Royal Orchid Hotels Ltd. (ROHL), through its subsidiary Regenta Hotels Private Limited, has announced the launch of Z by Regenta City Centre Ahmedabad, further strengthening its presence in Gujarat. The opening marks another step in the group's expansion plans and is aimed at serving the growing demand from both business and leisure travellers visiting Ahmedabad.

Part of Royal Orchid's lifestyle brand portfolio, Z by Regenta is designed for Gen Z and millennial travellers, offering contemporary design, digital-first conveniences, functional comfort, and affordable stays, backed by the group's hospitality standards.

The hotel is strategically located in the Vastrapur area at Sunrise Park, between Himalaya Mall and Vastrapur Lake. Its location provides convenient access to major business hubs, shopping destinations, and popular attractions across Ahmedabad. The property is situated approximately 15 km from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, 10 km from Ahmedabad Railway Station, and 7 km from the State Transport Bus Stand.

Guests can explore nearby attractions including Sabarmati Ashram, Kankaria Lake, Riverfront, Akshardham Temple, Ahmedabad One Mall, and Himalaya Mall.

The property features 43 accommodations, including 42 deluxe rooms measuring 180 square feet and one suite spanning 250 square feet. Rooms are equipped with modern amenities such as high-speed Wi-Fi, ergonomic workstations, tea and coffee makers, LED televisions, minibars, electronic safes, and the brand's signature Z Hug Pillows.

Dining at the hotel is led by Neighbourhood, an all-day dining restaurant operating from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM. The restaurant serves an extensive vegetarian menu featuring soups, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, comfort foods, Indian dishes, Oriental cuisine, bowls, and a variety of beverages. Guests can also access a lobby vending machine offering premium snacks and beverages throughout the day.

For meetings and events, the hotel offers two flexible venues. Conference Hall 1 spans 2,500 square feet and can accommodate up to 200 guests in theatre style and 150 guests in classroom style. Conference Hall 2 covers 1,085 square feet and can host up to 100 guests in theatre style and 65 guests in classroom style.

Commenting on the launch, Chander K. Baljee, chairman & managing director, Royal Orchid Hotels Ltd, said, “The introduction of Z by Regenta City Centre Ahmedabad marks another important step in our Vision 2030 growth strategy. Ahmedabad's unique blend of cultural heritage, entrepreneurial spirit, and rapidly growing millennial traveler base makes it an ideal destination for our Z by Regenta brand. We are delighted to partner with PrimeStay Hospitality on this project and are confident that the hotel will offer guests a fresh, vibrant, and contemporary hospitality experience while maintaining the trusted service standards associated with Royal Orchid Hotels.”

In a statement the ownership group of PrimeStay Hospitality said, “We are delighted to partner with Royal Orchid Hotels to introduce Z by Regenta City Centre Ahmedabad. PrimeStay Hospitality is the first hospitality venture founded by four partners, including three promoters of Wireless Teleinfra Private Limited and a seasoned hotelier with over 15 years of industry experience. Wireless Teleinfra, headquartered in Ahmedabad, is a leading telecom infrastructure and network services company serving major telecom operators and global network vendors across India. Combining strong business expertise with hospitality excellence, our vision is to develop and operate quality business hotels across key commercial destinations in the country. This property has been thoughtfully designed to offer contemporary comfort, convenience, and accessibility, making it an ideal choice for business travelers, families, and leisure guests exploring Ahmedabad and Gujarat. The launch of this hotel marks the beginning of our journey towards building a strong and growing presence in India's hospitality sector.”

ibis India, part of the Accor brand, has launched a nationwide beach clean-up initiative across Mumbai, Goa, Chennai, and Kochi as part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability and responsible hospitality. The campaign brought together hotel teams, local NGOs, civic authorities, and community volunteers to support cleaner coastlines and encourage greater environmental awareness.

Through coordinated clean-up drives, participants collected plastic waste, litter, and other pollutants from beaches and shoreline areas. The initiative aimed not only to improve the condition of these coastal spaces but also to promote responsible waste disposal practices and marine conservation among local communities.

The campaign comes at a time when plastic pollution continues to pose a growing challenge to India's beaches, rivers, and marine ecosystems. With increasing pressure on urban waste management systems and coastal destinations, especially in popular tourism hubs, community-driven environmental action has become more important than ever.

By organising the clean-up drive across multiple coastal cities, ibis India reinforced its broader sustainability vision of supporting environmental awareness and encouraging collective action for conservation. The initiative also highlighted the importance of preserving shoreline ecosystems that play a key role in supporting local communities, livelihoods, tourism, and biodiversity.

“India’s vast coastline is not only an important ecological asset but also supports millions of livelihoods, communities, and tourism destinations across the country. With a presence across several coastal cities, ibis recognizes the importance of preserving these environments and promoting responsible practices that contribute to their long-term sustainability. Through the beach clean-up drive, the brand brought together employees, local partners, and community members to undertake meaningful action on the ground while fostering greater awareness around responsible waste management and marine conservation. The initiative reflects ibis’ belief that collective action can play a vital role in protecting coastlines and advancing more sustainable destinations for future generations,” said Vineet Mishra, Vice President - Premium, Midscale & Economy Hotels, India & South Asia.

In addition to the clean-up activities, participating ibis hotels conducted community engagement and volunteer-led initiatives to encourage greater public participation in maintaining and protecting waterfront areas. With several properties located near coastal and waterfront destinations, ibis continues to support sustainability-focused programmes that contribute to responsible tourism and environmentally conscious travel experiences across India.

Sony YAY! has introduced an interactive voice-based experience that brings the popular animated character Shin chan to Amazon Alexa, allowing fans across India to engage with the mischievous character in a new and immersive way.

The initiative enables users to interact directly with Shin chan through simple voice commands, transforming everyday conversations into playful exchanges filled with humour, wit, and the character’s signature style of mischief. The experience is designed to extend Shin chan’s presence beyond television screens and into Indian households through smart home technology.

To begin the interaction, users can activate the experience by saying, “Alexa, Shin chan kahaan hai?”, after which the character responds with humorous replies, jokes, and conversational banter that reflect his well-known personality traits. The integration aims to recreate the fun and unpredictability that has made Shin chan a cult favourite across generations.

Known for his bold humour and distinctive storytelling style, Shin chan has remained one of the most recognisable animated characters among Indian audiences. With this Alexa integration, Sony YAY! is offering fans a more interactive and personalised way to connect with the character beyond traditional viewing formats.

According to Ambesh Tiwari, Business Head at Sony YAY!, Shin chan has maintained a strong emotional connection with audiences in India over the years. He noted that this collaboration is part of the channel’s broader effort to celebrate the character’s long-standing popularity while leveraging technology to enhance engagement for fans and families.

The initiative reflects Sony YAY!’s continued focus on expanding entertainment experiences through digital innovation. By combining animation content with voice technology, the brand aims to create deeper engagement opportunities that align with evolving media consumption habits among younger audiences.

With this launch, Sony YAY! continues to explore new ways of making animated content more interactive, reinforcing Shin chan’s position as one of India’s most beloved animated characters