Radisson Hotel Group South Asia Enters into Strategic Tie-Up with EazyDiner in Indian Market

Radisson Hotel Group South Asia today announced its partnership with EazyDiner – India’s leading table reservation and food discovery platform. The partnership is a significant step to strengthen the Group’s Food and Beverage (F&B) capabilities in the region. The collaboration will serve all 94 operating hotels of the Group’s portfolio in India and will include table booking and home delivery services.

“We are excited to roll out our association with EazyDiner to usher in a new era of restaurant dining and safe food deliveries with participation across our network. This partnership is a very timely step for us as we innovate our business model to reach more guests. Food and beverage constitutes a critical lever of our strategy and is central to our business recovery and brand building efforts in these critical times,” said Zubin Saxena, Managing Director and Vice President Operations, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group.

Radisson Hotel Group South Asia has devised 20 signature dishes for home delivery. Curated by Chef Rakesh Sethi, a known culinary expert in the Indian F&B industry and presently corporate executive chef for Radisson Hotel Group South Asia, these include items like Paan Kulfi with Gulkand Cake and Supari Cigar, Angaar E Jamun (Chocolate stuffed Gulab Jamun flambeed) and Trio Symphony (Gajar Halwa/Gulab Jamun Terrine/ Kalakand Tart/Kesar Phirni) amongst many others. Guests will be able to order these dishes online along with their favorite cuisines across Radisson Hotel group South Asia’s specialty restaurants through EazyDiner’s EazySafe+ platform that ensures safe takeaways and minimal-contact deliveries.

“Partnering with Radisson Hotel Group, South Asia, is a great value addition for us, and we are delighted to bring their signature dishes to our customers. The Group offers some of the nicest all-day dining restaurants in the country run by top chefs and renowned names like Chef Rakesh Sethi. The EazySafe+ hygiene rating by EazyDiner features these restaurants at the top of the list and we are certain that this collaboration will be mutually rewarding,” said Kapil Chopra, Chairman of the Board, EazyDiner.

Radisson Hotel Group has rolled out Radisson Hotels Safety Protocol, a new program of in-depth cleanliness and disinfection procedures, in partnership with SGS, the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. Additionally, exhaustive food safety and hygiene manual and food and beverage protocol guidelines have been laid out for all hotels to ensure safe and secure F&B experience.

This collaboration will provide food lovers an opportunity to discover and book tables at Radisson Hotel Group’s restaurants when they become available for in-person dining while home deliveries can be booked immediately with a simple three-step ordering process and hassle-free online payment.

To order home delivery services across Radisson Hotel Group’s restaurants across India, download the EazyDiner app on your phone and enjoy great offers.

ABOUT RADISSON HOTEL GROUP

Radisson Hotel Group is one of the world's largest hotel groups with seven distinctive hotel brands, and more than 1,400 hotels in operation and under development in 120 countries. Its signature service philosophy is Every Moment Matters.

Radisson Hotel Group portfolio includes Radisson Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson and Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, brought together under one commercial umbrella brand Radisson Hotels.

Radisson Rewards is our global rewards program that delivers unique and personalized ways to create memorable moments that matter to our guests. Radisson Rewards offers exceptional loyalty benefits for our guests, meeting planners, travel agents and business partners.

Radisson Meetings places its guests and their needs at the heart of its offer and treats every meeting or event as more than just a date on the calendar. Radisson Meetings is built around three strong service commitments: Personal, Professional and Memorable, while delivering on the brilliant basics and our signature Yes I Can! service spirit and being uniquely 100% Carbon Neutral.

More than 100,000 team members work at Radisson Hotel Group and at the hotels licensed to operate in its systems.

ABOUT EAZYDINER

Founded in 2015 by a team of experienced hoteliers Rohit Dasgupta, Sachin Pabreja, Ahana Bhutani, Shruti Kaul, Kapil Chopra and Vir Sanghvi, EazyDiner is India’s first online instant restaurant reservation platform.

EazyDiner helps a user find great restaurants and bars, get a guaranteed reservation within 18 seconds and every reservation comes with a deal which enhances the dining experience, whether it is a substantial discount or a glass of wine for every diner. EazyDiner also provides safe & hygienic takeaway & delivery options for its users at restaurants ensuring the safety of its users through the EazySafe+ program.

Diners also have access to and can talk to experienced 24-hour food concierge for personalised recommendations. The EazyDiner Loyalty Program awards points which can be further redeemed for dining vouchers. EazyDiner currently lists over 1.5 lakh restaurants and bars with menus and offers real-time reservations at over 10,000 partner restaurants in 225 cities in India & Dubai. 

Milagrow Introduces 4 Humanoid Robots to Cater to Increased Demand in Healthcare, Hospitality & Office Management Industry

As the novel coronavirus continues to wreak havoc across India, the demand for automated solutions across sectors is high. Keeping this in mind, India’s No.1 consumer robotics brand Milagrow Robots has launched 4 new humanoid robots – RoboDiCaprio, RoboJulia, RoboNano and RoboElf – which are specially designed to cater to hotels, hospitals, restaurants and corporate offices.

