Taj Hotels Resorts And Palaces And Shangri-la Hotels And Resorts Form Industry-first Alliance

Two of Asia's most iconic luxury hotel groups, Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts and Mumbai-based Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, announced today they have formed a ground-breaking strategic alliance to broaden their reach and offer more unique experiences to guests across Asia and the world.

The alliance will officially launch in March 2017 with the introduction of the "Warmer Welcomes" program, which integrates Taj InnerCircle and Shangri-La's Golden Circle guest loyalty program and will provide members reciprocal and seamless benefits at a scale never seen before under a hospitality alliance. Both Taj and Shangri-La are renowned worldwide for their exceptional service philosophy that is deeply rooted in, and inspired by, the cultures and traditions of the markets they operate in.

Recognition is Just the Beginning

The "Warmer Welcomes" program will offer Shangri-La and Taj's combined 6 million loyalty program members the benefits most important to them:

·Recognition: Members will be able to enjoy the perks of their elite status when they stay at any Shangri-La or Taj hotel with top-tier status matching.

·Earn points across 200 hotels, 27 countries and 131 destinations: Members of either program will now be able to earn award points in their preferred program while staying with Taj or Shangri-La whether in Mumbai, New Delhi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Paris, London, New York and other key destinations in the world.

·Seamless redemptions: Members will be able to convert points to redeem awards between both program.

Rakesh Sarna, MD and CEO Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces said: "This is a strategic step in bringing greater synergies amongst two brands known for their legendary hospitality. Over time, our valued guests and loyalty members had shared their desire for a wider selection of world class hotels in key destinations. This alliance will help drive deeper engagement for our most valuable guests and members as they will now be recognized seamlessly at some of the world's finest hotels across multiple geographies."

"As hotel owner-operators who share similar values and service philosophies but have minimal overlap of properties, Taj and Shangri-La are in a unique position to establish a seamless alliance that goes beyond a marketing partnership or multi-hotel distribution platform," said Shangri-La Acting President Madhu Rao. "Our alliance bridges two iconic Asian brands and opens up a world of new experiences for our loyal guests. We will be able to enhance brand awareness and increase market share by providing Golden Circle and Taj InnerCircle members more value and more reasons to stay with us."

India and China are currently the fastest-growing major economies of the world. They have the fastest-growing outbound travel markets in terms of number of travelers and have witnessed double-digit year-on-year growth for the past few years.

As part of its "Loyalty Is" fifth anniversary celebration this year, Shangri-La's Golden Circle has rolled out an array of new member benefits and partnerships, the most recent being Infinite Journeys with Singapore Airlines. In addition, Golden Circle has recently introduced programs such as Event Planner Rewards and The Table by Golden Circle, Shangri-La's first global dining loyalty program.

Taj relaunched InnerCircle in 2015 with augmented features and enhancements, applicable globally across all hotels. The revamped program has no blackout dates, an easy redemption process with myriad opportunities ranging from accommodation, restaurants and spas, and no expiry of points for active members. Most recently, Taj InnerCircle also redesigned its Epicure program, renewed with offers that extend globally. It now gives its patrons an all-encompassing experience of Dine, Drink, Stay, Spa and Redeem.

About Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La International Hotel Management Limited, one of the world's premier hotel management companies, currently operates over 95 hotels in 22 countries and 73 destinations under the Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Kerry Hotels, Hotel Jen and Traders Hotels brands. Prominently positioned in Asia, the group has established its brand hallmark of "hospitality from the heart" over four decades in Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, North America and the Indian Ocean. The group has asubstantial development pipeline with upcoming projects in mainland China, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka. For more information, please visit www.shangri-la.com.

About The Indian Hotels Company Limited

The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) and its subsidiaries bring together a group of brands and businesses that offer a fusion of warm Indian hospitality and world-class service. These include Taj – the iconic brand for the most discerning travellers and ranked as India's Strongest Brand 2023 as per Brand Finance; SeleQtions, a named collection of hotels; Vivanta, sophisticated upscale hotels; and Ginger, which is revolutionising the lean luxe segment.

Incorporated by the founder of the Tata Group, Jamsetji Tata, the Company opened its first hotel - The Taj Mahal Palace, in Bombay in 1903. IHCL has a portfolio of 300+ hotels including 90 under development globally across 4 continents, 13 countries and in over 100 locations. The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) is India's largest hospitality company by market capitalization. It is listed on the BSE and NSE.

Please visit: www.ihcltata.com; www.tajhotels.com;www.seleqtionshotels.com; www.vivantahotels.com; www.gingerhotels.com

Mary Insinga
Senior Account Executive, Consumer Marketing - Zeno Group
212.299.8951
IHCL