InterGlobe Hotels plans to have 21 properties across India by 2015

InterGlobe Hotels Pvt Ltd, JV between Accor (40 per cent) and InterGlobe (60 per cent) plans to have 21 hotels with 3600 rooms operational across various cities in India by 2015. Currently, InterGlobe has seven hotels operational in cities including Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Nashik and Gurgaon. By the end of this year, InterGlobe Hotels will open ibis Hotels at Jaipur with 145 rooms and Delhi (Aerocity) with 465 rooms. This information was revealed by Uttam Dave, President and CEO, InterGlobe Hotels Pvt Ltd during the official launch of ibis Navi Mumbai yesterday.

The upcoming pipeline of hotels will witness hotels at Tier I and Tier II cities including Coimbatore, Kochi and near Candolim beach in Goa. He added, “So far InterGlobe Hotels has invested Rs 850 crore as equity whereas the asset value is Rs 1800 crore for the existing and pipeline hotels. Of the 21 hotels, seven are operational, nine are under construction and five will start construction soon.”

Besides the above pipeline of hotels, six more properties are at advanced stages of discussion and will be finalised in one year. This will add 900 rooms to the above inventory, he informed. Talking about ibis Hotels in India vis-à-vis abroad, Dave said, “Ibis Hotels in India have elaborate food and beverage offerings and also the service standards have been modified. For instance, we have introduced the concept for room service for ibis hotels in India.”

Courtesy : hospitalitybizindia.com

Hyatt announces plans for a Hyatt Regency Hotel in Colombo

Hyatt Regency Colombo will be the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Sri Lanka

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has entered into a management agreement with Sinolanka Hotels and Spa Private Limited for a Hyatt Regency hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Hyatt Regency Colombo will be the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Sri Lanka.

“Sri Lanka continues to be a growing market, and we are excited to work with Sinolanka on this iconic project in Colombo,” said Ratnesh Verma, Senior Vice President - Real Estate and Development, Asia Pacific for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. “Establishing our brand’s presence in key gateway cities like Colombo is an integral part of our strategy to drive preference for the Hyatt brand in the South Asian region. We believe the hotel’s excellent location and full range of services and dining options will meet the needs of both business and leisure travelers. It is our privilege to work with Sinolanka and be part of the government's initiatives to develop tourism infrastructure in Sri Lanka.”

Expected to open in 2014, Hyatt Regency Colombo will be a 42-floor hotel on Galle Road, which is one of the arterial roads in the central business district (CBD) area. The hotel will feature 475 guestrooms and 84 serviced apartments, as well as a lobby lounge, an all-day dining, multi-cuisine restaurant, three specialty restaurants, a bar, eight spa treatment rooms, a fitness center, a swimming pool, and a Regency Club lounge. Additionally, the hotel will offer more than 17,000 sq ft (1,579 sq m) of enclosed meeting space, including a 7,500 sq ft (696 sq m) ballroom.

“We are pleased to work with Hyatt on the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Sri Lanka,” said Gamini Senarath, Chairman of Sinolanka Hotels and Spa Private Limited. “Hyatt Regency Colombo is expected to be a flagship development for Sri Lanka, demonstrating the rapidly expanding opportunities in this country’s tourism sector.”

Courtesy : hospitalitybizindia.com

The G spot!

A classy, compact bar at the entrance of the now fully operational The Grand, the G Bar promises a rejuvenating evening - alone, or with a close one.

Pleasing decor with music and lighting at just the right pitch make it an ideal choice with an array of best liquor just a nod away.

The place makes no bones about being a bar, with no pretensions to anything else. It is just the place to come for a pre-dinner drink or an after dinner aperitif. Do not look for a substantial meal here. In the sophisticated dim lighting of the place, the light shining through Peshawar onyx stone beckons you to the bar stools. The marble and pure wood counter topped bar area takes up most of the space within the premises, with 24 bar stools aligned all around the square structure.

