Latest news with #NikhilSharma
Economic Times
a day ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Radisson Hotel Group introduces Radisson Flights in India
Radisson Hotel Group has entered the flight booking space in India with the launch of Radisson Flights, a new service that allows guests in the country to book both flights and hotel stays through the group's digital platform. The launch is part of a global partnership with Etraveli Group, a flight technology company. This move places Radisson in a space dominated by Indian travel platforms such as MakeMyTrip and EaseMyTrip. It also marks a shift in strategy as the hotel chain attempts to expand beyond just accommodation and offer integrated travel services. Radisson said the move was part of its broader digital transformation and aimed to simplify travel planning for guests in India. The company said that the hospitality sector in the country is changing rapidly, driven by increasing digital adoption and growing demand for convenience among Indian Hotel Group said it now wants to position itself not just as a hotel provider, but as an enabler of 'complete, connected travel experiences'.'India is witnessing an accelerated demand for frictionless travel experiences, and Radisson Flights is our way of meeting that demand head-on... This launch is part of our broader effort to build an integrated ecosystem that meets the evolving needs of the Indian consumer and reinforces our position as a digitally forward hospitality brand,' said Nikhil Sharma, Managing Director and COO, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group. Johan Elwin, Chief Commercial Officer at Etraveli Group, said the collaboration brought together Etraveli Group's leading technology and Radisson Hotel Group's focus on exceptional guest experiences. By launching the services in 14 key markets, he said they aimed to offer customers simple, streamlined booking services at their fingertips to make travel planning more efficient and this integration, guests in India will be able to access Etraveli's flight booking engine and real-time flight inventory, including domestic and international carriers. The company said bookings will be confirmed instantly, with competitive group said that Radisson Flights aims to reduce the inconvenience of managing bookings across multiple platforms. Guests will also get exclusive savings on hotel stays when they use the service. As part of its initial offer, travellers who book flights through Radisson's platform will get a 20% discount on hotel stays across the group's India launch is part of a phased global rollout in 14 countries. Radisson Hotel Group said the initiative aligns with its long-term goal to redefine what a hospitality brand can offer in a digitally connected is expanding across India, including in Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. It said services like Radisson Flights would be key in improving the customer experience from the moment they begin planning their journey. ( Originally published on Jul 23, 2025 )
Economic Times
a day ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Hotels gear up for busy Independence Day weekend
Synopsis Hotels and resorts across India are experiencing high demand for the Independence Day long weekend, with many destinations already significantly booked. Room tariffs have increased by 10-15% compared to last year, driven by travelers seeking premium experiences. Popular destinations include Goa, Udaipur, Lonavala, and spiritual circuits, with cruise tourism also seeing a surge in interest. With people looking for a short break, several properties see up to 80% occupancies, pushing rates up by Those planning last-minute bookings at their favourite locales for the upcoming Independence Day long weekend could face disappointment as hotels and resorts are reporting brisk advance demand. Some are 50-80% booked, while others have already sold out their inventory, according to executives. Room tariffs are also 10-15% higher over last year, the executives said. The upcoming Independence Day long weekend is shaping up to be a strong travel period, with many travellers looking to make the most of the short break, said Nikhil Sharma, MD and COO, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group."At Radisson, demand has been building steadily, with some resorts already securing over 75% occupancy a month in advance," he said travellers are increasingly willing to spend more on premium experiences and amenities, and the chain anticipates a further pickup in last-minute bookings as the weekend approaches. Destinations like Lonavala, Kumbhalgarh, Mamallapuram, Chennai, and Goa are seeing particular interest this of Leisure Hotel Group's resorts across key leisure destinations in Uttarakhand including Rishikesh, Haridwar, Corbett, and Bhimtal, and in Himachal's Kasauli are already sold out, said Shahzad Aslam, head of sales at the chain."In Rajasthan, our resorts in Ranthambore and Jaipur are seeing a promising uptick in bookings, with occupancy already nearing 80%. Goa is also performing steadily, currently at around 45% occupancy for the Independence Day week," he added. Tariffs are also 10-20% higher compared to a regular weighted average occupancy rate at all Justa Hotels & Resorts is about 50%, said Ashish Vohra, co-founder and CEO."Most of the properties in the hills are at 50% plus, except for Manali where travel is still a question mark. Some