Month: January 2025
Weddings, moving house and divorces are meant to be the most stressful things to go through in life and as more brides and grooms are opting to tie the knot abroad, the stress levels are likely to increase.
However, help is available for couples planning weddings abroad via Faith Wishnie, the director of wedding services for Karisma Hotels & Resorts.
According to Wishnie, the rising number of destination weddings is down to the changes in todays modern society.
“Awareness of destination (wedding) options has really jumped. This is because of family and friends being spread across the world, people are travelling more now, and the Internet has played a big part because it’s easy to do the research,” she explained.
Beach weddings are a popular option for loved-up couples who are seeking romance and a picturesque setting. Destinations such as the Caribbean are among the favourites due to the large number of all inclusive resorts, tailor-made wedding packages and considerably lower costs compared to weddings in the United Kingdom.
Many of the resorts offer free wedding planners who can take care of all of the details, from the marriage licence and legal documents, to the flowers, photographer, music and catering.
“The trend is (for brides) who want to have the planning simplified and have everything taken care of,” added Wishnie.
Karisma Hotels and Resorts has 12 wedding planners who can help brides and grooms plan their dream Cancun weddings via email and over the phone, plus 15 onsite wedding coordinators who are available at the hotel groups seven properties across Cancun and the Riviera Maya.
The resorts also offer a separate groom’s room, so the bride and groom can both get ready in privacy before the ceremony.
Wishnie offers a couple of tips for couples so they can enjoy stress-free weddings abroad:
Don’t check-in anything that you’ll absolutely need or want for the big day. Carry your dress with you and/or buy anything there that you definitely want for the wedding, she said.
Don’t bring party favours with you. We can work with you to get favours or flowers and decorations cheaper (onsite).”
Tax benefits/ incentives.
.Current projections in budget.
Hotel Industry in India currently has supply of 110,000 rooms and there is a shortage of 150,000 rooms fueling hotel room rates across India. According to estimates demand is going to exceed supply by at least 100% over the next 2 years. To overcome, this shortage Indian hotel industry is adding about 60,000 quality rooms, currently in different stages of planning and development, which should be ready by 2012.
Indias hotel industry comprises of four main categories star hotels, heritage hotels, budget hotels and unclassified hotels. It is expected that the budget and mid-market hotel segment will witness huge growth and expansion while the luxury segment will continue to perform extremely well over the next few years.
It is forecasted to be the number 3 market in the world by 2015 for hospitality and tourism.
The industry is growing at a very rapid pace and there is a demand for more rooms both in metros and smaller towns.
In short, the Indian hospitality industry is poised for tremendous growth as the demand-supply imbalance has prompted several national and international hotel companies to focus their energies towards expansion in India. The next few years will thus witness the opening of several hotels in India.
Regulatory policy
The Ministry of Tourism is the nodal authority & along Dept. of Tourism it is responsible policies promotion & regulation of hospitality industry particular hotels.
The following are the some of important guidelines issued by the Dept. of Tourism.
.Approval of Hotels at Project Stage and Classification & Reclassification of Hotels.
.Guidelines for Classification of Heritage Hotels.
.Time Share Resorts (TSR).
.Stand Alone Restaurants
.Guidelines for apartment hotels.
.Guidelines for approval of Guest Houses.
FDI in this sector is permitted up to 100 per cent on the automatic route. For foreign technology agreements, automatic approval is granted if:-
.Up to 3 per cent of the capital cost of the project is proposed to be paid for technical and consultancy services.
.Up to 3 per cent of the net turnover is payable for franchising and marketing/publicity fee, and
.Up to 10 per cent of gross operating profit is payable for management fee, including incentive fee.
Incentives
Tax incentives under the current Budget
.Five year holiday from income tax being granted to two, three or four star hotels established in specified districts having UNESCO-declared ‘World Heritage Sites’; the hotel should be constructed and start functioning during the period April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2013.
.FBT exempted on crche, employee sports, guest houses facilities.
.No specific projections for this sector under the Current Budget.
Conclusion
The thriving economy and increased business opportunities especially growth in the tourism in India have acted as a boon for Indian hotel industry.
The future scenario of Indian hotel industry looks extremely rosy. It is expected that the budget and mid-market hotel segment will witness huge growth and expansion while the luxury segment will continue to perform extremely well over the next few years.
Classification and hotels reservation
Regarding Italy, law differentiates the hotel services in:
– hotels: receptive services open to the public, with unitary administration providing lodging, possibly food and other accessory services, thanks to the reservation of rooms in hotels; – motel: hotels particularly equipped for the stop and services of vehicles or crafts assuring them repair services and fuel supply; – villages hotel: hotels that, in a single area, give centralized services to users of residence units located in more establishments.
This distinction, besides substituting the traditional structure among hotels, pensions, and inns, cancels the distribution in the traditional categories (from first to fourth), and hold the same rules regarding reservation of rooms in hotels. The law stipulates that hotels be marked, in descending order, from 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 star.
The enclosed denomination “luxury” is also stipulated, for five-stars hotels classified according to typical standards of international class.
Local authorities must fix the criteria for the classification of the receptive structures keeping in mind the dimensions, the structural requirements, the services offered and the qualification of specialists, the criteria and modalities in the reservation of rooms.
The law limited itself to set down the minimum requirements that should have the receptive services to be classified as hotels. They are:
– receptive capacity not lower than seven rooms; – presence of at least a hygienic service for every ten beds; – a bathroom with hot and cold current water for each room; – a room for common use; – technological facilities and an appropriate amount of qualified specialists for the running of the installation.
To determine the categories of hotels, that is, to assign the adequate number of stars, it’s used a punctuation expressing the quality of the best offerings of the facilities, the services the hotels are able to guarantee, the location, etc.
