Ginger hotel unveils in Bhubaneshwar
September 7, 2006

The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) announced the launch of its GenNext 'Smart Basics' Hotel - Ginger — at Plot No H, Jaidev Vihar in Bhubaneshwar. This 100-room hotel 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.

The honourable chief minister of Orissa, Naveen Patnaik and the Chairman, Tata Group, Ratan N Tata, inaugurated the hotel on Wednesday, September 6, 2006, in the presence of Raymond Bickson (MD & CEO, The Indian Hotels Company), B Muthuraman (MD, Tata Steel Ltd), Prabhat Pani (CEO, Roots Corporation) and other dignitaries.

Ginger hotels characterise freshness. The hotels are simple, unique, reasonable, basic, very different, light-hearted, Indian and innovative. Priced at Rs999 for a single room and Rs1199 for a double room, the 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, Prabhat Pani, CEO, Roots Corporation, 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."

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 color 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-hour reception, automatic check-in kiosk, digital safe-deposit boxes, 100 per cent power backup, 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, has 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. The concept 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.