Operations &amp; Strategy

August 22, 2022

HVS Monday Musings: Airport Hotels: A Growing Trend in India

Airport hotels - properties located near or within airport premises - are becoming increasingly common around the world, including in India. The concept, which was first introduced in the US in the early 1930s to provide convenient accommodation for airline crew and passengers, has emerged as an important sub-segment in the hotel industry in recent decades. As in other countries, airport hotel supply took off in India as airport infrastructure improved.

August 15, 2022

Bleisure Travel is Back in Business

With the steady recovery in corporate travel, the concept of bleisure travel, also known as blended travel, is re-gaining popularity. Prior to the pandemic, bleisure was primarily a millennial trend; however, as flexible work arrangements and remote work have gained traction, bleisure has become more common and acceptable across age groups and among professionals from various industries. As a result, the global bleisure tourism market, which accounts for 30%-35% of the global business travel market, is expected to reach US$ 497.5 billion in 2022 and will grow at a 19.5% CAGR over the next ten years.

July 11, 2022

Can the Hotel Lease Model Gain Momentum in India?

Lease agreements are a less common type of contract in the Indian hotel industry, as opposed to mature markets like Europe, where they are widely used due to the presence of several institutional hotel investors and owners. In fact, some European hotel companies, such as Pandox, have grown by focusing primarily on the leased model.

July 4, 2022

All-inclusive Resorts are Regaining Popularity

All-inclusive resorts, as the name suggests, typically provide guests with bundled services and amenities ranging from accommodation, multiple dining options with unlimited meals and beverages in most cases, to spas and various sports, entertainment, and cultural activities as part of the pre-paid resort rate. The packages may differ from one property to the next, but one thing is certain travelers can completely relax and enjoy the vacation, knowing that there won’t be any surprise payments when they check out.

May 30, 2022

Sports Tourism – A Rewarding Opportunity for Hotels

The global sports tourism industry, as per Industry Reports valued at US$ 458.8 billion in 2019, is one of the fastest-growing segments in tourism, with a CAGR of 16.1% expected to reach US$ 1,803.7 billion by 2030. In 2019, the US alone recorded 180 million sports-related visitors, generating 69 million room nights for hotels. The sports tourism market, like all other tourism segments, took a hit due to the COVID-19-related restrictions on travel, with the segment’s value declining to US$ 323.42 billion in 2020. Having said that, unlike corporate meetings and other events, sports events cannot be hosted online.

By Dipti Mohan and Saniya Zanpure

May 23, 2022

Alternative Accommodation – Threat or Opportunity for Indian Hotel Sector?

The pandemic has accelerated the growth of the alternative accommodations segment, which is disrupting the Indian hotel sector. Tired of being locked up in their homes for months, several domestic leisure travelers took road trips to motorable destinations, preferring to stay at vacation rentals, villas, or homestays instead of hotels for their first vacation after the pandemic because they provided more privacy and a private bio-bubble.

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The next-gen metrics that move hotel P&L

Hotel tech has changed what's possible – and measurable. RevPAR and ADR aren't enough; discover the metrics that really matter.

Mews

May 16, 2022

Soft Brands – the New Norm in the Indian Hotel Sector?

In recent years, the Indian hotel sector has seen soft brand launches by domestic and international chains operating in the country, with the shift toward the soft brand model gaining traction post the pandemic. Soft brands typically have more flexible development guidelines that allow independent hotels to join a larger chain while retaining their distinct design and features. The rise in travelers looking for authentic, unique, local experiences and willing to seek alternative lodging to obtain them has pushed hoteliers to respond to these changes by developing unique properties.

January 3, 2022

HVS Monday Musings: Indian Hotel Sector – Crystal Gazing Into 2022

2022 will be a critical year for the Indian hotel sector as it continues its uphill journey on the long road to post-COVID recovery. We expect the strong rebound in domestic leisure demand to continue, as people have embraced the new ‘normal’ of travel in the COVID-world, even if Omicron or other variants that may emerge from time-to-time act as temporary bottlenecks in the sector’s recovery. Similarly, the Indian hotel sector has also learned to adapt quickly, think outside the box and embrace new ideas faster than before - the few upsides of the instability caused by the pandemic in the last two years. We expect India-wide occupancy to reach pre-pandemic levels in 2022, with average rates approaching pre-pandemic levels towards the end of the year.

December 20, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Indian City Hotels Need to Strike a Balance Between Leisure and Business Travelers

Business and city hotels in India have long overlooked the leisure segment, focusing on corporate clients and groups as their bread and butter. However, domestic leisure travelers came to the rescue of these properties when revenue from traditional business models based on corporate travel vanished suddenly owing to the pandemic. Hoteliers soon adopted the saying that “amidst every crisis, lies a great opportunity,” and quickly adapted to capitalize on the demand.

