Hotel Scapes March by Cross Section Interactive Private Limited

Volume 2. Issue 2. March 2013. Rs 50

all about hotels & hospitality

Vivanta by Taj, Gurgaon

Union Budget Fails Industry Expectations Once Again this Year Curtain raiser to HICSA 2013 Bhopal gets a flavour of international hospitality with the launch of Courtyard by Marriott The Taj Group turns 100 with Vivanta by Taj, Gurgaon Green trails in hospitality: Kerala

BUSINESS TRAVEL MADE EASY Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business as usual for smart travelers on the go. Stay connected wherever, whenever. Leave the rest to us. Book the package now at www.radissonblu.com/business-apac Toll Free: 1800 1800 333 Terms and conditions apply.

editorial

Volume 2 Issue 2 march 2013

editor’s note

Volume 2. Issue 2. March 2013. Rs 50

ALL ABOUT HOTELS & HOSPITALITY

Vivanta by Taj, Gurgaon

he Union Budget has been disappointing for the tourism and hospitality industries. Top hoteliers react to the budget, and suggest the way forward, in our ‘Cover Story’ of the month. One of the biggest Hotel Awards HICSA 2013 will unfold this month. HVS India, the organisers of the conference explain the methodology and rationale behind short-listing the finalists. Hotelscapes brings an exclusive story about the launch of the first international branded hotel, Courtyard by Marriott in Bhopal. Will the hotel be a game changer for the city? NCR is booming with hotels, and the latest to join the bandwagon is Vivanta by Taj, Gurgaon which makes it the 100th hotel of the group. Read more about the property in the ‘New Developments’ section. Some of the other features are Kerala promotes eco tourism, and encourages hotels to go green. The State Government of Punjab is set to formulate a hotel policy to give a boost to hospitality and tourism in the state. India is being touted as an acquisitions/mergers destination. Hotelscapes unearths the tourism and hospitality scenario in Odisha. Read about The Park on Holiday Beach Goa in our ‘Destination’ pages, and how the hospitality industry in Goa is faring. We bring to you the first look of the soon-to-open JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity. We continue to provide other industry news and updates. We have introduced new pages on the hoteliers’ feedback about Hotelscapes. Do write to us and keep your valuable comments coming in.

r e ad e r s w r it e in I would like to congratulate you on the last issue’s F&B cover about hotel brunches. The cover was colourful, and the buffet spread was tempting! We’d love to see more food covers and read about F&B trends in the future issues of Hotelscapes. Saloni Kumar, New Delhi It was a feat to get Dharmendra Bhandari and Sunil Satija of The Bestech Group to talk about their collaboration with Carlson for 49 Park Inn Hotels. It was indeed the ‘Interview of the month.’ Rishi Singh, Gurgaon

Editor: Navin S Berry Assistant Editor: Manisha Almadi Midha

The impact of the Kumbh Mela on Allahabad Hotels was a topical story. It was insightful to know that the hoteliers are not happy with the business as the tourists mostly stayed at the tents put up by the government at Kumbh itself. Mandar Dighe, Mumbai

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. E-mail: info@crosssectionmedia.com

This issue of Hotelscapes contains 64 pages plus 4 pages cover

Form-4 (See Rule 8) Cross Section Media Pvt. Ltd. 1. Place of Publication : New Delhi 2. Periodicity of Publication : Monthly 3. Printers’s Name : Navin S. Berry Nationality : Indian (a) Whether Citizen of India? : Yes (b) If foreigner, state the country of origin : No Address : IIIrd Floor, Rajendra Bhawan, 210, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, New Delhi – 110002 4. Publisher’s Name : Navin S. Berry Nationality : Indian (a) Whether Citizen of India? : Yes (b) If foreigner, state the country of origin : No Address : IIIrd Floor, Rajendra Bhawan, 210, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, New Delhi – 110 002 5. Editor’s Name : Navin S. Berry Nationality : Indian (a) Whether Citizen of India? : Yes (b) If foreigner, state the country of origin : No Address : IIIrd Floor, Rajendra Bhawan, 210, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, New Delhi – 110 002 6. Name and address of individuals : Cross Section Publications Pvt. Ltd. IIIrd Floor, Rajendra Bhawan, 210, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, New Delhi – 110 002 Who own the Newspapers and Partners or Shareholders holding more than one per cent of the total capital 1. Mr. Navin S. Berry, W-11, Greater Kailash-I, New Delhi 2. Mrs. Archana Berry, W-11, Greater Kailash-I, New Delhi 3. Mr. Rajat S. Berry, W-11, Greater Kailash-I, New Delhi I, Navin S. Berry, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief. Date: March 1, 2013

S/d Navin S. Berry (Publisher)

March 2013 • hotelscapes 1

March

Contents 10

6 New developments 6 Bhopal gets a flavour of

Destination Report Punjab 30 Is Punjab ready for a hotel policy?

international hospitality with Courtyard by Marriott 0 The Taj Group turns 100 with 1 Vivanta by Taj, Gurgaon

New avenues 36 Growing trend of studio

In the news 12 Curtain raiser to HICSA 2013

Trends 38 Indian hospitality industry: too

One-on-one 14 Odisha has rich tourism potential Forum of the month 18 Budget is disappointing for the

apartments

young for consolidation?

Eco tourism 42 Green trails in hospitality: Kerala

Products 52 New product launches People 60 Movements in the industry

tourism & hospitality industries

Preview 22 First look: JW Marriott Hotel New

Last page 64 Social habits of business travellers

Delhi Aerocity

Overview 24 An overview of Indian hospitality

Guest columns

at IHIF 2013

Destination Goa 26 Contemporary luxury on the coast The Park on Holiday Beach

2 hotelscapes â&#x20AC;˘ March 2013

Good service is good business â&#x20AC;&#x201C; great service is better business 46 The 25-year young team of The Leela Mumbai

Presents the exclusive

HICSA Daily

For more information contact Saurabh Shukla Mobile: 09210799523 E-mail: saurabh@crosssectionmedia.com

quotes

Hoteliers speak Hear what the hoteliers have to say about the last issue of Hotelscapes...

“

Hotelscapes is a captivatingly put together product that culminates into an interesting read. Particularly what stands out is the widespread research done by your team that truly reflects in every feature of the magazine. All the best!

Sanjay Sharma GM, The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi and The Westin Sohna Resort and Spa

“

As usual, I enjoy reading your magazine, especially when I see my Chairman or any Leela article in it. There is always a part for technology, a part on design, new hotels, people, food, new trends... so it’s really always complete.

Pascal Dupuis GM, The Leela Palace Chennai

“

The last issue I read was great and had a lot of information which any good hotelier would love to read about. What would be a good addition would be a feature on new hotel openings and maybe another feature covering the latest gadgets and technology used in the industry and where we might be able to procure the same.

Federico Mantoani

Russell Gregory

GM, Hyatt Regency Gurgaon

4 hotelscapes • March 2013

“

I quite regularly follow your magazine. I did like the guest article by Anil Madhok on ‘Expectations of the hospitality industry from this year’s budget’ and the feature on how ‘NCR attracts major hospitality players’ – I also strongly believe that this region has tremendous potential for each player in this segment.

Resident Manager, Citrus Sriperumbudur

quotes

“

I would like to indeed compliment you and the publishers on the quality of content provided through your magazine. I am a regular reader of hospitality publications from India and abroad and Hotelscapes stands out among the best at least in Indian publications. What I like about the magazine is: Diversity of topics/subjects, less advertisements and good quality of printing and material used. Some suggestions are: adding information on other hospitality sub sectors like casinos, golf, entertainment parks or even large hospitals; few more pages can be added and you can have more international trends coverage. I am sure with time your publication will continue to improve and go from strength to strength.

“

Firstly, I would like to congratulate you on your ongoing endeavour! I must say it was quite interesting going through the latest issue of Hotelscapes. The magazine was very insightful and informative covering varied topics. Highly passionate about the F&B per se, the article on ‘Brunches and the F&B Sales’ was of particular interest to me. At the same time it was great reading about the collaboration between Bestech and Carlson, the latest flash of the hospitality world. Here’s wishing you all the very best and keep up the good work!

Anil Malhotra GM, Taj Chandigarh

“

I liked the last issue of Hotelscapes, and not only last, I enjoy going through all editions, it keeps updating one on the industry, and your people column is quite informative.

Vijender Singh GM, Fortune Park Bella Casa Jaipur

“

It was really nice to read about the interview of the month with Dharmendra Bhandari and Sunil Satija, joint promoters, Bestech Group talking about the real estate group’s foray into hospitality with the announcement of 49 new hotels with Carlson, moving from mid-market to niche and luxury segments and looking ahead with big vision in the hospitality business. Also in the new developments part, the news on PRS Oberoi and Captain Nair stepping down from day to day management was interesting to read. Overall the editorial is very informative and interesting.

Shrikant Wakharkar GM, The Westin Chennai Velachery

Rahul Nama GM, Fortune Park Vallabha, Hyderabad

March 2013 • hotelscapes 5

new developments

Courtyard by Marriott: The first international branded hotel in Bhopal Bhopal gets a flavour of international hospitality with the launch of Courtyard by Marriott, Marriott International’s first hotel in Madhya Pradesh. Location Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal is in close proximity of Raja Bhoj International Airport (about 30 minutes drive). A drive past the many scenic lakes of Bhopal leads you to the hotel, which is in the same premises as DB City Mall, owned by the Dainik Bhaskar Group. The hotel is located in the city and business district of MP Nagar. One can see the rear of the mall from the hotel entrance. The other entrance to the hotel for the convention block is from the opposite side, next to the mall entrance. The hotel is contemporary with an international touch, and it opened to the people of Bhopal in January end this year.

6 hotelscapes • March 2013

The hospitality brand chose Bhopal because “it has the potential to grow in the next five to ten years, amongst the Tier 2 cities of Central India. There are MNC’s, British NGOs, pharmac eut ica l c ompa n ie s a nd industries coming up in the city. The international travellers and the internationally travelled domestic travellers who travel to Bhopal for business meetings and corporate training were in need of a hotel of international standards. Courtyard by Marriott is our answer to their business needs. Moreover the city has only two hotels – Jehan Numa Palace and Noor Us Sabah Palace which are heritage properties with less than 100 rooms,” says Elton Hur-

tis, General Manager, Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal.

Profile & positioning At the far end of the hotel lobby is the hotel patisserie, Eclair. As the name suggests, the bake shop offers cakes, desserts, freshly baked breads, candies, shakes and of course different types of éclairs – all of international standards, and a view of the busy city. This bake shop connects guests to DB City mall and being a part of the mall helps generate footfalls for the hotel patisserie, says Director-F&B, Amol More. The bake shop has WI-FI where guests can use Internet while slurping coffee and shakes. The crowd from the mall does not disturb the

New developments hotel guests as the hotel lobby, concierge, accommodation and restaurants are all located on the upper floor. Next to Eclair is the other entrance of the hotel that leads one to the convention block. The lifts take you to the banqueting halls without the hotel guests being disturbed. Once you are on the fourth floor, you are welcomed into the main lobby where international music plays. On the extreme right, is the accommodation. The hotel has a security feature, not seen at any hotel so far. The guests need to use their key card to access the main door that leads

[

to the guest rooms. The key card for one floor does not work on the other, we tried and it failed. This ensures that guest rooms are only accessible to residential guests. The hotel has a total of 101 rooms – 20 Twin Rooms, 75 King Rooms, 1 especially Abled Room, 2 Courtyard Suites and 3 Studio Suites across fourth, fifth and sixth floors. The suites are on the top two floors to give guests complete privacy and offer a city view. The room tariffs start from Rs 7,500 and go up to Rs 15,500 plus taxes. The guest rooms and suites are equipped with WI-FI, Internet, writing desk, telephone, LCD

The international travellers and the internationally travelled domestic travellers were in need of a hotel of international standards. CBM, bhopal is positioned as a four star business hotel.

TV, DVD player, mini bar, electronic safe and all other features that a business traveller requires. There is a 24 hour in-room dining service called MoMo 2 You that serves a la carte menu. Another interesting feature is that all rooms are interconnected, so

if a family or a politician wants to book another room, which we are told is the scenario in Bhopal, the common door between the two rooms can be opened to connect the guests. Hu rtis says that a newly opened hotel generally expects

L-R: Rajeev Menon, Area Vice President, Marriott International – Indian Subcontinent, Maldives and Australia and Elton Hurtis, GM, Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal at the launch of the hotel

Lobby lounge

March 2013 • hotelscapes 7

New developments an inventory of “20 to 25 percent but we have been able to break even within the first month of opening, and our present room occupancy is 55 percent.” The hotel is packed on weekdays (as we can see) and the crowd eases out on weekends since we are not a leisure property, says Praveen Sharma, Director of Sales. Positioned as a fou r sta r business hotel, the clientele for Courtyard by Marriott is “80 percent business travellers, 10 percent MICE and 10 percent leisure travellers,” informs Hurtis. “The hotel gets domestic travellers mainly from Delhi, Mumbai, Indore and Ahmedabad, and international travellers from Japan, Korea, China, UK, France, Germany and Italy. We are also looking at travellers from Sri Lanka since direct flights to Bhopal have been announced.” Hurtis goes on to add that apart from business, Bhopal has places of tourist interest like the world heritage site and Buddhist monument Sanchi Stupa which the Japanese guests at the hotel surely visit after wrapping up their business meeting. Bhopal is also a stop-over for visitors to wildlife sanctuaries like Bandhavga rh National Pa rk and Panna National Park in MP. The dining options at the hotel include an all-day dining restaurant – MoMo Cafe in the lobby which the hotel claims is the first all-day dining restaurant in Bhopal. The people are liking the concept because they love their food. F&B will be a big segment for us remarks Hurtis. One can see crowds of all age-groups at the restaurant. MoMo Cafe has a private dining area that can accommodate up to 12 people. It’s given out for ladies kitty parties, family lunches and dinners etc. The restaurant serves Indian, Asian and Western cuisines and has a live kitchen. The buffet spread is vast and there is an a

8 hotelscapes • March 2013

Courtyard Suite

la carte menu as well. Executive Chef Mangilal Kurly informs that the locals prefer their food spicy, and the food does come loaded with green and red chillies! However, food can be customised. “We had some Japanese guests and we served them Sushi etc since they don’t like their food spicy,” says Kurly. The al fresco restaurant in the courtyard serves barbeques and grills. Kurly says that they will soon be starting Sunday brunches at the al fresco restaurant. In the lobby is the Corner Bar that offers a corner view of the city through its glass walls while the bartender indulges you with exotic drinks and you are served finger foods.

Business & recreation facilities The lifts take you to the fifth and sixth floors – the convention block – the hotel’s business area and banqueting halls for weddings. The hotel has a huge ballroom with a terrace and a pre-function area, one junior ballroom with a pre-function

area and three meeting rooms, and a large terrace. The meeting rooms are equipped with an over head projector and clip boards, TV, VCR, Dictaphone, LCD panel, laser pointers and laptops. The convention block has its own kitchens, where last minute preparations are done while the food is cooked in the main kitchens. We were given a tour of not just the hotel but also the kitchens where the food is cooked – there are separate sections for cooking main course, salads, desserts etc. Cakes are baked fresh, chocolates are made inhouse for the hotel bakery. There is a separate section that takes orders for in-room dining. The food is neatly stacked in trolleys which are carried through spacious lifts into the dining area. It was a first-time experience to see the kitchen of an international branded hotel. The recreation facilities at the hotel include a gym (mainly for cardio that a business traveller desires) and a swimming pool on the terrace. Do business, eat, drink and

meet the team

The team has been associated with the Marriott Group for long, and has brought in their expertise to open Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal. Meet them: Elton Hurtis General Manager Praveen Sharma Director of Sales Amol More Director-F&B Mangilal Kurly Executive Chef

relax at Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal on your next business trip! ■ The writer was at Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal at the invitation of the hotel by Manisha Almadi Midha

new developments

The Taj Group turns 100 with Vivanta by Taj, Gurgaon The Taj Group of Hotels unveiled their first property in the bustling city of Gurgaon and 100th in India with Vivanta by Taj. The hotel is a metropolitan marvel, complimenting the lively lifestyle of Gurgaon.