Also in this case, as explained before for travel agencies, local laws are quite uniform and use very similar features, as well as for the reservation of rooms. They dispose, for one-star hotels to have characteristic for which at least thirty points must have been assigned, for two-stars at least eighty points, until the 340 points of five-stars luxury hotels. The private bathroom in all the rooms vouches 30 points, if 90% of the rooms is endowed with bathroom 25 points must be assigned, if the rooms with bathroom are the 70% the points must be 20, etc. The night porter vouches 10 points, as well as the 24-hours room services; direct line telephone in each room gives 8 points, the same thing for the telex; color television in each room accounts 5 points, black and white television 4; for the covered pool 10 points, the uncovered one 5; and so forth.
The classification of hotels is made on the request of the hotel itself, which should indicate, in its application, the punctuation reached, result of the sum of parameters they offer.
Hotels have played a key role in increasing a countrys tourism, particularly with the Resort types of hotels which can offer luxury facilities with full service accommodations and amenities that tourists can enjoy.
In the Philippines, a number of hotels and resort hotels had also gained a lot of popularity among tourists. And some of these are owned by the countrys largest and most successful real estate development corporation, Ayala Land Inc.
Ayala Land Inc.s Hotels and Resort Hotels
There are a number of popular resorts and hotels that Ayala Land Inc. had developed which had made significant improvement to Philippines tourism industry. Some of their most notable hotels and resort hotels are the InterContinental hotel in Manila, the Cebu Marriott, the Kukun Hotels, as well as the many resort hotels found in El Nido.
The InterContinental Hotel
According to Ayala Land Inc., the first luxury hotel that was established within the countrys premier business district is the InterContinental Hotel.
InterContinental Manila has become a symbol of pride and prestige in Makati City. Delivering the expertise of the worlds first international hotel brand to the country, InterContinental Manila harmoniously blends the companys global standards with a distinctive local flair.
The hotel was designed by National Artist Leandro Locsin, and is strategically located beside the districts best shopping and entertainment centers.
The Cebu Marriott
Cebu Marriott is considered as one of the best signature hotels found in Cebu. It offers the best and ideal location for business or leisure travel.
Centrally located in the citys premier business and cultural district, the luxury hotel sits right beside Ayala Center Cebu, widely regarded as the best shopping and entertainment enclave in the city.
Kukun Hotels
The Kukun group of hotel Philippines is operated by Ayala Land Hotels and Resorts Corp. Kukun vigorously pursues Ayala Lands best-in-class product and service standards with a new hospitality conceptthe urban lifestyle hotel.
El Nido Resort Hotels
There are three popular resort hotels found in El Nido that was established and developed by Ayala Land Inc. to complement the beauty of the province. These are the Minoloc, Lagen, and Apulit.
The Minoloc is located within a protected marine reserve. It is considered a sanctuary and hideaway for travelers looking for fun amidst a spectacular natural backdrop.
Lagen, on the other hand, is found in an island in El Nido which offers lush forests and calm, shallow lagoon. The resort offers a stunning view of Bacuit Bay and the El Nido sunset.
Apulit is found within a pristine cove blessed with a wide expanse of white-sand beach, the resorts dramatic location reveals 10 diving spots, a wealth of flora and wildlife, colorful tropical marine species, and stunning natural vistas.
Locating and booking a perfect place for your Christmas party can be a nightmare. First, you have to take into account the number of people that will be coming, and whether or not they will be bringing guests. Secondly, you want to make sure that the location you choose is large enough, yet at the same time comfortable enough to keep all those people in the Christmas spirit. Someone’s home is often much too small, although comfortable, and a large corporate centre just is not comfortable, although it may be big enough. An excellent compromise would be Christmas party hotels.
At Christmas party hotels, you can book a room, a series of rooms, or a larger area such as a conference centre for your Christmas party. Christmas party hotels are a perfect match for several reasons. First, they have the space. Secondly, they have the comfort. Thirdly, you can pick and choose the amenities that you would like to have. Finally, you can take advantage of catering, maid service, and decorating from the hotel directly.
They Have The Space
Christmas party hotels will have the space you are looking for during the Christmas season. Whether you are doing a small party that can be contained in a large suite, or whether you are doing a larger party that will need a bigger area, Christmas party hotels have all these areas available for you. Not only do the hotels have enough space, but they also come with that space furnished. When you book a party at a hotel, you will be able to tell them what you need. You can customize the type of furniture that is found in those rooms, so your party will be comfortable, as well.
Comfortable
It is the comfort that drives many people to book Christmas party hotels for their parties. Many people enjoy parties where they feel like they are at home. With a hotel, you can take advantage of good seating arrangements with couches and chairs, beautiful decorations, and an overall warm ambience for your party. Your guests will feel well taken care of and very special when attending your event at Christmas party hotels.
Choosing Amenities
Most Christmas party hotels also let you pick and choose the things that you would like to have at your party. Do you want several couches to sit on in the room, or would you like small tables and chairs? Do you need a head table for people to sit at, or would you prefer that everyone sit at the same table? Also, the hotel can take care of the extra touches such as audio or visual equipment to add to the party and the ease of communication with them.
Taking Advantage Of What A Hotel Has To Offer
However, perhaps the most important reason that many people choose to book their events at Christmas party hotels is that you can take advantage of the things that are right there waiting for you. If you would like to serve food at your party, the catering staff will provide you with the food and serve it to you, as well. The hotel can provide a pay-as-you go bar for your guests’ enjoyment, if you decide to have one. If you would like to have music, the hotel staff will provide you with the sound system and the set up. For parties that need a lot of set up or clean up beforehand, the maid staff at the hotel will do this too. There is a decorating staff that will help you with the set up and decorating of the area for your party. If the hotel is a rather fancy one, there is also going to be a parking service for you and your guests.