October 2012
magazine A MONTHLY ON HOSPITALITY TRADE
Vol 12 Issue 10 Pages 72 `50 By DDP Publications
Passing on the baton Kamlesh Barot, Director of Barot Hotels, hands over the presidency of FHRAI to Vivek Nair, VC & MD of Hotel Leelaventure, for 2012-13
Clocking the exit Hotels are offering extended check-out time to customers to earn goodwill as well as revenue
October 2012 Cover Story
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When the clock strikes 12…
By not deviating from the conventional 12 noon check-out timing, hotels are increasingly looking at providing late checkout facility to customers mixing goodwill with marketing.
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contents
THIS MONTH
President’s Message FHRAI Desk News Updates Movements Products & Services Events
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FEATURES
40 Report: Diverse demands in hospitality 46 Equipment: RATIONAL
Report: Diverse demands in hospitality Cushman and Wakefield - CII 40 recently released a joint research report titled ‘Indian Hospitality Story 2012 & Beyond’ Interview: Small Hotels, Big Experiences Paul Kerr, CEO, Small Luxury Hotels 44 of the World (SLH), believes India offers many unique opportunities that SLH could align with Viewpoint: International Associations Known world over, associations like 46 HFTP, AAHOA and AH&LA are quite optimistic about Indian hospitality growth
52 Explore: Hotel Grand Godwin and Hotel Godwin Deluxe, New Delhi
Profile: Boutique hotel in the hills A new concept of boutique hotels in 51 the hills might be in offing as a new hotel comes in Shimla in this segment
Chairman Publications Sub-committee Vijai Pande Editor Deepa Sethi - deepa@ddppl.com Assistant Editor Sanjeev Bhar - sanjeev@ddppl.com Desk Editor Neelam Singh - neelam@ddppl.com Sub-Editor Ramya J.S. D’Rozario Advertising Gunjan Sabikhi - gunjan@ddppl.com Delhi Prateek Sahay - prateek@ddppl.com (+919650911388) Shovan Kanungo - shovan@ddppl.com Shradha Kapoor - shradha@ddppl.com (+919650196525) Udit Pandey - udit@ddppl.com Shailendra Shukla - shailendra@ddppl.com Mumbai Harshal Ashar - harshal@ddppl.com (+919619499167)
44 Interview: Paul Kerr, CEO, SLH
creative Design Alpana Khare Neeraj Aggarwal
Explore: Creating a niche Hotel Grand Godwin and Hotel 52 Godwin Deluxe in Paharganj, Delhi, is creating its own individuality by providing value and quality services
FHRAI - Marketing S.P. Joshi Production Manager Anil Kharbanda
Supplier Talk: For a competitive edge Ozone Overseas opens Display cum 56 Training Centre for institutions to experience hardware products before they make an actual buy Design: Sketching inimitable possibilities New hotels are opening their doors 58 and bringing along new elements that not only differentiate them by looks but also address their brand proposition
FHRAI B-82, 8th Floor, Himalaya House Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001 Tel: 91-11-40780780, Fax: +91-11-40780777 Email: fhrai@vsnl.com FHRAI Magazine is published, edited and printed monthly by DDP Publication Pvt. Ltd. On behalf of Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India and published from DDP Publications Pvt. Ltd. 72 Todarmal Road New Delhi 110001 Email: fhraimag@ddppl.com Tel : 91-11-23731971 Fax: 91-11-23351503
68 Events
This issue of FHRAI Magazine contains 80+4 pages cover All information in the FHRAI Magazine is derived from sources, which we consider reliable and a sincere effort is made to report accurate information. It is passed on to our readers without any responsibility on our part. The publisher regrets that he cannot accept liability for errors and omissions contained in this publication, however caused. Similarly, opinions/views expressed by third parties in abstract and/or in interviews are not necessarily shared by FHRAI Magazine or DDP. However, we wish to advice our readers that one or more recognised authorities may hold different views than those reported. Material used in this publication is intended for information purpose only. Readers are advised to seek specific advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use, and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. Contents of this publication are copyright. No part of FHRAI Magazine or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publication in writing. The same rule applies when there is a copyright or the article is taken from another publication. An exemption is hereby granted for the extracts used for the purpose of fair review, provided two copies of the same publication are sent to us for our records. Publications reproducing material either in part or in whole, without permission could face legal action. The publisher assumes no responsibility for returning any material solicited or unsolicited nor is he responsible for material lost or damaged. This publication is not meant to be an endorsement of any specific product or services offered. The publisher reserves the right to refuse, withdraw, amend or otherwise deal with all advertisements without explanation. All advertisements must comply with the Indian and International Advertisements Code. The publisher will not be liable for any damage or loss caused by delayed publication, error or failure of an advertisement to appear.
Environment: Reincarnation of waste Waste can become wealth if the 60 global challenge of handling waste is executed at the ground level by different organisations with a little regulatory nudge Equipment: Making kitchens efficient & safe RATIONAL SelfCookingCenter 63 whitefficiency is aimed at making the cooking process easy and efficient for the institutions with a new perspective of effective cooking through a single unit
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I thank you all Dear fellow members, I am even more delighted by the faith and confidence which my colleagues in the fraternity have reposed in me, as this is my second term as President after having been the President in the year 2003-04. At the outset, I would like to extend my heartiest gratitude to the Executive Committee and members of FHRAI for electing me as the President of the foremost apex body of the Hospitality Industry in India which represents above 3800 Members, comprising of 2531 Hotels and 1196 Restaurants throughout the country. Hotels and Restaurants constitute a major part of the tourism sector which employs 9.20 per cent of the total workforce of the Country, thus making it the largest employment generator at 53 million persons in 2011-12. We are presently in a pivotal and great challenging phase of our industry. My colleagues, who have been elected as Officer Bearers and I, are deeply committed to assiduously working towards ensuring that FHRAI continues to grow from strength to strength and consistently deliver on the high expectations of all our stakeholders. As is well-known, the Hotel & Tourism Industry, at large, has immense potential to act as a catalyst for generating large-scale employment and promoting equitable and inclusive economic growth. The 12th FiveYear Plan envisages that this sector will directly support about 80 million jobs by 2016. The FHRAI has closely worked with the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India which has prepared a report for tourism in the 5th FiveYear Plan (2012-17). A Comprehensive Plan of Action is proposed to double the Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTA) and increase the domestic tourists so that the FTAs could be increased from 6.20 million at present to about 20 million by 2017.
The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that the Travel, Tourism & Hospitality sector will contribute 6.5 per cent of India’s total GDP in 2012. The Indian Hotel Industry is, however, required to make a capital investment of about Rs. 127,600 crores to setup the 180,000 rooms in the country before 2017, from the present 120,000 guestrooms. Recommendations made to the Inter Ministerial Coordination Committee on Tourism headed by the Principal Secretary of the Prime Minister are as follows:1. Granting ‘Infrastructure status’ to the Hotels of 3-Star and above throughout the country by removing the restrictive stipulation presently prescribed in the Harmonized List of Infrastructure Sub-sectors which permits only 3-Star hotels outside the cities with a population of 1 million. 2. Extending Visa-on-Arrival facilities to more countries other than the already 11 countries permitted.Also to grant visa on arrival facilities to Goa, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram airports. 3. Rationalisation of the present Coastal Regulation Zone ( CRZ ) Rules in line with the recommendations made by the Committee on CRZ headed by Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, appointed by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Govt. of India to meet the large demand for beach resort tourism. 4. As there is a scarcity of land and prices are high, there is a need for grant of additional Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for Hotels at reasonable premium charges based on circle rate of the plot and a nominal percentage of the realty recommendation to bring the cost of hotel development down and make the room tariffs competitively priced. 5. Luxury tax should be applicable on actual room rate and not on published tariff as is the practice in very few states like the NCT of Delhi and Tamil Nadu whereas all the other states charge on actual tariff.
We need to diversify our tourism product portfolio, in order to successfully attract more tourists from newer markets. We also need concerted efforts by the Industry and Government to tap the lucrative MICE segment. A greater emphasis must be laid on forging innovative Public-Private Partnerships to address a wide range of complex challenges confronting the sector, particularly capacitybuilding for skill development and alleviating infrastructure bottlenecks. On behalf of FHRAI, I also express my gratitude to the Hon’ble Prime Minister for having constituted an Inter-Ministerial Coordination Committee on Tourism under the stewardship of his Principal Secretary Mr. Pulok Chatterji, which has already taken up several issues brought to his attention by FHRAI. We believe that this high-powered panel will play a key role in achieving greater synergy and convergence among various Government departments and agencies on all tourismrelated policy matters. I must compliment the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, for launching several laudable and visionary initiatives such as the Hunar Se Rozgar Tak Yojna, Clean India Campaign and the Code for Safe & Honourable Tourism, and on behalf of FHRAI, we reaffirm our strong commitment and support for these programmes. I would request you to take up any issues which concern the Industry with your Regional Association so that same can be escalated to FHRAI, if required.
With Best Wishes Vivek Nair President FHRAI
vc-md@theleela.com
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Taxation Makes ‘service & smile’ dearer Dear Friends, I am extremely humbled to be serving as Hony. Secretary for the second time and would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the EC members for bestowing me with this responsibility. I will try to match up with the expectations of my fellow colleagues in the association. Taking ahead the quest in achieving the due recognition for our industry, I would like to reiterate certain facts. We continue to be the only industry that faces the brunt of maximum taxation. Approximately 75 departments govern the hotel and restaurant industry, which is the maximum for any industry in any part of the world. Vijai Pande Chairman Publications Sub-committee FHRAI vijaipandit@yahoo.co.in
Some of the laws are still archaic. Our industry is desired to put its best foot forward in welcoming world travellers as we are a service industry. But with such a burden on our head and tension related with so many departments, how can we serve customers with a smile. It is a service industry but government views it as a luxurious one. So, whenever any tax is introduced, our industry becomes the first target to be taxed which curtails our revenue. For example, 25 per cent of taxes account for the restaurant sales and services. In that case, how can one carry on with business? Further, gas prices have been increased by `500 in October 2012. While the government talks about reducing subsidy on fuel and would implement on cost price, but eventually they are also ensuring
that the rates are high. Restaurants and eateries are becoming a tool of profit. Consider this: As per government regulation, after subsidy – one can get an LPG cylinder for `416.50 (for up to 3 cylinders), after that it is sold on cost price without subsidy, i.e., `922.50. However, for those serving midday meals and at prison, the cost charged is `1,201.00. On the other hand, hotels and restaurants are paying `1,714.50 for each LPG cylinder, which includes approximately 15 per cent state taxes as well. The implementation of the new Food Safety & Standards Act (FSSA) 2006 has been extended till January 2013, following FHRAI taking up the matter of extending deadline with the concerned authority. The industry needs to update them accordingly and should get registered. To keep our members informed at every point, we will come out with a handbook on all the archaic laws for the industry. It will become an encyclopedia for you as an immediate reference. In addition to that, we will start an SMS service where we will keep our members updated with vital notifications like the last date of submission of taxes, etc., to help you keep track of your business needs better. We have outlined an e-mail service as well which will update various activities pertaining to our industry. I would like to invite all members to keep us informed on various problems and developments taking place in your respective states. We will ensure that we take forward those issues, legal or developmental, to the concerned authorities. I take this opportunity to welcome Shri Parvez Dewan as our Union Tourism Secretary who comes from Jammu & Kashmir, which has been struggling for long and fighting for its right. I hope he would understand our plight, and therefore, would take this industry to a new high.
FHRAI welcomes Parvez Dewan On behalf of the FHRAI President, Executive Committee and all our members across the country, it is my privilege to offer our heartiest congratulations to Shri Parvez Dewan on his appointment as Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. We are confident that his rich and diverse administrative and policy experience will be indispensable in accomplishing the ambitious agenda and visionary roadmap which the tourism ministry and our industry have collectively envisaged for the sector. Our shared goal is
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to leverage tourism’s intrinsic potential to act as a catalyst for inclusive, equitable and sustainable economic growth. We assure Shri Dewan and all his colleagues in the Ministry of Tourism of our steadfast cooperation and assistance, and will count on their valuable guidance and support for our various endeavours. M D Kapoor Secretary General FHRAI
Parvez Dewan, Secretary, Ministry of tourism, Government of India is an IAS officer from Jammu & Kashmir of 1977 cadre. He assumed the charge of Secretary, Ministry of Tourism on October 4, 2012 from his predecessor R H Khwaja. He had earlier served the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs from December 24, 2011 till September 21, 2012. Earlier, he had also served as the Chairman & MD of ITDC from April 5, 2006 to December 1, 2009.
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A Fulfilling Tenure Dear Co-Members, This is my last communication to all of you as your outgoing President, for this term. I take this opportunity to thank each one of our 3,767 members, Chairmen of the 19 Kamlesh Barot Sub-committees, Convention Organizing Committee team, the 833 delegates who had registered for our Goa convention, the Union Tourism Minister, Union Secretary of Tourism, members of NTAC, FAITH core committee, all Union and State Ministers in India and their Secretaries, our Member of Honour, our Office Bearers, our Executive Committee members of FHRAI, Affiliate members and all four Regional ECs, the Exofficios, all regional SGs, Mr MD Kapoor, Mrs Asha Juneja, the FIHM Team, FHRAI Auditors, FHRAI Company Secretary, Secretariat Staff, Ms Poddar of Soft Solutions, DDP Team, Government employees and the Department of Tourism, for all the achievements which were accomplished by the FHRAI team and myself during my tenure as the President for FHRAI during 2011/12. Also, I would like to thank all the International Association’s Presidents and Chairmen, who had graced our Goa convention from the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals - HFTP, American Hotel and Lodging Association - AH&LA, Asian American Hotel Owners Association AAHOA, World Travel and Tourism Council, India Initiative - WTTC-II, International Hotel & Restaurant Association - IH&RA, United Nations World Tourism Organisation UNWTO and Cornell.
