Hotel Business Review

Jan-Feb ’13

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Editorial

HOTEL Business Review

HOTEL B u s i n e s s

R e v i e w

An Exclusive Business Magazine for the Hotel Industry

Publisher cum Editor

Rajneesh Sharma

rajneeshhammer@gmail.com

Associate Editor

Swarnendu Biswas Resident Editor

Sharmila Chand (Delhi) Ashok Malkani (Mumbai) Layout & Design

Hari Kumar V Narender Kumar

Advertising Sales

Delhi: Debabrath Nath, Ashish Jha Mumbai: Rajesh Tupsakhre Subscription Sales

Dattaram Gangurde Director Sales

Sanjay Anand

Director Operations & Finance

Rajat Taneja

Editorial & Advertising Offices: Delhi:

Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 1202, Pragati Tower, 26, Rajindra Place, New Delhi-110008, India Phone: 91-11-45084903, 25854103 Telefax: 91-11-25854105 Mumbai:

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E-mail: hammerpublishers@vsnl.net Website: www.hbrmag.com © 2013 Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. No article can be reproduced in part or as whole without prior permission of the Publisher.

Hammer Hotel Business Review is a bi-monthly magazine, printed and published by Rajneesh Sharma on behalf of Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 1202, Pragati Tower, 26 Rajindra Place, New Delhi. Printed at Print Creations, C-112/3, Basement, Naraina Industrial Area, Phase- 1, New Delhi 110 028.

Annual Subscription rate within India is Rs. 450 and overseas US $110, for surface mail. Single issue is available for Rs. 90 in India and US $25 overseas. Cheques are payable to Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. Editorial Policy : Editorial emphasis in Hammer Hotel Business Review

magazine is on educational & informational material specifically designed to assist those responsible for managing instututional Hotel business. Articles are welcome and will be published on the sole discretion of the editor.

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Not long before the role of women in the hospitality industry was limited to front office, reception and housekeeping. However, within the last decade or so, women are seen having prominent positions across varied departments of the industry. They are not only making their mark as Executive Housekeepers, but also as Executive Chefs, DJs, General Managers and even as Chairperson and Managing Directors of hotel chains. The role of women is now evident in all spheres of the Indian hospitality industry, which is encouraging.

This trend can be attributed to the growing empowerment of women, and also to the gradually changing attitude of the still male-dominated Indian hospitality industry to accept women in the so called (and wrongly perceived) non-feminine positions, and also at the helm of affairs. The evolution of this trend would pave in greater gender balance in the Indian hospitality industry in the long-run, and also bring into prominence the feminine perspective in the hospitality business, which happens to be the need of the hour. It would not be surprising if this greater gender balance in the work culture leads to more role of emotional quotient in the hospitality business, which may eventually translate into healthier bottom lines.

However, in order to encourage more and more women enter various streams of the hospitality business and facilitate their rise to the highest echelons of the hierarchy in their respective fields, the work environment at our hotels should be made more conducive towards their nurturing and growth. One of the ways to achieve this is through proactive efforts to remove the inherent elements of gender bias from the prevailing work culture, which happens to be a general trait in India. Yes, the attitude of the hospitality industry is changing, but it should change faster. A simple step of discouraging colorful language in hotel kitchens by the hotels’ management can make the feminine workforce there more comfortable. The other is to make the erratic working hours of this industry without any fixed time schedule more flexible towards women.

Here in the Cover Story of this issue, we have attempted to showcase some of the enterprising ladies who have carved their own niche in the hospitality industry, often in unconventional professions, and have also attempted to explore the difficulties faced by some of them.

In the Business Story of this issue, we have explored some of the evolving trends spearheading through the Indian hospitality industry, an industry characterised by shortage of rooms despite the threats of continuation of a sluggish economy. The prevailing trends include the demand for and growth in budget and mid-market hotels, the growth in the MICE segment, and greater role of security related technologies in hotel operations. The role of technologies to enhance the convenience factor of the guests is also gaining prominence in the industry. I hope the readers would find our showcasing of these trends to be of interesting read.

Besides these topics, we have attempted to cover in our non-news section an interesting property in Mahabaleshwar, an unusual spa that demarcates holistic wellness across three levels, the emerging and futuristic F&B trends which have the potential to influence the Indian hospitality industry in the near future, and also the work culture and achievements of a seasoned hospitality professional. All these are complemented by a slew of happening news and an exhaustive report. I am confident they are enough to keep you engrossed between the covers.

HOTEL B u s i n e s s

inside

R e v i e w

An Exclusive Business Magazine for the Hotel Industry

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COVER STORY

Thankfully, for the Indian hospitality industry at least, the glass ceiling seems to be cracking at many places, and we are seeing a good many number of enterprising and talented women holding decision making positions. This is surely an encouraging trend in the Indian hospitality industry.

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SPA

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F&B

Walking into R The Spa at Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi, the first thing that strikes you is the sense of serenity; soft muted voices, a gentle fragrance of rose petals, smiling faces and a bubbling fountain create the mood for undertaking a journey through wellness…

BUSINESS

Budget hotels are becoming attractive investment options for hoteliers in India or coming to India, who are often faced with exorbitant real estate costs. The real estate costs for budget hotels, without the luxury of swimming pool, grand lobby, conference rooms and other five-star facilities, is generally much lesser as compared to those of luxury hotels.

Here we take a look at the emerging and about to evolve food & beverage trends to see what new ideas or comeback concepts are taking the culinary world of India by storm.

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PROPERTY

At the Evershine – A Keys Resort, Mahabaleshwar you can get not only value for money, but realise the value of serene joy that nature was waiting for you to offer your busy life.

DEPARTMENTS 04

Event

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News Scan

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Appointments

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Product Preview

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Business Opportunity

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Interview

Cover Pix: The Leela Palace Kempinski, Udaipur

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Event

HOTEL Business Review

HOTELEX Shanghai 2013 HOTELEX Shanghai, an exhibition on the hospitality industry, is consistently concerned about the practice of innovative elements and green concepts. HOTELEX Shanghai 2013 will be held during 1st-3rd April 2013 at Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC). The exhibition contains ten differently themed sectors including Catering Equipment & Supply, Bakery, Tableware, Textile, Appliance & Amenities, IT & Security, Fitness & Leisure, Food & Beverage, Coffee & Tea, and Wine & Spirit.

HOTELEX Shanghai 2013 will be occupying 11 halls with an exhibition area of 160,000 sq.m., which has been significantly increased by 32 percent as compared to its 2012 edition. International pavilions such as Italy, Spain, USA, Germany and Japan will gather at the show along with 1,500 industry leading brands. Uptil now, 94.8 percent of the sales target has been accomplished.

HOTELEX Shanghai continues to inspire valuable dialogue and leverage industry standards through an unrivalled blend of fora, seminars, top-notch industry competitions, and match-making sessions.

Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI) is the premier association promoting professionalism in foodservice and hospitality consulting.

FCSI received numerous positive accolades in 2011 & 2012, and now FCSI is coming back to HOTELEX in 2013 to showcase products and concepts that represent the future. FCSI is always looking for futuristic ideas; demonstrating its leading role in the foodservice industry. Meanwhile, ‘Ask the Expert’ themed area will be set up on-site and seasoned members from Europe, Africa

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and the Middle-East will share experience and provide the most popular green energysaving products and solutions.

The professional guests are undoubtedly the essential part for the entire forum and competitive advantage of HOTELEX. In the 2013 edition, HOTELEX has managed to invite those industry opinion leaders and trend setters to share and inform. ‘Foodservice in the 21st Century’ forum has couple of industry pioneers to elaborate on how catering owners and operators can stand out from fierce market competition with distinguished service and futuristic concepts.

Jonathan Doughty, FCSI Consultant since 1998, and Group Managing Director of FCSI EAME, provides an innovative strategy and approach to foodservice business owners/operators/investors on how to gain the competitive edge by not just becoming the best but also by being different; standing out amongst your competitors in the industry.

Fascinating Industry Competitions for Top-notch Contenders China Barista Championship (CBC) is an exclusive professional competition authorised by World Barista Championship (WBC). It has become the cradle of young coffee professionals in China. CBC has marched into its 11th year with 24 division competitions covering East, North, and Southwest region of China. Champions representing 24 division competitions will gather at HOTELEX Shanghai in April 2013 to battle it out for the exclusive spot to compete at WBC 2013.

Additionally, HOTELEX Shanghai 2013 will showcase China Master Bartender Competition as well, which is a professional competition initiated by the most authoritative bartender association in the nation. 2012 Shanghai Bartender Championship attracted over 70 bartenders focusing on classic and flair bartending from all over the country and attracted over 10,000 visitors during the show.

What is more, World Latte Art Championship and 2013 Gelato China Cup will make their debut at HOTELEX Shanghai 2013.

E V E N TTSS ’ C A L E N D E R Aahar 2013 14-18 March 2013 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi www.aaharinternationalfair.com HOTELEX 2013 1-3 April 2013 Shanghai New International Exhibition Center, Shanghai,China www.hotelex.cn SIAL China 2013 7-9 May 2013 Shanghai New International Exhibition Center, Shanghai, China www.sialchina.com Thaifex- World of Food ASIA 2013 22-26 May 2013 Impact Challenger, Thailand www.worldoffoodasia.com HBF 2013 14-16 June 2013 Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai www.hbf.co.in HOSFAIR 2013 27-29 June 2013 China Imports & Exports Fair Complex, Guangzhou www.hosfair.com TRAFS 2013 25-28 July 2013 Hall 103, Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC), Bangkok www.thailandhoreca.com Hong Kong International Tea Fair 15-17 August 2013 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, Hongkong www.hkteafair.com Food Ingredients India 2013 3-5 October 2013 Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai www.fiindia.ingredientsnetwork.com

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Event Onsite Display Raising up Benchmark for Industry Standards Future trends of hospitality industry will be more individual-oriented and adding more personal touches when it comes customer experience. Details such as hotel uniform and breakfast setting have never been that crucial to the hotel management level.

Partnering with Shanghai Tourism Trade Association Hotels Branch, HOTELEX features Hotel Uniform Show Competition and Star Hotel Western Buffet Display Challenge in order to set trend and represent some of the best works in high star hotels.

2013 Hotel Uniforms Show Competitions combines catwalk and skits to show the hotel uniform culture, whereas Star Hotel Western Buffet Display Challenge will continue to showcase various buffet styles in a most refreshing perspective.

Food Journey for the Most Discerning Taste Buds Expo Finefood, one of the HOTELEX themed areas, has prepared an exotic food journey for the most discerning taste buds

onsite. Expo Finefood will work closely with Italian famous restaurant Casanova to put on an authentic Italian food journey through showcasing top-tier Italian Chefs and best quality Italian food ingredients.

Italian food has its own charm because of its unique cooking style and technique.

Audience will have the chance to not only taste the authentic Italian food, but also get a feel of the Italian gourmet culture right at HOTELEX. In 2013 edition, HOTELEX will collaborate with U.S. Agricultural Trade Office Shanghai Center to help put on an excellent show, featuring top-notch US food ingredients. It will exhibit at Expo Finefood as USA Pavilion, showcasing several of USA’s agricultural products associations at Hall E6.

Meanwhile, with the purpose of introducing varieties of USA food ingredients into the Chinese restaurants, the U.S. high-end food ingredients will be under spotlight through Taste of the United States 2013 - Asian Master Chef Challenge featuring awardwinning Chinese Chefs.

For further information visit: www.hotelex.cn

Aahar 2013 — A Curtain Raiser A

ahar 2013 will be held during 14t h -18t h March 2013. The venue of the event will be the Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. This will be the 28t h edition of Aahar, the international fair on food and hospitality. Aahar 2013 will be demarcated into two separate and concurrent exhibitions — ‘Hospitality India’ which will be covering hotel and restaurant equipment and supplies and ‘Food India,’ which will be covering processed food & beverages. The event is geared to attract huge numbers of overseas & Indian buyers, importers & wholesalers, besides overseas trade delegations, businesspersons, policy makers, media persons, suppliers and hoteliers among others.

This mammoth trade event will be organised by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), which is the nodal agency of the Government of India for promoting the country’s external trade. The event will be supported by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, and Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

Association of Resource Companies for the Hospitality Industry of India (ARCHI), Hotel & Restaurant Equipment Manufacturers’ Association of India (HOTREMAI), and All India Food Processors’ Association (AIFPA) will be the associates for the event.

At Aahar 2012, 565 exhibitors, which included 72 exhibitors from 19 countries — Argentina, Australia, China, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Pakistan, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Taiwan, Malaysia, UAE, USA and Vietnam — took part.

The exhibitors’ participation at Aahar 2012 increased by 20 percent as compared to the previous year’s edition of the event.

Overall, 22,264 business visitors including 226 overseas business visitors from countries such as Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, China, Canada, Finland, Ghana, Hong Kong, Italy, Kuwait, Pakistan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Nepal, New Zealand, Oman, the Philippines, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States of America visited Aahar 2012, which was a remarkable improvement over the figure of 13,853 business visitors, which included 139 business visitors from foreign countries, for Aahar, 2011. It is expected that Aahar 2013 would be an even bigger success story as compared to Aahar 2012.

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Event

HOTEL Business Review

SIAL China 2013 — Meet of Global Tastes and Flavours SIAL China 2013 will be held during 7t h -9t h May 2013 at Shanghai New International Expo Center. It goes without saying that the event is the Asia’s leading food & beverage exhibition. This would be the 14t h edition of SIAL China.

The organiser of this mammoth show of food & beverage is Comexposium. This annual show of food & beverage industry with more than 40 international pavilions and seven exhibition halls is expected to attract 2200 exhibitors from 90 countries, and 46,000 visitors from 100 countries.

The event would be spread across 85,000sq.m. Major market players from retail, hotel/restaurant/catering(HoReCa), food services, the import/export trade and manufacturing are expected to visit this show.

Food ingredients, dairy products, fresh meat, fresh fruits & vegetables, dried fruits, confectionery, ready to eat products, frozen food, organic products, diet products, children’s food & health, grocery products, wines & spirits, beverages, and preserved products will be part of the exhibit profile of SIAL China 2013.

Singapore, Indonesia, Switzerland, Belgium, Republic of Lithuania, Columbia, and Ecuador will debut in the show, while the US, France, Australia, Italy, Spain, South Africa and over 10 national pavilions will be doubling their sizes in this year’s edition of SIAL China.

Turkey will be the Guest Country of Honor.

To continue its endeavour towards gourmet development in Asia, SIAL CHINA has gone the extra mile to bring

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in a plethora of exhibitors and visitors from retail, HoReCa and wine industry to this forthcoming show. The event is expected to have the participation of many internationally renowned organisations which include names like Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Organiser of HK Pavilion, DKSH (China), Wisdom Plus Resources, Shanghai Fisheries General Corp. (Group), Beijing Mingyin Trading, Shanghai Nouriz Dairy, Sheng Hang Trading(Shanghai), Bip Candy Toys & Gift (Dong Guan), Dalian Xiaoqin Food, Deweiweimai Beer Trade Beijing, Shenzhen Kong Shan Wang Tat Industries &Trade, Shanghai Hit International Trade and many more.

The 14th edition of SIAL China will include gourmet-oriented product zones, such as tea & coffee, wine & spirits, organic, dairy, seafood, fruits & vegetables, chocolate world, sweets & snacks, meat, halal, etc. There will be 14 products zones in total. What is more, four tastefully dedicated events are geared to satiate a better-than-ever experience for the visitors’ taste buds.

The four tastefully dedicated events at the forthcoming show of SIAL China will be the 6t h Edition of La CUISINE by SIAL, the 9t h edition of SIAL Innovation, the 2nd Edition of Hospitality & Retail Forum, and the 2nd Edition of Chocolate World. At the 6t h Edition of La CUISINE by SIAL you can highlight your products during culinary demonstration by talented international

Chefs from mainland China, France, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Turkey, USA and other countries and regions.

