Hotel Business Review (March-April 2018)

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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

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he hospitality industry of India is reviving fast and the luxury hotel market in India shows indication of impressive growth potential.

Nowadays in India, not only metros and big cities, but even lesser known offbeat destinations with possibility of unique experiences can offer impressive markets for luxury hospitality.

However, in this age of growing numbers of discerning and globally travelled guests, hotels operating in the luxury segment should not only be experts at meeting the needs and wants of the guests, but also in anticipating their unspoken demands.

The management of hotels operating or thinking of operating in the luxury hotel market of India should also give thoughtful attention towards offering a range of personalised services along with high-end technological solutions, with the objective of making their guests’ stay a blissful experience.

In our Cover Story, we explore the facets of luxury hospitality across some high-end hospitality properties in the country, through information rich industry feedback.

The digital age has immensely helped hotels and resorts to make new inroads in guest satisfaction and facilitated productivity of the employees across hospitality properties. The Business Story shows how digital technology is helping hospitality properties to foster guest satisfaction, how the industry has adapted new-age technologies, and also explores whether too much application of technology can adversely impact the element of personal touch and in-vironment of hospitality properties.

The Feature section gives a brief overview of the last fiscal for India’s hospitality industry, covers the ongoing trends in the industry, and also its various lacunae and challenges.

The F&B section covers some creative endeavours in plate presentation by a few culinary experts. The Design section briefly covers the works of a creative interior designer, who has acquired uncommon expertise in perfectly synthesising the regal splendour of the bygone era with the fast evolving needs of post-modern hospitality.

Besides these, there are of course other industry relevant topics discussed in the issue through features, Q&A, Events and News. Overall, we have endeavoured to give a comprehensive character to the issue, which I hope would interest our much valued readers.

I hope that all of you would have a wonderfully fruitful and prosperous financial year that is still brand new, and showing lots of potential.

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Resident Editor Sharmila Chand (Delhi) Ashok Malkani (Mumbai) Layout & Design Hari Kumar V Abhishek Singh Rathore Production Assistant Mamta Sharma Advertising Sales Delhi: Debabrata Nath, Sumesh Sharma Director Sales Sanjay Anand Mobile: +91 9811136837 Director Operations Rajat Taneja Mobile: +91 9810315463 Editorial & Advertising Offices: Delhi: Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 206, Samrat Bhawan, Ranjeet Nagar Commercial Complex, New Delhi-110008 Phone: 91-11-25704103, 45093486, 45084903 Mumbai: Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 105, 1st Floor, Aarpee Centre, Gufic Compound, 11th Road, MIDC, Near Tunga Paradise, Andheri (E), Mumbai-400093, India Phone: 91-22-28395833 E-mail: info@hammer.co.in © 2018 Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher.

Hammer Hotel Business Review is a bi-monthly magazine, printed, edited, owned and published by Rajneesh Sharma on behalf of Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 206, Samrat Bhawan, Ranjeet Nagar Commercial Complex, New Delhi. Printed at Swan Press, B-71, Naraina Industrial Area, Phase-II, New Delhi-110 028.

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.

Disclaimer: The editor and publisher believes that all information contained in this publication are correct at the time of publishing.

Content published not necessarily are the opinion or view of the editor and publisher. Editor and publisher declines any responsibility for any action taken based on the information contained in this publication, including liability for error or omission.

Annual subscription rate within India is Rs. 500 and for overseas it is US $110, for surface mail. Single issue is available for Rs. 90 in India and US $25 for overseas. Cheques are payable to Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd.

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

The global luxury hotel market has over the last couple of years, enjoyed a positive growth. This can be attributed to the fact that the turmoil created by the global financial crisis has receded and the number of high net worth individuals (HNWIs) has been increasing globally. But it is not all plain sailing for the luxury hotel segment either...

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BUSINESS

The meteoric rise in the use of mobile phones and mobile apps has made it imperative for industries to make the necessary changes to adapt to market conditions. The hospitality industry too has undergone changes to meet the needs of the digital age. Hotels, to remain competitive, must embrace technology in keeping with the changing environment. How the hospitality properties are adapting digital technology not only helps them to stay competitive in terms of their customer satisfaction, but can also influence their market positioning.

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FEATURE

The impressive domestic tourism and foreign tourist arrivals statistics, t o g et h e r w i t h i m p re s s i ve h ot e l occupancy levels during 2016-17 and 2017-18, along with various other socio-economic dynamics taken together, indicate 2018-2020 to be promising for India’s hospitality industry, both in terms of room revenues and profit margins. However, the road ahead is far from hunky dory...

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F&B

If you thought Chefs are focused only on cooking their dishes, you are wrong.

For these days, more than ever before, they are careful not just about the preparation but about the presentation of their dishes as well.

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DESIGN

One can say that heritage hotels, where one has to merge the past and present beautifully without one seeming to encroach upon the other, seems to be Payal Kapoor’s forte.

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HOUSEKEEPING

Besides having the responsibility for maintaining the standards of cleanliness and hygiene in hospitality properties, the housekeeping staff can play an important role in ensuring the safety and security of the guests in hospitality properties

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SPA

Ancient Ayurvedic healing, Swedish therapy techniques, re l ax i n g Th a i m ass a g es , o rg a n i c p ro d u cts , a n outstanding facial… it is time to immerse oneself in all encompassing rejuvenating treatments at Alive Spa, housed within Radisson Blu Agra Taj East Gate.

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PROPERTY

Located in south Goa, Novotel G o a D o n a Sy l v i a Res o rt comprises 181 well-appointed and spacious rooms, villas & suites. The resort is not far from the sands of Cavelossim beach with the blue waters kissing its shores.

departments 04 Event 10

News Scan

20 Appointments 38 Focus 54

Product Preview

56 Interview

Cover Pic: Deluxe King Guest Room, Courtyard by Marriott, Chennai

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Event

Hotel Business Review

SIAL China 2018 Set to Welcome Record Number of Visitors The exhibition will promote commerce, culture, and innovation between Asian and international markets

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he coming edition of SIAL China, Asia’s largest food innovation exhibition, is set to welcome a record number of exhibitors (3,400) and professional visits (110,000), according to an estimate by the organisers.

To b e h e l d at t h e S h a n g h a i N ew International Expo Center from 16th-18th May 2018, SIAL China 2018 will promote commerce, culture, and innovation between Asian and international markets with dedicated meat, dairy, wine and beverage zones, besides offering international cold chain logistics hall, enhanced visitor access to events, and theme specialty area.

Ex h i b i to rs f ro m 2 1 fo o d s e cto rs , occupying 13 exhibition halls and 162,000 square metres, will exhibit their products

at SIAL China.

In 2017 too, SIAL China set new record in terms of number of exhibitors (3,200) and professional visits (101,134).

“SIAL China 2017 was an incredible showcase of the latest food innovations and trends. With Asia’s food and beverage sectors experiencing strong growth and demand globally, we wanted to offer our exhibitors and professional visitors a smart platform that would support the further integration of Asian and global food markets,” said Jim Liu, President of SIAL China.

Now in its nineteenth year, SIAL China 2018 will continue to connect the Asian and international food industry, promote innovation and collaboration to meet new and changing consumer demand.

SIAL Innovation Now Accepting Exhibitor Applications SIAL Innovation, considered the 'jewel' of the SIAL Network and one of the most popular professional events at SIAL China, is now accepting exhibitor applications.

A hallmark event, SIAL Innovation attracts industry innovators who want to learn about fast-developing consumer trends in China and the world.

“SIAL Innovation will be located in Hall E3 at SIAL China 2018. All exhibitors are encouraged to register their products on the SIAL Innovation platform before 6th April 2018. Registration is easy and free, simply log in to the Exhibitor Online Area, click the SIAL Innovation logo, and fill out the form. You will then be contacted by a SIAL representative,” said an official SIAL China statement.

To meet China's market consumption growth, food and beverage companies need to understand how Chinese consumers evaluate and buy goods.

At SIAL Innovation, food and beverage industry innovators demonstrate their products and also exchange ideas. In 2017, SIAL Innovation attracted a recordbreaking 528 exhibitor submissions, of which 206 products were selected and seen by a jury of food-industry experts.

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SIAL China's events, a key attraction for visitors and exhibitors, will continue to collaborate with top associations and professionals like the World Association of Chefs' Societies (WACS) and wine masters and renowned sommeliers.

These collaborations will share the latest food innovations, trends, and techniques with visitors and exhibitors.

At S I A L C h i n a 2 01 8 , v i s i to rs a n d exhibitors will be able to experience cooking demonstrations at La Cuisine and Seafood Fest, learn from wine masters and renowned sommeliers at Wine Innovation Forum, watch a live dessert demonstration at Chocolate World, explore the essence of tea at the China National Specialty Tea Brewers Cup, exchange inspiration at Retail & Hospitality Forum, learn the most current global consumption trends with World Tour, and see the most cutting-edge products at SIAL Innovation. Registration for SIAL Innovation 2018 will open at the beginning of January 2018.

To f u rt h e r e n h a n ce i nte r n at i o n a l cooperation and innovation at SIAL China 2018, the exhibition will also offer e-business services, including a Match-Making System and BAB platform.

These platforms will allow participants to connect with each other, based on their business interests.

Using artificial intelligence technology, BAB platform connects businesses with other businesses, agents and alliances, effectively extending SIAL China from a three-day annual exhibition to a 365-day comprehensive global business platform.

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Glorious Years of Service to the Hospitality Industry.

Feel A Sensation

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Event

Hotel Business Review

Heimtextil India and Ambiente India 2018 Launch ‘Bespoke Living’ Special display arena will showcase signature collections from interior décor and home textile sectors

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ndia’s premium fairs for home textiles, homeware and interior décor, Heimtextil India and Ambiente India, have launched ‘Bespoke Living’, an exclusive product display space for companies to showcase their signature collections at the fifth edition of their show, to be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from 27th–29th June 2018.

With four successful editions in a row till now, Heimtextil India and Ambiente India have become one of the leading business trade fairs in the country for showcasing fine quality of dining, living, giving, and home textiles.

The launch of Bespoke Living aims to highlight one-of-a-kind brands that deal with uniquely crafted designs, ranging from plush statement pieces to extensive signature collections for home and retail furnishing.

Halls dedicated to Bespoke Living will feature selected designer brands from India and around the world, showcasing their

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premium collections.

This product showcase arena is expected to be beneficial for interior designers, architects, hotel buyers, buyers of luxury goods and luxury home developers.

I t w i l l h e l p b u s i n ess v i s i to rs g a i n knowledge about the upcoming trends, s o u rc e t i m e l e s s p i e c e s , b u i l d n e w connections with people sharing the same interest, and help experience the quality of the products in person.

Exposure to best in class products and latest trends presented at the show could help them create a better home design experience for their clients.

One of the companies to have confirmed participation at the show is Three Sixty which will showcase its latest leather collection that comprises of rugged travel accessories and signature furniture pieces.

Inspired by the world’s deserts and explorers who traversed them, the company designs fully customisable handmade products which are available in beautiful

shades of tan; sure to up the sophistication quotient of home and retail interiors.

“Our latest collection at Bespoke Living will showcase our ever evolving tastes and designs. Traditional Indian craftsmen can craft the most beautiful signature pieces and provide quality beyond compare,” said Vikash Gupta, CEO, Three Sixty.

International exhibitors will showcase exquisite artefacts like decorative ceramics with glaze, handmade clay wreaths with metal leaves, ceramic vases and other decorative items.

Apart from this specially curated design platform, Heimtextil India and Ambiente India 2018 will host the Interior Lifestyle Awards that will bring creative masters from the interior decor and home textile sectors together by recognising their art and giving them an international platform to showcase their designs.

Th e t ra d e fa i r w i l l a l s o o rg a n i s e Hospitality Day, a hospitality and retail procurement programme that will bring top class Purchase Managers from the industry to build new contacts and source quality products.

Heimtextil India and Ambiente India together will host over 100 companies f ro m co u nt r i es l i ke I n d i a , I n d o n es i a , Switzerland and Thailand; showcasing trendsetting designs in the interior décor and home textile industry, an official statement said.

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Event

Hotel Business Review

HOTELEX Shanghai 2018 Delivers a Grand Show The four-day international hospitality equipment and food service expo drew a total of 146,267 trade buyers of which around 5135 came from overseas

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he 27th Shanghai International Hospitality Equipment & Food Service Expo (HOTELEX Shanghai 2018) came to a successful closing at Shanghai New International Expo Center on 29th March.

Co-hosted by Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration and China Tourist Hotel Association, the four-day show which started on 26th March, saw a strong attendance of national and international exhibitors and visitors.

Spread over 22 halls in 220,000 square metre of exhibition space, the expo drew a total of 146,267 trade buyers of which 5,135 came from overseas, to source from 2,500 exhibiting companies from 122 countries and regions.

Compared to last year’s edition of the show, the number of overseas buyers was more this year. A prominent attendance growth was spotted in buyers from the US and Australia. The number of buyers from the US went up by over three times, while the number of Australian buyers doubled at this editon of the show.

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The exhibit categories at the show included catering equipment, tableware, coffee & tea, bakery, ice-cream, wine & spirits, and other beverages.

Impressive buyer uptick was recorded in major catering groups covering restaurants, snack shops, coffee, beverage, and bakery, etc.

Underlining the importance of the show, one of the participants at the event, Ming Mei Yi, General Manager, Shanghai Jincheng Refrigeration Equipment Co,Ltd., said, “There is no other industry event in Shanghai where the entire industry gets under one roof in this kind of scale.”

The fine food and beverages, catering equipment and tableware sectors were among the major highlights of the show this year, while coffee and wine sectors have always been the major attractions in the HOTELEX events.

“Different kinds of competitions are the obvious highlights of HOTELEX. It is a great opportunity for industry practitioners to improve expertise and skills, and more importantly, to inspire further cooperation between the resource seekers and endbuyers,” said Riccardo Lettieri, CEO of Aurora International Trade Co., Ltd. Other highlights of the show included 2018 Central Kitchen Construction and D eve l o p m e nt Fo r u m , N ew B eve ra g e Generation Forum, Catering Industry Revolution Forum, among others.