The ambience of this bar enfolds you as you step in and instantly your mood lightens as relaxation seeps in. An antique looking chandelier holds pride of place atop the island bar. Right under it on a table, all kinds of bottles jostle for space just as they would on a smaller scale at an impromptu party back home. Strangely, the deliberate lack of counters and shelves to hold bottles in place adds to the comfort. And yet the bartender's hand goes exactly to the bottle he wants when he reaches out, revealing an order to this chaos.

Velvet-lined cubicles on one side invite cosy twosomes, even as groups choose to drape themselves around the bar for interesting conversations. Hotel guests can be seen getting to know each other. The bartenders are busy informing and influencing guest choices, engaging the loners in conversation while leaving couples to their devices.
A single guest is challenged by a bartender in an impromptu game involving a brandy balloon, two shots glasses, a cocktail glass, swivel stick and a single olive. For some time she tries to guide the olive from the table top into a glass without touching, till the bartender laughingly comes to her rescue!

Home infused Vodkas and syrups give a unique distinction to this bar, shared by few others in the city. Absolut Vodka is infused with lemongrass, basil and thyme and chilli, while Skyy Vodka is influenced with Vanilla pods. This ensures that apart from regular cocktails, G Bar can offer innovative, creative cocktails as well. Try the G Spot (Rs 900), their version of Cosmopolitan, which the bartender informs us is the regular cocktail with "a secret recipe". The drink is quite pleasing but even after many guesses, the bartender refuses to part with his secret...

The Grand Champagne Cocktail (Rs 2,100) is especially recommended by the restaurant manager, Joel Solomon. He proudly displays a gigantic jar that holds pride of place on the central bar table. "This sugar syrup with angostura bitters and orange peels is the father of all homemade syrups. We use this with Moet et Chandon for the Grand Champagne Cocktail," he recommends. The drink is indeed good, infusing the champagne with an interesting sweet edge.

The Bloody Mary (Rs 750) and Lemon Drop Martini (Rs 900) are well done too though we fight shy of trying the Bloody Mary Wasabi. A vast range of whiskies and cognacs and a good wine library with 1800 labels ensure you do not have to look far for your favourite obsession. Interestingly the bar menu has no mocktails. Instead there are five varieties each of Ginger ale, Lemonade and Iced Tea. The sugar infusions give unique flavours to these.

And yes, do be careful, normal measures here are a tad generous. Your regular peg is a 60 ml measure while the cocktails pack a wallop with 90 ml of alcohol. That explains the rates that are pitched above those at other bars.
If you are in the mood for a relaxed pre-dinner or after dinner drink, the G Bar could be the place on your next night-out list...

Courtesy : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

New ways to make egg for breakfast

How to package the same ingredient different everyday is a task, for sure. But egg for breakfast can be made with a tinge of variety so that your little one has an appetite for each preparation.

There are many ways to bring a dash of variety to the regular breakfast menu. Here's how:

Egg sandwich: The usual hard boiled egg can be made more nutritious and interesting by packaging as a sandwich. Apply generous dose of butter, put one or two salad leaves place egg slices, sprinkle some freshly ground pepper and serve it along with freshly made juice.

If hard pressed for time, either the hard boiled egg served with milk and cornflakes will balance the breakfast.

The scrambled egg is another interesting way to make egg more interesting.

Cheese will add more taste to the regular omelet. So take the egg and break it. Separate the egg white from the yellow. First in a food processor or a mixer grinder or a hand blender blend the egg white till there is lot of froth. To it add the yellow and blend it again. And then make an omelet by topping it with shredded cheese. You can add pepper, chopped green chillies.

While beating the egg some besan mixed well in a little bit water will give another angle to the taste of the omelet. So after you have added besan, add finely chopped onion, chopped green chilli, salt to taste, a pinch of ground pepper, a pinch of red chilli, and you have another recipe at your service.

 

Courtesy : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Eat gooseberry to keep diseases at bay

If you are not yet aware of the goodness of gooseberry, it is high time that you got started

Gooseberry is one fruit that builds up body's defense against infections. Several studies have shown that people who are diagnosed with any health problem found instant relief after they started consuming gooseberry juice on a regular basis.

A quick glance at why you should make it a habit to include gooseberry a part of your diet regime.

- Gooseberry juice strengthens the body's infection-fighting skills as it contains antibacterial properties and helps fight diseases and infections.

