, and performance-driven leader who provides exceptional leadership to his team resulting in commercial success. He has led many key projects towards successful improvements in customer experience, revenue maximization, market development & executed a number of highly successful campaigns. Proven experience in building highly successful and motivated teams. Recognized for strong business acumen & strategy implementation. Transformed many underperforming Hotels to commercial success through short-term tactical activities and building a long-term vision.

  

Jit is an alumnus of Calcutta University and has done his Post Graduation in Marketing & attended various workshops and Development Programmes conducted by Cornell University.   

He has vast experience in Commercial Strategy, Revenue Management with leading brands like Taj, Hyatt, Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts, Shangri-La Hotels, Ritz Carlton International & IHG Hotels & Resorts. He has held various senior management positions in his previous assignments In India and Indonesia. His expertise also lies in Pre openings, brand conversions, digital marketing, content creation, and online marketing.  

He has successfully launched the hybrid weddings campaign for his hotel. This innovative product has been a huge commercial success & has generated a lot of media attention in India and abroad. He enjoys training and mentoring. Few of his mentees have already become successful commercial leaders. He is often invited by Hotel schools to share with the students his inspiring journey in Sales & Marketing.   

Jit was awarded "Commercial Leader of the Year in 2019 - India Middle East & Africa Region " by IHG Hotels & Resorts. Won the “ Man of Excellence Award ( Hospitality Industry )– 2021 from Indian Achievers Forum.  

An avid traveler he has visited 24 countries and loves photography. music and exploring new cultures and cuisines.    

ITC Grand Chola, World’s Largest Hotel and Commercial building to achieve USGBC LEED Zero Carbon status

ITC Grand Chola,  World’s Largest Hotel and Commercial building to achieve USGBC LEED Zero Carbon status

ITC Hotels, the world’s largest chain of hotels with the maximum number of LEED Platinum Certified Properties has been accorded yet another distinction by the USGBC (United States Green Building Council), making ITC Grand Chola, Chennai the largest hotel in the world and commercial building to achieve the LEED Zero Carbon Certification.

Earlier, in March 2021, ITC Windsor, Bengaluru became the first hotel in the world to achieve the LEED Zero Carbon Certification.

LEED Zero encourages a holistic approach for buildings and places, which will contribute to a regenerative future. Sharing the same vision, ITC Hotels decade strong ‘Responsible Luxury’ initiative seeks to adopt the highest standards of planet positive experiences in its operations. 

ITC Grand Chola has demonstrated extraordinary sustainability leadership over a decade by consistently enhancing its energy efficiency with world class energy efficient and climate friendly technologies. It has further invested in building the renewable energy footprint through self-owned wind farm and solar energy.

The LEED Zero carbon certification demonstrates a deep commitment to implementing building and design strategies that assure an enhanced quality of life. It includes creating an environment where any human-produced carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere through technological or natural means. 

Zubin Songadwala, Area Manager – South, ITC Hotels & General Manager, ITC Grand Chola, affirmed, “ITC Hotels has been at the helm of exemplary sustainability leadership with its innovative energy efficiency, renewable energy and mitigation of greenhouse gases emission initiatives. The LEED Zero carbon certification for ITC Grand Chola and ITC Windsor is one step closer to creating a better world for all of us where buildings are actually generating more energy than they consume and removing more carbon than they create.”

ITC Hotels has pioneered several ground-breaking initiatives on environment, hotel ecosystem, health, and well-being. These include achieving LEED platinum rating, being one of the first chains to eliminate single use plastic free products, deployment of radiation harmonisers across the chain, farm to fork low carbon footprint cuisine, clean air among others.

For more than two decades, LEED has provided a framework for creating high

performance green buildings and spaces and is an internationally recognized symbol of excellence. Supplementing this framework, the U.S. Green Building Council has developed LEED Zero, a complement to LEED that verifies the achievement of net zero goals. LEED Zero represents a new level of achievement in green building that is the goal of LEED certified projects around the world.

(*LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

Caesar's palace appoints One Rep Global as India Representative

Caesars Palace Dubai appoints One Rep Global as India representative

One Rep Global is delighted to announce its collaboration with the iconic Caesars Palace Dubai as their India representation partner. The UAE has become and continues to grow a key destination for Indian tourists given the growth of the Indian economy and its attractive demographics, namely a young population and rising middle class. Caesars Palace Dubai recognizes the importance of the Indian market and is excited to welcome travelers, business professionals, family, and friends for the ultimate luxury experience. 

