Volume 1. Issue 11. December 2012. Rs 50
all about hotels & hospitality
ITC Grand Chola Chennai
Chennai: The New MICE Destination
IHG co-launches Holiday Inn Express in Ahmedabad Sofitel brings the French finesse to India Hilton Worldwide’s expansion plans include Conrad and Waldorf Astoria in the country Live cooking engages guests and enhances the dining experience
contents/editorial
Volume 1. Issue 11. December 2012. Rs 50
Volume 1 Issue 11 December 2012
ALL ABOUT HOTELS & HOSPITALITY
Chennai: The New MICE Destination
ITC Grand Chola Chennai
IHG co-launches Holiday Inn Express in Ahmedabad Sofitel brings the French finesse to India Hilton Worldwide’s expansion plans include Conrad and Waldorf Astoria in the country Live cooking engages guests and enhances the dining experience
editor’s note
Our cover story ‘Forum of the Month’ focuses on Chennai as an evolving destination. Chennai has now the required infrastructure to be the next big MICE destination – this came across in our interaction with eight leading hoteliers from Chennai. The city’s leisure tourism, however, remains restricted to temple tourism and as a gateway to other tourist cities in the South. Hoteliers divulged that business travellers – both domestic and foreign – constitute the bulk of their clientele; the many conferences that take place in Chennai also generate substantial business. Lenny Menezes discusses the expansion plans for Hilton Worldwide which includes new hotel launches in Gurgaon, Bengaluru and the launch of its luxury brands Conrad and Waldorf Astoria. Bernd Schneider talks about the luxury hotel Sofitel in BKC, Mumbai. Douglas Martell reveals the launch of Holiday Inn Express in Ahmedabad as a joint venture with Duet India Hotels Group. On a lighter note, we cover live cooking as an emerging F&B trend and the must-haves required for this set-up. Live cooking is also more interactive between the chef and the guests and helps solve many customer-service issues, to some extent. Check out new hotel launches like Citrus Hotel in Gurgaon, Park Plaza in East Delhi, and Formule1 in Ahmedabad. We bring you the coverage of the much-awaited World Travel Awards that took place this month, and the annual WTTC Conclave that concluded at The Leela. We continue to provide other industry news and updates. Do write to us with your feedback.
readers write in I would like to congratulate you on the last issue’s cover. It had a very classy element to it. Hope you continue to give us such outstanding covers. Mann Kumar, Bengaluru How is the Yamuna Expressway contributing to tourism in Agra, how are hotels faring since the opening of the Expressway. We got the answers to all these in the ‘Forum of the Month’ of the last issue. It was a good read. Tanya Bhasin, Gurgaon
Travel & tourism
4 WTTC Conclave highlights the need to
make simpler the process of getting multiple approvals for hotels
6 The much-awaited World Travel Awards held in Gurgaon
New hotels
8 Citrus opens in Gurgaon 10 Formule1 debuts in Ahmedabad 12 Shahdara CBD gets a Park Plaza 14 IHG co-launches Holiday Inn Express in India
Interview of the month
18 Hilton Worldwide has big expansion plans for India
On-on-one
22 HVS completes 15 years in India
Report
24 Three star hotels drive online bookings
Forum of the month
26 Chennai: the new MICE destination
Brand analysis
38 Sofitel brings the French finesse to India
Trends
42 Live cooking is more interactive for chef and guests
Products
60 New products to enhance hotels Editor: Navin S Berry Assistant Editor: Manisha Almadi Midha Advertising: Saurabh Shukla Design: Ashok Saxena, Neelam Aswani Hotelscapes is published and printed by Navin Berry, printed at Anupam Art Printers B-52, Naraina, Phase II, New Delhi and published from IIIrd Floor, Rajendra Bhawan, 210, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, New Delhi - 110002. Editor: Navin S Berry, Tel: 91-11-43784444; Fax: 91-11-41001627, 41001628. E-mail: info@crosssectionmedia.com This issue of Hotelscapes contains 72 pages plus 4 pages cover
People
66 Movements in the industry
Guest column 44 Out of the box advertising ideas for hoteliers December 2012 hotelscapes
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travel & tourism
WTTC Conclave highlights the need to make simpler the process of getting multiple approvals for hotels Priya Paul is the new chairperson as Vikram Madhok completes his tenure.
W
TTC I nd ia Cha pte r me t for its annual conclave in New Delhi at The Leela, Chanakyapuri. The day also signals a new person at the helm, with
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Priya Paul, Chairperson, Park Hotels taking over from Vikram Madhok, Managing Director, Abercrombie & Kent India. The conclave presented a panel of eminent speakers that included Arun Maira, Member, Planning Commission; Parvez Dewan, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India; Kapil Kaul, Managing Director, CAPA India; and Ian Angell, Professor Emeritus, London School of Economics. The panel discussion was moderated by Manav Thadani, Managing Director, HVS India and South Asia. Secretary General, WTTC India, and former Secretary Tourism, Government of India, Sujit Banerjee in his opening remarks mentioned how much had happened in favour of tourism during the year gone by. Of special interest was the panel of secretaries constituted by the Secretary to the Prime Minister. This panel had met every quarter and highlighted the impediments to tourism development in the country and identi-
fied the way forward. Another significant success was the recent notification by the Home Ministry doing away with the mandatory requirement of seeking a fresh visa every sixty days. This will consider-
travel & tourism
ably help repeat tourists to the country. Is PPP a good model for tourism development in the country? While Maira, felt that barring a few failures, the PPP model had worked well and was a good solution for many of the infrastructural requirements for tourism, Professor Angell strongly refuted this suggestion and said from his experience in the UK, every PPP example has landed up with the government paying for it almost entirely. Tourism was a great job creator and governments should provide the industry with attractive tax holidays – too much taxation will shy away the tourists! Kaul highlighted the ills of the tourism sector in an enviornment where the aviation sector, or the air transport sector was critically ill. Only in recent months were the airlines charging according to cost, made possible by a shortfall in capacity with the closure of Kingfisher Airlines, but then the entire sector had witnessed a drop in total numbers! Dewan outlined his new initiatives plan for the new year. By the end of next year, he was confident he will put together online a travellers guide from any one point in India to another, regardless of mode of transport. This would enable the tourist to make his own itinerary and be his own guide. Dewan also said that it is possible for the industry and government to sit together and find out how to streamline regulations for the hospitality sector and make the entire process of starting a hotel simpler and more do-able. ■by navin berry December 2012 hotelscapes
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travel & tourism
Presenter Tunvey Gogoi; Anand Kumar, Joint Secretary, Tourism; Graham Cooke, President & Founder, WTA; Dr K Chiranjeevi, Minister of Tourism; Parvez Dewan, Secretary, Tourism and Girish Shankar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism
The Oberoi, Gurgaon hosts the annual WTA Awards as Oberoi Hotels walk away with two awards “It has been a tremendous honour for our nation to host the grand final of WTA, the highest accolade in travel and tourism. Tourists from the world over can find their destination or product of desire in India. We can proudly say that India is an incredible destination with a range of products like nowhere else.” – Dr K Chiranjeevi, Minister of State for Tourism, India 6
hotelscapes December 2012
World Travel Awards capped its year-long search for the most popular travel and tourism brands in the world with its glittering grand final gala ceremony this month.
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012 concluded with a glittering awards function organised under the banner of World Travel Awards at The Oberoi, Gurgaon. Winning organisations included Jumeirah Hotels, Starwood Hotels, Lufthansa, Korean Air, Royal Caribbean International and Kuoni. The function was supported by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, and hosted at The Oberoi, Gurgaon. Etihad Airways continued its meteoric rise by being voted ‘World’s Leading Airline’ and ‘World’s Leading Airline First Class.’ Singapore Airlines won ‘World’s Leading Airline
travel & tourism
Kapil Chopra, Executive VP, The Oberoi Group; David Mathews, GM, Trident Gurgaon, Cooke and Nitesh Gandhi, Hotel Manager, The Oberoi Gurgaon receive World’s Leading Luxury Hotel 2012 Award for The Oberoi Gurgaon
South African girl band, Sterling EQ performs at the World Travel Awards ceremony
Business Class’ and Lufthansa was named ‘World’s Leading Airline Economy Class.’ The Oberoi Group received two awards being voted ‘World’s Leading Luxury Hotel Brand,’ for its all-round excellence and unparalleled levels of service and The Oberoi, Gurgaon was voted ‘World’s Leading Luxury Hotel,’ for the second consecutive year. “We are very proud and honoured to receive two prestigious awards this year by the WTA. Both these recognitions are an affirmation of The Oberoi Group’s unwavering commitment towards offering
guests world-class facilities and unsurpassed service standards. I accept this award on behalf of my entire team who has worked passionately to ensure our guests receive warm, personalised and caring service,” said Kapil Chopra, Executive VP, The Oberoi Group. Other hospitality categories included Dubai’s Burj Al Arab ‘World’s Leading Hotel,’ Italy’s Forte Village Resort ‘World’s Leading Resort,’ InterContinental Hotels & Resorts ‘World’s Leading Hotel Brand,’ and Atlantis The Palm, Dubai ‘World’s Leading Landmark Resort.’
Destination winners included the Maldives as ‘World’s Leading Island Destination’; Mauritius ‘World’s Leading Honeymoon Destination’ and Jamaica ‘World’s Leading Cruise Destination.’ Described as the ‘Oscars’ of the travel and tourism industry by The Wall Street Journal, WTA are recognised globally by the travel, tourism and hospitality industry as the foremost acknowledgement of excellence in product and service. Graham Cooke, President & Founder, WTA said, “The past year has continued to challenge every area of travel, tourism and hospitality. However our grand final winners have all demonstrated their world-class pedigree over this period, and are currently spearheading the global recovery of travel and tourism. India in particular is playing a decisive role in generating new opportunities in travel and tourism, hence the decision to host our grand final in New Delhi/ NCR. In less than a decade, the number of international tourists here has more than doubled, reflecting how travel and tourism is linked inextricably with the economic evolution of this new superpower.” Established 19 years ago, WTA are committed to raising the standards of customer service and overall business performance throughout the international tourism industry. ■ December 2012 hotelscapes
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new hotels
Citrus Hotel launches in Gurgaon Citrus Hotels & Resorts forays into the North with the launch of Citrus Hotels Gurgaon Central.
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hotelscapes December 2012
new hotels
C
itrus Hotels & Resorts, a part of the Mirah Group, announced its foray into the North Indian market with the launch of Citrus Gurgaon Central in Sector 29. The Citrus Gurgaon Central, a 46-room property, has been taken on a long lease and is now fully operational. Speaking about the launch, Shaleen Mathur, General Manager – Corporate Sales, Citrus Hotels & Resorts said, “The NCR region has a total inventory of 22,900 keys of which 75 percent is accounted by the organised sector. The organised segment in the region has 17,550 keys in the pipeline over the next five years. According to the Airports Authority of India, the highest number of air arrivals was recorded in NCR (18.2 million) with the domestic arrivals accounting for 12.7 million and foreign arrivals of 5.5 million. We are, therefore quite confident, that Citrus will do well from the first year of operation. Being a smaller inventory hotel, we have the advantage of choosing the best price business.” A Cushman & Wakefield report on the Indian hospitality sector shows that
Shaleen Mathur General Manager – Corporate Sales, Citrus Hotels & Resorts
According to the Airports Authority of India, the highest number of air arrivals was recorded in NCR (18.2 million) with the domestic arrivals accounting for 12.7 million and foreign arrivals of 5.5 million. We are, hence confident, Citrus will do well.
the organised inventory segment had increased by 64 percent during 2008-2012 H1 and has witnessed a seven percent increase in the inventory over 2011 across all segments. The midscale segment has seen the highest increase in number of keys at 102 percent, followed by upscale inventory which increased by 88 percent. The increase across the budget segment (72 percent), upper upscale segment (64 percent), and luxury with 32 percent were also significant. The Citrus Hotels Gurgaon Central property will have trademark outlets like BISO (the coffee shop), 60 ml (the bar) and are in the process of setting up SKYLIT, a rooftop restaurant. The 46 well-appointed rooms are in the Superior, Deluxe, Premier
and Suite categories. The key feature of the hotel is their meeting and conference room which is Citron 1 with an area of 1200 sq ft and Citron II with an area of 650 sq ft. Both of the conference halls are fully equipped with high speed Wi-Fi Internet and LCD projector. The hotel also has a swimming pool and fitness centre. Citrus Hotels plans to increase its presence in North India and will look at either leasing additional properties or setting-up their own properties.
About Citrus Hotels & Resorts Citrus Hotels were conceived in 2009. They comprise eight hotels in eight locations across India with each one being different in look and guest experience. ■ December 2012 hotelscapes
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new hotels
Accor’s low-cost brand Formule1 debuts in Ahmedabad After the opening at Greater Noida, the second property opens its doors in the city of Ahmedabad.
A
ccor, the largest international operator of hotels in Asia Pacific announced the launch of its first property in Gujarat. Following the successful opening of Formule1 Greater Noida early this year, Accor opened Formule1, its low-cost hotel brand in Ahmedabad. Strategically located amidst the main business hub of the city, Formule1 enjoys proximity to the commercial development as well as seclusion from congested heavy traffic area. Ketan Parmar has been appointed as the General Manager of Formule1 Ahmedabad to spearhead the hotel operations. Commenting on the opening of the hotel, Philip Logan, Vice President, Formule1 Hotels India said, “This is the first Accor property in Gujarat. The opening of the first Formule1 hotel in Ahmedabad will be followed by seven more hotels by the end of 2013 in India. With great potential in the city, Formule1 Ahmedabad will appeal to the customers with its added benefits, making it the perfect choice for them
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Ketan Parmar General Manager, Formule1 Ahmedabad
Formule1 is located in the business hub of Ahmedabad. With its new concept, design and comfort, we aim to provide essential comfort at the best price.
new hotels Formule1, Ahmedabad will be followed by seven more hotels by the end of 2013 in India. at a highly competitive price of around Rs 2,000 per person.” Providing a new concept, new de sign and new comfort to its customers, Formule1 presents a fresh approach to low-cost Indian accommodation. The hotel features 132 functional rooms, offering cost conscious travellers simplicity and essential comforts in key locations. Guests can sleep well at the best price in clean and comfortable rooms. Formule1 is Accor’s innovative low-cost hotel brand that will promote the concept of standard rooms with a single price for up to three people. Excited about the opening of the hotel, Parmar said, “Formule1 is located in the business hub of Ahmedabad. With its new concept, design and comfort, we aim to provide essential comfort at the best price. We bring in this unique experience in the lowcost segment making it the perfect choice for our customers in the region.” The rooms are cleverly designed and are more stylish and restful, with soft colours, rounded edges and soothing lighting, as well as extra storage space. It has an award winning concept – the best interior design. There are rooms designed specially for the physically challenged. Facilities include smart 26” LCD enabled with HDMI, USB and FM with complimentary Wi-Fi in the hotel. Other in-room facilities include quality bedding with duvets, medullar bathrooms with LED shower head, individually controlled airconditioning and a work table. Rooms are completely sound-proof. The hotel would also have ironing rooms on every floor making it convenient for the customers. With 27 X 7 security and access control lifts, RFID door locks and CCTV cameras and video conferencing telephone at hotel entrance, the hotel provides the undoubted safety. The hotel is ideally located adjacent to numerous food and beverage, shopping and business amenities. For reservations or enquiries visit www.hotelformule1.com. ■ December 2012 hotelscapes
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new hotels
Shahdara CBD in Eastern Delhi gets a Park Plaza Sarovar’s 11th hotel launches in Delhi/NCR.