EVENTS’ CALENDER SIAL China 2018 16-18 May 2018 Shanghai New International Exhibition Center Shanghai, China www.sialchina.com NRA Show 2018 19-22 May 2018 McCormick Place Chicago, US www.show.restaurant.org Thaifex- World of Food Asia 2018 29 May-02 June 2018 Impact Challenger & Exhibition Center Bangkok, Thailand www.worldoffoodasia.com Food Taipei 2018 27-30 June 2018 Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Taiwan www.foodtaipei.com.tw Heimtextil India & Ambiente India 2018 27-29 June 2018 Pragati Maidan Exhibition Centre New Delhi, India www.heimtextil-india.in.messefrankfurt.com www.ambiente-india.in

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Hotel Business Review

Tamil Nadu Gets its First Mercure Hotel AccorHotels opened its first Mercure Hotel in Tamil Nadu with the launch of Mercure Chennai Sriperumbudur in March. This is AccorHotels’ sixth property in Chennai and seventh property in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Mercure Chennai Sriperumbudur features 100 guest rooms, including six suites. The hotel is situated at a 45 minute drive f ro m C h e n n a i International A i r p o rt a n d a n hour’s drive f ro m t h e m a j o r monuments and beaches of Mahabalipuram.

Mercure is a midscale hotel brand of AccorHotels.

“It is a proud moment for us to announce our first Mercure in Sriperumbudur. The opening of the hotel marks yet another milestone for AccorHotels’ expansion and growing brand presence in the country,” said JeanMichel Cassé, Chief Operating Officer, India & South Asia, AccorHotels.

N ews Sca n

Novotel Hotels Open in Kerala, Goa In association with the M u t h o ot Pa p p a c h a n Group, AccorHotels in April launched Novotel Kochi Infopark, the first Novotel property in Kerala. Situated at t h e h e a rt of t h e I T hub of Kochi — Kakkanad Infopark — the hotel is only a 40-minute drive from the Kochi International Airport and 30-minute drive from the Ernakulam Railway station.

“We are delighted to launch our first Novotel property in the commercial capital of Kerala. This is our second brand in the city — ibis Kochi City Centre being the first,” said Jean-Michel Casse, Chief Operating Officer, India & South Asia, AccorHotels.

The hotel boasts of 128 rooms, including eight suites and a room designed specifically for the differently-abled with signature in-room amenities and WiFi, and three food and beverage outlets.

“We are delighted to partner with AccorHotels on the opening of the first Novotel hotel in Kochi,” said Thomas John Muthoot, Chairman & Managing Director of Muthoot Pappachan Group.

Earlier, in partnership with the Alcon Victor Group, AccorHotels opened a Novotel property in Goa by rebranding the globally known Dona Sylvia Resort to Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort. Situated in South Goa, the Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort features 181 rooms.

“Dona Sylvia Resort has always resonated with old-world charm and new-world luxury, creating an authentic Goan ambience along with its perfect location on Cavelossim Beach. Through the rebranding of the property, as a Novotel Resort, we look forward to offering an international standard product to our guests,” said Varun Albuquerque, Director, Alcon Victor Group.

AccorHotels Comes a Step Closer to Completing Mantra Group Acquisition AccorHotels in March got the nod of Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for acquiring the Mantra Group Ltd. Mantra is one of Australia’s largest hotel and resort marketers and operators with 127 properties and over 20,000 rooms in hotels, resorts and serviced apartments across Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Hawaii, under three key brands: Peppers (28 properties), Mantra (75 properties) and BreakFree (24 properties). Mantra has more than 5,500 employees.

The acquisition still requires approval from Mantra shareholders as well as approvals from the Federal Court and the Foreign Investment Review Board. The acquisition is likely to materialise in the second quarter of 2018.

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N ews Sca n

HPMF Middle-East Chapter AccorHotels Acquires Launched in Dubai Table Reservation System India’s Hospitality Purchasing Managers’ Forum (HPMF) recently ResDiary marked its first ever global entry by launching the Middle-East chapter at Ibis One Central hotel in Dubai.

A delegation of over 55 hospitality professionals from across Middle East, along with dignitaries, p a rt i c i p ate d at the event, which was p res i d e d ove r by M o h a n Deshpande, Chairman HPMF. Welcoming all delegates at the event, Deshpande thanked them for believing in the HPMF’s core objective of development of hospitality procurement professionals.

“Purchasing Managers are an integral part of the industry and they need to understand and showcase their own value,” Deshpande said.

“Purchasing is an integral part of any organisation and forming a forum like HPMF was more of need than desire. The forum aims in bringing the world closer by networking and collaborating,” said Nitin Nagrale, Founder and General Secretary, HPMF.

AccorHotels in April announced that it had completed the acquisition of ResDiary, a leading platform for restaurant reservation & table management.

Established in Glasgow, Scotland in 2004, the company now has over 100 staff, based in six countries.

ResDiary is notably well established in the Asia-Pacific region as well as in the UK, and has a footprint in 60 countries globally.

ResDiary provides venues with a high-end table management solution with the use of technology that optimises their food and beverage revenues and helps control operational costs.

“I am delighted to see ResDiary join the range of services of the Group. Our ambition is to support ResDiary in its global expansion, consolidating its scale, and benefitting from its expertise to provide multiple attractive offers to our guests,” said Sebastien Bazin, Chairman & CEO at AccorHotels.

“This acquisition completes recent investments of AccorHotels in the food & beverage industry. It fully supports the Group’s ambition to increase touch points with a fast-growing customer base,” Bazin added.

“We have had a very successful relationship with AccorHotels in Asia-Pacific, and the ResDiary team is thrilled to join the Group.

We are looking forward to expanding our service on a more global level with AccorHotels,” ResDiary’s Co-founder and CEO, Mike Conyers said.

ITDC Signs MoU with Suraas Impex India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) Ltd., the public sector undertaking under the aegis of the Ministry of Tourism, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hyderabad-based M/s Suraas Impex for developing a mega tourism destination project

at Bairav Lanka in Kakinada of East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, for an estimated cost of Rs. 550 crores in the initial phase.

This project is the first-of-its-kind for the state-owned ITDC with any private player.

During the MoU signing ceremony, dignitaries who were present included Ravneet Kaur, Chairperson and Managing Director (C&MD), ITDC; Piyush Tiwari, Director (Commercial & Marketing), ITDC among others.

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N ews Sca n

Hotel Business Review

Enjoyed Shooting at Radisson Blu Dwarka: Varun Dhawan Bollywood heartthrob Varun Dhawan who plays the lead role in Shoojit Sircar’s latest film ‘October’ said he had enjoyed shooting for the film at Radisson Blu Dwarka, New Delhi.

The film stars Varun and Banita Sandhu in the lead roles as Dan and Shiuli respectively. Revolving around the life of Dan, the film was shot at Radisson Blu Dwarka where the lead actors practiced as hotel management trainees, performing their daily chores.

The idea behind this excercise was to help the actors grasp body language and behaviour of hotel staff to bring more realism to their characters in the film. As the two main leads portray lives of hotel staff, Radisson Blu Dwarka became the home for the entire crew of October for 45 days, the hotel said in a statement.

“It was a very pleasant stay and shoot schedule. Sometimes it gets difficult to shoot at various locations, but because of the hotel team and their support we were able to shoot smoothly,” Varun was quoted as saying in the statement.

Appreciating the food served at the hotel, the actor heaped praise on the Chefs of the hotel’s restaurants.

“Overall, I had a pleasant experience so I would suggest everyone to come and try out Radisson Blu Dwarka. It’s a very nice hotel,” Varun said.

Sircar, Director of hits like Piku, Vicky Donor and Pink, added that the hotel cooperated with the October crew during the shoot

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with excellent staff and services.

“We are thrilled to have had this opportunity. As a premium five-star hotel in New Delhi, Radisson Blu Dwarka stands out for its distinct architecture, aesthetics and service standards. The entire staff of the hotel contributed to making this a successful and seamless experience. We are grateful for October that brings out the life of a hotel employee so vividly and beautifully,” said Gaurav Mehta, Director, Sales and Marketing, Radisson Blu Dwarka.

Andaz Delhi Wins Best New Hotel Award at HICSA 2018 Andaz Delhi was honoured with the ‘Best New Hotel of the Year’ award at the Hotel Investment Conference – South Asia (HICSA), held at Grand Hyatt Mumbai on 4th-5th A p r i l . Fro m the 18 finalists s e l e ct e d from 52 nominations in five different categories, the best hotel in each category was selected on the basis of online voting by registered HICSA delegates.

The HICSA ‘Hotels of the Year Awards’ were instituted to honour and recognise the most outstanding hotel developments in the previous year in South Asia. Andaz Delhi said it was awarded under the category of Best Luxury/ Upper Upscale Hotel, beating out hotels such as Alila Fort Bishangarh in Rajasthan, W Goa, and the Santani Resort & Spa Sri Lanka.

The list of finalists was put together by a panel of six judges using a detailed point-based analysis model of each hotel’s ranking across various criteria.

“This is another testament to the quality of services, and the excitement around the Andaz brand entering the Indian market.

I am extremely proud of and thankful to all our team members for their passion and hard work in helping us achieve this,” said Andaz Delhi’s General Manager, Madhav Sehgal.

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Hotel Business Review

N ews Sca n

Radisson to Have 200 Hotels in South Asia by 2022 The newly rebranded Radisson Hotel Group aims to expand its portfolio to more than 200 hotels in South Asia, by 2022, the company announced on the inaugural day of the two-day Hotel Investment Conference – South Asia (HICSA), held at Grand Hyatt Mumbai during 4th-5th April.

The declaration came within a month after the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group had announced its rebranding to Radisson Hotel Group on 5th March, at the International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) in Berlin.

“This is a most exciting period in our company’s long history,” said Katerina Giannouka, President, Asia-Pacific, Radisson Hotel Group.

“With the rebranding of our company and many other initiatives in the pipeline, we are positioning Radisson Hotel Group for a bright future,” Giannouka noted.

“One of the new giants of the global economy, India has been a key market for us for many years. We look forward to working with hotel investors, owners, developers and other stakeholders across the country as we accelerate the expansion of our portfolio and introduce exciting brand concepts such as Radisson Collection to India,” she added.

The group added Radisson Collection, a premium collection of hotels to its brand portfolio recently.

This takes the group’s brand portfolio to a total of seven brands in India where it already operates Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson

R E D, Pa r k Plaza, Park Inn b y Ra d i s s o n a n d Co u nt ry I n n & S u i tes b y Ra d i s s o n brands.

U n d e r Radisson Hotel G ro u p, t h e re are currently 90 operational hotels in India. This figure is expected to reach 100 hotels by the end of 2018.

The only brand of the group which is currently not present in India is its economy brand, Prizeotel.

“I am delighted that India is leading the way in Asia-Pacific with a total of seven global brand offerings which will further strengthen our business in the region,” said Raj Rana, Chief Executive Officer, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group.

Presently the 11th largest hotel group in the world, Radisson Hotel Group is made up of eight hotel brands with more than 1,400 hotels in operations and under development within its ambit.

Radisson Hotel Group’s Refreshed Loyalty Programme The newly rebranded Radisson Hotel Group introduced on 5th March a refreshed loyalty programme — Radisson Rewards — replacing Club Carlson SM. Ra d i ss o n Rewards will align with the h ote l g ro u p ’ s n e w c o r p o ra t e identity and will m a ke i t e a s i e r for members to as s o c i ate t h e i r benefits with t h e b ra n d s a n d i n i t i at i ve s . Th e updated program comes with some exciting enhancements including making status more accessible for members. All current members account numbers and point balances remain the same, the company said in a statement.

“Our refreshed program will serve as a powerful driver of our commercial and brand awareness strategy, and build a stronger relationship with our members,” said Eric De Neef, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Commercial Officer, Radisson Hotel Group.

Radisson Rewards offer great benefits to the group’s guests at any of its more than 1,100 hotels in operation worldwide.

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Hotel Business Review

Tattva Spa Opens at Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan

Spa chain Tattva Spa recently launched its new facility at Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan, an award-winning business hotel in Maharashtra.

Tattva Spa offers luxury spa and salon services at hotels and resorts across India. It currently works with large international hospitality brands like Marriott International, Hilton Hotels and Resorts, and the InterContinental Hotels Group, among others, within the Indian hospitality segment.

“We, at Tattva are very excited to partner with Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan to develop the wellness offerings for the hotel. We perfectly complement each other in business values and service consciousness,” said Shipra Sharma, Co-founder, Tattva Spa. Spread in an area of approximately 750 sq feet, Tattva Spa at Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan offers a wellness destination for the new-age business travellers.

Amongst the plethora of therapies and treatments charted by Tattva, the company especially prides itself in offering ‘Tattva Signature Therapy’ – a combination of stretches and traditional massage techniques, ‘Jetlag (reliever) Massage’ for the new-age business travellers, and luxury spa facials like ‘Activated charcoal peel-off mask.’

“I am certain that with our expertise, the guests at Courtyard by Marriott, Pune Chakan will enjoy every minute of their ‘me-time’ with us,” Shipra said.

JW Marriott Opens in Jaipur, Rajasthan Marriott International recently opened JW Marriott Jaipur Resort & Spa, marking the debut of the global luxury brand in India’s fabled ‘Pink City’.

“India is a key market for the JW Marriott brand and we are excited to be expanding into the captivating city of Jaipur” Mitzi Gaskins, Vice President and Global Brand Leader, JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, said on the opening of the 200-room five-star property.

“The opening of JW Marriott Jaipur Resort & Spa signifies the brand’s steady and continued global growth,” Gaskins added.

Regarded as an enchanting destination for weddings, special events and business meetings, the resort has indoor and outdoor banqueting venues of over 52,000 square feet, featuring multi-functional event spaces equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual systems, including a 11,000-square-feet pillar-less ballroom.

