Indigo Airline-backed hotel chain Ibis opens 'Mumbai Vikhroli' with 'Aamchi Mumbai' as theme
Ibis has launched its third and the largest hotel worth Rs 230 crore in India. It is the 20th property for the economy brand from the Accor portfolio. The new hotel is located in the strategically important corporate hub of Mumbai, Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg. It symbolises the 'Aamchi Mumbai' culture for the new-age traveller.
Mumbai Vikhroli, the 15-floor property by the French hotel chain is a joint venture with Interglobe Hotels, the hospitality arm of the holding company of Indigo airline. It has 249 rooms and is certified with an IGBC Gold rating.
The hotel's design featured Mumbai's heartbeat -- the local train, its pride- the Dabbawalas, the beautiful skyline, royal lifestyle of the Maratha empire, flamingos- migratory birds that flock to the country's financial capital, and Kolam- a traditional form of art drawn using rice flour.
Ibis entered the country with the first hotel in Gurgaon, and since then spread across 13 cities with 20 properties. The other Ibis hotels in Mumbai are at the airport with 148 keys (began in 2011) and in Navi Mumbai with 196 rooms - launched in 2016.
JB Singh, President & CEO, InterGlobe Hotels, said that domestic travellers today are more design-conscious than ever before and they want global experiences. The hotel, he said, will offer an interactive live kitchen and serve the longest-running breakfast.
Puneet Dhawan, senior vice-president, operations, Accor India & South Asia, said that Mumbai Vikhroli is the largest hotel in the country till date. "We are here for the long-term and are committed to the Indian market. We are staying on course with our pre-COVID commitments."
Dhawan sounded very bullish on the market, saying it has been looking very bright since the past two months, and the occupancy has gone over 50 per cent now.
Of the 55 Accor properties under 10 brands, 21 are mid-scale Novotel hotels, and 20 are economy Ibis hotels. Interglobe Hotels has invested over Rs 2,700 crore across the 20 Ibis hotels since the launch of the JV in 2008 and will be pumping in over Rs 500 crore more by FY24 across the upcoming five properties. Accor is uniquely positioned with a well-rounded portfolio of brands across luxury, premium, mid-scale and economy segments.
Between 2022 and 2023, they will open Ibis properties in Hebbal, Bengaluru, in Thane near Mumbai and the fourth one in the city at Kalina and the second Ibis Styles in Goa at Vagator. Since 1974, Ibis has been a trailblazing brand, known for its celebration of live music, offering curated playlists and access to exclusive gigs with up-and-coming musicians. There are more than 1,200 Ibis hotels -- 20 of them here -- across 65 countries offering over 1,50,000 rooms.