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As part of my five-year FHRAI plan initiative, I started with Public Relations that fetched FHRAI an equivalent of advertisements worth more than Rs 2 crore during my term, which needs to be pursued in the coming years, enhanced with the on-going initiative of HR, CSR, Tourism strategy and Policy, and Revenue maximisation for our fraternity. Our Secretariat with the CAE upgrade shall remain committed to the 24-hour response time and hopefully would continue the paperless office implementation. FHRAI will adopt the PCI-DSS for you - our members, similarly like organising seminars across the country as was done to create awareness of FSSAI and also showcase the Mumbai example of Special Tourism Zones for your city. The HDPB at the Centre will be stitched with all our States and to settle all our taxation woes, the white paper with which HFTP - India Chapter has been accorded its first exercise by FHRAI on GST-DTC, shall be imprinted for execution with the Finance Ministry for this pro-poor Tourism Industry. Do look up the Goa Convention photos on https://picasaweb.google.com/1095095144 16911172647 and Government dignitaries assurances in their speeches, the State tourism initiatives as well as the learned speakers explaining trends, watch the videos from the comforts of your gizmos anywhere, which are posted at http://www.fhrai.com/events.html. With best wishes, Kamlesh Barot Outgoing President - FHRAI
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56th FHRAI Annual General Meeting, New Delhi
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FHRAI Office Bearers for 2012-13
At the 56th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of FHRAI, held on September 28, 2012, in New Delhi, Vivek Nair, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Hotel Leelaventure, was elected as President for the year 2012-2013. At the AGM, the new team took the charge for the new term and expects to continue with a renewed vigour to overcome all the challenges that the hospitality industry continues to raise its voice against. The hospitality fraternity has extended a warm welcome to the new team of FHRAI. Vivek Nair President Mr. Vivek Nair has been elected as the President of FHRAI for the upcoming term. He is the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Hotel Leelaventure Ltd., which runs the luxury Leela Hotel Group in India. The Leela group operates 8 hotels, The Leela Mumbai, The Leela Palace Chanakyapuri New Delhi, The Leela Palace Bangalore, The Leela Goa, The Leela Udaipur, The Leela Palace Chennai and also manages the Leela Kempinski Hotel & Residences Gurgaon, the Leela Kovalam Beach Resort Kerala. Currently, projects under implementation include Agra, Jaipur and Lake Ashtamudi in Kerala and signed other new projects in Bengaluru near the International Airport and in Noida. The Leela Group has Sales & Marketing affiliation with Kempinski Hotels, Europe’s oldest Hotel Company having 75 deluxe properties worldwide. A graduate from St. Xavier’s College, Bombay, and a post graduate in Hotel Management from the School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University, USA, Mr. Nair has worked as the President of FHRAI in 2003-2004 and was an Executive Committee Member of FHRAI for many years. He is the Past President (2000-2004) of Hotels & Restaurants Association of Western India (HRAWI) and also the Past President (2010-2011) of South India Hotels and Restaurants Association (SIHRA). HRAWI has also conferred Mr. Vivek Nair with the distinguished title of ‘Member of Honour’ for his immense contribution to the Hospitality Industry in the Western Region and also to the Association. He has been the strong voice of the Hospitality Industry in parleys with the central and state government on many important issues impacting the Members of FHRAI. Mr. Vivek Nair also worked as Chairman (2010 – 2011) of the World Travel and Tourism Council (India Initiative) (WTTC-II), a high panel comprising Leaders of Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Industry. He can be reached at vc-md@theleela.com
Garish Oberoi Vice President Mr. Garish Oberoi, President, HRANI, Executive Director of Hotel Uberoi Anand, Uberoi Anand & Associates and Amber Restaurant, Bareilly, has been elected as the Vice President of FHRAI for the upcoming term. He is the Honorary Secretary of UP Hotel & Restaurant Association as well as of Rohilkhand Hotel & Restaurant Association. He is also the executive member of Rohilkhand Productivity Council and of Central UP Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He held the post of VicePresident, HRANI, for four years. He has been the Honorary Secretary of HRANI for two years. Mr. Oberoi is an MBA from IIFT, Eco. (Hon.) graduate from Delhi University. He began his career in real estate and construction, and then shifted to the hospitality industry, where he has been for the past 25 years. He has also been a special examiner of Hotel Management & Catering Technology at Rohilkhand University and is Asst. Governor of Rotary, Bareilly. He is also on the board of advisors of Carnegie Mellon University’s Indian subsidiary, and holds important positions in several social and educational organisations of Bareilly. He can be reached at oberoifoundation@gmail.com, obe69@hotmail.com
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D. S. Advani
Vijai Pande
Vice President
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The Joint Managing Director of The Shalimar Hotel, Mumbai, The Central Park Hotel, Pune and The Metropole Hotel, Ahmedabad, Mr. D. S. Advani has been elected the Vice President of FHRAI for the next year. He is a B.Com and Law graduate, and is also a Fellow of The Institute of Hospitality (FIH), Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) from The American Hotel & Lodging Association. He has been on the Committee of HRAWI for more than 14 years and has been on various Sub-committees such as Seminars, Classification, Membership, Diamond Jubilee, etc. He has been on the convention organising committee for regional and national conventions. He is the recipient of FHRAI’s ‘Young Hotel Entrepreneur of the year 2003’ Award. Currently he is the President of the HRAWI and can be reached at md@theshalimarhotel.com
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Mr. Vijai Pande has been elected the Honorary Secretary of FHRAI for the year 2012–13. He is the MD of Hotel Pandit Pvt. Ltd., Hotel Orient in Kanpur, Senior Managing Committee Member of HRANI, Vice President - UP Hotel & Restaurant Association and Chairman of Kanpur Hotel Restaurant Association and Kanpur Udyog Vyapar Mandal. Also, he was the Chairman of the 45th FHRAI Convention (Agra), President- HRANI 2008-10, and Honorary Secretary FHRAI (201011) and HRANI (2003-04, 2007-08), Director of CITCO 2008-10 and has been General Secretary of UPHRA for a long time. Mr. Vijai Pande was the Chief Editor of the oldest Hindi newspaper ‘Dainik Vishwamitra’ Kanpur, with vast experience in journalism and hospitality and has also been awarded by the Tourism Minister of UP. He is on the Board of Tourism Advisory Committee & UP Trade Tax Committee, Lucknow, and is an active Member of the Press Club of Kanpur, Army Golf Club Kanpur, Merchants Chamber of Uttar Pradesh and Founder Member of Kanpur Museum. He can be reached at vijaipandit@yahoo.co.in
S. M. Shervani Honorary Treasurer Mr. S.M.Shervani, Managing Director, Shervani Hospitalities and the Director of Shervani Industrial Syndicate Limited. He has been appointed as the Hony. Treasurer and an Executive Committee member, FHRAI and Managing Committee member of HRANI. He is an alumni of Pusa Institute of Hotel Management, New Delhi and a Member of Hotel & Catering International Management Association (HCIMA), U.K. He has been in the Hospitality Industry for the last 25 years and running successfully restaurants and hotels in Delhi and Uttarakhand under the brand name of Rodeo and Shervani. He is the immediate past President of Hotel and Restaurant Association of Northern India and also held the post of Honorary Secretary for many years. He was the Vice President of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India and also served as the Vice President of the National Restaurant Association of India. He has also been the President of Uttarakhand Hotel and Restaurant Association. He is presently on the Board of Governors of IHM, Pusa, New Delhi. He can be reached at md@shervanihotels.com
Bharat H. Malkani Joint Honorary Secretary Mr. Bharat H. Malkani, the Managing Director of Hotel Transit Pvt. Ltd. in Mumbai, has been appointed as the Joint Honorary Secretary of FHRAI for the term 2012–13. He holds a Bachelors’ Degree in Electronics Engineering from MIT, and a Masters’ Degree in Technology Management, Washington University. He has been the Chairman and Managing Director, Max Aerospace and Aviation Pvt. Ltd., Chairman and Managing Director, Max MRO Services Pvt. Ltd., Partner, Malkani Interbuild and Executive Committee HRA (WI) since 1997. He can be reached at bharatmalkani@gmail.com
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Jose Dominic Joint Honorary Secretary Mr. Jose Dominic, a Chartered Accountant by qualification, has been elected as the Joint Honorary Secretary for the upcoming term. He is currently the Managing Director and CEO of CGH Earth (formerly Casino Group of Hotels). He is known for pioneering new approaches in resort development for which he received a Special Commendation Award from the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. He has served on several National and State advisory tourism panels of the Government and industry bodies, such as, member – Expert panel on Tourism of ASSOCHAM and CII. He has also served as Honorary Secretary of FHRAI and Founder President of Kerala Travel Mart. He is the past President of TiE – Kerala Chapter and was the President of the Cochin Chamber of Commerce. He is the past Chairman of CII, Kerala region and also a member of National Tourism Advisory Council. He is a Member of the Executive Committee of SIHRA since 1982 and its Vice President (for Kerala Region) since 2010. He can be reached at josedominic@cghearth.com
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Executive Committee Members of FHRAI for 2012-13 South
West
North
East
Mr. M.P. Purushothaman Chairman Empee Group of Hotels Ltd. Chennai mppurushothaman@ empeegroup.co.in
Mr. D.S. Advani Vice President, FHRAI Jt. Managing Director The Shalimar Hotel Mumbai md@theshalimarhotel.com
Mr. Garish Oberoi Vice President, FHRAI Partner Hotel Uberai Anand Bareilly oberoifoundation@gmail.com
Mr. Ratan Marothia Owner The Jagannath Kolkata ratanmarothia@gmail.com
Mr. K. Syama Raju Managing Director Hotel Maurya Bengaluru shyamaraju@hotelmaurya.com
Mr. Vivek Nair President, FHRAI VC & Managing Director The Leela Kempinski Hotel Bengaluru vc-md@theleela.com
Mr. Jose Dominic Jt. Hony. Secretary, FHRAI Managing Director & CEO CGH Earth Kochi josedominic@cghearth.com
Mr. T Nataraajan Chief Executive Officer GRT Hotels & Resorts Ltd. Chennai nataraajan@grthotels.com
Mr. K. Murali Rao Managing Director New Woodlands Hotel Pvt. Ltd. Chennai k.muralirao@yahoo.co.in
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Mr. Bharat H. Malkani Jt. Hony. Secretary, FHRAI Managing Director Hotel Transit Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai bharatmalkani@gmail.com
Mr. Vijai Pande Hony. Secretary, FHRAI Managing Director Hotel Pandit Pvt. Ltd. Kanpur vijaipandit@yahoo.co.in
Mr. Kamlesh Barot Director Barot Hotels Pvt. Ltd. Mumbai kamleshbarot@revivalhotel.com
Mr. S.M. Shervani Hony. Treasurer, FHRAI Managing Director Shervani Hospitalities Ltd. New Delhi md@shervanihotels.com
Mr. Pradeep Shetty Director Maharaja Restaurant Mumbai pradeep@maharajaessence.com
Mr. Gurbaxish Singh Kohli Jt. Managing Director Pritam Hotel & Restaurant Mumbai gogisingh@pritamhotels.com
Mr. Nirav Gandhi Director Hotel Express Tower Vadodara nirav@expressworld.com
Mr. Sushil Gupta Chairman & Managing Director Asian Hotels (West) Ltd. New Delhi sushil.gupta@asianhotelswest. com
Mr. Ajay Agarwal C.E.O. LMB Hotel Jaipur info@hotellmb.com
Mr. Gurvinder Singh Juneja C.E.O. PASHTUN RESTAURANT Chandigarh juneja@khyber.co.in
Dr. Ajoy Kumar Singh Managing Director Hotel Samrat International Patna samratin@sancharnet.in
Mr. Deepak Puri Partner Trinca’s Restaurant Kolkata trincasrestaurant@gmail.com
Mr. V.K. Kapur Partner Hotel Minerva Kolkata vkkapur@gmail.com
Mr. Nitin S. Kothari Sole Proprietor Peter Cat Restaurant Kolkata nitinkothari47@vsnl.net
Mr. Arun Sharma Managing Director Hotel Nandan Guwahati nandan1@sancharnet.in
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MOT hails states to join Clean India Campaign Subodh Kant Sahai Union Minister of Tourism Government of India The Ministry of Tourism is laying emphasis to the Clean India Campaign launched in June 2012 with objectives to increase tourist arrivals in the country, improve Initiative quality of services and provide a hygienic environment in and around tourist destinations. The campaign is in sync with the 12th Five Year Plan of the Government of India, wherein the target is to double the inbound and domestic arrivals. “Our Ministry has adopted a ‘Keep India Clean Mission’ to clean cities, particularly tourist places, across the country to attract maximum tourists. All State Governments should take initiatives for the success of this mission,” said Subodh Kant Sahai, Union Minister of Tourism, Government of India, while inaugurating a two-day International Buddhist Conclave in Varanasi on September 29, 2012. “India is the main attraction for the Buddhist tourists from across the globe. Buddhist sites in India have a great attraction for tourists world over. The Ministry of Tourism is continuing with its efforts in identifying more and more Buddhist Circuits and developing them in a holistic and integrated manner. We will press for the need to provide the facility of Visa on Arrival (VOA) for tourists from countries having sizeable Buddhist population such as Thailand and Malaysia. Also, the Ministry of Tourism has decided to develop a ‘ghat’ in Varanasi, the temple town, in the name of Lord Buddha on the banks of the river Ganga. The Tourism Ministry will extend full cooperation to the State Government and local administration to keep the holy city of Varanasi clean,” he added. For the uninitiated, the Ministry has identified three circuits to be developed as part of the Buddhist Circuits during the 12th Five Year Plan. The objective of the present conclave was to showcase and project the Buddhist Heritage of India.The delegates at the conclave included the International Buddhist scholars, tour operators and media, both domestic and international, who actively promote Buddhist Tourism. The conclave also served as an important tourism marketing event designed to bring together international buyers, particularly from
the popular Buddhist destinations like Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Korea and China together, to interact, promote and sell, with an objective of increasing tourist arrivals to India and specifically to the Buddhist sites in different states.