“We welcome our guests with modern, contemporary hospitality that is steeped in the warmth and beauty of Rajasthani tradition,” said Chandrashekar Joshi, General Manager, JW Marriott Jaipur Resort and Spa.

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N ews Sca n

Jukaso Journeys Acquires 5 New Properties Jukaso Journeys, a major player in the Indian hospitality industry, announced in March the acquisition of five properties in the country over the past three months.

The recently acquired properties are Jukaso Sai Palace Udaipur in Rajasthan, Jukaso Jim Corbett in Uttarakhand, Jukaso Seven Heaven Bhimtal in Uttarakhand, Jukaso Mrikula Cottage Manali, in Himachal P ra d e s h , a n d Jukaso Palace D h a ra m s h a l a in Himachal P ra d e s h , t h e company said in a statement.

“We are excited about expanding our footprints in India and in signing more properties.

It is a great opportunity to enter the new market as we are trying to cover and mark our presence in the major tourist destinations. We intend to strengthen our upscale brand in the country,” said Yajush Khanna, CEO, Jukaso Journeys.

Jukaso Journeys said it aimed to open 15 properties by the end of 2018.

Radisson Blu Pune Hinjawadi Opens New Bar and Spa Radisson Blu Pune Hinjawadi in Maharashtra recently unveiled a new rooftop bar and grill called OTT – Over the Top — and a new spa, named Nilaya Spa An oasis under the Hinjawadi skyline, OTT – Over the Top is Radisson Blu Pune Hinjawadi’s chic rooftop bar and grill.

“This is our second addition to the property. It not just looks beyond extraordinary but is also exquisite in its offerings,” said Pankaj S a xe n a , G e n e ra l M a n a g e r, Radisson Blu Pune Hinjawadi. “ We a re sure that our guests will be pleasantly surprised when they visit OTT,” said Saxena.

Announcing the opening of the Nilaya Spa, Radisson Blu Pune Hinjewadi said in a statement that the spa offers a wide selection of holistic healing practices and well-being techniques which relieve the mind, body, and spirit.

Enquiry on Visiting: Ms. Komal Sanghvi, Promosalons India, T: +91 22 6610 0401 E: ksanghvi@promosalons.com Mar-Apr ’18

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Ankush Sharma Ankush Sharma has joined as the General Manager of Aditya Park Hyderabad, a Sarovar Portico hotel which is a midrange brand of Sarovar Hotels & Resorts.

Sharma brings with him over 16 years of experience in the spheres of hotel operations, sales and marketing, project m a n a g e m e nt a n d reve n u e management.

I n h i s l as t i nte r n at i o n a l assignment, he spearheaded the pre-opening of Ramee Rose Hotel in Bahrain. Prior to this, he had also been the General Manager of Clarion Collection at New Delhi and Savoy Suites in the Delhi-NCR. In the past, he had also been associated with Taj Group and InterContinental Hotels Group.

In his current assignment, Sharma will be responsible fo r p ro j e ct m a n a g e m e nt in terms of renovation and refurbishment of the hotel as well as restructuring sales and marketing for maximising yield.

Nalin Mandiratta Crowne Plaza Chennai Adyar Pa r k h as a p p o i nte d N a l i n

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M a n d i ratta as t h e G e n e ra l Manager of the property. He will also serve as the group’s Area General Manager, South India, Crowne Plaza said in a statement.

Mandiratta has over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry with significant expertise in the hotel operations and marketing, across reputed hotel brands like Hilton, Marriott and Carlson hotels.

Mandiratta began his career with InterContinental Hotels Group in May 2010 as General Manager of the Crowne Plaza New Delhi Rohini, and later moved to the Crowne Plaza Kathmandu-Soaltee in Nepal, in May 2012. He then moved to Crowne Plaza Gurgaon in July 2015.

During his tenure as the General Manger, the hotels received various accolades and industry recognition for performance excellence.

Varun M.B Novotel Hyderabad Airport has appointed Varun M.B as the hotel’s new Executive Chef. Chef Varun brings with him 13 years of experience to the new job.

H e b e g a n h i s ca re e r i n 2003 as Industrial Trainee at Radisson Hotel, New Delhi.

He joined the Accor Group in 2008 as Demi Chef de Partie at Novotel Hyderabad Airport.

He moved up the ladder fast to become the Executive Chef at Ibis Gurgaon Golf Course Road.

“We are delighted to welcome Chef Varun as the Executive

Chef at Novotel Hyderabad Airport. Varun comes with great knowledge and is proficient with both national and international cuisines, and kitchen management. We are confident that he will guide our hotel to new heights of culinary perfection and guest satisfaction,” said Ravi Khubchandani, General Manager, Novotel Hyderabad Aiport.

Sagar Gaonkar S a g a r G a o n k a r, w h o h a s over 11 years of experience in hotel operations, has joined DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pune-Chinchwad, as the Director of Rooms. Having worked with established names such as The Leela, JW Marriott, Starwood, Wyndham and Hilton, Sagar claims expertise in handling guest relations, i m p l e m e nt i n g sys te m s a n d m a n a g i n g a g a m u t of key operational divisions.

Sagar will also be responsible for monitoring activities of all associates in coordination with their Head of the Departments (HODs), ensuring that they adhere to the standards of excellence, and plan and initiate the best practices to achieve the targets and goals.

Rajesh Rawat DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pune-Chinchwad has appointed Rajesh Rawat as its Pastry Chef. With over 14 years of experience in creating and serving pastry treats, Rawat has acquired knowledge of a

wide range of food products, c u l i n a ry a p p l i cat i o n s , a n d different baking techniques. A few of his specialities include customised designer cakes, hand rolled chocolates, fusion desserts and edible decorative showpieces.

Rawat has worked with some of the renowned hospitality brands such as Radisson Blu, Marriott Hotels and Resorts. In his role at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pune-Chinchwad, Rawat will be heading the bakery and confectionery at the hotel.

Pankaj Saxena ​​Radisson Blu Pune Hinjawadi has appointed​ ​Pankaj Saxena as the General Manager. Saxena brings to the new role 20 years of hospitality experience. Prior to his current position, Saxena was t h e G e n e ra l M a n a g e r at Country Inn & Suites by Ra d i s s o n , M ys o re . A s t h e General Manager of Radisson Blu Pune Hinjawadi, he will be accountable for all aspects of the hotel management including operations.

H e w o u l d a l s o a n a l ys e business results on a regular

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Hotel Business Review

International. In his current role at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pune-Chinchwad, Himanshu will be responsible for consolidating the hotel’s revenue per available room (RevPAR), positioning and driving innovative strategies.

b as i s a n d ta ke a ct i o n s to improve the results.

Radisson Varanasi, Sarovar Hotels, and ITC Hotels are among some of the brands that Saxena had been associated with​ ​in the past.

Management (IHM), Aurangabad in Maharashtra. After having juggled several challenging roles and assignments, he served as the General Manager at five Taj hotels. Prior to Ernakulam, he was the General Manager at The Gateway Hotel, Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

Vikas Pant

Mohammed Shoeb Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport, part of the InterContinental Hotels Group, h as a p p o i nte d M o h a m m e d Shoeb as the new General Manager. Shoeb brings with h i m 2 8 y e a rs o f d i v e rs e experience in hotel operations, marketing and guest relations’ management.

Prior to joining Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport, he played the role of a hotel opening specialist. He spearheaded the management of four upscale hotels as the General Manager b etwe e n 2 0 0 5 a n d 2 01 5 , including two Novotel hotels in the southern part of India.

Credited with turning around the fortunes of Radisson Blu, N ew D e l h i , D wa r ka , S h o e b was until recently the General M a n a g e r of Ra d i s s o n B l u D wa r ka N ew D e l h i . I n t h e past, he has also worked with Acco r H ote l s , I TC We l co m e Group among others.

An avid fan of cricket, he often finds time to unwind over a friendly cricket match with his colleagues and friends. Besides c r i c ket , S h o e b a l s o e n j oys watching movies and shooting.

His idea of relaxation means a quiet evening spent with family and close friends.

Chef Vikas Pant has joined The Suryaa New Delhi hotel as the Culinary Director. He brings with him a rich experience of 21 years in the food and beverage industry.

Prior to joining The Suryaa, Chef Vikas was associated with various brands such as Hyatt Regency, Crowne Plaza, Hilton, Radisson Blu and Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa. An expert in designing and picking international culinary classics and in coupling taste enhancing drinks with meals, Chef Vikas is also attuned to the latest trends in the culinary world.

Amritpal Singh A m r i t p a l S i n g h h as j o i n e d Holiday Inn Express & Suites Bengaluru Racecourse as the Revenue Manager. Amritpal c o m e s w i t h a n ex t e n s i v e experience of over 10 years in industry.

In his new role at Holiday Inn Express & Suites Bengaluru Ra ce co u rs e, h e w i l l b e responsible for the overall revenue management of the property. He will be actively involved in the preparation of the marketing strategies, hotel policies, procedures, relevant legislations and the annual budget.

Prior to joining Holiday Inn Express & Suites Bengaluru Racecourse, he worked as the Revenue Manager at The LaLiT Ashok Bengaluru.

Himanshu Kumar

Prakash Nair

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pune-Chinchwad has appointed Himanshu Kumar as the new Director of Revenue. In his career spanning over 17 years, Kumar has worked with various international brands, including C ro w n e P l a z a - B a h ra i n , Fraser Suites- Dubai, Oakwood Asia Pacific, InterContinental H ot e l G ro u p a n d M a r r i ott

Prakash Nair has been appointed as the General Manager of The Gateway Hotel Marine Drive Ernakulam in Kerala, a subsidiary of Taj Hotels Palaces Resorts Safaris.

Nair is a Taj loyalist, having spent close to 18 years with the company. His journey with Taj began in 2000 as a Principal of t h e I n s t i t u t e of H ot e l

Shobhit Kaushal Shobhit Kaushal is the new G e n e ra l M a n a g e r o f T h e Gateway Hotel Janardhanpuram Varkala in Kerala, a subsidiary of Taj Hotels Palaces Resorts Safaris. He has moved over from The Gateway Hotel Ganges Varanasi.

Kaushal was an Assistant Food and Beverage Manager at Vivanta by Taj – President, Mumbai before moving to The Gateway Hotel Ganges Varanasi as the Resident Manager. He began his career with the Taj, back in 1998 as a Guest Services Supervisor at Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur. With around 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Kaushal brings a great blend of leadership experience and a dedication to service to his new role within the Taj Group.

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Hotel Business Review

Cover Story

Creating Fond Memories for Guests

Seasoned travellers often prefer to completely immerse themselves in local culture and natural surroundings, during their travels. Luxury hotels can greatly facilitate such objectives of tourists. A recent survey conducted by SLHW has revealed a rise of 62 percent in luxury travel. Ashok Malkani explores the rising popularity of luxury hotels in India and what the customers expect from these hotels.

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Cover Story

Hotel Business Review

T

he global luxury hotel market has over the last couple of ye a rs , e n j oye d a p o s i t i ve growth. This can be attributed to the fact that the turmoil created by the global financial crisis has receded and the number of high net worth individuals (HNWIs) has been increasing globally. But it is not all plain sailing for the luxury hotel segment either.

Luxury hotels now, more than ever, need to innovate as their discerning clientele continues to evolve.

One fundamental challenge facing this segment is that the definition of ‘luxury’ is witnessing a shift all over the globe. With the affluent consumer segment becoming increasingly diverse, their expectations from the luxury hotels are also evolving.

While some high net worth guests continue to place great emphasis on a property’s proud tradition, rich heritage and long-established conventions, others demand innovation, personalisation and flexibility. With information being so readily available through endorsements on social media, luxury travellers, on an average, are now more knowledgeable than ever before.

In this scenario, luxury hotels cannot afford to rest on their laurels. They have to

constantly keep evolving in terms of hotel facilities, room design, staffing decisions, etc. They need to give special heed to design, wellness, staff and personalisation.

In fact, hotels of diverse types need to give extra emphasis on these factors, especially in this age of increasing numbers of smart, widely travelled and evolved guests, but their crucial role in luxury hospitality in the post-modern hospitality industry of India simply cannot be overstated.

Thoughtful original design with reference to lighting, textiles, sculptures and paintings are of great importance in the realm of luxury hospitality. The luxury hospitality properties must also offer amenities that nurture the quality of life for the guests.

This means health focused spas, advanced air and water filtration, circadian lighting

systems, professionally trained staff, etc.

Trends in Luxury Hospitality Sujeet Kumar, General Manager of Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway, stated, “The hotel industry is evolving in multiple ways, owing to the growing competition in the market and the ever evolving expectations of the millennial guests. The most foreseeable trend in the near future is the upgradation in the use of technology and how it defines guest experience.”

“With mobile check-in apps, guests now can expect to check-in before arriving at the hotel; technology also allows guests to feel more connected, where they can simply drop a text on the app to communicate any requirements to the hotel associates.

The rooms are likely to get a technology upgradation as well, with remote controlled upholstery, motion sensor bathroom fittings and voice activated technology to adjust room temperature, lightings and television.

Another one of the upcoming luxury hotel trends is an emphasis on local experiences, where hotels are curating excursions for guests to indulge in the nuances of the destination,” he elaborated.

“The tech-savvy guests expect swift and personalised response to their requirements, and high levels of customised service. In keeping up with the guests’ expectations, hotels are becoming increasingly competitive in providing the value added offerings. With standardised offerings across hotel chain and brand, we at Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel

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Hotel Business Review

at Brigade Gateway believe in the phrase of ‘experience marketing’, where we strive to create small, but significant moments for a guest to have a truly memorable stay.

Associates are suitably trained to ensure high levels of service delivery, with discreet personalisation,” affirmed Sujeet.

“Luxury hotels are becoming all about space and art deco designs. The trends will be ensuring flawless services and personalisation of stays,” declared Ayesha Bhalla, Market Director of Sales and Marketing, Marriott Suites Pune.

“The luxury guest today is well travelled and expects discreet service and efficiency.