S
arovar Hotels announced the opening of Park Plaza in Shahdara CBD (Central Business District), New Delhi. This upscale full service business hotel is the company’s 11th property in Delhi and NCR and will fill the much needed gap for a luxury hotel in East Delhi. Park Plaza Shahdara is located in close proximity to Central and East Delhi’s industrial and commercial hub, and within easy distance of Connaught Place, Noida, Ghaziabad and tourist attractions such as Akshardham temple, Red Fort and Chandni Chowk. The hotel is 30 kilometers from Indira Gandhi International Airport, 10 kilometers from New Delhi railway station and only two kms from the Anand Vihar Inter State Bus Terminus and railway station. The hotel provides 91 comfortable rooms and suites equipped with LCD television, mini bar, tea/coffee maker and Wi-Fi. While all rooms have bathrooms with rain showers, the suites also feature Jacuzzis. Park Plaza Shahdara offers 6,000 sq ft state of the art banqueting space keeping in mind the global trends for the MICE segment. Multiple dining options are available at the hotel including Promenade – the all day dining restaurant, Chingari – the Indian cuisine restaurant, Shish – the alfresco Mediterranean restaurant on the terrace and Rouge – an elegant lounge bar offering a premium and exclusive range of beverages. Other services include currency exchange, florist, gymnasium, concierge, spa and salon. Park Plaza hotels are located in downtown and airport locations of primary and secondary cities. These are full-service 5 star hotels with rooms, suites, meeting facilities, catering, restaurants, room service with outstanding service standards, excellent value, and a range of business facilities. Park Plaza is operated in India under a franchise agreement with Carlson Hotels Worldwide. ■ December 2012 hotelscapes
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new hotels Twin bedroom
The lobby
IHG co-launches Holiday Inn Express in India InterContinental Hotels Group recently co-launched Holiday Inn Express, its fourth brand vertical in India. The company forecasts strong future demand for the mid-market and select service hotels segment in India. Douglas Martell, Vice President-Operations, South West Asia, IHG in an interview with Hotelscapes stated this as the primary reason behind the joint venture partnership with Duet India Hotels Group.
Y
ou have announced a joint venture with Duet India Hotels Group and that you plan to open 19 hotels in India by investing about US$30 million in the next five years. How optimistic are you about the economy? The mid-market hotel space in India offers a compelling investment proposition given favourable demand-supply dynamics and an attractive build cost to operating returns equation. We forecast strong future demand for mid-market and select service hotels in India, which is why we entered the joint venture partnership with Duet India Hotels Group (DIHL) last year. These 19 Holiday Inn Express hotels will add approximately 3,300 rooms to IHG’s development pipeline and are expected to be operational in five years. India is a key market for IHG and we are very optimistic about its potential and our growth here. We support our 14
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business partners and owners by leveraging our scale, investing in our brands and growing market share. Overall, IHG is strongly positioned to build a significant India footprint with a growing presence in India’s key business and leisure hubs. We are on track to have 150 hotels by 2020.
Duet India Hotels Group has 76 percent stake while InterContinental Hotels Group holds 24 percent stake. What does that mean for IHG and do you plan to scale up in future? Our business is based on a franchise and management model – meaning IHG do not usually own the physical hotel properties. Holiday Inn Express is a good investment opportunity for hotel owners as it provides excellent returns on investment as a result of its unique operations model. For example non-guest facing services are outsourced and the actual hotel team is there to focus on services where they interact with the guests. This maximises
new hotels
December 2012 hotelscapes
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new hotels the revenue that the hotel is able to earn. The 19 Holiday Inn Express hotels will add approximately 3,300 rooms to IHG’s development pipeline and are expected to be operational in five years.
How do you plan to raise this amount? IHG will fund our $30 million investment.
What is the target audience? Holiday Inn Express is targeted at smart travellers who are savvy, independent and purpose-driven. They are after a hotel that will facilitate a productive business or leisure trip, offering them comfort and convenience and at a good price.
Restaurant
Holiday Inn Express offers the smart traveller an affordable alternative to full service hotels but without compromising on quality.
What are the other locations where you plan to open the new venture?
Why do you think this is an apt time for the launch?
We are focusing on more than 12 key cities across India including Chennai and Hyderabad.
What would be the services offered – how do you justify the name Holiday Inn Express? Holiday Inn Express is one of the fastest growing hotel brands, designed for business and leisure travellers. Despite only having been launched in 1991, globally, there are 2,171 Holiday Inn Express hotels more than some hotel groups have in their entire estate, making it one of the largest and most recognisable hotel brands in the world. All hotels feature complimentary breakfast and high-speed Internet, a welldesigned, clean, fresh room and Priority Club Rewards benefits. Here’s what the Holiday Inn Express hotels are designed to offer: • Guests can kick-start their day with breakfast from the complimentary Express Start breakfast bar. Breakfast includes all the staples you’d expect of a breakfast buffet, but if you’re strapped for time, grab a quick muffin and pack a coffee from the hotel’s Grab & Go counter for a great start to your morning. • The modern traveller relies on the Internet as a go-to resource for travel information. With the hotel’s complimentary Wi-Fi in both guest rooms as well as throughout the hotel’s public areas, guests will never miss work emails, or status updates from their loved ones. • Location is key. Holiday Inn Express fa16
hotelscapes December 2012
Douglas Martell Vice President-Operations, South West Asia, IHG
Overall, IHG is strongly positioned to build a significant India footprint with a growing presence in India’s key business and leisure hubs. We are on track to have 150 hotels by 2020. cilitates both business and leisure travel with everything you need nearby. • The hotel’s rooms are equipped with smart fundamentals to provide guests with everything they need for a great stay – an invigorating three-head massage showerhead, high quality bedding including 200-thread-count sheets and duvet, a choice of soft and firm pillows, 32” LED TV, as well as an ergonomic work space. • Guests are empowered with enabling amenities which they may use if they need self-service laundry room, self-serve vending machines, gym facilities and takeaway services.
We see strong local demand for branded hotels that people know and trust – the number of mid-scale hotels in India is currently just 15 percent of its 117,800 hotel rooms and where we foresee incredible headroom for growth. Holiday Inn Express is an ideal fit for the mid-scale market and addresses the current gap in the need for branded, quality and value-based hotels. The Holiday Inn Express brand will address the need for internationally branded and high-quality hotels for domestic travellers.
You recently announced your third quarter results and they were a reflection of an outperformance in key markets such as the US and Greater China. What do you attribute this to? A trend that we see in the results is ‘Growth investment funded by recycling capital,’ how is this beneficial to your business? We delivered a solid set of results in the third quarter with RevPAR growth across all regions and solid performance in key markets such as the US and Greater China. There are a number of factors that we can attribute this to, including our industry leading brands and the power of our system which drives guests to our hotels through our websites, reservations centres, sales teams and more. We are focused on investing in our brands and our systems to ensure they remain market leading. ■ as told to Lavanya Singhal
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interview of the month DoubleTree by Hilton Goa-Arpora-Baga
Hilton to launch Conrad and Waldorf Astoria in India
Hilton Mumbai International Airport - Crystal Lounge 18
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interview of the month Lenny Menezes, Chairman-India, Hilton Worldwide discusses the aggressive growth plans for Hilton, in an exhaustive interview with Hotelscapes.
H
ow does the Hilton proposition differ from that being made by other foreign chains in the Indian market?
We believe that our strength lies in the consistency of our offering. Each of our hotels and resorts in India comply with the identity, standards and ethos of its respective brand. We have no room for compromise in order to ensure that each brand maintains its dedicated swimming lane. For example, as Hilton Garden Inn hotels in other parts of the world, the Hilton Garden Inn in India offers complimentary internet access, PrintSpots mobile printing, complimentary 24-hour business centre services, the innovative Garden Sleep System bed and ergonomic Mirra chair by Herman Miller etc. Similarly, the DoubleTree by Hilton brand has its respective icons. The highlight is the signature chocolate chip cookie that is presented to each guest upon arrival.
Considering that you have led a leading Indian hotel chain, how is the foreign chains growth and future prospects different from the Indian hotel companies? In effect, how do you see the future of Indian ‘sons of the soil’ companies? I believe that the larger and more established indigenous hotel chains are here to stay. Because of their pioneering advantage, they have the best locations in metropolitan cities and have established goodwill among domestic and international guests. However, the hotel companies that have a global footprint are likely to enjoy longevity. International hotel companies have the following advantages: • A global footprint • Extensive distribution and sales network • Portfolio of brands that caters to all customer segments • A loyal customer base of international travellers • Powerful and robust guest loyalty programmes
In your new growth, you have been converting properties readily, like the one at Mumbai airport and another in Delhi in Nehru Place. The new look Hilton appears to be taking too much time, in the case of the Eros property. Frankly, this hotel should have been upgraded by now. Part of our development strategy is conversions of existing hotels to one of the brands in the Hilton Worldwide portfolio after ensuring that each hotel is refurbished/renovated to become brand compliant. This affords us the opportunity to be up and running much faster than establishing a new-build property
More recently, an operating hotel, Riviera De Goa, was rebranded DoubleTree by Hilton Goa-ArporaBaga after extensive renovations.
which can take anything from three to five years to open. Besides the Hilton in Mumbai and Eros Hotel-Managed by Hilton in Nehru Place, the Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton brand hotels in Mayur Vihar are conversions. More recently, an operating hotel, Riviera De Goa, was rebranded DoubleTree by Hilton Goa-Arpora-Baga after extensive renovations. As per our understanding with the owning company, the redevelopment of Eros Hotel-Managed by Hilton New Delhi/Nehru Place is on schedule. It is after the property becomes completely brand compliant that it will be branded Hilton.
Hilton is an old name in India. How do your overseas hotels get marketed in the Indian outbound market? Hilton Hotels & Resorts, the flagship brand of Hilton Worldwide, is one of the most recognised names in the industry. The brand remains synonymous with hotel. In fact, Hilton Hotels & Resorts was ranked the number one international hotel brand in India in the Indian Hotel Business Guest Survey conducted by BDRC Continental, a UK based market research agency. In this survey that tracked the performance of 102 hotel brands in India, Hilton Hotels & Resorts was rated ahead of all international hotel brands that have a presence in the country. Additionally, the single most important factor is the increasing member base of Hilton HHonors, the guest-loyalty programme for Hilton Worldwide portfolio of 10 hotel brands across the world. The more than 30 million Hilton HHonors members account for over 44 percent of guests staying at Hilton Worldwide’s hotels globally. In India, Hilton HHonors members contribute more than 50 percent occupancy to the company’s portfolio of hotels in the country. December 2012 hotelscapes
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interview of the month
King Hilton guestroom, Hilton Chennai
Where is exactly Hilton Hotels at, in their growth story in India? At present, we have 10 operating hotels in the country with more than 1600 rooms. We more than doubled our trading estate in India last year by launching six hotels. We have a robust pipeline of projects, and anticipate increasing our presence to 50 hotels in the next five years.
Is there any new strategy, a more matured strategy than in the past? Or, how is it different from the past? We will continue to increase our presence in the country through a multi-brand, multiple partners and high-growth strategy. We have pursued this strategy since we gained access to all brands in the Hilton Worldwide portfolio after Hilton Hotels Corporation acquired Hilton International in 2006.
How do you see the Indian hospitality story going? The hospitality industry in India offers phenomenal opportunities. The fundamentals that drive growth in the industry are strong and these will continue to propel the industry. We are focusing a significant amount of our development effort in India. Some of the key drivers of the Indian hospitality industry
Later this year, we will open the very unique and exclusive Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat & Spa, located at a short drive from Mumbai and Pune. 20
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are the continued growth of the Indian economy, continuing investment in infrastructure, growing numbers of international and domestic travellers, country’s burgeoning middle class and increase in disposable income, and the significant mismatch between the demand and supply of hotel rooms.
Which cities will see more growth, and why? Any cities where you see the growth stagnate, and why? How do you see ARRs going? As a continuously growing and evolving market, India offers opportunities across a wide geography. The metropolitan cities have the capacity to absorb a larger inventory, and aggressive economic growth in other regions and cities make these important markets. Some key cities identified include Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Gurgaon, Goa, Cochin and Jaipur. While hotel supply grew by 15 percent in 2010-11, growth in demand outpaced supply and nationwide occupancy grew by 1.7 percent over that of 2009-11, with only a minor decline of 1.4 percent in average rates. In some cities ARRs declined when the new supply of inventory was introduced. However, as we have seen in markets like Bengaluru and Pune, this decline is in the short-term as demand picks up and again there is a shortage of hotel rooms.
Which segments do you see growing more than others like budget, mid-market and luxury? India is a buoyant and dynamic market with ample opportunities to cater to all segments from luxury and upscale to mid-market, focused-service hotels.
interview of the month
Guest bedroom, Hilton New Delhi Mayur Vihar
Hilton Worldwide has a portfolio of 10 brands that cater to all customer segments from luxury, full-service to mid-market. We have introduced in India our upscale, full-service hotel brands – Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton and our mid-market, focusedservice brands Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton. We plan to launch our luxury hotel brands Conrad and Waldorf Astoria in the Indian market. We will continue to increase our presence in the country through a multi-brand, multiple partner and high-growth strategy. While we continue to explore opportunities across segments, for which we are well positioned with the six brands we are developing in India, we will place significant emphasis on the expansion of our mid-market and focused-service brands to accommodate the exponentially growing demand for mid-priced hotel rooms in the country.
Any specific projects that you wish to talk about in your chain? Hilton Worldwide became the largest hotel company in Delhi/ NCR in terms of number of hotels with the opening of the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel on the Golf Course Road in Gurgaon early this year. We now operate six hotels in Delhi/NCR. We also launched our first leisure hotel in the country with the rebranding of an existing property Riviera De Goa, after extensive renovation, into DoubleTree by Hilton Goa-Arpora-Baga. Later this year, we will open the very unique and exclusive Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat & Spa, located at a short drive from Mumbai and Pune. Another hotel in Delhi/NCR Hilton Garden Inn, Baani Square, Guragon is also scheduled to open shortly.
In 2013, we will extend our network to Bengaluru with the opening of the all-suite DoubleTree Suites by Hilton and Hilton Bengaluru Residences. In 2013, we will also extend our network to Bengaluru with the opening of the all-suite DoubleTree Suites by Hilton, located on Outer Ring Road – Sarjapur and Hilton Bengaluru Residences sited within the Embassy Golf Links Business Park.