The event will attract the HoReCa industry professionals who are looking for innovation and inspiration.

The 9t h edition of SIAL Innovation, which has been a key event of this show for the past eight years, will offer the exhibitors a platform to showcase their latest innovative products and communicate on food innovations.

This area is expected to be visited by more than 70 percent of the visitors to the show The SIAL Innovation observatory will provide a unique opportunity for retail traders in a single area.

The 2nd Edition of Hospitality & Retail Forum will come across as a special forum to cover hospitality trends and related topics. In 2012 show, more than 14 high level conferences hosted by the industry experts were held under this event. In the 2013 edition, the event will continue to attract the under-the-radar buyers.

For satisfying the needs of highend chocolate in Chinese market, SIAL CHINA has decided to strongly project the high-end chocolate brands in ‘Chocolate World.’ In 2013, SIAL CHINA will launch the second edition of Chocolate World, and the event is expected to attract the participation of high-end industrialsed chocolate corporations, and also handmade chocolate companies.

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HOTEL Business Review

The Tamara Coorg to House Artists for Storm Festival 2013 The Tamara Coorg has announced its status as the official hospitality partner for Storm Festival 2013, a unique, campout music festival featuring hand-picked musical favourites from across genres.

Located in Madikeri-Coorg, The Tamara Coorg has been conceptualised as a hymn to the serene beauty of the Western Ghats. The resort, presiding over an estate of 170 acres producing coffee, cardamom, pepper, honey and mixed woodlands on the ragged slopes of an east facing hill, is where world famous artists will rest their vocal chords when not performing at the venue.

Senthil Kumar N, Director and CEO, The Tamara, said, “We are happy to host talented artists from around the world. We are sure the artists will need some time to unwind and we are certain they will find ample peace, serenity and luxury with us before and after delivering phenomenal performances on stage. We are excited to be the hospitality partners for the Storm Festival. For all guests wishing to stay at The Tamara Coorg during the festival, we have also designed attractive packages.”

News Scan

Rational Celebrates its 40th Anniversary Rational AG has been developing professional cooking appliances for large and commercial kitchens since 1973. Pioneering innovations have made the company from southern Germany find its presence in the global market and be a technology leader.

When the Founder, Shareholder and the current Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Siegfried Meister, began producing new hot air technology 40 years ago, his greatest objective was to offer maximum benefits to those preparing hot food in professional kitchens. Rational’s innovative technology quickly superseded conventional ovens that were used in the commercial sector before then. But that wasn’t enough. In 1976, Siegfried Meister and his then very small team added steam to the hot dry air and combined this with a patented control system.

This was the birth of the combi-steamer. In the following years, the combi-steamer unleashed a veritable revolution in large and commercial kitchens; it transformed production processes and influenced the entire industry.

“To this day, it has been our supreme corporate objective to always offer our customers maximum benefits. Through the consistent and sustainable specialisation of our company in hot food preparation, we have become a part of our target group.

We know the requirements and needs of our customers and are therefore better able than others to solve their problems and continuously improve their working world,” said Dr Günter Blaschke, Chairman of the Board of Rational AG. The current milestone on the path of progress of Rational AG was the introduction of the SelfCookingCenter® whitefficiency® at the end of 2011.

Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts Joins India Art Fair Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts announced that it had been appointed as the official hospitality partner for the fifth edition of the India Art Fair 2013 — South Asia’s largest and India’s premier modern and contemporary art fair. Held from 1st-3rd February 2013 in Delhi, the art fair included 105 exhibitors from 24 countries featuring a video lounge, an art bookstore, art projects and a speakers’ forum.

“Our association with the India Art Fair underlines our vision of bringing unique and interactive art experiences to our culturally savvy guests,” said Arnaud Champenois, Brand Director Asia Pacific for Le Méridien and W Hotels Worldwide. “India Art Fair connects the most inspiring local artists and galleries with international curators and collectors. We are thrilled to collaborate with the Art Fair, offering creative minds and our curious guests a platform to engage in a dialogue; contribute to and share their passion for contemporary art,” he added.

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SNOOZER

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HOTEL Business Review

Industry Not Enthused With the Budget The hospitality industry has no reason to feel enthusiastic about the Union Budget 2013-14, which was presented by the Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram in the Parliament, on 28th February 2012. Neither the hospitality sector been accorded the infrastructure status, and nor there has been any reduction in luxury tax and service tax, which are levied on room rent.

The former tax is imposed by the state government, while the latter by the Union Government. Last year the hospitality sector was levied an extra ten per cent service charge. Despite demand for a rollback, nothing was done to address this issue in the current budget.

On top of that, the Minister has proposed a service tax of three percent on air-conditioned restaurants above 2000 sq. feet, irrespective of the fact whether they serve alcoholic beverages or not. Earlier only AC restaurants which were serving liquor did

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News Scan come under the ambit of service tax, but in this budget such an exception has been dispensed with. This may lead to dining at air-conditioned restaurants across various hotels and outside a costlier proposition than before. Those hotels who would not be able to transfer this additional cost to the consumer because of lack of demand, would face shortfall of revenues. Neither the highly taxed hospitality industry is given any incentive.

However, the fact that the tourism sector has experienced a marginal increase in allocation in this budget, of about Rs.88 crore, may give some cheer among the hospitality industry. For the role of tourism to give an impetus to the hospitality industry cannot be overemphasised.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) to Open Holiday Inn at Lavasa by 2015 Lavasa Corporation recently signed an agreement with IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms, to open Holiday Inn at Mugaon, the second town under development at Lavasa. Holiday Inn Lavasa, Mugaon, which is to become a 200 room midscale hotel, is expected to open by 2015. Mugaon, located close to the first town under development at Lavasa, Dasve, is being developed as a residential, educational, business and commercial hub.

Holiday Inn Lavasa, Mugaon will exemplify the standards of the USD $1 billion Holiday Inn re-launch, featuring new signage, new exterior landscaping and design, an enhanced welcome experience with a re-designed lobby, de-cluttered reception desk, and all-new signature scents and sounds. The 200-room hotel will offer an extensive selection of food and beverage outlets. A fully-equipped business center along with conferencing facilities and expansive banqueting facilities will make the Holiday Inn Lavasa, Mugaon an ideal business and leisure destination.

Construction of the new hotel is likely to commence in the third quarter of 2013.

Commenting on the development, Rajgopal Nogja, Group President – Development Companies, HCC said, ‘We are pleased to partner with IHG for opening the Holiday Inn Lavasa, Mugaon at our second town, Mugoan. Tourist traffic to Lavasa is on the rise with close to 1 lakh tourists visiting the city every month. The proposed development at Mugaon which includes theme parks, medi city, sports academies and the business hub will only augment the tourist numbers. The opening of Holiday Inn at Mugaon will help us further cater to tourist demand for quality hotel accommodation.”

Douglas Martell, Vice President — Operations, South West Asia, IHG said, “We are extremely excited to partner with HCC and welcome Holiday Inn Lavasa, Mugaon. With a growing economy and an expanding middle class, we foresee a strong demand for midscale hotels in the country, and the Holiday Inn Lavasa, Mugaon will be a great product of the next generation of hotels planned for India.”

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HOTEL Business Review

News Scan

ITC Grand Chola is India’s First Hotel to Receive a 5 Star Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) Reaffirming its commitment to the ethos of ‘Responsible Luxury,’ ITC Hotels secured a 5 Star GRIHA, the highest national rating for green buildings, for ITC Grand Chola, Chennai. This 600key luxury hotel in Chennai is the first hotel in India to secure the 5-star rating from the Association for Development and Research of Sustainable Habitats (ADaRSH) through GRIHA. This recognition was presented by President Pranab Mukherjee,to Nakul Anand, Executive Director, ITC Ltd., at the annual National Conference on Green Design, at the Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.

GRIHA, a green building design evaluation system, is the National Rating System of India conceived by TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) and developed jointly with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India. ITC Grand Chola was rated on 34 criteria, categorised under various sections including site selection & site planning, conservation and efficient utilisation of resources, building operation and maintenance and innovation points. Each criterion has a number of points assigned to it and a building is required to score a minimum of 50 points for certification.

GRIHA awards different levels of certification (1 to 5 stars) based on the score. ITC Grand Chola garnered 91 points to become the first hotel in the country to secure a 5 star rating.

Speaking on the recognition, Nakul Anand, Executive Director-ITC Ltd., 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.” 100 percent of the electrical energy demands of ITC Grand Chola are being met through renewable energy sources.

Efficient fixtures reduce the building’s water use by 35 percent, as compared to internationally benchmarked luxury hotel

standards. Almost 100 percent of the hotel’s waste is recycled for useful purposes.

ITC Hotels’ philosophy is to deliver the best in luxury, whilst enabling planet positive experiences through its ‘Responsible Luxury’ credo, an ethos derived from ITC’s commitment to pursue Triple Bottom Line objectives of contributing to building economic, environmental and social capital. ITC Grand Chola embodies the company’s commitment and ITC Hotels’ ethos, further contributing to ITC Hotels’ unique milestone of being the ‘Greenest luxury hotel chain in the world’.

In addition to the wide spectrum of environment-friendly measures that ITC Hotels implement, the ITC group’s carbon positive, water positive and solid waste recycling positive status ensures that a guest’s stay at any of its luxury hotels contributes to a lower carbon footprint.

At the heart of the ‘Responsible Luxury’ credo lies the product design of green buildings, which are energy efficient, utilise renewable energy, conserve and recycle water, and take concrete steps to preserve the eco-system around them. ITC Hotels have also innovated in the use of materials that utilize renewable sources and are biodegradable or conserve scarce environmental resources.

Accor Wins Top Accolade at Hotel Investment Forum India 2013 Awards Accor, the world’s leading hotel operator and market leader in Asia-Pacific, has announced that Novotel-ibis Bengaluru Techpark were declared winners in the category of Budget & Mid-priced scale hotels at the recently concluded Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) - Deal of the Year awards.

Deal of the Year awards recognised hotels opened between November 2011 & October 2012 in the categories of Budget and Mid-Priced Scale, First Class and Upper Mid-Scale, and Luxury and Upscale. Novotel-ibis Bengaluru Techpark won in the Budget and Mid-Priced Scale category. These twin hotels have a total of 547 keys, and were developed at a total cost of Rs. 3,084 mn (at a cost per room of Rs. 4.41 mn excluding cost of land and IDC). Nominees in this category also included aLoft Chandigarh, Hampton by Hilton Vadodara - Alkapuri, and Holiday Inn Express Ahmedabad. Speaking about the award, JeanMichel Cassé, Senior Vice President, Operations India, said, “Accor is delighted with this accolade for Novotel-ibis Bengaluru Techpark.

This award is an acknowledgement not only of the hotels excellence but is also an endorsement of Accor’s innovativeness and dynamism as a company. Accor will continue to strive to provide a high service experience for every customer while maintaining costs effectively across properties in India.” The Novotel-ibis Bengaluru Techpark is the first combo property by Accor in India.

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HOTEL Business Review

Nine New Le Meridien Hotels Slated to Open Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts has announced a significant growth pipeline with nine new hotels expected to open within the next 12 months. Since its 2005 acquisition by Starwood Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: HOT), both Starwood and its hotel ownership groups have transformed Le Meridien into a contemporary, design-led lifestyle brand. Le Meridien, which at the time of its purchase offered a strong international complement to Starwood’s then primarily North American holdings, continues to provide opportunities for new deal signings and conversions in both emerging and established markets, respectively.

Le Meridien will open nine new hotels in the next 12 months, including: Le Meridien Bali Jimbaran (January 31, 2013), Le Meridien Atlanta Perimeter (February 21, 2013), Le

Meridien Zhengzhou (China — May 2013) Le Meridien Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam — June 2013), Le Meridien Dhaka (Bangladesh — July 2013), Le Meridien Cairo Airport (September 2013), Le Meridien Jiaonan Resort (Qingdao, China — October 2013), Le Meridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa (India — October 2013), Le Meridien Chicago — Oakbrook Center (January 2014).

“Starwood is seeing increased interest in Le Meridien among owners, especially around conversions,” said Simon Turner, President of Global Development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “Le Meridien is benefiting from growing brand recognition and deal signing momentum around the world, and the brand’s long-established global presence remains a competitive advantage,” he added.

Over the past seven years, Le Meridien has undergone a full transformation, including a comprehensive portfolio review as well as a re-development of its brand strategy, marketing approach and service culture training. With the strongest portfolio and performance levels in the brand’s history, Le Meridien has had more new hotel deals signed in the past year than in the previous four years combined.

“Le Meridien has soared under Starwood, with a new design perspective and truly unique positioning that helps guests unlock their destination through culture and cuisine,” said Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader, Le Meridien and Westin Hotels. “After significant investment and consolidation, Le Meridien boasts its best portfolio ever, and this will be a milestone year for us as we welcome an unprecedented number of new hotels into our ever-growing family,” he pointed out.

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News Scan

Capt. Nair Steps Down From the Post of Chairman On 7th February 2013, the 91-year-old Capt. CP Krishnan Nair has stepped down from the position of Chairman of Hotel Leelaventure Limited. He founded the company in 1981. His eldest son Vivek Nair succeeded him. The company’s board has elevated Vivek Nair to the position of Chairman and Managing Director. Earlier he was ViceChairman and Managing Director of the company. The board has taken note of the invaluable contribution of Capt.

CP Krishnan Nair to the company, by honouring him with the appointment of the Chairman Emeritus of the company.

The appointment of Dinesh Nair, the younger son of Capt. CP Krishnan Nair, as the Co-Chairman and Joint Managing Director of the company, has also been approved by the board.

Here it deserves a mention that the hospitality group also lowered its net loss to Rs.96.91 crore for the quarter ending 31December 2012 from its net loss of Rs.99.65 crore during the corresponding period of the previous year.

Sterling Holidays Announces the Opening of its 19th Resort Sterling Holidays, India’s leading vacation ownership and leisure hospitality company, announced the opening of its 19th resort, Dharamshala - The Sanctuary. With this addition, Sterling now offers its members and guests a choice of 19 resorts across India’s most scenic holiday destinations. With a majestic view of the Dhauladhar range and the gurgling, perennial brooks of the Beas river, The Sanctuary offers the best of both worlds – cosy comfort within and a world of natural beauty outside. The full-service, modern resort has 26 elegantly furnished rooms, a multi-cuisine restaurant, bar, conference facilities and a range of recreational activities designed to engage members and guests in fun-filled, memorable holiday experiences.

Commenting on the opening, Ramesh Ramanathan, Managing Director, Sterling Holidays, said, “The addition of Dharamshala - The Sanctuary is yet another significant step forward in our efforts to increase our resort network and offer our members and guests holidays in scenic destinations.

Over the next few months, we will be working to bring to fruition our plans to offer more scenic getaways across India.”

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Radisson Blu Resort and Spa Alibaug wins Best Spa & Resorts Award Radisson Blu Resort & Spa Alibaug was honoured with The Best Spa & Resorts of India by Brands Academy and NDTV Good Times. Supriya Malhotra, General Manager of Radisson Blu Resort & Spa Alibaug was felicitated by Prahalad Kakkar at a gala ceremony hosted in the capital recently. Radisson Blu Resort & Spa Alibaug was chosen as the best in its category from the Indian sub-continent. Brands Academy undertook a market research study in association with BIG Research to identify some of the best performers in the global travel, tourism and hospitality industries in the Indian market.

Those players who have risen to unprecedented heights in their respective geographies were then felicitated for their vision, achievements and contribution to the growth of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry.