Ensuring her/his preferences are looked after and taken care of is of utmost importance for luxury hotels,” she pointed out. “At Marriott Suites Pune, we believe that the small things make the big difference, and this is communicated at all touch points with the guests at the hotel,” Ayesha stated.

“The rise of boutique luxury hotels will be something to look forward to in the coming future. The idea of providing personalised experience, customised as per guest preferences, will rule the notion of luxury hotel segment in the country.

The luxury hotels in India will go an extra mile to create a destination experience for the guests. Secondly, to create such memorable touch points, technology will play a key role and will be a game changer.

Going forward, I believe growing focus on the role of technology within the travel and hospitality industry will go a long way in not only marketing the hotels to their potential guests but also in enhancing guest experience through innovative tech methods which can help to create a wow experience for the guests,” disclosed Sachin Malhotra, General Manager, Grand Mercure Mysuru.

“The luxury hotel aspires to offer an incredibly lavish experience to the guests.

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for our guests,” Sachin articulated excitedly.

Personalised Services

Sachin Malhotra It is all about the opulence and privilege enjoyed by elite set of people. Each and every aspect of a luxury hotel offers or should offer a grand experience. The idea of personalisation to attain guest delight is picking up pace and hence the hotels in the luxury segment are working towards creative and innovative initiatives to enhance the stay experience of each and every one of their guest,” he explained.

“We at Grand Mercure Mysuru believe that two pillars of guest delight are surprise and personalisation. Hence, we create Senses & Stories for our guests in many offerings and gestures that have strong elements of local stories, delicacies and a strong influence of surprise and personalisation. As a signature, we have a traditional welcome ritual named as ‘Mysuru Swagatham,’ where we introduce the five major senses & stories of Mysuru to the guests namely local fragrance, drink, trade, language and local music. Similarly, our team becomes story tellers on the details about local cuisines, history of local dishes and other such experiences that we create

Even if the technological infrastructure of luxury hotels is better than superb, they need to give lots of room for personalised services.

The luxury needle is moving from American psychologist Maslow’s second hierarchical need, ‘Esteem,’ where consumer luxury has traditionally stayed, to the top slot: ‘Self-determination.’ And this the guests can achieve only if they are provided personalised service.

Personalisation is the latest buzzword.

The hotels that get it right, according to experts, stand to gain a lot. Hospitality industry, as everyone knows, is highly competitive and what each traveller wants will vary. Personalisation gives you a chance to tailor each guest experience according to her/his needs, tastes and preferences.

A s t u d y co m m i s s i o n e d b y S a b re Hospitality Solutions, and conducted by Forester Consulting, found that majority of the travellers were not loyal to any one hotel, and hotels needed to focus on creating personalised experiences from customer data to get travellers’ loyalty.

“As far as Marriott Suites Pune is concerned, we are able to attract increased footfalls due to our exceptional services and personalisation of experiences,” offered Ayesha.

Different hotels have come up with techniques which do/will enable them to offer services that the guests will remember for long.

“We believe that our associates make all the difference to the guest experience, so we start with training of our associates to be able to preempt guest needs and empower them to handle guests’ requirements.

Personalisation of services can be as small as ensuring that your morning coffee is ready for you at the exact time of your preference to ensuring that every guest coming in for an event organised by you leaves with a smile,” stated Ayesha.

Associates’ recognising the repeat guests is also a subtle but very effective form of personalised hospitality.

“At Marriott Suites Pune, we are all about creating memories. We take special care of guests whether they are holidaying with their families or traveling for business or staying in for extended periods of time.

Each guest stay is customised to ensure that we take care of the guests’ needs and

Cover Story they keep coming back with us to create more memories,” she elaborated.

“With nearly all the luxury hotels in India focusing towards prompt & attentive service delivery, carving a USP for a luxury hotel in the country is becoming more and more aspiring. Having a background history of the guests along with their preferences gives the hotel a huge advantage. Being a part of AccorHotels, Grand Mercure Mysuru has an advantage as our guest history is sharing at a common platform for all Accor brands, covering all regions of the world.

This helps our guest relations team to create meaningful experiences based on guests’ preferences, thereby making our guest experience incredible,” revealed Sachin.

“At Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway, we have identified a series of critical touch points which allow us to customise a memorable guest experience. Guests checking-in for Club and Suite rooms are handed over the key card in the car on the drive to hotel itself and are directly escorted to the room for a hassle free in-room check-in. We also have access to guest preference data, which enable us

Hotel Business Review

Sujeet Kumar to provide discreet personalisation of inroom amenities, food & beverages amongst others,” articulated Sujeet.

“Additionally, we have multiple feedback system, with swift sharing of incident report for prompt action so that grievance redressal happens while the guest is still at the hotel. Moreover, our guest relations team and food & beverage team further help

to make guests feel special and important at every point of their stay with us,” Sujeet explained.

“For all our elite guests, personalised welcome notes are sent out by EAM – Rooms, or in her absence by her subordinates. The pre-arrival communication works well for Gold & Platinum guests to share their preferences and special requirements prior to arriving at the hotel and also helps the hotel to better manage its inventory with precise time of arrival and number of guests expected,” he stated further.

“The Club Lounge curates special experience for each guest. Specialised check-in while sipping a cocktail or portable beverage of one’s choice; personalised s e rv i ces s u c h as i t i n e ra ry p l a n n i n g , customised tours, day on day feedback, farewell experience on the day of departure – makes us a ‘hotel within a hotel.’ The team also shares e-mail with pictures taken with the guest as fond farewell experience with all associates who have served the guest during the stay, as a souvenir,” pointed out Sujeet.

“As a brand philosophy, Grand Mercure believes in ‘Bringing Story to Life’. Hence,

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all Grand Mercure hotels worldwide focus on crafting memorable experiences for our guests. Going with the tradition of the brand, Grand Mercure Mysuru offers authentic experiences for our guests, which are presented in a refined form by our warm team members,” Sachin disclosed.

“As an experience, hotel has at least eight to ten signature offerings that are focused on the Sense of Taste, Sense of Welcome, Sense of Wellness, and Sense of Culture and Discovery. This gives a lot of room for us to create memories that are expected to be cherished by our guests forever. Our guest relations team works tirelessly at the background to find the right touch points and customise the same to guest preferences information received.

We have also introduced the initiative of departmental delights with an intention to empower our front line team members with an eye to look out for activities that could add to guest satisfaction and delight,” Sachin conveyed.

“Our Guest Relations team is extremely focused on engaging all the long staying guests right from their arrival. Each long staying guest is met on arrival, as per the time of the day and a preference sheet, along with all the relevant details. Guests are also met in their rooms for special occasions with special surprise and wishes from the team.

In liaison with our Food & Beverage team , the Guest Relations team also sets up a kids’ area every Saturday for an hour, where all resident children between age 3-9 years are engaged with games, painting , story-telling; accompanied by sumptuous pizzas, fries and shakes,” Sujeet explained.

“The hotel also hosts long staying guests’ cocktail evening, once a month, where each long staying guest is personally greeted by the General Manager. The long staying cocktail evenings are usually hosted at specialty bars, and signature items of food & beverages are showcased to the guests,” added Sujeet. “ W i t h u s , g u e s t p refe re n ce s a re ascertained before their arrival by checking on their past stay experience/s at own or sister properties, or by e-mailing the guest to share their preferences, if any. Some of the features which allow us to offer personalisation are specially curated inroom amenities, personalised stationary and knowledge of food & beverage preferences of the repeat guests,” he aired.

Yes, luxury hotels in India seem to be leaving no stone unturned to ensure

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Ayesha Bhalla complete satisfaction of their guests, and the travellers in India, in turn, are frequenting leisure hotels more often than was the practice a decade or more ago.

Destinations for Luxury Hotels India boasts of a plethora of enticing destinations. There are the majestic mountain vistas and the dense jungles, the white beaches and serene lagoons. Then there are grand palaces and temples which attract teeming tourists. Then our country has a lot many business and industrial centers.

So which are the places in India that will attract more luxury hotels and how will luxury hotels attract more footfalls in India are questions, which are expected to engross the minds of the hoteliers and would be hoteliers who are associated or are planning to be associated with luxury hospitality properties.

“India is a land of vast and diverse landscape with a rich heritage and culture.

The country has myriad tourist destinations offering enticing beaches, somber mountains, jungles teeming with wildlife, majestic forts and palaces, great temples, etc. In the coming years, one can expect luxury hotels mushrooming across those India’s destinations which are offering unique stay experiences, natural unexplored territories or possess ancient culture and heritage,” opined Sachin.

“Today luxury hotels’ scope in the country is not limited to some particular places any more. The buying power within the country allows them to open across the landscape of the country,” pointed out Ayesha.

“It is observed that there is an increasing segment of travellers who are business and

leisure travellers simultaneously. This section of the travellers, who combine business trips with leisure days (or travel on ‘Bleisure’ as popularly known in the travel and tourism sector), are an emerging trend. More and more hotels are looking at enhancing business traveller experience with leisure travel options,” Sachin observed.

“In an endeavour to keep up with the tourists’ expectations, hotel companies operating in India are looking at not only tier-I and tier-II cities within the country, but also at lesser explored locations like Spiti, Kurnool, Tawang, Varkala and many more, where theme-based experiences can be enjoyed. The purpose of the luxury hotels operating in these destinations will be to carve out a niche market space to enhance and offer specific experiences,” revealed Sujeet.

“We at Grand Mercure Mysuru strive to create a destination experience for our guests. The theme-based rooms & suites boost the guest experience and give an insight on the culture and tradition of the destination. Weaving in the local culture and cuisine in the property also helps to draw footfalls to the hotel. Exposure to Mysuru’s rich cultural heritage and gripping stories of artifacts, local traditions, artisans, etc. helps to create an enriching experience for our guests,” expressed Sachin.

“Hotels operating in these lesser known destinations should capitalise on marketing their day activities and experiences that they curate for corporate and leisure travellers. While corporates consider such destinations for their team building and company outings, leisure travellers want to explore the unexplored or less explored facets of such destinations. Strengthening of food & beverage vertical is extremely important for these destinations, with emphasis on local produce and exotic food.

Additionally, ideas can be worked around spa and lounge for optimisation of these hospitality properties,” conveyed Sujeet.

Overall, given India’s current socioeconomic dynamics, the business of luxury hotels in India seems to be promising and full of growth potential. Luxury vacations are becoming increasingly popular in India. But at the same time, the luxury hotels’ market in the country needs quick evolution, as this market needs to be responsive to the unsaid needs of very highly discerning group of elite travellers, who are often endowed with rich experience of hospitality of international standards. n

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Business

Hotel Business Review

Digital Technology for Guest Satisfaction The meteoric rise in the use of mobile phones and mobile apps has made it imperative for industries to make the necessary changes to adapt to market conditions. The hospitality industry too has undergone changes to meet the needs of the digital age.

Hotels, to remain competitive, must embrace technology in keeping with the changing environment.

How the hospitality properties are adapting digital technology not only helps them to stay competitive in terms of their customer satisfaction, but can also influence their market positioning.

Ashok Malkani takes a look at how the Indian hotel industry has adapted new technologies to help create an environment that is in line with the needs of the tech-savvy generation of guests.

A

significant number of hotel guests these days are tech-savvy, and to attract them, hotels have to adapt technologies which would add to their comfort and save their time. According to research done by marketing technology firm Criteo, mobile travel sales in India are expected to rise at 67.1 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2017 to 2020.

According to a Goldman Sachs report, online travel market is expected to grow from 11 billion USD in FY16 to 18.9 billion USD by FY20. The hospitality industry is

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aware of this and is adapting technology know-how to satiate the guests’ demands.

Not only hotel booking can now be done online but one finds that technology is used to advantage even in hotel rooms.

No wonder, many hotels and hotel brands are creating smartphone apps to help guests manage their experiences while on the property.

Technology to the Fore Rajan Malhotra, Director of Sales and Marketing, Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru, declared, “The hospitality industry in

India is witnessing a significant digital transformation, though there is still a long way to go when compared to the west. To begin with, technology has made inroads through restaurants with digital menus replacing paper menu cards, and tablets being used to make reservations, leave restaurant reviews and give feedback.

Digitisation is playing a game changer role in the hospitality sector and Indian consumers are taking to digital platforms and mobile applications to make bookings.”

Rajan rightly thinks that “Technology helps provide instant solutions, enables

Business proper documentation and reduces human errors, which eventually help lead to guest satisfaction.”

“In an age where travel has become more of a necessity and less of a preplanned undertaking, mobile phones have enabled spontaneous bookings. Online bookings are an easy and convenient option for guests. This has also created higher traffic on our websites and apps,” averred Aditya Shamsher Malla, General Manager, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel PuneChinchwad.

“Digitalisation has made the gathering of information easier and more relevant.

In the service industry, personalisation is a key to the ultimate guest experience; digitisation has helped in creating a personalised experience for guests,” he added.

“One of the most obvious platforms that hospitality brands leverage in taking their offerings closer to existing and potential guests is through their mobile application. Through mobile apps, guests directly interact with the brand and receive customised insights into the latest promotions which help them make informed choices with reservations. Latest

Hotel Business Review

features such as mobile check-in/checkout, points redemption, travel tips and integration with social media platforms further enhance guest experience and help build an interactive relationship with them,” Rajan elaborated.

“Consumers today are more savvy than ever before to the choices they have, and they are more willing to do their homework

in search of the best possible deal,” expressed Gayatri Shukla, Asst Manager Marketing & Communication, Four Points

by Sheraton Navi Mumbai, Vashi.

“There were days when we relied on suggestions from friends and family, h oweve r to d ay co n s u m e rs a re m o re towards exploring the best of options by doing their own research before travelling.

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Hotel Business Review

Digital boom has given a rise to making consumers aware of what extra is in store for them,” Gayatri pointed out.

“Some innovative technological trends t h at a re b e i n g u s e d to d ay by s o m e hotels include do-it-all remote (room personalisation), self-service concierge, mobile check-in, in-room iPAD/tablet service, and LED touch screen panels,” informed Gayatri.

