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40 Nights and 12 Dreams Planned For India
Where: India
Dream and Night hoteliers Sant Chatwal and his son Vikram Chatwal are in the process of bringing their lifestyle hotel brands to India. In a biiig way.
Last we heard, Hampshire Hotels & Resorts, which manages all the Chatwal properties, was being taken over by Wyndham (yeah, it all gets a little confusing after a while, doesn't it?), which was going to help take the brands "to the next level." The way we see it, Chatwal was so pleased with the success of Dream Downtown, he just couldn't wait to bring a little (or a lot) of that same sexiness to Indian hotel guests. Aiming to pump out 52 new hotels over the next five years (40 Nights, 12 Dreams), now Hampshire/Wyndham just have to convince Indian investors and franchisees to share the 'dream' (get it?).
Celebrity Scoop / Tom Cruise / Leela Palace Hotels / India Hotels / New Delhi Hotels / Sweet Suites / → All Tags
It Would Be a 'Mission Impossible' to Break Into Tom Cruise's Hotel Suite in New Delhi
It must be very good indeed to be Tom Cruise (your feelings about Scientology aside.) That's because while in India promoting his latest "Mission Impossible" movie, Tom stayed at the country's newest and most expensive hotel, The Leela Palace New Delhi in the city's diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri. And of course, he wasn't sleeping in a standard room.
No, Cruise rested his head in the hotel's Maharaja Suite which is billed as a "palace within a palace" and has six rooms, 24-hour butler services, spa rooms, a Jacuzzi, walk-in wardrobe and a private gym. The suite is also equipped with bullet proof glass and a private elevator, making it a Mission Impossible indeed to break into this hotel suite. Oh and the suite also comes with the use of a Rolls Royce Phantom. Some guys have all the luck.
Hotel News / Hotel Hype / India Hotels / Sant Singh Chatwal / Vikram Chatwal / Chatwal Hotels / Dream Hotels / London Hotels / → All Tags
When Will We Get To See A Chatwal In India?
Where: India
A lot of talk is flying around these days about a potential expansion into India (as well as London) by big-time hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal, who is Indian himself. Citing the "maximum potential" and "7%-9% growth rate" of India's current economy in this article, Chatwal makes it clear he has his brand-oriented mind set on expanding his luxury hotels onto Indian turf.
But until we get shots of a construction site, we have to scratch our heads and wonder: when will this Dream become a reality?
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When In Bangalore...
At least three or four times a day someone asks us where should I stay in Bangalore, India... give or take three or four times a day. So maybe the Garden City doesn't make our top ten FAQ but if you ever have reason to visit the Silicon Valley of India and ask us that question, the answer is The Leela Palace.
On a recent business trip we had the pleasure of experiencing a stay at the Leela. The lush grounds and ornate architecture of arches and domes was immediately awe inspiring. There's no need to ask whether this is the real Leela Palace. You just know if there was a real Leela, he lived there.
With rooms starting at $250 per night, is the inside as regal as the out?
Luxury Hotels / Hotel Openings / Leela Palace Hotels / India Hotels / New Delhi Hotels / Green Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags
The Most Expensive Hotel Built in India is Not Too Expensive to Stay At
This is one way to get attention for your hotel opening. The brand new Leela Palace New Delhi Hotel is sending out press releases attesting that it is the "most expensive hotel ever built in India." It's also the first hotel built from the ground up in the city in nearly 30 years.
So naturally, we're dying to know what's inside:
The 11-story, 260-room hotel features some of the city’s largest guest rooms, beginning at 550 square feet in size, dazzling Murano chandeliers from Italy, hand-woven carpets from Turkey and a $5 million collection of traditional and contemporary Indian art....
The 260 guest rooms include 18 spacious suites and the six-room Maharajah Suite, which includes its own private elevator, gym and spa room and use of a chauffeured Rolls-Royce Phantom. All rooms and suites are equipped with Bose iPod docks; Sony high definition LCD TVs with Blu-Ray compatibility; mirror television sets and spa mood lighting in the bathrooms.
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Now IHG Wants to Expand Holiday Inn Express in India
If there was ever a hotel prom, India would be the hottest girl to take this year. After Starwood and Marriott both announced their intentions to open more hotels in India (W and Fairfield Inn respectively), now comes news that the Intercontinental Hotel Group will build 19 Holiday Inn Express hotels in India over the next five years.
The WSJ has the breakdown:
The new hotels, which will add approximately 3,300 rooms to IHG's current India development pipeline of more than 10,000 rooms in 46 hotels, will be primarily located in India's major and secondary cities including New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore and are expected to open by 2016. IHG currently has 12 hotels open in India, comprising 2191 rooms.