When do we see your top end start in India like the first Conrad? The development of our luxury brands, Conrad Hotels & Resorts and Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, in key markets within India is part of our core strategy. We are continuously exploring opportunities for the brands, and are in conversation with potential developers. Two hotels under the Conrad Hotels & Resorts brand are under planning and construction. When we do launch the Conrad and Waldorf Astoria brands in India, we would have introduced the complete Hilton Worldwide portfolio of brands that we set out to develop in the country. We already have a presence in all other segments with hotels open under the upscale Hilton Hotels & Resorts and DoubleTree by Hilton brands and mid-market Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton by Hilton brands. ■ as told to Navin Berry
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one-on-one
A flashback to HICSA 2012 that was held earlier this year
HVS completes 15 years in India Hotelscapes catches up with Manav Thadani, Chairman, HVS India, on the occasion of the hospitality consulting and services organisation completing 15 years, their upcoming HICSA conference and future plans.
H
ow does it feel completing 15 years? Does it seem like yesterday?
When things are good time indeed flies by fast. I still remember very clearly my first few projects in my initial years. There was no data bank of information available anywhere and we had to physically collect all information, verify and then use that to conduct feasibility studies. Of the first five projects I did in India – only one hotel went on to open (ITC Grand Central, Mumbai).
What do you feel has been one big achievement? Here, I would like to cite not one but a few achievements that I am most proud of. Firstly, I guess I’m blessed with a very good team. I value my ability to be able to induct and nurture good talent and today, without a doubt, HVS India has one of the strongest hospitality consulting teams in the country. Several of my associates have grown within the com22
hotelscapes December 2012
pany to assume leadership positions both in our organisations as well as the industry. Also, the fact that we are the trusted advisor to so many individuals and hotel companies in India is certainly right up there in terms of our achievements. Our candid feedback and logical opinion helps us to win the confidence of our clients, which certainly goes a long way in establishing a mutually beneficial relationship. And last but not the least is HICSA, the annual conference hosted by HVS India. Since its inception in 2005, the conference is widely viewed as a premier hospitality event in the South Asian region. It attracts overwhelming participation from hotel owners, investors, operators, bankers and industry specialists who come together to share their best practices, new ideas and latest market trends. We are hosting its 9th edition from April 3-4, 2013 at Grand Hyatt Mumbai and have a lot of interesting sessions lined up for the same.
What has been the learning curve? One must learn to be humble, willing to listen and be honest with the client. We find that our biggest strength is our ability to be brutally honest with the client and tell him in his face if we think that he is doing something wrong or if his project is doomed from the word go then at least we owe it to him to warn him. I have turned away many projects and people from the hotel industry. Today some of these people who are not in the hotel business are our best brand ambassadors.
From then and now, what are some big changes that you see in the industry? When we started in 1997 there were very few international brands that were operating in India. The branded to unbranded room ratio then was around 0.25, while today it stands at 0.44. The transition of room supply from unbranded to brand-affiliated is expected to continue with international brands showing great interest in having a presence in India, especially in the budget
one-on-one and mid-market segments. The entry of international brands has also brought international practices to India, and concepts earlier unheard of have been implemented. The se would be in the areas of Revenue Management, F&B (such as the concept of having open kitchens in restaurants) and Information Technology among others. Also, today we are seeing an increasing number of institutional funds that are willing to look at the hotel industry in our country, which is a positive change. Such investment brings with it a disciplined approach to the process, which is based on thorough market research and due diligence, in addition to a strict monitoring of development costs.
to complete project execution assistance. Post opening, the Operational Audit & Advisory arm could conduct periodic audits / reviews of the various processes and controls affecting the operational efficiency of hotel assets. And, if the developer is inclined towards making his hotel a sustainable one, which certainly is more profitable than most people think, HVS can contribute in this area as well! Not to forget, if the developer wants to sell or bring in more investors for his hotel at a later point in time, HVS certainly has very high credibility in valuing hotel assets in an unbiased and scientific manner. So, as is apparent, HVS can assist a developer at any point in time of a hotel’s life cycle. More recently I have picked Manav Thadani, Chairman, HVS India up equity in our HVS Russia / How do you see the industry CIS operations. Additionally we going / growing? run HVS Sustainability worldwide Despite murmurs of over supand have an office in Miami. Fuply from different pockets in The fact that we are the trusted advisor to ture expansion for us could come the country we firmly believe so many individuals and hotel companies in in the form of the following two that India needs to increase India is certainly right up there in terms of areas: its hotel room capacity, thereour achievements. • Lenders Engineering Reports fore we see a lot more hotel for projects under development – development in times to come. will be a compliment to the work A large part of this is going to be in the budget and mid-market category further estimate the development cost we do for banks and this would be very good for the coun- for the property and compute the return • Potentially something in hospitality try’s hotel economy and tourism. Another on investment for the developer, there- education trend I predict is that weekend traffic is by evaluating its economic viability. This • Another large region like Russia around expected to continue to grow and this in my opinion should be the first step the globe that is untapped by HVS will certainly help hotels achieve higher for any developer looking to build a new hotel. Thereafter, HVS India can assist in HICSA has been one crowning success. occupancies. the Operator Search and Management What next? Contract Negotiations for the proposed HICSA is like my baby. I tell my friends At HVS, what has been the product hotel, again through its Consulting & Valu- that next year in April I am getting mardiversification that you have done as a ation division. ried for the 10th time. Every HICSA is like company? Once a brand is on board and the one big fat Indian wedding. It’s just the Through our Consulting & Valuation division, HVS assists a developer in iden- hotel is in its pre-opening stage, our Mar- line up of speakers and guests that need tifying if their site can support a hotel keting Communications and Executive to be changed and the rest of it works property, and if so, what product mix will Search divisions can assist in conceptu- out. Our challenge has always been to allow its highest and best use. Our feasi- alisation / adaptation and management keep making tweaks to the programmes bility study entails extensive site analysis of brand-oriented marketing collaterals that allows for the interest levels to reand market area research to quantify the as well as help put together a manage- main high. Nothing next planned yet as prevailing demand and supply dynamics, ment team, respectively. At this stage, our I’m trying to help our Russia office stabased on which we scientifically forecast recently-launched F&B Services vertical bilise their conference they do annually. future trends both for the defined mar- too could play an important role in evalu- At some stage I’m tempted to bring back ket as well as the proposed hotel. Based ating various concepts for the different HOSI or a variation of the same back. ■ on our recommended product mix, we outlets of the subject hotel in addition as told to navin berry December 2012 hotelscapes
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report
3 star hotels drive online bookings in India: Goibibo.com Goibibo.com released a research report on online hotels booking market of India.
5 4 3 2 1 0
Bangalore
Insights October 2012
3 Star Hotels drive 50%+ bookings online in India
3099 H O T E L
Category Tariff Slabs
8.12%
9.86%
52.35%
20.53%
9.14%
below 1000
1000 - 1500
1500 - 3500
3500 - 6000
above 6000
per room per night
Average price point for Leisure hotels
Leisure Hotels Vs Business Hotels booked online Leisure
56.41%
Business
3359
43.59%
VS
per room per night
Average price point for business hotels
TOP BUSINESS DESTINATIONS FOR ONLINE HOTEL BOOKINGS IN INDIA BANGALORE
10.96%
Mumbai
8.90%
HYDERABAD PUNE
5.48% 4.79%
NEW DELHI
4.11%
CHENNAI
4.11% 2.74%
AHMEDABAD
Rs. 3943 Rs. 5819 Rs. 4415 Rs. 5825 Rs. 5018 Rs. 4675 Rs. 4239
SME’s and Individuals are the drivers of online hotel bookings!
SME’s
80%
Corporate’s
20%
VS
What do people want in the hotel +
Extra bed
Health forceps
Kids Area
Veg or Non-veg meal
MORE THAN 16.75% OF LEISURE TRAVELLERS REQUEST FOR AN EXTRA BED
What makes people unhappy in a room?
Dirty Bathroom
Bad mattress
Source - Insights derived from goibibo buyers data.
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hotelscapes December 2012
Noise Copyright © goibibo.com. All rights reserved.
G
oibibo.com, I ndia’s fastest online travel site ha s rele a sed its monthly travel report derived from live buyer data. The latest report covers insights on hotel bookings on the Internet in India. Based on the observations, it has been found that 3 star hotels drive 50 percent bookings online in India within the tariff slab of Rs 1,500-3,500. The affordable average price point and online availability are the key reasons for travellers opting for this category of hotels. The report also shares insights on average price points of various star rated hotels, break down of leisure versus business hotels booked online, customer segments and top destinations for business hotel bookings. While leisure hotels are found to comprise 56.41 percent bookings, business hotels fall slightly back at 43.59 percent. Bengaluru is found to be the busiest business travel destination due to more online visibility of hotels from this city followed by Mumbai and Hyderabad. SMEs and individuals clearly outrival corporates in terms of driving these bookings. This is because SMEs are the most price conscious segment and are seeing value in booking online. Also, they get transparent information and better value than the intermediary channels. The report also captures qualitative aspects such as, top factors that make people unhappy during their stay and
also the important elements that travellers look forward to from a hotel. Extra beds, health forceps, kids’ area and food preferences in terms of vegetarian or non vegetarian make up the most common hotel requirements that guests demand. On the other hand, unhygienic bathrooms, uncomfortable bed mattresses and external noise factors seem to distress guests most often. A s per industr y reports, hotels are the fastest growing vertical in the online travel business. 3 star and below segment of hotels have the largest and the most fragmented supply in India. It is this fragmentation that creates huge opportunity for driving e-commerce between thousands of these hotels and travellers. Ashish Kashyap, CEO, ibiboGroup said, “Hotels is one of the fastest growing segments for Goibibo. There is a lot of headroom for growth in this segment with the eco systems getting established. We are solving the problem of fragmented supply and also creating transparency for the end traveller. At ibiboGroup, we are obsessed about data, analytics and insights across our various portfolio businesses (Goibibo, Tradus, PayU etc). Learning from live user data and analytics is enabling us to constantly provide a superior user experience. We continue to publish monthly travel info graphics for the entire market. This is the third in the series so far.” ■
December 2012 hotelscapes
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forum of the month
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hotelscapes December 2012
Chennai:
the future MICE destination Domestic and foreign business travellers make up for most of the occupancies at the hotels in Chennai. 8 leading hoteliers from Chennai reveal how they see the city evolving as a travel destination, and predict 2013 as a good year for the city and its hoteliers.
December 2012 hotelscapes
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forum of the month ITC Grand Chola Philippe Charraudeau, General Manager
I
TC Grand Chola subtly integrates the ancient resplendence of the Chola dynasty with contemporary styles and facilities. As the name suggests, the hotel epitomises grandeur like no other, its palatial design, exquisitely hand carved walls all go into making it the landmark property that it is. With 600 guest rooms, suites, and serviced apartments, the hotel has many USPs that tick the card for the first time ever in numerous categories in the hospitality industry. The super-premium luxury hotel not just gives the guests a glimpse of our rich heritage but combines that with a rare twist of modernity with iPads in each and every room that control all the facilities within, from opening the door to controlling the lights, the television, making any guest feel nothing less than a Raja Chola of the modern times. Besides being a luxury hotel, it is also the largest LEED Platinum hotel in the world. The hotel is slated to alter the tourism landscape in the region given its 600 key capacity, 100,000 sq ft of banqueting
Philippe Charraudeau General manager, ITC GRAND CHOLA
Chennai is the undisputed gateway to temple tourism, with a higher concentration of visitors in the winter months (October to March). It is also a convenient stop on the way to sites of tourist interest such as Pondicherry and Mahabalipuram. 28
hotelscapes December 2012
and convention space with 30,000 sq ft of pillar-less ballroom amongst the largest in the country, 10 food and beverage outlets and a 23,000 sq ft internationally acclaimed spa brand Kaya Kalp. We opened our door to the world in September 2012. The current occupancy rate is an average of 70 percent. Our staff has been kept very busy with the restaurants being booked weeks in advance and our room occupancy rate has been quite high as well. Though the number of hotel rooms is increasing exponentially, the growth forecast for various sectors in Chennai ensures that there will be an influx of travellers to the city. Chennai is increasingly becoming a hub for the automobile, medical and IT sectors to name a few and as the city is extremely well connected, it acts as a gateway to various other parts of South India (such as Pondicherry, Kanchipuram, Tanjore, Madurai, Coimbatore etc) which are of interest to business and leisure travellers. With Indian business there is growing interconnectivity; companies are recognising growing potential in the south, with the IT, ITES and automobile industries doing exceedingly well. Indian leisure is seeing burgeoning interest and travellers are paying more attention to South India because of the surfeit of arts and culture that exists here. Chennai is also the undisputed gateway to temple tourism, with a higher concentration of visitors in the winter months (October to March). As far as foreign business is concerned, the large number of MNCs in the city along with the increase in the automobile, IT and manufacturing sectors and the presence of several East Asian companies ensures that Chennai is abounding with plenty of activity. Medical tourism is also on the rise with Chennai becoming a popular hub for it. Foreign travellers are attracted to Chennai’s superior offerings of art and culture, temples, beaches and several historical monuments. It is also a convenient stop on the way to sites of tourist interest such as Pondicherry and Mahabalipuram. The hospitality industry in Chennai is under built with not many premium hotels as compared to other major metros in the country. There is also an opportunity here as going by the fact that the city does host a lot of national and international delegates regularly. The ITC Grand Chola is ITC’s tribute to Tamil Nadu and an iconic asset to the city in which ITC forayed into the hotel business in 1975.
forum of the month
December 2012 hotelscapes
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forum of the month
Hyatt Regency Chennai Sunjae Sharma, GM
H
yatt Regency Chennai was the first foray of the Hyatt International brand in the southern part of India. Located on the iconic Anna Salai in the heart of Chennai, it is easily accessible from the airport and suburban business districts. The state of the art 327-rooms and suites, 20,000 sq ft of well appointed banquet space with a dedicated event management team compliments the strategic location of the hotel. Hyatt Regency Chennai is an escape to the world of art and authentic hospitality and often is termed as an art museum owing to the spectacular display of theme based art installations. The sunlit Atrium Lobby is symbolic of signature Hyatt architecture style. The Lobby Lounge is set amidst lush, green landscaping and soothing water features of the hotel lobby. The therapists at Siddh Spa practise treatments inspired by the ten thousand year old art of Siddha medicine, a part of the trio of Indian medicines – Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani. Hyatt Regency Chennai opened its 30
hotelscapes December 2012
Sunjae Sharma General manager, Hyatt Regency Chennai
With the development of the new airport in the city and the promotion of the neighbouring destinations, the city is the new MICE destination for corporate with ample avenues for recreation, work and leisure.
doors on 8th August 2011 and it has been a memorable and rewarding year for the hotel till now. The current occupancies and rates are stable and owing to the increasing supply in the city in terms of inventory, we are positive that demand shall soon follow suit. Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu has a rich cultural legacy, from majestic temples to the city’s love for music, art, dance, theatre and the wide outdoors. The city has also emerged in recent times as a key destination of preference for industries from manufacturing, automotive, leather, IT, banking and more. Owing to the industrial development there has been an influx of people from different regions of the world who have made Chennai their home. 2013 shall be a stable year and as the normal phenomenon goes – demand always follows supply and so shall be the case in Chennai as well. With the increase in room inventory and the banquet spaces there shall be new businesses coming towards the city in terms of corporate as well as leisure. We have a balanced mix of all segments of people. The location of our hotel, on the
forum of the month
iconic Anna Salai makes us a sought after destination amongst corporate groups and leisure travellers alike owing to the proximity to the business hubs, city attractions and shopping destinations. Foreign tourists prefer to stay with us owing to the world renowned Hyatt service they have been accustomed to and also because at Hyatt Regency Chennai we have F&B offerings from across the globe with native chefs to ensure authenticity is delivered. Chennai is fast booming the hub of industrial and corporate set-up in South India. International organisations, consulates, corporate houses, automobile plants, IT and ITES, leather and textile are just a few examples of the industrial surge in the city and surrounding areas. With the development of the new airport in the city and the promotion of the neighbouring destinations, the city is the new MICE destination for corporate with ample avenues for recreation, work and leisure. Advent of new and state of the art banquet spaces and the ease of access that the city enjoys from all national and international destinations have made it a popular MICE and business destination.