On receiving the award, Supriya Malhotra, General Manager of Radisson Blu Resort & Spa Alibaug, said, “It is certainly an honour to receive this award. This achievement has not only benchmarked the quality and services of Radisson Blu over others in India but has also elevated the brand to the next level as a single winner!” Supriya was accompanied by Richard Barooah, Vice President — Operations from RIMC Sahil India.

News Scan

Feathers in the Cap of The Leela Palace Delhi At the recently held TripAdvisorTravellers’ Choice Awards, The Leela Palace New Delhi won five coveted awards, which included The Top Big & Luxury Hotel in Asia, and Top Big, Service and Luxury Hotel in India.

The awards were conferred at a by-invitation soiree, which attracted the presence of major players from the hospitality and travel industry.

The hotel also received the Centre of Excellence Certification in 2012 for the feedback and ranking on TripAdvisor.

Commenting on the recognition, Tamir Kobrin, General Manager, The Leela Palace New Delhi, said, “Digital evolution highly impacts the decisions of discerning travellers the world over, therefore being recognised by the world’s largest and the most trusted travel site for two consecutive years, is indeed a proud moment. We thank all our patrons for sharing their experience on TripAdvisor and believe that these accolades are a true testament of our hard work and a great way to enter 2013 and it is just the beginning.”

Lemon Tree Hotels Receives The Best MidRange Hotel Award Lemon Tree Hotels, has been awarded the Best Mid-Range Hotel in India at the Outlook Traveller Awards 2012. The awards are based on a yearly survey conducted by the Outlook Traveller magazine. As a part of this survey, readers share their experiences of travel and stay and indicate their preferences, which forms the basis of the selection. Speaking on the occasion, Rahul Pandit, President, Lemon Tree Hotels said, “It is an honour to be declared the best midrange hotel in India. It is particularly gratifying that our selection as number one in the category came through a customer preference model and that is a tribute to the values, ethics and the work culture at Lemon Tree Hotels. I am happy for the entire team at LTH and I am grateful to our thousands of customers who have voted for us.” The mid-market segment is growing impressively as customer and travel preferences in India is undergoing rapid changes.

Lemon Tree Hotels is an important player in this segment with 20 hotels in 14 cities, across the country.

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HOTEL Business Review

Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts Debuts in Kerala Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts has announced in the recent past the launch of Banyan Tree Kerala. It would be launched in Q1 2013. The resort’s debut marks the first property in India for the award-winning Banyan Tree Group. Notable for its unique setting on a private island in the backwaters of Kerala, Banyan Tree Kerala is an allpool villa retreat from which one could explore the traditions and daily rhythms of a bygone era.

Located on the private island of Nediyathuruthu in the Alleppey district of Kerala, Banyan Tree Kerala is an hour south of Kochi International Airport and a 10-minute boat ride from the resort’s private jetty, in nearby Vaduthala. Framed by the palm-lined picturesque backwaters for which Kerala is renowned, the resort offers an idyllic setting to discover the beaches, canals, lush tropical greenery and Ayurvedic therapies that have garnered the state a high ranking among the plethora of ‘must see destinations’ around the world. Each of the resort’s 59 villas features a private pool and affords expansive views of the surrounding

waterways and canals.

Boasting local architectural accents of gabled roofs and carved wooden facades, the villa interiors showcase indigenous materials such as coir — a natural fibre extracted from the husk of coconuts — ornamental wood carvings, paintings and frescoes as well as Kathakali art. Banyan Tree Kerala features the Group’s first dedicated Ayurvedic Centre, which will offer personalised consultations by qualified Ayurvedic doctors. Guests may enjoy these and a variety of other wellness therapies from the awardwinning Banyan Tree Spa, in one of the four Ayurvedic treatment rooms or in one of the six Spa pavilions.

Banyan Tree Kerala will offer an array of dining options too. South Indian cuisine, with its emphasis on rice, lentils, dried red chillies and coconut, along with a healthy dose of tamarind, garlic and ginger, will be available at the all day dining venue with both indoor and outdoor seating. The Group’s muchlauded Saffron restaurant will feature

Thai cuisine along with contemporary design. The Pool Bar offers a swim up bar and will have refreshing cocktails.

Classical Indian dance performances will be presented at the Bar Lounge nightly, where a selection of premium whiskeys and fine wines will also be on offer. The Spa Café will feature a menu inspired by the tri-dosha concept of Ayurveda and it was created with the inputs of Ayurvedic practitioners. Special dining experiences will include dinner aboard a local palak boat, typically used by royalty, on which Kerala fish curry and a variety of other traditional dishes will be served. Guests may also dine atop a specially built tower, the tallest point on the island, while admiring panoramic views of the resort.

Daiwik Hotels to Arrive in Dwarka Kolkata-based Daiwik Hotels, India’s first specialty chain of full service 4star pilgrim hotels, has announced its third property in Dwarka. This will be Daiwik’s third property after its property in Rameshwaram and its forthcoming hotel property in Tirupati. Daiwik Hotels Dwarka will be a Greenfield investment of Rs. 45 crore, slated to become operational by 2015. Daiwik Hotels also has plans to extend the hospitality brand to destinations like Somnath and Ambaji among others. “Pilgrim tourists are the largest travel group after ‘travel for social purpose’ in our country. In contrast there is a huge gap in the country for quality branded products. Daiwik Hotels enjoys a first-mover advantage in attempting to meet the needs of the contemporary

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pilgrim requirements of quality hotels and a stress-free holistic pilgrim experience, which so far is largely unorganised” said Debashis Ghosal, Managing Director and CEO, Daiwik Hotels Pvt. Ltd. The first project from the hospitality brand, Daiwik Hotels Rameswaram, in Tamil Nadu is currently operational and their flagship project is coming up in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.

Daiwik Hotels Dwarka will have 120140 keys with a mix of Superior, Deluxe and Suite accommodation options. The company has entered into a joint venture with the Pabubha Manek family, known as ‘Bhamasha Parivar’ of Okha Mandal, an eminent business house from Okha.

The JV partner will provide a land bank of approximately 1.20 acres and the

necessary infrastructure for the upcoming properties. The full service 4-star facility will offer a multi-cuisine restaurant, fully-furnished banquets, and an activity room for kirtans, bhajans, and discourses.

There will also be a special spa, and related retail facilities including books, music, artifacts, traditional jewellery and mementos.

Sharing his thoughts, Pabubha Manek, said, “This joint venture provided us with an exclusive opportunity to explore the potential market of pilgrimage tourism and introduce our expertise in the sector.

We are very glad to form the joint venture with Daiwik Hotels, the first of its kind ‘pilgrim hotel’ in the country, and with our respective expertise in the field we hope to make this alliance a successful one.”

HOTEL Business Review

Appointments

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HOTEL Business Review

Ludhiana Gets its Radisson Blu Recently, Radisson Blu Hotel MBD Ludhiana was launched by Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. It is the group’s first Radisson Blu hotel in this thriving industrial city. Spread across 55 sq.m, the hospitality property comprising of 81 commodious rooms and suites, is targeted at the high-end leisure as well as business travellers. The hotel claims that its guest rooms are the largest in Punjab. The hotel is located in the heart of Ludhiana, and is close to the airport, railway station, major shopping belts and the central business district.

Radisson Blu Hotel MBD Ludhiana is located within MBD Neopolis. Here it deserves a mention that MBD Neopolis is Ludhiana’s first mixeduse development, which houses premium retail outlets and entertainment options too, such as a multiplex.

The hotel reflects a modern décor. All the guest rooms are spruced with modern furnishings, and the in-room amenities include 40 inch flat-screen LCD television, electronic safes, mini bars and a host of other convenient amenities designed to give a stress-free, relaxing stay.

The Radisson Blu Hotel MBD Ludhiana offers extensive banqueting areas to accommodate small and large business meetings, seminars, conferences, social functions and weddings.

The hotel has the largest meeting spaces in the city. The banquet halls of the hospitality property cover an area of 20,000 sq.ft. The interior of the function rooms also provide ample scope for thematic events. These function rooms are well equipped with state-of-the-art technology and supported by a business centre. Recreational facilities at the hotel include a 12,000 sq.ft. spa and health club, complete with therapy rooms, a salon and state-of-the-art fitness equipments.

Monica Malhotra, Senior Director, MBD Group, said,

“This hotel will set new benchmark in hospitality in this city as its residents and visitors will experience first class offerings of internationally well-known Radisson Blu brand as well as the remarkable hotel interiors of contemporary elegance.”

The hotel also boasts of a wide range of food and beverage outlets showcasing wonderful global cuisine. Options include Café Delish, a 24-hour coffee shop, Made in India, a restaurant serving local favourites, R.E.D, a pan-Asian restaurant, Peg Bar and Lounge, and The Chocolate Box & Lounge. Scintil 8 is the hotel’s night club. The hotel also has an exclusive ‘by invitation only’ lounge called the Prive’ Club, where guests can entertain in a private setting.

Sonica Malhotra, Director, MBD Group, added, “We are endeavouring to create an unforgettable first class experience at the Radisson Blu Hotel MBD Ludhiana. From dining options reflecting popular F&B concepts to guest rooms designed to provide deluxe comfort as well as function rooms catering for both meetings and informal events, each element at the hotel is carefully fine-tuned to deliver the highest service standards and hospitality par excellence.”

Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield Arrives Marriott International Inc. has recently introduced its Marriott Hotels & Resorts brand into Bangalore with the launch of the Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield.

The 16-storied property is owned by Magna Warehousing Pvt. Ltd. The property is located just 50 minutes drive from Bengaluru International Airport, in the vicinity of the Inorbit Mall and Sri Satya Sai Super Speciality Hospital. Beautifully landscaped surroundings provide the backdrop for the hotel. The property is located in the software hub with Fortune 500 companies in the surrounding areas. Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield blends contemporary style and warmth to provide premium accommodation; catering to both the business and leisure travellers.

This premier five-star hospitality property comprises 324 guest rooms, including 17 suites(16 Junior Suites an one plush Presidential Suite), which are well-appointed, ergonomically designed and high-speed Internet enabled.

Guest rooms of the hotel are equipped with high-speed Internet and a spacious work desk, which can be ideal options for the business travellers. The hotel has more than 10,000 square feet of efficient meeting space with high-speed Internet access.

The hotel offers an Executive Lounge on the 14th Floor, where one may conduct business, or use for relaxation. Swimming pool, spa and fitness center are some of the other features of the property where you can relax and/or rejuvenate. The exquisite dinning options at M Café, M Bar, Alto Vino – an authentic Italian dinning outlet, Whitfield Baking Company, and Pool BBQ, which offer fresh, chef-crafted food, together facilitates to give a sense of holistic hospitality for the guests at the property.

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HOTEL Business Review

Ozone Finds its Hub in Bangalore Ozone has announced the launch of its first Display Cum Training Centre in Bangalore — The Ozone Hub. This is the second Ozone Hub in south India. Earlier one was launched in Chennai. This newly created showroom was inaugurated on 9th Feb 2013 at SPD Plaza, Koramangala, Bangalore, in the presence of eminent guests from the trade and well known architects and interior designers. Conveniently located in the heart of commercial, construction & building materials activities of the city, this Display Cum Training Centre has the potential to attract a large number of architects, builders and anyone associated with any construction or renovation activity. The centre obviously has great potential for the hospitality sector of India.

“The opening of The Ozone Hub —DisplayCum-Training Centre in Bengaluru showcases our commitment to offer our customers with an unparalleled shopping experience for all their hardware needs. These centres will act as knowledge centres and provide a platform for architects, builders and consumers to take an informed decision on his/her selection of any product as per the need and requirement,” commented Alok Aggarwal, MD, Ozone Overseas Ltd., the young driving force behind Ozone.

Ozone Overseas, an integral part of Ozone Enterprise Group, is a leader in architectural hardware industry.

This fabulously designed Display cum Training Centre along with the company’s branch & operational office is builtup on a 6000 sq. ft. area. The centre comprises of fine displays and working models of glass fittings, shower enclosures, kitchen hardware, stainless steel railings, automatic doors, along with hardware for wooden doors and furniture and an exclusive range of electronic safes. The centre hosts a live

demo of more than 25 types of glass and wooden doors using different hardware derivatives; working on sliding or swing mechanism, which can be effortlessly operated manually, automatically or with remote control. The centre also offers solutions for various types of shower cubicles and accessories for facilitating the dry bathroom concept.

Ozone continually strives to provide innovative hardware solutions for architects, builders, specifiers and home owners for all their architectural hardware requirements. Founded more than a decade ago with a single-minded vision, that is to be the best in providing architectural hardware solutions, Ozone has

since then grown with its hard work, innovations, and with patronage from its discerning customers. Ozone has global presence for its products. Every product of Ozone goes through stringent quality checks at all stages of production process and hence the complete installed product meets the international norms of quality, design perfection and safety.

The Ozone Hubs are being created with a vision to impart technical know-how, functionality and usage of each product of Ozone to its customers, whether they be architects, interior designers, contractors, builders, fabricators or end consumers.

Succinctly, at The Ozone Hubs, it is quite natural for the customer to walk-in with a concept in mind and walk out with an efficient, lasting & safe hardware solution, catering to her/his needs.

Marriott International Makes its Debut in Madhya Pradesh Marriott International, Inc. has ventured into Madhya Pradesh with the opening of Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal. This ninth Courtyard property in India comprises of 101 rooms, which includes 20 Twin Rooms, 75 King Rooms, three Studio Suites, two Courtyard Suites and one Specially Abled Room.

According to Rajeev Menon, Area Vice President, Marriott International – Indian Subcontinent, Maldives and Australia, after careful consideration Madhya Pradesh was chosen for the launch of the ninth Courtyard by Marriott property in India as it is one of the most promising destinations in the country and Bhopal is slated to be a crucial player among the tier-II markets in the country. He said that, “Having witnessed the success our previous eight launches, we foresee the brand

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doing extremely well, in the Bhopal market. With this launch, Marriott International reinforces its commitment of bringing the best brands within its portfolio to the Indian markets.”

A range of dining options like MoMo Cafe, MoMo 2You, Alfresco, Éclair-The Bake Shop, Corner Bar and the Pool Bar, 22,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, breakaway venues, and huge ballrooms are some of the important features of the first Courtyard by Marriott property in the state of Madhya Pradesh.

Elton Hurtis, General Manager, Courtyard by Marriott, Bhopal, said that, “Great care has been taken in designing this hotel for catering to the business travellers who want all the conveniences of an upscale hotel, along with a casual, open design where they can be at ease.”

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Ravi Khubchandani

Ravi Khubchandani has taken on the role of General Manager of ibis Gurgaon, with effect from 10th December 2012. Prior to this Khubchandani was the Hotel Manager of ibis Pune, an assignment he took over in May 2011, after relocating from New Zealand where he had worked with Accor Hotels. At ibis Pune, he has been instrumental in putting together a talented and committed management team to successfully manage the operations in a very challenging business environment.

Matthieu Firmin

Matthieu Firmin has been appointed as the General Manager of ibis Delhi Airport with effect from 14th January 2013. Before this, Matthieu was the General Manager of Novotel Survilliers Saint Witz, France. He has been associated with Accor for over 12 years and his past assignments include being Deputy General Manager of the 556-room Ibis Charles De Gaulle Airport.

Rohan Sable

Ro h a n S a b l e h a s b e e n appointed as the General Manager of ibis Mumbai Airport, with effect from 11th February 2013. Sable comes with over 13 years of hospitality experience which includes being the General Manager of hotels owned/operated by Ascott of Singapore, and the well-known Indian chains of Royal Orchid and Sarovar.

Jean-Philippe Lagarde

Jean-Philippe Lagarde has been associated with the Accor Group for 20 years, across various countries and brands. He has been appointed General Manager of Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach.