10 hotelscapes • March 2013

ivanta by Taj-Hotels & Resorts is the modern and relaxed brand of the Taj Group of Hotels. The hotel provides a laid down environment for their hard working guests who are on the go throughout the day and are looking for a relaxed environment in the evening. The hotel offers you with stylised accommodation and high business efficiencies. Situated close to the business districts of Gurgaon and 30 kms from the national capital – Delhi, the hotel is a perfect escape for the modern generation who work hard and party harder. It is located in close proximity to hotspots like Kingdom of Dreams, the DLF Golf Course and the ever-present malls of Gurgaon. “By entering into Gurgaon with Vivanta by Taj, we want to give our best to the new age global customers. Here, our staffs are trained to treat the customers with informal service. By informal I don’t mean casual but a friendly and comfortable environment. Our staff would understand the requirements of the customer and serve him accordingly. We have an interactive environment in the hotel where things are not in the clichéd format but as per the requirements of the guest. We have an interactive dining experience for the guest who can talk to the chef and tell the specifications for his meal,” says Veer Vijay Singh, Chief Operating Officer,

Latitude Alfresco

New developments

[

The avant-garde design theme of the hotel can very well be felt in all the 189 guest rooms.

Vivanta by Taj-Hotels & Resorts. The architecture and the interiors of the hotel have been designed with fine details by Singapore based architecture firm, Warner Wong Design | WOW Architects. A perfect combination

of glass and stone has been very carefully chosen to give a sharp and an ultra modern look to the strong structure of the hotel. The avant-garde design theme of the hotel can very well be felt in all the 189 guest rooms which have

picturesque city and pool views. The hotel also boasts of 18 well appointed luxurious suites and a presidential suite with an executive lounge on the 10th floor. Updated technology has been used all over the hotel to ease

Second from front: Deepa Misra Harris, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces; Ajit Pavithran, GM, Vivanta by Taj - Gurgaon NCR; Raymond Bickson, MD & CEO- IHCL; Lalit Bhasin, Chairman, HB Estate; Abhijit Mukerji, Executive Director-IHCL and Veer Vijay Singh, COO-Vivanta by Taj-Hotels & Resorts at the launch ceremony

Oval lounge

meet the team Ajit Pavithran General Manager Samir Jilani F&B Manager things out for the guests. Every room is fully equipped with video conferencing facilities, Internet access and much more. Another element of convenience for the business travellers has been added with state-of-the-art conferencing facilities and fully furnished banquet halls. For fulfilling your gastronomic desires, the hotel has an all day diner, Latitude which offers the world on a plate. It offers six different cuisines from around the world along with showcasing the dramatic play of spices and flavours. For Thai lovers they have, Thai Pavilion which serves some authentic dishes of this cuisine in the most suited environment. For people on the go, who are looking for a quick bite, they have Deli 04. If you want to enjoy a drink with great music, then Tease, the bar is the perfect pick for you. To relax your mind, body and soul, Taj’s signature spa Jiva Spa offers a wide range of massages and different therapies. Also, it offers a special experience to help the corporate travellers in overcoming jet lag. Talking about the group’s vision towards their brand, Vivanta by Taj, Deepa Misra Harris, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces says, “The Taj Group of Hotels fulfils different attributes with its different brands. Designed to deliver vibrant experiences to its guests, Vivanta by Taj-Hotels & Resorts is a brand with a contemporary, energetic and vivacious twist. Here, the bars are high on energy; the designing is detailed and modern with unique Vivanta motifs.” ■ by Nikita Chopra

March 2013 • hotelscapes 11

in the news

Curtain raiser to HICSA 2013 HVS explains the rationale and methodology behind short-listing the finalists for HICSA 2013. HICSA Hotels of the Year Awards – The Methodology The HICSA Hotels of the Year Awards were instituted by HVS India to honour and recognise the most outstanding hotel developments in the previous year in South Asia. The finalists for 2013 have been recently announced and it has stirred up a controversy like never before. Hence, HVS thought it necessary to communicate the rationale and methodology employed for the short-listing process.

The Panel An independent panel of six judges shortlisted hotels across various categories from amongst 37 nominations received this year. It is important to note that judge’s discretion has only five percent weightage in the shortlisting process with an aim to bring in as much objectivity as possible to the exercise. The panel comprised:

Ashish Jakhanwala CEO and MD, SAMHI Ashish Jakhanwala is the Chief Executive Officer and MD of SAMHI, a hotel development and investment company, which he cofounded in January 2011. He has 15 years of experience across functions in the hospitality industry including investment, development, operations, planning, corporate finance and business advisory services. Between 2004 and 2010, Jakhanwala was part of core team responsible for starting-up and developing the Accor and InterGlobe’s hotel development portfolio in India, which included the ibis hotel network and some landmark transactions such as the recently-opened Sofitel BKC in Mumbai and the multiple hotel deal with Delhi International Airport.

Cyril Jacob MD, Archetype Group Cyril Jacob is Managing Director of Archetype in India since 2007. He has more than 20

12 hotelscapes • March 2013

years of project management experience in various East and South Asian countries. Archetype is a multi-disciplinary construction consultant, present in India since 2006 with its Project Management division. Over the years, the company has developed a strong expertise and track-record in the hospitality sector with several on-going projects for leading developers and international operators.

travel writer with 27 years of experience. As the Executive Editor of Mail Today (The India Today Group), he reviews restaurants every Friday, writes a food column every alternate Saturday and supervises the Special Initiative pages covering Travel. Previously, he was the Executive Director of the Indian Wine Academy and Editor of HT City (Hindustan Times).

Homi Aibara Partner, Mahajan & Aibara

Manav Thadani Chairman - South Asia, HVS Hospitality Services

Homi Aibara has been a Partner at Mahajan & Aibara since 1987. His industry specialisation includes Real Estate, Hospitality and Tourism both within the country and overseas. 25 years of experience has provided him with opportunities to direct multiple assignments in master planning, market assessment, feasibility studies, negotiating management contracts, tender processes and divestment among others. Aibara is also a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Previously, he worked with AF Ferguson in their consulting division; and in consulting and hospitality sectors in the United Kingdom, Dubai and the United States.

Ritu Bhatia Kler MD, Total Integrated Design (TID) Ritu Bhatia Kler started the office of TID India in 1995. She developed and promoted TID India, and handled the design co-ordination between clients and designers of TID International in Singapore. She has worked on different aspects of the hospitality industry from stand alone restaurants; spas; to complete hotels ranging from budget, 4 star business to 5 star deluxe; renovation of existing properties; and new Greenfield projects in emerging markets.

Sourish Bhattacharyya Executive Editor, Mail Today Sourish Bhattacharyya is a popular food and

Manav Thadani has conducted various feasibility and market studies, and performed hotel valuations for many major hotel chains and investment banks around the globe during his tenure with HVS since 1995. Prior to joining HVS, he gained six years of operational experience in various hotels in New York City. He moved to the London office in 1997 and then opened the HVS New Delhi office with Partner and HVS Founder Steve Rushmore. Under Thadani’s guidance, HVS India has expanded and launched services in Executive Search in 2011, Marketing Communications, Operational Audit and Advisory and F&B Advisory. In addition, he also oversees the Russia office of HVS and the re-launched Sustainability Services in India and Americas. Thadani is also responsible for successfully holding the Hotel Investment Conference - South Asia (HICSA) since its inception in 2005.

The Process All nominated hotels competed for a total of 100 points across 12 criteria. Three of these criteria (that make up 40 percent of the scores) were Development Cost per Key, Construction Tenure and TripAdvisor Rating and since these are quantifiable parameters, all nominated hotels were awarded points in advance for the same. The 100 points across the 12 criteria are

in the news The Finalists – 2013

League of Extraordinary Women

Based on the above methodology, the finalists are:

March marked International Women’s Day and many articles have since then been circulating regarding women and their position in the corporate world. Many of you may have noticed the article on Sheryl Sandberg, CEO Facebook that identifies the need to reboot feminism and reframe gender discussions. HICSA 2013 is doing just that! Taking a cue from the 100 plus women attendees at the conference last year, this year’s HICSA lays special emphasis on the ‘women’ in hospitality. Despite the fact that in the past three decades more women have graduated from college than men, only a little over five percent of the Fortune 500 companies have women at the helm. This percent has increased ever so slightly since 2003, when this percentage was a dismal 1.4 percent. Why? Is this because it is harder to climb the ladder to the C-Suite for a woman than it is for a man, or is it because of an invisible barrier that exists within the mind of today’s woman? DAY 1 of the conference will witness a special session titled ‘Women in Hospitality’, with a brilliant panel of extraordinary women answering these very questions based on their own experiences. They are great leaders and visionaries in their own right who have broken the so called “glass ceiling” to ascend to the upper ranks in the industry. Their unique approach, experience and management style has led them to be recognised amongst the most influential in their domain. Without a doubt, this shall be one of the most-awaited panel discussions at HICSA this year, which shall also include a keynote address by Trudy Rautio, President and CEO, Carlson. Moderator: Dilip Puri, Managing Director – India & Regional Vice President – South Asia, Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts Panellists: Camellia Panjabi, Group Director, Masala World (UK) Restaurants Jennifer Fox, President, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Madhu Nair, Director – Interior Design and Operations, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts Priya Paul, Chairperson, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Trudy Rautio, President and CEO, Carlson

distributed as given below: Criteria Maximum Points Development Cost 15 Construction Tenure 15 TripAdvisor Ratings 10 Location (Access and Visibility) 10 Location (Proximity to Demand Generators) 5 Hotel Facade and Public Areas 5 Guest Rooms (Interiors, Design and In-room Amenities) 10 F&B (Restaurants) 5 F&B (Meeting and Banqueting) 5 Other Facilities (Spa, Retail and Entertainment) 10 Corporate Social Responsibility 5 Judges Discretion 5 Total 100

Since the inception of HICSA Hotels of the Year Awards, more than 190 hotels have been nominated in various categories. While a few surprises and disappointments

are expected, it is important to note that the methodology of short-listing the finalists has been consistent over the past five years. The winners are ultimately chosen by HICSA delegates through an online voting process. This year, some of the home-grown brands have outscored international brands largely on the back of low development costs, which is clearly more investor-friendly. In addition, hotels that took longer to build and a re over-specced have clearly lost out on these important parameters. Regardless of the controversies the awards may have created, the fact is that they acknowledge the best new hotel developments in the South Asian region from amongst the nominations that have been received. ■

March 2013 • hotelscapes 13

one-on-one

Odisha has rich tourism potential! JK Mohanty, Managing Director, Swosti Group (Hotels-Resorts-Travels) and Chairman, Hotel & Restaurant Association of Odisha (HRAO) talks to Hotelscapes about the tourism and hospitality scenario in Odisha.

How do you see the tourism and hospitality scenario in Odisha these days?

Odisha is growing fast and in the next two years there will be a huge difference in the tourist inflow. The prospects of Odisha tourism are very bright and with little initiative on publicity and maintaining hygienic standards on the beaches near the temples and pushing up the accommodation sector, Odisha can become one of the most important tourist destinations of the country. Odisha is perhaps the only state in the country that can boast of a combination of mountains, beaches, forests, mangroves, eco sensitive forest areas, tribal life, rich cultural dances of Odisha, the saris of Odisha, temples, stone crafts, silver filigrees etc. The state is pollution free, peaceful and people with the attitude that go all out to welcome tourists. No other state in the country can boast of such rich tourism potential.

You are associated with the industry and have witnessed every change over these years. Do you notice any remarkable change in

14 hotelscapes â&#x20AC;˘ March 2013

tourism and hospitality sector in Odisha?

I h ave b e e n s i n c e r e l y work ing w ith the state government towards a better understanding and coordination between the industry and the state government towards a balanced growth in the tourism sector. With 180 members in the Hotel & Restaurant Association of Orissa (HRAO) individual problems of hoteliers are also addressed by the association from time to time apart from holding regular coordination meetings with the government and the various departments such as Forest & Environment Department, Home Department, General Administration and officials at the district level. It is very difficult for Odisha tourism to grow without availability of much trained manpower in the state and little support from the central government. We are proud that with the dy na m ic leadersh ip of Sh r i Naveen Patnaik, a widely travelled visionary who has made Odisha one of the largest investment destinations in the cou nt r y, is ver y passionate towards tourism. The state tourism department has put in their best to produce the best tourism policy of the country which is

one-on-one awaiting cabinet approval and should be out shortly. Incentives never heard of before have been incorporated into the new tourism policy which would produce huge inflow of investment in the tourism sector.

district, the 64 tribes of Odisha, the rich mountainous forests at Koraput and Phulbani districts, Daringbadi – the Kashmir of Odisha are places which make Odisha one of the richest tourist attractions of India.

For years Odisha is counting over golden triangle as its most hyped tourist destination. Do you think this solo-focus on PuriKonark-Bhubaneswar has made many other spots with enough potential to attract tourists remain neglected.

The lesser known tourist attractions in Odisha other than Golden Triangle are the Bhitarkanika crocodile mangroves, the Satkosia George which is an eco-friendly tiger reserve forest and the Mahanadi adjacent to the Satkosia for its large crocodiles and natural beauty. The lesser known tourist attractions are the forest and wildlife of Deogarh, the leaning temple at Huma of Sambalpur

Which places in your view should be groomed as future tourist destinations to enhance tourist footfall in Odisha?

I feel Odisha as a state has much more to offer to tourists than any other state. We have the beautiful beaches (coast line of 480 km), India’s largest brackish water lake (1100 sq km) the only place where you can enjoy a friendly time with Irrawaddy dolphins and millions of migratory birds that flock here during the winter season. You have rich traditional Odissi dancers, the handloom and handicrafts though rich in outlook are cheap to purchase. The tribal ethnic village attracts thousands of foreign tourists. Besides this, Satpada, where the seven rivers merge into the sea

“

The government of Odisha in consultation with the hotel industry is coming out with one of the most attractive tourism policy for major investors to come in and build tourist infrastructure in some of the most attractive but unknown destinations of the country. State government is also aggressively taking the matter of declaring Biju Patnaik Airport as an International Airport and we are sure that the government should declare it during March 2013 which will be a major development factor for foreign tourist inflow to Odisha.

is perhaps the only place in India full of dolphins which come beside your boats like your old friends and entertain you beyond imagination. The scenic beauty of this place is something which you cannot see even in your best of dreams. The tribal villages and the culture are some of the attractions that keep European tourists stuck in Orissa for a minimum of 21 nights. Orissa is not a destination which you can cover in a three nights four days package but one has to plan to see the best of India in this part by planning at least for 21 nights. Swosti Travels which is a leading inbound tour operating company in Eastern India specialises in Orissa and the North East and can assure guests of its excellent standards and quality of services.

Eco-tourism has been the buzz word in tourism industry for the last few years. Do you think Odisha which is blessed with rich ecology is exploring this eco-

One of the beaches at Odisha

March 2013 • hotelscapes 15

one-on-one tourism sector properly?

Odisha has tremendous potential for eco tourism lovers. The eco tourism sector of Odisha has been well protected by the government and the forest department and although limited tourism is permitted but it is restricted to mass tourism. Nature and wildlife lovers are escorted to these places through special executives of Swosti Travels. This is perhaps the richest eco-tourism state in the country. Besides this, Bhitarkanika, an eco tourist destination, is a mini Amazon. This is the only place in India where they guarantee tourists to see largest population of giant salt water crocodiles, eight species of Kingfishers, the nesting of Olive Ridley turtles, mangroves and other terrestrial wildlife. But due to lack of publicity Odisha is less known.

As a reputed brand in hospitality sector, how does Swosti plan to explore new versions of tourism?

Swosti has great achievements in its portfolio, it had won some of the most prestigious awards for quality and excellence in the hospitality business, has acclaimed several laurels to its credit. Apart from the three existing properties (Hotel Swosti, Swosti Premium and Swosti Palm Resort) the Swosti Group has ambitious plan to open several new hotels and resorts at new exotic tourist locations in the state at Puri, Chilka, Satpada, Bhitarkanika etc setting up world class state of the art properties with best ambience, recreational facilities, quality food and service. It will be a unique memorable experience altogether for the guests to enjoy the best hospitality at all our locations. We will manage all our properties professionally to the best industry standards to give real value of money to our guests.

16 hotelscapes â&#x20AC;˘ March 2013

Swosti Plaza, Bhubaneswar

Looking into the various aspects of the growing demand and due to acute shortage of skilled manpower in the hospitality sector and to contribute for the cause Swosti Group is starting from this year an internationally acclaimed Swosti Institute of Management Science in Bhubaneswar. Initially courses related to Hotel Management will commence this year but later several new courses related to Travel & Tourism, Airline Management, Office Management, Masters Degree in Business, Hotel Management will commence.