As cited by GlobalData, UAE recognizes that Indian tourists will be some of the most desirable travelers given India’s growing economy, young population, and rising middle class. Caesars Palace Dubai recognizes the importance of the Indian market and is excited to welcome travelers, business professionals, family, and friends for a luxurious experience.  

Located in the heart of the Bluewaters community, Caesars Palace Dubai is an immersive, luxury lifestyle resort. Offering a curated selection of unconventional, unforgettable experiences for all ages, the hotel is renowned for its contemporary, Romanesque inspired design and uninterrupted views of the Arabian Gulf and Dubai’s skyline. 

Positioned at the western edge of Bluewaters Island, the resort has the ambience of a relaxed, luxe island getaway. Set on a pristine 500-metre private, white sandy beach with spectacular sunset views, Caesars Palace Dubai is surrounded by luscious palm tree-lined grounds and temperature-controlled pools with views overlooking the gulf horizon.  

The resort’s contemporary rooms and suites can be found across the Palace Tower and Julius Tower, each with its own energy and flair. From chic home-away-from-home, relaxed luxury retreats in the Palace Tower; vibrant, energetic, and family-friendly Julius Tower stays to elegant, comfortably indulgent long-stays at The Residences, Caesars Palace Dubai offer beautifully designed guest experiences elevated by its signature hospitality. 

Home to an array of world class amenities, guests can dine at some of the city’s best restaurants, helmed by Celebrity chefs; relax and rejuvenate at the award-winning Qua Spa and enjoy state-of-the-art fitness facilities. Visitors can experience the ultimate daycation at stylish beach club, Cove Beach or use the Caesars Forum, a one-of-a-kind meetings and events venue.

Speaking on this partnership, the Commercial Director, Paula Tannous, says “We are very excited to be working with One Rep Global, as a company driven by an experienced team of passionate professionals and seasoned luxury hoteliers. Together we will develop business opportunities and awareness of Caesars Palace Dubai across the Indian Market and those guests seeking a tailored and unique stays in Dubai.” Adding to this , the founder of One Rep Global, Hemant Mediratta, said “ We are absolutely delighted at this partnership with the iconic Caesars Palace Dubai that needs no introduction. The Indian luxury traveller is constantly seeking newer products and experiences – whether its cultural, culinary, wellness or just spending time with their loved ones. Caesars Palace Dubai is the perfect fit for all this and more. Not just for FITs, the hotel has a separate block of rooms designed for experiential destination weddings , MICE or Social Events. We have full faith in the resilience of the Indian market and our travel trade fraternity to support and accelerate demand for this beautiful jewel in Dubai.

Hyatt Rolls Out Room Keys in Apple Wallet

Hyatt Rolls Out Room Keys in Apple Wallet

Available today at several participating U.S. properties, the new contactless key technology enables World of Hyatt Guests to seamlessly and securely tap their iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock

CHICAGO (December , 2021) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today the introduction of room keys in Apple Wallet across the first six participating U.S. hotels: Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort, Hyatt Centric Key West Resort & Spa, Hyatt House Chicago/West Loop-Fulton Market, Hyatt House Dallas/Richardson, Hyatt Place Fremont/Silicon Valley and Hyatt Regency Long Beach. As the first hotel brand to offer room keys in Apple Wallet, World of Hyatt guests at participating locations can now seamlessly and securely tap their iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock guestrooms and key card-protected common areas like gyms, pools, and elevators – no need to open an app or handle a traditional plastic room key.* This marks an important milestone as Hyatt continues to reimagine the guest experience through digital innovations, offering more control and flexibility during their stay.

“Like everything we do at Hyatt, our approach to technology always includes listening to our guests and members. We heard that they want access to be near-instantaneous. Room keys in Apple Wallet is an easy, convenient and secure room key option for our guests when they travel,” said Julia Vander Ploeg, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Digital and Technology, Hyatt. “We are proud to work with Apple to launch this game-changing digital experience. Many consumer technologies evolve through a ‘tipping point’ that drives a change in adoption. We believe our collaboration with Apple on this new approach to room keys in Apple Wallet can be exactly that.” 

How it Works:

Hyatt room keys in Apple Wallet help deliver an easy and contactless experience from check-in to check out, while also providing additional security and privacy benefits for guests. 

