New kids on the block

Hilton Mumbai International Airport

Hilton Hotels & Resorts announced the opening of its second hotel in India - at Mumbai. The upscale, 171-room Hilton Mumbai International Airport is owned by DB Hospitality, the hospitality vertical of DB Group. Hilton Mumbai International Airport's architecture is a blend of colonial design with contemporary features. Strategically located within a five-minute drive from the international airport and a 15-minute drive from the domestic airport, this pre-existing property is designed along the lines of a 19th-century summer palace. The hotel has a range of dining options - The Brasserie, the all-day dining restaurant which overlooks the pool, serves a buffet of cuisines from Asia, Europe and the Mediterranean. Chinese cuisine accompanied by fine wines and liqueurs are offered at Imperial China. The Executive Lounge, located at the lobby level, is for informal business discussions. The Lounge Bar offers single malts, cognacs, wines and the hotel's signature cocktails. Hilton Mumbai International Airport is also equipped with 7,696 square feet of function space; a 2,420-square-foot ballroom and five halls. The hotel also offers business travellers a Business Centre with four meeting rooms equipped with wireless internet access. The Executive Floor Lounge provides a quick and private check-in/-out service, complimentary breakfast, refreshments served throughout the day, as well as multi-functional meeting rooms and high-speed internet access.

ibis Mumbai Airport

Accor and Interglobe Hotels recently announced the opening of ibis Mumbai Airport. Strategically located at the Domestic Terminal and less than 3 kms from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, ibis Mumbai Airport, will welcome guests in the first quarter of 2011. This is the third ibis to open in India and the first for Mumbai. The hotel is located in the vicinity of the Mumbai airport and will feature 146 guest rooms. The hotel offers comfortable, well-designed, fully equipped guest rooms with en suite modular bathrooms, contemporary fit-out including flatscreen TV, Wi-Fi and broadband internet access to suit the needs of business travellers. 24 hour a day services, well priced food and beverage including eight-hours non-stop breakfast concept starting from 4 am and simple accommodation rates are the key highlights of ibis Mumbai Airport. The dining options include Spice It - a casual dining space that offers world cuisine in an interactive kitchen environment with a choice of buffet and a la carte. The Hub with its refreshing beverages and free Wi-Fi will serve as a gathering place throughout the day.

Simply Grills, Goa Marriott Resort

Simply Grills is Goa Marriott Resort's brand new riverside restaurant will serve sizzling grills and barbeques in an interactive experience where you can take your pick from the haul of the day. Guests can choose from a range of fresh seafood like snapper and lobster, premium meats like pork, tenderloin and German sausages or even seasonal vegetables and accompaniments for a meal made to order. The a la carte menu includes Slow Baked Salmon, Grilled Lamb Rack and, along with an assortment of signature innovations like Saltimbocca and Chicken Scaloppini. Desserts range from Tiramisu and New York Cheesecake to the local favourite Sera Dura.

WAT Bar in Matthan Hotel, Bengaluru

Bengaluru-based Matthan Hotel, a property of the Sterling Mac Group, unveiled 'WAT Bar' in its premises. The bar has Cambodian inspired interiors. The design and ambience are marked by ultra blue hues with comfortable seating. There are unique carvings on the walls. WAT Bar offers a wide choice of international wines and spirits . Guests can indulge in some of the rare spirits and lounge music for a complete experience.

D Buk Spa, Indigo Pearl Phuket

The Indigo Pearl resort in Phuket has extended its choice of accommodation with the opening of the 'D-Buk' spa and family suites. The suites have been designed to offer guests a versatile living area and are the work of internationally renowned architect and interior designer, Bill Bensley.

Appointed with a king-size bed and oversized day bed, D-Buk suites can be arranged as a Spa Suite for couples seeking treatments in the comfort of their own room complete with outside spa terrace; or converted into a second bedroom capable of sleeping 2+2 (two adults and two children under 12 years old). Large bathrooms with separate shower and bath, walk in closets and private terraces overlooking the resort's tropical gardens allow ample space for family living.

Best Western Premier Ivy Hotel Napa, California

Best Western has opened its first Premier Hotel in California, the Best Western Premier Ivy Hotel Napa, located at 4195 Solano Avenue in the beautiful wine country of Napa. Owned and operated by Paradigm Hotels Group, the property recently underwent renovation transforming the property into an opulent avant-garde boutique hotel.

The Best Western Premier Ivy Hotel Napa offers 115 loft-style guest rooms and provides travelers with a fitness center, on-site dining, outdoor heated swimming pool and hot tub, 24-hour business center and a complimentary continental breakfast. The three-plus AAA-rated hotel also includes 7,000 square feet of ballroom space and six meeting facilities to host a variety of events.

Each guest room features 42-inch flat screen televisions, pillow-top mattresses, contemporary furnishing with fine wood, rich upholstery and luxury bed lines, comfy lounge seating and in-room dining, rain dome shower heads and plush his/her bathrobes and functional desk with complimentary wireless high-speed internet access.

Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC)

The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has officially opened. The 341-room hotel, with 124 executive residences, is the second Ritz-Carlton in Dubai and the sixth property in the region for the luxury hotel company.

As the only hotel to be directly linked to the complex of buildings in DIFC, the social hub will be at No. 5, the hotel bar located in the prime welcoming position at the end of this pathway. A 30 metre (100 feet) wine wall that is home to 3,000 bottles of the finest varietals in the world is a focal point for gourmands and wine connoisseurs.

Other dining selections include Blue Rain, the signature Thai fine-dining restaurant; Can Can, a French all-day dining brasserie and the Center Cut steakhouse. The Lobby Lounge & Terrace is ideal for afternoon tea, while each restaurant boasts an expansive outdoor terrace. Another unique design facet of The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC is a 10-storey outdoor waterfall cascading down the building directly into the courtyard facing the lobby.

Recreational amenities include a fully equipped health club and luxurious Ritz-Carlton Spa, offering 13 treatment rooms.