Radisson Blu Agra to become group's flagship affordable luxury property in India

How about getting married with the Taj Mahal in the backdrop, or taking a decorated tonga ride to the Taj right from your hotel doorway and exploring Agra and the iconic monument?

Radisson Blu Agra is offering these services as it upgrades itself to a premium luxury property and be India’s first entrant to the brand’s 14 hotel luxury inventory called the Radisson Collection.

The upgrade, which will be done by the end of this calendar year, would include redoing every aspect of the property, from interiors to the food, and push up the average room rental anywhere between 10 per cent and 20 per cent depending on the season.

The hotel chain has been operating in India for over 15 years, adding close to seven properties every year. The company currently has 140 properties across India, of which 91 are operational.

“At the new Radisson Collection, which would have about 239 rooms, we would focus on giving our guests a well-appointed room that is full of amenities and can also accommodate changes according to a guest’s requirement. Everything from finishing of the furniture to material used, interior décor, space planning and the bathroom experience is being taken care of,” said Raj Rana, CEO South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group.

The luxury offerings at the premise of the hotel would not be restricted to sleep and shower only. Another important area the brand is working on is food. To up the game of the culinary experience, chef Rakesh Sethi has been taken on board at the corporate office level.

“We are also working on extending the luxury experience outside the property. We would be offering the guests guide service, tonga rides and club these services as packages to expand experience beyond geographic boundaries of the hotel,” added Rana.

Banquet facilities would also be upgraded to accommodate up to 600 guests at a time and with options of customizing the venue. For instance one can choose to keep some functions indoors and choose to keep the rest on the terrace that overlooks the Taj Mahal.

Radisson Hotel Group that has also recently refreshed their brand to a new identity to leverage the international brand equity of the Radisson name to drive awareness in the marketplace is increasing their marketing efficiency across the global portfolio.

Radisson Blu’s conversion to Collection comes soon after Strand Hotel at Stockholm being upgraded to the same category earlier this year to the list. The property, which opened for guests attending the 1912 Olympics, was revamped its 170 guestrooms and suites along with its meeting spaces, lobby, restaurant and bar with the help of Swedish architectural studio Wingårdhs.

In the next five years, the brand is looking at upgrading at least four  existing properties to the Collection category and also eyeing newer locations.

According to Rana, the company will also open new properties in places close to where a Radisson hotel exists. “For instance, we are in Jaipur and Udaipur so we are now looking at a location like for Pushkar. We want a Radisson property to be available to all those who like to stay with us, in every three hours’ distance,” said Rana.