• Seamless Set-up and Check-In: From the World of Hyatt app, members can add their room key to Apple Wallet after completing a reservation. Once added, the room key in Apple Wallet will be updated to let them know when it’s time for check-in. Once a guest is checked in and the room is ready, the room key in Apple Wallet will be activated, will note the guest’s room number and can be used immediately. The room key will not activate until the guest is checked into the hotel and a guestroom has been assigned.

• Safe, Easy and Contactless Experience: If a World of Hyatt guest needs to change rooms, extend a stay or access late checkout, the hotel can update the guest’s room key in Apple Wallet remotely – bypassing the need to visit the front desk. When it’s time to check out, guests can simply do so through the World of Hyatt app. The guest’s room key in Apple Wallet will then be remotely deactivated and archived in Apple Wallet.

• Simply Tap iPhone or Apple Watch to Unlock: Room keys in Apple Wallet give World of Hyatt guests easy and secure access to their room and common areas around the hotel such as the gym, spa, pool and more, with a simple tap of their iPhone running iOS 15 or Apple Watch running watchOS 8. Once a room key is added to Apple Wallet on iPhone or Apple Watch, guests can hold their device near the door’s NFC-enabled lock to access key card-protected areas. With Express Mode, guests don’t need to unlock their device to use their room key in Apple Wallet. If their iPhone needs to be charged, they can still use the device to unlock their room or common areas for up to five hours with automatic Power Reserve.

• More Secure and Private: Room keys in Apple Wallet are stored on your device and take full advantage of the privacy and security built into iPhone and Apple Watch. When or where a World of Hyatt guest uses a room key in Apple Wallet is never shared with Apple or stored on Apple servers. If an iPhone or Apple Watch is misplaced, the guest can promptly use the Find My app to lock the device and help locate it.

Hyatt room keys in Apple Wallet are supported by ASSA ABLOY Global Solutions door locks and their Vostio Access Management cloud-based solution. Vostio Access Management provides the digital key information that is securely delivered to guest devices.

Additional Digital Solutions Hyatt Offers:

Guided by its purpose of care, Hyatt continues implementing digital solutions throughout the travel journey to reimagine and enhance the guest experience:

• Digital Key in the World of Hyatt App: Hyatt’s digital key in the World of Hyatt mobile app utilizes Bluetooth technology that allows guests to use the World of Hyatt app on their iPhone or Android phone as a digital key. Offering Hyatt room keys on multiple digital platforms provides members with more choices during their stay. Hyatt digital keys in the World of Hyatt mobile app are currently available at more than 600 participating hotels.

• Two-Way Hotel Chat: Hyatt is deploying Medallia Zingle-powered intelligent messaging technology across its global portfolio, offering personalized communication between guests and hotel colleagues. This integration seamlessly supports any pre-arrival and in-stay questions, in guests’ preferred language and method of communication, via SMS text, in-app, web chat or popular social messaging apps like WhatsApp.

• Hyatt Collaboration with Gopuff: Hyatt recently introduced a pilot program at participating Hyatt Place properties, offering guests fast, free delivery on thousands of everyday items directly to their hotel from Gopuff’s local micro-fulfillment centers, adding a one-of-a-kind convenience for travelers.

• Together by Hyatt: Earlier this year, Hyatt launched Together by Hyatt, a new suite of events offerings for the re-imagined approach to meetings, building on Hyatt’s deep-rooted expertise in meetings and events to advance care for planners as they navigate the new normal.

• Hyatt Together: Hyatt introduced the Hyatt Together digital platform featuring custom streaming content for guests, members and colleagues. The content is inspired by signature Hyatt experiences from around the globe and designed to inspire wellbeing while traveling, or at home.

• Connect with Chromecast: In-room Chromecast enables guests to pair a personal device to the guestroom TV to stream their favorite shows and movies using preferred apps like YouTube, Netflix, Disney+ and thousands more. Available at participating hotels.

The room key in Apple Wallet feature is now available at the six participating U.S. properties. Looking ahead, this technology is expected to be rolled out across Hyatt’s global portfolio.

For more information about Hyatt room keys in Apple Wallet, visit hyatt.com.

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

*Requires an iPhone running iOS 15 and Apple Watch running watchOS 8

For further information:

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.

Dr. Kaviraj Khialani was invited as Guest of Honor- Industry Expert at ICOHOST 2021- International Conference on Hospitality and Tourism- GNA University, Punjab.

