InterGlobe Hotels raising the benchmark in the smart economy segment
The joint venture between InterGlobe Enterprises and Accor led to the formation of InterGlobe Hotels. Further, the combined strength led to the creation of the ‘ibis’ network of hotels in India. The brand is now filling a major void in the market while catering to the increased demand, a result of booming domestic and international travel. JB Singh, President and CEO, InterGlobe Hotels, translates how best they make a difference in the lives of their guests.
The hotel industry has indeed gone through a seismic shift in the year 2022. However, the sector in the same year witnessed some of its bestperforming months, with a few months surpassing the pre-COVID performance levels of 2019. This was largely due to pent-up demand from all business segments, domestic travelers, and strong MSME demand except inbound. The momentum continues backed by strong domestic demand, but the slow revival of the IT sector and inbound travel remains a challenge for the hospitality industry.
There are other challenges that hoteliers still face to maintain an even flow of revenues. Singh says, “Post COVID, shortening of booking window especially for group bookings, which used to be 2-3 months earlier and has now come down to 2-3 weeks, is a challenge. The longer booking window used to act in the favor of the operators to effectively manage the inventory and optimise occupancy at their hotels. However, the trend is now slowly going back to normal. Furthermore, achieving the right segment mix and optimising them during the low season always remains a focus area for the hotels.”
InterGlobe Hotels and ibis are now solid brands with a strong customer base. This has been achieved through their commitment to high-quality service and brand recall. Their ability to innovate and evolve has produced strong market engagement owing to new-gen and trendy design, strategic locations, innovative F&B, and smart public areas.
“Staying true to our ibis DNA of music and art, we continue to promote local artists and showcase their talent at our hotels. We are also in continuous engagement with our customers through music by organising events across our portfolio and providing specially curated playlists at each of our hotels to enhance their staying experience, Strong loyalty program with continuous offers and engagement helps us maintain a longlasting relationship with our guests. As a brand, customer satisfaction is at our pedestal. Our employees are constantly involved with their guests to provide them with a more reassuring, holistic, and enjoyable experience that caters to all age groups and focusing not only on stay but also on F&B, facilities and experience,” assures Singh.
InterGlobe’s new hotel design has been conceptualised for the modern traveller with spaces that are more fluid, giving a warm look and feel. For example, they have now included specially curated libraries and art by young and upcoming artists, which appeal to millennials and Gen Z alike and for both business and leisure travellers.
Singh shares more, “We at InterGlobe Hotels, offer a refreshing and pleasant stay for different guests’ segments like corporates, families, social groups and younger millennials with great food offerings, trendy and energetic public spaces, with photo-worthy and Instagrammable spaces inside the hotel. Our new-gen hotel rooms feature state-of-the-art meeting spaces and boardrooms capable of holding social events and conferences making us an ideal location for conducting business. Our hotels also offer seamless Wi-Fi connectivity at every corner to cater to the needs of business travelers and influencers alike.”
InterGlobe Hotels has partnered with the best of international interior and architectural design firms to deliver modern designs with chic and lively public areas of their hotels, combining Western aesthetics with elements of Indian art. “Curated experiences are becoming a trend in hospitality and digital transformation of hotels is the need of the hour to serve today’s traveller. We at InterGlobe Hotels are fully equipped with these changing times to use technology to understand our guest’s preferences and that enables us to understand their needs and expectations better, which in turn helps us to customise and curate experiences for them. Our food curators have handpicked cuisines and food that caters to the conscious traveller who eats healthy and leads an active lifestyle,” asserts Singh.
Over the last year, InterGlobe Hotels have opened two new-gen ibis hotels at Bengaluru and Thane, near Mumbai, with a total inventory of 340 keys. Furthermore, they have a solid pipeline of three hotels (500 keys), including an ibis property in Mumbai, and ibis Styles in Goa, and an upscale hotel in Bengaluru.