Mohit Rathod – Calangute
AccorHotels has marked the debut of its mid-market brand ibis Styles in the India market with the launch of ibis Styles Goa Calangute. The 197-room property is situated a few minutes away from the Calangute Beach, which is renowned for tourism activities. Owned by InterGlobe Hotels, a joint venture between InterGlobe Enterprises and AccorHotels, the property aims to tap the leisure segment, particularly families, through a separate rooms wing dedicated to families and arrangements for kids activities.
Speaking on the launch, JB Singh, president and CEO, InterGlobe Hotels, said, “Goa is an important market for us. The tourism industry of Goa has been witnessing growth over the years and has been contributing significantly to Goa’s economy. This hotel was a much needed project that we wanted to set up in Goa.”
Singh indicated that the hotel will focus on domestic tourism, due to the seasonal nature of foreign tourist arrivals in Goa.
The hotel’s two wings, Casa and Saal, offer 60 and 137 rooms respectively, each measuring 23 sq m. The hotel also features a 2,200-square-feet meetings facility. However, ibis Styles is specifically aimed at the leisure market; and AccorHotels plans to grow in the corporate segment through its ibis brand. Nikheel Shirodkar, general manager, ibis Styles Goa Calangute, stated, “ibis Styles Goa Calangute offers a blend of Portuguese architecture and Goa’s local influences. Through the concept of a separate wing for families, we want to place ourselves as the preferred hotel among families visiting Goa. We are going to introduce various new activities such as virtual reality cricket game.”
Revealing expansion plans in India, Jean-Michel Casse, senior vice president, operations, AccorHotels India, said that Accor will have five more openings under the ibis brand by the end of this year and 10 openings in 2017. He said, “The domestic market in India is very strong and Goa is a sustained market for us to tap this tourism area. We have been focusing more on the corporate market through ibis, but now we plan to develop our leisure business through the debut of ibis Styles Goa Calangute.”
