Ginger hotel unveils in Bhubaneshwar
The GenNext 'Smart Basics' Hotel from The Indian Hotels Company
September 7, 2006

Bringing in a breath of freshness in the Indian hospitality industry, Ginger hotels have been designed to be modern and simple, yet provide a unique space for travellers to relax or work in a warm and informal atmosphere

The Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) has unveiled its GenNext 'Smart Basics' hotel — Ginger — at Plot No H, Jaidev Vihar in Bhubaneshwar. The honourable chief minister of Orissa, Mr Naveen Patnaik, and Chairman, Tata Group, Mr Ratan N Tata, inaugurated the hotel in the presence of Mr Raymond Bickson (MD, The Indian Hotels Company), Mr Prabhat Pani (CEO, Roots Corporation) and other dignitaries.

This 100-room hotel in Bhubaneshwar marks the launch of the third such hotel in the country. In addition, the company will be developing Ginger hotels in Paradip, Puri and Konark. The company is also looking at other parts of the state such as Duburi, Jharsaguda and Angul.

Ginger hotels characterise freshness. The hotels are simple, unique, reasonable, basic, very different, light-hearted, Indian and innovative. Priced at Rs 999 for a single room and Rs 1199 for a double room, Ginger hotels have created a new category in the domestic hospitality landscape, while giving a major fillip to Indian tourism and other ancillary industries. The primary objective behind the launch of these hotels is to provide a superior product offering and consistent experience to travellers, far beyond the present offerings in the industry.

Speaking at the launch, Mr Raymond Bickson, MD, The Indian Hotels Company, said, "It gives us great pleasure to unveil the Ginger hotel in Bhubaneshwar. The state of Orissa holds tremendous potential for this innovative category of hotels and our initiative will boost the infrastructure that will cater to both domestic and international tourists. We are delighted with the support we have received from the government in helping us launch our first Ginger Hotel in the eastern region."

The Ginger hotels are modern, modular and scalable, providing guests with a consistent experience. These hotels will have 100 / 200 well-appointed rooms, with a choice of single, twin and queen-sized rooms. The rooms will be individually air-conditioned and provided with electronic locks, comfortable beds, an ergonomic work area, a 17-inch flat screen colour television with satellite channels, direct-dial telephone including STD facility, mini-fridge, tea / coffee maker, 24 hours hot / cold water and toiletries. Other guest facilities at these hotels would include a restaurant, meeting room, gymnasium facilities, a cyber café, 24-hours reception, automatic check-in kiosk, digital safe deposit boxes, 100-per cent power back-up, as well as wi-fi connectivity in the public areas and individual rooms.

Indigenously designed and developed by IHCL, the guiding principle behind the design was to create a unique 'space' that is conducive not only for guest comfort and relaxation but also for their work requirements. The design of the hotel, from the rooms to the furniture and lighting systems, have been thoughtfully created to offer users a unique sense of welcome.

Launched in June 2004, the Smart Basics Concept created a revolution in the world of Indian hospitality. Smart Basics — a GenNext category of hotels — signifies simplicity, convenience, informality, style, warmth, modernity and affordability. The concept was developed in association with renowned corporate strategy thinker, Dr C K Prahalad. The hotels are built around a unique concept that provides facilities to meet the key needs of today's traveller at surprisingly affordable rates.

By the end of the year, Ginger hotels will be launched in Pune, Mysore, Thiruvananthapuram and Durgapur. These hotels are currently under various stages of completion. Work has commenced also in Goa, Nashik, Pondicherry and Agartala and will also commence work on hotels in Tirupur, Varanasi, Pantnagar, Baroda and Ahmedabad, amongst other destinations within the next couple of months. These locations have been identified after detailed studies across various parameters such as potential of the market, clusters of clientele and peak periods among others.

Roots Corporation Limited (RCL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL). Incorporated in December 2003, RCL operates Ginger, a first-of-its-kind category of 'Smart Basics' hotels. The first Ginger hotel was launched in Bangalore.