properties in Rajasthan in locations such as Udaipur and Ranthambore are crossing 65% occupancies," he said."Rates are up by about 10-15% over the same time last year. Usually, considering the 15-30 days window, advance bookings and occupancies are about 15% of the business in advance, so this momentum is quite good," he on Agoda's accommodation search data, topping the list of most popular destinations are Goa, Udaipur, Lonavala, Ooty, and Malik, country director for the Indian subcontinent and Indian Ocean islands at the company said Indian travellers are planning ahead and seeking experiences that blend relaxation with discovery."Interestingly, this trend aligns with Agoda's recent findings on the rise of micro-travel - shorter, more frequent trips that allow people to recharge without major time or budget commitments," he bookings for the Independence Day long weekend are showing strong momentum, with hotels securing 40–50% occupancy as of now, said Ahsan Shervani, vice president, Shervani Hotels."Industry players expect a significant surge in last-minute bookings, pushing occupancy levels even higher," he Pant, executive vice president and head of holidays at Thomas Cook (India) said cruise tourism is riding the wave of the long weekend demand, with strong interest for Indian coastal cruises and short-haul international sailings in Singapore and Malaysia. SD Nandakumar, president and country head for holidays and corporate tours at SOTC Travel said the company's 'Darshans' portfolio for spiritual circuits like Char Dham and Kailash Mansarovar, as well as pilgrim destinations such as Ayodhya, Dwarka, Vaishnodevi, Tirupati and Rishikesh is seeing an uptick. "We have curated spiritual journeys with personalized packages and guided spiritual walks led by local experts."
Time of India
7 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Hotels gear up for busy Independence Day weekend
NEW DELHI: Those planning last-minute bookings at their favourite locales for the upcoming Independence Day long weekend could face disappointment as hotels and resorts are reporting brisk advance demand. Some are 50-80% booked, while others have already sold out their inventory, according to executives. Room tariffs are also 10-15% higher over last year, the executives said. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category healthcare Digital Marketing Healthcare Artificial Intelligence Leadership Degree Technology Data Analytics PGDM Public Policy Cybersecurity others MCA Design Thinking Finance CXO Product Management Management Project Management Data Science Operations Management Others Data Science MBA Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIM Lucknow CERT-IIML Healthcare Management India Starts on undefined Get Details The upcoming Independence Day long weekend is shaping up to be a strong travel period, with many travellers looking to make the most of the short break, said Nikhil Sharma , MD and COO, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group . by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 15 Most Beautiful Women in the World Undo "At Radisson, demand has been building steadily, with some resorts already securing over 75% occupancy a month in advance," he added. Sharma said travellers are increasingly willing to spend more on premium experiences and amenities, and the chain anticipates a further pickup in last-minute bookings as the weekend approaches. Destinations like Lonavala, Kumbhalgarh, Mamallapuram, Chennai, and Goa are seeing particular interest this season. Live Events Most of Leisure Hotel Group 's resorts across key leisure destinations in Uttarakhand including Rishikesh, Haridwar, Corbett, and Bhimtal, and in Himachal's Kasauli are already sold out, said Shahzad Aslam, head of sales at the chain. "In Rajasthan, our resorts in Ranthambore and Jaipur are seeing a promising uptick in bookings, with occupancy already nearing 80%. Goa is also performing steadily, currently at around 45% occupancy for the Independence Day week," he added. Tariffs are also 10-20% higher compared to a regular weekend. The weighted average occupancy rate at all Justa Hotels & Resorts is about 50%, said Ashish Vohra, co-founder and CEO. "Most of the properties in the hills are at 50% plus, except for Manali where travel is still a question mark. Some properties in Rajasthan in locations such as Udaipur and Ranthambore are crossing 65% occupancies," he said. "Rates are up 10-15% over the same time last year. Usually, considering the 15-30 days window, advance bookings and occupancies are about 15% of the business in advance, so this momentum is quite good," he added. Romil Pant, executive vice president and head of holidays at Thomas Cook (India), said cruise tourism is riding the wave of the long weekend demand, with strong interest for Indian coastal cruises and short-haul international sailings in Singapore and Malaysia. Based on Agoda's accommodation search data, topping the list of most popular destinations are Goa, Udaipur, Lonavala, Ooty, and Coorg. Gaurav Malik, country director for the Indian subcontinent and Indian Ocean islands at the company said Indian travellers are planning ahead and seeking experiences that blend relaxation with discovery. "Interestingly, this trend aligns with Agoda's recent findings on the rise of micro-travel - shorter, more frequent trips that allow people to recharge without major time or budget commitments," he added.
