Luxury hospitality industry leader Hemant Mediratta recently launched a new river cruise brand, Antara Luxury River Cruises.
Joining the company as Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Mediratta has laid the agenda and a clear roadmap for expansion with new cruise ships and enhanced service offerings.
Antara Cruises is India’s leading luxury river cruising company that owns and operates its fleet across the Indian rivers. The lavish ALL SUITE cruises takes people to untouched destinations along the Indian rivers while one experiences the ALL-INCLUSIVE warm, personalized and unmatched Antara hospitality.
Owned by Heritage River Journeys that has over 15 years of proven expertise in innovative small ship design that is socially and environmentally responsible. Mediratta brings with him over two decades of hospitality experience and has earlier served as the Senior Vice President of Oberoi Hotels and Resorts. Speaking about the brand, he said, “Antara, derived from the Sanskrit word “Antar” meaning “the distinction”, became a source of inspiration for us to make a difference and take you on a journey along the spiritual rivers of India, to rediscover yourself and experience the joy of spending time with your loved ones in luxury. We want travel to be experiential and transformative and this is our attempt with Antara”.
Luxury river cruising is relatively a new concept in India with tremendous scope for experiential discovery of both, the known and the untouched destinations of the country. Since its launch, the brand has been extremely well received by the well-heeled luxury traveler who seeks a seamless holiday experience. The ‘all-suite’ offering, French balconies, expansive social spaces, plush on-board amenities, unique gastronomy experiences, wellness, sunrise yoga, activities on-board, and excursions make Antara cruises a perfect venue for pre-wedding retreats, milestone events like anniversaries, birthdays, spiritual retreats and family reunion while sailing on the Ganges.
The ships are currently stationed in Kolkata, follow the course of the holy river up to Varanasi and have itineraries available for bespoke charters from 2-11 nights itinerary.
As the world continues to address the challenges regarding COVID-19, Mediratta said in this regard “The true spirit of Antara is built around serving from the heart, nurturing strong relationships with our guests, partners, colleagues and our communities. We do this by being responsible in our actions and to this effect have introduced ‘ANTARA ASSURE” a heightened hygiene, health and safety protocol that has been implemented based on local and international health experts and authorities to offer a comforting and enjoyable experience to our guests and a safe workplace for our team members.”