Courtyard by Marriott Ankush Sharma, GM
C
Ankush Sharma General manager, Courtyard by Marriott
2013 is supposed to be a very good year for hoteliers, or so I read! We do an average occupancy rate of about 70 percent. We are expecting our occupancy rates to go higher next year and have planned our strategies accordingly.
ourtyard by Marriott Chennai started operations on January 29th, 2006 and has been a favoured destination for business travellers ever since. The hotel is located in Teynampet, which is right in the center of the city and has easy access to the airport and other important business and leisure places. The 236-room property is unique to what each traveller wants. The USP of the property is that it models itself according to the needs of a business traveller or leisure traveller. Its food and beverage offerings suit people of all nationalities and ages. The Chennai property has been in business for the past six years and has seen a variance in the demand of rooms. We do an average occupancy rate of about 70 percent. I wouldn’t say the business dynamics in the city have changed much in the last one year. Although the occupancy levels have changed and so have the rates, not much is affected by it. 2013 is supposed to be a very good year for hoteliers. We are expecting our occupancy rates to go higher next year. December 2012 hotelscapes
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forum of the month
According to statistics and trends – the strongest segment will be business. Narrowing it down, because of sheer volume it will be the domestic business segment. For our hotel in specific – we are a business hotel and that is our largest segment, so for the same reasons our focus remains to be business travel both domestic and international. MICE is the future of travel which no destination will be able to ignore. With the new airport launch and some other tweaks to the infrastructure, Chennai could do quite well as a MICE destination. 2012 saw some extremely large scale pharma conferences, the leather fair is just around the corner – all these have generated a lot of business for the city and the Chennai Trade Center has actually done quite well in providing a venue to handle events of such a scale. Leisure travelling will just be as it is. Hopefully leisure tourism will get a boost from the Central and the State Government. Chennai and nearby areas are quite a big hub for tourist attractions and with some more marketing, input and support from the government, this should only grow in the coming years. 32
hotelscapes December 2012
Hilton Chennai Roger Brantsma, GM
H
Roger Brantsma General manager, Hilton chennai
Chennai ranks third in the country in terms of attracting investment from around the globe and is home to some of the most commercially viable industries, so it is inevitably a growing market for MICE and corporate travel.
ilton Chennai is a plush 5 star deluxe property with five innovative dining options, very modern conference and events facilities and the trademark Hilton hospitality. We are in a favourable location in the business district of Guindy, close to important IT Parks, with the airport, 15 minutes drive and Chennai Trade Centre 10 minutes drive. You can reach the shopping and entertainment centres in the city within 30-40 minutes. So all in all, we are conveniently located for both business and leisure travellers. The hotel opened in March last year and has completed 21 months of successful operations. The hotel has been busy, occupancies have been high and the rates have been in line with our competition set. The overall demand for hotels is growing in Chennai and has been steady for 2012. While there is new inventory added over the last few months and more slated in the coming months, there is also an increase in demand. There is some amount of cannibalisation of business initially when the new hotels open but the market
forum of the month
will stabilise and grow in the mid–long term. As a product we are extremely confident about our offering and the strength of the Hilton brand. In addition HHonors, which is our guest loyalty programme, is one of our biggest strengths and drivers of business worldwide. Chennai has some of the most commercially successful industries in the region such as IT/ITES, automobile, aerospace, petrochemicals, textiles and a whole host of others. This accounts for a reasonable corporate demand. Chennai’s proximity to popular tourist destinations also means there is a demand for leisure tourists coming to the city. So there is growth for both business and leisure travellers, domestic and international. They are all important segments to us. Chennai ranks third in the country in terms of attracting investment from around the globe and is home to some of the most commercially viable industries, so it is inevitably a growing market for MICE and corporate travel. With the growing number of travellers to the city, there is a growing demand for star hotels, MICE facilities as well as great dining options.
Radisson Blu City Center Chennai Pankaj Katyal, GM
R
Pankaj Katyal general manager, Radisson Blu City Center Chennai
The business scenario has changed with the sudden deluge of inventory. Two more up market hotels have opened in last 12 months, thus adding 1000 odd rooms. Another two major brands with about 550 rooms are waiting to open.
adisson Blu City Center Chennai has 162 rooms, two restaurants, a bar and a nightclub. RBCCC is equipped with 8,500 sq ft of banqueting space. We will soon be opening the first authentic Japanese restaurant in the city. The hotel came into existence in February this year. Currently, we are sitting at 47 percent YTD with an ARR of Rs 5600. The business scenario has changed tremendously in Chennai with the sudden deluge of inventory. Two more up market hotels apart from us have opened in last 12 months, thus adding 1000 odd rooms. Another two major brands with about 550 rooms are waiting to open. Earlier if you wanted to stay near the airport you had very limited choice and good options were in the city. Today, you have lot of options near the airport. This has also made the customer demanding. Market has become very rate sensitive. Hotels are discounting heavily to get their share of pie. Supply has exceeded demand and softened the indusDecember 2012 hotelscapes
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forum of the month
try and it will take a few more years for it to go up. The positive is that I see the F&B business growing. There is great scope for banqueting in the city. We will do better than 2012 because this was our first year of operation. We should finish 2013 with 60 percent and an ARR of Rs 6,000. Indian business and foreign business will be the key contributors to the city’s occupancy. There is hardly any Indian leisure to Chennai and very little foreign leisure but that goes to Mamallapuram. MICE potential for this city is still untapped due to lack of infrastructure. Chennai Trade Center is the only convention center which the city has and it is very inadequate to host global events like Hyderabad does. With more hotels opening with larger meeting space there will be an increase in this segment. As a business destination, I definitely see a bright future because there are a lot of companies setting up shop in the city. Chennai has a good mix of all segments like IT/ITES, automobile, pharma, banking etc so its dependence on one particular sector is low. Leisure will remain the way it is because it’s only temple tourism which is predominant at the moment. 34
hotelscapes December 2012
Lemon Tree Sanjay Kumar Das, GM
L
Sanjay Kumar Das General manager, Lemon Tree
The city is expected to see an increase of nearly 40 percent in the luxury segment, followed by 20 percent in the mid-scale segment, 13 percent in the budget segment, 7 percent in the upper upscale and 6 percent in the upscale segment.
emon Tree hotel, Chennai, located in the heart of the city, is just a short distance away from the TIDEL Park which houses Cognizant, TCS and HCL Technologies. The hotel opened in February 2009 and the current year round occupancy is 82 percent at an ARR of Rs 4477. Being a manufacturing and industrial center, hotels in Chennai cater to many long stay guests and business travellers. MICE is also a significant demand segment in the city as various automotive and pharmaceutical conferences are organised in the city. This is evident in the stable occupancy rates and room revenues for Lemon Tree hotel. We have maintained a 53 percent repeat guest ratio and are working on increasing this in the future. The city is expected to see an increase of nearly 40 percent in the luxury segment, followed by 20 percent in the mid-scale segment, 13 percent in the budget segment, 7 percent in the upper upscale and 6 percent in the upscale segment. Also Chennai expects to see a more competitive environment in the luxury segment with the
forum of the month
introduction of a number of big brands. The business traveller to Chennai is price sensitive. Many hotels in the budget and mid-scale segments are under construction currently and this will eventually lead to a drop in occupancies and a price correction too. The three strong segments for the hotel are Indian business, foreign business and long stay business. The Tamil Nadu government has recently signed a MOU with 12 companies, attracting a total investment of about Rs 21,000 crore. This will increase the inflow of business travellers, creating greater demand for hotels in the city. Chennai has the potential to be one of the best MICE destinations, while hotel supply currently outstrips demand, the demand will catch up very soon. The international airport at Chennai, has contributed to making it a much sought after MICE destination. Chennai International Airport which is currently undergoing expansion will increase the movement of air traffic significantly once it is complete. New hotels in Chennai will not only improve the infrastructure and create job opportunities in this sector but also drive more MICE business.
The Westin Chennai Velachery Shrikant Wakharkar, GM
T
Shrikant Wakharkar general Manager, The Westin Chennai Velachery
The subdued RevPAR growth in Indian hospitality scenario and with the current hotel portfolio recording a sustained growth of 37 percent, The Westin Chennai’s forecast will be at par and aligned with market.
he soon-to-open The Westin Chennai Velachery is an idyllic luxurious retreat for the modern corporate traveller. Strategically located 20 minutes from Chennai domestic and international airport, the hotel is only six km from City Centre, and five km from Chennai Trade Centre. The hotel’s close proximity to Guindy business district and OMR or IT corridor, foresees it to become a preferred business hotel in times to come. 215 guestrooms offer a mix of re freshing swimming pool and city skyline view. On an average of 39 square meter spacious and modern guestrooms are equipped with essential amenities like dedicated work area, refreshment center, in-room safe and Wi-Fi high-speed Internet access; ensuring a productive stay for the business travellers. The multiple dinning venues at the hotel will be a gourmet treat for food lovers. Considering the hotel’s strategic location and the growing travel propensity to the city the facility is designed to cater December 2012 hotelscapes
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forum of the month to the needs of the business traveller – a dedicated drive in and porte-cochere to 12 banquet venues including two large pillar less banquet venues. The Westin Chennai Velachery will be a contemporary business hotel in Chennai. The hotel will foray in early 2013. The market intelligence and our feasibility report of city shows the trend of sustained growth of 37 percent on an average through business segment. With various MNC’s setting their base in the city and the on-going industrial development initiatives undertaken by the State Government promises a fair share of occupancy and room nights for the existing as well as new hospitality entrants in the city. The subdued RevPAR growth in Indian hospitality scenario and with the current hotel portfolio recording a sustained growth of 37 percent, The Westin Chennai’s forecast will be at par and aligned with market. The increased growth in sectors like IT, ITES, automobile and medical tourism forms a larger geostatic pool of Asian business traveller to
Pascal Dupuis General manager, The Leela Palace
Chennai is a global automobile, IT and pharmaceutical hub and a gateway to large corporates. There is a huge influx of German, Japanese, French and other European companies setting up their base in Chennai creating more opportunities in the business segment. 36
hotelscapes December 2012
the city. Chennai is evolving to be a fast growing MICE destination with international hotel brands entering the market.
The Leela Palace Pascal Dupuis, GM
T
he soon-to-open Leela Palace Chennai is the region’s first sea-facing modern palace hotel spanning six verdant acres with magnificent views of the Bay of Bengal. The design theme is inspired by the grandeur of Chettinad architecture. The rich, historic design of the hotel adorned with art and artifacts created by some of the most renowned artists in India imbues in it a deep sense of luxury and refinement. True to the sense of style of the Chettinads, the palace is resplendent with spiral staircases, inner courtyard, pillars and high ceilings. The chandeliers, the carpets and all the artifacts have been sourced from distant places across the globe. There are in total 326 rooms. The entry level rooms at 538 sq ft are designed to be the largest in the city and every room is equipped with the most advanced digital and technological services that include 42-inch Sony LCD TVs, Bose sound systems, iPod docks and high speed Wi-Fi Internet access. Incarnating the ambience of a hotel with all the accoutrements of a palace, guests can discover the luxury of 31 oversized suites that are elegantly furnished and appointed with modern amenities and latest in-room technologies coupled with hospitable and warm service. T he mo st pre m iu m su ite i s t he
Maharaja suite. Like the hotel itself, it is inspired by the grandeur of the Chettinad d y n a s t y sh ow i n g a t r u e b l e n d o f architectural heritage. The suite includes a private gymnasium, spa and oversized ma ster bedroom w ith a wa shroom providing Jacuzzi and steam, second bedroom with washroom, oversized living rooms, study room, powder room, kitchenette and dining area for ten. The style is truly palatial in every detail with stylish bath amenities from Bvlgari. The technological highs are matched with a selection of carefully picked Indian artifacts and paintings. Chennai is a global automobile, IT and pharmaceutical hub and a gateway to large corporates. In the recent past, there has been a significant growth in the MICE category in the city due to rapid infrastructural growth and we are expecting a large part of our revenue from this segment. Further, Chennai has diversified connecting routes to different countries and with the new airport coming up shortly, the city will be seen as the new destination for both business and leisure travellers. Moreover, there is a huge influx of German, Japanese, French and other European companies setting up their base in Chennai creating more opportunities in the business segment. The Leela Palace Chennai has been aesthetically designed and is equipped with state-of-the-art technological amenities. The luxurious banquet spaces are flexible enough to host business and private gatherings to our discerning guests. ■ as told to Manisha Almadi Midha
All weather furniture I No Maintenance I Customization
Interblocco, manufacturers of luxury outdoor furniture, introduces its new range of live-in furniture. We are best known, for our innovative and efficient approach, in producing attractive woven furniture, that transforms outdoor areas into sophisticated, relaxing spaces and looks equally spectacular indoors. Sofa Sets I Stackables I Dining Sets I Bar Sets I Coffee Sets I Loungers I Gazebos I Accessories
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Manufacturing Unit: 170 Sector 6, IMT Manesar, Gurgaon, Haryana – 122050 India Phone: 0124 4367710 Mobile +91 9810344411, + 91 9811062555 Email: rohit@interbloccofurniture.com Office: 23, M Block Market, Greater Kailash Part II, New Delhi – 110 048 Mobile: +91 98111-42204 Email: info@interbloccofurniture.com December 2012 hotelscapes
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brand analysis
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hotelscapes December 2012
brand analysis
Sofitel brings the French finesse to India
Hotelscapes interacts with the effusive and dynamic Bernd Schneider – General Manager of Sofitel Mumbai BKC and Area General Manager of Sofitel India on the French flagship luxury hotel’s unique positioning and global hospitality excellence.