Skift
24-07-2025
- Business
- Skift
Radisson Hotels Now Launches Flight Booking Portal in India
Radisson is the latest to offer integrated trip booking services in India, indicating a larger trend - everyone wants to cut the middleman by becoming the middleman. The Radisson Hotel Group Wednesday announced the launch of Radisson Flights in India. This, it said, is in line with the group's aim to create a 'hospitality ecosystem and deliver end-to-end travel solutions.' For the flights platform, which has been integrated with its hotel website, Radisson has entered into a strategic partnership with global flight technology provider Etraveli Group. 'This new digital offering enables guests in India to book flights and hotels in one seamless transaction via the Radisson Hotels platform,' the hotel chain in a statement. The hotel group is also incentivizing its integrated booking system by offering an introductory 20% discount on hotel stays across the company's portfolio. Radisson said it offers real-time flight options across domestic and international carriers 'with instant confirmations and competitive pricing.' 'India is witnessing an accelerated demand for frictionless travel experiences, and Radisson Flights is our way of meeting that demand,' said Nikhil Sharma, managing director and COO for South Asia at Radisson Hotel Group. 'This launch is part of our broader effort to build an integrated ecosystem that meets the evolving needs of the Indian consumer and reinforces our position as a digitally forward hospitality brand.' The India launch is a part of a phased global rollout of this service across 14 countries. Announced last year in September, Radisson had said then that the platform would launch in U.S., UK, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, France, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, Poland, Belgium and Finland. More Integrated Booking Platforms: Radisson is the latest among brands offering integrated booking solutions to customers to provide a one-stop trip planning experience. Last year, IndiGo introduced a hotel booking option on its website and app. The airline then said that it was aiming to provide customers with a convenient one-stop solution. It had also offered discounts on hotels for customers flying IndiGo and booking hotels and flights through its platform. A month later, Air India's low-cost subsidiary Air India Express partnered with online travel agency MakeMyTrip to launch Xpress Holidays – a platform that would allow travelers to book end-to-end holiday packages. The platform is hosted on the website and mobile app
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Bengaluru's heritage hotel checks into Radisson's global portfolio
Radisson Hotel Group has expanded its presence in Southern India by bringing St. Mark's Hotel Bengaluru into its portfolio under the Radisson Individuals brand. Located in the heart of the city, this long-standing landmark now combines its local heritage with Radisson's global hospitality standards. Situated in one of Bengaluru's most central and popular neighbourhoods, the hotel offers convenient access to key destinations like Vittal Mallya Road, Brigade Road, Residency Road, Richmond Road, and Cubbon Park. It is also close to various consulates and corporate offices, making it suitable for both international travellers and business visitors. With a legacy spanning more than 30 years, St. Mark's Hotel has been a recognised name in the city, and now takes on a new chapter under the Radisson Individuals label. 'St. Mark's Hotel Bengaluru, a member of Radisson Individuals, marks our seventh operational hotel in the city and our second under the Radisson Individuals brand. This soft brand allows us to partner with distinctive independent hotels that reflect the character of their location while benefiting from Radisson Hotel Group's global distribution, standards, and reach," Nikhil Sharma, Managing Director and COO, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, said. Sharma said that Bengaluru remains a critical market for the group, describing it as a thriving metro with a strong mix of corporate, leisure, and international travel demand. He said that with its central location and established legacy, the hotel was well positioned to serve the city's diverse traveller base. He added that they were proud to welcome it into their portfolio as part of their ongoing strategic expansion across India. The property features 96 rooms. All rooms are soundproof and arranged to ensure a quiet and restful environment. Dining options include three venues: 4/1 Kitchen, an all-day global cuisine restaurant; Kohinoor, an Indian rooftop dining space; and Luscious, a relaxed restobar. For meetings and events, the hotel has spaces such as Hamilton, Lords, Dukes, and a private interview room. Guests can also access wellness facilities including a spa and a fitness centre. Live Events 'We are proud to partner with Radisson Hotel Group and enter a new chapter for St. Mark's Hotel Bengaluru. With a legacy of over 30 years, our hotel has earned a reputation for excellence in service, cuisine, and comfort,' Gautam Dadlani, Managing Director, St. Mark's Hotel Bengaluru, a member of Radisson Individuals, said.