Before assuming responsibility of ibis Navi Mumbai, Lagarde had an impactful term as the General Manager of Novotel Madrid Campo de las Naciones Spain for six years.

Pramod Dashora

Pramod Dashora has been appointed as the General Manager for Mercure Hyderabad Abids, Accor’s mid-scale hotel. With more than 19 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Dashora brings to the table a strong operational and administrative background.

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Rakshit Talwar

Rakshit Talwar has been appointed the Director of Sales at the Goa Marriott Resort & Spa. He comes to the property after his last assignment as the Director of Sales at the Courtyard by Marriott, Pune Hinjewadi since 2010.

After beginning his career as a Management Trainee in 2002, Talwar worked with Taj and Hyatt in several markets before joining the Marriott as Associate Director of Sales in 2008, where he functioned as the sales leader for management of sales efforts by the regional sales team.

Talwar’s key expertise lies in developing and implementing sales strategies that are relevant to market conditions yet in line with operational needs, and his biggest strengths are customer engagement and community outreach.

Chef Sidharth Bhardwaj

Chef Sidharth Bhardwaj brings with him seven glorious years of experience in the hospitality industry. At Marriott Chennai, he is in charge of the overall kitchen management.

He has good experience as a Restaurant Manager, and has rich exposure in food production, staff management, banqueting and much more. His resume boasts of a rich work experience with prestigious hotel groups such as Le Zodique, Brewberrys, Pastamania and Mayfair Banquets to name a few. Chef Sidharth’s most memorable experience at work was at the Courtyard by Marriott Ahmedabad as a Junior Sous Chef where he was bestowed with the opportunity to prepare exquisite food for the players and organisers of the IPL 2010 and ICC World Cup 2011. His educational qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel and Tourism Management from V.I.H.T.M, Gujarat University and an Advanced Diploma in Commercial Cookery from the Holmes Glen of TAFE in Melbourne.

Chef Ashis Rout

Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon has appointed Ashis Rout as the new Executive Chef. In his current role, he will be overseeing the culinary operations at the hotel.

Having a rich experience of more than a decade, Rout brings incomparable culinary expertise to the kitchen and is enthusiastic towards his work. Rout loves to rehash regional cuisines and his styling manifests through the creation of ‘out of the box’ dishes for his guests. Prior to joining Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon, he served as an Executive Chef at Ananda in the Himalayas and has worked as Sr. Sous Chef for ISTA Hotel Bangalore.

Rajeev Babbar

Premier Inn has announced the appointment of Rajeev Babbar as Vice President – Finance & Planning, South Asia (India, Sri Lanka and Maldives). At Premier Inn, Babbar’s core responsibilities will include interaction with the capital markets and leadership of the finance, accounting, corporate mergers, acquisitions and divestitures for the company. He will also lead all aspects of corporate financial planning and analysis, purchase and legal & secretarial functions as well as investor relations. Prior to joining the Premier Inn, Babbar was working with Emaar MGF Land Limited as Assistant Vice President Finance – Hospitality and Treasury. Babbar is a Chartered Accountant (CA) from The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India 1994. He has experience of working with some of the leading organisations such as Marriott, Oberoi’s and DLF.

Spring Air Bedding Co. (India) Ltd. F-39, Ground Floor, Shopping Centre 1, Mansarover Garden, New Delhi 110015 Tel.: 011-40793344, E-Mail: info@springair.in, projects.springair@gmail.com For institutional enquires please contact: North: 09711159350, West: 022-25296616, 09029373942, Central: 09826130505, South: 080-26644757, 09845813489, East: 033-40629290, 09831237711, 09831154834.

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HOTEL Business Review

An Interactive Meet to Address the Hospitality Concerns

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n 4th January 2013, HOTREMAI (Hotel & Restaurant Equipment Manufacturers’ Association of India) members’ had an interactive meet with hospitality project & material heads at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The meet began with Vijay Wangnoo, the President — HOTREMAI, greeting the august gathering and thanking them for their presence. He explained the background and purpose for organising the interface between project and material heads & HOTREMAI members.

R Kumar, the Founder President of HOTREMAI, wished the distinguished guests and the members a very happy and purposeful New Year and briefly introduced the association, its aims and objectives, activities undertaken in the interest of its members and the industry at large, and its growth over the period of time. Nirmal Khandelwal, the immediate past President, HOTREMAI, expressed his delight to see the meet being organised and wished it a great success.

HOTREMAI members introduced themselves to the project and material heads from the hospitality industry before throwing open the meet for an interactive session. The interactive session covered issues & topics ranging from expectation of hospitality industry from manufacturers and suppliers for meeting the challenges of new projects and changing environment, emphasis on locally manufactured products vs. imported ones, customisation of equipment, need for having a strong R&D to improve quality of products, and concerns on commercial terms.

Project heads were of the opinion that Indian manufacturers for the hospitality Industry should bring in latest technology,

improve quality of manufacturing and go for certification of their products by leading certification agencies, and eventually strive towards not only capturing the Indian market but also international markets.

The suggestions of Basil Massey from Duet Hotels, Naresh Kumar from Lemon Tree Hotels, Ajay Simrani from Yum Restaurants along with the concerns of HOTREMAI members were discussed at length. While concluding the meet, based on the suggestion of Deepak Bali, Sr. VP– Projects, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels, it was mutually agreed to form a core group comprising of honourable guests who attended the meet and nominated HOTREMAI members of Executive Committee to jointly address the issues commonly faced by the hospitality industry and HOTREMAI members.

Rational Appoints New Managing Director for India Pinaki Banerjee has taken over the management of Rational India w.e.f. 1st of January 2013. Banerjee is following Aiden Hughes, who is going to Rational USA after three years of being in charge of the Indian market. Since 2010 Rational has founded its India division in Delhi, and has since spread its structure right across India. The company’s main focus is on Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.

So far, it has built up an extensive service network with more than 120 trained technicians to reach other areas outside the tier-I cities.

Banerjee brings considerable expertise and a highly successful record to his role at Rational. Born in India, he

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has worked in the United Kingdom for the last 12 years. Previously, Banerjee has held senior management positions with Pilkington, UK and has had an excellent track record of delivering in both emerging and overseas markets.

During his tenure as the Global Export Director, he also held additional responsibilities as the Managing Director, Pilkington India. He has considerable experience in the Indian market.

“I am very excited to develop the Indian market together with our strong team and partners,” said Banerjee. “There are huge opportunities in developing the Indian market for the combi steamer

technology. The SelfCookingCenter® whitefficiency® brings great benefits in terms of cooking quality and savings and is already a standard for the Indian kitchens. We offer plenty of solutions for the Indian cuisine but with our application manager in India we are able to develop the Indian cooking processes even further”, explained Banerjee.

“We are looking forward to welcome Pinaki Banerjee, as the new Managing Director of Rational India. I am convinced that he will accelerate the growth of Rational India due to his global experience and comprehensive management know- how,“ averred Thomas Stütz, Vice President Asia.

To showcase the Rational solutions for the Indian kitchens, Rational will exhibit at AAHAR — the International Food and Hospitality Fair — held during 14th -18th March 2013.

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FHRAI Seeks to Revive Aerocity Various upcoming hotels and some already constructed hospitality properties ready to welcome guests, which are/to be dotted along the runway of Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, are now struck by the prospect of indefinite delay in their opening, owing to the cropping up of some security demands raised by Delhi Police, whose adherence, according to the hoteliers are not pragmatic. Some of the security demands include reducing a couple of floors and turning the windows of the hotels/upcoming hotels that face the airport/will be facing the airport into concrete walls.

Among their various objections, the security agencies have put forward the argument that these hotels are too close to the runway and hangars.

Vivek Nair, the President of the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), in a meeting with Ajit Singh, the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, sought the Minister’s urgent intervention in the matter of undue delay pertaining to the issue of completion certificates and other clearances to the hotels in the upcoming hospitality district of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, ‘Aerocity’. The upcoming hospitality district is proposed to be spread across 45 acres and upon becoming a reality can be a great source of revenue for the Indian hospitality industry.

According to the sources from the hospitality industry, Delhi Police is not wavering from its demand, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation has asked the concerned hotel projects in the Aerocity to seek clearance from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the regulatory authority for civil aviation security in India.

As many as 13 hotels are being built in the Aerocity, at a combined project cost of approximately Rs.10,000 crores.

These upcoming/already constructed hotels could together contribute towards 5,500 additional rooms to the capital city’s limited inventory of 11,000 rooms in the branded segment, and have the potential to generate direct employment for thousands of people.

The construction of some of these hotels is either already complete or in advanced stages. An inordinate delay in their commissioning would not only cause colossal financial losses to the individual

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developers but also stall the vision of establishing a vibrant world-class hospitality hub, which was conceived as an integral component of the ambitious modernisation program of the Delhi International Airport.

Some of the completed hotels are losing huge money daily. The Lemon Tree and Red Fox hotels in this hospitality corridor, which were built with an investment of Rs.500 crore and have 600 employees on board, are awaiting their launch for two months, and

hotels are being developed in accordance with the duly approved master plan and requisite statutory clearances had been obtained, including NOC on height clearance from the Airports Authority of India, prior to their commencement of construction four years ago. “To impose structural modifications or alteration of building plans at this late stage, ostensibly to allay perceived security concerns, would be unreasonable and impractical. Moreover,

losing about Rs25 lakh per day.

Any prolonged and unwarranted uncertainty on receiving the final regulatory clearances can potentially undermine the viability of a landmark and prestigious project such as the Aerocity.

Besides affecting these concerned hotel projects in the Aerocity, the possibility of the indefinite stalling of the whole project has potential negative repercussions for the hospitality industry of India in general, too.

Nair has also highlighted to the Minister that in order to achieve the target of doubling our foreign tourist arrivals from six to 12 million within the 12th Plan Period (2012-17), the Ministry of Tourism and the Planning Commission have estimated that 1,80,000 additional hotel rooms would be required across the country, entailing a massive capital investment of over Rs.1,25,000 crores.

In this regard, the FHRAI President has expressed his concern that the indefinite delay in the fruition of this huge hospitality project would in turn deal a severe setback to the Indian hospitality sector’s ability to attract significant domestic and foreign investment, which is imperative to fuel its envisioned growth and expansion.

It is pertinent to note that all these

it has already been clarified that all buildings in the area will incorporate state-of-the-art security and surveillance infrastructure,” said FHRAI. Here it deserves a mention that construction of hotels and their associated hospitality infrastructure within close proximity of airport is not a new phenomenon. In fact, there is a group of buildings comprising offices, airport hotels, the RER train station (Aeroport CDG1), the bus and coach station, etc. within the Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport complex, which is collectively named as Roissypôle. Airport hotels at Roissypôle include the economy-priced Ibis Hotel Paris-CDG Terminal, the moderatelypriced Novotel Paris Roissy CDG Terminal, and the deluxe Hilton Paris CDG among others. The Roissypôle is easily reached by the free CDGVAL airport shuttle train, and is a stop for all the airport hotel shuttle buses.

Maybe our Civil Aviation Ministry can take inspiration from such a reality and proactively intervene to prevent the undue delay regarding the issue of completion certificates and other clearances to the upcoming and already constructed hotels in Aerocity.

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Cover Story

Eves Storm in

Hospitality Enter the world of five-star hospitality, and you enter a world of chandeliers, buffed marble floors, silver spoons and everything that spells luxury. But in this world there was scarce visibility of women till about two decades ago. However slowly and steadily, the eves are breaking through all the barriers to make their presence felt in all sections of the Indian hospitality industry.

On the forthcoming occasion of the International Women’s Day – which has been observed since 1911 across the globe — Ashok Malkani takes a look at the gender bender in the Indian hospitality industry and also explores the difficulties faced by some of the women who have made their mark in this highly demanding industry; characterised by erratic working hours.

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C o v e r Story

HOTEL Business Review

T

here is a popular saying that behind every successful man there is a woman.

But nowadays women no longer wish to remain in the shadows of men. They are ready to make a mark for themselves in every sector, and this includes the hospitality industry. Less than a decade ago, women were scarce in this industry. And even if you chanced to spot them it would be either at the reception desk or the front office. But thankfully, this discouraging trend doesn’t seem to continue any longer. Today, they are intrinsic part of all the departments – from front office to HR, kitchen (as Chefs), housekeeping and even bartending. Many of them have even become GMs. Women owning and running hotel chains, though rare in India, is happening.

For years, the invisible but very much perceptible glass ceiling of the corporate sector, which also includes the hospitality industry, prevented women from ascending to senior managerial positions.

Thankfully, for the Indian hospitality industry at least, the glass ceiling seems to be cracking at many places, and we are seeing a good many number of enterprising and talented women holding

decision making positions. This is surely an encouraging trend in the Indian hospitality industry.

What is more encouraging is that the experts predict that the presence of women in key positions of the hospitality industry will only increase in the times to come, and there is no reason to not assume that the percolation of this happening global trend will

also encompass the Indian hospitality industry.

Pioneering a Trend The lady who may be given the credit of being among the first in India to reach the pinnacle of this once perceived male bastion of the Indian hospitality industry is none other than Camellia Panjabi.

She was the erstwhile Marketing

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Director of the Taj Hotels. In that capacity, Camellia was responsible for launching 40 restaurants over a 30Priya Paul year period.

Presently, Camellia, along with her sister and brother-in-law (Namita and Ranjit Mathrani) are the creators of the award winning Masala Zone restaurants. Masala Zone is a unique collection of some of London’s finest Indian restaurants, spanning both fine dining restaurants and brasserie restaurants.

in the Indian hospitality industry. Hotel kitchen was considered the exclusive territory of the males in the hospitality sector, not very long ago. Yes, even a decade ago, women Chef was an aberration in India. Not any longer though. At the same time, it must be considered that this journey of women breaking through several glass ceilings of the hospitality industry hasn’t been easy.

Madhumita Mohanta, the Executive Chef at Ista,, says that her journey wasn’t a bed of roses. “I entered the hotel kitchen in 1998.

Then there were few women in hotel kitchens, and thus people would treat you very differently. Initially, people would treat as if you didn’t deserve to be in the hotel kitchen. Or that things were easier for you or that you could get away with

her illustrious career.

On gender discrimination in the industry, Madhumita thinks that in every profession, unless the profession is woman dominated, gender discrimination is present, though the mindset is changing.

“The hospitality industry places lots of demands on you, physically, emotionally and mentally. Many women do not want the hectic lifestyles after a while and neither they want to compromise on their personal lives, which this profession entails. I have given thirteen years of sweat, blood and tears to this job,” affirmed the Executive Chef.

Madhumita suspects that over years of exposure in hotel kitchens, she has started to think and feel like a man, and her body

things, because of your gender or your appearance. I knew that I had to work twice as hard as compared to a man on every single day to prove that I am as good as a man,” she conferred.

“My first break was at The Park Hotel, Kolkata and I didn’t realise how the first three years swept by. Following that tenure I went abroad: I had a brief stint with Ritz-Carlton in London and then went to Singapore. Thereafter, I went to Bahrain and worked there for about nine years. My long tenure at Baharin was because there you have very little discrimination. Before my present tenure as the Executive Chef at Ista, I worked with The Claridges in Delhi,” narrated Madhumita, while going briefly through

language has become different from that of conventional woman.

The colourful language in hotel kitchens deterred many women from entering that area. Ladies are now learning to take the ‘colourful’ language used in the kitchen in their stride.

Madhumita believes that these changes, which happen both consciously and subconsciously, take place because you don’t only want to make yourself comfortable but also others. “In the peak hour at the kitchen, you don’t want to make others conscious of the fact that you are a lady and therefore needed to be treated in a different way or in a more gentle manner than your male colleagues,” articulated Madhumita.