Looking at the welcome back and some of the safe to move trends in the Hospitality and Tourism business and the way forward approach to create a synchronised formulae towards achieving success and stability one of the recent initiatives taken include the ICO-HOST 2021, international conference held on 27th November 2021 at the GNA University campus. Among many noted dignitaries and well known academicians from around the world the event also saw a good number of students from hospitality and tourism management course who chose to be a part of the full day highly informative and valuable seminar.

The use of technology in hospitality industry and its pros- cons along with its functional aspects, guest satisfaction grid rate, adaptability and accessibility aspects etc were a few of the many points spoken and discussed during the sessions. Dr. Kaviraj Khialani highlighted the need of the hour of being mentally and physically strong to start with and to work on the sync with technology which surely can be beneficial for hospitality professionals but not to overlook the importance and merits of basic know how and foundation knowledge of our technical subjects and departments. His deliberation included the thought process to be clear, the mind set to be positive and the balance factor which makes it easy for us to accept, adapt and acknowledge the use of technology in a highly effective manner which can help us see happy guests coming back to our hotels and restaurants more often.

“It is important to have the correct combination of clarity of mind with a synchronised approach towards building a better professional delivery and professional approach on a day to day basis in order to offer quality service with the highest possible standards of safety and well- being to our valued and esteemed guests who will always keep in mind the experience they went through while visiting or during the course of their stay at our hotels” – Chef Kaviraj also concluded by saying that the students looking forward to graduating in the near future have a very good scope and varied openings to choose from in various verticals in the hospitality industry and with an open mind and zeal to perform it would be a great professional journey for all. The grand event saw its end with a special felicitation ceremony in which Chef Kaviraj was presented and awarded a memento and certificate of appreciation by the vice- chancellor, dean and head of department at GNA University.

Overall the one-day international conference was a great success and it shared a lot of important facts and created awareness among the attendees as well on various aspects attached to the world of hospitality.

NEWS | EaseMyTrip makes 2nd acquisition, buys Spree Hospitality

Online travel platform EaseMyTrip continues to aggressively expand its hotel and holiday businesses by acquiring Spree Hospitality. This is EaseMyTrip’s second acquisition where Spree Hospitality will add a new revenue vertical for the company and enable it to scale up its hotel and holiday portfolios rapidly.

Additionally, customers will be offered exclusive deals and offers on Spree Hospitality while doing bookings from EaseMyTrip, EMT said in a statement. EaseMyTrip’s expertise and data on the evolving travel market will enable Spree Hospitality to efficiently choose new property locations and offer dynamic pricing options, the statement added.

Earlier this month, EaseMyTrip, which announced its listing on the stock market in India earlier this year, acquired B2B travel platform Traviate for an undisclosed sum.

Spree was founded in 2011 by Keshav Baljee, who has more than 15 years of hospitality experience and is also co-promoter of Royal Orchid Hotels (a publicly listed company with a market cap of Rs 252 crore). It has a diversified portfolio across hospitality verticals such as hotels, corporate guest homes and residential clubs. 

The company is debt-free, cash-rich, and follows an asset-light model, which claims to have enabled it to record profitability even during the pandemic. Spree Hospitality has an established footprint of 1220 operational keys across hotels in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Goa, Hyderabad, Kochi, Manali, Amritsar, Dehradun, Coimbatore and Delhi, amongst others.

Prashant Pitti, Co-founder, EaseMyTrip said, 

“There is a synergy between EaseMyTrip and Spree Hospitality where we leverage the asset-light model to build a lean and efficient infrastructure. With this acquisition, we believe that EaseMyTrip is well-positioned to unlock the market potential of a recovering hospitality sector and quickly scale up the business to meet the evolving needs of the modern traveller.”

“We will enable Spree to expand to 200 properties in the next five years becoming one of the biggest names in the Indian hospitality sector,” Prashant added.

During the pandemic, Spree Hospitality had signed 18 new hotels and hired over 250 additional employees to support the expansion. With a team that comes with several decades of hospitality experience, Spree is poised to revolutionise the Indian landscape through its brand of hospitality.

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.

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.

NEWS | The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands Debuts Behind the Bar Program Featuring Guest Bartenders from World’s 50 Best Bars

The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands is debuting a new guest bartending series aptly titled Behind the Bar. This program will feature some of the top bartenders and bring several of the World’s 50 Best Bars to Fari Islands, and we are hoping it might be of interest to your readers.  