Three Buddhist circuits to be developed during the 12th Five Year Plan Circuit 1: The Dharmayatra or the Sacred Circuit includes Gaya (Bodhgaya), Varanasi (Sarnath), Kushinagar, Piparva ( Kapilvastu) with a day trip to Lumbini in Nepal. (Duration 5-7 days) Circuit 2: Extended Dharmayatra or Extended Sacred Circuit or Retracing Buddha’s Footsteps includes Bodhgaya (Nalanda, Rajgir, Barabar caves, Pragbodhi Hill, Gaya), Patna (Vaishali, Lauriya Nandangarh, Lauriya Ariraj, Kesariya, Patna Museum), Varanasi(Sarnath), Kushinagar, Piparva (Kapilvastu, Shravasti, Saniska) with a day trip to Lumbini in Nepal. (Duration 10-days) Circuit 3: Buddhist Heritage Trails State Circuits includes Jammu and Kashmir - Ladakh, Srinagar and Jammu; Himachal Pradesh - Dharamshala, Spiti, Kinnaur and Lahaul.
Ajay Agarwal nominated as a representative in the Board of Governors, IHM Jaipur Exercising the powers conferred with the Rules & Regulations of the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition, Jaipur, the Government of India has nominated Ajay Agarwal, Managing Committee member of HRANI and Executive Committee member of FHRAI, as one of the representatives of Central Government on the Board of Governors of IHM Jaipur. The order has been notified by the HRD Division of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Agarwal is also the CEO of LMB Hotel & Restaurant, Jaipur, and has been a key member of Hotel & Restaurant Association of Rajasthan (HRAR) since its foundation in 1989, holding various key positions. He was also the President of HRAR from 2005 to 2007.
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FHRAI urges progressive and conducive policy framework Vivek Nair, Vice-Chairman & Managing Director of Hotel Leelaventure Limited, has Demand been elected as the FHRAI President for 201213. Nair is widely recognised as being among corporate India’s most articulate and influential voices on the entire gamut of policy, governance and regulatory issues impacting the hospitality and tourism sector. He had also previously served as the FHRAI President in 2003-04. On being elected as President, Vivek Nair said, “I am overwhelmed by the faith and confidence which my colleagues in the fraternity have reposed in me. I regard this opportunity to once again lead a venerable organisation such as FHRAI, particularly at this pivotal and exciting phase for our industry, as both a distinct privilege and a profound responsibility. My team and I are deeply committed to assiduously working towards ensuring that FHRAI continues to grow from strength to strength and consistently deliver on the high expectations of all our stakeholders.” Addressing the media after FHRAI’s 56th Annual General Meeting in New Delhi, Nair highlighted tourism’s inherent potential to act as a catalyst for generating large-scale employment and promoting equitable and inclusive economic growth. The 12th Five-Year Plan envisages that this sector will directly support about 77.5 million jobs by 2016. WTTC estimates that the Travel, Tourism & Hospitality sector will contribute 6.5 per cent of India’s total GDP in 2012. Nair pointed out that the Indian hotel industry is poised to commit a capital investment of Rupees 1,27,600 crores to bridge the projected shortfall of over 1,80,000 rooms in the country over the next decade. He urged the government to facilitate a progressive and conducive policy framework for enabling the industry to viably undertake this massive additional investment. This includes •G ranting ‘infrastructure’ status to the sector as a whole, by removing the restrictive stipulation presently prescribed in the Harmonized List of Infrastructure Sub-sectors • All state governments must accord the sector ‘industry’ status, so that hotels become entitled to avail industrial rates on inputs such as power, water etc, instead of paying commercial tariff •E ach state must constitute an empowered Hospitality Development Promotion Board (HDPB) under the Chairmanship of their Chief Secretaries, to serve as an
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effective single window mechanism and fast-track projects • In view of the acute scarcity and exorbitant price of land in metro cities, a liberalization of FSI/FAR norms must be favourably considered Nair also explained that it is imperative to rationalise the industry’s complex multiple taxation structure, which has the cumulative negative impact of putting India at a distinct competitive disadvantage as an international tourist destination vis-a-vis its South-east Asian peers. Hotels and Restaurants should be included in the negative list for service tax and a uniform rate of luxury tax introduced, applicable only on actual and not published tariff. The FHRAI President said that we need to diversify our tourism product portfolio, in order to successfully attract more tourists from newer geographies. This would be vital for us to achieve the Ministry of Tourism’s ambitious target of increasing India’s share in the global tourism market to at least 1 per cent within the 12th Plan Period. He illustrated this view by calling for a relaxation in CRZ norms which are inhibiting the growth of beach-front hotels and resorts and constraining our ability to leverage the full potential of coastal tourism. We also need concerted efforts by the industry and government to tap the lucrative MICE segment. Nair opined that a greater emphasis must be laid on forging innovative Public-Private Partnerships to address a wide range of complex challenges confronting the sector, particularly capacity-building for skill development and alleviating infrastructure bottlenecks. The FHRAI President expressed gratitude to the Hon’ble Prime Minister for having constituted an Inter-Ministerial Coordination Committee on Tourism under the stewardship of his Principal Secretary Pulok Chaterji. FHRAI believes that this high-powered panel will play a key role in achieving greater synergy and convergence among various government departments and agencies on all tourism related policy matters. The President also complimented the Ministry of Tourism for launching several laudable and visionary initiatives such as the Hunar Se Rozgar Yojna, Clean India Campaign and the Code for Safe & Honourable Tourism, and on behalf of FHRAI, reaffirmed the organisation’s strong commitment and support for these programs. Nair welcomed the proposed four-fold increase in the allocation for tourism in the 12th Plan and was also appreciative of the renewed trust being placed on promoting tourism in India’s vibrant North-East.
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ITDC invites participation from states and private players
Partnership
Riding on profits after two successive years of losses, the renewed enthusiasm of the Staterun India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) is on display as it invites states and private players to invest in hospitality developments through PPP mode where it could participate with them by lending its expertise in operations, online marketing or through offline efforts. As India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) evolves from losses incurred in recent years and gains a momentum on the balance sheet, it is also professing a new direction of growth (primarily inorganic) where it intends to enter into partnership with states to augur tourism. At the recently held press conference in the Capital to announce its positive financial results following its AGM, in which ITDC decided to pay dividends to its shareholders, Shankersinh Vaghela, Chairman, ITDC, said, “As a corporation, we are going to get better from here on as we have improved our operational efficiency, curtailed expenditures and increased our profitability. We are also trying to venture into newer areas ITDC Performance
Particulars Turnover Profit/Loss (Before tax)
Awards
2009-10 299.75
2010-11 392.36
2011-12 423.06
-20.51
-11.73
22.02
where we can form partnership with states for hospitality marketing and development.” According to him, ITDC is willing to extend its hands to states if they wish to enhance its hospitality resources. Dr. Lalit Kumar Panwar, Vice Chairman & MD of ITDC, said, “The first step has to be taken by the state tourism departments where scope of any hospitality projects could be established. The states can market ITDC owned properties and we can market the states through our properties and online efforts.” State-run ITDC is also keen to bring about hospitality development in the various states with the interest of private operators
ICF to host 9th Annual International Chef Awards
The 9th Annual International Chef Awards to be hosted by the Indian Culinary Forum (ICF) in association with the apex body, the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA) & World Association of Chef Societies (WACS) will be held on November 19, 2012, at Hotel Ashok in the Capital. Informing about the event, Chef Davinder Kumar, President of ICF said, ‘International Chefs Day - Chef Awards’ has been marked as a special occasion to accredit a chef as an artist. The idea is to create awareness for the profession of chefs who have a renowned name in hospitality sector and have set remarkable standards in the art of cooking.” The event will account for celebrations for ‘International Chefs Day - Chef Awards 2012’ together.
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through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for which it has drawn up plans where existing properties will be upgraded in PPP mode. Vaghela remarked, “We are making efforts to upgrade our properties and also exploring the possibilities of attracting private investments in areas of additional product development where states can play a very important role. PPP will come about by floating tenders for which our planning is underway.” The corporation is also looking at Gir Forest in Gujarat and Bodhgaya in Bihar where it has such opportunities. It is also open to the idea of partnering with private entities where ITDC can manage new facilities like convention halls and hotels.
october 2012 I www.fhrai.com I
Over the course of two weeks, the chefs will compete in a bracketed elimination competition to determine the top chef that will go on to the Grand Finale. In an effort to put the country on the international forefront, these awards will involve every aspect of culinary enthusiasts and art aficionados to share a passion for food, art and entertainment. The competition has been categorised majorly in three formats - ‘Trade Test’, ‘Gourmet Workshop’ and the grand finale called the ‘Chef Awards 2012’. The culinary competitions (Trade Test) among the nominated chefs for various award categories will be held at IHM Pusa. The Gourmet Workshop is divided over two weekends, where chefs would be showcasing demos for the masses proving their culinary talent.
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Muffin Break Café enters India market L to R Robert Fitzgerald and Parvin Juneja
Australian brand - Muffin Break has forayed into India with its first flagship café to be opened in New Delhi. Established in 1989, Foodco Group (Foodco), franchisors of Muffin Break has a regional license partnership with - South Asian Food and Hospitality Services, which will operate the Muffin Break brand in India. Parvin Juneja, Chief Executive of South Asian Food & Hospitality, said, “We are proud to open the first ‘Muffin Break’ café in India and with this, we believe to swirl the taste buds of the muffin lovers. Also, with our past experience of providing high quality food products, we plan to further open more such bakeries catering to the interests of muffin and coffee lovers in India.” It anticipates opening of 40 stores throughout India by 2017. Speaking on the opening of their flagship café in India, Foodco Executive Director Robert said, “We’re truly pleased to be partnered with South Asian Hospitality Service, an organisation who has been in the Indian hospitality industry for over a decade now. Their experience coupled with Muffin Break’s unique brand strength and product offering will deliver Indian consumers best bakery and coffee products.”
Sumptuous range •S pecial muffin varieties include: gluten free, sweet, savoury and bran add, low fat •M ore than muffins, with an extensive range of sweet and savoury choices, include: cakes, wraps, savoury pies, sandwiches and more.
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Junckers promotes hardwood flooring in India Denmark-based Junckers Industrier A/S, which started the concept of hardwood floors or engineered flooring solution since 1999, has been keenly observing and wooden floors carrying out projects in the Indian market. Suresh Kumar Mansukhani, Marketing Manager – Indian Sub-continent for the company, informed, “Three years back, our company started to focus on making the hospitality market aware of the qualitative aspect of hardwood flooring. We are now trying to promote extensively the good qualities of hardwood and hospitality is one of the segments we wish to adopt the beauty of hardwood floors.” The market for hardwood in Indian hospitality and real estate segment is quite large. “We are tapping the architects and purchase managers, who are guided by their own sets of parameters. Our focus in hospitality is on upscale and luxury segment. In fact, we are keenly pursuing restaurant segment as well,” Mansukhani said. Many hotels have started taking notice of the quality of hardwood floors. Mansukhani informed, “Earlier laminated flooring that is cheaper than vitrified tiles were projected as hardwood, and hence, the latter got a very poor reputation about its quality. Following this, we planned to educate the market about what hardwood is and misconceptions associated with it.” Junkers offers a solution with a unique Suresh Kumar Mansukhani chip system, which goes at the back of the plank. “When it is pressed down and balanced, there is no unevenness and appears homogenous as the grain work is same throughout its thickness. Also, an ideal hardwood is that where moisture is controlled within 8 per cent,” he explained. Further, the company has launched entry level products and offering varieties based on variable designs and structures. The company’s immediate plan is to have four distributors who would look after each region of the country and will have a strong network of sub-distributors. Further, following the scope in the India Sub-continent market, we are registering high demands in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and even Pakistan too. “The challenge is to make potential customers understand the quality of hardwood as their experiences in the past have not been good due to the usage of inferior material, or having too much of moisture or improper installation,” Mansukhani summed.
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When the clock strikes
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12...
By not deviating from the conventional 12 noon check-out timings, hotels are increasingly looking at providing late check-out facility to customers to not only win over hearts and earn a few brownie points, but also add to their revenue in a big way. With flights late in the afternoon or early in the evening, these extra hours act as sure shot relief to customers and an important value add for hotels. RAMYA J. S. D’ROZARIO & SANJEEV BHAR
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Eaton Smart, New Delhi
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L
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ate check-outs and extra hours have long been an issue with the hospitality segment. But now the pitch is… marketing it as well. This service being marketed is doing rounds in hotel properties across the country. With most international flights arriving or departing at the wee hours of the day, many budget hotels are foraying into the 24-hour check-out schedule. However, other hotels in the organised segment are sticking to the routine 12 noon check-out time to avail its set benefits. “It really depends on a case-to-case basis,” says Rejin Thomas, Director of Sales, Courtyard by Marriott Chennai. “With certain room types there is a premium which is associated with tariff, for which the extra hours concept acts as an added benefit. Sometimes, we make exceptions for ‘long stayers’, repeat clientele and of course, key corporate players.”
Understanding of the concept For others, the facility for this extended stay is subject to availability. “If a room is not required immediately we do not mind the guest staying back a bit, says Sajid Mahmood, Vice President, Marketing, Sarovar Hotels Private Limited. “The guest is made to feel that we think about their comfort and are willing to accommodate.” Speaking on the issue, Amit Midha, General Manager, Jaypee Greens Golf and Spa Resort, says, “The concept of check-out time is in place to allow the
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hotel to prepare rooms for the next set of arrivals. Late check-out is extended to guests subject to availability up to 4 hours at no charge. Depending on the profile of the guest and the house position, it may be extended further. It also serves as a stay add-on or incentive for hotels, a goodwill gesture and also an appreciation for guest loyalty and patronage.”
