Bleisure travel is soaring across the nation. A important query remains: How secure is it to travel now? With quite a few Indians completely vaccinated or obtaining taken at least a single dose and awaiting their second vaccine dose, the travel bug appears to have caught them. After the second COVID-19 wave which forced folks to remain at home once more due to the fact April 2021, Indian travellers are prepared to travel for the duration of the upcoming festive season. Be it little breaks or extended stays, luxury and premium hotels are anticipating every single will need of the Indian traveller with utmost customised and contactless services.
New hotel launches & tempting presents in 2021
According to Manish Tolani, Commercial Director and Vice President, Hilton India, “Great Small Breaks campaign is a one-of-a-kind staycation offer. It is tailor made for families and young guests. With short distance leisure travel becoming a preference, this offer will enable consumers to reconnect with family and friends. Under this initiative, there will be enhanced experience for families, with complimentary stays, personalised surprises, fun activities and lots more. It also offers complimentary stays and meals for children under 12 years, among other experiences.”
Strengthening its domestic presence in important cities, IHCL as well has announced the signing of a Vivanta hotel in Ahmedabad, which is Gujarat’s thriving financial hub. With this launch, IHCL at the moment has 3 of its brands – Taj, Vivanta and Ginger present in Ahmedabad. The move is viewed as a notable step towards redefining the new age of hospitality in the city of Ahmedabad.
For these who want to expertise Nature-centric getaways, Raffles Udaipur, India’s 1st Raffles hotel which opens on August 2, 2021, is set across a 21 acre private island situated in the middle of the Udai Sagar lake.
With more than a hundred luxury guest rooms that have private gardens and balconies, the hotel blends in the greatest visual components of Rajasthan’s royal heritage along with Mughal architecture.
At Raffles Udaipur, guests can appreciate a boat ride and watch migratory birds as they appreciate the panoramic hill views across the tranquil lake and a 4 hundred year old temple.
Longer remain, developing preference for luxury villas
However, the pandemic has forced quite a few travellers to reassess their remain options. There is an elevated preference for longer stays at luxury villas in well-liked leisure destinations such as Goa.
Dhimaan Shah, Co-founder & COO, Lohono Stays by Isprava, feels that longer stays, domestic destinations, workations and tailor made experiences are important travel trends in the emerging post-pandemic situation.
“Guests prefer longer stays. Most of our guests prefer spending the whole week and many are booking a month’s stay at our villas. We believe guests will continue to travel extensively within India. Goa continues to be the destination with the highest demand. Workations are definitely a new trend and guests are increasingly requesting tailor made experiences for them and their families. We are also seeing a huge uptick in curated experiences.”
Dhimaan Shah additional observes, “Travelers now definitely prefer booking a private villa with no shared amenities. We are confident our guests will continue to enjoy our expansive private lawns and spaces where they can enjoy themselves and feel protected.”
How secure is it to travel?
A pertinent query arises: How secure is it to travel amidst issues about the third wave?
As we all know, driving to nearby getaways is secure when employing one’s personal automobile. Hotels as properly as villas are making sure security protocols by means of their newest contactless offerings to chatbot customised services as element of the new normal for travel. For instance, the QR code is right here to remain as it ushers in a sense of security for guests who pore by means of contactless menus as soon as they verify in.
We know now that our hotels are at the moment more tech-driven than prior to. Customised contactless hospitality services, with the highest security protocols are now shaping the industry’s recovery. Everything from booking reservations to verify-ins are driven in a secure and contactless manner.
This also supports the new Indian traveler’s developing preference for revenge travel as a great deal as ‘bleisure,’ the newest travel fad that combines small business and leisure.
Bleisure travel: How hotels are prioritizing contactless services for verify in and check out
Gone are the days when a traveller spent at least fifteen minute at the front desk of a hotel to get the verify-in processes activated. In the post pandemic situation, it will be rarer to see actual area keys handed more than to a guest.
Global chains such as Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton are identified to have stepped up digital initiatives such as pushing the use of digital keys, which enables guests to use their phone as their area important rather than strategy the hotel’s front desk for verify-in help.
This is in addition to temperature checks at entry points and the use of thermal imaging cameras that accurately study the guest’s body temperature.
“Hilton India is the oldest hospitality company in the world with our invaluable experience of more than 102 years, we again took a leadership position to understand the needs of our guests when things came or were coming back to the new normal. We also introduced best-in-class Cleanliness and Hygiene programs across all Hilton properties. Using Digital Key technology, guests can check-in, choose their room, access it using their digital room key and they can also check out through the Hilton Honors mobile app, ” Manish Tolani informs TheSpuzz Online.
Contactless area handle is the future
In today’s world, contactless area handle appears to point to the future for a flourishing hospitality business to thrive additional.
Hotels across the globe have now begun to give sensible mirrors in hotel bathrooms and sensible guest rooms exactly where in-area options can be made employing the guest’s phone itself. This consists of voice-activated, contactless area handle systems that are comparable to Alexa.
Evolving lobbies and dining etiquette
Hotel lobbies are no longer viewed as social spaces. Guests choose to head to their rooms as quickly as they verify in.
Dining preferences as well are witnessing a sea modify. The a great deal awaited leisurely breakfast buffet has provided way to in-area breakfast across most hotel properties. Grab-and-go breakfast meals from vending machines are now well-liked abroad.
Dining offerings and amenities are altering, as well. Many hotels are now providing curated experiences to guests.
Raffles Udaipur positions itself as a culinary paradise for guests. Long lost recipes of royal households are served at its Indian specialty restaurant Sawai Kitchen. Harvest, which is set to open in October, serves an interactive farm-to-table dining expertise whereby the fresh farm make grabs the spotlight and culinary enthusiasts can opt for a co-cooking expertise at the hotel’s cooking college, Rasoi.
For these with a sweet tooth, Raffles Patisserie presents a spread of pastries and French desserts.
For these who want to study and have a quiet corner to plonk themselves in, The Writers Bar indulges in bespoke artisanal as properly as classic cocktails, champagne and a caviar menu. The Long Bar, having said that, comes with a European touch and presents fine Indian spirits as properly as Rajasthan’s regional brews. These mindfully curated dining experiences draw its inspiration from the 5 components, namely, earth, fire, space, water, and air.
Referring to the opening, Puneet Dhawan, Senior Vice President, Operations – India & South Asia, Accor stated, “This is an exciting time as we present the iconic Raffles brand to ‘Venice of the East.’ The cultural heritage and grand architecture that gives Udaipur city its splendour contribute to the Raffle Udaipur experience. Travellers will be able to experience the immersive hospitality that is quintessentially Raffles.”
With the rise of worldwide hotel launches, new sensible tech initiatives at hotels, Indian travellers can access the greatest and safest services with just a ping on their phones.