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ofitel Mumbai BKC is the first five star luxury business hotel of the internationally famed Accor Hotels Group in this city where there already are several prominent Indian and international five star hotels. What business strategies and plans have you drawn up to meet the challenge? Would you please throw light and offer clarity on your upcoming marketing and client connectivity plans with potential business from India and abroad?
Indian brands are strengthening their hold in the domestic and international markets while international brands are entering the country with bold expansion strategies. Being located in the geo graphic centre of the city, Bandra Kurla Complex is surely a premium address, as we not only have MNCs surrounding us, but we are also strategically located in the context of Mumbai. With appropriate pricing, optimising distribution channels, globally aligned sales efforts, steady marketing and PR efforts, brand-strength and luxury positioning of Sofitel, we are positive that the brand and the hotel will witness strong results. Sofitel Mumbai BKC is an excellent hotel for both, business and leisure. We would like to solidify our position in both sectors, and continue to provide world class service which exudes modern luxe. Business travellers favour us due to our proximity to large MNCs in the surrounding area, and hence they remain our primary customer base. Our main feeder market continues to be India as a whole and given our French heritage, France definitely is one of our key markets. In the Western and Asian re-
gions our main markets include USA, UK, Germany, Australia and Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, Japan respectively. Additionally we will continue to have a strong hold on both offline and online distribution channels such as the hotel website, direct calls and visits, tour operators, online travel agencies, GDS, online reputation websites, SEO, social media, marketing and PR. Promotion in
Bernd Schneider General Manager, Sofitel Mumbai BKC and Area General Manager, Sofitel India
Business travellers favour us due to our proximity to large MNCs in the surrounding area, and hence they remain our primary customer base. Our main feeder market continues to be India as a whole and given our French heritage, France definitely is one of our key markets. December 2012 hotelscapes
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brand analysis key regional and international markets will also remain a priority.
Since your recent launch, how have your occupancies fared, compared to the competition? How do your guests relate to the new neo Art Nouveau ambience of your hotel? The Indian hospitality industry is diverse and vibrant, especially in today’s global The lobby
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economic scenario. We have seen tremendous growth in our occupancies since the time we launched. Being located in the geographic heart of the city, definitely works as an advantage for us. With the significant rise in tourism and business travel, guests today are discerning, prefer quality over quantity and do not compromise in paying the premium attached to these exclusive services, offered by the hotel.
Innovation and design is one of our key pillars which make every Sofitel property stunning. We focus on working with well-known international designers and architects to create every property into a masterpiece blending local culture with French art de vivre. Sofitel Mumbai BKC is designed by renowned French designer, Isabelle Miaja, who has successfully married French art deco with Indian Club Millesime
brand analysis palace embellishments, creating a unique address in the city.
pricing models.
The hospitality scene in Mumbai has been spearheaded by the city’s vantage position as India’s international financial and commercial capital. How do you compare in your room and rack rates and the privileges offered?
As India’s flagship French luxury hospitality property, what are your highlights and USPs that are distinct from other luxury five star hotels in Mumbai? What gives you the decided advantage among key hospitality players?
Regrettably we do not comment on our
Sofitel offers contemporary hotels and
Innovation and design is one of our key pillars which make every Sofitel property stunning. resorts adapted to today’s more demanding and more versatile consumers who expect and appreciate beauty, quality and excellence. Being located in the heart of the burgeoning business hub and with convenient access to both the domestic and international terminals is surely one of our highlights. Our unique design displaying an elegant mélange of Indian and French cultures provides a touch of edginess, boldness and confidence which is evident from the first moment of entry into the hotel. French elegance, savoir-faire and art de recevoir coupled with India’s rich heritage of personalised service, tradition of luxury and depth of culture sets us apart amongst hospitality players.
How do you perceive the expanding business and corporate trends in Mumbai that propels the increasing need for upper crust, world class luxury hotels like yours? With the evolving hospitality landscape more and more travellers are paying attention to the emotional value of their trip and rewarding experiences. India is a developing market and hospitality players need to constantly strive to provide innovative and personalised services. Thanks to the impressive growth of the Indian economy and increased aspirational spending by the consumer, the Indian hospitality sector is growing faster than any other country. Indians today frequently travel around the world and experience renowned international brands first hand and as a result of which they expect the same service standards and consistency to be present in every aspect of their lives including their hotel and restaurant choices in India. With the expectations and desires of such influential travellers shaping up, world class luxury hotels like us, aim to allow guests to experience both the brand essence and how it adapts to the local culture. ■ as told to Kishore & Smita Iyengar
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trends
Live cooking, the new culinary art form Live cooking helps in establishing a direct rapport between chefs and guests and leads to a better experience for all and also connects with the customer-service issues, writes Yilin Xu, chef de cuisine, Stix, Hyatt Regency Chennai.
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ne of the many trends that have caught up with Indian kitchens over the years is live cooking. Live cooking is a culinary art form which involves the chef, who prepares the dish in the open and serves it at the table. The concept of live cooking has provided new dimensions to the experience of dining. The trend has been popular and in vogue in foreign countries for quite some time but now is a big fad in India as well. Almost all hotels and even stand-alone restaurants have live kitchens. Even for outdoor events and functions, people prefer live kitchens to break the monotony of buffet service.
The USP’s Live kitchens definitely add on to the dining experience. There is a whole level of interaction and being a part of a feeling that guests enjoy in a live kitchen set-up. Being able to converse with the chef as he dishes out your meal adds on to the appetite and is an experience in itself. The guest can see his preferred food being cooked in front of him. This helps us in providing guest satisfaction. Another advantage is that overproduction of food
is avoided, as the food is prepared as per requirement with right quantities in interactive live kitchens. It is different from food being traditionally cooked in restaurants and being served as the interactive aspect is missing in pre-plated and cooked food. In a live kitchen, the aromas and ingredients play a crucial role in getting the right environment in place as well as enhance the appetite of the guests. It’s a welcome change for the chefs as well as they interact with the guests and are able to deliver personalised and customised cuisines to them making an enjoyable experience for both. All our restaurants have live interactive kitchens. Stix – our Sichuan Chinese restaurant boasts a huge platform interactive kitchen wherein our native Chinese chefs create culinary magic and serve guests right in front. Stix has a huge community table set up facing the live kitchen and the same is a packed section on all days as everyone wants to be a part of the live cooking action with the chefs. Also there is the concept at Stix for food being served as soon as it is cooked on the wok. Moving over to Focaccia, Southern Ital-
The utensils, spices etc being used need to be thoughtfully selected keeping in mind the sensitivity of the environment it is being cooked in. We need to avoid oils and spices that are unpleasant for the senses as it might cause coughing and irritation to the audiences. We need to be extra careful during flambing in live kitchen. 42
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trends ian cuisine, our chefs again recreate the home style Italian fare in a contemporary open kitchen counter set-up. The guests can take in the welcome sights of the pizza being taken out from the wood fire oven and this for sure does wonders for their appetite. Also our Indian restaurant Spice Market focused on Indian street style food as well as European food fare has five live counters of kebabs, chaat, salads, desserts as well as breads. For the Sunday brunch which is the largest in Chennai, the chefs leave no stone unturned to make the set-up and food as interactive as possible. The concept is a popular one not only for kitchen architecture and concept but also for guest experience. We regularly host Chef Tables for a select group of guests where in the chef does a cooking demonstration for the guests and the same is followed by a memorable dining experience. This trend is more popular among all age groups and various target audiences. Be it the youth or the families. At Hyatt Regency Chennai the live interactive kitchens are a part of the kitchen architecture and theme and thus are a regular offering in both buffet and a la carte. It would cost Rs 2,500 for two people on an average for this kind of a setting.
The must-haves for this set-up Street style cuisine majorly Indian, Chinese Sichuan inspired from streets of Singapore and China, wood fire pizza, sushi rolls and Arabian cuisine are the most popular kind of cuisines that are best suited for live cooking. Majorly the Mise-en-Place is what needs to be kept ready for live cooking. Also the utensils, spices etc being used need to be thoughtfully selected keeping in mind the sensitivity of the environment it is being cooked in. We need to avoid oils and spices that are unpleasant for the senses as it might cause coughing and irritation to the audiences. Live kitchens need to have a powerful exhaust system in place to take away all the unwanted fumes. We need to be extra careful during flambing in live kitchen. A proper exhaust system, non fire coating on furniture, heat proof cutlery, and proper storage areas for facilitation are some of the basic set-
Yilin Xu chef de cuisine, Stix, Hyatt Regency Chennai
A proper exhaust system, non fire coating on furniture, heat proof cutlery, and proper storage areas for facilitation are some of the basic setting required for live cooking in terms of the kitchen and guests seating around the kitchen counter. ting required for live cooking in terms of the kitchen and guests seating around the kitchen counter. One shouldn’t opt for easy to cook food for this arrangement thinking it can be cooked in minutes as food is an art and if you try to hurry the procedure the finished product does not do justice to the chef’s intentions. Food needs to be cooked with love and passion and thus even in live kitchens one should follow the set standards and recipes to get the authentic flavours well. Since the concept is really popular in the West and has only recently come to India, it is little troublesome at the moment to procure right equipments and tools when it comes to improving upon in terms of the infrastructure required for live cooking. But still the concept is looked upon positively by the industry. Live kitchens are great for guest engagement and enhance guests dining experience. ■as told to Manisha Almadi Midha
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guest column
New age advertising: the mantra for hoteliers Think out of the box, and move beyond print and online mediums of advertising, to leave a lasting impression on guests, and to generate revenue, says Shubham Chandra.
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hen it comes to the hospitality industry, the importance of advertising cannot be emphasised enough. It’s undoubtedly a golden tool that many hoteliers use to directly impact sales, be it a new launch or a new promotion or even something as simple as a new addition to the menu. The influx of a number of international brands in the country has increased this need immensely. The demand for ads that stand apart from the rest, creating a lasting impression on the consumer has pushed creative agencies to explore avenues that were never explored before. Out of the box advertising is currently the mantra, where every hotelier demands a unique and impactful ad that promises to leave a lasting impression on the guest. Creative agencies have stepped into every aspect of a hotel to create this impression, and it starts right from a hotel’s pre-launch stage! The launch of hotels has become a huge affair now, with every hotelier trying to woo customers with their uniqueness. But there is only so much you can talk about when it comes to the tangible aspects of a property. Realising the limitations, hotels have moved from marketing themselves as mere places of stays and luxury to being an experience to cherish. This has resulted in an all-new spree of advertising and wooing customers. Agencies now promote the experience of staying at a hotel, the services, the luxury, the dining creating a greater socioemotional connect that would encourage brand loyalty. This trend has become more relevant as guests have now evolved from being just consumers. Today, a guest needs a hotel that can provide an experience they would cherish for a long time and add to their social strata of using a luxurious facility. This starts right from when they step up to the entrance of the property, to the way they are welcomed to the services and to how they are pampered. A great experience is a loyalty won. The advent of social media has only added 44
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“
Today attracting the right guest is not a job reserved for the marketing and advertising team alone but is a balanced combination of targeted advertising, social marketing and public relations.