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Marriott to Build Swankier Fairfield Inns All Over India
Where: India
Just a day after Starwood's W Hotels announced their intentions for India comes news that Marriott Hotels is also expanding in India, this time with their Fairfield Inn brand.
And these Fairfield Inns will be a whole lot jazzier than their U.S. counterparts as Marriott has redesigned this brand specifically for the Indian market.
The WSJ reports:
The result includes a full restaurant, expansive lobby and meeting space, none of which exist in Fairfield hotels in the U.S. The chain also has created a palette based on saffron, turmeric and Indian embroidered textiles.
The brand's first few hotels will be in fairly central locations in major cities such, as Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.
And we're hoping the free WiFi in the lobbies and the guestrooms will remain too. Are we right?
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As the World Turns, So Do The W Hotels of Our Lives
W Hotels is playing a serious game of "Around the World" having just announced a W Hotel in Mumbai due to open July 2015. While Starwood Hotels kept mum on any other plans for the 350-room hotel, DNA India has the scoop on the location:
The property is part of an iconic mix-use development christened ‘Namaste Tower’. The construction site is the erstwhile Ambika Mills land parcel located a few hundred metres south of another soon-to-open luxury hotel, Shangri-La, atop the luxury retail mall Palladium at High Street Phoenix at Lower Parel.
The Namaste Tower design is actually meant to reflect the namaste yoga gesture where two wings of the hotel are clasped together like hands greeting the city of Mumbai. Ommmm....
Meanwhile, the W Mumbai already has its own website. Disappointingly there is no mention of "Bollywood cool." Hope they fix that copy up right quick.
Hotel Libraries / Literary Hotels / Taj Hotels / India Hotels / Hotel Bookshelves / Hotel Bibles / Hotel Korans / → All Tags
India's Taj Falaknuma Palace Might Just Be a Librarian's Double Rainbow
The newly opened Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad, India, has a lot of cool features, like it is one of the country's last remaining grand palaces, and it's built entirely of Italian marble and in the shape of a scorpion. But the geeks that we are, we're digging its expansive library.
The hotel carries more than 5,900 books in its Imperial Library. You'll find tomes on literature, history and religion. Though the standout is a rare collection of the holy Quran.
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POTUS Rents Out an Entire Hotel in New Delhi, The Maurya
The talking heads may still be yapping about how much President Obama's trip to India is costing, but the locals are loving it, with the ITC Maurya giving the President and First Lady a lavish welcome today.
The hotel not only spruced up its gardens and filled its lobby with flowers for the Obamas' arrival--it also organized a traditional 'Brides of India' ceremonial welcome.
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Katy Perry and Russell Brand to 'Taj' the Knot in India
If all goes well for Katy Perry and Russell Brand, they will be living out a full-time teenage dream as husband and wife by the end of this month.
Reports say the duo have selected the Taj Rambagh Palace in Jaipur to be the site of their Hindu nuptial ceremony, after a three-day celebration on the edge of a tiger wilderness preserve at Aman-i-Khas. The Taj Hotel is actually the place where they got engaged last year.
But now, The Daily Mail has some pretty specific detes about the wedding ceremony:
The heritage palace was home to Indian royalty and is spread over 47 acres of tranquil, landscaped gardens. Funny man Brand is expected to ride through the palace gates on a lavishly decorated horse, escorted by camels and elephants.
Folk dancers are expected to welcome the couple with a traditional dance and fireworks. From here, Brand and Perry will travel in a horse driven cart to the main garden where a Hindu ceremony will be conducted in front of a small fire.
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Even the Dalai Lama Can't Resist a Good Hotel Party
There's no question that the Dalai Lama is a modern man complete with his own website, webcasts and personal treadmill setup. And don't forget, he Twitters! So it's not that surprising to see him out and about at a hotel party in Pune, India. Still, we think it's rather cool.
His Holiness showed up at the Le Meridien Hotel after attending the World Peace Festival.
All the members of the staff were extremely excited to have The Dalai Lama at the hotel. His Holiness was received at the entrance by Jaswinder Narang, General Manager of Hotel Le Meridien, and felicitated the spiritual guru by garlanding Him. Jaswinder Narang then personally escorted His Holiness to his suite.
Despite the suite accommodations, the Dalai Lama actually only stayed at the hotel for a few hours, probably just to get some rest. Yet we wondered if he still had to pony up for internet in the suite? That would cost him $15 for 24 hours. Surely, Le Meridien waived this fee for the Dalai Lama. Room rates at the hotel typically start at $175 a night with the Royal Club suite starting at $385 a night.
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