‘We understand weddings well’

Zuri White Sands, Goa Resort & Casino, spread over 40 acres, is among the few hotels in the coastal state that offers multiple venues for various functions in a wedding as well as two ocean-facing lawns to play the perfect host, says Ajith Nair, the resort’s Head of Sales & Marketing.

Hazel Jain

Situated on the shore of Varca Beach in South Goa, The Zuri White Sands Goa Resort & Casino has Goa’s true spirit and flavour. Home to a gigantic meandering swimming pool that stretches across the resort, it offers the best in accommodation and cuisine, with plenty of facilities and services to play the perfect host. The resort has 154 keys, which includes four luxury suites.

Speaking about its key selling point, Ajith Nair, Head of Sales & Marketing, The Zuri White Sands, Goa Resort & Casino, said, “Our USP is the spread of the hotel over 40 acres with only 30 per cent of the built-up area. The rest offers large open spaces with breathtaking views of the Arabian Sea. The hotel also offers 5,400 sq ft of private space per guest, which is a luxury in these pandemic times.”

Sharing an overview of how business has returned to the hotel, Nair said, “The leisure business has gained momentum and it contributes 38 per cent to our total occupancy. Since the pandemic, more guests prefer to opt for the meal package options – which are half and full board – considering their safety. Guests also prefer to drive down from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat now more than ever before.” He added, “With the international travel restrictions still on, this segment had completely shut down since the start of the pandemic until the recent revival of Russian and Kazakhstan charter flights from December 2021. In fact, we had already operated approximately 450 room nights from this segment. Unfortunately, the recent Ukraine-Russia conflict will certainly have a negative impact on this segment.”

MICE and weddings

Goa has always been a highly sought-after destination for MICE and large weddings due to its logistical convenience, large banqueting and outdoor spaces.

“For Zuri White Sands, Goa Resort & Casino, the month of March is filled more with off-sites and conferences than weddings. We have achieved our fair share of both segments. We have done 47 weddings till date in this financial year with the pandemic still hovering over us. Our resort has always been a market leader in this segment. We had done some big ticket weddings and could accommodate even buy-out requests this season as the international travel was completely shut off,” Nair shared.

He claimed The Zuri White Sands, Goa Resort & Casino is among the very few hotels in Goa that offer multiple venues for various functions in a wedding and also the luxury of two ocean-facing lawns and an exclusive pool for parties and events. “Our banquets also have seamless access to large open lawns. We have gained goodwill among our trade partners as we understand the minute requirements of a client when it comes to weddings, which makes us a preferred option for destination weddings,” he added.