December 6, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Corporate Travel is Bouncing Back, but Omicron is a Threat to Recovery

Corporate travel has been gathering up steam globally, albeit slowly, as after several months of virtual meetings and video conferencing, in-person meetings are finally making a comeback. According to a recent report by World Travel & Tourism Council, global business travel spending is expected to rise 26% in 2021 and 34% in 2022, bringing it to two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022. This rebound is likely to be led by the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions.

September 30, 2021

LOTTE HOTEL accredited with 'GBAC STAR™' by ISSA

Ultimate destination for trips to Korea: LOTTE HOTEL safe and clean as a hospital : LOTTE HOTEL, the first Korean hotel brand to achieve GBAC STAR™ for all its 5-star hotels; Equipped with strict hygiene systems to prevent diseases spreading

LOTTE Hotels & Resorts

Korea, Republic of

September 8, 2021

HVS Musings: Indian Luxury Hotel Segment: The Competition is Heating Up!

The luxury hotel segment, which currently accounts for around 11% of India’s total quality hotel supply, has regained developer interest in recent years due to its tremendous potential on account of limited supply. Domestic hotel brands such as IHCL, Oberoi, and ITC traditionally dominated the luxury segment in India. However, in recent years, several international hotel chains, including Marriott, Accor, Hilton, and Hyatt, have entered the luxury and ultra-luxury hotel categories in the country, making the segment more competitive. As a result, luxury properties contributed 11% of overall brand signings by key in 2020, up from 9% in 2018.

The next-gen metrics that move hotel P&L

Ad Guide

Hotel tech has changed what's possible – and measurable. RevPAR and ADR aren't enough; discover the metrics that really matter.

Mews

May 31, 2021

Ascott Is World’s First Hospitality Company To Offer Global Telehealth, Telecounselling And Travel Security Advisory To Guests

CapitaLand’s wholly owned lodging business unit, The Ascott Limited (Ascott), is the first hospitality company in the world to offer its guests global access to a comprehensive suite of telehealth, telecounselling and travel security advisory services. In a global partnership with leading health and security services company International SOS, Ascott will provide these complimentary services as part of its enhanced ‘Ascott Cares’ commitment to improve the overall wellness and safety of its guests. Starting 1 June 2021, the services will be available to Ascott’s guests across nearly 200 properties in 86 cities and 27 countries.

The Ascott Limited

Singapore

April 26, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Adventure Tourism in India

As per a recent travel survey, almost 65% of the Indians who participated in the survey were keen to travel for leisure and adventure in 2021. Several domestic tourists are now looking beyond traditional holidays. They want to try new experiences at open and less crowded places, which is likely to boost adventure tourism in the country. In fact, domestic tourists traveled to adventure sports hotspots in the country soon after the lockdown ended last year.

World Panel Housekeeping in Hospitality

HN Original

Outsourced housekeeping - the panacea to all our housekeeping woes?

By Soenke Weiss

Expert Views (6)

April 25, 2021

Soenke Weiss, Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Optii Solutions Pty Ltd, Optii

The outsourcing debate is not new, but the current global situation is causing it to heat up again. The argument typically revolves around whether an outsourcing agency is capable of delivering the same quality and service levels as a hotel can with a team of their own, that they employ and thus control.

Christoph Hoffmann, Owner & Editor, hsk-knowledge.com UG

It's a very interesting subject: the quality of service delivered by the housekeeping department shouldn't be defined by the employment type of the employees. Housekeeping operations, usually only seen as a cost centre, are delivering an essential service to hotels - without this service hotels don't have their core product available: a clean hotel room.

Dina Angelucci, Principal, Dina Angelucci Hospitality Consulting Services

I have had the opportunity to work with the outsourced business model (full & partial) in various countries, in my experience I don't feel the agencies are better at managing the operation, what they do bring to the table is better flexibility and availability of resources and in some instances cost savings.

View all Answers

April 13, 2021

Despite Surge In COVID-19 Cases, Thailand Can Go Ahead With Phuket Pilot To Revive Tourism, Says GlobalData

Following the news that Thailand reported 967 new COVID-19 cases on 11 April 2021.

GlobalData Plc

Thailand

March 30, 2021

Quarantine-Free Travel For Vaccinated Tourists Will Expedite Tourism Revival In Thailand, Says GlobalData

Following the news that Thailand will partially open for vaccinated tourists from July 2021;

GlobalData Plc

Thailand

March 22, 2021

HVS Monday Musings: Why Is Franchising Still Struggling To Make A Breakthrough In Indian Hotels Sector?

Franchising is slowly but steadily making its presence felt in the Indian hotels sector. Approximately 17% of the total brand signings by keys in 2020 were franchised properties as compared to 14% in 2019 and 10% in 2018. However, management agreements continue to dominate the sector, accounting for 76-80% of the total brand signings by keys during the same period.

By Dipti Mohan and Akash Datta