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to it all. The potential guest is no longer a passive observer but an interactive partner who if pleased would be a very committed evangelist. Marketing for an hotelier is now not restricted to getting his advertising agency alone to say what he wants them to say but also largely to his guests. This has evolved the industry’s approach to advertising completely. Social marketing is fast catching up taking as much space as traditional advertising in a hotel’s annual budgets. The need of the hour is to reach out to guests where ever they are and this often defines a hotel’s success. Advertisers have now gone beyond their conventional boundaries and reach out to customers with interactive content that engages and attracts guests. Hotels too have moved on to be more focused on building a social image that guests can connect with. Today social media marketers have become as big as traditional advertising agencies – if not bigger! With so many changes happening so fast in the hospitality industry, this phase is an exciting one for hoteliers. The continuous pressure to fill rooms, keep conference rooms booked, staff busy, food and beverage buzzing and be on the watch for the next big thing happening in the city that will help them add profit to the bottom line have made hotels guest centric. Thinking like the guest and following them where they go is a trend that has already grown firm roots across many popular brands. The motive and objective for advertising is not only to generate revenues but also to create and develop a long lasting connect and relationship with the audience. Advertising thus has in the new age moved beyond the conventional print and online mediums and has a whole domain of socio– psychological factors and influences imbibed in it. It’s a synergy of various forces that help us ultimately reach and deliver to the target groups the desired message. ■ The writer is Director of Sales & Marketing, Hyatt Regency, Chennai
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events (L-R): Divya Jain, Dhiraj Jain, Amit Jain and Shruti Jain of Mahagun Group with Hussain Kuwajerwala
Star-studded prelaunch party at Park Plaza Shahdara
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ark Plaza, CBD (Central Business District) Shahdara, New Delhi hosted a pre-launch party last month. The evening saw glittering performances by singer Shaan, actors Neha Dhupia and Udita Goswami, and comedians Irfan Malik and Ali Hassan. The event was anchored by Hussain Kuwajerwala. Pawan Kumar Jain, Chairman, Mahagun Group said, “It has always been our endeavour to give our guests a launch to remember and this time we bring to you the best fusion of hospitality and entertainment with enthralling routines by gorge ou s diva s a nd electrifying fireworks.” He also thanked the people who made the event a success and further informed that the hotel is now fully operational. Amongst those present at the do were Dhiraj Jain and A mit Jain ( Directors, Mahagun Group), Zarine Khan, Geeta Basra, Aamna Sharif and Divya Jain and Shruti Jain, to name a few. ■
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The Imperial greets the festive season with cake mixing ceremony
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he traditional ceremony of the Christmas cake mixing takes place a few months ahead of Christmas that significantly initiates the beginning of the festive season. Reviving this traditional feast, The Imperial under the directions of the Executive Chef – John William Haueter, celebrated the traditional ceremony of cake mixing at San Gimignano’s alfresco dining area, carefully selecting specialties of candied fruits and fruit peels, assorted nuts blended beautifully with the concoction of rum and brandy. Mounds and mounds of brown dates, black raisins, red cherries, cashew nuts, topped with powdered cloves, cardamom, ginger peel, lemon peel, orange peel, dry figs, walnuts, apricots, prunes, dry black currents, pistachios, almonds, pepper and other secret spices with bottles and bottles of liquor and wines were poured into
Executive Chef John William Haueter pours wine in the cake mix
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the fruits and mixed. This will be kept till the dry fruits get fattened on the liquor and the heady vapours make one a debauchee of air. “Christmas fun starts with the cake mixing ceremony. There were few specially invited guests along with the chefs who enthusiastically experienced the ritual. We look after our guests as a part of one large Imperial family and it is so heartening to see them present for this special occasion ahead of Christmas,” said chef Haueter. Signifying the approach of Christmas, come December and the heady mix of flavours will nurture and would have fully developed its characteristics of taste, texture and aroma. Then the hands which filled the shovels will combine dough and mixture of 120 kgs which will be baked to perfection for approximately 300 Imperial Christmas cakes…richer, yummier and blissful in taste. ■ December 2012 hotelscapes
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events
Pullman Gurgaon Central Park uncorks Beaujolais Nouveau 2012
French Ambassador François Richier with guests
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ullman Gurgaon Central Park, the upscale new attitude international hotel brand of Accor, celebrated the traditional French wine festival – Beaujolais Nouveau 2012 under the exclusive patronage of The Embassy of France. The event was organised in collaboration with Air France and Atout France. The most popular vins de primeur wine from the Beaujolais region of France was uncorked by Jagan Lascher, General Manager, Pullman Gurgaon Central Park at a glittering event, re-creating the French tradition. The nouveau wine was accompanied with a wide array of cheeses and charcuterie especially flown in all the way from France. A French extraordinaire menu was also prepared by Pullman Gurgaon to compliment the nouveau passions and revel in the spirit of celebrations. Raising a toast to the celebration, Lascher said, “We are extremely happy to host the uncorking of the French vintage – Beaujolais Nouveau 2012 at Pullman Gurgaon Central Park. It gives us an opportunity to introduce our guests to this age old tradition associated with French heritage at our new attitude hotel. We look forward to such opportunities in the 48
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Jean-Michel Ca ss Park; Richier an e, Senior VP-Operations, Ac co d Yeshwant Pa war, GM, Sout r Asia Pacific; Jagan Lasche h Asia, Air Fran r, GM, Pullman ce-KLM Gurgaon Cent ral
future to provide world class experiences to our patrons. It also comes at a fantastic time, since we will soon be launching La Riviera, the hotel’s first specialty restaurant with a collection of eclectic French wines paired with the Southern FrenchItalian cuisine served at the restaurant.” The soiree saw the attendance of dignitaries and eminent personalities like François Richier, French Ambassador
to India; Jean-Michel Casse, Senior VPOperations, Accor Asia Pacific; Fahmi Mahjoube, Commercial Director India, Air France-KLM; Yeshwant Pawar, GM, South Asia, Air France-KLM; Lascher and Rajiv Singhal, President, Group Ritu & India Representative for Champagne (CVIC) along with many more who were seen enjoying an evening filled with fun, wine and gastronomy. ■
events
Capt. Nair felicitates his Holiness the Dalai Lama at The Leela Mumbai
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adma Bhushan Capt CP Krishnan Nair, Chairman, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts felicitated His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama at The Leela Mumbai, where His Holiness gave a public talk to a gathering of Tibetans and The Leela staff. His Holiness spread awareness about the importance of motivation and positive intent in a work environment and how a mutual understanding rooted in shared humanity is the key to success. The revered Dalai Lama also emphasised the fact that one must respect and follow tradition and values, and practice ethics, honesty and His Holiness Th e Dalai Lama; transparency at work. Rajiv Kaul, Pres ident, Hotel Le ela Venture an “If your motivation is good, collabod Capt. CP Krish nan Nair ration will naturally occur and you will cess to him. He has always motivated and meet with success,” said his Holiness. tion that I too can live long.” On the occasion, Capt Nair said, “It is inspired me to strive tirelessly and never Referring to Capt Nair who is 91 years-old his Holiness added, “Yesterday at Tumkur always a great honour for the Leela family give up. I feel truly blessed once again to there was a venerable Swami who was 106 when His Holiness the Dalai Lama choos- host him at The Leela Mumbai and I am years-old and here you are at 91. Meeting es to be our guest. I have known Dalai deeply moved by his message of comcapable older people like you over the Lama for twenty years and I take immense passion and non-violence which extends last few days, has given me the inspira- pride in saying that I owe much of my suc- towards humans and animals alike.” ■ December 2012 hotelscapes
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events
Ashima-Leena showcase at the Daegu Fashion Fair 2012
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ashion label Ashima-Leena, one of the top Indian fashion couture houses recently showcased in Korea. The designer duo who opened their retail outlet in Emporio, represented India at the Daegu Fashion Fair 2012. This is the first time when the Koreans were exposed to Indian couture. Bok Choi, an iconic figure in the Korean fashion industry, was the most impressed with the use of colour and draping of the fabrics. As a friendly gesture, signifying the growing cultural ties between Korea and India, a special outfit was created, by Ashima-Leena for the fashion event using elements from the Korean and Indian culture. The fashion show was supported by ICCR. There were avant-garde designers from China, Japan, Vietnam and Korea who had been handpicked to represent their countries and showcase the diversity in design. Korea Research Institute for Fashion Industry had organised the fair, in their effort to promote Daegu (also known as the textile city) as a manufacturing and textile hub in South Asia. Daegu also has the world’s largest apparel and clothing market known as Dongdaemun Fashion Market. At the Daegu Fashion Fair a stall was also allotted to the designers for a better interaction with the buyers. ■ Text and photographs by Anay Mann
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awards
The Imperial recognised as the leading luxury hotel in India, third year in a row
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he Imperial has been awarded the prestigious World Luxury Hotel Award for being the ‘Leading Luxury Hotel in India for 2012.’ The recognition was conferred upon The Imperial at the glitzy 2 012 World Lu x u r y Hotel Awards gala ceremony held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Established in 2006, the World Luxury Hotel Awards ( WLH A) are committed to raising the bar of excellence within the luxury hotel industry. To be a winner in a category of the WLHA is an assurance of excellence. The criteria to be successfully nominated and included in the official WLHA voting process is overall service excellence. Only hotels, lodges and resorts operating in a luxury niche market are able to participate in The World Luxury Hotel Awards. The World Luxury Hotel Awards are the world’s most prestigious Awards exclusive to the luxury hotel industry and recognise the best facilities
and service excellence the industry has to offer. The Awards recognised a selection of the finest hotels situated amongst 87 countries at the glamorous red carpet gala event. In 2012 hotels were recognised on a country, continent and global basis. Awards were presented to hotels and hotel groups from Australia to Zambia, complimenting leading hotel groups such as Swissôtel, Meritus Hotels & Resorts, Shangri-La, Pan Pacific, Fairmont, Sheraton, Dusit International and the Westin Hotels & Resorts amongst others. WLHA stands testimony to dedication, enthusiasm and leadership in the high demand luxury hotel industry. The aim of the Awards is to maintain overall service excellence and build guest loyalty. Acknowledgement of committed quality customer care is important to maintain a persistent level of service. Evidence has shown that a guest feels confident when booking a World Luxury Hotel
Lutyen suite
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Awards recognised hotel that has been rewarded further to unsurpassed excellence, voted for by industry experts and guests that have experienced these hotels. These hotels will serve as a source of useful information and render it easier for travellers to plan business trips and leisure breaks whilst feeling assured that each of these luxury hotels stands up to a high standard of quality and service. T he W L H A encou ra ge s sustainable competitiveness which bolsters staff moral and creates heightened awareness of certain non-negotiable criteria within the luxury hotel industry. The Imperial was chosen last year and in 2010 as ‘The Leading Luxury Hotel of India’ in the country winner category from a list of nominations that featured names like Taj Group of Hotels, Leela Palace and Oberoi Hotels & Resorts. Vijay Wa ncho o, S e n ior Executive Vice President & General Manager, The Imperial, New Delhi acknowledges this year’s award as “a befitting tribute to the legacy that The Imperial has carried for the last seven decades, to the valuable support from its discerning guests, for being a historic landmark and for being reckoned amongst the finest luxury hotels in India third year in a row. It’s not just a moment of immense pride for The Imperial, it’s also hugely motivating for the associates who will collectively continue to work towards maintaining high standards of service at all times,” concludes Wanchoo. ■
awards
Lemon Tree Hotels conferred National Award and NCPEDP-Shell Helen Keller Award, 2012
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e m o n Tr e e H o t e l s h a s b e e n honoured with the award for ‘Outstanding Work in the Creation of Barrier-Free Environment for Persons with Disabilities’ by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. The National Awards for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities are presented every year. The award is in recognition of the pioneering manner in which Lemon Tree has designed its 19 properties across the country with an emphasis on easy accessibility and a trouble free experience for people with disabilities. Each hotel of the Lemon Tree group has a specially designed room for orthopedically challenged persons and this room is located close to the elevator. These rooms are equipped with large sliding doors, low height vision panels, barrier free spacious washrooms with grab bars equipped with low height wash basins and adjustable hand showers and sliding door wardrobes with low height hangars. In addition, an audio-visual fire alarm system and an alarm button are installed within easy reach for emergency situations. Lemon Tree Hotels, India’s largest chain of moderately priced upscale hotels has also been conferred the NCPEDP-Shell Helen Keller Award, 2012 for the work towards promoting employment opportunities for people with disabilities in two categories: Category C: Role Model Organisations Category B: Role Model Non-Disabled Individuals The NCPEDP-Shell Helen Keller Award was instituted in 1999. It is awarded every year to those individuals or organisations who have been doing exemplary work in helping disabled people find positions of equality and dignity in the workplace. This is the second occasion when the group has been honoured with this award. Lemon Tree Hotels also won this award in 2010. Also, the group won the NCPEDPMphasis Universal Design Award in 2011. LTH currently has over 100 differently-abled employees across its 19 properties in India. Talking about the award, Patu Keswani,
R Hari, GM, HR receives the NCPEDP-Shell Helen Keller Award, 2012 from Salman Khurshid, External Affairs Minister
Major Rajesh Chauhan, Chief People Officer receives the NCPEDP-Shell Helen Keller Award, 2012 from Khurshid
Chairman and MD of Lemon Tree Hotels said, “We are happy that we have been able to make a difference with our effort in hiring and training Employees with Disabilities (EWDs). By creating an environment in the organisation that allows them to deliver their best, we are able to play a part, however small, in social inclusiveness and nation building. We are happy that we have been able to make a difference by building universally ac-
cessible properties across India. We are resolved to continue understanding the needs of our physically challenged guests and employees and building properties that cater to these requirements.” The award was received by Major Rajesh Chauhan, Chief People Officer on behalf of Lemon Tree Hotels and R Hari, General Manager, Human Resources for the individual award at the ceremony held earlier this month. ■ December 2012 hotelscapes
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domestic/international news
Accor celebrates 30 years in Asia Pacific
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ccor, the largest international hote l op e rator i n A sia Pa cific, commemorated its 30th anniversary in the region. The milestone comes as the French hotelier celebrates a year of record-breaking expansion, opening 110 new properties, ranging from luxury to budget, which will bring Accor’s network in the region to 550 hotels by the end of the year. As part of the celebrations, Denis Hennequin, Chairman and CEO, Accor SA and Michael Issenberg, Chairman and COO, Accor Asia Pacific, announced the group’s 100th new hotel contract – Novotel Goa Shrem Resort signed in the region this year, boosting the group’s ambition to operate 700 Asia Pacific hotels by 2015. The announcement of the 150-room Novotel marks Accor’s first property in this key market in India.
Three decades of building market leadership Accor’s story in the region began in 1982, when the group launched the Novotel Orchid Singapore. In the 1980s, Accor laid its foundations, opening its first hotels in Thailand, Greater China and South Korea. As the 1990s began, the group’s Asia Pacific network comprised just 13 hotels, but by the end of the decade the portfolio had grown to 180 hotels across the whole region and in all market sectors. In the following 12 years, the group’s regional network has more than tripled to 550 hotels in 16 countries. Today, Accor is the market leader in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Looking forward, the group has ambitious plans with the aim of expanding from 18 hotels to 90 hotels in India, from 126 hotels to over 200 hotels in Greater China, and nearly double its network of 52 hotels in Indonesia. By 2015, Accor expects to operate 700 hotels in the region. And the group continues to set its sights on new markets in Asia Pacific: Accor recently announced that it will enter its 17th mar54
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ket in the region, Bangladesh with two Novotel hotels in Dhaka and Chittagong. Year 1982 1990 2000 2010 2012 2015 (projected)
Hotels Rooms 1 456 13 3,976 180 30,218 422 81,033 550 105,000 700 133,200
Asia Pacific – a key driver of growth for Accor To commemorate this historic milestone for the group, Hennequin addressed his colleagues in Singapore saying, “Dynamic, diverse, growing – these three words aptly describe Accor’s first three decades in Asia Pacific. As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, I am proud to reflect not only
on our successes and on lessons learned, but also look forward to the tremendous opportunities that await us. What started out as one hotel in Singapore in 1982 has grown into the region’s market leader and one of the most important drivers of growth for Accor globally.”
A record-breaking year The celebration comes as Accor announces another record year in Asia Pacific, adding 110 new hotels, representing over 19,000 rooms to the network, a sharp increase from the 67 hotels and over 12,000 rooms added in 2011. “As we look back on our first three decades in the region, we also celebrate a bumper year for Accor in Asia Pacific, shattering the records we set last year,” said Issenberg. “In May, we announced
domestic/international news Accor’s 100th new hotel contract – Novotel Goa Shrem Resort signed in the region this year, boosts the group’s ambition to operate 700 Asia Pacific hotels by 2015. The announcement of the 150-room Novotel marks Accor’s first property in this key market in India.
Novotel Goa Shrem Resort
our 500th hotel in the region – Pullman Gurgaon Central Park. In June, we added 43 hotels in Australia and New Zealand, with our successful acquisition of Mirvac. In September, we passed the 100,000room threshold with the opening of the flagship ibis Hong Kong Central and Sheung Wan. And we’re thrilled to announce the signing of Novotel Goa Shrem Resort which will be our first hotel in this important Indian destination. This contract represents the 100th new hotel signed in the region in 2012 and brings our confirmed development pipeline to nearly 240 properties.”
Expansion across all segments – luxury to budget Accor has expanded across all segments from luxury to budget in the region, with
a number of exciting firsts in 2012. Sofitel, the group’s luxury hotel brand, for instance, opened its first property in India with Sofitel Mumbai BKC, and introduced the Sofitel So brand in the region, with the opening of Sofitel So Bangkok. The upscale Pullman brand opened its 14th hotel in China with Pullman Anshan Time Square positioning the country as the brand’s largest market and entered new markets – India and New Zealand for the first time. In February, Accor launched Mei Jue, the upscale Grand Mercure brand tailor-made for Chinese travellers with an ambitious goal of opening 60 properties by 2015. The brand has gained rapid acceptance from both development partners and customers, nearly 20 percent of Accor’s hotels under development in China today are tailor-made Grand Mercure hotels. Following a major re-launch in 2011, the ibis brand family of economy hotels (ibis, ibis Styles, ibis budget) expanded into new markets this year, entering Vietnam, Malaysia and Japan for the first time with ibis Saigon South, ibis Styles Fraser Business Park and ibis Tokyo Shinjuku, respectively. “One of the things that set Accor apart from our competitors is our ability to offer a comprehensive portfolio of hotels, from luxury to budget, to cater to the needs of a vast range of travellers,” said Issenberg. “We have also made significant enhancements to each of the brands, setting the pace in their respective market sectors. For instance, Accor’s ibis brand has redefined economy hotel accommodation with the innovative design of its rooms and the introduction of a new bedding concept that effectively offers 5-star bedding standards in a 3-star product.”