Heading Housekeeping to Kitchen This trend of women being at the helm of affairs in the hospitality industry is more visible in the housekeeping segment of the hospitality industry, where we often find that the Executive Housekeeper in hotels is a lady. The Manisha Bhasin employment of female Executive Housekeepers is, however, not a new phenomenon, though now more and more women are donning the mantle of Executive Housekeepers than before. One of their chief challenges, besides being responsible for the maintaining of impeccable housekeeping standards in hospitality properties while keeping in mind the ever evolving domain of housekeeping, is to keep the attrition rates in check through direct involvement and motivation with her junior colleagues.

However, women becoming Chefs in hotels is a comparatively new development Camellia Panjabi

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However, despite the struggles for women to establish themselves in hotel kitchens, these days, we are seeing a number of women Chefs and Pastry Chefs.

The hotel industry is extremely demanding and Manisha Bhasin, Senior Executive Chef, ITC Maurya, New Delhi, thinks that her success in this profession wouldn’t have been possible without the constant support of her husband, parents and inlaws. However, Manisha thinks that despite hotel kitchen is still a male dominated Madhumita Mohanta area, gender ceases to matter when “you conduct yourself as a professional and thus, tend to garner respect from your colleagues. Manisha feels that women Chefs have certain advantages as “cooking comes naturally to women.”

She also feels that women are more caring and sensitive towards their colleagues and guests, and have the ability of rational thinking even in demanding situations, which can work to their advantage.

“Also aesthetics and innovation are our strengths,” opined Manisha.

And what is heartening is that the first Master Chef of India happens to be a woman. Mrs. Pankaj Bhadouria, a former school teacher, left her 16-year-old teaching job and is exploring creativity in the culinary arena as a professional Chef.

The show, named Amul’s MasterChef of India, helped Pankaj in exploring herself as a professional Chef beyond her teaching career. Now, as a professional

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abroad, especially on board cruise ships.

The qualities needed for a bartender, according to Shatbhi are many. They are a thirst for knowledge, commitment to hard work, honesty, discipline, presence of mind, good interactive skills, patience, even temper, sense of humour, love of music, sense of taste and vision, among others. However, the most important quality for Brewing Creativity Pankaj Bhadouria a bartender, according to her, is Women are however, not a passion for bartending. content with becoming Chefs but are also If Shatbhi Basu is a pioneer, the venturing into bartending. Justifiably so.

Goa-based 27-year-old Ami Shroff can Bartending is an amalgamation of arts, be described as a magician with drinks. science and technique to create the right In the bar, you will see that her hands combination of liquids and flavours and are going blur, even if you are without arrive at the perfect drink. And there is a drop of spirits within you.

However, no reason why women would not find she initially faced difficulty in making success in this creative field.

Shatbhi Basu, perhaps the first woman her parents in Mumbai to support her decision for the bartending job. However, bartender in India, says that bartenders eventually they became supportive. already in the business were not that Ami says that in Goa she picked up her eager about sharing information and skills and therefore, learning was difficult. bartending skills.

The fact that bartending as a “Hence, it became a challenge and a profession is gaining more respectability mission” she said, “to find out as much is also good for women aspiring to be as possible about my craft and become bartenders.

Over the past years, many the best I could be in my profession.” bartending training institutes have been She became a bartender after she became opened.

Mumbai-based STIR Academy a Manager. However the fact she was of Bartending is perhaps the first school a women foraying into a male domain in India dedicated to teaching the art never entered into her thoughts. She of bartending exclusively.

It is thinks that we as a society headed by Shatbhi Basu.

Shatbhi need to evolve beyond the says the scenario has started archaic alcohol/women looking much better since the taboo scenario. She contends time she started her institute in that for serious bartenders 1999. Now Shatbhi says that who go beyond just circus people do not glare at you if performance, there are huge you tell them that you happen opportunities in India and Chahnaz Gayraud

Chef, she is trying to encourage all to have a little more passion in routine but entertaining acts of cooking and serving, with some small changes that can bring a smile on all the faces on the dining table. What is more, Pankaj is now coming up with a restaurant chain of her own.

C o v e r Story to be a bartender. This is a good sign for women bartenders thinking of foraying into this creative field.

Bartending is emerging as a popular career option for many women. About 15 years back, we could find hardly any female bartender in the hospitality industry, but now close to 30 percent of the bartenders are female.

Dancing to Her Tunes Bartending is not the only adventurous and offbeat profession in the hospitality industry that the women are venturing into. Endowed with creativity and confidence, an increasing number of women DJs are making their presence felt in the Indian hospitality industry.

Take the case of 21-year-old Senchu, who works as a DJ at Accord Metropolitan in Chennai. She has a Tamil rock album named ‘Ini-Marpen’ to her credit.

Despite opposition from her families, her love for music induced her to take DJing.

She loves the fame and public recognition that goes with her profession.

However, there is a flip side of being a woman DJ in a country like India, where

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feudalistic mindset prevails. ladder in the Indian Many male visitors think the hospitality industry. Today women DJs as girls with loose Kanika Hasrat heads the morals, which is sickening management team of thought to say the least. The Courtyard by Marriott, first professional woman DJ in Gurgaon as its General the country, Kary Arora had Manager. Kanika with 16 the experience of being chased years experience in the by psychos and gun pointing hospitality industry leads at her by perverts, but even the team in developing Ami Shroff those factors didin’t impede the hotel’s vision and her determination to make a success in strategy, as well as in overseeing the total her career of DJing. operations of the hotel. She also plays “It took a little time for people to a vital role in employee training and accept. But then that is the case with development, while driving performance any new concept. Deejaying itself was across various aspects including financial unheard of and add to the fact, a female success, brand value, guest satisfaction DJ! But today, I have had girls walk up to and engagement as well as service quality. me and say, it is so inspiring “Don’t be afraid to dream Big, Let your dream and re-assuring to look up to be bigger than your fears a female DJ from the dance and your action louder floor,” pointed out Kary, who than your words,” averred became India’s first female DJ Chahnaz Gayraud, General in 1997.

Manager at Swissotel Goa. Chahnaz is an On Top of the Ladder exceptional communicator Women have also succeeded in Supriya Malhotra with a consultative sales climbing up the management

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Priya Paul is the style, strong negotiations Chairperson of Apeejay skills, exceptional problem solving abilities and enjoys Surrendra Park Hotels, building morale and spirit and is regarded as one of with a “Can do” attitude. the important women She is an expatriate General entrepreneurs of India.

Manager with an insightful Today the growth and understanding of the expansion of The Park Shatbhi Basu nuances of cross-cultural Hotels chain is led by dynamics of India. her visionary mind. Priya Paul began As the General Manager of Radisson her illustrious career under the guidance Blu Resort and Spa Alibaug, Supriya of her father, the late Surrendra Paul, as Malhotra has rich and extensive the Marketing Manager of The Park in experience and expertise of over 24 years New Delhi. She took the leadership of of working with some of the renowned the hotel chain, as the Chairperson of brands in the hospitality industry, both The Park Hotel chain, after the demise nationally and internationally. Supriya of her father in 1990. She was only 23 rightly thinks that managing a hotel then. The rest, as they say is history is not a 9 to 5 job. She asserted that or rather Herstory. Over the years, she female hoteliers like her are often faced has repositioned The Park Hotels as a with the “dilemma of making a choice contemporary luxury boutique hotel between family and career, where the chain. The Park Hotels is perhaps the family mostly wins.” In fact, the family country’s first luxury boutique five star responsibilities and the possibilities of hotel chain. Presently, The Park Hotels relocation are impediments has presence in Bangalore, towards women’s reaching Hyderabad, New Delhi, senior management positions Visakhapatnam, Kolkata, in the Indian hospitality Goa, Chennai, Navi industry, yes even today.

Mumbai, Mysore, and However, Supriya Kerala Backwaters. avers that if you have a Besides being a dynamic positive attitude, good hotelier, Priya is also an communication skills and art aficionado. She is the are willing to work smart, ex-President of Hotel along with dedication and Association of India, and commitment, you will see was honoured with Padma Jyotsna Suri yourself doing very well in the Shri in 2012. Priya is also industry. Before joining Radisson Blu the founding member of the World Resort and Spa, Alibaug, Supriya had Travel and Tourism Council – India her tenure with the Oakwood Premier, Initiative.

Mumbai as GM. In fact, the five-star Dr. Jyotsna Suri has been associated property was inaugurated under her with the Bharat Hotels since its leadership, where her work focused on inception in 1987, as the Group’s Joint the growth of revenues, development Managing Director. She took on the and delivery of products & services, mantle of the Chairperson & Managing and optimisation of the financial Director of Bharat Hotels in the year performance of the property.

2006, and since then has been the driving force of the Group’s Leading the Show operations across India.

The woman power is making On November 2008, its presence felt in the she charted a highly hospitality industry of India, successful brand change for in echelons even higher than the company. All luxury that of the GM level. Priya hotels of the company Paul, Jyotsna Suri, Sonica now fly ‘THE LALIT’ and Monica Malhotra are flag under The Lalit Suri only some of the wonderful Hospitality Group, as a examples of enterprising tribute to the company’s women leading the show.

Founder Chairman, Lalit Kary Arora

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Cover Story Suri. Jyotsna is also known for her vociferous promotion of Indian tourism – both nationally and internationally.

Promoting the destination rather than the property is her conviction and her initiatives reflect the same spirit.

Promoting polo in Drass, kabaddi in Bekal, The Lalit Arts Festival in Khajuraho are some of her efforts in that direction.

Monica Malhotra, the Senior Director of the MBD Group, and Sonica Malhotra, the Director of the MBD Group, are leading the publishing giant’s successful endeavours in the realm of hospitality. With proven expertise of mixed-use developments and hospitality projects in Bangalore (Karnataka), Noida (Delhi NCR), as well as in Ludhiana and Jalandhar (Punjab), the company has similar projects planned for major cities across India in places such as Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Greater Noida, Hyderabad, and Goa. With proven expertise in management of five-star and premium projects in hospitality, the company has plans to set up its institutes specialising in hotel management. The Radisson Blu MBD Hotel, Noida is regarded as one of the premium hotels in Noida that offers deluxe facilities.

Yes, despite such significant endeavours made by women managers and entrepreneurs, we can say that the feminine revolution in the hospitality industry has only just begun. There are miles to go and many for skies to reach…But the overall potential of women in the hospitality industry, an industry whose hallmarks are hard work, integrity and creativity, are indeed immense.

Going by the rapid advances made by women power in every field, and the quick crumbling of outdated mores in our changing society, it is safe to predict that in the days to come many more women GMs, female proprietors/MDs of hotel chains, and women Chefs, bartenders, and DJs are expected to reach heights of success in the still maledominated Indian hospitality industry, thereby eventually cease to make it remain male-dominated. Let us end this feature, by saying cheers to all female bartenders, Chefs, DJs, GMs, Executive Directors and entrepreneurs scripting their success stories in this fast evolving  industry.

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Evolving Trends of the Industry New trends in the hotel industry have emerged in India – as in the world – which the newcomers and as well as the old timers in the industry have to adhere to if they want to be successful. It has been found that most of the tourists, which include MICE and leisure, are preferring budget hotels. In fact, MICE and mid-market hotels are expected to drive the growth of hospitality industry in India, in the near future. Perhaps that is the reason why several international chains are promoting their budget brands in the country.

Extensive use of technology, environment friendly services and the impressive growth of the MICE segment are the other trends of this new age in the Indian hospitality industry.

Ashok Malkani explores some of these trends prevailing through the Indian hospitality industry.

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S

ome time back, Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) noted that the country had over 200,000 hotel rooms spread across hotel categories and guest-houses and was facing a shortfall of over 100,000 rooms. The scenario hasn’t changed much today. The demand for hotel rooms is very much there despite the climate of uncertainty prevailing in the economy. Despite the fact that a few thousand new rooms are being added in the country’s hospitality sector in the last three to four years, India still happens to be an under-supplied market in terms of hotel rooms. However, the room shortage in the Indian hospitality industry is not a new development, considering that cities like New York, London and Beijing do not have much less hotel rooms than whole of India has.

Need for More Rooms According to Research and Markets’ Hotel Industry Report, by 2015, the Indian hotel industry is expected to reach Rs.230 billion, growing at a robust CAGR of 12.2 percent. The report states that India will be investing approximately Rs.448 billion in the hospitality industry within 2016.

The huge domestic and inbound tourism potential of India is mainly responsible for our hospitality industry experiencing impressive growth trends over the years. According to the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2011 by the World Economic Forum (WEF), India was ranked 12th in the Asia-Pacific region and 68th overall in the list of the world’s attractive destinations. “India has the potential market for tourism and has set a target to achieve 12 percent growth in tourism sector by 2016,” said the former Union Minister for Tourism, Subodh Kant Sahai in May 2012, while inaugurating the Indian pavilion at ITB, the tourism fair in Berlin.

The report by the Research and Markets notes that despite global economic woes, development of hotels in India has been one of the most lucrative investments. Various domestic and international brands have made significant inroads into this space and more are expected to follow; around 40 international brands will enter the country during 2011-16. According to the same report, the Indian hotel industry holds a huge potential due to the positive impact of demand-supply scenario, growth drivers, investments and government initiatives for tourism sector.

Growth on Budget However, the growth in the Indian hotel industry is expected to be riding on the budget hotels in the near future. Jurgen Wolf, Managing Director, Hafele India Pvt. Ltd, which forayed into Indian market in 2001, claims that India is the fastest-growing hospitality market after China. He informs that a range of leading global hotel chains has envisaged massive investments in India’s luxury, and mid-market hospitality segment. However, presently the focus of the international chain of hotels in India is on the mid-market brands. Wolf informs that there are only 125,000 hotel rooms in India, out of which 46,000 rooms come under the ambit of branded hotel chains. Out of these 125,000 rooms, more than 18,000 fall in the mid-market segment.

Dennis Hennequin, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Accor, believes that massive growth will come from

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to eight years for a luxury hotel.

Besides that, the mid-market hospitality properties not only involve significantly lower real estate and other construction costs as compared to luxury hotels, but also facilitate the hotel chains to expand their portfolio to new cities and markets in a faster manner, as compared to luxury hotel brands. Midmarket or budget hotel brands can easily find their market in tier-II and tier-III cities, whereas luxury hotels may not find it easy to gain market in other than big cities. Moreover, mid-market and budget low-cost, high-return economy hotels, which are piggybacking on the rise of budget airlines that have opened up domestic travel to Asia’s emerging middle classes.

One of the international budget hotel chains which is scheduled to enter India in the very near future is Tune Hotels, which will foray in the Indian market with the launch of the 100-room Tune Hotel Ahmedabad, in April of this year. The Ahmedabad property will be followed by Tune’s further expansion into India, which in the near future will take the form of a 120-room hospitality property in Bhiwadi, Haryana, by the end of the current year, and a 200-room hotel in New Delhi, in early 2014. Premier Inn, the budget hotel chain from the UK, has also entered India recently with a property in Bangalore, and soon followed it up with operations in Delhi. In Nov 2012, Premier Inn launched its third property in India, in Pune.

The Indian players are also not far behind as far as expansion of budget hotels is concerned. On January of this year, Spree Hotels, one of India’s fastest growing mid-market hospitality chains, announced the opening of its tenth property —Spree Hotel, Bangalore.

Modeled as its flagship hotel, Spree Hotel, Bangalore, is set to give tourists a chance to experience the “Do More” customerservice motto of the hotel chain. Spree believes that customer service is the key differentiating factor among mid-market hotels today, as property features are easily replicated. Spree Hotels are mid-market hotels designed to provide that extra service or ‘Do More’ for the customers.

