Mumbai, Feb. 9: The Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) today announced a new architecture under which all hotels of the Tata group will be brought under a single brand -- Taj Hotels Palaces Resorts Safaris.

The four groups which will come under the single brand are: Taj Hotels, Taj Palaces, Taj Resorts and Taj Safaris.

Vivanta by Taj and Gateway will also merge under the aegis of a single Taj brand identity.

According to IHCL, this aligning of brand architecture reinforces the deep resonance of the Taj brand with its guests and embodies the vision of its founder Jamsetji Tata and that it also connects with the recently unveiled "Tajness" philosophy which takes the best from the Taj's past and redefines it for the future.

"The new brand identity honours the renowned legacy of Taj in a structure that will create greater brand resonance with our guests and also allow for considerable value creation for all our stakeholders...Taj, as a brand, truly speaks to the nation's pride and redesigned architecture is a tangible step in celebrating our heritage," Taj Hotels Palaces Resorts Safaris chief executive officer and managing director Rakesh Sarna said.

The transition of all hotels to the new architecture along with the Tajness guest experiences is expected to be completed by December, he added.

Sarna said the addition of Taj Safaris to the corporate logo reflects the growing importance of this segment to its business. The new brand architecture was designed to honour the over 100 year legacy of Taj and to realign Taj's vision of building a globally-reputable chain of world-class hotels, he added.

The essential elements of the corporate brand logo - the main unit and colour palette - will remain the same as it has a powerful recall as a symbol of Taj's heritage and tradition, Sarna said.

The new brand architecture announced by IHCL comes after US-based hotel chain Marriott International became the largest hotel chain in India (in terms of rooms) following its acquisition of Starwood Hotels last year.

Vivanta by Taj was earlier marketed as an upper upscale brand, while Gateway was known as an upscale or premium brand.