Despite of every potential to be a tourist hub, Odisha is lagging much behind in getting tourist footfalls in comparison to other states. What can be the reason?

The country has already witnessed overflow of foreign tourists in the states like Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Kerala, Goa and even Madhya Pradesh. But the turn has now come for Eastern India and Odisha which is filled with rich tourism potential has a combination of everything that the entire country has to offer. It is essential for the state

government to draw out a master plan for building of the rural tourism along the 480 km of coast line in the state. Some of the sites that are most attractive for rural tourism are the Chilika Lake, the Marine Drive in Puri Konark Beach, and the tribal hills of Phulbani, Jaipur, Rayagada a nd Koraput etc. The government has to come forward to recognise the importance of tourism which is one of the major labour intensive industries and also earns huge foreign exchange for the country. The government of Odisha in consultation with the hotel industry is coming out with one of the most attractive tourism policy for major investors to come in and build tourist infrastructure in some of the most attractive but unknown destinations of the country. State government is also aggressively taking the matter of declaring Biju Patnaik Airport as an International Airport and we are sure that the government should declare it during March 2013 which will be a major development factor for foreign tourist inflow to Odisha.

As MD of one of the leading group

of hotels in Odisha and Chairman of HRAO, what is your perception on utilisation of available infrastructure to the tourism sector in Odisha?

The available infrastructure in Odisha is far less compared to neighbouring states. The important tourist places, coastline, lakes, beaches, mountains are absolutely untouched. Infrastructure in those places is essential as a number of tourists are interested to visit the remote places to experience eco tourism, the village life, the tribal culture etc. Huge investment will be required for developing the tourism infrastructure in those areas.

What is the most important call of the time that needs timely attention and how it can be addressed to make Odisha a thriving tourist destination?

HRAO has already prepared a road-map for the next five years and incorporated the same in the proposed Tourism Policy which is bending declaration by the state government. Once this Tourism Policy is declared most of the needs would be fulfilled. â&#x2013; as told to Navin Berry

forum of the month

Budget is disappointing for the industry Hotelscapes gets the reactions of top hoteliers on this year’s union budget, and the way forward.

Dr Jyotsna Suri CMD, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group vice president, FICCI

dr Jyotsna suri CMD, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group vice president, FICCI

For an industry which has contributed Rs 94,487 crores in terms of foreign exchange last year, generated eight percent of employment opportunities in the country and is responsible for six percent of India’s GDP, it is disappointing that union budgets have not held much priority for it.

18 hotelscapes • March 2013

For an industry which has contributed Rs 94,487 crores in terms of foreign exchange last year, generated approximately eight percent of employment opportunities in the country and is responsible for six percent of India’s GDP, it is disheartening and disappointing that over the years union budgets have not held much priority for it. The industry is least incentivised and yet highly taxed. Last year an extra 10 percent service tax was levied on it. For every Rs one million of investment the number of jobs created by the travel and tourism industry is 78, while the agriculture industry creates 45. The industry has consistently being looked upon as an elitist industry, even though it is highly people intensive where people serve people. There are many capable bodies and associations which have been lobbying for the industry but unfortunately our demands have not been paid heed to. Therefore, there is a need for creating a common platform which will allow an interface between the hospitality industry, political leaders and appropriate government agencies. This will bring focus to the potential of the industry and hopefully give a boost to it, thus allowing it to grow and develop.

Nakul Anand President – Hotel Association of India Chairman – CII National Tourism Committee Chairman – FAITH Given the unique fabric of the tourism industry and the interdependence of the bodies that form the tourism industry, I believe what is pertinent is the tourism industry as a whole, with hotels being a part of it. That the industry is gaining prominence is evident in the 12th Five Year Plan, that recognises its potential to sub-serve larger national priorities of employment creation and poverty alleviation be it an inter-ministerial co-ordination committee headed by the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister or Visa on Arrival scheme to include more nations or the mandate to create 23 million jobs in the plan period. We’ve thus far had a fragmented voice from various bodies within the industry. Industry leaders however recognise that the need of the hour is to consolidate our efforts as one unified voice of the industry. With this object ive i n m i nd, we have formed FAITH (Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality) comprising nine national industry associations. FAITH is intended as one common voice aimed at abetting tourism whilst evaluating opportunities and addressing challenges that plague the industry. The coming together of the associations under a common umbrella represents the indus-

forum of the month

[

The surcharge on income tax imposed on high net-worth individuals will reduce their disposable income and might have an adverse impact for discretionary travel and hospitality. try’s combined will and resolve to generate greater synergy of effort on a wide spectrum of activities. It gives FAITH the mandate to move forward in harmony with the growth-oriented objectives of the 12th Five Year Plan and strengthen the tourism sector’s capabilities. It is a leap of faith, which I am confident, in times to come, will accord the tourism industry its rightful place in India’s economic and social development.

KB Kachru Executive Vice President, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group

nakul anand President – Hotel Association of India Chairman – CII National Tourism Committee Chairman – FAITH

Industry leaders however recognise that the need of the hour is to consolidate our efforts as one unified voice of the industry. With this objective in mind, we have formed FAITH (Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality) comprising nine national industry associations.

The union budget 2013 was presented in a difficult economic scenario with falling GDP, rising inflation and high current account and fiscal deficit. The budget tried to address these larger issues by taking steps towards fiscal prudence and reassuring on continued macro economic reforms and I feel its positive impact is unlikely to be witnessed in short-term, it would be visible in the medium and long term. The budgets have traditionally been disappointing for the travel and tourism sector as the successive governments have failed to recognise and encourage the potential of this industry, and, the union budget 2013 was no exception. The immediate impact of the budget 2013 on travel and tourism sector is negative. The marginal increase of Rs 86 crore in budgetary allocation for tourism sector will not help in improvement of tourism infrastructure and/or worldwide marketing of our tourism

KB Kachru Executive Vice President, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group

While the sector was already crippling under taxes, the budget imposed service tax on air-conditioned restaurants. With such extreme temperatures in the country is eating in an air-conditioned food outlet a luxury? As the interest rates are likely to remain high, there is no encouragement for investments in this sector.

wealth, which is so vital for its development. Despite travel and tourism industry’s contribution towards country’s GDP of more than six percent and nine percent towards employment, the budget did not initiate steps to get it recognised as an industry under schedule-I of The Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951, provide fast track and single-window clearing system for travel and tourism projects and announce incentives for development of this sector. Wh ile the sector was a lready crippling under multitude of taxes, the budget imposed service tax on air-conditioned restaurants. With such extreme temperatures in the country is eating in an air-conditioned food outlet a luxury? A l t h o u g h t h e r e w a s no change in slabs for personal income tax, the budget through its fiscal consolidation will hurt demand for travel and hospitality from middle-income group segment. Moreover, the surcharge on income tax imposed on high net-worth individuals will reduce their disposable income and might have an adverse impact for discretionary travel and hospitality. The demand from corporate, industry and businesses will also remain weak. The high fuel prices and high taxes on ATF will continue to hamper the growth of travel and tourism industry. As the interest rates are likely to remain high, there is no encouragement for investments in this sector. However, in the medium and long term the f iscal consolidation measures taken in the budget will result in economy making a turnaround. There is likely to be a three dimensional positive impact on the economy in the medium to long term. Fiscal and current account deficits will come down, INR will appreciate relative to the US$ and inflation will taper off. This

March 2013 • hotelscapes 19

forum of the month Ajay K Bakaya Executive Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts

three dimensional impact in the medium to long term will propel demand both from individuals and businesses which is expected to usher growth in travel and tourism sector.

Dilip Puri Managing Director, India & Regional Vice President, South Asia, Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts

Dilip puri Managing Director, India & Regional Vice President, South Asia, Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts

Let’s instead rally around the industries which are perceived by government to be more politically correct to give incentives and sops to. Let’s support infrastructure, aviation, real estate, power and other such sectors upon whom tourism and hospitality depend.

[

We hoteliers remain so focused on our business that the only definition of lobby that we understand is a large, glittering space with chandeliers over our heads and carpets under our feet welcoming us into areas of cocooned luxury. Creating a lobby to engage with government to understand the economic benefits of tourism and hospitality is sadly something we hoteliers seem incapable of doing. So let’s stop doing that. Let’s instead rally around the industries which are perceived by government to be more politically correct to give incentives and sops to. Let’s support infrastructure, aviation, real estate, power and other such sectors upon whom tourism and hospitality depend. Frankly, I think hotel developers will be more than keen to invest and develop assets in places where they can see connectivity and accessibility and can access affordable land and power and generate employment. Lets ask the government to share the database of the forty two million (oops, forty two thousand) crorepatis of the country so that we can at least market our hotels to them to come and stay at.

ajay K bakaya Executive Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts

Hoteliers need to get together and approach the ministers before the budget so that our needs are met. We have great potential in the One Hotel – One Hoarding – same message drive. This at no cost to the hotels and will deliver a very strong lobbying message. We need to raise our voice to get our message across!

lets ask the government to share the database of the forty two million (oops, forty two thousand) crorepatis of the country so that we can at least market our hotels to them to come and stay at.

20 hotelscapes • March 2013

We are only looking at what benefits us, let’s look at the larger picture – tourism. Let alone the hospitality industry, the government hasn’t even touched the tourism sector – it hasn’t done anything for the benefit of tourism. We don’t feature on government’s priority list. A few years ago, headway was made in this direction – the government had allotted a budget of around Rs 200 crores to tourism, considering the benefits tourism brings about in the global sense. Hence, there were many expectations for the tourism and hospitality sectors. The government’s incentive on infrastructure development says that a 3 Star plus hotel in a city or town with a population under 10 lakhs is eligible for infrastructure benefits, including lending benefits. This incentive is poorly administered. We were hoping for better allocation of funds and uniformity in taxation for the hospitality industry, and improvement in infrastructure such as better roads to move, to encourage tourism. The hospitality industry contributes to the economy in terms of generating employment – this should have been taken into consideration. What needs to be done is effective lobbying – hoteliers need to get together and approach the ministers – the finance minister and the civil aviation minister, in particular, before the budget, and not after the budget to make sure our needs are met. Hoteliers could also put up hoardings across the country highlighting the part we play in the country’s economy. We have great potential in the One Hotel – One Hoarding – same message drive. This at no cost to the hotels and will deliver a very strong lobbying message. ■ as told to Navin Berry

March 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ hotelscapes 21

preview

First look: JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity Hotelscapes unveils the first look of the soon-to-open JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity.

W Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity organised a hardhat visit of the hotel for select media on a Friday evening in February. We drove into Aerocity and saw a 5 star hotel in construction stage for the first time. Though termed a hard-hat visit, the scribes were not provided hats for the hotel tour. However, the JW Marriott team ensured we did not have bricks falling over our head. The hotel is partly done. It has a 12,000 sq ft pillar less ballroom and eight meeting rooms. The hotel is targeting the MICE and business markets due to its close proximity to airport and Gurgaon in NCR, and foreign leisure tourists to some extent, informed the hotel’s General Manager, Balan Paravantavida. The hotel has started bookings for conference halls and rooms. They plan to launch in April though it looks too early as the hotel is nowhere near completion stage. “We will open with 300-rooms and not all 523-rooms,” said Paravantavida. The media was taken around the hotel patisserie the ‘Delhi Baking Company’ that will have a live station where the chef will prepare fresh gourmet delicacies. Peppi Schuppler, Director of Operations at JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity said the hi-tea was organised by the hotel patisserie for the very first time. The hotel will have an allday dining restaurant ‘K3’, the

22 hotelscapes • March 2013

Japanese grill restaurant, ‘Akira Back’ with al fresco dining, the ‘JW Lounge’ for food and beverages and the ‘Oval Bar’. The other features of the hotel will include the JW Marriott signature ‘Quan Spa’, ‘JW Fitness’ and an outdoor, heated swimming pool overlooking the aerospace. Paravantavida said that the hotel has obtained all licenses, and will start trial runs for security. The hotel is being designed by Singapore-based architects Wilson Associates and an Indian designer. This will be the third JW Marriott in India, the first two being in Mumbai and Chandigarh. Looks like JW Marriott has already made a good start, being the first hotel at the much-talked

Above: Reception Below: Delhi Baking Company

about Aerocity in New Delhi to create hype by inviting media. The group is not deterred by competition from other hotels at Aerocity as Paravantavida maintains, “JW Marriott has its own loyal clientele.” ■ by Manisha Almadi Midha

overview

An Overview of Indian Hospitality at IHIF 2013 The 16th International Hotel Investment Forum 2013, Berlin involved various developments and overviews of the Indian Hospitality industry. Giving an outline of the Indian Travel and Tourism Industry and the Indian Hotel Market, KB Kachru, Executive Vice President, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group talked about various points.

D KB Kachru Executive Vice President, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group

Most of the operators in the Indian Hotel Market have focused on the upscale or above segments. Due to this, the supply and demand gap in the mid-market has increased which needs to be taken care of. International chains are also investing in key locations across the country and this trend is expected to continue.

24 hotelscapes â&#x20AC;˘ March 2013

iscussing about the general overview of Indian economy, KB Kachru said that as per Goldman Sachs, the longterm potential growth rate of the Indian economy is seven percent. According to Deloitte, India is expected to be the second largest manufacturing country in the next five years. He also stated that, Indian economy should focus on getting the right policy mix to create an enabling environment for growth. Pointing out the trends of the economy he said, strong export recovery has been noticed in the last quarter and the policy environment is the key to faster growth. Outlining the Indian Travel

and Tourism industry, Kachru presented that the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total contribution including direct, indirect and induced impacts to GDP in India was Rs 6.7 Billion which came out to be around 6.4 percent of total GDP in 2011. Also, the travel and tourism industry generates more jobs than the mining industry, automotive manufacturing and communications services. Travel and Tourism generated directly or indirectly, 7.9 percent of employment in India in 2011. With domestic travellers being one of the biggest factors for growth, the tourist volumes are expected to grow at over 11 percent annually until 2015. According to a report released at the Indian Restaurant Congress, the Indian food ser-

vices industry is worth nearly Rs 75,000 crore and is expected to reach Rs 137,000 crore by 2015. Talking about the availability of rooms in the Indian Hospitality market, he said Indian market continues to be under supplied. The branded room supply in 2012 was 80,000 but to meet the projected demand till 2016-17 we would require 100,000 more rooms which would be possible with an investment of three billion dollars. Whereas, the budget/ economy category presently has only 50,000 rooms and is suffering a shortage of 65,000 rooms. Until the recent past, most of the operators in the Indian Hotel Market have focused on the upscale or above segments. Due to this, the supply and demand gap

Number of approved hotels and availability of hotel rooms during 2009 and 2010: Category of Hotels Number of Hotels Number of Rooms As on 31.12.2009 As on 31.12.2010 As on 31.12.2009 As on 31.12.2010 One Star 55 67 2755 2537 Two Star 220 307 6539 8446 Three Star 511 869 23164 36585 Four Star 125 157 8652 12059 Five Star 98 149 11822 17144 Five Star Deluxe 109 153 23113 34187 Apartment Hotels 7 8 566 756 Time Share Resorts 1 1 62 62 Heritage Hotels 88 146 2545 3879 Bed & B/F establishment 357 469 1115 1540 Guest House 1 1 40 40 Unclassified 257 156 12411 580 TOTAL 1829 2483 92784 117815

overview

Radisson Blu Suites Gurgaon

in the mid-market has increased which needs to be taken care of. International chains are also investing in key locations across the country and this trend is expected to continue. This is an indication to the long term potential of the Indian hotel market. The trend for occupancy in India is continuing to be seasonal, with January to March being the peak seasons and April to September, being the lowest occupant seasons. The seven months from October to April are generally over 60 percent of occupancy. The occupancy from mid-April to mid-August is in their mid-50s. The Ministry of Tourism has also proposed to provide a cash subsidy of two lakhs per room in the budget category and three lakhs per room in the economy hotels category. Also, development of 20 tourism parks with

a minimum area of 50 acres has been proposed. Each park would include land for hotels, convention centers, theme parks and a lot more. Rural tourism is also being planned to be accelerated by identifying clusters of five to seven villages having interesting craft and art form. Being optimistic about India for over a decade, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group was the first international operator to set up a management team within the country to service its hotels. It is the first international operator to cross 50 operational hotel milestones in India. Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has around 62 hotels in operation and 43 hotels under development across their five brands in India. They came up with 19 hotels in 2011, 13 hotels in 2012 and 10 more hotels are expected to open in 2013. â&#x2013; compiled by Nikita Chopra

March 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ hotelscapes 25

destination Goa

Contemporary luxury on the Goan coast The Park on Holiday Beach Hotelscapes went luxury hunting to Goa and located the seafront property of The Park on Holiday Beach. A breath taking view of the ocean, distinctive dining and a definite attention to luxurious comfort is what this 30-room luxury boutique hotel has to offer. We talked to the graceful Saurabh Khanna, Director-Operations, The Park on Holiday Beach, who gave us an insight on the hotel industry in Goa, its pros and cons, vision of hospitality and the value of customer feedback for The Park management.