Kicking off the program on November 3-4, 2021 is Little Red Door. The confidential den tucked in the discreet rue Charlot is known as a Parisian institution in the cocktail arts since 2012. Ranked in the very selective list of the 50 Best Bars for seven years, it is continually recognized for its tailored team of bartenders who are able to imagine clever drinks according to the mood and preferences of the clients, and also distinguishes itself by the creativity of its breaking codes and pushing senses menus. Guests of The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands can join the guest mixologists at Eau Bar for an extraordinary cocktail experience or take part in the Cocktail Lab hosted by Little Red Door, that will dive into the art of cocktail conception and the connection the colors have in creating different sensations.  

The Behind the Bar program will be continuing through 2022 and has confirmed the following guest bartenders:  

∙ Three Sheets – November 29-30, 2021  

o Three Sheets is an award-winning cocktail bar opened by Max and Noel Venning in 2016. Known for being able to be ordered by strength, each section of their menu – be it One, Two or Three Sheets – offers a minimalist presentation and explosion of flavors. Noel Venning, Head Bartender and Owner of Three Sheets, will take over Eau Bar for two nights and offer a Cocktail Lab for all to discover the secrets behind this renowned cocktail bar.  

∙ Tjoget– December 18-19, 2021  

A perfectly balanced neighborhood bar, where drinks are inspired by the flavors and fragrances of Southern Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle East. Conceived and managed by two bartenders, Andreas Bergman and Joel Söderbäck, the cocktail bar has always been the beating heart of Tjoget.

Source

NEWS | IHCL to convert Jaisalmer’s Gorbandh Palace into a SeleQtions hotel

The Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) has announced the signing of Gorbandh Palace in Jaisalmer, which will be converted into an IHCL SeleQtions hotel post comprehensive renovations. This hotel is yet another partnership between IHCL and Historic Resort Hotels (HRH).

Puneet Chhatwal, MD and CEO, IHCL, said, “With the signing of this hotel, IHCL is stepping into another strategic location in Rajasthan. We will now complete the important tourist circuit of Jaipur-Jodhpur-Jaisalmer. We thank Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar for reposing his trust in us for the third hotel in this partnership.”

The 83-key hotel is located in the heart of Jaisalmer, close to major tourist attractions. The yellow sandstone heritage hotel will have an all-day diner, bar, recreational facilities including a spa, a banquet hall and gardens for social and business gatherings. The hotel will shut down and undergo a complete renovation before it is launched under the SeleQtions brand in the second quarter of 2023.

Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar, chairman and MD, Historic Resort Hotels (HRH), said, “This is the 50th year of our relationship with IHCL, which commenced with Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur in 1971 and continued with Taj Fateh Prakash Palace, Udaipur. We strengthen our relationship with Gorbandh Palace, Jaisalmer.”

Nicknamed ‘The Golden city’, Jaisalmer in the Thar desert, stands on a ridge and is crowned by the ancient Jaisalmer Fort. Many of the houses and temples of the fort and the town below are built of finely sculptured sandstone, which gives it a golden colour.

With the addition of this hotel, IHCL will have 21 hotels across brands in Rajasthan including eight under development.

NEWS | Anantara Hotels to welcome fully vaccinated guests from 63 low-risk countries

Anantara Hotels to welcome fully vaccinated guests from 63 low-risk countries

International travel to Thailand is back and Anantara Hotels Resorts and Spas is ready to welcome fully vaccinated guests with no quarantine requirements from 63 low-risk countries.

From Chiang Mai in the north, to the brand’s luxury properties in the capital of Bangkok, down to the islands of Phuket and Koh Samui in the south, Anantara guests are now welcome to visit any part of the country after meeting the governments health and safety requirements under the new ‘Test & Go’ scheme.

These requirements, amongst others, include proof of guests being fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine at least 14 days prior to arrival and producing a negative COVID-19 PCR test result issued within 72 hours before travelling. Upon touch-down in Thailand, a final COVID-19 test is conducted at the airport. Guests then spend one night in an Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration Plus (SHA+) certified hotel while waiting for their test result. Guests staying at an Anantara property in Bangkok will have their tests done in their room upon arrival for added convenience.

All Anantara properties that have been certified SHA+ have ensured a concerted effort to fully vaccinate all their employees and have reinforced the governments health and hygiene measures.  Anantara has also implemented the “Stay with Peace of Mind” programme ensuring a series of rigid brand health and safety guidelines are met and surpassed. 