Flexi hours a viable option? With the level of competition increasing day by day, many hotels are resorting to flexi hours. However, this concept is more feasible in hotels close to airport or transport hubs wherein the requirement of the guest is not by number of days but by hours, opines Midha. Thus, with such a competitive spirit in the air, this concept of late check-outs does increase the satisfaction level of guests and also acts as an addon to packages for resorts/off city destinations.
The concept of check-out time serves as a goodwill gesture and also an appreciation for guest loyalty and patronage
Satyen Jain, CEO, Pride Hotels, feels no hotels would have a fixed routine or commitment to give extra hours to each and every guest to stay back after check-out time, as that would completely depend on room vacancy. “It is based on case-to-case basis. This is usually not possible during peak season when there are back-to-back check-outs. Though, we have loyalty cards where complimentary facility of extended (or flexi) hours of stay is allowed. This also helps in keeping customers happy and there is a greater recall value for us.”
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Be it a complimentary breakfast or free Wi-Fi, benefits engage customers’ loyalty. It adds on as an additional angle to the marketing strategy of hotels as well. Late check-outs has become another point of consideration Eaton Smart, New Delhi
For Thomas, it can be a viable option only if it makes an economic sense. He says, “It depends on a number of factors. Firstly, the number of rooms in the hotel is crucial. The larger the inventory, the greater is the propensity to offer flexible hours and vice versa. Secondly, the location or the type of business the hotel attracts is also a deciding factor. It all depends on the forecasted occupancy levels. If you are sitting with a forecast of 60 per cent and below, it does warrant a thought to sell-off the remaining inventory with value add-ons such as flexible timings. The downside to this is the possible cannibalisation of existing business as well as impact on the brand positioning.”
Conditions Apply • Nature of relationship with the corporate • Type of room the guest was staying and rate. Guest staying in Premium and Suite rooms are more likely to get the advantage
The Grand Resort, Bad Ragaz
• Occupancy on that night (availability of rooms).You can’t offer the room if you do not have it • Is the guest a repeat clientele • Was he/she a long staying guest
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On the other hand, hotels can fall back on flexi timings during the lean periods, says Mahmood. He doubts if this facility can be provided throughout the year. “Flexi hours for one guest cannot be provided at the expense of the flexi hour of another. If a guest is waiting to check-in, it’s not possible to extend the time of the guest already
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Block by hours Eaton Smart creates avenues, based on airport traffic, to treat and offer fliers
an incentive or value additions of stay, relax and unwind for small time without pinching their pockets. • Rooms could be blocked for five hours and overnight stay with maximum extension of three hours only.
• Those who want to refresh (and not say make use of Aqua Pods which is charged on per hour basis).
Courtyard by Marriott, Chennai
Additional Attractions Be it a complimentary breakfast or free Wi-Fi, benefits engage customers’ loyalty. It adds on as an additional angle to the marketing strategy of hotels as well. When comparing the benefits provided by the hotels versus the late check-out facility, Mahmood feels that a direct comparison is not possible. In different circumstances, different benefits score over the other value-added benefits. This facility is extremely beneficial to business travellers who have a tight schedule, says Midha. “The top four value add-ons that our customers look for are free internet, airport transfers, late checkout and breakfast,” says Customers tend to Thomas. “Of these which staying.” Jain adds, “This subject is not check-out be loyal to hotels takes priority really depends centric. There are situations like in Nagpur where where apart from on what the client is entitled a flight arrives as early as 8 am in the morning. In the service they get to, if it is a corporate booking. that case, we might allow guests to check-in two a ‘few priviledges’ For e.g., if a client is entitled hours prior to the booking made if we can ready the to pay extra for a late checkavailable room.” out, he/she would not be enticed by complimentary It is important to note that customers tend to be late check-out. However, loyal to hotels where apart from the service they if that is not the case the same would get a ‘few privileges’, adds Thomas. More than late check-outs what go a long way to ensure the guest really matters is early check-ins. He continues, “Guests arriving at comes back. 4 to 6 am in the morning, either have to book the room from the previous night or, depending on the hotel policy and occupancy, wait for the room. With the three hour prior reporting mandatory for international flights, it usually works where guests’ check-out from the hotel in the evening and departs from the hotel post-dinner.”
Marketing Strategy
Whether the guest stays for an entire day or checks-in only for five hours, offering late check-out facilities can help gain revenue in the auxiliary segments
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Rejin Thomas
Nishan Silva
Sajid Mahmood
Only a few months old, the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Hyderabad Banjara Hills is creating awareness about its property through various tools. Considering that it is completely new in the zone and competing with existing hotels, it has notched up occupancy of 40 per cent which is giving it an opportunity to extend its service excellence by extending late check-outs as well. Nishan Silva, GM of the property, says, “We want to penetrate the market. Our approach is to provide customers utmost comfort and for that we are ready to extend their check-out time as well. Late check-out is a proposition to make customers happy in a different manner. Hence, we are offering late check-out by 6 hours on conditions at no extra charges.”
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Lure & Revenue Customers, if offered extra hours of stay beyond the usual check-out time, can also indulge in other essential lures that the hotel can market like spa, coffee shop, etc.
treatment rooms to massage chairs for complete rejuvenating experience. From relaxing head and foot massages to full body therapies, treatments are designed to ease travellers before a long flight and so on. Eat & Drink - The extra hours given to customers through late check-outs increase the probability for increased F&B revenue. How hotels market this proposition and indulge guests into restaurant, café or bar is a case of an interesting marketing mix. Radisson Blu Hyderabad’s ‘Grab and Run’ concept offers its guests on the go tea and coffee in disposable cups along with fresh fruits and energy bars made available on a special table in the lobby. This is another innovative approach which should keep both guests and hotels smiling.
Ginger Hotels
Wellness pitch - Spa treatments, which have emerged as a strong revenue generator, always works with guests. In general, spa treatments are associated with heavy doses of menu that would require one to spend an hour or so for a single treatment. Whereas, selling small massage therapies, etc., which runs from 15 to 30 minutes can also become a lucrative option. A business traveller, especially when he or she has some extra hours to spend in comfort of the hotel rather than waiting at the airport, has higher chances to indulge in wellness treatment which are not lengthy and can be managed with less fuss. Some treatments like massages and a range of treatments for pre-and post-flight spa therapies have started becoming popular with travellers. Like Eaton Smart offers individual
On hourly basis
Radisson Blu, Hyderabad
In fact, two years back, Pride Hotels went back to 24 hours checkTime extension for customer check-outs has become a norm with out routine but fell back on the conventional 12 noon check-out. many hotels to make them feel special and to ensure that guests “The issue we faced with the former case is of balancing the visit them again. Hence, this new tool has become an integral part of inventory coming in and going out. Administratively, it is difficult to value add for a new property like Radisson Blu in Hyderabad. maintain 24 hours check-out schedule, as room turnaround time is to be maintained properly,” Jain explains. In retrospect, can available room be converted into revenue Also, he adds that in case of 24 hours checkmaking option by giving it on hourly basis? For example, Eaton out, customers would be unhappy if they Smart at Delhi International Airport is the fifth airport transit arrived and room is not ready because of late hotel in the world. It is divided into two wings, international The top four check-out. In case of 12 noon check-out, early and domestic. With 57 rooms in the international wing and value add-ons that arrivals can be handled effortlessly as they 36 rooms in the domestic, the occupancy of the international customers look for presume to get the room not before 12 noon. wing hits 55 – 60, whereas that of the domestic often are free internet, “Business travellers rarely stay for 24 hours, crosses 100. Primarily, for air passengers, the stay option is airport transfers, and therefore, in that case, 12 noon check-out limited to a maximum of 24 hours, with the day being divided late check-out and is the best option,” he remarks. into four slots of five hours each. Whether the guest stays for breakfast an entire day or checks-in only for five hours, offering late check-out facilities can help gain revenue in the auxiliary segments. If a hotel provides certain amenities at discounted rates, it will ensure a higher percentage of occupancy and loyal customers. For the tired and weary business traveller wanting to catch a short nap and relax, a spa session at a discounted rate will act as an incentive or he can even avail the services of the all-day dining restaurants at the property. If the hotel offers late check-out facility, it reflects the appreciation for the guest patronage and may entice a customer to come back. Therefore, with time and the everincreasing competition, what path will the Indian hospitality take, only time will tell. But considering the fact that in a competitive market scenario, keeping an average occupancy above 60-70 per cent by hotels is considered an achievement, there is always a possibility to give away room vacancy for free in a smarter way that augments the proposition of indirect revenue generation.
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Diverse demands in hospitality Cushman and Wakefield - Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) released a joint research report recently, titled ‘Indian Hospitality Story 2012 & Beyond’. The report evaluates top six cities of India and its performance and future outlook in hospitality.
A
ccording to the report, the top six cities of India are expected to see a total of 50,000 new hotel rooms across different categories in the next 5-6 years. This is in response to the steady growth the hospitality sector has recorded over the last few years. The present year is expected to see 14,800 fresh keys by the end of 2012. Out of the total expected supply for 2012, 2,000 new hotel rooms have already entered the market. Akshay Kulkarni, Regional Director – Hospitality, South and South East Asia, Cushman & Wakefield, said, “India’s hospitality sector has been witnessing interest from a variety of segments ranging from - MICE, Wellness Tourism, Spiritual & Pilgrimage Tourism, apart from the traditional business or leisure travel. The demand has been strong from both foreign as well as domestic tourists. Given the diverse nature of demand, the hospitality industry is also looking at creating adequate products to service the varied tourist requirements. With the support and initiatives by governments at various levels, the hospitality sector is moving towards comprehensive growth.” National Capital Region (NCR), with a total room supply of 17,500 rooms, is expected to see the highest fresh hotel room supply in the next five years. Mumbai (10,200) and Bengaluru (9,400) will also see significant addition to the existing inventories in the respective cities. The addition of new inventory will be concentrated in the potential growth areas – especially around airports, commercial growth corridors, industrial corridors and SEZs. The top six cites witnessed an Average Occupancy Rate (AOR) of 58 per cent with an Average Room Rate (ARR) of Rs 5,400 in H1 2012. The current averages record a marginal decline of 4 per cent in AOR and 5 per cent in ARR over the average of 2011 (full year) performance. Chennai recorded the highest AORs of 64 per cent for H1 2012, followed by Mumbai (61 per cent) and Kolkata (60 per cent). These cities witnessed only a marginal drop in AOR when compared to the previous year 2011. Mumbai and Kolkata saw the maximum dip in AOR. A decline in AOR in popular destinations was due to a number of factors, but primarily due to the addition of supply in major cities in H1 2012. Advancements in technologies which make real time correspondence faster, easier and more cost effective
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and increase in connectivity that ensure lesser hours of stay per visit, are some other factors. A corresponding decline in ARR was noticed as the hotel tried to ensure occupancy even at a moderately lower cost. Also, healthy competition in these cities is leading hotels to create monetarily attractive packages for potential visitors. In H1, 2012 Mumbai, recorded the highest ARR of Rs 6,400, followed by NCR Rs 6,280 and Bengaluru Rs 4,915. While Chennai and Hyderabad witnessed marginal increase in ARR, all other cities saw the rates as either stable or softening over 2011. Kulkarni added, “Occupancy rates may see an upward trend in the second half of 2012 keeping ARRs steady. However, since there is a substantial supply that is expected to enter the market over the next few years, the pressure on occupancy rates and ARRs will continue. However, going forward we expect ARRs to improve in the next 12-18 months on account of stability in economy and expected growth in tourism in India.”
City Trends
Bengaluru Bengaluru has a total inventory of 16,000 keys as of H1 2012, with organised segment comprising 68 per cent of the total inventory. The city recorded a marginal decline in occupancy rate to 57 per cent, over 2011 while average room revenues declined by 15 per cent during the period as a few hotels that did become operational were primarily in the budget and mid-scale segments. C&W Comment: The second half of 2012 will see moderate increase in ARRs with the beginning of festival seasons and robust passenger arrivals as observed for the previous years.
Hotel Supply ( No. of rooms) City-wise
H1-2012
H2-2012
Upcoming
Bengaluru
400
3,800
9,400
Chennai
160
2,200
5,150
Hyderabad
430
160
3,720
Kolkata
0
150
4,500
Mumbai
300
1,540
10,200
NCR
830
5,000
17,550
Total
2,120
12,850
50,520
Source: Cushman & Wakefield research
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Chennai Chennai recorded the highest occupancy levels amongst the top six cities at 64 per cent. Being a manufacturing and industrial centre, hotels in Chennai cater to many long-stay guests. MICE is also a significant demand segment in the city as various automotive and pharmaceutical conferences are organised in the city. The total inventory for the city is 6,187 hotel rooms in H1 2012 of which 92 per cent belongs to the organised sector. The cities inventory had grown by almost 32 per cent since 2008 till mid 2012. The city is expected to see an increase of nearly 36 per cent in luxury segment, followed by 20 per cent in the mid-scale segment, 13 per cent in the budget segment, 7 per cent in the upper upscale and 6 per cent in upscale segment. Kulkarni says, “Given the demand segments, the average business traveller to the city is price sensitive. Many hotels that have been and are currently being developed are in the budget and mid-scale segments. However, Guindy and Marine Drive are the micro markets with an array of luxury hotels - existing and upcoming. The hotels around the airport provide a good mix across all categories.�
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Approximately 3,700 rooms are expected in the market in the next 5-6 years and of the total expected supply, 6 per cent will be for luxury, 25 per cent in upper upscale, 16 per cent in upscale, 33 per cent in mid-scale and 20 per cent in the budget segment.
