TravTalk India Online Magazine
With a focus on both luxury and holistic experiences, Raviz Hotels & Resorts plans to develop wellness destinations in Kerala. The group organised a promotional event recenty to cash in on the tourism potential of God’s Own Country.
Janice Alyosius
The tourism potential of Kerala, known as God’s Own Country, took centre stage at ‘Showcase Kerala’, a promotional event organised by Raviz Hotels & Resorts at The Leela Ambience Gurugram recently. Dr B Ravi Pillai, Chairman, RP Group, unveiled the event, which was a part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the renowned destinations Kovalam and The Leela Raviz Kovalam. The event saw the participation of esteemed dignitaries from the realms of travel trade, tourism, culture, and eminent social influencers, making it a splendid convergence.
Giving insights about the brand and their plans, Asish Nair, India Vice President, RP Group, said, “In the hospitality sector, we have four luxury hotels in Kerala, and we have entered in a management agreement with Leela Group to manage our hotels. We own the ‘Raviz’ brand, which is the fastest growing brand in Kerala. We also have international presence through managing and owning hotels in the Middle East, especially in Dubai.”
Sharing more about the brand, Nair said, “Raviz is derived from the vision depicted by our chairman Dr B Ravi Pillai. His major focus is the Middle East. He hails from a small village in Kollam, which is called Chavara. So, it was always there in his mind to start something international in that small village, right at the banks of lake Ashtamudi. The first thing which is done was that he created a beautiful hotel, a destination hotel like Raviz Ashtamudi, which is now managed by Leela. The Leela Kovalam was bought by him in 2011 and similarly the property in Malabar, the Raviz Kadavu and Calicut. These are the four properties that define the Raviz Hotel & Resorts in Kerala among all 5-star luxury hotels.”
He asserted that hotel maintenance is a humongous task. “We have to maintain the property, the resources and everything else, and at the same time have to maintain the luxury. So, first 10 years of our journey were focused on setting up the process and policies in place where we remain as a leader in all the regions and destinations we operate. From Kovalam to Malabar region, our properties are ranked the best, so that is the first thing we did. Next, we also plan to move into developing wellness destinations, we have also bought a beautiful palace right next to Raviz Ashtamudi, called Padmavilas Palace, and we are slowly trying to curate that area into a wellness destination,” Nair said.
Speaking of the marketing strategies, Nair said, “We are fortunate to receive substantial support from the Kerala government, which has developed a comprehensive marketing plan to enhance promotion efforts. The travel trade and hotel industry in Kerala function as a closely-knit community, focused on collaboration rather than competition.”