RoboDiCaprio – The Guest Relations Robot

This Guest Relations Robot is 155 cm tall and can be used for business consulting, greeting, reservations, advertising and patrolling at hotels, banks, administrative centers, restaurants, museums, libraries, hospitals, schools, retail showrooms, shopping malls, cinema halls, banquet halls, weddings, sports stadiums etc. Equipped with advanced sensors to sense the human presence in proximity, RoboDiCaprio can actively interact with visitors. It can greet them, broadcast promotional information, guide the visitor to different locations, and play audio, still images and videos while speaking. The humanoid also has face recognition capabilities with response milliseconds and 98% accuracy. When it comes to navigation, RoboDiCaprio functions on a highly-specified LIDAR technology which can scan a distance of 25 M with an accuracy of 2mm. Further, it is also equipped with Milagrow's Real Time Terrain Recognition technology for seamless navigation without any human intervention.

RoboJulia – The Serving Robot

Standing tall at 155 cms, the Serving Robot also has advanced sensors and navigation technologies such as LIDAR and Milagrow’s Real Time Terrain Recognition. It is designed to deliver meals to the guests’ designated tables, explain the menu, give restaurant information etc. The robot can even deliver different meals to three different tables. It can work universally, take fast turns and has an emergency stop. RoboJulia is equipped with anti-skid rubber wheels and can walk at 3km/h. It does the route negotiation autonomously from one point to the next position with depth perception and high precision radar sensors for better navigation and positioning technology.

RoboElf – The Service Assistant

RoboElf has already been deployed at the AIIMS, New Delhi and Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai. It is also working in shopping malls, restaurants, banks, metros, elementary schools, and many other sectors. The robot’s latest version has a business management system (especially for commercial chain stores) – Multi-service Platform System (MPS). With this service system built on a Cloud terminal, users can give orders or push new files to their RoboElf robots distributed around the world. The robot can also collect and manage collected data from each robot so the user can better run their businesses.

RoboNano – The Personal Companion

Perfect for offering companionship, RoboNano is a personal assistant robot equipped with Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service. This intelligent, cloud-enabled robot features voice assistance, smart home control and remote surveillance capabilities, delivering centralized management and security to households around the world. RoboNano stands 85 cms tall and comes with over 50 sensors to avoid objects in its way, recognize voices and know when someone enters the room. Additionally, the humanoid can order pizza, request a car, track fitness stats, control the TV and play music from today’s leading streaming providers. It pairs with smart home devices from the world’s most popular connected home brands, enabling families to control lights, thermostats and home appliances. RoboNano also allows families to live-stream video and control it from anywhere in the world. When the family is away, the robot can monitor the house using object detection sensors and sounds an alarm if an intruder is discovered.

Speaking on the launch, Rajeev Karwal, Founder -Chairman of MilagrowHumantech, said, "Milagrow is committed to its vision that no human being should serve another human being for menial chores or repetitive tasks. We today have over 20 different types of robots and will play our role to the clarion call of making India self-reliant. Our robots will increase efficiency and productivity across industries while promoting social distancing. With our unique, state-of-the-art offerings, we look forward to creating a new set of value-added jobs."

All the robots are available for purchases on www.milagrowhumantech.com

About Milagrow

Milagrow Business and Knowledge Solutions was founded by Mr Rajeev Karwal in 2007 and forayed into AI Robotics in 2011. It has numerous firsts to its credit in the field of Service and Commercial Robots. It has robots for facility management, hospitality, education, healthcare, retail as well banking.

OYO and Unilever Partner to Lead the Way on Indian Hotel Cleanliness

Highlights

* Extension of OYO’s recently launched ‘Sanitised Stays’ initiative to ensure customer and hotel employees’ safety with minimal touch Standard Operating Procedures

* The in-progress changes made by OYO may include additional deep-cleaning of high-touch surfaces, individual Unilever hygiene kits for guests as well as "last cleaned" charts and further social distancing practices at OYO properties

* Unilever will provide education for hospitality workers and products from its portfolio of trusted hygiene and sanitation brands to help OYO create a cleaner and more hygienic stay for OYO customers

* Partnership will begin in India and then go live across Indonesia, Vietnam, US, LATAM and Europe

OYO Hotels & Homes, one of the world’s leading hotel chains has partnered with Unilever, the global consumer goods company, to enhance OYO’s ‘Sanitised Stays’ initiative with the help of Unilever’s leading home and personal hygiene brands which will be used in the cleaning and disinfecting of OYO properties.

With higher hygiene standards, minimal-touch services, and enhanced credibility topping the list of customer requirements, Unilever’s R&D team will work with OYO to co-create Standard Operating Procedures for cleaning to maximise the positive effects of Unilever products. OYO properties where these operating procedures are used will display a tag on booking pages to show Unilever products have been used in cleaning services. This global partnership will begin in India and then go live across Indonesia, Vietnam, the US, LATAM and Europe.

Through this partnership, select OYO properties will have Unilever hygiene kits for guests and cleaning supplies for staff, including products from brands such as Lifebuoy, Domex, Sunlight and Cif.