Kolkata
Bengaluru
The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace Pic by: Sanjeev Bhar
2011
H1-2012
59 per cent
57 per cent
Chennai
67 per cent
64 per cent
Hyderabad
54 per cent
53 per cent
Kolkata
66 per cent
60 per cent
Mumbai
67 per cent
61 per cent
NCR
63 per cent
58 per cent
Average/Total
62 per cent
58 per cent
Source: Cushman & Wakefield research
Average Room Rate
City-wise
The city has not seen many new hotel developments in the recent past. The occupancy level of the city has declined from 66 per cent in 2011 to 60 per cent in H1 2012. ARR, however, remained unaffected. This may be accorded to the fact that Kolkata now has better connectivity from many other locations of the country. The number of flights has increased over the past year enabling business travellers to return the same day.
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Average Occupancy Rate
City-wise
In Hyderabad the occupancy levels of hotels have been hovering around 53 per cent in the first half of 2012 due to some internal disturbances. The trend is likely to continue till the government stimulates a positive sentiment around for business and leisure visitors.
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2011
H1-2012
Bengaluru
5,740
4,915
Chennai
4,700
4,900
Hyderabad
3,790
3,830
Kolkata
4,900
4,770
Mumbai
6,395
6,400
NCR
6,555
6,280
Average/Total
5,723
5,444
Source: Cushman & Wakefield research
Kolkata is expected to see a total of 4,500 new keys in the next 5-6 years which would nearly double the present hotel room inventory. In coming years, Kolkata will experience an increase of 33 per cent in the upscale category, followed by 29 per cent in the luxury category, 22 per cent in mid-scale, 13 per cent in upper upscale and 3 per cent in the budget segment. C&W Comment: The restraint in hotel development activity is likely to change in the city and the projects which have been delayed due to various reasons will also be revived.
Mumbai With AOR of 61 per cent, Mumbai recorded a decline of 6 per cent in its occupancy rate in H1 2012. ARR, however, has remained stable. Mumbai being a perennial market for the hospitality sector, the market has been witnessing a steady demand from both business as well as leisure travellers. A total
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of 10,200 keys are expected in the next 4-5 years of which majority of the supply will be in the upscale segment, followed by mid-scale and luxury hotels. C&W Comment: In the next 4-5 years, the city is expected to witness 10,200 keys that are in pipeline in the organised segment. This indicates an equilibrium that will be achieved with hotels operating across all categories in the various micro markets.
NCR The region witnessed a supply of approximately 800 rooms in H1 2012, while 5,000 rooms are expected in H2 2012. There has been a slowdown of 3 per cent in AOR and 4 per cent in ARR in H1 2012 over 2011. We expect this to continue for a short to mid-term period due to substantial supply expected in the city. Despite this downward trends, the inherent demand of the region remains as it is.
Highlights • Near 50,000 hotel rooms in top six cities in the next 5 years: C&W – CII report • NCR will witness highest number of rooms (17,550), followed by Mumbai (10, 200) and Bengaluru (9,400) over the next 5-6 years • Decline of 4 per cent in the Average Occupancy Rate and 5 per cent in the Average Room Rate over 2011
NCR’s hospitality market is substantially covered under seven main regions and in H1 2012, hotels in Noida have highest occupancy levels (65 per cent), followed by Delhi (64 per cent) and Gurgaon (61 per cent). However, average room rates are the highest in Delhi, followed by Gurgaon. Further it is expected, that 25 per cent of the total inventory will come from the mid-scale segment, followed by luxury (20 per cent), upscale (18 per cent), upper upscale (16 per cent) and budget (10 per cent). C&W Comment: The city will see the maximum influx of inventory over the next 5-6 years, with 17,500 keys in the pipeline in the organised segment. Also, the hospitality district near the international airport is perceived to be a game changer as it is the first-of-its-kind in the country.
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Small Hotels, Big Experiences Small hotels that are unique in offering service excellence are much desired these days and form an asset of luxury. In its repertoire, SLH has some stunning Indian hotels and Paul Kerr, CEO, Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), believes there are many such unique opportunities that could align with it. SANJEEV BHAR Q. SLH has been operative in the Indian market for quite a while now but the repertoire has remained restrictive. What is your immediate short-term goal for India? Currently, we have 14 properties in India. We are proud that our portfolio here ranges from a selection of small family-owned resorts set in working coffee plantations to cutting-edge design hotels, country houses and luxury safari tents. One of our strengths is the diversity and geographic spread of our hotels. We also believe that India holds the potential to become one of our top source markets worldwide within the next five years based on the current growth rate. We want to ensure that we are targeting the best of hotels in each destination with a strict criterion and rigorous inspection
programme. We don’t add hotels for the sake of growth – our reputation depends on the quality of each and every hotel in our portfolio. Increasing our portfolio of hotels in India will also help us to build awareness of the brand in the domestic market, and will showcase the calibre of our properties across the world. Over the next 12 months, we are hoping to increase our footprints by adding properties in key cities including Delhi and Mumbai.
We have a very strict selection and inspection process – only five per cent of the hotels which apply are accepted into the brand
Q. How would you assess the global hospitality environment? Where does SLH assessment stand related to India’s offering of hospitality products and services? Given the economic downturn, globally luxury hospitality business is faced with a lot of challenges. However, the luxury market
is very resilient, in fact, SLH has grown its revenues consistently over the last two years. The market is very competitive and innovation is the key which will be the winning differentiator. SLH is constantly innovating its offerings to attract more business. We have some stunning hotels in India that offer world class service, design and architecture that lead the industry in luxury. I think in some specific cases, India is ahead in the luxury market as far as hospitality offerings go.
Q. Indian hospitality is short of 1,88,000 rooms to meet market requirement and expects an investment of USD 4.5 bn by the end of next five years or so. In such a scene, in which segment would SLH like to concentrate and bet its expertise on? SLH properties represent a single standard of excellence across all properties, but each property is independently owned. We do not
SLH Achievements Growth in 2011 over 2010 • 10 per cent in room nights • 23 per cent in revenue in 2011 • 6 per cent for year to date for the first seven months of 2012 Expansion SLH will continue to focus on expanding its portfolio in India on the basis of its brand guidelines and equity
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The Club of Small Luxury Hotels of the World The Club of Small Luxury Hotels of the World • Special • Loved • Honoured Offers and Benefits • Instant benefits from the members’ very first stay • More stay with SLH, more benefits one receives like complimentary nights • Special Club rates for members • Look at each of its Club Member’s data which gives them great insights into people’s travel preferences, special requirements, etc., for a personalised stay look into buying assets or owning properties. Having the SLH brand attached to a property is a great way for an independent hotel to instantly get recognition in the international market place.
Q. How has been the performance (in terms of room bookings) of the 14 hotels so far listed under SLH? What has been the value addition for these properties post signing their agreements with SLH? By being part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World™, a hotel’s visibility and profile will be enhanced. Their revenue will be maximised and their independence preserved. There are many advantages of being SLH members, however the most important one to mention is all SLH hotels get access to our 1,60,000 Club Members globally, who are signed up to our guest loyalty programme.
Q. Which characteristics entice SLH to go for any marketing deal with a property (the prerequisites)? Any new promotional angle SLH has come up with to reach more unique Indian properties? We are constantly on the look out for unique luxury properties across India that can join our family. We have a very strict selection and inspection process
– only five per cent of the hotels which apply are accepted into the brand. Some of the other hotel brands will accept properties straight away without any checks or clear selection criteria. This is not in their guests’ best interest. SLH is all about small hotels and big experiences. The average size of our hotels is 50 rooms and this allows us to offer the highest levels of personalised service. Some of the other hotel brands have an average of 200 rooms at each property so they cannot match this level of service.
Q. Where do you see the role of travel agents and tour operators who still hold strong roots in the Indian market dynamics? We believe travel agents will remain an important source of reservation. On the site, we also offer special travel agent rates and a
SLH properties represent a single standard of excellence across all properties. However, each property is independently owned. SLH does not look into buying assets or owning properties
special commission rate to travel agents worldwide. If travel agents do not use the SLH website as their preferred channel and are still wedded to the global distributions systems such as Saber and Amadeus then they can access using the GDS code LX for luxury.
Travel Agents Growth in 2011 over 2010 • Currently, they represent 60 per cent of SLH business. As a result the company has created a new website that caters especially for them http://agents.slh.com • Contests and prize draws are regularly held for travel agents to get them involved and familiar with SLH as a brand and its offerings
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International association We assist our members by broadening their access to resources Raman (R.P.) Rama, Global President for Hospitality Financial and Technology
Professionals (HFTP), a non-profit organisation and Vice President and CTO/CIO, JHM Hotels, talks to FHRAI Magazine about various issues and how India can contribute in making HFTP stronger.
HFTP signing MoU with FHRAI The agreement demonstrates a commitment to support the goals of our respective organisations. Both HFTP and FHRAI’s aim is not only to provide benefits to industry professionals, but also work to maintain forward momentum within our industries. By working together we assist our members to broaden their access to resources as well as putting our ‘heads’ together to develop new ones that are of value to the hospitality industry.
Indian Hospitality crossing borders
Over the past decade, HFTP has identified itself as a global organisation - with no borders. In pursuit of this goal, the HFTP Board of Directors has made a strong effort to follow through on that identity.We’ve done it by expanding our presence in UK, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, the Caribbean, Canada, Netherlands, Switzerland and China, where we have our members present. At our recent strategic planning meeting, we looked at various places where the industry has been growing, thus in need of the type of resources HFTP offers, and India was on the top of that list.
How can India contribute to HFTP?
Our association is celebrating its 60th anniversary, and the one thing that hasn’t changed over these six decades is the need for professionals to continue their education. Learning shouldn’t stop the minute we get hired, but it must continue in order to succeed in a competitive market. HFTP specialises in producing educational programmes and resources, drawing from a network of industry experts who are trend-makers like, CIOs, CFOs, professors, consultants and vendors for some of the largest hospitality companies in the world. And now, being in India we have the opportunity to expand our network of expertise to draw from. We also have an HFTP fully funded Research Center at the University
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of Houston in USA, where members can get research material or submit topics they would like to be researched.
HFTP growth
HFTP has expanded itself by establishing chapters and affiliating with organisations outside the United States, including India, Australia, Hong Kong and Switzerland. To complement this growth, we’re also looking at establishing educational conferences in these countries. In fact, this November we will be offering the second AHTEC 2.0@FHC (Asian Hospitality Technology Educational Conference) in Shanghai. We will also participate with other allied organisations in London in November, Berlin in March and Hong Kong in May. We hope to offer a similar programme in India one day.
India plans
While it might take some years to establish in India, Indian HFTP members can take advantage of our online resources such as regular webinars via the HFTP.org site and access to our quarterly magazine, The Bottomline. Other benefits, that show dedication to our profession, are HFTP’s hospitality-specific designations: the Certified Hospitality Accountant Executive (CHAE) and the Certified Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP). Free online review courses for these two designations are offered for HFTP members.
Future goals
One of our biggest goals for the coming years is to publish the Global Hospitality Accounting System Users Guide. Since the beginning of our organisation, we’ve helped produce a number of standardised accounting guides, including the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry. Guides like these help organisations maintain standardised financial reporting that can be used for performance comparisons, irrespective of the location of the property or from-year-to-year.
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In 2011, the HFTP Board of Directors decided to start afresh by developing a system that could be used internationally. To do this, we have sought the assistance from the Ecole Hôtelière De Lausanne in Switzerland, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Hospitality Professionals Association (HOSPA) in England. Recently, we approached Auro University in Surat, Gujarat, to participate as well. We want to make the guide relevant to hospitality organisations that do business across multiple countries. With assistance from this multi-national group, we know that we are one step closer to meeting this goal. We want to attain a position where we can serve the needs of our members and the industry. As a global organisation we want to grow globally. We feel we can be the source and resource for the hospitality industry in fields of Finance and Technology. We do not intend to be North American centric.
Critical issues prevalent in the hospitality sector
We are trying to make the industry less complicated through education. Today, technology and finance are some global issues that can change very quickly. HFTP’s Global Hospitality Accounting System Users Guide will help the industry define differences between regions. This will help them value their enterprises against other enterprises around the world, making it more standardised for investors and financial institutions. Another major issue that we
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are working on is assisting the industry with tools to increase data security of their customers’ information. The hospitality industry has many unique issues, and by sharing our successes and failures we can all benefit from one another.
Future expectations…
We are hoping to continue offering financial and technology education to the hospitality sector and resources to professionals across the globe. It might sound funny because the picture I’ve painted of our organisation might appear to be of a group that is only focussed on its growth. But, actually I haven’t talked about what is at the heart of HFTP, the important relationships that our members built through chapter meetings, conferences and volunteer activities. I have made valuable friendship with other members through HFTP events and have been able to grow professionally through the educational and leadership opportunities provided by our association. We have created alliances with other Hospitality Industry Organisations and we will continue to seek more alliances to assist and be available to those that need our resources. HFTP’s global growth only makes my membership more valuable, because I’ll have an even greater knowledge bank to draw from. With the opportunity of networking with HFTP members, we mutually grow our knowledge-base and bring value to our companies and ourselves.
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International association Opportunities galore in providing training and certification Joseph A McInerney, President & CEO, American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) talks to FHRAI Magazine about the association’s role and the vital links it offers to hotel companies in creating value by providing qualitative training.
AH&LA signing MoU with FHRAI
Critical issues prevalent in hospitality
Indian hospitality market
Future expectations...
Our educational institute is making available its resources, educational and certification programmes, and sharing expertise on an ongoing basis at a special consideration with a view to upgrading professionalism in the hospitality industry. In addition, our courses and programmes, aim at various levels to meet both pre and post-employment needs, which will help the development of the industry workforce.