26 hotelscapes • March 2013

The lobby

hat makes a guest want to stay at a hotel? “A comfortable and inviting ambience, an enthusiastic team spirit and the ability to make everyone happy,” says Saurabh Khanna. Having started his career as a Management Trainee with The Park Hotels and having handled various assignments for them in the last 11 years, the Director-Operations has been endowed with the responsibility of The Park on Holiday Beach, Goa, since the pre-opening – from the planning stage to the management of the overall operations for

the hotel. Here’s the remarkable Q&A session with him that happened at ‘Love’, the restaurant at the hotel, which faces one end of the wonderful Calangute beach.

Q A

Introduce The Park on Holiday Beach, Goa, to us.

The Park on Holiday Beach is a luxury boutique hotel of 30 rooms, a part of Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd. which is India’s first collection of luxury boutique hotels and associated with the prestigious Design Hotels. The hotel has recently been rated amongst

the best new hotels in 2012 by Conde Nast Traveller, UK.

What kind of planning was involved in the development process of the property?

Wel l, it t o ok ab out 18 months for this property to be ready and operational. Priya Paul, the Chairperson, was very focused towards the overall design of the place. The original concept was designed by a Frenchman Pierre Masia and the finishing design inputs (like the artwork behind the reception area and on the room

destination GOA doors) were provided by Ms. Paul herself.

Q A

Can you tell us a bit about the hotel industry in Goa?

Goa’s hotel industry is doing very well. Although, during the season there is still scope of a lot more rooms to be added. There can be a lot more hotels that can be introduced in Goa that will help the business to develop overall and will not trouble the existing hoteliers. During the off season, it’s a challenge, but because of MICE conferences and Goa being a big wedding destination too, it helps

a lot. South Goa is generally a place where people go for a relaxed holiday, whereas North Goa is for a happening holiday.

Q A

Talking about the business part, how is The Park in Goa doing? The Park in Goa has being doing extremely well since the first day of the opening. We opened right in the middle of the season in 2011 (23rd December).

Q A

Who would you say are your competitors here? When we positioned ourselves at Calangute, there

were only two branded hotels in the location – Lemon Tree and Taj. We are a small boutique hotel and do not have the space for a big property, but are more intimate than them. So we really don’t see too many competitors.

How is it trickier to have a hotel in Goa than in other parts of the nation? And also what are the advantages?

The advantage is that Goa now is a 365 day destination. During the off season the rates are almost 30 percent lesser, so it’s difficult to be competitive in the market. Also,

Saurabh Khanna Director-Operations, The Park on Holiday Beach, GOa

We engage our guests during the course of the stay. Sometimes, we give them a session on bartending, teaching them about Goan cuisine; some guests like to see the local culture, so what better than going fishing with the fisherman at 4 in the morning!

the biggest challenge is to find trained human resources.

Q A

What will make guests want to stay at this hotel?

The swimming pool area leading to the restaurant

In one word - personalisation of service. Our biggest USP is our location. We help our guests achieve what they want, whether relaxation or celebration. We engage them during the course of the stay. Sometimes, we give them a session on bartend-

March 2013 • hotelscapes 27

destination GOA ing, teaching them about Goan cuisine; some guests like to see the local culture, so what better than going fishing with the fisherman at 4 in the morning! Our idea is to deliver to the best possible level whatever the guest wishes.

How do you go about training your employees and fellow employees?

I have luckily been a part of the different departments. For three years of my career, I was participating in training sessions for a living. I further handled the spa for a year and a half and then I handled the front office operations. Since most of the people here are freshers and lack experience, skills training is

The luxury room

Private Notes What makes a good hotel manager? Someone who enjoys making others happy, whether it is the guests or the employees. It has to be his innate nature to make others happy. Can you give us an insight on your day? The general itinerary trails like this – 9:30 in the morning we have a meeting with all department heads. Then, I spend some time in the restaurant meeting all guests during breakfast. I generally plan my meetings after breakfast, and go through my mails. Post lunch, I keep meeting different department heads to check on any issues. The hotel is located in such a way that the sunset on the beach looks beautiful. I enjoy moving around the property during that time. Best time of the day for you? Breakfast, since each of our guests come down to the restaurant at that time and I get to meet them one-on-one. What department of the hotel is the most important, and why? Its teamwork. So it will be difficult for me to pinpoint one department. In your years of experience, what has been the most learning time that you can point out? The Park believes in encouraging young talent. Almost 10 years back, when I was still a management trainee, I remember having a meeting with the Chairperson and the Managing Director for opening new restaurants at The Park, New Delhi. I don’t think there is any company where a management trainee is given an opportunity to express his/her opinion so clearly.

28 hotelscapes • March 2013

[

our idea was to have a Miami kind of an environment and we intend to add more luxury value to it.

a very important part. We focus on on-the-job training. When we hire, we hire for attitude.

Q A

How did you go about planning the cuisine?

Across the company, Mediterranean and Italian is our strength. But because we have to cater to tastes of all the guests, we offer a little bit of Indian, Goan and European as well. Our aim is to change the menu at least twice a year – summer and monsoons. Visitors in Goa want to start drinking right in the morning, and the only option they have is beer. So we made a cocktail menu out of the ingredients made in breakfast!

Q A

What kinds of feedback have you had?

We’ve always had positive feedbacks on our service and location. The negative feedbacks have been for the white

theme of the property. Conversely, our idea was to have a Miami kind of an environment and we intend to retain it and add more luxury value to it.

Q A

What is the vision of hospitality of The Park management? The Park is a pioneer of luxury boutique hotels in India, and all the hotels that we have, whether it’s a 30 room property in Goa or a 20 room property in Kerala, or even a 270 room property in Hyderabad, all have a sense of design in them.

What next?

The idea is that The Park on Holiday Beach has to be the first choice of guests travelling to Goa. On the recommendations and feedbacks that we’ve had in the last one year, we will make certain changes. ■ by Varalika Vij

March 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ hotelscapes 29

destination report punjab

Is Punjab ready for a hotel policy? Punjab’s hospitality industry has been long awaiting a hotel policy. With neighbouring states like Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh scoring over the state in terms of tourist inflows, the Punjab Government has announced to formulate a hotel policy soon to attract hospitality investments. Hotelscapes spoke to some hoteliers in Punjab to understand their reaction.

unjab is perhaps one state in India that has not r e a l i s e d it s f u l l potential in terms of tourism and hospitality. Aiming to place it on the hospitality and tourism map of India and earn big bucks from the industry, the state government is all set to formulate a hotel policy. Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab said that the state will be the “next big destination for investment and tourism will be a major focus area.” What is to be seen is whether the upcoming policy will aid growth in the region. The state is encouraging hotels, restaurants, and shopping malls through private investment. Moreover, Badal also assured a hassle-free window clearance and development process in the state. We spoke to a few players in the industry to understand what they think about the policy and what amount of optimism has this generated among the industry.

Radisson Blu Hotel, Amritsar Rajan Gill, Managing Director

The biggest challenge is to create a tourist circuit for Punjab where we can make visitors stay in the state/city for at least a few nights. The biggest tourist inf low in Punjab happens in Amritsar

30 hotelscapes • March 2013

with about 1.5 lakh footfalls at the Golden Temple alone and about 20,000 at the Wagah border every day. These numbers further swell during weekends and auspicious days. But most tourists tend to rush back after visiting these two places as they can easily be covered in a single day. The game changer would be a strategy to retain most of

Rajan Gill Managing Director, Radisson Blu Hotel, Amritsar

The government has so far been only trying to form a religious circuit covering various famous gurudwaras but unfortunately a typical tourist is not here for a religious pilgrimage and wants to change track after visiting the Golden Temple hence the need of the hour is to put variety in the itinerary.

these people in Punjab by having them experience local things like Amritsar Food Street, heritage village and Harike Bird Sanctuary. The government has so far been only trying to form a religious circuit covering various famous gurudwaras gurudwaras but unfortunately a typical tourist is not here for a religious pilgrimage and wants to change track after visiting the Golden Temple hence

destination report punjab

Best Western Plus Stella, Bathinda

the need of the hour is to put variety in the itinerary rather than killing it with an overdose of one particular aspect. The other major issue is the government’s unwillingness to develop Amritsar as a world class tourist destination due to political reasons (the last six odd governments had chief ministers from the Malwa belt). That is one of the reasons the Amritsar International Airport is being neglected at the cost of announcing other airports at Mohali, Kudhian and Bathinda (one fails to understand why Punjab needs four major airports when one can cover the whole state in four hours by road).They need to understand and accept the fact that Amritsar is and will be the gateway for tourism for Punjab and can feed the rest of tier-II destinations in Punjab. Surprisingly there is no policy as such by the Punjab govern-

ment till date! They might have announced something in the spur of the moment and may have nothing in the offering actually. And if they do have a policy, I’m afraid that not many people know about it! I would take the onus of selling Punjab on myself just like Gujarat that has recently started allowing individual hotels or travel agents wage their own little battles to get people to the state. The irony with Punjab is that it has never seriously tried selling itself as a major tourist destination. There is not even a single tourist information center in the whole of state. The Punjab Tourism Development Corporation, the main body supposed to be doing this is as good as defunct from the last 15 years. Hence, we are ourselves to blame for where we stand today. The infrastructure in the state has definitely made a lot

of progress in the last few years and going by the government statements, it sounds serious enough to revamp the public infrastructure further. With respect to private sector, a lot of international chains have already started operations or are at various stages on operations. The recent recession did hurt most of us but Punjab does not have a huge corporate movement and therefore it was not as shattered as the metros. Moreover, more people come to pray when they have less wealth accessible to them (hence tourism did get a boost and in turn implied more occupancy for hotels)! We are currently doing a healthy occupancy of around 70 percent and this is primarily because rather than just being a leisure market we are striving to emerge as a major MICE destination hotel in this part of the country as the spaces and facilities we have are world class and beyond competition. The year 2013 shall be our second year of operations and we hope to make a symbolic profit in it. Apart from Radisson Blu we are doing a Park Plaza at Amritsar and a Park Inn by Radisson at Phagwara.

Rajiv Sharma General Manager, Best Western Plus Stella, Bathinda

The state wants to project itself as a tourist destination and in turn increase its sources of revenues. I would want the government to include tax rebates for the hospitality industry and have a single window for all the approvals and NOCs.

Best Western Plus Stella, Bathinda

Rajiv Sharma General Manager

I think the problems specific to the hospitality industry in Punjab are increasing number as well as rates of taxes for operational hotels. Besides this, there are procurement issues with respect to the various no objection certificates (NOC) that upcoming projects have to get before kick starting their project. This makes the situation a bit complicated. I feel the state wants to project itself as a tourist destination and in turn increase its sources of revenues. This could be the

reason why this policy is being discussed now. I would definitely want the government to include tax rebates for the hospitality industry and have a single window for all the approvals and NOCs. Punjab has a culture and heritage to showcase to the world, besides the pilgrimage/religious destinations. There is a lot of potential in terms of tourism which we have not been able to capture or cash in on. We appreciate that these things are being taken into consideration by the government at least now.

March 2013 • hotelscapes 31

destination report punjab

Best Western Merrion, Amritsar Atul Pandey, General Manager

Atul Pandey general manager, Best Western Merrion, Amritsar

Being given the industry status, start up hotels will benefit immensely, but there are certain norms that govern the production units and/or other industries (like peak and off peak hours of electricity rates etc) that should be modified for the hotel industry.

The infrastructure scenario in the state is quite good and it is being improved at a good pace. My hotel is at the pre-opening stage, but my last hotel in Amritsar was doing an average occupancy of above 90 percent. We will launch this new property in the month of May 2013 and are expecting a profitability of 35 percent in terms of GOP. We are planning to come up with more properties in Punjab looking at the encouraging scenario.

32 hotelscapes • March 2013

I believe that this policy is being drafted to attract investment in the hospitality sector and to improve the facilities and infrastructure of the state. This is also a pre-emptive measure to prepare the state with enough room inventory while simultaneously promoting the state as a prime tourist destination. Being given the industry status, start up hotels will benefit immensely, but there are certain norms that govern the production units and/or other industries (like peak and off peak hours of electricity rates etc) that should be modified for the hotel industry. There needs to be relaxation of luxury tax on rooms (especially in Amritsar when all major pilgrimage centres like Haridwar, Banaras and Katra in the coun-

try were exempt from such taxes) and on service tax as well. State government has doubled luxury tax from four percent to eight percent in addition to the 7.42 percent service tax that the hoteliers have been already paying. I believe that Punjab can generate large amount of revenue by promoting itself as a prime tourist destination, something that Punjab has never focused on until now. Punjab has all the elements to promote religious tourism, cultural tourism, medical tourism (in Mohali), and in due course also attract leisure tourists with infrastructure development. Goa, J&K, Kerala, Gujarat and Rajasthan are amongst the few states that have been extremely successful with their targeted aggressive approach towards selling their state as a prime tourist destination while others like Punjab have just started to realise their

potential and have begun to prepare themselves to be positioned as a tourist destination in the near future. Punjab is considered to have the best infrastructure in India (includes road, rail, air and river transport that are extensive throughout the region). Punjab has essentially an agrarian economy with a lower industrial output as compared to other states of India. A prominent feature of the industrial scenario of Punjab is its small sized industrial units. Hotels industry is growing at a healthy pace as well in Punjab. In Amritsar alone there are over 400 rooms being added to the city’s inventory with the addition of Holiday Inn, Ramada and Radisson in the competition. Due to a smaller inventory and being close to the Golden Temple, which is the main attraction of the city, we are averaging

destination report punjab

Amanpreet Sandhu Director of Sales, Hyatt Regency Ludhiana

Hyatt Regency Ludhiana

[

Punjab is one state in India that has not realised its full potential in terms of tourism and hospitality.

a high occupancy percentage with ARR meeting the city average. We are projecting a GOP of 45 percent and a revenue growth of 10 percent over last year. We do have other hotel projects on a much larger scale in the pipeline.