To provide a cleaner and more hygienic experience to guests right from check-in to check-out, OYO has upgraded its cleanliness and hygiene protocols to suit the ‘new normal’ with ‘OYO Sanitised Stays’. These include the following upgraded in-progress protocols using Unilever products:

* Deep cleaning and disinfecting in-room high touch zones: Disinfecting most frequently accessed touchpoints in the room like TV/AC remotes, phone, switches, door handles/knobs, bathroom surface & bath fittings, closets and all hard surfaces

* Hand hygiene products for guests: Alcohol-based hand gel will be made available at all key entrances, exits and high traffic areas for guests

* Sanitised common areas: Common areas (registration desk, lobby, elevators, business centres, dining rooms, etc.) will be cleaned at least four times a day

* Safety gear for staff: Hotel staff will be provided with personal protective equipment such as face masks and gloves. Housekeeping staff will be required to wear required protective gear while cleaning rooms. It will be mandatory for all hotel employees to wear masks and gloves at all times 

* Restricting housekeeping during the stay: Guest rooms will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between guests. Housekeeping services/room cleaning will be performed only at checkout, or on-demand, when the guests are not present in the room as they may not prefer staff entering their room.

* Laundry & linen: Linens will be put in special, marked laundry bags and handled carefully to avoid potential contamination to surrounding surfaces or people. Linen will be changed at the guest’s request only. Linens will be laundered keeping in mind the high safety standards and best practices

* Encouragement of in-room dining: When ordering room service, guests will experience contactless delivery, with orders and single-use dishes placed outside their guest room door

Ritesh Agarwal, Founder & Group CEO, OYO added, “As the world begins to travel again, we must all collectively ensure that health and safety remain the absolute priority. The scientific expertise of Unilever and assurance of their brands Lifebuoy, Domex, Sunlight and Cif are second to none and we are confident that our guests will have a quality and stress-free experience with ‘OYO Sanitised Stays’ with Unilever’s leading home and personal hygiene products. We’re pleased that by partnering with Unilever and providing their trusted products, we are able to help customers, as well as our staff, stay as safe as possible. With our committed asset owners, we are ready to host consumers across the world and we promise to give our customers the confidence to enjoy the OYO experience as we help drive higher standards in hygiene”

Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Unilever said, “With Hindustan Unilever’s long history in India, we are determined to do our part to protect lives and livelihoods and are glad to have found a strong partner in OYO who shares this vision. Through this partnership, Unilever is pleased to be able to help, through our known and trusted home and personal hygiene brands and education on correct use. We remain committed to improving the health and wellbeing of millions across the globe, and keeping our communities safe during these times.”

Harshal Sharma, asset owner of two OYO properties in Gurgaon, India added, “As a hotel owner, my first priority is the health and safety of my guests and staff. I have been associated with OYO for over two years. Over the last couple of months, the OYO team has been on their feet, coming up with innovative solutions to ensure that the customer’s changing requirements due to the pandemic are followed. My property is one of the first to have introduced ‘OYO Sanitised Stays’ with Unilever’s leading home and personal hygiene products and I am committed to continuing working closely with OYO to create a comfortable, safe and secure experience for my guests.”

With the Centre’s decision to open hotels in a phased manner, under Unlock 1.0, OYO, has begun welcoming guests across multiple states from June 8, 2020 onwards. Recently, OYO’s senior leadership including Rohit Kapoor, CEO, India & South Asia, Ankit Gupta, COO, Frontier Business, Abhishek Thard, Region Head - West II checked into various OYO Hotels in Gurgaon, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar among others to experience the ‘Sanitised Stays’ initiative.

Is Google earth Map giving geography lessons to terrorists?

Google Earth is the seventh popular Internet application tool but it is being growingly misused by terror groups to have the first glimpse of sensitive places to plot attacks without moving an inch.

Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Fahim Ahmed Ansari, arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police in Feburuary this year with maps and details of the spots hit during the recent terror attacks, in his statement had conceded that his masters showed him the maps on Google Earth to pin-point the specific targets.

The interrogation report of Fahim, who was trained at the Baitul Mujahideen camp in Pakistan in his statement said that a top Lashker commander 'Kahasa' asked him to show the spots in Mumbai on the Google Earth. "I was shown the map of Mumbai in Googleearth.com. Kahasa asked me to point out places in Mumbai he noted down and marked those places in the map," he told interrogators, adding, "I was first asked about my residence location and in-laws location in Mumbai."

Sensitive places like offices of Commissioner of Police and DGP, Gateway of India, Navy Nagar, Colaba, Taj Mahal Hotel, Mantralaya, Wankhede Stadium, Race Course, Church Gate Railway Station, Stock Exchange Building, BARC, Kalina Army Gate and other such spots were located and marked on the Google Earth Map.

Fahim, along with Sabauddin, were brought to Mumbai and remanded to police custody till December 31. They are being questioned to ascertain whether they had provided the minute details to Lashkar terrorists to help them plan the terror strike here on November 26.

Source; Agencies