“The usage of mobile/Internet is used by the consumer in today’s hospitality industry for comparison of hospitality brands, reading reviews about the hospitality property and knowing its overall facilities, taking a virtual tour of the property even before booking its room/s, and knowing about the surroundings of the hotel or convenience factor,” she iterated.

The use of artificial intelligence is another important facet of today’s technologydriven hospitality industry. Gayatri informed that a number of leading hotel groups was using some forms of artificial intelligence technology such as AI Concierge.

One of the all pervasive applications of technology in India’s hospitality industry can be seen from the growing usage of wi-fi across hospitality properties in the country. Today, the hotel guests who travel with devices such as phones, tablets and computers no longer see Wi-Fi as a perk, but as a must-have when they check-in at a hotel. They expect to be able to connect to the Internet seamlessly and without too many interruptions. This has induced hospitality properties to invest in better, faster wi-fi infrastructure, which in turn has facilitated personalised guest experience.

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“Today, facilities such as LED lighting that detects natural light in the room and adjusts the brightness accordingly are some of the many smart products that could make guests’ stay worthwhile. A smart room in hotels could be the norm in the coming years,” opined Gayatri.

“Virtual reality is the future of information as well as entertainment that gives a completely immersive experience. This can be easily reflected in the hospitality industry. Guests can step into a VR video booth to understand attractions around the hotel and what is aligned to their interests,” she pointed out.

The Effects of Digitalisation Hospitality industry is keen to embrace digitalisation because it not only enhances customer experience but also in turn facilitates in increasing the hospitality

Rajan Malhotra

properties’ revenues.

“Ad va n ce m e nt i n te c h n o l o g y h as helped in creating a more guest-friendly experience with easy to use applications like digital check-ins and online bookings.

Technology has also helped to improve the effectiveness of hotel personnel with a diverse choice of interactive virtual classrooms and online trainings,” declared Aditya.

Digital age has not only facilitated the guests but also the employees across hospitality properties. “Computers in general have made daily tasks much more organised and easy to access. Storing files on a hard drive in a folder rather than in a filing cabinet with thousands of other papers where they can be easily lost, is a big advantage for hospitality properties.

Also, with the help of technology, some jobs can even be completed in the comfort of your own home via smartphones, Ipads, computers, etc. which could be a great benefit to some employees, as it gives them flexibility at work,” Gayatri offered.

“On the other hand, digitisation has also increased the carbon footprint of organisations, due to the use of more gadgets and electronic equipment. High speed wi-fi has become mandatory in today’s hotel industry and as an industry catering to people directly, we need to constantly keep up with our tech-savvy guests. However, even with the noticeable rise in digitalisation, human touch still remains to be the very essence of the service industry, which of course, includes the hospitality industry,” Aditya stated.

“One of the challenges that hotels face today is that consumers want a hotel that is both tech-friendly and eco-friendly. This is of course difficult to balance, but challenges always bring about a kind of evolution.

At our hotel, we have introduced various eco-friendly methods to reduce energy consumption with a range of energyefficient appliances. The hotel is also actively involved in recycling and reusing e-waste,” Aditya informed.

“Technology has facilitated hotels in various ways. Energy management systems (EMS) have helped many hotels in reducing the energy bills. A motion sensor that is placed in guest rooms can detect when the guest has left, which then essentially shuts the room down (lights, television, air-conditioning) thereby saving energy and saving costs,” disclosed Gayatri.

“Electronic Distribution Systems (EDS)

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Hotel Business Review

are yet another benefit of technology in hotels. EDS helps hotels reach customers all over the world by advertising their business online as well as allowing travellers to make reservations at their fingertips in a short amount of time. Most importantly, they are at low cost for the hotel to use,” Gayatri explained.

“Digitalisation has also fostered practices such as telework and crowdsourcing, which challenge the traditional understanding of our employment,” Gayatri conveyed.

Rajan believes that digitalisation is a two way process where both the guests as well as the hospitality properties benefit. “Guests have easy access to the hotels and their offerings at the touch of their fingertips while hotels see a positive impact on the pre and post sales phases with more instant online solutions. In addition, technology has also made it easier for hospitality brands to maintain records about guest preferences and their stay history. This in turn definitely has helped the industry elevate guest experience on the whole. However, luxury is associated with a personalised experience that requires human intervention and touch and everything cannot be replaced by technology,” he opined.

However, the growth of digital technology can dilute the employment scope of many personnel in the hospitality industry, in the near future. “As digital technology is reaching ever-higher degrees of maturity, it becomes increasingly feasible to replace labour with digital technology. Recent technological advances have enabled the development of software that performs analytical, interpretative (pattern matching), and interactive tasks that are typical for work in many services industries,” informed Gayatri.

“Such breakthroughs may seriously affect employment rates,” she predicted.

But overall, technology, no doubt, has

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Aditya Shamsher Malla impacted the hospitality industry in a positive way. Adaption of the right fit technology solutions allows hoteliers to ensure enhanced operational capabilities.

Employees can also leverage hotel software to save on operational costs and provide better and faster services to their guests.

Personal Touch?

One can truly say that technological revolution has opened new modes of guest interaction, including more guest exchanges that can be driven by new, data-centric loyalty strategies. By putting the needs of the guest first, adapting to a technologyfirst approach is a no-brainer.

However, one wonders whether with advancing digitalisation and enhanced use of technology hotels are losing personal touch. Gayatri does not seem to think so.

She believes that one-to-one contact is still maintained.

“Customer service definitely is the main aspect in hospitality. Consumers would still prefer to complain to an employee

than a machine. Human employees can have a better understanding on a guest’s feeling, such as anger, frustration, sadness, happiness, excitement, etc. Building and maintaining a solid relationship with guests could quite possibly be a factor that contributes to them choosing one hotel over others in the area. Human interaction is an important piece of the overall hotel experience,” elaborated Gayatri.

“The use of technology to accelerate hotel operations is crucial, but personal interaction is still the epitome of the service industry. The key is to always strike a balance between the two. Technology strengthens the function of the hotel staff, and supports them in creating a well organised and more guest-friendly experience,” maintained Aditya.

“In fact, digitalisation has the potential to enhance personalisation in terms of guest experience. It has taken over basic tasks such as automated check-in and check outs which has given the staff at the hospitality properties more time to focus on the overall guest experience,” he added.

Technology Adaption There is an urgent need for the Indian hospitality industry to adapt new technologies.

So what are the steps being taken by different hotels in the country as far as embracing of new-age technologies go?

“At Hilton, we are constantly improvising and upgrading our multi-functional guestapp to improve our guests’ experience.

Apart from high-speed wi-fi, the Hilton Honors guest-app also allows the guest to e-check-in, manage and track their loyalty program, manage existing and new bookings, manage their room preferences and in some selected hotels, it also allows for a convenient keyless entry into the room,” informed Aditya.

“Today’s biggest challenge is about staying relevant in the market. The need to provide a fantastic customer experience and embracing new market requirements are the key drivers for the digitisation in the hospitality industry,” declared Gayatri.

“At Fo u r Po i nts by S h e rato n N av i Mumbai, Vashi we have an online guest feedback system which provides guests a chance to share moment of truths and it is ensured that guest feedback reaches to the management,” she affirmed.

“Shangri-La’s mobile app was launched i n J a n u a r y 2 01 8 a n d i n c l u d e s k ey

Business functionalities such as fast and easy booking; mobile check-in/check-out; managing Golden Circle account; and redeem rewards,” Rajan informed.

“Hilton offers a range of digitalised options such as high speed Wi-Fi, digital check-ins, e-bills, key-less entry, automated check-in and check-out, airline check-ins, offering virtual reality tours and guest apps,” proffered Aditya.

“We also have SPG mobile APP – a mobile tool where guests can enjoy the loyalty benefits. Online payment to the hotel by guests who do not want to share the credit card information has also emerged as a favourable way, both for the guests as well as for the hotels,” Gayatri asserted.

“From marketing point of view, message blasts/bulk e-mailing for promoting offers/ festivals is also very helpful for the hospitality properties. And the most important platform for marketing of hospitality properties these days is the social media. Digital presence today is crucial, especially for the hospitality industry, as we have to keep upgrading

Hotel Business Review

Gayatri Shukla ourselves and keep the audience informed of all the new experiences that we can create for them. Through social media we can showcase the best of the latest happenings live to our patrons, and most importantly stay connected with them,” she pointed out.

“For a digitally active hotel like ShangriLa Hotel, Bengaluru, digitally connected travellers is an important segment as they are twice as likely to make travel bookings via mobile. This segment of guests is very active on their smartphones while planning on their stay at a hospitality property.

Since smartphones are their essential travel companions, our mobile application is developed in a way that encompasses features important to this community, which includes ease of use and speed; best available rates and promotions; travel tips on the app that help plan travel activities; and most lucrative of all — the mobile check-in/check-out,” Rajan disclosed.

Yes, the Indian hospitality industry has adapted not only the marketing opportunities provided by post-modern digital technology, which has facilitated and enabled radical shifts in the industry’s conventional marketing activities, and fostered Internet marketing. The Indian hospitality industry has also utilised the digital technology to help the guests experience unforgettable moments, which they are likely to cherish. n

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Hotel Business Review

The Evolving Hospitality Trends

By Swarnendu Biswas

T

he financial year of 2017-18 has recently ended and a new financial year has begun. The last financial year was a mixed one for the Indian hospitality industry. Overall, the performance of the industry has been moderate, but was not satisfactory enough.

Fiscal Overview The year started just after demonetisation, which gave a temporary jolt to the industry.

Then came GST with its series of confusions and coping up with this new tax regime was initially a challenge for the industry.

The ban on serving and sales of liquor by establishments within 500 metres of national and state highways throughout the country also initially harmed the revenue prospects of many hospitality properties in India, as sales of alcohol also do induce food sales.

Slowly but surely, India’s hospitality industry managed to recover from these jolts to a great extent. The occupancy rates in India’s hotel industry received a fillip during the financial year 2017-18.

According to hospitality consulting firm Hotelivate, hotel room occupancy through India recorded a nine-year high during 2017-18, reaching over 67 percent. Several hoteliers in the industry think that this healthy occupancy level is expected to increase average room rates in the Indian hotel industry significantly during 2018.

“The financial year 2017-18 has just closed and it ends on an optimistic note for India’s hospitality industry. If we were to sum it up, we can say that 2017-18 has been better than was expected. The last financial year just started after demonetisation, but

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slowly the hospitality industry picked pace.

But then around July-August came a bump in the form of GST. Since lots of facets of GST were new to us, initially it became challenging to understand and follow the new tax rule. But towards the end of the year, benefits of GST have started trickling in,” elaborated w, Director, Shri Radha Brij Vasundhara Resort and Spa. She believes that on the whole, 201718 ended on a promising note for India’s hospitality industry. “In addition, the identification of religious corridors which (Govardhan) Mathura is part of, is huge plus for us as we are located in the region,” Tanya expressed.

However, Ashish Bhatia, Vice President - Operations, VITS Luxury Business Hotels, didn’t sound so optimistic. “I would say the industry’s performance during 2017-18 was a topsy-turvy one. After demonetisation it took a long time for the industry to recover.

On the whole, I would say that the industry’s

performance was a better then 2016-17 but a nevertheless a turbulent one,” he conveyed.

According to him, “India’s hospitality industry is in a revival mode, and is going through the period of consolidation.”

Overall, India’s hotel industry has been showing speedy revival since 2016.

According to the HVS Report titled 2017 Hotels in India: Trends & Opportunities, five-star deluxe and three-star hotels clocked 66.5 percent occupancy each in 2016-17, while fo u r - s t a r ho t e l s achieved 65.6 percent occupancy during the same fiscal. Five-star hotels were just shy of the 65 percent mark and closed at a nationwide occupancy of 64.6 percent, whereas two-star hotels managed 62.7 percent occupancy during 2016-17.

“Market wide occupancy of 65.6 percent during 2016-17 was 3.5 percent higher than the 2015-16 performance of 63.3 percent,” noted the report. Having more than 65

Hotel Business Review

Aditi Balbir percent occupancy in hotels, on an average, over a period of a fiscal is nothing but an achievement in India, where discretionary spending is only just gathering pace.

Here it also deserves a mention that according to the figures of the Ministry of Tourism, the number of foreign tourist arrivals in India during 2016 was 8.80 million, which showed 9.7 percent annual growth rate over its previous year’s figures.

The number of international tourist arrivals to India during 2016 was 14.57 million, which again showed a 9.7 percent growth rate over its previous year. The number of domestic tourist visits to all states/UTs within India was 1613.6 million during 2016, which showed an annual growth rate of 12.7 percent. According to the provisional figures of the Ministry of Tourism, during January-June 2017, there were 4885340 or 4.9 million foreign tourist arrivals in India.

The impressive domestic tourism and foreign tourist arrivals statistics, together with impressive hotel occupancy levels during 2016-17 and 2017-18, along with various other socio-economic dynamics taken together, indicate 2018-2020 to be promising for India’s hospitality industry, both in terms of room revenues and profit margins.

Lacunae and Challenges However, the road ahead is far from hunky dory. Tourism is inextricably linked to the business of hospitality and the next two years ahead present several challenges for India’s tourism and hospitality industry to contend with. Many of these lacunae

are chronic but very much relevant. “There are multiple factors which stifle the potential of our hospitality industry. The first and foremost is high taxation, which makes travel within the country expensive.

Moreover, the room tariffs are high because of high taxation, which can and does compromise on the demand for rooms.

Occupancy rates at hospitality properties in India, at the best of times don’t cross 60-70 percent,” lamented Tanya.

“Land rates are too high. Even in the so called downturn if one were to buy land and construct a hotel on it, it will be unviable for many players. Moreover, loans for hotel construction are difficult to get by and if one gets it, the rate of interest are expected to be high,” she pointed out while adding “Another perpetual problem is the paucity of proper infrastructure. You need good quality roads, railways, airports to facilitate travel and hospitality business.