Hyatt Regency Ludhiana

Amanpreet Sandhu, Director of Sales We believe that the fiscal policies are not encouraging enough for the hospitality/hotel industry in the country, the same holds true for Punjab as well. Punjab is more focused on agriculture and is an industry/tourism oriented economy that also adds to the woes. Moreover, lack of tourism infrastructure coupled with lack

of initiatives by the government to promote tourism domestically as well as internationally creates further issues. At times, areas with proximity to Pakistan are not favoured by corporates. An aggressive business and tourism policy is required to attract investment towards the hotel industry in Punjab. The state has lot of unrealised potential which needs to be unleashed so that industry and tourism can grow otherwise. Other states in the country might take away a huge chunk of the investments by offering better incentives. This will also give an opportunity to the state’s youth thus countering the brain drain issue. We would want the following to be implemented among others

for the benefit of the state’s hospitality sector: 1. Tax holidays for new hotels and industrial units. 2. Single window clearance for licenses. 3. Promote industry and tourism potential through integrated med ia ca mpaigns such as ‘Incredible India’ and ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ campaign. 4. All heritage sights should be given to the private sector for maintenance. 5. Time-bound and step-wise infrastructural development should take place instead of starting all projects at one time and leaving them unfinished. Punjab needs to promote tourism for the sheer potential that the state offers given its historical mon-

A lot of infrastructural projects have been initiated but most of them have got much delayed beyond the original completion date due to inefficient planning. This is a major hindrance in keeping up with the pace of development in other states such as Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

uments and geographical location. A lot of infrastructural projects have been initiated but most of them have got much delayed beyond the original completion date due to inefficient planning. This is a major hindrance in keeping up with the pace of development in other states such as Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. Due to agrarian nature of its economy, Punjab did not have a major impact due to the global recession. ■ as told to Lavanya Singhal

March 2013 • hotelscapes 33

guest column

ankush sharma GM, Courtyard by marriott, chennai

don’t really remember where I read it but then again, I don’t really remember as to how most of the best things in my life came to be. I was so taken over by the revelation and the power of the actual happening, that everything else was a drumbeat slowly rising till it completely overtook everything else – including the surrounding. After that, I was so excited thinking about it that I used to completely forget all else. Its because I felt what was most important was that it was here in front of me and now I had to act on it, how and where it came to be was actually irrelevant. The line was very simple. ‘Don’t tell the client what he wants and push it to them. Listen to them – if you still feel like telling them, go home, have a shower and dry yourself; go out and ask the guest again what they want, listen to them and serve the guest what they wanted in the first place.’ Simple but powerful – from the time I joined hotel school, passed out and then took up my job – I have always been told about the value of service and how good service drives business and how it is the most integral part of any business. I am sure all of us today, irrespective of our sector – production, service, banking etc have all been told this at some point or the other and every now and then we go through a refresher training that tells us the same

34 hotelscapes • March 2013

Good service is good business – great service is better business Ankush Sharma highlights why it’s important to provide good service to guests, particularly in the hospitality sector.

again. What is really funny is that when we move away from the session – we tend to get back in the rut again and our normal life takes over. I am sure we all offer good service as that is what drives good business. It is not really until sometime back that I discovered the difference between good service and great service. At the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Chennai we started something called Memorable Moments – which quite simply put, is to ensure that we create moments for our guests that take them beyond the fancy rooms, polished floor and we do something so memorable that it cannot be simply recreated by any other without effort and the guest looks beyond the fancier products and toiletries that other chains or competition may offer. Everyone wants to talk to the new kid on the block – similarly every new restaurant, hotel or product does get its patronage on the pure factor of being a spanking new shiny toy. But the question is to understand the reality that no matter how much you invest in it – it will not remain forever new and since almost everyone provides good service – where do you get the edge. That is when great service comes in. I will give some examples: A lone traveller stayed with us a few months back and his stay was perfect as the book says – good check in, nice room, good

“

Don’t tell the client what he wants and push it to them. Listen to them – if you still feel like telling them, go home, have a shower and dry yourself; go out and ask the guest again what they want, listen to them and serve the guest what they wanted in the first place. food, prompt service and he was a happy customer. His office was a bit far off from where we are located and in an area that didn’t really have too much around to eat. So everyday he used to, pack a few things in a plastic box and take it to work. One of our chefs used to notice this and days went by, after the third day of him doing this – the chef finished his shift, went to a local store and bought a Tiffin box in which he packed the food and offered it to the guest the next day. The guest not expecting it asked about how this came to be, upon which the chef answered, “You stay with us and take our food out to eat. How can you enjoy it if it’s not served hot and the way it should be – irrespective of whether you are inside or outside the hotel. If you are our guest, eating our food, you will eat it the

way it is supposed to be served and enjoy every bite.” Another guest hurrying for a meeting broke his shoe lace and being a foreign national and in Chennai for the first time was in a bit of a panic. He didn’t voice his anxiety but appeared very flustered. That is when he met one of our sales associates. I met my sales associate about 20 minutes after that and was surprised that a sales person, a front line representative of the hotel, was walking around in the back areas with a shoe lace missing. That was the first time I appreciated someone for not being in perfect uniform, because he had actually, without batting an eyelid got down on the ground, pulled out his shoe lace and fixed the guest’s shoe. These guests recommended us and even today, they stay with us along with their friends and family. In an industry where supply increases day on day – good service is definitely good for business but when the new guys come knocking on the customers door, its only these and maybe many more examples of great service that will actually make them close the door on them and come back to you. I am sure we all agree that while it is good business to exist with a customer base in a corporate environment that it is as cut throat as today. It’s great business to actually grow your customer base irrespective of an increase in competition. ■

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new avenues

Growing trend of studio apartments Studio apartments combine the comfort of home and the services of a top notch hotel, and are taking the hospitality industry by storm.

oing by the increasing popularity of studio apartments, it is evident that good things come in small packages. A relatively new concept for Indian real estate, a studio apartment is a compact, self sufficient unit. A typical studio apartment is a compact area inclusive of a designated area for work, study,

leisure and rest etc. The only separate room with a door in a studio apartment is the bathroom. Studio apartments are lucrative investment options and allow easy entry and exit points. These are cost-effective and convenient for young professionals across the globe. A large percentage of people are unable to invest in A proud owner of studio apartment

36 hotelscapes â&#x20AC;˘ March 2013

An elderly couple at studio apartment

apartments or villas due to the high price points and studio apartments provide the perfect alternative. These apartments are also an ideal solution for corporate employees or expats relocating to a particular city, who want to combine the privacy and comfort of their home with the services and amenities provided by a top-class hotel. Due to the rapid globalisation and urbanisation and the subsequent influx of MNCs, top executives, business travellers, skilled professionals, expats and leisure travellers into the country, studio apartments are the latest realty phenomenon. The trend though western in origin, has taken the domestic hospitality and real estate industry by storm. For couples or single persons like working professionals, students, etc studio apartments are becoming the most favoured alternative for residence. A studio rental costs much less than a one bedroom rental. These residential units provide high returns and low capital investment is a major incentive for the growth of the

studio apartments trend. Moving into a studio apartment is a smart way of minimalistic living, students find renting a studio apartment more suitable to their lifestyles and economical than other arrangements. The affordable price of studio apartments and the minimum maintenance cost attached to it has made it a hot favourite for people. Studio apartments are best for singletons or couples, most people who start working or those who have recently got married canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford to buy big apartments, especially in metro cities, where housing is expensive even if you rent it. Young professionals are averse to investing huge sums on housing and prefer to opt for safer options like studio apartments, which offer comfort and security at minimal investment. For such people, a studio apartment is a good option, particularly if they spend most of their time at work. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s even better if they can buy one near their workplace as it will help them save on transportation cost. Usually, young people want

new avenues

[

The trend though western in origin, has taken the domestic hospitality and real estate industry by storm.

to stay in an affordable place and sell it when they move to a different city for work. These flats also work for parents whose children are pursuing higher education and may otherwise have to stay in a hostel. Studio apartments are very popular as majority of them are located in prime locations that makes daily commuting easier for its dwellers. Proximity to work place, schools, colleges, hospitals, shopping malls, super markets, theaters etc also lures many towards residing in studio

apartments. Another benefit, of living in a studio apartment is that when living in a small condensed space, keeping the unit cool in the summer and warm in the winter is going to take less energy. These energy efficient homes give lower rents, so will be the electricity bills. Hence, studios are low maintenance and often called bachelor style apartments. While buying a studio apartment, the most important aspect to consider is location. It should be near a commercial or indus-

A young designer at studio apartment

trial hub as this will guarantee a constant inflow of tenants and buyers. No wonder, studio apartments are in prime demand in and around central business districts and IT centers. Thus, with affordable prices and good locations, studio apartments are increasingly becoming popular and in high

demand among all sections of people. With availability of affordable studio apartments, a better and more contemporary lifestyle has been introduced to aspiring class. All in all studio apartments are emerging as the best bet for getting comfortable standards of living at affordable price points. â&#x2013;

March 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ hotelscapes 37

trends

Too young for consolidation? Experts feel that during testing times, industries are bound to witness consolidation. The Indian hospitality industry, however, seems to be in a mood to stand on its own feet.

oteliers in India seem to be putting behind the ef fects of the downturn and welcoming a better phase. While the industry is still limping back to the growth track, it is fairly buoyant about the prospects. A global slowdown, unemployment, low disposable incomes and increasing costs are good enough reasons for small players of any industry to resign to their fate and succumb to the financial pressures â&#x20AC;&#x201C; mergers and acquisitions is what an industry witnesses in such a scenario. The Indian hospitality industry is now on the recovery path following the downturns of 2008 and 2011. However, players believe that the industry is at a nascent stage today and there is a lot of potential. Strategic partnerships

for financial restructuring and agreements for providing better services are likely to continue.

Daiwik Hotels Pvt. Ltd.

term, the outlook of the hospitality sector in India appears very positive. China and India are the new pillars of global growth. With

Debashis Ghosal MD & CEO The hotel industry struggled in 2012 due to its cyclical nature and the overall uncertainty in the Indian and the global economy at large. In India, high inflation and below-the-required eight-nine percent GDP growth rate have affected travel and hotels. The year 2013 does not look remarkably different and unless the economic indicators and the general sentiment improve, performance of hotels which is heavily dependent on domestic travel will continue to struggle. However, in the medium-to-long Daiwik Hotel Rameswaram

Debashis Ghosal MD & CEO, Daiwik Hotels Pvt. Ltd.

While hotels might be looking at mergers and acquisitions, we plan to concentrate on our pilgrim hotel model which is very unique and we would like to develop this further. We are not looking at any deals in the near future.

38 hotelscapes â&#x20AC;˘ March 2013

South East Asian economies like Indonesia also registering impressive growth rates, the disposal incomes for travel are filling the pockets of the middle class in the Asian region. This was reflected in the relatively better performance of the hotels in the Asian economies. China and India may witness a near term over supply of inventory in some markets as new hotel developments get completed which will lower RevPar in such places. The mid segment hotels will see most action in terms of new development and investor interests in India. The influence of technology and social media will continue to be on the rise. Online booking will gather more strength as far as reservations are concerned. India should see an upward trend in inbound tourists into India. Indian hotels will need to compete against South Asian and other tourist destinations as room inflation and the high taxations on hospitality make rooms relatively more expensive to the traveller in India. Asset light models will be the flavour of the day. The expensive debts are being replaced in the industry by different forms of equity and also through sale of assets to make the balance sheets debt light. While hotels might be looking at mergers and acquisitions, we plan to concentrate on our pilgrim hotel model which is very unique and we would like

trends to develop this further. We are not looking at any deals in the near future. The RBI has allowed for refinancing of debts for project sizes over Rs 250 crore through ECBs and we would like that option to be given for smaller project sizes as well. Mid market hotels should be able to attract foreign investments. As the potential of pilgrim travel is being recognised by the Central and State Governments and other stakeholders in the hospitality industry, there will be growing investment interest into the pilgrim sector in particular. The overall mood of the global and the Indian economy in particular need to improve to see a rush for investment into the hotel industry.

erty, Suryagarh Jaisalmer, we were focussed on fully maturing our business at the hotel. Highend travel is new to Jasialmer and therefore, it took us a while to develop our market and thus the business, of which we are now confident about. Our second sizeable initiative was to refresh and revamp the operation of our second asset, i.e. Laxminiwas Palace in Bikaner (Rajasthan). We acquired this former palace of King Maharaja

Suryagarh Hotel, Jaisalmer

Manvendra Singh Shekhawat MD Like any industry, when you are put to test in a challenging economic environment with a high element of competitiveness, the demand-supply balance is disturbed and then consolidation would be inevitable. A decade ago the hospitality business in India was perceived as a fool proof business model with high operating margins. Staggering hike in land cost coupled with other expenses has forced the investor fraternity to reconsider options. As a result, only the committed and thorough bred players are going to eventually sustain. Over the past few years, we have already seen numerous small/new hotel companies come and go. Acquisitions and mergers have already been prevalent like they have been in every fast paced and evolving scenario. Having started our hospitality endeavour in 2009 with advent of our very first signature prop-

Manvendra Singh Shekhawat MD, Suryagarh Hotel, Jaisalmer

Our second sizeable initiative was to refresh and revamp the operation of our second asset, i.e. Laxminiwas Palace in Bikaner (Rajasthan). We acquired this former palace of King Maharaja Ganga Singh in Bikaner and our focus will be to renovate this property.

Suryagarh Hotel, Jaisalmer

Ganga Singh in Bikaner and our focus will be to renovate this property. We are now experienced in building a ground up asset as well as renovating and refurbishing an existing heritage property which is in line with our business strategy of acquiring sufficient experience in the industry. By mid-2013, we shall begin to scout for suitable expansion oppor t u nities, both v ia the management as well as the investment route. A lt houg h t he yea r 2012 started on a weak note for the Indian hotels industry but there was a significant respite in the latter quarters. The landscape was seen evolving quickly as new technology demands that hotels become more social and engaging in their marketing efforts, travellers are looking for the best value propositions. Overall, the industry looked bright in many pa rts of the world. The continued influx in business transient, leisure and international inbound travel benefitted the industry in a lot many ways. A sia n hot el s a long w it h hotels in the Middle East and Af-

rica have definitely performed better than hotels in other western parts of the world. China is emerging as an important player in both domestic and international travel and tourism segment. A key factor which can be attributed to the same is the fact that the spending power along with the disposable income of the people in India and Africa has greatly increased over the past few years. India is definitely a hot destination for foreign investment right now. There are primarily two reasons for the same. The first one being that the Indian economy is doing well compared to other parts of the world at the moment, the market has not been fully exploited yet and there is immense potential.

The Lemon Tree Hotel Company

Rahul Pandit President & Executive Director The current climate can promote consolidation if value expectations are realistic. Foreign real estate investment trusts would watch the governance scenario and policy outlook before mak-

March 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ hotelscapes 39

trends

Rahul Pandit President & Executive Director, The Lemon Tree Hotel Company

The current climate can promote consolidation if value expectations are realistic. Foreign real estate investment trusts would watch the governance scenario and policy outlook before making an investment decision into India.

40 hotelscapes • March 2013

ing an investment decision into India. The Indian hotel industry per for med at 60 percent i n 2012. The year 2013 should see single digit occupancy growth percentage – higher in leisure, driven by short-haul domestic demand and lower in business – buffeted especially by high air travel prices and the prevailing economic sentiment. India performed below the global markets due to a massive supply injection and a lacklustre CAPEX environment. This economic reality was further compou nded by ou r double digit taxation policy. Our Asian counterparts with a pragmatic, tourist friendly policy-enabled environment – Singapore, Hong Kong, D uba i a nd Tha i la nd registered 80 percent plus occupancies. It is time for the government to plan structural support for the industry in India. The right signals would be including hotels in the infrastructure list and ensuring single digit taxation on hotel rooms. These measures will not only maintain investment momentum in the sector but also arrest flight of domestic and international demand, currently bypassing India.

Premier Inn

Shwetank Singh VP-Sales & Operations, South Asia We have two properties, one in Whitefield (Bengaluru) and the other one in Delhi for which the growth figures are 22 percent and 100 percent, respectively in 2012. Remarkably, the Delhi property was opened last year and it was operational for only nine months. So, I can say that my company is posting acceptable growth rates. I would not be able to comment much on the performance of hotels in Asia as such but it is out there in the public domain that the Asian economies are doing well and that is helping the hospitality and tourism industries of the region as well. What is contributing towards the growth is the fact that today the consumer is brand conscious and demands a certain kind of quality. Today, we see substantial amount of online purchases, we see demand for a certain kind of facilities and specific cuisines. All this is taking the hospitality industry to a new phase altogether. Hotels are collaborating and joining hands to leverage synergies of different service providers. The industry

Shwetank Singh VP-Sales & Operations, South Asia, Premier Inn

About mergers and acquisitions, my judgment says that players are going to take time to grow and establish themselves. So, I do not foresee any significant platform deals taking place. However, clever deals as we call them for financial structuring will continue to take place.

trends is still at a very nascent stage â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we have many players both national and international with ample demand but we have a lot of potential even now. About mergers and acquisitions, my judgment says that players are going to take time to grow and establish themselves. So, I do not foresee any significant platform deals taking place. However, clever deals as we call them for financial structuring will continue to take place. India has strong fundamentals. Even though the quarter that just went by has seen the worst growth rate in probably the last one decade, the middle class and the travelling class is driving our economy and the industry.