Our educational institute has an office in India for 18 years now. We’re currently working with 60 institutions, but there are so many more colleges and high schools we could partner with and we are pursuing those opportunities. Also, the influx of international and domestic hotel companies opening new properties gives us an opportunity to provide training and certification to that market as well.
India contributing towards AH&LA development India can contribute towards development through the use of EI’s textbooks, training, and certification as they start to train their workforce. Our resources are industry-driven as opposed to academically-driven and we encourage FHRAI to take a look at some of the benefits and initiatives we have for the US lodging industry - perhaps they can provide something similar to their members.
AH&LA growth
We have grown in membership across all segments of the industry, but specialised markets in particular, including Women in Lodging and our Under 30 Gateway, have also increased rapidly.
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Although AH&LA monitors dozens of issues, two most prominent issues of this year have been the postponement of the Americans with Disabilities Act compliance date for existing pools/spas, and freezing the federal per diem rates (the rate federal travellers pay for a hotel room) at last year’s rates. On the media front, I have spoken to half-a-dozen reporters on topics ranging from the state of the industry to safety concerns to bedbugs!
We’re looking forward to a long-term relationship with FHRAI, as many of our members are of Indian descent and eager to provide resources to and work with India.
Objectives The association has the following strategic objectives: Objective I Ensure retention, growth and diversity of our membership Objective II Be the voice of the industry and provide value-added services to all members Objective III Provide legislative and regulatory advocacy to strengthen, promote, and protect our industry Objective IV Improve our value proposition.
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We are looking for development scope and access in India Alkesh Patel, Chairman, Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) talks to FHRAI Magazine about how the member of AAHOA can collaborate and participate in India following the demand and limited supply.
AAHOA signed an MoU with FHRAI This is going to provide more resources to members of both organisations.
India contributing towards AAHOA development
The demand in the hospitality sector is tremendous and supply is limited, in certain sectors. If India provides the same access that AAHOA members have in USA for development, then the growth in
the hospitality sector will speed up and a number of AAHOA members who are looking to carry out development projects in India, will then aggressively make plans to do so.
AAHOA growth
AAHOA has adopted a governance plan from the start of my chairmanship. As a part of our new governance model, we operate on a 5-year strategic plan. Some of the key highlights are to strategically grow our membership annually, have a lobbying office in Washington DC, chart a strong PAC growth plan and expand education and networking opportunity for members.
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International association Hospitality mindset changing towards technology and finance Frank Wolfe, CEO, Hospitality Financial Technology Professionals (HFTP) – a global
professional association for financial and technology personnel working in hotels, clubs and other hospitality related businesses talks to FHRAI Magazine about the changing scene in hospitality in imbibing technology and finance.
HFTP signing MoU with FHRAI
FHRAI has a good reputation in India and is a trusted body which is known for its commitment to the hospitality industry. Not only are they doing a lot for their members but also doing a good job in a shoe string budget. We wanted to develop partnership with a company that has ethics, trust and commitment. So we partnered with FHRAI in India. Through our MoU, we are going to provide some financial and technology information that can be published or provided to the FHRAI members. We are also going to provide our technology trends issue every year to be posted on FHRAI website. We will also provide discounted rate for CHTP and CHAE programme and promote FHRAI conventions from next year on our website.
Role of HFPT in the hospitality sector
In the course, we provide formal training and conduct examinations so that people get more experience in these fields. Till date, we have about 1,000 Certified Hospitality Accounting Executives and 600 Certified Hospitality Technology Professionals.
Starting an India chapter
India is growing economically and the speed at which infrastructure is happening in India requires a lot of technology and financial projects. Hence, we chose to make our presence felt here as our members from all over the world have properties in India, i.e., GHM Hotels. In India, there are a lot more challenges and one of our roles will be to create a social network for hotels so that people across India can connect and solve their issues.
Changing the mindset
We started HFTP almost 40 years ago as we realised the importance of technology and accountancy in the hospitality sector. Not many realise that hospitality grew from accounting as the first piece of technology in a hotel was the MCR register. And because people in the hospitality industry wanted to use the cash register better and faster, the need to have good technology for hotels emerged and we, at HFTP, grew because of that thought. Today, we carry out worldwide search in technology that might impact the hospitality world. We conduct two certification programmes for both finance and technology, i.e., Certified Hospitality Accounting Executive (CHAE) and Certified Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP).
The mindset of the hospitality industry towards technology and finance is changing gradually. Some of the things that we introduced have been integrated into the hospitality industry. The problem is that technology is seen as a cost centre rather than a cost revenue centre. There is always a conflict in a hotel between the CFO and the CIO because the CIO thinks there should be more technology in the hotel while the CFO wants to cut expenses and doesn’t want to upgrade the existing technology. To find solutions for such conflicts, we conduct education sessions for both persons at the same place and same time.
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which will let hotels with pools use a portable pool lift as opposed to a fixed lift, along with many other issues that affects the lodging industry.
Critical issues prevalent in hospitality
Currently, funding is a big issue for our members and the hospitality industry. So we are pushing for a congress to extend SBA 504 refinancing programme.We are also fighting to pass a Pool Safety Bill
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(As told to Dency Mathew)
Future expectations
2012 is almost over and it did better than 2011. Hence, we expect that next few years will be stable and vibrant for the hospitality sector.
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Boutique hotel in the hills Conventionally the concept of designer boutique hotels is associated with cities and upmarket places. But digressing from the conventional path, noted hotelier Sanjay Thakur introduced Marina - The Mall, Shimla, in the heart of the hill station. The property offers 42 rooms which showcase a contemporary design ethic that offers luxury in a new light for the global travellers. Marina’s visual introduction is appealing calm as the contrasting grey façade of the hotel, edged with dark wood paneled balconies spotted with red flowers, tumbles down in levels against the mist-specked emerald green canvas of the hills. The serene foreword is increasingly evident as you drive into a chalet style porch that brings visitors to rest against a sedate single story reception level that offers them their first prologue to the minimalist interiors. While there are three categories of rooms to chose from, that run the valley facing length of three primary floors to give breathtaking view as every room has an equally portioned balcony. This 4-star hotel flaunts various amenities like, The Hills Edge Restaurant, ‘Sixteen 69’ The Lounge Bar and Open Garden Terrace Restaurant.
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creating a
niche
B
udget hotels in India tend to face an unusual dilemma. Firstly, they cannot be in an upscale zone of a city as it would make the project unviable. Secondly, being at the hub of budget hotels will earn a tag of not being decent enough for the travellers looking for a comfortable experience. This is an exact situation for many hotel owners in the ‘famous’ location of Paharganj in the heart of the capital who wish to project a positive light about hospitality even in the most trying conditions. It is tough to be in Paharganj and make hotel business work, as the place over the years gained a reputation devoid of quality service, cleanliness and hygiene. Vinod Sareen, Managing Director, Balaknath Vinod Sareen Hotels, differs. According to him, it is just a misconception and the testimonial is the presence of foreign tourists who are not backpackers looking for cheap accommodations only. His company owns hotel that has managed to create a repute of its own and had done well with élan. He informs, “Hotel Grand Godwin, a budget hotel with 39 rooms was established in 1996 and Hotel Godwin Deluxe, a boutique hotel, with 27 rooms was acquired in 2003. Both are separated by
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a 100 ft gap and are promoted jointly as a combined entity.” Being within 2 km radius of major central government offices, New Delhi Railway Station, office and shopping district of Connaught Place and so on, the hotel scores invariably based on its location. “Combining the two properties has given us a good proposition and the business scope has remained very positive, keeping us extremely high in competitiveness,” he opines.
While Paharganj region of Delhi has always been misunderstood for their unpromising hospitality offering not so good and clean options of rooms, the perception could see a change with Hotel Grand Godwin and Hotel Godwin Deluxe. These budget hotels have claimed their place in international guidebooks referred by travellers for their search of accommodation and this could be the first step for this otherwise reclusive hospitality hub to emerge big.
SANJEEV BHAR
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The reputation of being in Paharganj has its own repercussions but once we delivered service and the promised words, there has been no looking back
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Travellers’ delight
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The peak time is considered to be midAugust to mid-March. What would be an utmost surprise to many is that the rest of the months aka low season the hotel witnesses 80-85 per cent occupancy. “During the low season, our online approach increases in proportion to the discounts that we offer to keep room occupancy at a high,” he adds.
The hotel claims to clock a consistent high average occupancy of 95 per cent. On this statement from Sareen, anyone would be bemused. The reporter was offered to check it first hand to take note of occupied room status. Further, he showcased the performance of the hotel on its operating software. The reason for high occupancy is, according to him, the service element he has been able to deliver. “The reputation of being in Paharganj has its own repercussions but once we delivered service and the promised words, there has been no looking back,” says Sareen.
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While our occupancy reflects extremely good business, we are not maintaining revenue in proportion. We have to give discounts to keep the business moving and taxes eat into our profits
The target customer group of Paharganj hospitality community consists of those travellers who are looking for quality accommodation though the ranges of preference vary from ` 3,000-3,500 per night. He says, “This location is a hub which can offer rooms starting from ` 400 and reach up to ` 5,000 per night. We have conveniently positioned ourselves between ` 1,800-4,500 and have been managing to keep up our growing targets with each passing year.”
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The hotel is now listed under Lonely Planet, Rough Guide and routard.com as a suggestive hotel in the heart of the Capital which the world travellers can rely on. “We are one of the few hotels which can vouch such a distinction to be referred in three different guides widely referred
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across the world. We get a lot of online bookings following this visibility through them and hence, command a distinctive preference of international travellers in this area.” The hotel keeps up its positioning and market expectation and has also started providing add-on services especially keeping in mind the off season; like free pick-up and drop from/to airport, special package, etc. “In fact, we have seen free pickup works wonders with customers as that
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removes the hassle of entering a city and immediately searching for cabs to reach the destination,” he further adds.
The benefits of CWG
The hotel gained on the backdrop of the Commonwealth Games 2010 that took place in the Delhi. The Games changed the way the city used to be. It changed a lot of things and Paharganj finally achieved its aim where the Delhi Government and Ministry of Tourism recognised the fact that the city’s hospitality hub needed a facelift in order to let loose this huge reservoir of accommodations of incoming travellers during the Games. “This turned around the area as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi finally ensured that there were proper streetlights and the overhead wires were tucked underground. A constant demand by the Hotel Owners Association of Paharganj made some impact to improve the sanitation of the area,” he says. But at present, things are again going back to the old ways, which demands immediate action from the concerned authorities.
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The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) has been constantly demanding that luxury taxes should be imposed on actual tariff charged rather than declared tariff by the hotels for long. This law is also hurting the budget hotels. Sareen remarks, “While our occupancy reflects extremely good business, we are not maintaining revenue in proportion. We have to give discounts to keep the business moving and taxes eat into our profits. Certain operational costs remain stagnant irrespective of the occupancy, and therefore, we tend to suffer losses. With luxury tax of 10 per cent and service tax of 7.14 per cent, it is difficult to run the hospitality business.” In calculation, he says, 70 per cent of our taxes directly come out of revenue and profit. “So effectively, if we are charging ` 4,500, the taxes that we pay bring that cost down considerably. Also, the hotels having ` 1,000 as room tariff belong to
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Numbers Speak
95%
of average occupancy is registered during most parts of the year giving the hotel an edge in gaining strong revenue
85%
of average occupancy is gained during off season of mid-March to mid-August
a non taxable category with no sales and luxury taxes applicable,” he adds. Yet, the hotel is professing good service environment for its customers, even if the hotel is not catering to a high-end clientele. It has set up sewage treatment plant, best possible hygienic environment for the travellers just to kill the negative notion about Paharganj hospitality units.
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For a competitive edge In the age of virtual shopping, hardware purchase is going in the reverse direction owing to market demands. The latest in the fray is Ozone Overseas which opened display cum training centre to address needs of the trade. Sanjeev Bhar
F
ive years back, identifying the fact that customers are in dire search for suitable hardware products and a gateway to approach them with ease, Ozone Overseas delved on creating an avenue addressing this concern. Even in the case of institutions, the touch and feel parameter plays a very big role in making them understand the product and its quality. Alok Aggarwal, Managing Director, Ozone Overseas, says, “We wanted to see how hardware products can be presented as live displays for customers to take right decisions.” In the absence of proper displays, consumers found themselves helpless when deciding on a hardware product. Sometimes consumers even make a wrong selection based on a recommendation by one who is not well versed with the technicalities involved in hardware products, he adds. The company realised this need and took an initiative to offer a shopping experience instead of just searching for products for their facilities. “So, we offered our consumers looking for hardware products through the Ozone Hub - Display Cum Training Centres. We started working on the design, layout and fabrication of the Display Centre in July. We opened it in September, which also happened to be the time when all construction, building and renovation activities start and all consumers look around for the right hardware.”
Positioning the store
The Ozone Hubs pitches for empowering consumers to take right decisions on hardware products, and therefore, the company feels customers will be inclined to go for Ozone hardware products
The location of the company’s latest offering – ‘The Ozone Hub - Display Cum Training Centre’ in the capital at Kirti Nagar has been consciously chosen, as it is a place known for its construction, building hardware and furniture material activities. Ozone has stepped up its ante by bringing in this new element of display store that aims to offer technologically advanced and innovative solutions for architectural hardware requirements ahead of time. Aggarwal informs, “We always endeavour to come up with unique solutions to fulfill the needs of our discerning consumers. Understanding the necessity of having a display centre with a live demo of hardware products, we decided to open a chain of The Ozone Hub pan India.” Alok Aggarwal
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This hub offers the perfect ambience for shopping and highlights some
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major consumer issues which can be met with a solution. “This move will give us a competitive edge as people like to see the products in live displays and make an informed decision after going through the technicalities involved in each hardware product,” remarks Aggarwal. The company has already received positive feedback from architects, builders, contractors and home-owners for its display centre. “Our trade associates are also encouraged with the opening of The Ozone Hub in Delhi. Now they have a onestop-shop to show their clients the complete product range as live demos explain technicalities
Products on display
The Ozone Hub display cum training centre showcases a complete range of architectural hardware products with live displays and working models. These are: • glass fittings • shower enclosures • stainless steel railings • automatic doors along with hardware for wooden doors • electronic safe
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and ‘dos and don’ts’ of hardware. These display centres offer complete architectural hardware solution under one roof enabling consumers to take an informed decision as per his/her requirement,” he says.