On the occasion of the launch of the property, Keshav Baljee, Managing Director, Spree Hotels, stated, “Today, we are proud to launch Spree Hotel,

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Bangalore which has a sleep experience comparable to a five- star property, and Internet facility that is even better than that of the most seven-star hotels in the country today! By continuing to offer free, fast wi-fi in all our Spree Hotels, we hope to differentiate ourselves as a young, hip brand.” Spree Hotel, Bangalore is located in the IT Corridor of the Marathahalli-KR Puram Outer Ring Road in Bangalore, and is in close proximity to Whitefield, Sarjapur, and a short drive from the Electronic City.

Mid-market Advantages Budget hotels are becoming attractive investment options for hoteliers in India or coming to India, who are often faced with exorbitant real estate costs. The real estate costs for budget hotels, without the luxury of swimming pool, grand lobby, conference rooms and other fivestar facilities, is generally much lesser as compared to those of luxury hotels.

The investment required for building a budget hotel is almost one tenth of the investment of a luxury hotel, whereas the return on investment on budget hotels is generally within four years, as compared

hotels can withstand recession better through flexible pricing; without greatly affecting the bottom lines.

Shwetank Singh, VP — Operations, Premier Inn, South Asia, views that presently there are three major trends in the hotel industry in India, pertaining to the budget segment. Firstly, there is a growth in terms of emphasis towards mid segment ‘value for money’ hotels.

This can be examplified through the large numbers of domestic and international brands acknowledging this space in India.

Secondly, there has been rising brand and quality consciousness among hotel guests. Thirdly, there is a considerable enhancement in discretionary spending towards travel and tourism by Indian consumers. Singh thinks that not only small and mid-sized businesses, but even large corporates do prefer to consider budget and mid-market hotels, because of their cost-friendliness and services.

Manav Thadani, Chairman, HVSIndia, thinks that the biggest growth in the hospitality industry will continue to be witnessed in the budget and mid-market space, during 2013. He thinks that MICE segment will also

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see appreciable growth in the current year. He informed that the cities like Goa, Chennai and Jaipur have got new hotels in the recent past, which are endowed with huge meeting spaces. “We can see these venues hosting some big conferences,” he proffered.

The MICE Factor The Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions segment (MICE) is a segment which is being wooed by the hotel industry. Nowadays, MICE tourism is being considered lucrative by hoteliers considering that revenue generated by this segment is generally 4-8 times more than that from the leisure travellers. “Evolution of MICE in any country is linked to its economic development. As a direct consequence of growth, India emerged as one of the most preferred destinations for corporates, who then want to organise a great number of events here. It has also led to a strong growth in the domestic sector, led by corporate events,” explained Chander Mansharamani, Vice President, Indian Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB).

Subhash Verma, President, Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI), is of the view that those states which are aiming for holistic development of the MICE sector in a gradual manner should, along with their tourism development agencies, facilitate creation of multi-purpose MICE infrastructure for small and medium sized events. “MICE business is one such avenue through which tour operators should win back business that they had lost to the online players,” averred Verma.

Pep Kumar, the General Manager, Vivanta by Taj, Yeshwantpur, told that because of its MICE the property has seen impressive growth. According

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to her, the hotel provides one of the best MICE facilities in Bangalore, and 45-50 percent of the business of the property is “fuelled by this segment.”

Pune Marriott Hotel and Convention Centre was positioned as a MICE and business hotel since its launch in 2010.

The property was conceived to host large scale conventions. Abhijit Chitnis, the Director of Sales and Marketing, Pune Marriott Hotel and Convention Centre, stated that about 40 percent of the total business of their hotel is accounted by the MICE segment. Chitnis informed that the MICE centric business at the Pune Marriott Hotel and Convention Centre has experienced a growth of 32 percent as compared to that of the last year. Many more such hotels where MICE plays a huge role are the needs of the hour in the Indian hospitality industry. Only then the industry can think of optimally exploiting its MICE potential.

Secured Technology Besides the demand for mid-market segment and MICE, which are expected to be growth drivers for this industry in the near future, the other trends spearheading through the hotel industry include greater emphasis on safety measures and technology. An emerging trend in the Indian hotel industry has been the adoption of stringent safety measures, particularly after terror attacks.

The Hotel Association of India has, in fact, issued guidelines to be adopted by the hotels for safety of the hotels and the hotel guests. Besides the general External Access Control, Materials Access Control, People Access Control and Internal Access Control, several hotels have also adopted measures like room key scanners.

This technology is the brainchild of the US Department of Energy which has,

through its Oak Ridge National Labs, developed Mass Spectrometry Scanners which can analyse up to 1000 guest room access cards per hour.

These can detect even a billionth of a gram of explosives! Even if a tinge of explosives has been touched by a guest it would alert the staff immediately. Another technology device being used is Snifex, a small handheld device with an aerial which starts pointing in the direction where explosive is kept, from a distance of few metres. Trash management by security guards is another method being adopted by the hotels to ensure that no explosive is dumped in the trash cans. “In our hotel, we use keycards for elevator access as it becomes imperative to address security issues. Since 2008, security has become paramount, and guests expect extra security guards and CCTVs in hotel,” affirmed Monicka Lakhmana, Director — Operations, Gateway Hotels (Taj Group).

However, technology in hotels is being used not just for safety but also for the convenience of the guests. In fact, the quality of technology adopted by the hotels in India can now contribute towards its brand positioning. From enquiries to reservation and payment, to customer database management to housekeeping operations, the all pervasive role of technology is making much more than a perceptible difference in today’s hospitality business.

Adoption of environment-friendly technologies and other measures are also gaining currency in the Indian hospitality industry, in a big way. Social media has emerged as an effective technological tool to market a hotel brand. The increasing incidences and conveniences of online booking, which is now an integral part of Indian hospitality industry, is also a product of technology. And nowadays the usage of sophisticated technology is no longer limited to the elites. According to the online travel portal, Goibibo, three-star hotels, operating within the tariff slab of Rs.1500-Rs 3500, account for 50 percent online bookings in India.

Overall, the impressive growth of mid-market hotels, growth of the MICE segment and the extensive use of sophisticated technology in terms of security, environment and conveniences are the dominating trends in the Indian hospitality industry. 

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The Key to World Class Hospitality

By Ashok Malkani

B

e it summer, winter or the rainy season, driving up the winding path to Mahabaleshwar(a hill station located in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra) is always an enthralling experience. Located about 120 km (75 miles) south-west of Pune and 285 km (177 miles) from the melting pot of Mumbai, the hill station has its own charm during different seasons.

While driving to Mahabaleshwar, in the summer you get a glimpse of the ghats while in the rainy season the cascading waterfalls take your breath away. In the winters the hills play hide and seek as the fog lets you get a fascinating glimpse of the deep valley before covering it up again.

Mahabaleshwar, which means ‘God of Great Power’ in Sanskrit, was till some time ago merely a popular holiday resort and a honeymoon spot. But in the recent past, the place has emerged as an ideal destination for hosting business conferences, marriage receptions, business meetings and, of course a holiday getaway for the busy executives.

For this happening development, the role of Evershine – A Keys Resort, Mahabaleshwar shouldn’t be overlooked.

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Nature and Infrastructure Just off the main market place, down Gautam Road, you can enter into the stately driveway of Keys Resort. As you pass the security you can’t help notice the marble exterior of the building.

On enquiry you are informed that the marble exterior makes it possible for the hotel to operate even during the rainy season when most of the hotels at Mahabaleshwar are shut down due to the heavy downpour. And if you arrive at the hotel at night you are likely to get entranced by the changing colours of the fountain and the glittering lights of the hotel.

Located in the mountainous region of Mahabaleshwar, amidst scenic valleys covered with strawberries and lush flora, Evershine – A Keys Resort, Mahabaleshwar is designed with the purpose of giving you an

out-of-the-world hospitality experience.

The resort provides a wonderful blend of luxury and state-of-the-art infrastructure which would not only be appreciated by the busy executive looking for idyllic getaways to soothe her/his frayed nerves, but its affordable rates can be attractive enough for families on vacation.

At the Evershine – A Keys Resort, Mahabaleshwar you can get not only value for money, but realise the value of serene joy that nature was waiting for you to offer your busy life. Dotted with strawberry orchards and vibrantly colourful flowers, the resort comes across

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HOTEL Business Review

a haven for the tourists, whether they are at Mahabaleshwar for business or leisure.

The beauty of nature is complemented by state-of-the art amenities. Whether you are planning an event at the resort or looking for adventure with nature or sightseeing, the staff of the resort can help you plan those. Here it deserves a mention that the resort has earned the distinction of Trip Advisor ranking of no.1 with four and half ratings with more than 150 excellent reviews. When you visit the place you would realise the reason behind such a coveted recognition.

Rooms with a View The Evershine — a Keys Resort in Mahabaleshwar is a five-star property, which can be easily described as the ‘Palace in the Sky.’ The idyllic resort has 85 individually designed and tastefully

decorated rooms which can redefine luxury for the visitors to this scenic locale, nestled in mountains. Here every room comes with a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains and valley. The resort gives a true far from the madding crowd feel, and this wonderful ambience is complemented by impeccable service with politeness; a culture which percolates like a mountain cascade from the GM to the F&B Manager to the room service guys. The resort comes across an ideal getaway for the weekend from the tiring Mumbai, which the corporate and the high-end leisure tourists do appreciate.

The resort’s Executive Rooms have a forest view while the Deluxe Rooms afford fascinating view of the pool.

Both Executive and Deluxe Rooms are endowed with Queen Bed and both are ideal for the business and as well as leisure

travellers. The Evershine Suite presents a luxurious 700 sq.ft. space, situated on the first floor, with a picturesque view of the swimming pool and landscaped grounds.

The living area of Evershine Suite is large with two bedrooms, a living area, seating areas and private balconies. The guests at the Evershine Suite can avail the facility of Jacuzzi while the Kids’ room has twin beds and a separate bathroom. The furnishings here are sleek with a wood finish and are done in designer style.

The Junior Suite, which is spread across 540 sq.ft. at the first floor, overlooks the forest, providing a stunning view of the green surroundings. The suite has a separate living room and a bedroom having two rooms (a bedroom and a sitting room) with private balconies and antique Thai designer style wooden furniture. The guests at the Junior Suite can also avail the facility of Jacuzzi, which is in the suite’s attached bathroom.

Food, Beverage and Business The dining options at the resort include a charming contemporary coffee shop

and restaurant named Keys Cafe which offers some of the finest global cuisine options. Depending on your mood or taste you can order a la carte fares ranging from Indian, Continental or more. Of course, if you want to go for the buffet, the restaurant allows you to indulge in gourmet style breakfast, lunch and dinner. Another of the wonderful F&B options at the hotel is the restobar named Unloc. It is a full-service bar serving the most delicious cocktails and mocktails and scrumptious snacks; the restobar is equipped with a 42” TV to catch the latest mega sporting event. The F&B options at the hospitality property also include the Poolside Pizzeria, a poolside eatery which serves diverse range of authentic izzas.

For those wishing to conduct a business conference or a workshop, the resort has a conference center with conference/meeting rooms as well as a technology helpdesk, technology support staff, computer rentals and audiovisual equipment, thereby ensuring you have everything you need to make your event a success. Guests can also make use of the high-speed (wired and wireless) Internet access. For marriage reception and parties the spacious lawns around the swimming pool provide ideal space for about 12001500 guests.

Whether they be business or leisure tourists, there is so much to do. With the children the hotel staff pitches in to play ‘ball-in-the-bucket’. The kid’s play area around the children’s pool keeps the little ones happy. For the adults there is the

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HOTEL Business Review

gym, and during the rainy season, when it is not feasible to spend time outdoors, you can entertain yourself in the indoor games room.

Explore the Wellness There is also the option to visit Sohum Spa, a luxury wellness spa; a place to de-stress and unwind oneself from the tensions of hectic modern life. Offering not only spa therapies but customised wellness solutions as well, the spa offers a holistic blend of conventional and modern therapeutic techniques which seek to restore the natural equilibrium

between body, mind and spirit.

The spa area is a completely sanitised zone and there are eight spa rooms, a reflexology lounge and a unisex salon.

The treatment rooms are spacious, with a foot ritual chair, authentic wooden massage tables, a dedicated work area, and attached shower facilities.

A team of specialist consultants are available for guests’ consultation.

This includes qualified Ayurveda physicians and Pachakarma specialists, homoeopaths, nutritionists and dietitians, yoga and meditation specialists, etc. 

Handling the Keys to Growth Evershine — A Keys Resort, Mahabaleshwar, is the property of Evershine Builders, said Manoj Verma, General Manager of the hotel in conversation with Hotel Business Review. He stated that Keys Hotels is a brand of Berggruen Hotels Pvt. Ltd, a young hotel company founded in 2006. The business is completely funded by Berggruen Holdings, out of New York. The company is setting up a leading chain of midmarket hotels, resorts and service apartments across India under its brand named Keys Hotels, Resorts and Apartments.

Verma believes that the resort is ideal for hosting business conferences and marriage receptions, and is also the perfect gateway for the vacationing crowd. The excerpts from the interview with the seasoned hospitality professional, who served as the General Manager at Fortune Hotels Ltd., a brand of ITC Hotels, before his present tenure, follow: How many hospitality properties are there under the Keys brand in India? What are its plans for expansion?

The Keys brand currently operates its owned/ managed hospitality properties in Trivandrum, Ludhiana, Bengaluru and Pune besides operating hotels for owner partners in Lonavala, Mahabaleshwar, Mumbai, Chennai, Goa and Aurangabad.

The currently operational room count is more than 1000. Presently, the company has 1200 employees and the group turnover in 2012-13 from all owned and managed hospitality properties is expected at Rs.130 crores. In the next five years, this figure is expected to be increased in excess of Rs.500 crores with about 40 hospitality properties under the group’s ambit, including both owned and managed.

What is the area occupied

by Evershine — A Keys Resort, Mahabaleshwar?

This is a premium up market five-star resort spread over eight acres.

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What has been the progress of the property since you became the GM? What is its expected turnover for the current fiscal?

We have added more rooms and are planning to increase the tally further. We have also increased the dining options.

With the assistance of the F&B Manager, Ashish Saigal, we have been able to open the Poolside Pizzeria, which is having Mediterranean cuisine. We have also launched the Open – the Lounge Bar. There are also live shows staged twice a week.

I would also like to mention that the resort has the largest spa in the Pune area, covering an area of 1200 sq. ft. Besides, the resort boasts of a large outdoor swimming pool, a fitness centre, jogging track, gaming zone, a kids’ play area, outdoor lawns, and business centre.

Turnover for the current year is expected to be about Rs.20 crore with a GOP of 45 percent. Today this resort is the best performing Keys hospitality property in the country in terms of revenues, with a guest

satisfaction index of 96.

You mentioned that you had ample space for conferencing and banquets. Can you throw some light on this facet?

Yes, for marriage receptions and parties our lawns can accommodate 1200-1500 guests, while our conference rooms named Burgundy I&II has capacity for 300 guests. For smaller gatherings, the Chambers is there with a seating capacity for 50 guests and the Boardroom has space for 20 delegates.

I would like to inform you that there is heavy demand for our conferencing and banqueting facilities and people from as far as Bengaluru do come here to celebrate wedding receptions or hold business meetings and workshops. With the Bangalore-Pune Highway having been completed, the demand from this IT hub has further increased.

I would like to mention that we have been able to promote and develop the resort as a theme wedding destination.

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F&B

HOTEL Business Review

The Emerging Tastes and Flavours

By Sharmila Chand

T

he world of food, like the world around us, is exciting and evolving. Like the fashion industry, the culinary industry also passes through different trends across various ages and times. Nowadays, the trends in the happening F&B industry are emerging faster than the previous years.