This information is subjected to change at short notice. Anantara recommends that guests confirm all requirements with the relevant authorities before proceeding with any travel arrangements. For more information and FAQ’s please go to: https://www.anantara.com/en/thailand/travel-information

Current Approved countries/territories as of November 1st, 2021: Approved countries/territories: Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mongolia, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam.

Visit Maldives | MALDIVES KICKS OFF CAMPAIGN WITH YATRA AND GO FIRST TO INCREASE MALDIVES’ POPULARITY IN THE INDIAN MARKET

Visit Maldives launches a campaign with India’s Online Travel Agency, Yatra and Go First airline. The campaign will be held for a period of 3 months from 8th November onwards. This campaign is aligned with the India market strategy and would help to further boost arrivals from the Indian market and reach pre-pandemic targets. The campaign aims at creating buzz and destination awareness for potential travelers from India to Maldives.

Speaking about the campaign, Managing Director of Visit Maldives, Thoyyib Mohamed stated that India is an important source market for Maldives, which contributes significantly to the expansion of our tourism sector.

“India is already one of our top markets. This new campaign with Yatra and Go First will help in creating more momentum for the Maldives’ brand within the Indian market, which would of course result in increased bookings and future arrival numbers. We have stringent measures in place, for the safety of visitors, at all our resorts, hotels, guesthouses and liveaboards. The unique geographical formations of our islands also makes us one of the safest destinations. Visit Maldives guarantees a memorable, safe, secure and private stay for all visitors. We look forward to welcoming more Indian travelers to the sunny side of life in the months ahead.”

Senior Vice President and Business Head - Holidays at Yatra Mayur Oberoi also spoke about the importance of marketing the Maldives to Indian travelers following the border opening.

"The Maldives is one of the most important markets as far as Indian tourists are concerned. While footfall to the Maldives has always been high, at this hour, when the destination has re-opened for Indian travelers, it is very important to market the destination and revive interest in the Maldives. We are happy to join hands with Maldives Tourism Board and conduct this joint marketing campaign to promote tourism into the Maldives. We will be using all our communication channels to create buzz around the Maldives."

During the campaign, Maldives will be promoted as a top of the mind destination targeting the Indian market. Ads will be placed in Yatra and Go First’s online platforms to promote Maldives as a safe and leading destination highlighting the stringent safety measures and the unique geographical formation of the islands which naturally allow tourists to social distance and unwind in peace and tranquility.

Through the campaign Visit the Maldives will work to leverage the follower base of Yatra and Go First to create destination awareness, generate leads and create conversions and increase arrivals from India.

This campaign is estimated to make 5,891,750 impressions through the ads. It will possibly assist in securing 7,383 bookings through the Indian market through various forms of advertising content posted on physical and virtual spaces of Yatra as well as Go First.

Yatra, based in Gurugram, India is one of the leading corporate travel services providers. They have 800 corporate customers and is one of India’s leading online travel companies and operate the website yatra.com.

As of 31st October 2021, Maldives has welcomed a total of 1,011,122 travelers of which 228,297 travelers arrived from the Indian market making it the top source market.

Want to Work in the Maldives

NEWS | Ushering in the new era of Indian weddings with IHG Hotels & Resorts

IHG Hotels & Resorts is here to make “beautiful wedding” dreams come true with a special offer bundle to help couples make the most of this momentous occasion in their lives when they are ready to say “I do”

Elaborate events have long been a cornerstone of the wedding industry in India, guests and wedding planners alike have worked hard to up the wow factor with extravagant decorations, sumptuous menus and long guest lists. Under the current circumstances and with health and safety in mind, guests have been taking a less traditional approach. Families and couples are now looking at organising more intimate weddings and special occasions in accordance with the local government guidelines.

Select IHG® Hotels & Resorts venues across brands including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn hotels in India, Nepal and Bangladesh have been adapted to create bespoke experiences, making them a perfect match for couples looking to host intimate and beautiful wedding events. IHG’s team of professional event specialists have customised their venues and services to cater to smaller yet glamourous or one-of-a-kind events with a relentless focus on health and safety so guests can leave every worry behind.

IHG Hotels & Resorts has put together a special offer available from 15 October until 31 December 2021.