Sadly, in these areas we are nowhere where we should be.” Tanya aired. She conceded that tourism and hospitality infrastructure in India had improved over the years, but still there are miles to go in this direction.

“Infrastructure contributes in a big way to tourism. Delays in highway projects, poor upkeep of the state highways, along with lack of proper commuting options or tourist information systems in smaller towns have been collectively a matter of concern for India’s tourism and hospitality industry for long,” iterated Aditi Balbir, CEO, V Resorts. “ O n e of t h e b i g g e s t c h a l l e n g e s confronting the industry, especially with the surge in the unorganised sector, is the paucity of standardised services or regulations,” stated Aditi forthrightly. She rightly believes that standardisation of services in the unorganised hospitality sector of India is a challenge. This impedes travel and growth of offbeat destinations.

“A traveller within India often cannot move from one place to another without concerns about the kind of services he/she would be offered, which then impedes the exploration of novel destinations,” maintained Aditi.

It deserves mention that rampant lack of sanitation and hygiene in India, which can also be construed as part of our tourism and hospitality infrastructure, has probably impeded our more than awesome tourism potential to a great extent. For example, Varanasi and Puri are two wonderfully magnificent religious tourism destinations, which despite being apparently crowded, do offer pockets of deep serenity; giving solace

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SERVING THE INDUSTRY FOR OVER 2 DECADES

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Hotel Business Review

Women-friendly Hospitality

Tanya Agrawal to the soul. But last time this writer visited those places there was widespread lack of hygiene and sanitation. I strongly suspect the things have not changed much, if we go by the tourists’ feedback and a media report of the recent past.

Recent State Initiatives However, Tanya credits the government where it is due. “Government has initiated steps to get tourism an industry status which will allow it to avail loans at concessional rates. New airports are coming up. Air travel has become considerably cheaper. Visa on arrival has been extended to residents of several other countries. Right now one can say we are on the right track but there is a need to increase the speed of the reforms directed towards India’s hospitality industry,” she asserted.

“The biggest positive for the hospitality industry during 2017-18 was seeing the government’s involvement in moving the industry forward. Make in India, Paryatan Parv and several other forums have been great platforms to discuss and address the challenges faced by the industry, and how the public-private partnership can address them,” proffered Aditi.

Ta n ya b e l i e v e s t h a t d e s p i t e t h e impediments, the prospects for India’s tourism and hospitality industry for the next two years is “bright.” She cites growth in foreign tourist arrivals and growth in domestic travel among middle class, the extending of the facility of visa on arrival to residents of some countries, considerable increase in income levels in India during the recent years, change in mindsets of Indian people are the contributing factors towards this bright future.

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Single women travellers or women travelling in groups of other women are emerging as an important market segment for India’s hospitality industry. There are now a number of clubs and companies which are catering exclusively to those women travellers, who are opting to travel without family and friends.

However, with rampant and heinous crimes against women in India, the safety of women travelers in our country poses a major concern. In this regard, we can say that ensuring perfect safety, ease and comfort for female tourists is very much needed towards making India a world class tourist destination, which can in turn attract greater tourism and hospitality revenues for the country.

Not only hotels and resorts (here I do not mean only five-star hotels and resorts) should reserve a floor for single lady travellers or groups of lady travellers in increasing numbers, they should also embrace the policy of having lady butlers, lady chauffeurs, and lady martial artist experts for facilitating the security of their lady guests, in increasing numbers.

The lady chauffeurs, lady butlers, lady martial artist experts and lady adventure tour experts (to guide women adventure tourists) can become the norm in the Indian hospitality industry, at least across the five-star and four-star properties, if our state tourism bodies extend financial support to those hotels and resorts who would choose to have at least 70 percent of their personnel as women.

Of course, exhaustive security measures are not the only way to attract more numbers of inbound and domestic women travellers to and within India, though they are absolutely necessary.

T h e w o m e n t ra v e l l e rs t ra v e l l i n g within India for business and/or leisure should also be made to feel comfortable and feel excited to explore this unique experience called India. For this, specially tailored tourism packages for single lady travellers who generally travel for business, or for groups of lady travellers who generally travel for leisure, and thoughtful entertainment options exclusively geared to interest them should be provided/ hosted by the hotels and resorts in the country, on a continual basis.

Promoting MICE and Wellness Nowadays most hotels and other hospitality

Ashish Bhatia properties in India have already realised or are fast realising that they can garner impressive profits not only from their rooms. These days, besides rooms, F&B, M I C E , a n d eve n s p a offe rs l u c rat i ve revenue earning opportunities for many a hospitality properties in India.

“Being a resort, for us the maximum revenue earner is rooms. Room nights are most important for us. Along with this, MICE revenue also is very important. Lots of company does off sites with us. Besides, being situated in Govardhan, a large number of destination weddings take place here. All in all, MICE contributes a fair chunk to our revenue,” disclosed Tanya.

“Rooms, MICE and F&B are all very crucial as far revenue earning avenues for hospitality business in India goes,” viewed Ashish. According to him, revenues from rooms and MICE are completely dependent on business and leisure travels, whereas revenues from F&B can also be garnered through walk-in guests living in the same destination where the property is situated.

“F & B has recently seen a boom across metros of the country; especially specialty restaurants are on the rise in these cities.

I think the trend is now spreading to tier-II & III cities also,” he articulated.

In this context, there is an urgent need for the hospitality industry of India to develop more MICE and banqueting facilities, infuse more innovativeness in its F&B options, and develop its wellness quotient. MICE and spa are both promising sectors for the Indian hospitality industry, as there is huge demand for these two segments among the large numbers of business and leisure travellers in India.

However, the MICE infrastructure in

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Hotel Business Review

India is not very impressive, and there are lots of scope of improvement in this regard.

Rapid improvements in the conference and exhibition scenario in the country are needed to induce India’s tourism and hospitality industry yield its potential revenues through MICE. Similarly, the spa business in India is also booming and our hospitality industry can cash on to this trend. According to a KPMG Wellness Sector report, released in April 2014, it was projected that the size of India’s beauty and wellness market would nearly double from Rs.41, 224 crore in 2012-13 to Rs. 80,370 crore by 2017-18. The Spa Association of India has estimated that the spa industry in India is presently valued at around Rs. 11,000 crore and the industry will continue to grow at a fast pace.

But unless we have many more numbers of trained spa personnel than we have now, the growing demand for wellness in the country would not be able to enhance the wellness tourism revenues in the country anywhere close to its potential demand.

Succinctly, one can say in both MICE and wellness, India is facing with supply side bottlenecks. We have the potential demand in these areas, but have paucity of infrastructure and the right numbers of qualified human resource to harness that potential effectively.

Exploring IT In this age, IT in general and social media in particular is being creatively channelised to enhance guest satisfaction across hospitality properties in the country. This trend is only expected to gather momentum in the industry, in the near future.

“These days IT systems and more s p e c i f i c a l l y, I T - e n a b l e d f a c i l i t i e s management systems that take care of bookings, inventory management, p ro p e r t y m a n a g e m e n t , b i l l i n g a n d customer redressal can facilitate the hospitality property owners to focus their efforts on delivering the best possible localised experiences to their guests,” Aditi explained.

However, IT has not only given more scope for hospitality personnel to devote more time towards guest satisfaction, but has induced the hospitality industry to become more fast and more accountable.

Social media is not only a great window of opportunity for the hospitality industry, but also poses an uphill challenge for properties which falter in terms of guest satisfaction.

“Our hospitality industry is moving towards cloud-based system. We are finding that telly check-ins and check outs are the future. Moreover, social media is playing a huge role in creating a brand name for hotels and resorts. It is also inducing the hospitality properties in the country to be more responsive to

consumers’ demands, and has also enabled them to communicate directly with their guests and potential guests,” analysed Ashish, while discussing the effect of digital age in India’s hospitality industry.

The digital age can give new avenues for hospitality properties to market themselves creatively. “In this digital age, if your hotel’s website figure up high on the search engine, then chances of people hitting your website or booking with you grows up manifolds,” affirmed Tanya with a smile.

“In this regard, search engine optimisation plays a key role, as is the content and userfriendliness of the website,” she asserted.

Tanya too believes that social media can be facilitated to enhance the credibility of a hospitality property.

“With more & more hospitality property c h a i n s i nte g rat i n g b ette r I T - e n a b l e d platforms to engage the customers, coupled with increased penetration of 3G and 4G services in remote locations, we should see holistic changes in the way property systems are managed,” concluded Aditi.

Succinctly, the creative use of IT in general and social media in particular is one of the crucial factors towards the success and impressive growth of the Indian hospitality industry, in the near future. How far the industry explores and/ or exploits IT for its revenues and profits remains to be seen, though the signs at present are encouraging. n

Pix Courtesy: Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre Mar-Apr ’18

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Hotel Business Review

A Classy Expression in Hospitality

By Rupali Dean

A

distinctive hotel with modern and contemporary aura, Hyatt Regency Lucknow spells luxury and exclusivity through its every room and facility.

Whether the guest has come for business or leisure or for unadulterated pleasure, the hotel offers a host of amenities to give her/him an enjoyable stay. Hyatt Regency Lucknow is ideally located within close proximity to the bustling business district, Vibhuti Khand.

Located at a distance of just 25 kilometres from the airport, the major landmarks of the city including La Martiniere College, Hazratganj market and Bara Imambara, are in close proximity to the hotel. Besides easy accessibility to the sights and sounds of the city of nawabs, at the same time, one can live like the erstwhile Nawabs while staying at Hyatt Regency Lucknow.

The air of tranquillity set in as we entered the hotel. Our check-in was done in a jiffy and we were led to our room.

Rooms with a View Modern and contemporary, the five-star

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property comprises 206 guest rooms including 17 Regency and 2 Regency Executive Suites. Guests at the hotel can get complimentary Wi-Fi and complimentary valet parking facilities.

For a family it is a good idea to book an interconnecting room. All the guest rooms of the five-star property offer a panoramic view of the cityscape or pool.

The Regency Club rooms and suites offer access to the Regency Club that serves complimentary breakfast, and hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Other Regency Club benefits include private check-in and checkout, and airport transfers.

My Executive Suite had a large living area, with an exclusively equipped bathroom and a pool view, which provided me with an atmosphere of restful harmony.

Meet and Greet The meeting spaces at Hyatt Regency Lucknow are augmented by the latest technology and interesting dining and recreation options. Here the expert team works around the clock to deliver world-class meetings and convention experiences, which demonstrate impeccable professionalism and service-oriented culture.

The seven meeting spaces of the hospitality property exude style and sophistication along with impeccable professionalism. The MICE facilities at the hotel are suitable for high-level meetings as well as intimate events. The state-of-the-

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art meeting facilities also include the Spectacular Regency Ballroom, a banquet function room.

Wine and Dine Each of the F&B outlets of the classy hotel offers a great variety of food & beverage options. Rocca is the place to explore authentic Italian and Indian cuisines, in a casual setting. Located in the lobby, Market the patisserie & deli of the hotel, is specially conceptualised to cater to the guests who are always on the move. It is also the apt place to have a casual business meeting, or for catching up with friends, where one can spend quality time, accompanied with an interesting array of oven fresh delights, cakes, pastries, teas and coffees.

Lukjin offers aromatic flavours of Thai and Chinese cuisine with creative twists.

Here the menu includes a selection of Chinese and Thai soups, wok noodles and rice, spicy curries, small plates, traditional drinks, cocktails and desserts.

If you want to just chill and hang out in the evenings and twilights with friends then the UP’s, a sophisticated and graceful lounge bar, is the right place to enjoy such a leisurely experience at the hotel. The place serves a wide range of premium beverages and creative cocktails complemented by relaxed lounge music. UP’s is ideal for pre-dinner drinks with colleagues, for connecting with friends or for celebrating a special

occasion.

Fitness and Wellness The 24-hour Fitness Centre of the hotel can give ample opportunity for guests to adhere to their fitness routine even while holidaying. On offer are a wide range of cardiovascular equipment and free weights. The hotel also features an outdoor swimming pool and a kids’ pool.

The Siddh Spa offers a comprehensive range of relaxing, rejuvenating treatments; administered by skilled therapists.

As for myself, I took a Swedish massage which seemed to be tailormade for me. This treatment left me relaxed yet energised and more flexible. I would surely recommend it for those who prefer a strong massage. Truly, the spa creates the ideal setting for ‘balancing senses’ where body, mind and soul get rejuvenated.

Staff and Service Service at this well-appointed hotel is near flawless. The staff seemed aware that guests at the world’s grand hotels not only expect exquisite and impeccable service, but also an exceptional cultural identity.

Succinctly, the regal hospitality property is the right haven for getting re c h a rg e d o r fo r co n d u ct i n g yo u r business. Whether guests are at the hotel for business or leisure, there are chances that they would enjoy the Hyatt Regency Lucknow difference. n

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F&B

Hotel Business Review

Inspirations on Plates

By Sharmila Chand

I

f you thought Chefs are focused only on cooking their dishes, you are wrong. For these days, more than ever before, they are careful not just about the preparation but about the presentation of their dishes as well.

That is in fact quite natural in this competitive age, for presentation of food plays a huge role in the food service industry, by inducing its consumption.

Chefs need to take into account the balance and texture of each ingredient of their dishes and how they contribute to the presentation of the plate.

Here I talked with some outstanding Chefs in the industry to find out how they have mastered the art of food plating.

Philosophy and Presentation “I have always believed that presentation is part of serving great food. My favourite way

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of plating the food is contemporary. I make sure that the serving plates are big enough which can enable each food item to stand out distinctly, but at the same time, they shouldn’t be so big that the portions look tiny,” expressed Sachin Talwar, Executive Chef, Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort.

Prasad Metrani, Executive Chef, Fairmont Jaipur believes that “The plating of a dish is as important as its aroma and flavour.”

“My philosophy of great plating is to play with colour, texture, height, and with unique items. I feel a plate looks more interesting when the food is placed in odd numbers rather than even. I like to give height to food which gives a visual treat to eyes,” he pointed out.