Here we take a look at the emerging and about to evolve food & beverage trends to see what new ideas or comeback concepts are taking the culinary world of India by storm. In the course of the story, I scouted for wellknown Chefs who helped me ascertain which cuisines are garnering popularity, which culinary styles and practices are catching the fancy of discerning diners, etc. On the basis of the prevailing trends they also gave some insight on the futuristic F&B trends, which are on the anvil and might make their presence felt in the F&B industry, in 2013 itself.

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From organic ingredients to farm to table concept; from revival of grandma’s recipes to comfort food to resurgence of casual dining… there are several food & beverage trends spearheading these days.

All these F&B trends can influence the hospitality industry of 2013 in a big way, for F&B segment has grown into one of the crucial segments for the hotel industry. Knowing these emerging and on the anvil trends can easily help the hospitality business to tailor their F&B offerings accordingly.

New-age Ingredients and Culinary Classics “The new-age ingredients and technology will make place for the traditional ingredients and conventional cooking,”

asserted Thomas Angerer, Executive Chef, Hyatt Regency Chennai. He further opined that “locally sourced sustainable produce with ‘zero mile’ concept shall be the buzzword in the industry.”

At the same time, Angerer views that “all time favourite culinary classics shall find their way back to the menus across the country.”

In this regard, he thinks that the real talent of the Chefs would lie in their ability to “revisit these all time favourite culinary classics.”

While discussing other trends on the anvil, Angerer opined that, “Simple preparations, Chef-crafted authentic food, home style recipes and clean presentation shall Thomas Angerer be in.” He also expressed

F&B

HOTEL Business Review

Santosh Jori, the Executive Chef, The Westin Pune Koregaon Park, Pune.

Variety in Cuisines

Santosh Jori

that focus shall be more on organic local produce rather than on imported and preserved ingredients.

At the same time, many F&B trends are also showing signs of waning.

“Molecular cuisine concept which was quite prevalent in the past years shall now go away,” predicted Angerer.

“The casual dining experience is definitely a major emerging trend. Formal dining is reserved for very selective occasions,” affirmed

According to Jori, another big trend in the Indian F&B industry is the “emergence of small plate menus.”

Exposure to the global tastes among the discerning diners has also influenced many F&B trends.

“The diner is now more knowledgeable and adventurous to try out new cuisines than before, hence the trend is to incorporate various cuisines in the menu,” explained Jori. At the same time, Jori averred that multicuisine café style dinning concept has been gathering momentum, whereas, “Artificial flavours, complicated cooking, and rich gravies are losing popularity.”

Healthy Food Chaitanya Hiray, the Executive Chef, The Park On Holiday Beach, Goa, predicts the trend of more healthy food with a contemporary twist. However, the definition of healthy food is fast changing. Hiray rightly thinks that

healthy food does not necessarily mean low calories or a modified diet.

“It means fresh food or farm to table concept,” explained Hiray, who believes that the freshly harvested vegetables/ greens and/or fresh seafood and meats are gaining popularity among diners. “In the near future, the menu of the restaurants will be based on the seasonality of the products and what will be available fresh,” felt Hiray, who however, believes that the comfort food will be a parallel trend.

Hiray feels that the frozen food items, food with high fat content or overly heavy foods are going out of fashion,

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HOTEL Business Review

Sunil Gadihoke

as are the canned or preserved food products.

Sunil Gadihoke, Executive Chef, WelcomHotel Sheraton New Delhi, opined that “The spotlight will be on the emergence of popularity of the Vietnamese cuisine, which has already gained popularity in Europe, Japan and Thailand.”

Gadihoke informed me that “Traditional Vietnamese cooking is greatly admired for its fresh ingredients, minimal use of oil, and reliance on herbs and vegetables. Vietnamese food is considered one of the healthiest cuisines worldwide.”

Overall, we could see that healthy food is gaining currency among India’s eating-out crowd. “Increase in health consciousness will cause decline in the

Chaitanya Hiray

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popularity of comfort and calorie laden foods from the USA, and Japanese food will pitch for a comeback,” observed Gadihoke.

The cold kitchen items are also making a smart comeback on the tables.

“The return of the classical cold kitchen in restaurant buffets like pates, terrines, pies and delectable combos of meats and offal are gaining popularity,” averred Gadihoke.

Gadihoke also believes that fresh Locavore, nose-to-tail food, fresh vegetables, fruits and salads, and forgotten grains are very much part of today’s F&B trends whereas food products with high calorie content and fatty food products have lost grounds in terms of popularity.

Specialisation is the Key Dharmesh Karmokar, Partner and Chef at Silver Beach Cafe and Nom Nom, Mumbai, rightly thinks that there will be more specialisation in cuisines in the times to come, and the trend of very market focused cuisines would emerge. “For example, we have already started seeing a number of frozen dessert brands, or more numbers of Thai cuisine outlets. The trend in today’s F&B industry is to be more focused on your offerings,” concurred Karmokar.

Burmese cuisine and Teppanyaki are in, believes Karmokar. “Innovative, healthy but at the same time tasty food products, music/genre based outlets, focus on regional cuisines like cuisines of Kerala, Bengal, Parsi cuisine, etc. are among the emerging F&B trends of today. Furthermore, in the near future, we will see loads of interesting imported ingredients invade the market, as the suppliers will need to cater to the market which is getting crazy for authentic dishes,” proffered Karmokar.

At the same time, Karmokar believes that “Broad-based, oily and fattening preparations are definitely out of the

Dharmesh Karmokar

trend.” Besides, “restaurants serving everything and anything will also start folding up,” he observed.

Herbal Teas and Chocolates “Guests will prefer specific cuisines in authentic style,” said Sahil Arora, Executive Chef, Jaipur Marriott Hotel.

Arora believes that most sought after international cuisines in the near future, in the Indian F&B industry, would be Korean and Burmese cuisine.

Arora informs that herbal teas and simple chocolates are also in vogue, though the growth of popularity of crafted chocolates is slow. “Fresh fruit juices and palate cleansers like beet, red carrot, etc. will be the in things in the industry, in the times to come,” gauged Arora.

Sahil Arora

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Spa

HOTEL Business Review

R for Reaching Bliss

By Sharmila Chand

S

pread across 20,000 sq. ft. the luxurious R The Spa at Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi creates a feeling of wellness. It is perhaps the largest spa in the city. Designed in three levels, the spa boasts of a state- of-the-art fitness studio and yoga centre, several private suites for massage and therapeutic treatments, as well as a world class beauty salon and barber shop.

Walking into the spa, the first thing that strikes you is the sense of serenity; soft muted voices, a gentle fragrance of rose petals, smiling faces and a bubbling fountain create the mood for undertaking a journey through wellness…

Presenting Holistic Wellness The spa takes you through three levels of experience — rejuvenation, relaxation and replenishment. It endeavours in providing rejuvenation, relaxation and replenishment to achieve equilibrium between the mind, body and soul. The spa embraces natural recipes and holistic remedies from around the world.

It alleviates the mental and physical stresses one endures due to hectic schedule and imbalanced nutrition;

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the bane of today’s fast-paced lifestyles.

Succinctly, one can say that R The Spa at Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi presents a journey to liven up your senses, awaken your spirit, and relax your body & soul.

Here the spa connoisseurs can look forward to a holistic wellness approach.

The experience at the spa awakens the touch receptors with gentle therapeutic treatments to ease physical stress, delights the vision through aesthetic, opulent and serene environment accentuated with mood lighting, sharpens the audiosensory appeal through wafting of sweet melodious music, excites the taste-buds with delectable and nutritive cuisine, and heightens the smell factor with infusion aroma.

The spa menu has an impressive array of treatments, which has the potential to holistically pamper your body and soul.

These therapies, combined with the high quality botanical products from Pevonia and Spa Factory Bali and Forest Essentials ensure that your journey through the senses is nothing short of wonderful.

Rejuvenation Each level of the spa focuses on one important aspect of well-being. The first level is about rejuvenation with a focus on fitness through workout and yoga, thus rejuvenating your enthusiasm and zest for life. The state-of-the-art fitness studio equipped with techno gym equipment makes the experience truly rejuvenating.

A swim in the specially designed pool and soaking in its beautiful surroundings adds to the experience. The Spa Bar, which provides a healthy and nutritious cuisine, provides a ring of completeness through the journey to rejuvenation.

Spa

HOTEL Business Review

Relaxation The second level is about relaxation where each guest is taken through an ethereal experience with one of the many massage options in special couple suites or other comfortable rooms to choose from. Aesthetically designed and carefully equipped, each couple treatment suite and room relaxes you the moment you step in.

Here it deserves a mention that R The Spa has three special couple suites at the second level. The Orchid Suite is a self-contained suite with an exclusive ambience, having a choice of around 50 stimulating treatments. Whether you choose an hour or the 4-6 hour spa program, the benefits for the body and spirit at this suite are truly rewarding.

The Orchid Suite is endowed with an Experience Shower and an Infinity Tub, which can transport you to a higher level of relaxation.

The White Lotus Suite has a Vichy Shower combined with a Hamam bed to relax your specific stress points and detoxify and hydrate your body. The suite also has a dry hydrotherapy bed with its own specially designed lighting and music to impart a heavenly experience.

Then there is the Frangipani Suite which is equipped with a lavish shower and an Infinity Tub.

However, the spa has the option of four more couple rooms — Rudra, Moksha, Mandarin, and Iris. The two single rooms — Aromaveda and Kalpaveda — complemented with state-of-the-art equipments, also offer a selection of massages including deep

Highlights of R The Spa (i) Three level spa with each level being self-contained but interlinked with each other. Guests can move from one level to another while maintaining their privacy. The three separate levels facilitate in keeping serene environs in the spa. (ii) Theme-based spa suites featuring carefully designed therapies and innovative equipments like Aqua Bed, Vichy Shower, Hamam Table, and Experience Shower among others. (iii) The Spa Bar which has a nutritious cuisine complements the rejuvenation regime at the fitness studio. High fibre low calorie snacks, energy drinks, fresh juices, mocktails, herbal teas and salads of the Spa Bar gel well with the offering of rejuvenation through fitness. The well-designed spa cuisine options are also tailored to individual requirements. (iv) High convenience delivered by state-of-the-art equipments with electronic control to facilitate comfort and luxury in the salon experience along with light fixtures, specially designed to optimise the beauty regimen. (v) Products are another USP of the R The Spa. The spa provides with an option of getting a treatment with the high quality botanical formulations for an extended body, skin and hair care. It helps to keep the guest rejuvenated until the next spa schedule. (vi) The aesthetics of the spa is another of its highlighting factor. Interesting design features, handpicked artifacts and artwork, lattice screens designed for guest privacy, beautiful water bodies, elliptical staircase overlooking water cascade passing through three levels, manicured gardens in spa exterior, green plants, specially designed music are some of the unique elements of the spa.

tissue, anti-stress, Swedish, Indian and others. The invigorating hydrotherapy and relaxation zones, exclusive for ladies and gentlemen, facilitate in imparting a deeply relaxing experience. The ideal way to explore the tranquility in relaxation lounge is with a book or music of your choice.

Replenishment The third level of the spa is about replenishment, catered to by the stunning beauty, grooming and styling studio. The exclusive salon, with separate demarcated areas for ladies and gentlemen, is tailored for complete guest comfort. Both the areas have modern equipments for foot reflexology, pedicures and manicures, and face therapies. Face therapies like the Caviar and Pearl Age Defying Mask, Luminiére Face Therapy, and Oxygenating Sea Mask can carefully replenish your skin, thereby helping it exude an admirable glow.

Succinctly, featuring the most modern wellness equipments set in serene spaces, R The Spa proves that beauty is more than skin deep. It is in fact, three levels deep!

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HOTEL Business Review

The Lady of Wellness Alka Kattar, the Spa Director of R The Spa, has been involved in creating of R The Spa, right from the conceptualsation to the operations stage. “The challenging task of creating a high-end spa was assigned to me. The process involved intense research on the changing market demand, on guests’ spa usage pattern, on international spa trends and best practices used in branded spas,” informed Alka.

Her ongoing responsibilities include introducing and implementing best practices for revenue maximisation, imparting regular staff training on spa SOPs, etiquettes and treatment techniques; relationship building for the desired guest retention and conversions; PR and marketing of the spa; organising spa familiarisation trip for FAM groups, key travel agents, inhouse VIPs and long staying guests at the hotel with eye on enhanced revenues; spa consultation on deep cleansing, pigmentation, acne, lifting & toning, body contouring, non-surgical facelift and skin rejuvenation; and spa retailing as per the guest’s requirements among others.

Revenue generation and its enhancement are among her strengths, and as a seasoned professional she has immense potential in translating complex ideas into achievable targets. The excerpts of the interview follow: How long have you been in the spa industry? What are the kind of changes you have witnessed in your field in the past five-six years?

I have been in the wellness industry for around 13 years. I have realised that consumers today are better educated and more aware about spas through experience and extensive travel. They are seeking comprehensive wellness and want a holistic experience that goes beyond pampering.

Spa demographics of frequent spa goers show that currently in metros there is almost equal usage of spa services by ladies and gentlemen. I believe that in-bound travel for business and leisure is likely to increase the usage of spa by male consumers over women in the near future. People from the west and Asian countries are frequenting spas much more than others.

What are the current top trends in the business of wellness?

Spa vacation to spa destinations, gifting a spa, weekend, increased spa usage by male consumers are some of the key trends being experienced in the spa business these days.

Spa experience today integrates fitness, holistic wellness activities, meditation,

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and treatments. Rather than keeping people indoors to carry out their wellness programmes, many hotel spas and wellness resorts are focusing on getting guests to engage with the natural surroundings of their locations. Currently hiking in mountains, yoga in the gardens, fitness programs that encompass swimming on the sea, aqua aerobics, jungle gyms, outdoor rock climbing, challenging mountain biking, meditation walks along beautiful beaches, etc. are gaining currency as part of the wellness programme. Tree-top spa is another important trend in the realm of wellness.

Focus of the spa goers are also shifting from indulgence to holistic health. Spas are learning how to integrate treatments and targeted activities to create an overall health enhancing experience.

What are the top three traits or skills every Spa Director or a Spa Head must have to manage the spa successfully?

For the Spa Director it is very important to have technical knowledge in order to understand the spa operations.

She/he must also have the ability to anticipate and handle guests’ needs, and also have eye for detail along with strong business acumen.

What do you enjoy the most about being a Spa Director?

Spa is such an exciting field with advancements happening on a continual basis. I find it exciting to check the latest trends and offer tailor-made wellness solutions to the guests that perfectly suit their needs.

What do you dislike the most about your job?

The communication between the host and the guest can sometimes be challenging and could lead to a conflict between expectations and delivery. This I find disturbing.

Is your job challenging? Can you point out the key challenges in your job?

Yes, of course my job is challenging. I find sourcing dedicated and knowledgeable staff as the biggest challenge. Checking staff attrition is also challenging.

Could you tell us the USP of R The Spa? What distinguishes it from the others?

It is a three-level spa, spread over 20,000 sq. ft. dedicated to relaxation, rejuvenation and replenishment, with

Spa

HOTEL Business Review

a separate floor designed for each one of these. This I think is one of the USPs of the spa. The strategic location of the spa, that is its proximity to the airport and neighbouring farmhouses, its state-of-art facilities and hi-tech equipments like experience shower, dry floatation bed among others, its elaborately themed suites with private secluded areas designed for couples, right amalgamation of carefully selected therapies from east and the west catering to diverse segments, its excellence in service through personalised attention in providing tailor-made packages, and its high aesthetic quotient are other distinguishing features of the spa.

Our signature massage begins with foot ritual, an ancient tradition symbolising purification of the soul to open the positive energy channel, followed by special massage which combines aromatherapy with synergy oils, and Balinese massage to ease the muscle tension and soothe the nerves.

It is a truly invigorating experience, involving top-of-the-line products.