Strong partnerships As Accor reinforces its global asset-light strategy focusing on management contracts and franchise agreements over hotel ownership, the group is looking
towards Asia Pacific, which has led the way with asset-light operating models. Over 80 percent of Accor’s network in the region represents either franchised or managed hotels. As part of this asset-light strategy, Accor in July partnered with Singapore-based Ascendas in the creation of A-HTrust, one of the largest publicly listed hotel investment trusts in the Asia Pacific region. “Our asset-light strategy has been made possible through the development of strong partnerships forged over the years with hotel owners and franchisees,” said Issenberg. “These partnerships are as varied as the countries in which we operate and range from diverse family businesses to institutional investors.”
Sustainable growth While Accor’s expansion in the region ha s been dy na mic, it ha s not been growth at any cost. Over three decades, the group ha s under ta ken ma ny initiatives to ma ke its hotels more sustainable both in terms of environment and the community. For example, in 2001, Accor employees in Indonesia launched A Tree for a Child, an innovative project combining environmental protection and poverty alleviation. In 2003, Accor became the first international hotel operator to sign the ECPAT Code of Conduct to combat child sex tourism. And in 2008, Novotel Bali Benoa became the first hotel in the region to achieve a third party environmental management certification. This year, Accor launched PLANET 21, the group’s new sustainable development programme, which covers 21 commitments to reinventing hotels, sustainably. Accor employees around the region celebrated the programme’s kickoff by planting trees. Concluded Issenberg, “I’m proud of what we have achieved over the last three decades and I am positive in my outlook for the future of the group in this dynamic region.” ■ December 2012 hotelscapes
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domestic/international news
L-R: Bernd Schneider; Markland Blaiklock; Christophe Caron and Sirinate Meenakul
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Sofitel Luxury Hotels plans 150 hotels by 2015, Sofitel So Mumbai in June 2015
ofitel Luxury Hotels has continued to strengthen its presence in Asia Pacific over the last year with the opening of four new hotels in key regional markets including Sofitel Mumbai BKC, Sofitel Auckland Viaduct, Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit and the first Sofitel So in Asia – Sofitel So Bangkok. The new openings mark another milestone in Sofitel’s plans to be present in all of the world’s major cities, with a target of 150 hotels by 2015. Over the past five years, the group streamlined the number of Sofitel branded properties across the world; going from 204 in 2006 to over 120 in 2012, setting new luxury benchmarks and moving company focus towards creating a new brand mandate based upon design, gastronomy and culture underlined by quality of service. With a label blueprint that combines French luxury with the essence of local tradition, Sofitel Luxury Hotels has created distinctive addresses in destinations across the world. “Sofitel Luxury Hotels is renowned around the world for its blend of French luxury elegance with the very best of local cultures. We’re constantly redefin56
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ing each element of the brand to offer guests service enriched with emotion, performance and a passion for excellence. Sofitel went through a major repositioning from 2007-2010 and over the last two years, our focus was really to increase the value of the brand. We have signed 30 new management agreements in the last two years worldwide and are on track to have at least 150 properties in operation by 2015 in key capital cities and major tourist destinations,” said Markland Blaiklock, Senior Vice President, Sofitel Asia Pacific, Sofitel Luxury Hotels, at a media road show in Mumbai where he shared the group’s future regional plans. “Sofitel Mumbai BKC has been an excellent addition to our expanding yet highly selective destination portfolio, being our flagship property in the country. Sofitel Mumbai BKC has already made its mark in the luxury hospitality segment in the city in the few months since its opening. Moving ahead we also plan to give our So label a boost in the region and our plan is to continue growing Sofitel So in trendy, contemporary locations around the world like Singapore and Mumbai,” added Blaiklock.
Sofitel So is the designer, boutique hotel vision of Sofitel, featuring trendy hotels in contemporary locations. Southeast Asia saw the opening of the first Sofitel So hotel in Bangkok earlier this year and Singapore will see its first Sofitel So property in the second quarter of next year. Blending design and style, each Sofitel So aims to cater to travellers seeking the ultimate in luxury, culture and comfort, while expressing the essence of the destination. Reflecting a strong flare for design, each boutique hotel will combine the iconic Sofitel art de vivre with a signature design of an international designer from the fashion, art or design fields. A signature designer or artist adds a further dimension to the design of each Sofitel So property. Sofitel So Mauritius was the first Sofitel So address in the world, designed by Kenzo Takada, showcasing the resort with a playful twist. Sofitel So Bangkok is designed by Christian Lacroix and the much-anticipated designer for Sofitel So Singapore will be revealed in the next few months. Apart from Sofitel So Singapore, the group also plans to open two new hotels
domestic/international news in India by 2015, Sofitel Mumbai Mulund and Sofitel So Mumbai Mulund. Mulund is an upcoming suburb of Mumbai situated in the North East of the city and nestled in the foothills of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park with easy access to the Eastern Express Highway and Navi Mumbai through the Mulund-Airoli bridge. It is one of Mumbai’s first planned suburbs and has become a testament today to India’s growing middle class and its aspirational style of living. Separately the group plans another nine properties in China by 2015 – Sofitel Sanya Haitang Bay Resort & Spa (2014), Sofitel Shanghai Jing’An Huamin (2013), Sofitel Foshan (2014), Sofitel Haikou Tiantuo (2014), Sofitel Guiyang (2014), Sofitel Kunming Kunsteel (2014), Sofitel Wuxi Lihu (2014), Sofitel Changsha Huachuang (2015) and Sofitel Lianyungang Suning Galaxy (2015). In addition, the group recently announced the signing of Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort, which will open in time for APEC in September, 2013. This year the group also launched a new advertising campaign, centered on voyage and the unique Sofitel addresses, in addition to the redesign of the www. sofitel.com website to boost direct reservation, and seasonal offers on the theme of fashion collections. The event strategy will continue to be developed in the hotels around the three brand pillars: design and innovation, culture and events and gastronomy and wine, the outstanding feature for which the brand is internationally known.
Sofitel–world class hotels and French elegance Sofitel is the only French luxury hotel brand with a presence in five continents with 120 addresses, in almost 40 countries (more than 30,000 rooms). Sofitel offers contemporary hotels and resorts adapted to today’s more demanding and more versatile consumers who expect and appreciate beauty, quality and excellence. Whether situated in the heart of a major city like Paris, London, New York, Shanghai or Beijing, or nestled away in a country landscape in Morocco, Egypt, French Polynesia or Thailand, each Sofitel property offers a genuine experience of the French art de vivre. Discover Sofitel on www.sofitel.com ■
Now open: The Heron Portico in Nairobi, Kenya
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arovar Hotels announced the opening of The Heron Portico in Nairobi, Kenya. With the opening of this 108-room hotel, Sarovar Hotels has further strengthened its connection with this region. This is the company’s third hotel in East Africa after Ole-Sereni (also in Nairobi) and New Africa Hotel in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania. The Heron Hotel is a contemporary and elegant retreat for the discerning business and leisure traveller. The hotel is located close to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and is near Nairobi’s business district and tourist spots such as Nairobi National Park, Nyayo Monument, National Museum of Kenya and Giraffe Center making it an ideal MICE destination as well. Anil Madhok, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts said, “It is with great pride that we announce
the opening of our third hotel in Africa. Nairobi, being the capital and the largest city of Kenya, is one of the most prominent cities in Africa both politically and financially. It is an established hub for business and culture and a transit hub for safari tourism to the Masai Mara and the Serengeti. The Heron Hotel will offer best value accommodation in the city.” The recently refurbished hotel, which originally opened in 1975, is a 3 star property with elegantly designed rooms and apartment suites featuring all modern amenities and facilities. All rooms have LED televisions with satellite channels, in-room tea / coffee maker, mini bar and electronic safe. The hotel features an international cuisine restaurant, bar, banquets for conferences and events, business center, fitness center, swimming pool, sauna and a souvenir shop. ■ December 2012 hotelscapes
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international news
Hilton Worldwide - Global Week of Service, McLean, USA
Hilton Worldwide team members celebrate First Annual Global Week of Service
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ilton Worldwide team members across 90 countries and territories celebrated the company’s First Annual Global Week of Service, from November 11–18. The event featured hundreds of projects around the globe and united the company’s approximately 300,000 team members in more than 3,900 locations. The event is a celebration of the Hilton’s year-round commitment to volunteer service and is an expression of the company’s vision to “fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality” building on founder Conrad N Hilton’s legacy of service and responsibility to others. Hilton Chennai celebrated Joy of Giving Week in October to collect donations from team members and guests for Prema Vasam, a home for the mentally and physically challenged and less fortunate children. General Manager, Roger Brantsma, accompanied by other team members, revitalised the dormitories, classrooms, play areas and outer periphery of the home, before presenting the donation collected to the children amidst fun, games and gifts. Hilton Janakpuri, New Delhi offered employment opportunities to candidates from the Noida Deaf Society and partnered with Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Hospital to spread awareness of the effects of smoking and tobacco use among students of the Jagan58
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nath Institute of Management Studies. First Annual Global Week of Service is just one example of how Hilton Worldwide engages team members to meet societal challenges. Launched in 2011, Travel with Purpose is Hilton Worldwide’s corporate
responsibility commitment to providing shared value to its business and communities in these areas – creating opportunities for individuals to reach their full potential and strengthening communities where Hilton Worldwide operates. ■
Hilton presentation at Noida Deaf Society
Hilton Chennai team members with the children at Prema Vasam
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Products... Squarefoot launches Heritage Laminate flooring S
quarefoot have launched Heritage 12 mm Laminate Collection which takes you back to the hand crafted barn floors. The 12 mm laminate has been introduced keeping in mind the heavy use of commercial floors. The 12 mm board ensures additional stability for heavy commercial areas. The 50 percent more body as compared to 8 mm laminate ensures that the flooring is more tough and can take heavier furniture loads when placed upon the floor. The rustic quarter sawn look can be combined in a contemporary interior. The floors comply with JIS 2801:2010 standards, which means bacteria and other microbes such as Escherichia coli, have no place to grow on the floors, because of the high-resistant coating and closed edges. For the anti-microbial tests, the manufacturers have worked together with
SGS, the industry’s leading testing and certification facilities. Bacteria and other microbes can be carried onto the floors via shoes, spilled food and animals, but together with regular cleaning, the floors provide the comforting feeling of healthy
surroundings. This anti-bacterial effect is lasting and will not fade over the years. The collection is priced at Rs 180 per sq ft (excluding installation charges and taxes). For more information call 1800226211 or email at sales@squarefoot.co.in
Antica Ceramica launches Foresta Tiles S
tyle and durability are key dynamics when it comes to a great floor and tiles. Antica Ceramica has launched an unusual tile flooring in India. The tiles are sourced from Peronda, Spain. The Foresta brand is one of the flagships extended with the Timber Collection, featuring aged and weathered wood effects, exposing a sense of natural elements, such as salts and oxides. The appeal lies in the variations of tone and visual intrigue. The collection is inspired from typography and graffiti. It will provide any room a touch of grunge. The Foresta floorings have an unusual application that would surely enhance the quality and value of any commercial or residential project including offices, hotels, restaurants, retail, wellness and residential venues. It is durable, light and easy to handle. It is priced at Rs 350 per sq ft onwards. For more information call 011-25460498/25116195
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Products... Outdoor Collection by IDUS
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DUS, the luxurious furniture store have launched outdoor collection of garden chairs, tables, benches, loungers, hammocks and swings. The material has a nice feel to it and displays a classic Scandinavian design. The collection is maintenance free and has UV resistant fibre which is mounted on a stable hot galvanised frame. It endures all kinds of weather, and requires just a wipe off with a moist cloth. The furniture comes in black, white and brown colours. The designs are original, modern, inspiring, functional and eye catchy using the natural and indigenous materials. The furniture is hand woven and also crafted from polyethylene and steel. It is best suited for resorts, farmhouses or beach houses, patio, terrace, poolside etc. The collection boasts an exquisite design that focuses on simplicity. For more information call 011-45888000/9810249118
Notion launches cladding for walls N
o more boring paints and wall colours to beautify your walls. Now add a magnificent and dramatic touch with cladding. Launched by Notion, cladding adds an additional layer of material on walls, which provides protection and insulation and lends an aesthetic effect. The product is 100 percent natural and quality is assured through trustworthy production methods. From the crucial drying process to the expert grading selection, the wood types are carefully selected, handled and treated. The collection is well suited for outdoor use and protects the walls from extreme cold to hot and dry to humid weather conditions. Facade claddings are non-load bearing panels that are mounted to the supporting structure. The natural appeal, versatility and strength of timber make it the superior choice
for ex terna l cladding. Through specification, planning, design and finishing processes, timber cladding not only creates a building of superior strength, acoustic and thermal performance but also creates a place of beauty, style and natural appeal. The advantages with the cladding by Notion are that, all fixing is done by means of an omega shaped stainless steel clip. All boards are manufactured with a double groove profile and don’t need to be drilled. A safer and smooth uniform surface which remains untouched, minimises the risk of splinter and fissure forming. 4mm gap between boards is the optimum space for wood to expand and contract and allows enough expanses for air circulation. The range starts from Rs 450 per sq ft plus taxes. For more information call 0120-4000500/9810249118 or visit www.notion.net.in December 2012 hotelscapes
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Products... The Great Eastern Home presents its stylish sofas
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aking a style statement for your home comes with the designing of your interiors in a way to match opulence and exclusivity. The Great Eastern Home has launched its two exclusive sofas. The
traditional chesterfield style sofa is sure to give your abode a very conventional feel, while the contemporary style leather and upholstery sofa is elegantly made with styles so modern that they will take your abode to the next level of aura and grace. The exclusive chesterfield sofa
from The Great Eastern Home is a symbol of its fine craftsmanship and durability. The contemporary style leather and upholstery sofa in L shape will stand out as a masterpiece in your living area. For more information visit www.greateasternstore.com
Peekay Farm Equipments launches new collection of garden ornaments O
ur home, especially the garden area is a canvas for our imagination most of the time. To facilitate this further Peekay Farm Equipments have launched a range of garden ornaments in attractive shapes and colours. You can chose from a collection of animal shaped planters and pots like cows, bees, frogs and birds to furnish your home, garden or patio. These are available under the brand name Wonderland. They can be put outside in the garden with a flowering plant or even used indoors at the same time promising to give your garden a whole new feel and look. Customers can also select from their exquisite range of water cans, mini
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bonsai decoration and garden stakes. The planter is tough, lightweight, unbreakable, water proof and a suitable alternative to ceramic planters. The design features glossy textures and decorative embellishments to add a beautiful accent to your home. Thick walls and the planters attractive rolled lip offer added durability, and optional punch-out drainage holes help prevent over watering. Made with high-quality colour pigments, the planter range offers excellent all-weather durability. These are priced from Rs 500 to Rs 2,500. For more information call 011-26811996