Profitable Push
The company has grown by more than 40 per cent in the last financial year. Keeping up with the pace, this year Ozone Overseas is putting its efforts to mark the growth of more than 50 per cent over last year. “To ensure that we achieve our targeted growth, we have enriched our product range further by launching some innovative and technologically advanced products in the market like Ozone Plus - the new Hydraulic Patch - a revolutionary product which has compacted the door-closing into super slim size. This comes with an in-built hydraulic system and does not require a floor spring to move the door, therefore eliminates the requirement of a pre-set (cavity created to fit the floor spring) on the floor and can be installed by just drilling four holes in the floor,” Aggarwal says. Apart from that, the opening of this store is perceived to strengthen the brand further.
Future Plans
The company has planned to come up with the Ozone Hub stores in major cities of India. Aggarwal informs, “While working on this plan, we opened The Ozone Hub in Chennai on July 14, 2012, which received tremendous response. The Ozone hubs are located in other cities such as Chennai, Chandigarh and Gurgaon. To develop these stores and make them functional requires investment of nearly Rs 1.5 to 2 crore depending on the location.” The company plans to extend the chain of The Ozone Hubs to other cities of India and targets to launch in Jaipur and Bengaluru in the next quarter.
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Sketching
inimitable possibilities A number of hotels are opening their doors. The definition of service is getting magnified with each property bringing an element or two to its existing perception of customer experience.Yet, the question being asked is if one can really spot a difference between rooms of different properties.
The look and feel of rooms is of prime importance. The concentration of the hotels on this perishable commodity shows their aggressive yet creative approach. Within the conventional norms, hotels are trying their bit to be different yet not starkly surprising to their customers. Comfort Inn Alstonia in Amritsar is adding the business angle to its rooms in order to match the city’s aspiration that has catapulted itself to a new hospitality high.
Purity is the way Serai Bandipur is positioning itself as is evident by the look of its rooms. Though situated next to the wilderness, the whiteness and subtle use of colours in rooms have given it an inviting look as a quiet place to rejuvenate.
Pullman Gurgaon Central Park brings a freshness of approach, as Accor wants to present a distinct brand identity with its newest entry in India.
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Ginger Faridabad has kept its agenda intact–limited service, clean and to the point approach for smart customer service. Design of the room is unique to how the hotel has always positioned itself.
A thought-provoking concept has been approached by Formule1 Greater Noida. Bunk bed, for triple occupancy, is a concept the hotel is thriving on. In spite of this, the design appears chic promoting a game changing approach.
Patna gets a branded property with Vijay Tej Clarks Inn, which showcases elegance and vibrant use of colours that would be apt for both leisure as well as corporate travellers.
The first Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in India in Jaipur brings forth the luxury approach one relates with the Pink City. The architecture of the hotel is subtle; the rooms are artistic that evoke a feel of the Mughal era design.
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Save planet
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The Reincarnation of Waste Waste is wealth, provided we see it through a ‘green lens’. This article is an attempt to highlight the global challenge in handling waste. There are a number of simple solutions executed at ground level by different organisations, however scaling up on these is a challenge and a little regulatory nudge is often required to enhance creativity on an innovative scale. Niranjan Khatri
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he tools of yesterday are often obsolete and inadequate to handle the problems of today’s world. We need to be intellectually nimble to arrive at elegant solutions so that no waste continues to be present in any form. It must be appreciated that the absorption and regenerative capacity of nature has been severely compromised by 6.8 billion people, globally.
Prelude In his book Soil Secrets, Peter Thompkin makes a scathing statement about human beings’ ability to degrade their ‘Mother Earth’. He writes: No creature, not even a swine, befouls its nest with such abandon as does Homo sapiens, poisoning his habitat with fiendishly concocted chemicals and their deadly toxic waste. A morass of rotting human flesh awaits us all unless the antidotes are rapidly applied. Providentially, they exist, they work, and as detailed in these pages, can bring us back to health. That the earth is ailing – almost beyond repair – was known as early as 1912 to Nobel Prize winner Dr Alexis Carrel. In Man, the Unknown, this eminent French scientist warned that since soil is the basis for human life, our only hope for a healthy world rests on re-establishing the harmony in the soil we have disrupted by our modern methods of agronomy... Directly, or indirectly, all food comes from soil.
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Nature working naturally Nature works like an interesting ‘enterprise’. In its various processes of evolution, consumption and decomposition take place seamlessly, effortlessly and without any harmful by-products, unlike those actions and enterprises taken up by human beings. In a forest when a tree dies, ants burrow into the dead trunk resulting in breaking down the tree into powder, which, in turn, blends with soil to nurture many creatures, visible and invisible to the naked eye. The remnants of the powder merge with the soil to create rich nutrients for other plants to grow on the same layer left by the dead tree.
Humans: Poor decomposers
In the human industrial system, we are great producers, consumers and abysmally poor decomposers. We leave large amounts of waste in varied forms (solid, liquid and gaseous) which are not commonly observed in the natural world, leading to polluted rivers and oceans, degraded soil and ‘mining’ the air with pollutants.
According to an engineer’s perspective, this may be considered ‘poor design and sizing’ and according to economists, this is due to the ‘externalisation of the environment cost’, which is currently not factored in ‘books of accounts’.
Strong Cultural Practices Indian culture is embedded with sustainable development practices that have been in our ethos for thousands of years. For instance, the practice of ‘eating-off banana leaves’ – is an ideal method of recycling that is often referred to as ‘waste’. The used banana leaves become fodder for cows, there are no utensils to be washed with chemical detergents – a fine example of ‘zero waste’ service design.
Eating-off banana leaves is an ideal method of recycling.The used banana leaves become fodder for cows and there are no utensils to be washed with chemical detergents
Over thousands of years ago, our Vedas had stated, ‘Thou shall not throw even a flower petal in the river’. Somewhere along the way, we seem to have forgotten the Platinum Rules of our predecessors. So while we continue to revere our rivers ritualistically, we throw all kinds of material into our rivers without thinking about its state of health!
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Awakening Thoughts How can we change the entire thought process? The only way is to ensure that waste is eliminated by design intent, thereby eliminating the very need to handle waste.
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The natural capacity of the eco system to absorb human waste has reached a breaking point, leading to a direct consequence of poor air, water and compromised food quality
Across the globe, many examples are beginning to spring up for eliminating waste. Some of them are: • T he fly ash from the thermal power industry is given to the cement industry for making cement, bricks and other construction material. • T he recycling of old ships by breaking them down is another good example of providing steel to the mini steel plants. • T he waste from Hindustan Zinc consisting of 20,000 metric tons, was picked up for making cement by a nearby cement company. In the bargain, 40 hectares of land was freed for a green belt!
Good examples from SMEs A Rasgulla Manufacturer identified that the whey that was being thrown away contained butter and approximately 150 litres of whey, when treated, helped to recover 20 kilos of butter. This created a new revenue stream and convinced the owner to invest in a small effluent treatment plant for bringing the
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water quality to an acceptable standard as per the rules of the concerned state.
An Ice Cream Factory was facing a challenge of not having space to install an effluent treatment plant. Hence, instead of washing the residue of ice cream in the container, it was decided to make different flavours in the process of production, which was then converted into milk shake for a school of underprivileged children located opposite the factory - resulting in higher attendance in the school! Two decades ago, ITC Hotels discovered innovative solutions to address the challenge of waste. The chain started converting its spent cooking oil into washing soap for washing utensils. In some locations, spent cooking oil is given to Indian Railways to convert it into bio-diesel for running engines.
Conversion of wet garbage The earlier practice of giving away wet garbage to piggeries has now been discontinued and the same is converted into manure on the hotel premises. The challenge is to find ways and means of further up-scaling wet garbage into gas for use in the kitchen without the smell impacting guest experience. In the bargain, transportation cost is avoided, reducing emissions and congestion on roads.
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The financial architecture currently does not recognise such good practices because the concept of internalising environmental externality in books of accounts has not been introduced in full earnest by global economies.
What needs to be done? In order to ensure that a large number of industries follow better practices, incentives and disincentives need to be introduced by policy makers. The city of Delhi generates 50 per cent of wet garbage and 40 per cent construction debris. If building by-laws are amended and semi-finished houses are built
Avoiding waste
Why we are not good at addressing waste is because of our mental attitude to avoid it instinctively. This attitude has, over the centuries, been sculpted into our mindsets and having become inured to it, we pretend it does not exist.
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and interiors designed as per the choice of the occupant, instead of breaking the wall which has been the prevalent practice, then the landfill site need not be dumped with inert waste.
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Solid waste creates an eyesore in the form of landfill sites in metro cities across the world. In India, ‘Metro Cities’ generate approximately 5,000 metric tons of waste while Delhi alone produces 8,000 tons of waste each day
For converting wet garbage into manure, gated colonies and individual house owners should be integrated for adoption at homes, since composting technologies are now available and work effectively.
New practices to be adopted in wholesale markets where the discarded leaves of carrots, cauliflower and cabbage are eliminated at the market level itself and then either converted into manure or for feeding cows. From a national waste management perspective, the Ministry of Environment and Forests must encourage state pollution control boards to develop an elaborate waste
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bank, so that industries and other agencies can view this information to eliminate the so called ‘waste’ from the eco system, thereby working towards a national ‘zero waste’ initiative.
Large cities with land fill sites may like to announce a timegraded initiative so that no waste travels to the landfill site in the next 6/7 years. This can happen by categorising waste as wet, inert construction waste, plastic and any other. Large producers of waste need to be charged for wrong disposal, which will lead to innovation in this arena. In Germany, the cost of disposing waste is leading to more recycling or recovery at multiple points, along the supply chain. (The writer is GM Welcomenviron Initiative, ITC WelcomGroup. The views expressed by the author are personal.)
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equipment
Making kitchens efficient & safe As much as food, the equipment in which it is prepared is becoming increasingly important in professional kitchens. RATIONAL’s concept of cooking has brought in a new perspective to effective cooking with the help of a single unit.
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ATIONAL, the worldwide market leader in hot food preparation and inventor of the combi steamer technology, recently held events to talk about their unique offering that enable kitchens to become efficient in food preparation. The two consultant events that were held for efficient kitchen planning and intelligent cooking processes took place in Mumbai and Chennai, and more than 200 planners and dealers working in this industry witnessed how SelfCookingCenter whitefficiency made the cooking process easy and efficient. .
Energy saver The company, established in 1973, employs more than 1,200 people, with over 600 in Germany. Known to be a market and technology leader in the field of hot food preparation for professional kitchens, the primary aim of the company has been to offer the concept of sustainability in a kitchen. Reiterating its sustainability motto for events, RATIONAL India invited two experts from Germany to inform about latest kitchen trends. “Customers worldwide are facing growing energy costs and need to know how they can make their kitchens more profitable. With the SelfCookingCenter whitefficiency, they can replace a lot of traditional cooking appliances like steamer, rice cooker, fryer, grill or tandoori oven and save up to 70 per cent of energy in comparison to kitchens without a combi-steamer,” mentions Christian Hirsch, Product Manager of the headquarter RATIONAL AG. During the two-hour presentation, the RATIONAL chef made Croissants, Steamed Vegetables, Grilled Lamb and Salmon, Pizza, Biryani, Chicken Tikka, Dal Makhani and much more – in just one unit, without any
stress, thanks to clever mixed loads. The guests saw how a high variety of dishes can be cooked to perfection with ease.
Unique equipment “The SelfCookingCenter whitefficiency is not only the standard for Western, but also for Indian cuisine,” explains Sascha Barby, Head of Product Management Application of RATIONAL AG, Germany. “We developed several cooking processes specialised to Indian cuisine, like Tandoori Tikka, Biryani, etc. Now, chefs can prepare Samosas or Idli’s effortlessly just at a push of a button. It is extremely easy and can be done by everybody,” he adds. Aidan Hughes, Chief Representative of RATIONAL India, explains in more detail, “We have a lot of customers all around India who are using the SelfCookingCenter whitefficiency for preparing Indian dishes. The feedback we get is great and makes us proud. ‘Pick Fresh Fish’ in Delhi is using it, for example, for their whole tandoori production, up to 2,000 portions per day. They like our unit because the meat stays soft and juicy for a long time and the cooking result is always the same.” The list of satisfied RATIONAL customers in India is long. “Every time I have a question or need any technical support – within the same day, RATIONAL or their service partner get back to me with Chef Julia Carmen Desa, who now runs Tres Restaurant and Bar in Delhi, giving a demo of cooking various dishes using RATIONAL SelfCookingCenter whitefficiency
smart cooking
a solution,” says Chef Julia Carmen Desa, who now runs Tres Restaurant and Bar in Delhi. “Customers benefit is our company vision. Therefore, we do not offer only the best product, but also the best service. We have now implemented a hotline for our customers in India to guarantee a quick response time throughout the country, 365 days a year,” Aidan Hughes concludes.
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within the hospitality trade Kroongtana Nimnu
Vella Ramasawmy
Chef De Cuisine at Ocean Sahara Star, Mumbai
General Manager Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi
Hotel Sahara Star announced the appointment of Chef Kroongtana Nimnu as their new Chef De Cuisine at Ocean, India’s largest marine aquarium. With over 12 years of experience, he holds an extensive experience in hospitality. He has worked with some reputed international hotels chains like Royal Angkor Silk Hotel - Cambodia, Le Meridian and Westin to name a few.