Citrus Hotels & Resorts

Manendra Sharma Regional General Manager As long as we are hopeful on economic growth, we can definitely expect growth in hotel industry. Economic growth results in increase in business travel and with affluent middle class changing lifestyle; there has been significant growth in domestic leisure travel as well. There may be correction/rationalisation in pricing though but we can expect business volumes to inflate. We ourselves are on constant lookout for growth

Citrus Hotel Gurgaon

opportunities. We are in talks with couple of international brands but it is currently at a very nascent stage to be disclosed. As 100 percent foreign investment under the automatic route in the hotel and tourism related industry is allowed in India, hotel industry is expected to further grow in terms of more international players entering into the country. Though the payback period in hotel industry has increased, it is still one of the most attractive sectors for financial institutions to invest. The year 2012 was not as promising as anticipated, with pan Indian revenue per available room (RevPARs) contracting by three to five percent during 20122013, driven down by declining average room rates (ARRs) and occupancies due to huge increase in inventory Vis-a-Vis modest hike in demand. With supply addition of over 13-15 percent expected across hotel industry in 2013, we can expect year on year change in ARRs (structured hotels) to range around five percent, basically sustaining or marginal gain over 2012 performance. With changing lifestyles and spending capacity of individuals, we can expect slow albeit steady growth

in F&B revenues. Asia Pacific is now regaining the leading position on the global stage that it last held before the Industrial Revolution. China and India being one of the major international markets, there is huge business travel requirement in these regions. Even South Eastern Asia attracts lot of leisure tourist influx. Foreign Tourist arrivals in India grew by 5.4 percent during 2012 with India welcoming 6.65 million travellers. The growth trajectory had slowed down in comparison to previous couple of years but is still decent if we compare with the global statistics where the volumes are estimated to have grown by three to four percent in comparison to previous year. Though there is a definite effect of the US fiscal deficit and the European Crisis but the domestic situation (in India) has been largely stable. Hotel industry will definitely see an upward trend, we can expect to see five to seven percent growth in the revenues but the cut throat competition due to robust supply of hotel rooms and inf lating costs may adversely affect the profit margins. We will have to look at all the means of increasing revenues

Manendra Sharma Regional General Manager, Citrus Hotels & Resorts

There may be correction/ rationalisation in pricing though but we can expect business volumes to inflate. We ourselves are on constant lookout for growth opportunities. We are in talks with couple of international brands but it is currently at a very nascent stage to be disclosed.

especially on non-room revenue segments like F&B and MICE, to shoulder the weak growth anticipated in rooms revenues. The F&B segment has been witnessing healthy demand due to increasing purchasing power and changing aspirations of customers willing to pay for new cuisines and experiences. This has resulted in increase in specialty restaurants and fine dining options. â&#x2013; as told to Lavanya Singhal

March 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ hotelscapes 41

eco tourism

Green trails in hospitality: Kerala The government is actively launching innovative measures to preserve the nature and the hospitality sector is proactively implementing all these. Where else but in God’s own country!

erala, the name itself spells some magic – be it the lush greens, the towering mountains, the expanse of backwaters or the exotic wildlife – it seems as if it has hidden in itself the diversity of the entire country. At times beauty is so beautiful that you fear spoiling it. Probably that is what led the state government to promote eco-friendly hotels and properties in the state. For a state that is popular for its Ayurvedic massages, health and medical tourism, eco retreats and spice tours, going green does not seem out of place. But what do the hotels and the hospitality industry think about this? Are they well prepared to convert their properties to eco-friendly ones? How much of a monetary pinch would it be for them to adapt to these measures? Most importantly, if businesses start thinking about ethics and concepts like maximum good to all, how will they survive? It came as no surprise that most hoteliers are more than willing to give it back to the society and environment from which they earn so much. Looks like, corporate social responsibility is surely the order of the day. Hotelscapes spoke to a few hotels with properties in Kerala to understand how they are placed.

42 hotelscapes • March 2013

eco tourism

Citrus Hotels & Resorts, Alleppey Santhosh Nair General Manager

Kerala’s cultural heritage coupled with scenic beauty makes it a preferred destination among travellers. Add to it the unmatched natural diversity that it has to offer, its moderate climate, high literacy levels and it’s positioning as ‘God’s Own Country.’ In short, if Kerala is a beach destination, it has mountains as well; if it has backwaters, it has wildlife as well; and it offers health and wellness tourism in the same breath as cultural and heritage tours. Why wouldn’t hotels and the hospitality industry eye this southern state of the country that draws national as well as international tourists? Therefore, we have tried to make our property in Alleppey as special as possible. Besides other modern amenities, our hotel is accessible only by water and is the only hotel that provides transfers by houseboats. The good thing is that the state government understands the tourism potential and takes all efforts to preserve the natural beauty. Some of the steps include enhancing public-private part-

Santhosh Nair General Manager, Citrus Hotels & Resorts, Alleppey

We might not need any major changes to convert our property into an eco-friendly one, we are yet to study the actual costs involved. As of now, the property earns enough for us to keep us in the business.

Citrus Hotels & Resorts, Alleppey

nerships in the sector, creating investor friendly atmosphere and prohibiting non-eco-friendly properties. Over the last one decade, the state’s progress has been based on tourism alone. Not just that, the state tourism department has marketing campaigns, promotes special fairs and festivals to attract tourists to the state. The government also is creating awareness among local communities. Initially, the hospitality industry and the properties not adhering to the eco-friendly rules might face some adverse effects but we all need to acknowledge the fact that it is definitely a great effort towards preserving the natural essence and cultural heritage of the region. In fact, eco-friendly policies are going to be cost effective in long run. For instance, we all know solar/wind energy is definitely a cost saver in comparison to other sources of power. Many feel that going green might result in compromising on a lot of luxuries, in fact, keeping the eco-system intact will enhance the travelling experience – after all, nature tourism is the essence of Kerala. We might not need any major changes to convert our property into an eco-friendly one, however, we are yet to study the actual costs involved. As of now, the property earns enough for us to keep us in the business.

Crowne Plaza Kochi Terry Austen General Manager

Kerala enjoys unique geographical features that have made it one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Asia. Tourists come here for the serene beaches, lush hill stations, exotic wildlife, waterfalls, sprawling plantations, Ayurvedic health holidays, magical festivals and an exotic cuisine. Our property, Crowne

Plaza Kochi is preferred by business as well as leisure travellers and at a very approachable location. The Kerala government is promoting eco-friendly properties and tourism, however, it should also provide support in terms of infrastructure to ensure that more resorts and hotels adopt to eco-friendly ways and soon enough. We support this step; it is a right step towards the creation of a safer environment for the coming generations. We are all set to adapt to the new ways of doing business with the

Terry Austen General Manager, Crowne Plaza Kochi

We have adapted to ecofriendly measures such as green engage, minimal water wastage, highly efficient equipment’s with high level of energy efficiency, maximum usage of LED & CFL lamps, 100 percent compliance of CFC gas, asbestos free environment.

March 2013 • hotelscapes 43

eco tourism support of government. With the rise in global warming and other environmental issues, today’s travellers are trying to reduce their carbon footprints in tourist destinations. Our guests support our initiatives such as rain water harvesting, sewage treatment plants and recycling 100 percent of water for irrigation, flushing and cooling towers. We started our operations two months back and forecast

goo d nu mb er s for t he yea r ahead. As a new property we have already adapted to ecofriendly measures such as green engage, minimal water wastage, highly efficient equipment’s with high level of energy efficiency, maximum usage of LED & CFL lamps, 100 percent compliance of CFC gas, asbestos free environment. We hope we are able to give it back to the society in this manner.

The Lalit Resort & Spa Bekal Dilip Mishra Resident Manager

Th e L a l it S u r i Ho s p it a l it y Group follows the ethos of Developing Destinations not just hotels. Bekal has been identified as an untapped tourist destination, having immense potential by the Government of Kerala. In 2004, the Bekal Resorts Development Corporation had leased out six plots of land to major hospitality players, with Bharat Hotels (owner of The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group) being one of them.

Dilip Mishra Resident Manager, The Lalit Resort & Spa Bekal

More and more travellers are making efforts to be conscientious when it comes to choosing their vacation accommodations. Going green is also beneficial for the travellers as with this implementation they get 100 percent organic cotton sheets, towels, mattresses etc.

44 hotelscapes • March 2013

The Lalit Resort & Spa Bekal

Crowne Plaza Kochi

We took to the Northern part of Kerala that remains unexplored, the natural beauty and the culture is intact with no influence of commercialisation and hence it is a great investment opportunity. The Kerala Government is promoting eco-friendly resorts in the state and we believe this will lend a refreshing approach to tourism. Moving from noneco-friendly to eco-friendly will not be that difficult. I believe it’s achievable for all. An eco-friendly resort should give importance to aspects such as dependence on

environment, ecological sustainability, incorporation of cultural considerations and provision of economic returns to the local community. The concept of eco-friendly tourism is growing in India. The hospitality industry should ensure that the environment isn’t paying the price for us and we do not force our guests to sacrifice on comforts as well. These days, more and more travellers are making efforts to be conscientious when it comes to choosing their vacation ac-

eco tourism

Lemon Tree Hotel, Alleppey

Sumant Jaidka Chief Operating Officer, Lemon Tree Hotel, Alleppey commodations. Going green is also beneficial for the travellers as with this implementation they get 100 percent organic cotton sheets, towels and mattresses, they get to use on-site transportation with green vehicles and a lot more. We have been witnessing a substantial increase in revenue and occupancy year on year. The luxurious infrastructure and personalised service concept offered by us has been patronised well by dignitaries from every field of the society including the film fraternity, business houses and media.

Lemon Tree Hotel, Alleppey

Sumant Jaidka Chief Operating Officer

Sustainability is a global challenge and many hotel groups have already moved towards factoring this into their plans even outside of Kerala, so this should be seen in that context. In fragile ecologies, this sort of precaution is welcome. With respect to Lem-

on Tree, our hotels are focused on delivering a healthy ‘triple bottom line’ i.e. Planet, People and Profit through its sustainability initiatives. Policies reflect popular concerns and are really a result of sentiment and businesses have to learn to respect these concerns. That said, there is enough scope for creative expression within the limitations posed by such policies and many enterprises are weaving these policies into their marketing USP. Ecotourism can be called a direct product of such policies and is a growing segment. For ever y lu x u r y t hat i s compromised, there is a new experience in the offering. The industry has enough scope for experimentation and innovation to offer customers newer, unique experiences. In fact many green initiatives are more expensive than traditional luxuries and we find customers willing to pay the price if they know that sustainability is the reason for the premium. The Lemon Tree

group offers three brands (Lemon Tree Premier/Lemon Tree Hotel/ Red Fox) in the upscale, midscale and economy segments. These brands by their very nature do not offer luxuries as seen in the deluxe segment. Here, cost efficiencies and a highly effective use of space make the business model successful. Sustainability initiatives that drive this are seen as a win-win solution. The Lemon Tree resort in Kerala is located on the bank of the famous Vembanad Lake and is one of our premium offerings. Well supported by Kerala’s international image as a year long destination, coupled with an active state tourism apparatus, it is among our most popular properties and enjoys high occupancy levels all through the year. We constantly try to f ind new ways to build its hotels in a sustainable manner and to increase the output of its ‘people’ initiatives. Our current efforts in area of ‘planet’ include energy efficiency and conservation; water efficiency and conserva-

The industry has enough scope for experimentation. Many green initiatives are more expensive than traditional luxuries and we find customers willing to pay the price if they know that sustainability is the reason for the premium.

tion; use of CNG instead of LPG; use of green building material; planting of trees and shrubs on hotel premises; building hotels in accordance with Universal Design concepts – for greater access for differently abled people and building our hotels to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Standards. More such initiatives are being planned going forward. ■ as told to Lavanya Singhal

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guest column

The 25-year young team Gaurav Singh Resident Manager, The Leela Mumbai

he Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts recently completed 25 years of hospitality, as did The Leela Mumbai – the first hotel of the group. An iconic property that changed the face of North Mumbai as we knew it, this hotel has grown to become a powerhouse of talent, experience and strengths well known to each of its guests. In its 25-years of existence, The L eela Mu mba i has gone through a number of refurbishments ensuring that the hotel is in line with changing trends, technology and preferences of our global travellers. This has led to numerous accolades on international platforms for excellence through ratings such as TripAdvisor, Conde Nast Traveller Awards, National Tourism Awards, and several culinary recognitions. Our philosophy of maintaining the highest luxury standards of ser vice is ref lected i n the pride, loyalty and commitment of our employees. As the youngest Indian hotel chain under the aegis of our “youngest-at-heart” Chairman Emeritus and Founder Chairman Padma Bhushan Capt. CP Krishnan Nair – the focus on employee engagement has been accentuated by him addressing all as ‘My children.’ One of the most important elements of our employee engagement initiatives is establishing a link between the two families of each

46 hotelscapes • March 2013

As The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts and The Leela Mumbai complete 25 years of hospitality, Gaurav Singh talks about the various employee engagement programmes that The Leela Mumbai has been engaging in to promote a good and harmonious work environment amongst the team members.

employee – the family back home and the one at work. Towards this, various annual activities like sporting events, festive celebrations, carnivals etc are conducted with gaiety and fervour. One excellent example is when for an entire month in May, family activities are organised encouraging not only the spouses but their children also to participate. Rubaru – our quarterly employee newsletter showcases the achievements of all team members on the professional as well as personal front. To encourage healthy competition with bonhomie, the entire employee base has been divided into ‘Hou s e s’ fac i l it at i ng i nte rdepartmental socialising and interaction cumulating into a yearlong activity with a schedule of contests, fun and sports. Of course, the winning house also receives its due recognition at the Annual Communication Meeting. As an industry that is now the flavour of the season with new entrants into the professional arena, hospitality sees a huge influx of fresh talent each year. While this group brings with it loads of energy, fresh thinking and a new perspective, an amalgam of this enthusiasm with the wisdom that comes from experience is crucial for successful operations. As the property housing the corporate office, we often play host to important delegations and

“

It is this non-parochial and non-hierarchical working style of the ownership that defines the DNA of the company and is reflected in every activity of ours – promoting a wonderful working relation and harmony amongst team members with the opportunity to intermingle with each other openly and with freedom. guests. In such a time, the presence of experienced team members who know the preferences, our guests and are adept in handling VVIP delegations invited by the corporate leadership is very encouraging. One can be assured that impeccable service will be offered. The Leela Mumbai has invested substantially in training and talent development. Programmes have been designed to throw together employees from varied backgrounds of experience and streams to enhance their learning from each other. Fortnightly departmental trainings are a regular feature of our calendar. This ensures that skills such as reading a guest, his preferences, recognition of repeat guests and their traditional practices, operational excellence that

stems from knowing the property well enough is passed on to the new entrants through healthy information exchange and scientific documentation. Live projects are also used as a platform to encourage combined efforts of experience and energy. A recent example of such a successful Live project was the award bagged by Citrus – our all-day dining restaurant as ‘Best 24-hour Dining’ by Times Food Awa rds 2013. On the awa rd night our team of Chefs, F&B Service, Interiors, Engineering and the Marketing came together to design a stall that gave visitors an actual taste of Citrus. We strongly believe that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Consequently, our guest comments, ratings on TripAdvisor and Customer Feedback Scores that we tabulate hold testimony to the success of our initiatives. Recognising our staff by name for spectacular service rendered, our doormen and bell boys being recognised by our regular guests as they return to their preferred accommodation only confirms the fruits of our labour. As a team, we have members who have seen the grandchildren of the owning family grow to take on responsibility in the company’s growth and some who are now working with them enthusiastically to establish brand Leela on the global map. ■

events & happenings

Shangri-La’s-Eros Hotel plays host to Chef Vikas Khanna’s book launch in New Delhi

(L-R): Chef Vikas Khanna’s parents; Vinod Aggarwal of Sunshine Stoves; Chef Vikas Khanna; Rohit Bal; David Hopcroft, GM, Shangri-La’s-Eros Hotel and Ajay Mago, Publisher, Om Books International at the launch of the cookbook

hef Vikas Khanna dons many hats. The New York based restaurateur who owns the upscale restaurant Junoon in New York City, has appeared on many TV food shows in the US. The Indian audiences were introduced to him on MasterChef India Season 2. He returns to TV as the affable judge of MasterChef India Season 3. The Michelin starred Chef, restaurateur and TV show host has now turned an author with his cookbook ‘Khanna Sutra: Food lessons in Love’, published by Om Books International. Khanna has used different aphrodisiacs in the recipes to invoke passion while eating. The recipes have an international edge, be it avocado soup with spicy salsa, or crispy okra salad with dried mango strips, pan-seared orange-saffron salmon, ginger-infused foie gras, rhubarb with fennel seeds and Himalayan salt, or even plantains slow-cooked in tamarind-mint curry. The book includes recipes of dishes Khanna has been cooking for over 10 years. The book has a 60:40 ratio

48 hotelscapes • March 2013

for vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes. It is priced at Rs 895. Khanna presented the first copy of the book to US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama at the White House. The book was launched at Shangri-La’s- Eros Hotel in New Delhi by fashion designer Rohit Bal in the presence of Ajay Mago, Publisher, Om Books International; David Hopcroft, GM, Shangri-La’s-Eros Hotel and Khanna’s parents who were present during the press meet and the party that carried on into the evening. The do saw guests from all walks of life – from Chef Saby to model Ramneek Paintal who turned up to congratulate Khanna. Khanna took off in Punjabi and Hindi in between as he addressed media queries about his book to his personal life – ‘when is he getting married?’ Khanna made the evening a fun-filled one when he spoke of anecdotes from his past – he learnt cooking from his grandma in Amritsar, and food bonds Indi-