“I believe that the presentation of the food in food service industry is a conscious effort to attract the guests and make the cuisine more aesthetic and

appealing to them. For the presentation to look attractive, it is important that the distinguished flavours and colours of the food complement each other to form an effortless harmony,” averred Metrani.

“At Fairmont Jaipur, emphasis is laid on creating some of the most exquisite plate presentations. Each dish at the vivacious Zoya or the reverential Zarin is garnished and presented with utmost zeal and fervour that is an illustration of the intense creativity of the Chef,” he affirmed.

“Plating is an art in itself and there is nothing better than having a large white porcelain dish, synonymous of a Chef’s canvas, that can be brought to life with pops of colour; bearing in mind the balance and texture of each ingredient and how it plays into the composition of the plate,” said Dharmen Makawana, Executive Chef, The Leela Palace Chennai.

F&B

Rounak Kinger

Sachin Talwar

“My culinary philosophy is to combine tradition and innovation. As an Italian Chef, I always try to combine on my dishes the tradition of the Italian cuisine and the innovation. I like to give to my dishes a character by plating them with different colours and different textures,” conveyed Matteo Fontana, Chef de Cuisine, Le Cirque, The Leela Palace New Delhi.

“Plating is an art which shows your creativity. I personally feel that for people having food, expectations and consumption start with the eye, then with the nose and lastly with the mouth,” opined Arjit Srivastava, Continental & Italian Chef, lebua Lucknow while discussing his philosophy of plating. He prefers using vintage elements in presentation of the dishes.

“I like rustic style of presentation, with a wow factor,” said Srivastava.

“I believe life should be colourful, playful, whimsical and experimental in a knowing way, and these are the elements that are

representative in my plating,” Makawana disclosed.

“Before presenting the meal, it is really important to determine the dish. The presentation process begins by choosing the right plate, right size and the right colour that complements the dish,” pointed out Talwar. “ I a l ways l i ke to h ave c r u n c h y vegetables on my dishes or colourful sauce, which can give a different profile to my dishes. I like to use edible flowers and herbs to also give a different perception and light aroma,” elaborated Fontana.

“My philosophy of plating is inspired from art. I love paintings and a painter gives meaning to a canvas. For me, plating is not much different from creating a beautiful piece of art on a plate,” opined Rounak Kinger, Executive Chef, Novotel Lucknow Gomtinagar.

“I enjoy plating by incorporating special effects. Some of my favourite elements to use are dry ice for smoke, light alcohol for fire or even using simple garnishes to elevate a dish,” disclosed Kinger.

Kinger also uses fresh ingredients in their best form, which brings out his culinary philosophy through plating of dishes.

Metrani pointed that time is a crucial element in the presentation of a dish.

“Adapt your plate presentation to the occasion. Food presentation is all about timing. There is no point in offering your guests a fancy dish if it is served cold, when it was supposed to be served hot,” he asserted.

“So spend just enough time plating your dish. Another important rule of food presentation is balancing variety and contrast. It is good to have a variety of

Dharmen Makawana

Mar-Apr ’18

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F&B

Hotel Business Review

Prasad Metrani textures on the plate, but how these textures are combined is just as important,” Metrani advised.

“Dishes should be appealing to human senses. Touch, taste and smell are key factors to keep in mind while doing food presentation. Eye catching colours, appealing aroma and captivating textures all put together takes the dish up many notches, not only on the plate but also on the palate,” pointed out Makawana.

“I use multiple elements to plate my dishes. These include micro herbs, purees, coulis, reductions, tuiles, chips, fresh herbs, dehydrated powders/vegetables, dry ice, and alcohol among others,” Kinger informed.

“I think colours play an important role in plating. Well balanced colour schemes seem like a painting on a plate and tend to make food pop. For example, for my signature dish, Wild Mushroom Risotto, I plate it in an artistic manner by using a monochromatic style. This means I use various shades of the same colours to create an effect. In this case, I use thin cheese biscuits, some arugula mayonnaise and parmesan shavings to plate this beautiful classic,” Kinger elaborated further.

my day-to-day life, which motivates me to give the best at my work,” Talwar said.

“A lot of thought, passion and technique go into creating a dish. However, its presentation requires an artistic instinct which comes to play while plating a dish.

The use of contrasting colours, the play of seasonal elements and creating a harmony of ingredients on a plate all symbolise instinct and emotion on a plate,” Makawana admitted.

“When I am plating a new dish I like to use my instinct. Plating a new dish also depends on what is my humour on that special day,” articulated Fontana.

“I look for a new piece of art every time I plate a new dish. Plating should be easy so that the other Chefs in the kitchen can follow the same. It is that fresh look and feel that I have on my plates. If it does not excite me, then I believe it will not excite my diners as well,” Kinger observed.

Simplicity Appeals Talwar likes to keep his food presentations simple. “Yes, absolutely I do like to keep it simple. I don’t go overboard and garnish the food with too much sauce or a heap of herbs. For me elegance is found in simplicity.

Keeping food presentation simple will direct the diners’ attention to the main elements of the dishes,” he pointed out.

“Leonardo Da Vinci said, ‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.’ This is the ultimate philosophy of my life. And my food presentation has been an innate representation of the same philosophy,” expressed Metrani while adding, “Too many

Instinct and Inspiration “I have always believed that the way you present the dish should be an innate illustration of your soul. So yes, according to me, instinct plays pivotal role in making the final presentation of the dish,” Metrani disclosed.

“I believe in creating a framework and visualising the dish which helps my dish to stand out. At times, I get inspiration from the surroundings and from examples from

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Arjit Srivastava

Matteo Fontana elements should not hamper the principal ingredient. Your dish won’t be very attractive if food is found swimming in various hues and your vegetable garnish hidden in too many sauces.”

“Simple cooking techniques, surprise burst of flavours, reduced sauces infused with flavours of fresh herbs and spices, and an element of crunch are required to savour a good dish. The ingredients should always be the star of the dish,” Makawana conveyed.

Fontana too believes in simplicity of presentation. “Yes, most of the time you can combine simple ingredients and present them in a special way,” he aired.

Infusing Life in a Plate What are the factors which contribute towards bringing a plate to life? Different expert Chefs have different take in this regard. “I like to play with various colours through the sauces, herbs and other vegetables, but also make sure that everything is balanced. My presentation should not be confusing to the guest, for people are going to eat the food and not just look at it,” Talwar aired.

“Micro greens work very well in bringing a plate to life,” Makawana asserted.

Fontana brings a plate to life “By studying different techniques, by looking which kind of ingredients are the best on a given specific season and using the madness that according to him, every Chef must have!” “ U s e of b r i g h t s a u ces , att ra ct i ve garnishes and the way of presenting all elements on a plate are factors which influence me in bringing a plate to life,” articulated Srivastava. n

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Design

Hotel Business Review

Designing Her Vision

By Swarnendu Biswas

O

ften simplicity is an expression of true class. The unassuming demeanour of Payal Kapoor doesn’t reveal that she has been involved in designing some of the prestigious projects of the hospitality industry. However, the paintings of MF Husain adorning the walls of her office reflect her evolved aesthetic sense.

Her designing portfolio includes Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur, Bal Samand Lake Palace Resort, Jodhpur, Hari Niwas Palace, Jammu & Kashmir, The Imperial, New Delhi, Palace on Wheels among others. Of course, her creative interior designing initiatives include institutes, residence and luxury trains also.

Her three-decade old journey in the field of interior designing and architecture began in 1987, when she was hand-picked by the Executive Director of Manasara; one of the leading interior design houses in the country during that time. Within four years of embarking on her career, she became an entrepreneur in 1991, by launching her own

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design firm named Visions. Today Visions is handling projects, both on consultancy and turnkey basis and has a plethora of prestigious projects behind.

Merging Heritage with Modernity While conversing with Payal, it was revealed to me that many a time, creativity not only involves unbridled outbursts of radicalism or out-of-the-box thinking, but is also reflected in combining experimentation with precision and restraint.

As far as her hospitality projects go, she fondly recollects the challenge and creativity involved in the restoration and upgradation of Umaid Bhawan Palace.

Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur is the home of the erstwhile Jodhpur royal family and currently the world’s sixth-largest private residence.

“We had to be extremely careful in our restoration and upgradation work of Umaid Bhawan Palace so that the heritage look and feel of the palace-hotel was respected, while at the same time judiciously infusing

innovation wherever necessary,” Payal explained. This delicate balancing act between royal heritage and post-modern facilities, according to her required lots of designing dexterity from her and her team.

In fact, one can say that heritage hotels, where one has to merge the past and present beautifully without one seeming to encroach upon the other, seems to be her forte.

One of her other favourite hotel projects involved WelcomHotel The Savoy, Mussoorie, which is an elegant and historic hotel that was opened by Cecil D. Lincoln, an Irish barrister, in 1902. Built in English Gothic architecture style, WelcomHotel The Savoy presents a wonderful mix of old-world charm and new-age conveniences.

“The restoration of the ballroom of WelcomHotel The Savoy, Mussoorie also posed a similar creative challenge for us.

We had to remain thoroughly faithful to the English Gothic architecture of the hotel, which was originally built in1902. We are presently rebuilding the Indira Gandhi block

Design

of the hotel, which would be comprising of Deluxe Suites. Though the restored block will be endowed with an impressive range of post-modern amenities, but it will extend the feel of the English Gothic architecture of the entire hotel, and look that it has been built in the early twentieth century,” elaborated the visionary designer.

On my persistent urging she also talked about some of her other ambitious hospitality projects. “Bal Samand Lake Palace Resort was a beautiful property, built way back in the 17th century. When we got involved in the project, it was in shambles with urgent need for restoration, but money was a constraint in that project,” recollected Payal. Here it deserves a mention that Bal Samand Lake Palace Resort is just a stone’s throw away from the ancient capital of Marwar, Mandore, and only 8 km from the city-center of Jodhpur. But at the same time, it is a world away from the hustle and bustle of modern life.

“We developed the suites and Deluxe rooms using furniture from godowns of the royal palace. We comprehensively restored the architectural features of the property, which included sandstone carvings and friezes, mood boards and wall finishes, while being true to the original architectural style of the property,” elaborated the graceful lady.

In Hari Niwas Palace also the early 19th century heritage property was converted into a plush 40-room hotel by Payal Kapoor and her team, spruced with a comprehensive range of trappings of post-modern amenities, while keeping the original regal decor intact.

Her commendable work on the luxury train Palace on Wheels was also a fillip to India’s tourism and hospitality industry. “In the Palace on Wheels project, the broad gauge coaches were designed and executed by me in 1995, and then were refurbished by me in 1998, 2000 and 2010,” she pointed

Hotel Business Review

Payal Kapoor out. Here also the ambience and decor of the coaches needed to reflect a royal and period feel, without disturbing the amenities confirming to modern day opulence, which, according to her, made it a creatively fulfilling project.

Issues of Concern

Payal rightly thinks that hotels and resorts and other hospitality properties, especially the leisure and luxury hotels and resorts, should reflect the look and feel; the cultural heritage of the place where they are being constructed. “ N owa d ays we a re s e e i n g a n overwhelming abundance of hotel projects in India reflecting modern day contemporary architecture and design. This is making different hotels of a given hotel chain having not much difference in terms of look and feel, though they may be located at diverse locations within India. This I think is unfortunate for India’s tourism and hospitality industry, which has the backing of such rich and diversified cultural legacies and such astonishing geographical wonders.

Especially the leisure and luxury hospitality properties should give a reflection, or at least an indication of the destination where it is situated, through their art, artefacts and overall ambience. This would increase their appeal among the tourists, especially among the inbound tourists in particular,” elaborated the creative interior designer.

She is also passionate about environment-friendly designs. “The thinking that green hotels generally require a much more substantial investment than a not so eco-friendly hotel of the same category is an erroneous notion,” she asserted. Often, environment-friendliness requires only some out-of-the-box thinking. “For example, large windows in the guest rooms of hospitality properties can give the rooms ample sunlight during day time, thereby drastically curtailing the those hospitality properties’ electricity consumption during day time,” Payal explained.

She also advocated installation of STP, sensor lighting, solar panelling among the desirable elements of a hospitality property designed for these post-modern times, where increased carbon footprints are emerging as a big cause of worry for our blue planet.

Among the constraints in her profession, she articulated forthrightly that in India, management of most hospitality properties do not want to allocate sufficient amount for architecture and interior designing of their property/ies. Neither they are earnest to pay the designers and consultants their deserved remuneration.

“This puts lots of creative constraints on the designers and architects towards giving fruition to their vision,” proffered Payal.

She lamented the rampant undercutting plaguing the industry, which often adversely reflects upon the quality. This in turn is compromising innovation in India’s hospitality industry. n

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Housekeeping

Hotel Business Review

Enhanced Role of Housekeeping Besides having the responsibility for maintaining the standards of cleanliness and hygiene in hospitality properties, the housekeeping staff can play an important role in ensuring the safety and security of the guests in hospitality properties

By Jyotismita Sharma

S

ometimes, if not always, facts emerge as stranger than fiction. If sometimes the depths of human brutality shatters our conscience, at other times, real-life examples of human sacrifice inspires our mundane lives.

In some unfortunate events of terrorist attacks and hijacks, there have been instances of ordinary staff of hotels and airlines going to the extent of sacrificing their own lives to save the lives of their guests. While the story of 23-year-old Neerja Bhanot’s sacrificing her own life to save passengers in the airline where she was serving as purser is widely known, many might also be familiar with the heroics of the ordinary staff of the The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai during the 26th November 2008 terrorist attack.

The Taj was under siege for two nights and three days during the attack. And even as brutes with automatic weapons took some people hostage and killed others, the hotel staff, even those who knew all the exit routes and could have easily avoided the harrowing days and nights, refused to leave the hotel premises without ensuring the safety of the guests.

“I was told many stories of The Taj Mahal Palace’s employees who made sure that every guest they could find was safely ferreted out of the hotel, at grave risk to their own lives,” CNN’s Fareed Zakaria

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who covered the terrorist attack told in his programme.

