OYO launches its first hotel in Kathmandu

Aiming to venture into the market in Nepal, budget-hotels network OYO announced the launch of its debut hotel in Kathmandu, following its successful venture into Malaysia in January 2016, where it has now grown to 200 hotels.

OYO partners with hotels to standardise and transform their rooms enabling a better experience for guests. It pioneered the use of technology in budget-hotel category to make property operation and management more seamless. Launched in 2013, OYO's network has grown to 7000 hotels in 200 cities.

"OYO has been at the forefront of the small and budget hotels revolution in India. Building the category grounds-up, we have employed technology and operational acumen to deliver delight to our customers and unparalleled benefits to partners. Our network has witnessed robust growth to become the largest in India. After our successful overseas foray in Malaysia, we are now thrilled to offer OYO's hassle-free and standardised stay experience to travellers visiting Nepal," said Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and CEO - OYO.

According to the Department of Immigration, of the 174,803 tourists that visited Nepal in 2016, the highest number of travellers were reported from India. A further boost to cross-border trade and tourism is expected with India and Bangladesh set to reopen the defunct trans-border rail routes which would extend links to Nepal and Bhutan.

The travel and hospitality sector in India is witnessing a phenomenon of impulse planning. Even as travel-planning cycle reduces further, the expectations from on-ground suppliers and agents of delivering a non-negotiable and predetermined experience have become stronger. Affordable and trusted stay-options remain one of the top concerns for most travellers.

With OYO in Nepal, Indian travellers will find it easier to extend their impulse-planning behaviour while planning a holiday. Nepal is also one of the few countries that offers visa-on-arrival to Indians.

"Today, 70 percent of Indians admit to unplanned spending - from relationships to shopping, instant gratification is the new norm. At the same time, they are increasingly looking at discerning or standardised experiences; even if the purchase decision was driven by impulse. With our promise of standardided and predictable stays across 7000 hotels in over 200 cities, OYO caters to the impulse-planning behavior displayed by millennial traveler," said Agarwal.

OYO is an urban innovator that is tackling the lack of equilibrium between demand and supply of quality living space. Using technology and talent to fix this socio-economic problem, it has transformed over 70,000 hotel rooms in India and Malaysia. Further, it invests in skilling and training the staff of its partner-hotels to deliver better service.

This performance-driven approach has, in turn, enabled better revenues and profits for partners, and delightful service and experience for guests. The company has generated new employment opportunities and nurtured micro entrepreneurs.

OYO's hotel-booking app is among the fastest in the world, enabling guests to search and book a room in less than five seconds with just three taps. The company also recently launched OYO Captains, to provide personalised on-ground local assistance to guests.