Products... Air-o-convect Touchline oven by Electrolux Professional A
ir-o-convect Touchline launches a new era in boiler less combina tion oven ensuring simple and efficient way of cooking in every kind of professional kitchen: from bistros and small restaurants, to school canteens and supermarkets. The air-convect machine is the best combi oven, boiler less, as it can do every kind of cuisine, including Indian to perfection, with 30 percent less capex investment and lower running cost than the combi oven with boiler. Two simple steps are all it takes to prepare even the most elaborate menus: touch the high definition touch screen control panel and select your favourite recipe. The oven will do the rest. Bake, oven fry, roast, grill, broil, proof, braise and regenerate sous-vide. The user friendly programmability allows you to store up to 1,000 recipes, which can be saved in your USB key and
repeated in any other air-oconvect Touchline equipped kitchen around the world. This is the ideal solution when you need to replicate the menus, ensuring the sa me co ok ing a nd ta ste standards at all times. The make-it-mine feature allows the personal configuration to be locked with a password and downloaded to a USB key for easy replication. Your control panel will be unique, just like your fingerprint. The oven also provides fully automatic cleaning: just select one of the four pre-set cycles and press start. This is also the only oven that asks you how eco-friendly you want to be: the new green functions of the integrated cleaning system optimise the consumption of rinse aid, elec-
tricity and water; reducing up to 50 percent of the running costs; saving energy and preserving the environment. For more information visit professional.electrolux.com
Touch technology intelligent RO water purifier from Luminous L
ivpure RO water purifier, India’s first touch technology RO water purifier, is a state of the art product from Luminous Water Technologies Pvt. Ltd., a SAR Group Venture. Taking into consideration the level of hardness and impurities that need to be resolved, the product is customised for Indian market. It not only provides pure and safe drinking water but also offers a wide range of features
such as: RO water purifier with touch technology, advanced dispensing options to choose from such as one bottle, one glass water and free flow of water, advanced ergonomics to match your modern lifestyle, storage capacity of 8.5 liters, and indicator system for filter change. The Touch model costs Rs 16,000, and Touch Plus model Rs 17,000. For more information visit www.livpurewater.com December 2012 hotelscapes
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Products... Gessi introduces Goccia bathtub G
essi has introduced Goccia bathtub handcrafted by the internationally acclaimed designer and sculptor Prospero Rasulo of Italy. Rasulo used his ability and long standing experience as a sculptor to mold with his hands the original models of the basins and vessels. His idea for the Goccia sink and bath was to reproduce the shape of a drop (Goccia stands as drop in Italian) breaking a liquid surface. The Goccia bathtub is made in Cristalplant, a material very pleasant to touch; the basins are offered in a wide range of models (built in, above and below counter and free standing) and finishes. While always suggesting the idea of a liquid shape, the basins are very diverse in finishes and the material is Gres. For more information visit www.gessi.it
Parker presents a new product line, Parker Insignia F
ulfilling its quest for constant innovation, Parker brings to you Parker Insignia, a range of elegant yet affordable pens. Beautifully crafted with extreme precision, Parker Insignia is stylish and is based on an ergonomic design created to meet the needs of today’s young professionals. Parker Insignia is available in three different styles – Insignia Classic Twist Matte Black, Insignia Classic Twist Shiny Chrome and Insignia Shiny Gold. Parker Insignia makes for a perfect accessory for those who prefer subtle elegance and fine writing. A must-have for the business guests and the elite clientele for hotels. Parker Insignia Classic Twist Matte Black is fitted with ultra fine navigator refill (blue) whereas Parker Insignia Classic Twist Shiny Chrome and Parker Insignia Shiny Gold are fitted with fine blue BP refill in ball pen. The pens are available in Gold and Chrome Trim in the price range of Rs 1,250 to Rs 2,995. For more information visit www.parkerpens.net
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People Holiday Inn Express Ahmedabad
Ranganath Budumooru has been appointed as General Manager by InterContinental Hotels Group. He has been with IHG since 2002 and brings close to a decade long association with the brand having recently served as the General Manager of the Holiday Inn Express at Hammersmith in London, UK. He will lead pre-opening efforts and launch of Holiday Inn Express Ahmedabad in addition to managing day-to-day operations, driving hotel performance and ensuring high levels of services. Budumooru holds a Masters degree in Electrical and Electronics from University of Greenwich, UK and Bachelors of Technology from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University.
Fairmont Jaipur
Ramasamy Natarajan has been promoted as Director of Sales. He started his career with ITC Hotel Sonar Bangla Sheraton & Towers, Kolkata. Prior to joining Fairmont Jaipur in March 2011 as Associate Director, Sales & Marketing, he worked with Kingfisher Airlines and Ananda in the Himalayas as Sales Manager – Corporate & Travel Agency Sales. Natarajan has a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel Management from Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Manipal.
Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield
Srikant Peri has been appointed as Hotel Manager. He will be responsible for overseeing operations and profitability for Banyan Tree Group’s first resort in India. He brings over 24 years of experience in the hospitality industry and has worked with numerous hotel brands such as Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces, The Leela Group, Hilton Worldwide and Oberoi Hotels & Resorts. Peri is a Certified Food and Beverage Executive associated with the American Hotel & Lodging Association. He has graduated from IHM, Mumbai and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from Kakatiya University.
Matthew Cooper has been ap pointed as General Manager of the property set to open in January 2013. In his new role, he will be responsible for the operational set up and steering of the overall management of the hotel. He will also play a vital role in employee training and development, while driving performance across various dimensions including financial success, brand value, guest satisfaction and engagement as well as quality in service. Cooper has been in India for over seven years now, and has been a part of Marriott for the last 14 years. His career in the hospitality industry extends over two decades and includes stints across properties both in India and in Australia.
Jaya Mishra has been appointed as Director of Sales & Marketing. As part of the property’s preopening team, Mishra will oversee the project’s launch and ongoing sales and marketing efforts. She will be responsible for functioning as a strategic business leader, creating innovative strategies to position the hotel, developing concrete business and marketing plans, building a strong team to drive key sales and exploring new avenues of business opportunity. Mishra is a post graduate from Christ Church College, Kanpur University. She also possesses a diploma in interior design.
R a he el A h mad ha s b e en ap pointed as Executive Chef. His main responsibilities will include leadership of the team, overall management of the kitchen, and introduction of new trends in food presentation and dining concepts. He was earlier associated with Marriott Hotel Jaipur as Executive Chef. He holds a diploma in Hotel Management from Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition (IHM), Bhopal and comes with a rich experience in creating a wide variety of European and Asian cuisine.
Banyan Tree Kerala
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People Marriott Hotels India
Neeraj Maharshi joins as Director of Sales and Marketing. He has been associated with Marriott International since December 2010. In his new role, he will work to maximise hotel revenue from different market segments and lead the hotel’s sales team to create and implement innovative sales programmes. Maharshi comes with 15 years of experience in the hotel industry. He began his career with Taj Hotels in Jaipur. With a humble beginning as management trainee, Maharshi has proved his expertise in the leisure segment of travel business and owing to the same, was entrusted with the key position of Director of Sales at Taj, New Delhi where he was responsible for the International Travel Department. Maharshi is Masters in Economics and Masters in Tourism.
JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity
Jagdeep Chauhan joins as Director of Human Resources. He is responsible for ensuring that the broad spectrum of human resources programmes and services support the business operations and are fully aligned with the company’s strategies and objectives. Chauhan has been associated with the hotel industry for over seven years managing the Human Resources function. He joined Marriott International in April 2011 and has been an integral part of the pre-opening team of JW Marriott Bengaluru.
Vishal Gupta has been appointed as Director of Travel Trade Sales – India. He recently moved from United States to India to spearhead the Travel Trade Segment for the Marriott Hotels in India. Prior to this he was the Director of Sales for the Greenbelt Marriott and Marriott Inn & Conference Center UMUC in Maryland, USA. He has been with Marriott International for 12 years now, and has international work experience in countries like Australia, St. Kitts (Caribbean) and United States. Gupta passed out from IHM Chandigarh and did his Bachelors in Business, with a major in Hospitality Administration from The Hotel School, Southern Cross University, Sydney, Australia. He also posseses the qualities of Leadership and Executive Coach.
Balan Paravantavida leads the team as General Manager. Before assuming responsibility of the JW Marriott in New Delhi, Paravantavida had an impactful two-year term as the general manager of the Pune Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre. With over three decades of e x p er ience in ha ndling pre openings, conversions and takeovers of Marriott hotels in six countries, across three continents, Paravantavida brings to the table a strong operational background. He has spent over 10 years at the Marriott Marquis in New York and has handled over six leadership positions at this fast-paced luxury property. Josef Schuppler takes on the role of Director of Operations. He tables invaluable multi-property experience, off-property events and expertise in F&B as well as operations management. Starting his career as an apprentice in 1987, Schuppler went on to work with several restaurants and hotels as a chef. He has been a part of the successful opening of several JW Marriott hotels including JW Marriott Beijing and JW Marriott Hong Kong. 68
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Girish Krishnan has been appointed as Executive Chef. He comes with 18 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Plugged with eminent hotel groups in his metier, his extensive knowledge in the culinary arts has been consistently evolving. Until recently, Krishnan was the Executive Chef at the Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre. Chef Krishnan was awarded the ‘Chef of the Year,’ 2008 by FHRAI. He is resolute in his belief of authentic cuisine and looks forward to making JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity the ultimate food and beverage destination in the capital.
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People The Westin Mumbai Garden City
P r iya n k a Jena ha s b e en ap pointed as Manager Marketing and Communication. Jena has over five years of experience in marketing and public relations. Her la st a ssig n me nt wa s a s Corporate Communication Manager, Scomi Group. Her previous appointments include Public Relations Manager at Lowe Lintas and Brand Communications Specialist at GAS Jeans. She completed her Masters in Luxury Brand Management from Istituto Marangoni, London and Bachelors in Mass Media from Bhavans College, Mumbai.
Mars Enterprises
Saket Gupta has been appointed as Head Sales and Marketing. Mars Enterprises is promoted by Sanjay and Rachna Narang, who own and operate hotels, restaurants and leisure clubs across India. An avid reader and ap preciator of music in addition to his varied professional interests, Gupta whose last appointment was with Holiday Inn (InterContinental Hotels Group), brings to the organisation his rich experience of fifteen years and expertise in sales and marketing. Having worked with American Express, EIH, The Orchid and Fariyas Group of Hotels, Gupta has an in-depth knowledge, and understanding of the industry and complexities of the market.
InterGlobe Technology Quotient
Sandeep Dwivedi has been appointed as ITQ’s Chief Commercial Officer. He will spearhead all functions pertaining to sales and e-commerce. He will also play a significant role in overall growth and profitability of ITQ driving the development of electronic distribution and revenue channels for both traditional brick and mortar travel agencies and other non-traditional GDS users. Dwivedi brings with him over 20 years of varied experience. 70
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SKAL International Bombay
Carl Vaz, Chairman & CEO, Charson Advisory Services, and Director for Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) in India, has been appointed as President, SKAL International Bombay, for the period 2012-2014. Vaz will provide more opportunities for members to develop friendship and business networking, in addition to increasing the base of members and stimulating their business growth. Vaz has a business degree with two postgraduate diplomas in business management and advertising and PR from KC College, Mumbai. His recreational pursuits include flying as a student aviator and scuba diving.
Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel and Lakeside Chalet-Mumbai, Marriott Executive Apartments
Neesha Mohapatra has been appointed as Director of Human Resources. Her mandate at the hotel includes choosing, training and nurturing the right talent, formulating HR and administrative policies and managing the HR function. Mohapatra has been associated with Accor and ITC. She joined The Unison Hotels, The Leela and the InterContinental Hotels Group in the pre-opening phase and played a major role in establishing these hotels in the northern region. Mohapatra is an MBA in Human Resource Management.
The Lalit New Delhi
Chef Bernhard Koeing has been appointed as Executive Chef. He brings with him a track record of over 25 years of experience. He has worked as Executive Chef with The Taj, Oberoi, Hilton, Sheraton and the Global Village, Dubai, UAE as the Executive Chef for F&B concept development and design. He has also been instrumental in placing Moevenpick Hotel and Spa, Bengaluru on the international map.
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First time Chennai Travel Mart to be held in March, to showcase the composite tourism product of the state
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he city of Chennai and the state of Tamil Nadu, in recent years, have made rapid and most impressive strides in the development of infrastructure for travel and tourism. Industry and government interventions have been most timely and have created a new buzz for the tourism and hospitality industry. The time is ripe, in fact most opportune, for the state to have an exclusive showcase of its own, one that brings upfront the composite tourism product of the state. Chennai Travel Mart is a state level B2B trade show, to be held in the citadel city of South India, from 21st to 23rd March, 2013 at ITC Grand Chola, the newly opened pride of the city, with its 650 rooms and suites and over 100,000 sq feet of meetings spaces. This first time event will meet a long felt need of the tourism industry in Tamil Nadu. It will position the city and the state, in terms of its huge tourism potential, both the old and the new. At the same time, the event will showcase its modern day tourist facilities, in terms of business travel and also MICE and niche tourism, as belonging to a great metropolitan city of modern India. This is a specific Chennai and Tamil Nadu show, limited exclusively to the tourism of the state. In recent months, there has been unprecedented activity in the hospitality space; now, even more than ever, Chennai is ready to rightfully be seen as the base for all discoveries of the South of India. Along with ITC Grand Chola, some half a dozen more hotels have opened, adding more than 3,000 hotel rooms in the city. Chennai has always been the first city and the gateway of the South of India; the show will further establish its supremacy in terms of both tourist potential and also its tourist amenities. It will focus on a pro-active state government and private sector, both working in unison to market a most unique tourism product that combines the best in culture and history, MICE, medical and wellness, and business travel. This will be a two night-three day event, and will host an estimated 300 buyers from all over India and around the world. The exhibitor will be exclusively the tourism product of Tamil Nadu. In order to connect the state’s tourism product both within the country and also overseas, Chennai Travel Mart will additionally look for bringing a partner Indian state and an overseas country partner. Over 150 exhibitors are expected to participate in this fair. The first ever Chennai Travel Mart is being organised by Cross Section Media, the founders of SATTE which the company ran for 18 years during which a record 4,500 tour operators from over 50 countries worldwide were hosted. For more details visit www.chennaitravelmart.in ■72
hotelscapes December 2012
December 2012 hotelscapes
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Date of Publication: 20/12/2012
RNI No. DELENG/2011/17937 Posting Dt. 22-27/12/2012 Reg No. DL(C) 01/1353/12-14
Register now as Buyer or Seller! Log on www.chennaitravelmart.in 74
hotelscapes December 2012