Chef Vikas Khanna cooks for the guests

ans, something one doesn’t get to see often in the US. Later in the evening, Khanna cooked a dish from his book recipes at the live cooking counter of the hotel’s specialty Asian restaurant 19 Oriental Avenue, where the party was hosted. Delhities would love to welcome Khanna back into the city to relish his cooking. ■ by Manisha Almadi Midha

awards

Dr. Jyotsna Suri honoured with the Rotary Shreyas Award

r. Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson and Managing Director of The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group and Vice President, FICCI has been conferred the Shreyas Award as a part of the Rotary International District 3080 Conference. The award was given by Justice JS Verma, former Chief Justice of India in the Rotary Peace Conference held on 24th February at Panchkula, Haryana. This award is in recognition to Dr. Suri’s contribution and redefining the standards of the hospitality and tourism industry. Dr. Suri has given a new direction to tourism by following her dictum of “Developing destinations and not just hotels.” From transforming a battlefield to a sporting arena with a polo ground at world’s second coldest habitat of Drass, combining various colours of art, culture and tradition at Khajuraho with The Lalit Arts Festival, promoting local sports in Goa, the veteran leader has undertaken various social responsibility initiatives with zeal to develop often ignored destinations. Dr. Suri, under

her stewardship has carved a niche identity for her hospitality chain – The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Suri said, “I am deeply honoured to receive the Shreyas Award and would like to thank Rotary International for recognising my efforts to develop hospitality and tourism industry in the country. We are soon opening The Lalit Chandigarh. Our aim is to promote domestic tourism and this is a step in that direction. We will continue with the tradition of limitless warmth, limitless friendship and limitless hospitality as we pursue the commitment of developing destinations and not just hotels.” Besides Dr. Suri, Dr. SY Quraishi, Former Chief Election Com missioner of India, was selected for the award for overseeing the biggest electoral exercise in the world with integrity and forthrightness whereas Shekhar Gupta was conferred the Shreyas Award for interpreting the voice of the Indian people without fear or favour. ■

March 2013 • hotelscapes 49

news snippets Domestic/international

ITC Grand Chola, the first to receive 5 star GRIHA

TC Hotels has been recognised with 5 star Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) for ITC Grand Chola, Chennai. The hotel is the first in India to get this recognition from the Association for Development and Research of Sustainable Habits. The Honourable President of India, Pranab Mukherjee presented this recognition to Nakul Anand, Executive Director, ITC Ltd. at the annual National Conference on Green Design at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

Speaking on the achievement, Nakul Anand said, “This rating underscores ITC Grand Chola’s accreditation as the World’s Largest LEED Platinum Green Building and ITC Hotels’ commitment to continue providing inspiration to the Green Building movement in India.” ITC Grand Chola very efficiently manages its electrical demands and tries its best to save the environment at every step. All of its electrical energy demands are handled through

Nakul Anand (second from right) receiving the GRIHA recognition from Hon’ble President of India, Pranab Mukherjee

renewable energy sources. Various fittings are used to reduce the water usage by 35 percent and almost 100 percent of the hotel’s waste is recycled for various useful purposes. ITC Grand Chola strongly believes in Responsible

Luxury and strives to inspire the Green Building movement in India at every step. The hotel has also taken many innovative decisions in using material that utilises renewable sources and are biodegradable.

Rotana to launch 20 Hotels within a decade in India

R Premier Hotels of Asia handling Sales & Marketing for Mandarin Oriental in India

he Singapore based company, Premier Hotels of Asia is all set to provide complete services for sales and marketing to Mandarin Oriental. The former will help the latter to grow its business among the corporate and leisure segment in India. Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has some of the world’s most renowned hotels and resorts under its name. The group has approximately 45 hotels in around 28 countries, including Asia, America, Europe, Middle East and North Africa. The Indian market has recently witnessed a strong increase in MICE travellers and also a special interest in leisure travel. So, the Premier Hotels of

50 hotelscapes • March 2013

Asia will primarily focus on making a strong business base for Mandarin Oriental in India among corporate and leisure travellers. They will take forward the group’s sales and marketing initiatives and connect them with business travel contacts, travel agents, travel management companies etc in the Indian market. Premier Hotels of Asia offers various kinds of services in the range of sales, marketing and PR representation to various hotel companies in India and the Asia Pacific region. They are based in Singapore as well as in New Delhi. They provide similar services in Singapore and Hong Kong to The Leela.

otana Hotel Management Corporation has strong plans for the coming ten years in India. They have set a target of having 20 operating hotels within this time span. Right now the group has around 88 hotels in the Middle East and North Africa region, out of which 46 hotels are operational. Talking about the said decision, Aman Aditya Sachdev, Senior Vice-President (India), Rotana, says, “Currently, nine per cent of the overall business in Rotana’s operating hotels comes from the Indian market. We plan to grow that figure to 14-15 percent over the next few years.” Rotana has a range of four brands under its umbrella, Rotana Hotels and Resorts, Rayhaan Hotels & Resorts, Arjaan Hotel Apartments and Centro Hotels. All these brands operate in various segments from upscale, upper upscale, service apartments and midscale segments. Out of all these brands, three brands, Rotana, Centro and Arjaan are being planned to be launched in India. Like the giants of the hospitality industry, Rotana does not own its properties but enters through the management contacts under which it manages and operates properties under its brands. “South Asia has been strong for business. Along with India, Rotana also plans to penetrate markets in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Maldives,” Sachdev said.

news snippets international

Fairmont The Palm at Palm Jumeirah

airmont Hotels & Resorts add a feather in its hat with Fairmont The Palm. This splendidly lavish resort is located in the heart of Palm Jumeirah. The resort features 381 well appointed guestrooms and suites including two luxurious presidential suites. The resort also boasts of 3000 sq.m. meeting space, outdoor leisure facilities, a private beach club, Willow Stream spa and a lot more. Many guestrooms offer marvellous sea views to their guests and extended balcony spaces for outdoor relaxation. Natural colours used in the décor of the hotel reflects the beauty that this

island beholds, from the crystal waters of the sea, magnificence of the sunrise and sunset of the Arabian Gulf and a lot more. All the rooms are equipped with a technologically advanced interactive television system and

superior amenities. The hotel also boasts of a huge dining range for the guests and residents to relish. The spa and leisure services of the hotel include various facilities from health and fitness and many more recreational facilities.

The guests planning to visit the resort can experience it to the fullest with their two new packages, The Couple’s Package and The Family Package, both of which include great services for making their trip happening and relaxing.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts doubles up its Global Footprint

Zinc | InVision Hospitality, management and operations for S.M. Grande Residence, Bangkok

rowing rapidly to meet the global demand, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has announced that they have nearly doubled its count of luxury hotels worldwide in the last five years at the General Managers Summit in Dubai. Offering exceptional experience around the world, it has more than 160 hotels in 39 countries in luxury hospitality including, The Luxury collection, St. Regis and W brands. Talking about the coming five years, the group plans to add up 50 luxury hotels in 12 new countries. The group plans to have the first W Hotel in Mainland China with W Guangzhou and the first St. Regis hotel in Africa with the debut of The St. Regis Mauritius Resort. “We are on the cusp of a new golden age of luxury travel as technology and globalisation drive new trade routes, capital flows and wealth creation,” said Frits van Paasschen, Starwood’s President and CEO. Starwood plans to target the Generation X and Y all over the globe as it says that 85 percent of its luxury guests are a part of this global generation. W Hotels have engulfed the guests with its modern hospitality in five years and are being termed as the fastest growing luxury brand in the history of lodging. In last five years its portfolio has reached up to 43 hotels worldwide.

inc | In Vision Hospitality has now taken up the functions of management and operations for S.M. Grande Residence in Bangkok, Thailand. These serviced residents are very luxuriously equipped and are perfect for travellers travelling for business or leisure. It has facilities for single travellers as well as travellers with family travelling for a short or a long period of time. Along with comfortable accommodations, the residents can also avail the numerous facilities including an outdoor swimming pool, fitness centre and kid’s club. Located in the heart of the city, the Residences feature 103 well appointed suites out of which 89 have fully equipped kitchens. The rooms are available in various categories depending on the guest’s requirement. The categories of rooms include, superior, deluxe, one bedroom, two bedroom, three and four bedroom suites. Each suite has in-residence services which can help the traveller in a comfortable and relaxing stay. Very well connected with the BTS system and close to the central business district, S.M. Grande Residence is an ideal place to stay if you are looking for ultimate comfort and ease. Adding on to this all, the residences being located in the heart of the city has various dining, sport, entertainment, and shopping spots in its vicinity.

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products profile

Kohler innovates in bathware

52 hotelscapes â&#x20AC;˘ March 2013

products profile

Salil Sadanandan, Managing Director, Kohler Kitchen and Bath, India throws light on Kohler bath products being used at luxury hotels across India.

Q A

What are the features of the recently launched bath product from Kohler? One of our recent product launches has been the introduction of DTV Prompt in the Indian market. A digital thermostatic valve specially designed to enhance showering and bathing experience, DTV provides greater control, convenience and functionality as well as unique intuitive digital benefits to the consumer. DTV Prompt is a celebration of sleek design and state-of-the-art technology embedded in the digital interface, simplifies showering installation. Clean, aesthetic, simple functioning makes it easy to comprehend and gives a delightful yet effortless and modern bathing experience. Simple plug ‘n’ play mechanism and ability to locate the valve outside the wall cavity makes DTV Prompt ideally suited to new build and remodel applications. Starting from Rs 59,030, DTV Prompt is available at all Kohler outlets across India. Some of our other star products include NUMI, Vibrant, Underscore, VibrAcoustic, to name a few.

Q A

How often do you innovate?

Across the globe, Kohler is known for its innovative design in kitchen and bathroom products. With a rich heritage in innovative designs and enduring craftsmanship, each and every product is built from a singular level of quality; reflecting decades of creative passion and a commitment to bring only new and unique products to the Indian market. In the year 2012, we steered our energies in building a portfolio that exuberates ‘innovation’ across products and we envisage 2013 the same way too. We will focus on providing our consumers a complete bathroom range, with a variety of products ranging from premium to high end. The product offering will be in different designs, styles, colours and materials to match individual taste and décor preferences. Design and technology will be core to our product portfolio, embedded in each range to offer a unique blend of product design and utility.

Q A

How are your products suited for the hospitality industry?

Kohler’s diversity of products and powerful portfolio of brands has continually set new standards in design, craftsmanship and innovation. The leading edge of design and technology at Kohler highlights the spirit of Gracious Living that forms an integral part of the company’s mission. Being renowned globally in design excellence, we believe in meshing product artistry with ongoing hospitality trends, look and feel. This has been captured beautifully across our product portfolio. All our products focus on high performance offering comfort and luxury to the end user. Our product maintenance and service is an added advantage for the hospitality sector. We offer products with easy, simple and standardised installation, and some helping in conservation of water as well. In some cases, we have also ensured that our products consume less space, offering ample room for other utilities in the bathroom.

Q A

Which genre of hotels are you targeting?

Kohler is a luxury bathroom brand and our prime customers are high-end hotels and resorts in this luxury segment. We offer a wide range of product portfolio and are enabled to service luxury, premium 5 star and deluxe properties. At present, hotel expansion is at its peak in India primarily focusing on select service brands. Kohler enjoys a strong presence in this segment and we will further grow and expand our operations in the category.

Q A

Name some leading hotels that have bought your products.

Some of the hotels are: l Ritz-Carlton Bengaluru l Hilton Bengaluru Residences l Oakwood Serviced Apartments Hyderabad l JW Marriott Mumbai l Hyatt Regency Pune l Novotel Pune l Novotel Ahmedabad l JW Marriott New Delhi; Hyatt Regency New Delhi l DoubleTree by Hilton Jaipur l Taj GVK Mumbai ■

Salil Sadanandan Managing Director, Kohler Kitchen and Bath, India

March 2013 • hotelscapes 53

products profile

Self Cooking Center whitefficiency by Rational

T Pinaki Banerjee MD, Rational India

Our company’s aim is to offer our customers worldwide the maximum benefit. We do not sell only a product to our customers; we are selling them a solution for their kitchen and guarantee the best service.

54 hotelscapes • March 2013

o reduce the cooking time and enable efficiency in your culinary delights Rational has introduced the SelfCookingCenter whitefficiency. This self cooking system is a combination of traditional cooking equipments, convection oven and cooking intelligence. It has the ability to cook a huge variety of food items with outstanding results every time. Along with being cost efficient, it also reduces your cooking time considerably and saves energy too. It looks complicated by the number of jobs it does but it is very simple to operate. No special training is required to operate this appliance and your existing staff can also operate it efficiently. It brings the generations of global cooking experience at your fingertips. With its Self Cooking Control technology it detects the food size and the quantity loaded and delivers the desired results automatically. Whether you cook one chicken leg or hundred, the result would be perfect every time. If you are looking to cook varied types of food in one go, then with its Efficient Level Control technology it helps you by telling which food can be cooked together perfectly. It can cook food in three different

settings, firstly, which requires only to be steamed, secondly, which requires to be cooked in hot air and thirdly the food items which are to be cooked with a combination of the two. It keeps you well informed with what exactly is happening and how the cooking process is running. You can also see the time it will take before the food is ready. With this, you also don’t need to worry about the most annoying job of cleaning the appliances. It automatically cleans itself while you can enjoy and have fun. Along with reducing the manual work and increased productivity, it results in great return on investment in less than a year. Rational will remain at your service every time you face any problem with the Self CookingCenter whitefficiency. You can enjoy the lifetime software up-gradation and can also rely on the chef support which is just a call away for you. Along with more technical services, it provides you with a two year warranty. ■ For further information visit www.rational-online.in

products profile

Revol – The Perfection of Workmanship

56 hotelscapes • March 2013

products profile

orcelain is one of the most convenient materials of all the ones used in the kitchen. Revol has launched a great product to add elegance to your table and ease in your kitchen. Revol is France’s number one culinary porcelain product which is devised with cooking enthusiastic minds. The name Revol is very well suited to this product as this is a revolutionary creation which can be used from the oven to the stove, microwave and then directly to the table. It makes handling easier and convenient. The Revol collection is available in various colour combinations to match up with the décor of your restaurant. Revol has been around in this industry for more than two hundred years and has been offering innovative products with perfection. The ingredients used in manufacturing the Revol culinary porcelain are selected with utmost care and scrutiny to deliver the perfect product. Revol is the sole French porcelain maker and one of the few in the world to make its own paste. It makes a single combination called ‘slip’ which consists of clay, quartz, feldspar and kaolin. Revol culinary porcelain meets the highest requirements and boasts high performance in the restaurant trade. The products are non porous and guarantee perfect hygiene. These porcelain products are suitable for extremely high temperature, therefore, these can comfortably be used in microwaves and ovens. You can also use these containers without being worried about any cuts or damages as these are resistant to exceptional heat, mechanics, scratches and cuts. It is also easy to clean because of its smooth, hard enamel topping. With its stainless steel lid it is space saving and easy to use and serve. This multi heat source ceramic is a genuine technological feat and comes in a very creative line, ranging from casseroles to plates. With colourful lids it looks very trendy and appealing. Along with the colourful range, Revol also

provides a real novelty to the world of culinary porcelain – Black Porcelain. This exceptional product is found in three flagship collections; Basalt, Eclipse and Belle Cuisine Cast Iron Style. The Basalt collection has a rough look and is a contemporary line with a slate style. It has a very amazing visual effect and resembles the real slate with added on qualities of Revol culinary porcelain. The Eclipse collection has the glossy finish and involves quality with style and design. It is a unique setting of colours and material perfect for a dramatic setting of taste. The third collection, Belle Cuisine Cast Iron Style is the pleasure of times past. With the original innovation it has its roots in the pure French culinary tradition. Its products are a combination of deep black colour coupled with a hint of ‘cast iron style’ that makes it very interesting. Revol is a brand recognised and used by professionals and has been serving the catering world since around 220 years. With its creativity and innovation, Revol brings glamour and charm to your table and your kitchen. With this, whether you are in the kitchen or on the dining table, you just need one dish and you are done. Now you don’t need to struggle for shifting your dish in different vessels. The culinary porcelain collection by Revol is being used by some of the most prestigious hotels namely, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Worldwide, Accor, Raffles Hotels & Resorts etc. Their constant goal is to be attentive to the expectations of their customers and to meet the ongoing evolution of kitchens and table services by providing new culinary solutions every time with their innovations. Revol is marketed exclusively in India by Oscar Hospitality Concepts. ■ For further details contact oscar@ohcindia.com

Olivier Passot President & CEO, REVOL

At Revol, technical skills and design work closely using its unique knowhow and workshop of ideas. Today Revol is a dynamic business, led by talented people creating products which are beautiful, functional, and innovative. Their popularity around the world acts as a great stimulus, inspiring us to achieve further success.