·         Guaranteed room upgrade to suite, to thank guests for trusting us in delivering a great wedding experience

·         Up to a 5% rebate towards total bill, to help save a little bit more to splurge on jewels or the honeymoon

·         2-night stay voucher for 2 people, to reminisce and cherish the fond memories experienced

·         1 Kg bridal cake with our compliments, to congratulate couples on their new journey together

·         10% off in-room dining/laundry services, to bring some added comfort to the wedding experience

With smaller weddings, guests who want to include larger number of people in their special occasions are finding alternate and innovative solutions to do so. Splitting the invitee list based on the type of ceremony is a popular option - many guests are choosing to invite younger family members or friends for pre-wedding celebrations and the elders for the main wedding event, while others are hosting ‘virtual weddings’, live streaming the ceremony for families and friends based in different parts of the country, and the globe.

IHG has enhanced the experience for its hotel guests, by redefining cleanliness and supporting guests’ personal wellbeing throughout their event and stay at the hotel. Using new, scientific protocols and service measures, partnering with industry leading experts Cleveland Clinic, Ecolab and Diversey, and launching a global IHG Clean Promise, these strengthened measures are giving guests greater confidence and hotel teams the protection needed.

For all social events, teams across IHG hotels ensure that every touch point is sanitized and proper hygiene is maintained across all operations, throughout the event. Hotels are using technology where it can make a difference. This includes deploying enhanced, highly visible and more frequent cleaning measures, and applying new standards and service approach to food and beverages as well.

NEWS | 700 Delhi guesthouses, hotels told to shut over borewell use

DPCC in its notice has asked the guesthouses to take corrective measures within 15 days, failing which would result in disconnection of electricity and water, along with the cancellation of licence.

over 700 guesthouses and small hotels in Paharganj and Karol Bagh have been issued closure notices by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) for illegal extraction of groundwater using borewells.

DPCC in its notice has asked the guesthouses to take corrective measures within 15 days, failing which would result in disconnection of electricity and water, along with the cancellation of licence.

“According to Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), Paharganj in New Delhi has been declared as an overexploited area, and illegal extraction of groundwater by the hotels/guesthouses without having any valid NOC from CGWA are thereby violating the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986,” said one such notice issued by DPCC to a guesthouse in Paharganj, a copy of which is with TOI.

Guesthouse owners, however, said borewell water was being used only for bathing purposes, with no commercial activities, kitchens or laundries functioning at any of these smaller units. “The need to use borewells arose as the Delhi Jal Board water only comes for around four hours each day – two in the morning and two in the afternoon. A number of hotels and guesthouses took permission from CGWA to use borewells prior to 2014, but what will the new ones do that came up after 2014?” asked Sourabh Chhabra, secretary, Paharganj Guesthouse Owner’s Association, adding that until Monday, at least 700 notices had been issued in the area.

Ashwini Arora, general secretary of the association and another guesthouse owner in Paharganj, said sewer charges of Rs 2,000 for extraction purposes were already being paid by guesthouses, as was stated on Delhi Jal Board (DJB) website, however, they were still being targeted by the authorities. “Community borewells have been created by DJB nearby, but guesthouses that are doing no commercial activity are now being penalised. The industry has already suffered a lot,” Arora said.

Source

NEWS | RTA publishes new safety manual for delivery drivers in Dubai

It covers how to drive, the specs of the delivery vehicle, food safety and uniforms

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has published a new manual for delivery drivers. It covers safety regulations that companies must follow, making sure drivers are properly trained, carrying out awareness campaigns with drivers and setting up regulations that new delivery platforms and apps must follow.

The manual, called The Activity Manual for Managing and Providing Delivery Services, has been produced in collaboration with Dubai Police and Dubai Municipality. It’s aim is to bring delivery providers in line with the RTA’s regulations and practices.

A statement on the RTA website said it has been brought in now as a result of the increased demand for deliveries since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It covers any venue or business that delivers “food, goods, equipment and other similar processes”.

The RTA said: “This manual aims to set out a methodology governing the delivery services activity in the Emirate of Dubai and clarify the procedures, controls and provisions governing the sector. It also defines the client’s journey through a clear and documented work procedures.

“The manual sets out important conditions that delivery service companies and their motorcyclists must strictly comply with for the safety of drivers, road users and the food or materials to be delivered.

“These stipulations include the traffic safety of motorcyclists, specifications of the vehicle or motorcycle, food safety at the delivery of orders, and guidelines relating to the uniform of drivers of delivery motorbikes.”

Source