How many treatment rooms do you have?

Yes, we have. Synergy, Sabai Stone, Indian Marma, Yin Yang Aromatic are our exclusive massages.

We have nine treatment rooms including three theme-based suites.

Do you have a signature treatment at the spa?

Yes, we have. That is known as Synergy Signature Treatment.

Do you have some special massages?

What is your favourite treatment to receive and why?

My favourite spa treatment is aquatherapy with green coffee wrap. I consider it as the queen of treatments.

The very aroma of coffee relaxes the mind and sedates the spirit. This luxurious treatment is exclusively designed for complete body detox, and helps to detoxify and re-mineralise your skin.

Any other point you wish to make?

As a qualified Spa Assessor under the Ministry of Tourism, I am glad to extend my support to the industry in auditing spas and setting benchmark practices and standards that contributes in some measure towards the upliftment of the industry standards.

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HOTEL Business Review

CONVEYOR PIZZA OVEN

AKASA now launches India’s first Conveyor Pizza Oven. It provides a simple foolproof operation with product quality that is consistent and guaranteed. It minimizes waste and maximizes labor saving.

Conveyor Pizza Ovens produce a large amount of pizzas at a very fast rate. The conveyor belt in the oven allows a pizza to be cooked for as long or as short a time as necessary. Conveyor belt speeds and temperatures are adjustable for consistent cooking of a high volume of similar products. This capability allows for the maker to monitor cooking speed and to modify pizzas to their customer’s preference.

Provides 5 in 1 operation: It Toasts, Melts, Roasts, Grills, and Bakes.

Conveyor ovens move food along a conveyor belt from one side opening, through the oven, and out the other side.

Ovens use heating elements located above and below the conveyor belts. Conveyor belts are made of wire chains, allowing excellent heat circulation around food items. The top and the bottom elements have variable temperature control. This means you can specify a certain level of heat to the top of your product, and a different level to the bottom. The unique feature of the top and bottom elements is of enormous advantage in cooking moist products such as pizza, where the thin moist toppings require a totally different heat application to the fresh dough base.

Simply, perfectly, every time ... it’s foolproof. Labor saving ... with set and forget operation. Cost saving with no or low waste.

High turnover in restaurant personnel continues to be a major challenge in most restaurant businesses and makes training a particularly difficult problem.

Restaurateurs found that by pre-setting time and temperature functions, conveyors produce consistent bake results. This consistency also provides standardization of product taste and appearance so important to chain operations.

AKASA akasaintl@gmail.com

HOSPITALITY EQUIPMENT

Mohta & Co Equipment are Manufacturers, Importers & Exporters of Quality Hospitality Equipment, required for proficient operations of Hotels, Restaurants, Fast Food Parlours, Bakery, Bar, Industrial Canteens, Hospitals, Commercial Kitchens, Food Processing and other allied units. Apart from providing the equipment, they also specialize in complete layout design & engineering facilities. With more than 7 years of experience in production and manufacturing of Hospitality Equipment, Kitchenramma by Mohta & Co Equipment is a renowned name across the industry earning itself respect and credibility. The company has been able to carve a niche for itself due to its Consistent Quality, Time Bound Deliveries, Competitive Price, Excellent After Sales Service & Transparent Policies.The wide client base of Mohta & Co Equipment is a reflection of its business motto - they Don’t Just Build Equipment – they Build Relations. Some of their prominent clients include Nizams Kathi Kabab - Connaught Place (Delhi).Cuisine Nexus - Amritsar, DLF (Gurgaon), Kamla Nagar (Delhi), Vaishali (Ghaiziabad), Yamunanagar.Jai Prakash Industries Ltd. - Onkareshwar (M.P.), Waknaghat (H.P.), Tehri Dam (Uttaranchal).Jai Prakash Hydro Power - Tala (Bhutan), Baghliar (J.& K.).Jaypee Group - Rewa (M.P.), Bela (M.P.).JIIT - Noida (U.P.).Eicher Motors Ltd. - Pithampur (Indore).R & R Army Hospital – Delhi.VIP Clubs - Raipur (Chhatisgarh)Jaypee Greens - Noida (U.P.)Hotel Vikramaditya - Ujjain (M.P.) Mohta & Co Equipment info@kitchenramma.com

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Jan-Feb ’13

Product Preview INTELLIGENT LOCKS

Ozone presents an exclusive collection of intelligent lock systems designed for residential and commercial use. These locks are suitable for wooden doors as well as frameless glass doors. These stateof-the-art locks from Ozone works on 03 types of technology; Biometric Finger print recognition, RF card reading technology and numeric code programming through key pad.

Equipped with latest technology, these intelligent locks from Ozone offer high degree of security to its users. These hightech intelligent locks are perfect fit for new age homes, hotels, restaurants, offices etc. as they offer high level security even in cases of greater complex threats. The use of finger prints and PIN codes make these access systems more personal and tougher to crack even by professional thefts. RF/ ID card locks are primarily used for doors in hotels, guest houses and modern offices. Using a high grade intelligent microchip, these locks can be activated with a pre-programmed RF card and can also provide details of operation using a data collector.

The range of security solutions from Ozone also comprises Door Eye with LCD display & Door Bell and accessories like card reader, RF card, data collection instrument & power saver. Door eye can be installed in place of traditional door peephole. This is equipped with automatic power saving feature and low battery alerts.

No wring is required for installation, making it widely accepted. Door Eye from Ozone helps you to see and avoid unexpected threats at your door and secure you from any kind of harm.

Ozone offers a wide range of hardware products catering to different requirements of widely spread customer base. This includes glass & wooden doors fittings, Automatic doors, façade fittings, shower enclosure fittings, bathroom accessories, kitchen fittings, railings and electronic Safes.

Ozone Overseas Ltd. ozone@ozone-india.com

Jan-Feb ’13

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Product Preview

HOTEL Business Review

OUTDOOR LIVING IN STYLE

Monsoon is around the corner & the new All Weather Collection 2012 by Trend n Design is set to raise the bar for outdoor living among the leading hotels who crave for their elite aesthetics.

Their trendy hand woven furniture is made from 100% UVresistant, frost, water and fade resistant synthetic fibres making it a zero maintenance product.

Various collections of outdoor dining furniture, patio umbrella, living range, pool furniture and accessories are manufactured with the finest synthetic fibre available across the globe.

The company also manufactures banquet & wooden furniture for hotels, resorts, townships & corporate houses and holds its expertise in hand picking the best raw material which plays a vital role in the quality of the product.

TREND N DESIGN info@trendndesign.in

MINI BAR PRODUCTS

Gold Tree nuts wide range of products in exclusive packaging for the Mini Bar in major hotels across India. The range includes Dry Fruits, Bar Snacks / Bar Gratis, Juver Juices. Its signature flavoured range of nuts Includes Smoked Almonds, Sour Cream & Onion Cashews, Oriental Cashews, Szechwan Spicy Cashews, Tangy Chilly Cashews, Almonds Cranberry Mix. These can be packaged as per the requirements of the hotels or be supplied in bulk 1 kg packs. The company assures best quality and services. The Quality Specification Cashews is 240 grade Cashews from Goa for Almonds is NonPareil grade USA origin Almonds and for Pistachios is Ahmed Aghai grade Iran origin Pistachios. The availability of the all these products is guaranteed at all times. The company guarantees full shelf life availability at time of dispatch.

Gold Tree Nuts ashish@gonuts.in

FOOD SOLUTION FOR F&B

Universal Chef from Spain, is a unique solution for all OS&E and FF&E needs. U-Chef will leverage a Global Delivery Model – ONE STOP SOLUTION, to offer wide range of products under one roof to reduce sourcing time and manpower needs. It makes consolidated shipments with a high degree of time and cost predictability. As the name suggests, it offers global solutions to F&B professionals, who constantly endeavour to create fresh ideas for their customers. U-Chef aims at providing expert project services to its global clients by helping them finding and supplying right products for their culinary preparations as well as enhancing table and buffet presentations. The company is commited to consistently succeed in achieving time deadlines and exceeding customer expectations by delivering projects in a timely manner without any cost overruns. Its rich pool of expert sourcing professionals are aware of the latest developments in the market and therefore offers unique and even custom tailored solutions which makes you look different and stay ahead of competition.

Universal Chef sales@universal-chef.com

PORCELAIN TABLEWARE

Omkar International launches in India a classic and guaranteed food safe line of porcelain tableware manufactured by Kutahya Porselen (Europe), the largest porcelain tableware manufacturer in Europe. As lead and cadmium reduces the melting temperature of raw materials, many manufacturers use lead and cadmium in their production in order to reduce production costs considerably. Responsible manufacturers, use raw materials that does not contain lead and cadmium even though this increases the production costs. Kutahya Porselen guarantee that their complete product line is Lead and Cadmium free thus using acidic foods on tableware will not leach cadmium from the plates into the food. Microwaving foods using Kutahya tableware do not cause Lead absorption into the food. It uses Lead and Cadmium free raw materials keeping in mind the international food safety standards.

According to US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, eating food or water with high levels of cadmium, severely irritates to stomach and leads to vomiting and diarrhea. Long-term exposure of cadmium in the food and water can lead to kidney disease, lung damage and fragile bones. Eating foods with an acid base such as: tomato sauce, pickle juice, orange juice, apples, soy sauce and salad dressing, cause lead and cadmium to leach from the plates and into food. Unsafe lead concentrations are found in some chinaware after microwave use and this could result in the igestion of large amounts of lead. Automatic dishwashers can damage glazed surface of chinaware, causing lead to be leached. The heat and intensity of the water hitting the plates can cause the glaze to deteriorate off of chinaware. Kutahya Porselen products are microwave safe, ovenproof, dishwasher safe, edge chipping resistant, resistant to cuts and scratches. All products manufactured are in conformity with European Standards and US Standards.

Omkar International kamal66shah@yahoo.in

The information published in this section is as per the details furnished by the respective manufacturer/distributor. In any case, it does not represent the views of Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd.

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B U S I N E S S

O P P O R T U N I T Y

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B U S I N E S S

O P P O R T U N I T Y

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Advertiser’s Index

HOTEL Business Review

ADVERTISER’S INDEX COMPANY AIM TECH AKSAI CREATION ARCHII COIRFOAM INDIA PVT. LTD.

PAGE NO. 55 FIC 47 BC

COMBII ORGANOCHEM PVT. LTD.

01

ECLIPSE INTERNATIONAL (SLEEP OPTIONS)

39

ELECTROLUX

61

FCML PROJECTS

25

FIDELIO INDIA PVT. LTD.

43

GREEN FUTURE WINDOWS PVT. LTD.

27

HBF 2013

67

HOTELEX 2013

53

HOTREMAI

35

IFB INDUSTRIES LTD.

17

ITPO

49

KESRI TRANSCONTINENTAL

41

LOOM CRAFTS FURNITURE (INDIA) PVT. LTD.

28, 29

MEHTA FURNISHERS

19

MITORA MACHINEX PVT. LTD.

14

MITZVAH ENGG. INC.

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OZONE OVERSEAS PVT. LTD.

07

PUSHKAL TEXTILES

10

RAMSONS GARMENT FINISHING EQUIPMENT PVT. LTD.

23

RANS TECHNOCRATS (INDIA) PVT. LTD.

BIC

RATIONAL INDIA

06

REMINGTON STEEL ARTS

66

SIAL CHINA

57

S.N. GLOBAL

45

SNOOZER BEDDING LTD.

09

SPRING AIR BEDDING CO. (INDIA) LTD.

31

SPRINGFIT MARKETING INC.

21

SPRINGWEL MATTRESSES PVT. LTD.

15

SUPERSHINE LAUNDRY SYSTEMS PVT. LTD.

33

TREND N DESIGN

65

TERMINIX SIS INDIA

11

UNIVERSAL CHEF S.L.

12, 13

VENUS INDUSTRIES

05

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

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* GF - GATE FOLD * FIC - FRONT INSIDE COVER * BIC - BACK INSIDE COVER * BC - BACK COVER

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Interview

HOTEL Business Review

Giving the Right Direction

By Sharmila Chand Consistently recognised for dedicated service and hard work, Avneesh K Mathur, General Manager, Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Jaipur has an outstanding track record of success and credibility. He has proved to be a leader in delivering exceptional results and ensuring guest satisfaction.

Having completed nearly two decades in the hospitality industry, Mathur continues to lead his team with a sharp focus on improving the operations and facilities. He plays an active role in the day-to-day hotel operations, staff management, project administration and guest relations, besides setting the growth targets. He has received the Hotelier India award of General Manager Of The Year (Runner Up) in middle segment, in the recent past.

“The past two years have been very significant for me and my team. I feel very proud and satisfied, when I look back and see that we have achieved enhancement in revenues by 17 percent as compared to that of the previous year,” asserted Mathur.

The excerpts of the interview follow: Firstly tell us what are your key responsibilities?

My key role and responsibility is to continually upgrade the hotel to face the challenges of increasing inventory in Jaipur.

I also take keen interest in overseeing the renovation work. I do not restrict the purview of my work to operations only.

Please share with us the major achievements in your career in the hospitality industry so far

In my current assignment, I got the hotel renovated in a record time of 14 months.

I also increased the room inventory by 12 percent and added a new conference hall along with undertaking lobby extension.

In the past, I successfully handled Countr y Inn & Suites by Carlson — Gurgaon from project stage till its commissioning. I have also been involved in the launching of Country Inn & Suites by Carlson Sahibabad as a special assignment. A decade of working with The Leela Mumbai had given me the direction at the beginning of my career.

Furthermore, a decade of working with Radisson Delhi, Mahipalpur from the project stage of the hotel has given me the expertise to introspect each affair pertaining to my job, and take decisions meticulously.

What has been your marketing strategy to promote this hotel?

We have given increased focus on targeting the corporate travellers along with leisure travellers, which has resulted

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in increasing the occupancy levels in even the summer months.

Our marketing strategy of providing value for money, and promising less and delivering more than expected has been very rewarding. We have also focused on constantly anticipating the guests’ needs.

Furthermore, our constant presence in the market has helped us to gauge the pulse and mood of the market, which in turn has helped in fine twining and alignment of our goals.

What is the USP of your property?

The location of the hotel is in the heart of the city, which helps the guests to enjoy the destination in totality. Location is one of our USPs. Also large sized rooms along with our warm, homely and genuine hospitality, and also the cheerful and pleasing interiors of the hotel render a very inviting feel.

What are the differentiating factors of your F&B outlets?

Each of our six distinctive F&B outlets speaks of its exclusivity. Our bouquet of offerings in food and beverages which include our wonderful award winning Chinese and Thai cuisine restaurant named Dragon House, which is perhaps the best in the city, and our Morrocon lounge named Kasbah where the wonderful Mediterranean cuisine is complemented by rich Moroccan décor and also an outdoor seating area which affords magnificent views of Amber Fort, are among the differentiating factors

of our F&B outlets. In fact, the outdoor seating area of Kasbah and Dragon House are their USPs. What is the most crucial issue to tackle in the Indian hospitality industry today?

To my mind, the issue of maintaining GOP levels with rising inflation is the most crucial issue to tackle in the Indian hospitality industry these days.

What are your strengths as a professional?

They are perseverance, the ability towards successful implementation of any policy process, and humble nature with transparency. Besides these, my keen interest and knowledge of project work is also one of my strengths.

What is your philosophy of work, which has helped you throughout your career?

I work for my own development and not just for remuneration. Complete devotion, striving for thoroughness, out of the box thinking, and keeping oneself ahead of time can be together presented as my philosophy of work, which helps me to stand apart.

How do you de-stress?

I unwind through yoga and meditation every morning. I also like to go on long drives, which is relaxing for me. Besides these, cycling in summers is something I enjoy, provided time permits.

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