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Having learnt the initial skills of cooking from his mother in Thailand, he developed a passion for Thai and Chinese cuisine. He experimented a lot with spa cuisine aimed at offering a correct diet to spa enthusiasts in order to rejuvenate their senses. At Hotel Sahara Star, he will be playing a pivotal role in extending his culinary skills to the chefs and developing their culinary competencies, skills and capabilities.
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Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group announces the appointment of Vella Ramasawmy as the General Manager of their upcoming Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi scheduled to open later this year in East Delhi.
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With three decades of experience in managing hotel operations for business and resort properties, and armed with valuable knowledge from his worldwide assignments with prestigious international hotel chains, Ramasawmy will be responsible for leading the first Kempinski Hotel in India by developing and introducing unparalleled quality standards. Besides being appointed as the General Manager of Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi, Ramasawmy also serves as the President of the Ambience Group.
Thomas Joseph Executive Chef Mövenpick Hotel & Spa Bangalore
Mövenpick Hotel & Spa, Bangalore has announced the appointment of Thomas Joseph as the Executive Chef of the property. His key responsibilities will include overseeing the hotel’s multiple restaurants, designing signature breakfast and lunch menus, devising global cuisines, and bringing world class gourmet experiences to Bengaluru’s culinary canvas.
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Chef Thomas comes with a 15 years of comprehensive experience with stalwarts in the hospitality industry such as the JW Marriott Mumbai, The Leela Kempinski Mumbai and the erstwhile Hilton Towers (now Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai of the Oberoi Group).
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Anil Chadha
Shruti Shibulal
Sarada Prasanna Mishra
Head- Corporate Strategy The Tamara Coorg
Executive Chef, Toshali Sands Ethnic Village Resort, Puri
General Manager ITC Maurya
Shruti Shibulal, a promoter and director at The Tamara, was appointed as the Head, Corporate Strategy. She will work under the guidance of Senthil Kumar- Director & CEO, The Tamara.
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Toshali Sands Ethnic Village Resort at Puri has recently appointed Sarada Prasanna Mishra as its Executive Chef. A post graduate from Institute of Hotel Management Bhubaneswar, and having an MBA degree from Manipal University, he has near 15 years of experience in leading hotels and restaurants across India and the Middle East.
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His areas of expertise include Indian, Continental, Mexican and Thai Cuisine. In his present role, he is responsible for the entire culinary operations at Toshali Sands which includes Specialty Restaurant, Banquets and Outdoor Caterings (Grand Marriages).
Chadha has had previous stints at ITC Gardenia, ITC Windsor and ITC Sonar.
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An MBA graduate from Columbia Business School, she completed her BS degree from Haverford College following which she began her career with Merrill Lynch in 2006. In 2009, she received the Star Youth Achiever Award at the Global Marketing Forum. As Head- Corporate Strategy at The Tamara, she will be responsible for longterm business growth of the company while maintaining the key company principles on responsible tourism.
ITC Hotels appoints Anil Chadha as General Manager, ITC Maurya. An alumni of the ITC Hospitality Management Institute, Anil brings with him great experience of both luxury and resort properties. His exemplary knowledge in food & beverage gives him the edge to create winning formulae.
Kumar Shobhan
Shubham Chandra
Director, Food and Beverage Hyatt Regency Chennai
Director Sales and Marketing Hyatt Regency Chennai
Hyatt Regency Chennai is pleased to announce the appointment of Shubham Chandra as Director - Sales and Marketing. He has over 16 years of experience in business development, marketing and sales with reputed names in the Hospitality industry. In his new role, Chandra will be managing the Sales & Marketing team at Hyatt Regency Chennai.
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Hyatt Regency Chennai has appointed Kumar Shobhan as Director - Food and Beverage. Shobhan started his journey as a waiter at La Piazza, the award winning Italian restaurant, and today with his expertise in the food and beverage operations coupled with his excellent customer service skills, he now heads a team of 100 employees at Hyatt Regency Chennai.
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In his new role, he will oversee all the five restaurants, bar, event spaces and fully operational room service at the property. Besides directing his team to provide the hotel’s valued guests an enjoyable dining experience, he will also be responsible for budgeting and managing food & beverage costs, control profit & loss variances, and deal with suppliers and contractors for the hotel.
Chandra has been certified in Hospitality Business Acumen by the reputed Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International. This certification demonstrates the highest qualities of professionalism and performance required by an individual to receive this honour.
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Power up your indoor lighting GlacialLight, a division of the experienced technology manufacturer GlacialTech Inc., announced the new GL-DL10 LED down light. This high-performance 300 mm 25 Watt LED down light is a lightweight all-in-one lighting solution combining the LED source with a slim and fashionable fixture for ease of installation. Energy-efficient and requiring almost zero maintenance, it is an ideal choice for indoor applications, including commercial lighting, office, hotel, restaurant, shopping mall and households. With a lifespan rated at 30,000 hours, GlacialLight’s functional and well-designed down lights do not contain hazardous chemicals and are extremely eco-friendly.
Grandeur and Sumptuous! The latest offering by Somany is the large format GVT tiles available for the first time in India. These tiles are an advancement to the existing polished vitrified tiles and are appealing because of their elegant design. The natural marble and wooden finish tiles give your floor a grand look, thereby reducing the number of joints in your flooring space. Available in two variants, they are manufactured under digital technology. The first one with Nano polish gives a super glossy finish to the tile surface and the other is available under the patented VC shield which gives the tile an extended durability along with a dazzling matt finish. Priced at `94/sqft onwards, these tiles are the perfect option to meet the latest advancements for any space.
Imagine preparing 600 pieces of Murgh Tikka in ten minutes, or cooking 33 kg of chicken curry in only 12 minutes? With Electrolux Professional’s recently unveiled Tandoor Concept, cooking traditional Indian Cuisine to perfection was never this easy. Chef Silvano Costantini, Electrolux Chef Academy Italy and Chef Varun Bajaj, Corporate Chef at the Electrolux Professional Innovation Centre in Gurgaon demonstrated the basic concepts of Indian food as they prepared kebabs, biryani, curries, etc., in the Air-o-Steam Touchline combi oven. Electrolux developed this concept in late 2010. Apart from various discussions and interactions with chefs, kitchen consultants and clients, efforts were put in to customise accessories and innovate with technology to bring out the Indian flavours and nuances of the cuisine.
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Hush Memory Comfort Mattress
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UN SABOR DE CINCO ESTRELLAS
The experience of lying on Hush Comfort mattress is best described as “weightlessness”. The top layer of this mattress is made of temperature sensitive memory foam that takes the shape of your body and evenly distributes your body weight over the entire top facing surface area. The base layer comprises high resilience PU foam to provide optimal support to your spine. Available in 6 inches and 8 inches thickness, the feel of this mattress is Medium Soft.
Mahou recomienda el consumo responsable 5,5º
New beer brands on the block On September 25, 2012, Arian Breweries & Distilleries, a joint venture of Vi-John and Mahou San Miguel of Spain, launched two new brands of beer - Dare Devil 10000 and Mahou Cinco Estrallas in India.
Natural laminate flooring ‘Square Foot’ has introduced an eco-friendly product, ‘Revelation 832’, in the laminate flooring segment. It is the magical combination of an extraordinary embossing, light catcher with unique oak colours. Made with an embossed engraving, it gives a matte and shiny 3D finish which reveals the beauty of wood beyond nature. To bring trend and style in modern living spaces, Revelation 832 is available in a unique range of soft grey and brown colours. The product is priced `145 onwards per tile.
Packaged attractively, the Dare Devil has a pale golden colour to give a unique smooth and exciting taste. Mahou Cinco Estrallas has a golden yellow colour with a grainy, malty flavour which harmonises perfectly to captivate the tongue and linger on the palate. Dare Devil is categorised as a strong beer targeted at young, modern and adventurous consumers who like to experiment. Mahou Cinco Estrallas is targeted at the young, modern, cosmopolitan consumer who wants to enjoy a high-quality premium beer.
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Tamaya Spa unveiled by Jaypee Hotels in Agra
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Delicious meal for ‘Anusaran’
In September, Jaypee Palace Hotel and Convention Centre extended its luxurious facilities with the launch of Tamaya Spa by the famous Indian film actress Dia Mirza. The spa provides indulgence, luxury and complete holistic rejuvenation therapies. It offers a complete spa menu, which brings together Ayurveda, the ancient Indian art of healing, Oriental therapies from the lands of Bali, Indonesia and Japan, mineral exquisites from the Dead Sea and Western Spa treatments. Spread over 51,000 sqft, Tamaya Spa offers services like the Vichy bed and other signature massages and salon services. The wellequipped gym has Technogym equipment. Rajiv Narain, Senior Vice President (Operations) commented, “We had the privilege of having Dia Mirza at the launch of Tamaya Spa. All our guests present on this occasion were delighted to be a part of this event. Mirza was awed by the new spa and showed immense interest in experiencing its services. With the launch of the spa, we promise excellent services and are sure of creating a mark in the industry by delivering the best.”
Guided by the quote - ‘What is that life worth which cannot bring comfort and smile to others’, Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar offered a delicious meal at ‘Anusaran’, a nonprofit organisation that focusses on deprived women and children on September 15, 2012. This gracious initiative by the management of Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar brought a smile on the faces of the underprivileged women and kids.
Turning Blu Also, the hotel, as a part of their ‘Turning the World Blu’ campaign, celebrated the second successful year of their new brand identity on September 28, 2012, in the form of Blu Day! To celebrate this day, apart from the entire hotel bedecked in blue, various indulging activities like a Blu High Tea, complimentary Blu cocktails, mocktails, desserts and games were organised for their guests. “The integrated brand campaign focusses on promoting Radisson Blu brand hallmarks, which are unique touch points for our guests when they stay with us. Through the campaign, we aim to reach out and engage more guests to appreciate the World of Radisson,” commented Preet Inder Singh, General Manager, Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar.
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GRT Hotels scores at 2nd SICA Culinary Competitions 2012 The GRT Hotels & Resorts won a whopping 66 coveted awards for its culinary and creative expertise at the recently concluded 2nd Edition of SICA (South India Culinary Association) Culinary Competitions 2012 – the largest gathering of Food & Beverage professionals and experts that was held from August 23-25, 2012 in Chennai. Three of their properties participated in the event - The GRT Grand Chennai, Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay Mamallapuram and the Radisson Blu Hotel GRT Chennai. The Group received an impressive variety of top honours including two gold medals with distinction and 19 gold medals awarded by an international jury, appointed by WACS (World Association of Chef’s Societies). Hotel GRT Grand was awarded the ‘Best Hotel Team’ and ‘Overall Championship’ was closely followed by Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay, bagging the award for the ‘Runners Up’ in the best hotel team. Some of the highlights in the awards include ‘Gold with distinction’ under the individual categories for ‘Artistic Pastry Showpiece’ by P Sivakumar and V Viswanathan from the GRT Grand and the ‘Outstanding Pastry Chef’ award for Chef Gopi Mohan from Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay.
Recognising Aditya Hometel for excellence Aditya Hometel has won the prestigious ‘Award for Excellence in Best Maintained Property’ in 3 star category, which was conferred by Sir Vatti Vasant Kumar, Minister for Tourism & Culture, Andhra Pradesh, on the occasion of World Tourism Day on September 27, 2012 during a ceremony held at Ravindra Bharathi Bhavan, Lakdikapul, Hyderabad. After receiving the award, Deepkumar Gupta, General Manager of Aditya Hometel, said, “This award is recognition of our efforts and initiatives in this direction. We strongly believe in innovation and are constantly striving to deliver the best to our guests. We will continue to strive hard to maintain the property. This award motivates and inspires us to be more focussed and scale new heights.”
L-R: Madhukar Nikam, CEO, Manjeera Hotels; Chandana Khan, Secretary, Department of Tourism; Vatti Vasanth Kumar, Minister for Tourism & Culture for Andhra Pradesh; and Deepkumar Gupta, GM Aditya Hometel
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The Suryaa, New Delhi food extravaganza The Suryaa, New Delhi hosted a Punjabi Food festival at the staff cafeteria for its employees this month. It was an HR and Admin initiative to host one such event every month for the employees of the hotel, which will be organised by a different department. Greesh Bindra, Vice President & General Manager of the Suryaa, said, “Our people are our strength and this is one of the many ways to make them feel special. This is one way to give back to them for the hard work and dedication they put into their respective departments to meet the goals of the hotel.” The Cafetaria was converted into a dhaba with the music, décor and dress code bringing out the true essence of the theme.
Greesh Bindra and Charu Mehta (EA to Bindra)
Organising team of the Punjabi Food Festival at The Suryaa, New Delhi
Greesh Bindra,VP & GM, The Suryaa, New Delhi with Luv Malhotra - ED, CHL Ltd. in true spirit of the Punjabi Food Festival
Greesh Bindra,VP & GM,The Suryaa, New Delhi inviting the employees of The Suryaa, New Delhi family for a heartiest meal
Book Launch Also, in late August, keeping up with the food theme, The Suryaa hosted an evening at its Pan India restaurant, Seven - to celebrate the launch of the ‘chakh le india’ cookbook by Aditya Bal. A live cookout session was conducted with guests asking questions about different recipes. It was an evening of fun, glamour, lots of culinary talk, food and music capturing the true flavours of India. The event saw the presence of Rohit Bal, Sunil Sethi, Rajiv Bal, Billa Bal, Rocky Mohan, Sita Raina, Varun Bahl, Greesh Bindra and Ramola Bachchan.
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Greesh Bindra with Rohit Bal, Aditya Bal, Luv Malhotra and Sunil Sethi during the launch of ‘the chakh le india cookbook’ at The Suryaa
RNI No. DELENG/2000/1230 Posting Date 15-21/08-2011 Postal Reg. No. DL-(C)-01/1294/2012-2014 at MBC-1 Date of Publication 12-10-2012