Etihad Guest, the award-winning loyalty programme from Etihad Airways, has announced its latest exciting new hotel partner to boost the extensive benefits already available to its 650,000-plus members - the Indian Hotels Company.

The Indian Hotels Company is one of Asia’s largest hospitality groups. The group offers three distinct hotel brands, collectively known as Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces: Taj (luxury, full-service hotels, resorts and palaces), Taj Exotica (resorts and spas) and Gateway Hotels (mid-market, full service hotels and resorts).

The group comprises more than 60 hotels in 45 locations across India, ranging from historic sites and pilgrim centres to hill stations and beaches. The company also offers international hotels in Malaysia, the United Kingdom, United States of America, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Africa, the Middle East and Australia.

Etihad Guest members will earn 500 miles per stay at the group’s Taj hotels and 250 miles per stay at Taj Exotica and Gateway Hotels.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ chief commercial officer, said: “With Etihad Guest, we seek to offer our members the most exclusive of benefits when they join our award-winning loyalty programme. The Indian Hotels Company certainly meets these high standards and we are very pleased to have them on board.”

Ajoy Misra, senior vice president, sales and marketing for the Indian Hotel Company, said: “Like Etihad Airways, we are always looking at ways to offer our guests something extra. Our hotel guests are used to sampling the highest standards of hospitality on the ground and now they can look forward to the same experience in the air, when they fly with Etihad.

Etihad currently flies to six destinations in India: the commercial capital Mumbai, the national capital New Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kochi (Cochin) and Kozhikode (Calicut) in Kerala, as well as Chennai (Madras). The airline will also launch a new service to Hyderabad from November 2009.

Mr Misra added: “This is also a strategic partnership - the geographic spread and location of our hotels complements Etihad’s own expanding network, especially within India where the airline continues to expand its presence.”

Etihad Guest was voted best website, best member communication, best bonus promotion and best award redemption at the 2008 global ‘Freddie’ awards.

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