- Gooseberry juice is used in many Ayurvedic medicines as it can accelerate hair growth and is good for your skin too.

- Studies show that gooseberry contains minerals and vitamins that are essential for a healthy heart

- It contains antioxidants as well to help fight pre-mature ageing

- Gooseberry is loaded with Vitamin C and superoxide dismutase, which are essential to boost your immunity

- It can even fight cancer as it is rich in polyphenols that helps in minimising the risk of cancer

 

Courtesy : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Why a shower can be deadly

Do you soak your shower head in warm vinegar? Tips to ensure your home doesn't make you ill

Laden with toxins, pesticides, gases, mites and moulds - that's the air inside your home. And you spend 90 per cent of your life indoors. Here's how to get around 10 germ headquarters in your plush pad.

Shower head
Scientists at the University of Colorado in the US say, the slime that builds up inside a shower head is a breeding ground for bugs linked to lots of diseases. Tests found 30 per cent of shower heads contained Mycobacterium avium, a bug linked to lung disease and one related to the germ that causes tubercolosis.
What to do: The easiest and cheapest way to get rid of limescale deposits is to unscrew your shower head and soak it in warmed white vinegar for 20 minutes. Wipe with a kitchen towel and reattach. Make this a weekly routine.

Flooring
Plywood, press board and other manufactured woods emit formaldehyde, a gas that emits from the glue used to stick woods to the floor. Formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds can cause nausea, dizziness and symptoms of allergy.
What to do: Make sure your home is well ventilated at all times. Don't keep the AC on at all hours. There are enough eco-friendly decorating materials that are chemical free. Opt for those.

Beauty products
Phthalates, also called plasticisers, go into making several everyday products, including shampoos, fragrances and deodorants. These contain hormone-like chemicals that have been linked to reproductive and developmental problems in animals, including low sperm count and premature breast development in girls.
What to do: Use products containing natural ingredients only and avoid synthetic chemicals such as sodium lauryl sulphate, parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, ethanol, synthetic fragrances or colourants. Read the labels of products to figure what goes into the spray you are about to use.

Pets
Many household pets carry salmonella, campylobacter, MRSA and C.diff. Cats and dogs also have mould on their coats. Ringworm can be passed via touching.
What to do: Keep them away from your bed since that's where fleas can be transferred to you. If you do find fleas, wash all your sheets and pillows in boiling hot water. Put a flea collar (available at all pet shops) inside a vacuum cleaner's dust collection device and vacuum your mattress on both sides.

Mothballs
Some types of mothball use naphthalene, which after prolonged exposure, can damage or destroy red blood cells. It can also cause nausea and diarrhoea.
What to do: Put them in a sealed container in an area with a separate ventilation from the rest of your house, and wash clothes stored with mothballs before wearing them.

Air fresheners and cleaning agents
A study by the University of California at Berkeley found cleaning products release toxic levels of pollutants in unventilated spaces. Air fresheners in particular are linked to many volatile organic compounds, such as nitrogen dioxide. Lemon and pine scents concern experts most, says Stanford University's Professor Lynn Hildemann. "The chemicals that produce those smells react with ozone in the air to form formaldehyde and ultra-fine particles that can collect in the lungs," she says.
What to do: Use cleaning products that only contain natural ingredients, such as vinegar and baking soda. Cleaning your bathroom or spraying air freshener shouldn't make you sick.

Children's toys
Kids tend to pop things in their mouths and can easily ingest anything on the toy. In one study, scientists found that some toys had traces of faeces. Ingesting it could leave them nauseus or suffering from diarrhoea.
What to do: Ensure toys are kept clean. Stick teddies in your washing machine often, and wipe plastic toys with antiseptic wipes.

Mould
If you are allergic to mould, it can cause nasal congestion, irritated eyes or wheezing. Mould occurs if you've had a water problem, such as a roof or plumbing leak, and the area was wet for more than 48 hours.
What to do: If toxic black mould develops, wash the area with strong detergent and water. Mould can't survive in well-ventilated, warm and dry areas.

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Courtesy : timesofindia.indiatimes.com