March 2013 • hotelscapes 57

products New Electrolux Green & Clean Hood Type Dishwasher

o keep your dishes safer and more hygienic Electrolux has come up with a very innovative and eco friendly solution. As a dishwasher being a driving element of hygiene at a hotel, now with this new development you can expect something extra and a worry free dishwashing experience. Along with getting better and clean dishes you can also help in conserving the environment as it helps you in saving water, energy and creating a better environment. In terms of cleaning, the dishwasher works in different phases and goes from washing phase to rinsing phase to give perfect washing results. The dishwasher

ensures the perfect detergent removal as it works with a constant temperature over 84 Degree Celsius. After having so perfect and efficient functionality, still you would not find the machine difficult to use. With the ergonomic angular position of the control panel, the dishwasher becomes very easy to use. Also, the LED display of the machine is so well placed on its top that it is visible from a distance and can be easily monitored. For further information visit http://professional.electrolux.com/ Products/Food_Service/Dishwashing_ Equipment/Hood_Type_Dishwashers/

High Technology Porcelain Tiles by GRESPANIA

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hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s floor goes through brash tyres of the luggage, trolleys, footsteps of thousands of people and a lot more. To bear all the pressure and still keep shining the floor tiles used should be of high quality and strength. High technology porcelain tiles have been introduced with the CITY series by GRESPANIA, Spain. These tiles have a tough strength of bearing approximately 50 Newtons per mm2 which is much higher than the usual. The maximum value that is generally obtained from the best concrete slabs is 10 Newtons per mm2. These tiles are perfect for heavy outdoor usage in and around the hotel. With a thickness of 15mm the tiles become tougher to easily bear heavy load of around 7,000 Newtons. Throughout the thickness of the tiles, the composition remains the same. By this, any scratch that may occur on the tile will bring out a new surface with identical technical and aesthetic characteristics to those of the original tile. The CITY series has a range of three different types of surface finishes, from smooth, relief to anti slip. So, you can use different kinds of tiles in different areas of the hotel as per your requirement and preference. For further information call 011-29217451 / 9811619810

products

Glam up your Hotel with Usha Hunter Fans

n this scorching heat, cool down the environment of your hotel with Usha Hunter Fans. Hunter is a brand originally from America but has been introduced in India by Usha. These fans have trendy style, great quality along with high durability. To add a striking look to the rooms of your hotel, use these fans which are available in various colours and designs to match up with the décor of various rooms and other sections in your hotel. These fans have an amazing

feature of reversible plywood blades which are available in shades like, dark wood, maple, graphite, white, cherry, oak, walnut etc. The fans are high in value, they rotate both clockwise and anti-clockwise to efficiently move air around

the whole area in summers. Adding on to its amazing features, it has an in-built halogen light, wobble free operation and scratch resistant finish

blades. Choose from nine models available across India, starting from Rs 11,599. For further information visit www.ushainternational.com

Domestic Extra Collection by Pergo

lam up each level of your hotel with Pergo – one of the best laminate floorings… they have recently launched their new Domestic Extra Collection which is perfect to bear the wear and tear caused in the day-to-day use. The laminate floorings are available in a number of designs and can match up with various kinds of décor. This new range is made out of Pergo’s trademark PerfectFold which is so efficient that it makes the installation of the floor very convenient that you can do it yourself too. The planks used for this collection by Pergo are available in a wide range of formats like, 1200X200mm, 1200X140mm, and 1200X300mm. The collection is priced at Rs 175 per sq ft. A Sweden brand, Pergo is very well known for its durability and committed service. The brand has a prominent position in North America and Europe markets as well as in the growing market of India. With its innovations at every step, Pergo is protected throughout the world by around 500 granted patents and pending patents. For further information visit www.pergo.com

March 2013 • hotelscapes 59

people ONYX Hospitality Group

Christoph Leonhard has been appointed as the General Manager of Amari Hua Hin. In this capacity, he will be leading the team of Amari Hua Hin to success. He has been in the hospitality industry since almost 17 years. He was initially associated with Amari in the year 2000 but then came back in 2009 and joined Amari Palm Reef Koh Samui as the General Manager. He has an international experience in the hospitality industry from Thailand, Germany to USA. With this niche experience he led the team of Amari Palm Reef to great heights and bagged a number of awards in various spheres.

Simon Dell has been appointed as the Vice President Operations of the North Asia Division and as the GM OZO Wesley Hong Kong. At his new position, he would be managing the operations of the division and would also be responsible for the opening of the group’s first OZO property which would be in Hong Kong. He has a well-built experience in hotel operations, pre-openings and organisational change. He has been associated with ONYX since 2008 and has started as Executive Assistant Manager of Amari Orchid Pattaya. Before joining at the current position he was serving at Amari Hua Hin.

Brendan Daly has been appointed as the General Manager of Amari Orchid Pattaya. This is his first endeavour with Amari and strives to perform to best of his abilities. He has been successfully working in the operations management of different hotels across Thailand and Australia. Before joining at his current position, he was associated with Aloft Hotel in South East Asia as General Manager. In his professional span of 12 years he has been working at various positions with brands like, Sheraton, Accor, Darling Harbour Hotels and Sofitel.

Martin Kunzmann has been appointed as the General Manager of Amari Palm Reef Koh Samui. Being a second generation Kunzmann Amari GM after his hotelier father, he has been associated with this group since his childhood. He has been moving around various properties building up his expertise and skills. Been in this industry since last 18 years, he has been associated with Amari Vogue Krabi, Amari Emerald Cove Koh Chang and Amari Palm Reef Koh Samui. He completed his graduation in Hospitality from Swiss Hotel Management School in Adelaide.

Hyatt Regency Gurgaon

David Cumming has been appointed as the Vice President, Operational Development. At this position, he would be engaged in the pre-opening phases of new hotels of the group, globally. He has been associated with Amari Hotels since 2004. In this span, he was working with Amari Watergate Bangkok and Amari Orchid Pattaya. In all, he has been in this industry since 25 years and has a great bundle of knowledge and expertise. He was heading the Amari Orchid Pattaya as the General Manager. He is a British citizen but has travelled to various parts of Egypt, UAE, Oman and Thailand during his professional tenure.

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Federico Mantoani has been appointed as the General Manager. He has a strong experience in all the segments of the hospitality sector. This being the initial property of the group in this region, Mantoani would be working hard to establish it as Gurgaon’s largest MICE hotel. He has been associated with the Hyatt Hotels Corporation since last 15 years and has served various properties of the group around the world. To name a few, he has worked with, Grand Hyatt Dubai, Grand Hyatt Amman, Grand Hyatt Muscat in his previous assignments.

people Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & Convention Center and Courtyard by Marriott, Hyderabad

Pune Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre

Sharad Datta has been appointed as the General Manager. With around two decades of experience, Datta brings along great knowledge with his appointment. He has been associated with some of the best brands of the industry like, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels and Carlson Rezidor Hotels to name a few. Before joining at his current position he was associated with Radisson BLU Hotel, New Delhi Dwarka as the GM.

Manish Tolani has been appointed as the Director of Operations. He is heading as the strategic business leader and is responsible for the rooms division and the food and beverage operations. Before this position, he was associated with three Marriott International properties as the Market Director-Sales and Marketing. He started his career with the Oberoi Hotels. He got associated with the Marriott International in 2003 as Assistant Sales Manager at the JW Marriott Hotel, Mumbai.

Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel

Shangri-La’s-Eros Hotel, New Delhi

Pune Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre and Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, Pune Hinjewadi

Saurabh Khurana has been appointed as the Director of Business Development –MICE. Before joining at the current position, he was working with Hilton Worldwide as Assistant Director of Sales. Khurana has a very strong experience in the hospitality industry for over a decade. In his current role he will be responsible for generating business in the MICE segment and to build a strong team to drive revenue and explore new business opportunities. He has been associated at various positions with brands like, Starwood, The Leela Group and American Express.

Vijay Taksali has been appointed as the Director of Finance. At this position, he would be responsible for formulating financial strategies and policies to achieve the organisation’s goals and targets and also various accounting and financial management functions. Having a strong experience in finance and accounting, he has been associated at various positions with Pullman Gurgaon Central Park, IBIS Hotel, India, Crowne Plaza, Gurgaon and many more heritage and leisure hotels.

Abhijit Chitnis has been appointed as the Multi Property Director of Sales and Marketing. At his current position he is responsible for streamlining the aspects of sales, marketing and business plans of the two properties. Prior to this role, he was Director Sales and Marketing for the Pune Marriott Hotel and Convention Centre. Before joining the Marriott International, Chitnis was associated with Hyatt Hotels at Park Hyatt Goa.

Aditya Shamsher Malla has been appointed as the Director of Sales and Marketing. He will work towards maximising the hotel revenue from various market segments and will lead the hotel’s Sales and Marketing team. He has over two decades of experience in the hospitality industry. Prior to this assignment, Malla held the position of EAM Sales and Marketing at The Westin Mumbai Garden City. He has also worked with Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels and The Taj Group.

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people Crowne Plaza Ahmedabad City Centre

Vini K Gupta has been appointed as the General Manager. He brings along a great experience of 28 years from USA. Before joining in Ahmedabad, he was working at Soaltee Crowne Plaza in Kathmandu, Nepal. He was working as the Regional Director of Operations for Prism Hotels Group, and was handling around eight hotels in the Northeast USA under this position. In his current capacity, he is responsible for successful launch of this new hotel and overall growth of the brand in Ahmedabad and Gujarat.

Hyatt Regency Chennai

Dr Jojy Abraham has been appointed as the Manager, Siddh Spa. In this capacity, he is responsible for supervising all the activities related to the spa and developing some new spa marketing strategies. He graduated in Ayurveda after which he started his career as an Ayurvedic Physician. He started in 2000 with Coconut Lagoon in Kerala. He has been associated with various spas in the industry starting from Leela Palace Goa, Backwater Ripples, Kerala to Radisson Plaza Resort and Banyan Tree Spa, Phuket.

Sandit Shah has been appointed as the Director of Sales and Marketing. He started his career in the year 1995 with then Holiday Inn, Ahmedabad as Assistant Manager. Heading the Sales Department he worked with the Taj Group of Hotels in Ahmedabad, Chennai and Chandigarh. Also, he took up a challenge of being a part of the pre opening team with the Starwood Group as the Director of Sales and Marketing for The Westin, Pune Koregaon Park. Before joining at the current position he was associated with Swissotel, Kolkata as the Director of Sales and Marketing.

The Westin Pune Koregaon Park

Kedar Bobde has been appointed as the Executive Chef. Delighting people with his culinary expertise since last 18 years, he started his career with The Leela Kempinski, Mumbai as a Kitchen Executive Trainee. In his career he has been gaining experience at some of the best brands from Le Meridien to InterContinental The Grand and many more. He has been a part of the pre opening team of InterContinental The Grand, Mumbai and InterContinental The Grand Resort, Goa. His passion for food has taken him to great heights and he has also been among the panel of judges for the Great Indian Culinary Challenge.

The Westin Mumbai Garden City

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Federico Volpi has been appointed as the Italian Chef of Prego. Having a wide experience of around 21 years, he shall be responsible to oversee the superlative dining experience at Prego. A well travelled chef; he brings the best from the whole world on the table. He was last associated with the Da Bruno Sul Mare, Marbella, Spain as the Head Chef, during his tenure, the restaurant was also awarded. He is a strong supporter of using the freshest seasonal ingredients for his dishes.

Siddharth Anand has been appointed as the Pastry Chef. He would be handling all the pastry and bakery department of the hotel. In his experience of around nine years, he has been working with some of the best hotels of Hyderabad including Park Hyatt, Hyderabad as the Pastry Chef. Before that, he was working as the Sous Chef Bakery and Pastry at Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre. He completed his Degree in Hospitality Management from Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh, Scotland.

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Social habits of business travellers: Four Points by Sheraton Survey

oday’s business travellers are surprisingly social on the road, accord i ng to a re c ent survey by Four Points by Sheraton, the business brand of St a r woo d Hot el s & Re sor t s Worldwide. Aside from sleeping, for instance, survey respondents indicated that enjoying the hotel bar or restaurant with colleagues or business partners was their number one activity during free time, outpacing time spent in the gym, spa, shopping or catching up with local acquaintances. In addition, business travellers are good networkers, with nearly two-thirds of those surveyed reporting that they have kept in contact with someone they met on the plane or at the hotel while travelling on the road. About that flight, though : busi ness t ravel lers draw the line with their own colleagues, as more than 60 percent indicate that they would prefer to fly alone rather than with a business associate. These are among the results of a 2012 hotel business travel study commissioned by Four Points that polled a total of 6 ,0 0 0 b u s i n e s s t r ave l l e r s globa lly – 1,000 each f rom the United States, the United Kingdom, China, India, Germany and Brazil. Four Points is growing rapidly across nearly 30 cou nt r ies a nd ca refu l ly monitors the needs and habits of business travellers. The first phase of the survey, released in August, explored the use of mobile technology to stay in touch while travelling, while the second phase focused on leisure activities. “Business travellers have a real need to connect on the road

– both virtually and in person,” said Brian McGuinness, Starwood’s Senior Vice President, specialty select brands. “Our survey results reveal that road warriors are social, preferring to network or to relax in the company of colleagues rather than just enjoying solitary pursuits.” McGuinness continued, “Four Points provides everything our

with colleagues more than other activities. Aside from sleeping, which, not surprisingly, is the activity that occupies the largest share of travellers’ time at a hotel, hanging out at the hotel bar or restaurant with colleagues or business partners is the top ranked activity on the road. The largest share of respondents (42.88 percent)

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64 hotelscapes • March 2013

During their waking hours, business travellers frequent the hotel restaurant or bar with colleagues more than other activities.

guests need to be productive and comfortable on the road and that includes creating opportunities to connect socially through brand-wide programmes like Best Brews, which invites guests to gather over a great local craft beer when the work day ends.”

Among key survey findings: l During their waking hours, business travellers frequent the hotel restaurant or bar

named this activity, outpacing other pursuits such as going to the gym (38.97 percent) or spa (37.54 percent) or shopping (34.16 percent). l By a wide margin, business travellers confirm they stay in touch with contacts whom they’ve met on a flight or at a hotel. 64.42 percent of respondents indicated that they had stayed in touch with someone they had met on a plane or at a hotel while travelling, vs. 35.58

percent who said they had not. l Business travellers prefer separate flights. They may be happy to toss back a brew with a co-worker once they arrive at their hotel, but the majority of business travellers (61.13 percent) report that they would rather not share their flight with a colleague.

Differences by nationality: l Americans a re the most frequent business travellers. American business travellers hit the road more often than their international counterparts, with more than a third (36.36 percent) reporting that they average more than 10 trips per year for business. Conversely, Chinese travellers were the least likely to average more than 10 annual trips with only 7.07 percent of respondents at that level. l Chinese and Indian business travellers socialise more. Chinese business travellers are the most receptive to sharing a flight with a co-worker (49.5 percent), and a full 70 percent have stayed in touch with someone they met on the road. Indian road warriors are the most likely to hang out with colleagues at a bar or restaurant (61.05 percent) and the most likely to catch up with friends who live in town (52.63 percent). l Brazilians do it alone. At 31 percent, Brazilians are the least open to travelling with a colleague, with 53.62 percent reporting that they don’t want to have to worry about anyone else. They are also the least likely to hang out with colleagues at a bar or restaurant (30.93 percent). ■

Date of of Publication: Publication: 04/03/2013 21/3/2013 Date

Reg. No. DL(C) RNI No. DELENG/2000/3645 Posting Dt.01/1353/12-14 4-9/03/2013 Posting Dt. 22-27/3/2013 Licence No. U(C)-299/2012-2014 W.P.P. at MCB-1 RNI DeLeNg/2012/47318 Reg No.No. DL-(C)-01/1250/2012-14