Many of them were ordinary workers – ­­­waiters and busboys, and room cleaners.

Some kitchen employees, it was reported, formed a human shield to save guests who were evacuating.

While these acts of heroics of ordinary hotel workers got their much deserved public attention, many workers across hospitality properties keep working silently, diligently and regularly to prevent untoward events and ensure the safety and security of the guests. And they are often the unsung heroes.

The housekeeping staff of hotels and other hospitality properties who have access to most areas of the properties’ premises are among the workers who do not overtly work as security staff but often play a crucial role in facilitating physical safety of the guests and also of their valuables.

As Subhajit Mitra, Executive Housekeeper of H o l i d ay I n n M u m b a i I nte r n at i o n a l Airport, said, “With renewed awareness, security is now not only the job of the security department in the post-modern hospitality industry. Security has become the responsibility of all who work for the hospitality property concerned.”

Facilitating Guest Experience The core responsibility of most of the

housekeeping staff in hospitality is to maintain the standard of cleanliness and hygiene in a hospitality property. But over the years, the roles of housekeepers in India’s hospitality industry have expanded greatly. The staff of the housekeeping department in hospitality properties starts taking care of the guests even before their arrival, by preparing the rooms for them.

I n fa ct , t h e e n g a g e m e n t of t h e housekeeping department – both direct and indirect – with the guests during their stay could be even more crucial than generally perceived. Because of their access to the rooms and routine cleaning services, they often become the guest’s focal point of interaction with the property.

The housekeeping staff often performs some non-core activities such as observing small details about the guests and creating personalised room settings.

“In the hospitality industry, we are committed to providing the best of the hospitality services to our guests and therefore, it is inevitable that we perform va r i o u s f u n ct i o n s b e s i d e s o u r co re responsibilities,” Mitra said.

“We ensure that the housekeeping staff is continually updated and obtain the guest’s preferences. We try and understand the non-verbal communications and pay close attention to the preferences made by our guests. We strive to exceed their

Housekeeping

Hotel Business Review

expectations. At Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport, we go beyond our core activities to build long lasting relationship with the guests,” he added.

Security Concerns However, while performing these non-core activities, if they notice something of suspect, they can also report the matter to the right authorities and thereby could prevent something untoward from happening. In this way, the housekeeping staff across hospitality properties can act as eyes and ears of those properties where they are engaged in. And in some hotels, they may be involved in facilitating the security and safety of guests even directly.

A n ot h e r s e c u r i ty as p e ct i n w h i c h the housekeeping staff in the realm of hospitality business often gets engaged is in making risk assessment analysis of the hospitality property. But to perform such duties, it is important for the management to impart proper training to the staff.

“It has now become imperative that housekeeping personnel in organisations are professionally equipped to get involved in the risk analysis management to reduce

Subhajit Mitra the threat to company assets,” Mitra added.

Th e p e o p l e i n t h e h o u s e ke e p i n g department in the hospitality business can also help guests to keep their stuff safe as it is the housekeepers who generally help the guests get acquainted with facilities of their rooms/suites.

Housekeepers interact the most with the guests and in turn can gain their trust comparatively quickly than other staff at the hotels or other hospitality properties. Across departments, housekeeping has the most access to hotel assets and guests’ property.

In case a guest finds himself/herself locked out of his/her room, or face any such unforeseen problems, he/she should first turn to the housekeepers for guidance.

“We ensure that safety and security regulations are abided by all. The guests are educated on how to use the safety lockers provided in all cupboards of our guest rooms which are used to keep their valuable items,” Mitra asserted.

“At Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport, we rarely have instances of lost and found items but when we do, we ensure that they are returned to the respective guests within a stipulated time,” he added.

However, in performing the non-core activities, the housekeeping staff across hospitality properties must keep one point in mind. They need to do many of their security related works without offending the guests.

It is important to ensure that the guests do not find the hotel staff intrusive, while at the same time assuring their accessibility in times of need. Only with adequate and proper training can the housekeeping staff in hospitality business acquire such expertise, involving a delicate balancing act. n

Mar-Apr ’18

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Spa

Hotel Business Review

Get Alive with Wellness

By Sharmila Chand treatments designed to treat your senses.

Choose from Alive Spa’s signature Indian deep tissue or reflexology massage, or make an appointment for a rejuvenating facial, skin treatment, detoxifying wrap or body exfoliation.

The spa also offers manicures, pedicures and waxing treatments. The in-house hair

A

ncient Ayurvedic healing, Swedish therapy techniques, relaxing Thai massages, organic products, an outstanding facial… it is time to immerse oneself in all encompassing rejuvenating treatments at Alive Spa, housed within Radisson Blu Agra Taj East Gate.

During my recent visit to Agra, I kept one afternoon free just to pamper myself at the oasis of wellness, steered by a dedicated team of therapists.

After a brief chat with the Spa Head made me realise how serious the team is in focusing towards their guests’ inner peace and tranquility through varied therapies.

The spa presents an ideal zone for respite, with great care and attention.

The spa has a repertoire of blissful

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stylist at the salon can help you find your perfect look for an exciting evening in the city. Tired from a full day of sightseeing?

Choose a quick 30 minutes head or a foot massage to relax yourself.

Overall, the spa presents an oasis of serene wellness in our lives full of tension and pollution.

Spa

Hotel Business Review

Spa Holidays Gaining Market Momentum

By Sharmila Chand

What are the kind of changes you have witnessed in the Indian spa industry during the past five-six years?

Statistics has shown that the industry is showing growth. More and more Indians are taking to spas. The spa holiday market in today’s date is a force to reckon with.

The latest upcoming trend is of guests opting for spa packages for holidays, wherein they are travelling to destinations just to avail of the spa facilities.

They are also seen choosing the package which has a mix of different variety of treatments ranging from western to eastern therapies.

What are the key challenges towards opening a spa in India?

During visit to the spa, I got to meet Nivedan Kukreti, the Spa Director, Alive Spa, who has 15 years of experience in rooms division and spa operations.

He has been associated with hotel brands like ITC, The Oberoi Group, Shangri-La and The LaLiT Group before taking up his role as the Director Operations at the Radisson Blu Agra Taj East Gate. The excerpts of the interview with the seasoned wellness professional follow:

One of the key challenges that a new spa or an existing one in India faces is to source quality therapists and to retain them.

How do you address this challenge?

We have our own in-house trainers who coach and mentor the team. We also have professional institutions backing our spa in sourcing quality manpower.

How do you decide on the spa treatments?

While designing the right therapies one has to be mindful of the market that one is operating in. At the Alive Spa, we have tried to cater to both our local clientele and international guests by offering them a choice of treatments.

As Agra is a one night destination for many travellers, many of the guests may not have a lot of time to take comprehensive spa treatments but when they come back from a full day of sightseeing, they can choose a quick 30 minutes head or a foot massage with our spa to relax themselves.

Our local clientele comes to our spa and choose a two to three hour package.

As our market is very price-sensitive, another important factor which plays a

major role in creating a spa menu in the Indian wellness industry is the pricing.

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

The best part about my job is to u n d e rs t a n d t h e g u e s t s ’ n e e d a n d understanding why they are choosing a certain package and not others.

It also gives me an opportunity to up sell the treatments.

Could you tell us the USP of the spa, which you are presently managing?

What distinguishes it from others?

Our spa offers varied treatments from east to the west, with unique setting and a comprehensive wellness for full body and mind.

We source our own organic products for use in our treatments and have created signature treatments that distinguish us from others.

Can you name one of your signature treatments?

Our signature treatments include our Radisson Facial which is a 90 minutes package, including use of organic products, especially aloe vera toner, which produces extremely satisfying results.

What is your favourite treatment to receive and why it is so?

My favourite is the Indian Deep Tissue Massage which is a special offering at our spa. It works deep into the muscles and releases a lot of tension, leaving you fresh by the end of the treatment.

Any other point you wish to make?

Spas were once considered as luxury, but now with the fast pace of living it has become part of our lifestyles.

This trend offers a great boost to the Indian wellness industry and will take it to the next level in the years to come.

Mar-Apr ’18

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Property

Hotel Business Review

Amalgamating Nature with Opulence

By Sharmila Chand

I

couldn’t help get impressed. 20 acres of lush greenery, swaying palm trees, b e a u t i f u l l y l a n d s ca p e d g a rd e n s , a stunning huge swimming pool right in the centre of the property, breathtaking views of the sea, sun and sand greet me as I sauntered through Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort during my recent visit to Goa. Truly, the resort blends the spirit of the Mediterranean with the warmth of Goa. Welcome to the fourth property under the ambit of AccorHotels in the ever burgeoning tourism market of Goa. The property has been launched by AccorHotels, in partnership with Alcon Victor Group.

AccorHotels has rebranded the globally known Dona Sylvia Resort to Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort, adding the Novotel brand essence with modern refurbishments.

Located in south Goa, Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort comprises 181 wellappointed and spacious rooms, villas & suites. The resort is not far from the sands

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Mar-Apr ’18

Property

Hotel Business Review

‘’We seek to offer solace to the #hashtag tired travellers; offering a place where the incessant mobile phone ring can be forgotten and where activities indulged in bringing back undiluted fun and laughter.

At Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort we aim to host a complete getaway package, where guests can come and enjoy the simple but luxurious pleasures of a resort.”

Vishal Khosla, General Manager, Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort of Cavelossim beach with the blue waters kissing its shores.

The villas offer laidback charm, designed with elements of Mediterranean and GoanPortuguese flavour. It is heartening to see that there are two rooms for guests with reduced mobility.

Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort is positioned primarily as a leisure property to reconnect people to their essentials; putting

them in touch with long lost innocent fun, abundant nature, and activities to bring home the eternal resort feel.

Classy Décor The classy décor and vast open areas at the hospitality property can bring in awe. The property is built like a small luxury village. It reflects rich traditional Portuguese culture

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Mar-Apr ’18

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Property

Hotel Business Review

Resort has always resonated with old-world charm and new-world luxury, creating an authentic Goan ambience along with its perfect location on Cavelossim Beach. Today through the rebranding of the property, we look forward to offering an international standard product to our guests.”

Meeting and Dining

“The rebranding of the property strengthens AccorHotels’ presence in the Indian market.

With 17 Novotel hospitality properties in the country, we believe this brand is particularly well targeted for the modern Indian travellers and international guests. We are delighted to partner with Alcon Victor Group and look forward to bringing our expertise in hospitality to this relationship.”

Jean-Michel Cassé, Chief Operating Officer, India & South Asia, AccorHotels through a mix of contemporary and local heritage architecture.

Varun Albuquerque, the Director, Alcon Victor Group, paid tribute to the acumen and craftsmanship of the late Charles Correa who had originally conceptualised and designed the resort.

He said, “Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia

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The resort offers an eclectic range of spectacular dining options. I thoroughly e n j oye d m y b re a kfas t a n d l u n c h at Seagull, the all-day dining restaurant of the property, which serves lavish buffet spreads, scrumptious a-l-a carte meals and offers an impressive dining experience with live cooking stations.

To satiate your desire for Indian food, head towards Kebabs & Kurries, the fine dining Indian outlet that presents enticing signature dishes from the royal kitchens of India.

Find your favourite corner at Mama Mia, the resort’s poolside grill restaurant, which offers guests an appetising selection of fiery grills prepared by the talented Chefs of the eatery.

Guests can also pick an assortment of experiences from intimate bar settings to mesmerising views of the pool and the sunset at Amalia & Tia Maria; the poolside and lobby bars. It would be hard to forget my high-spirited evening at Amalia, with its Mario Miranda murals.

Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort features two dedicated conference rooms with a capacity to serve about 200 guests. The resort also offers two magnificent seaside lawns by the beautiful white sands of Cavelossim Beach, making it a perfect setting to host up to 3000 persons for varied events.

Wellness at Sohum With a team of skilled professionals, Sohum Spa at the property provides a variety

“Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort resonates with old-world charm and new-world luxury, creating an authentic Goan ambience along with its perfect location on Cavelossim Beach. Through the rebranding of the property as a Novotel resort, we look forward to offering an international standard product to our guests.”

Varun Albuquerque, Director, Alcon Victor Group of Ayurvedic treatments, aromatherapy sessions, and revitalising western massages.

The property also features an outdoor pool, a fitness centre, an activity area and a shopping centre for its discerning guests.

Overall, the resort provides an idyllic retreat from the humdrum of busy life.

Seaside lawns, pet-friendly rooms, separate kiddies pool and supervised kids club, special gifts for children at the time of check-out, complemented with vibrant and friendly staff add great value to the hospitality solutions at Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort.

Property

Hotel Business Review

A Tech-friendly and Green Resort

By Sharmila Chand Vishal Khosla, the General Manager of Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort, brings over two decades of hospitality and management experience to his role at the rebranded property.

As the General Manager of the property, Vishal is responsible for spearheading operations at the beach resort, and facilitating its growth & expansion with innovative strategies.

Vishal has been associated with prominent domestic and global brands. He has also been a part of various hospitality brands in Goa that include Club Mahindra Varca Beach Resort, The LaLiT Golf & Spa Resort Goa, Kenilworth Resort & Spa, and Radisson Blu & Park Regis brands among others.

His strong team building skills, expert approach towards business development, comprehensive knowledge of international standard service procedures and a resilient background in hospitality, provide strategic and tactical depth to the resort.

His experience spans hotels across the UK, UAE & India. The excerpts of the interview with the seasoned hospitality professional follow:

What are Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort’s tech-friendly features?

Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort offers a host of tech-friendly facilities to make your vacation truly wonderful. The amenities at the property include ultra modern rooms with wi-fi & high definition television with HDMI connectivity, bluetooth speakers in rooms, Web Corner in lobby, digital signage, and X- box in Kids’ Corner.

Please tell us about the green initiatives the hotel has undertaken

We have a comprehensive range of green initiatives at the resort. All our rooms and public areas are fitted with LED light & fixture. Our public washrooms are endowed with urinal sensors. After midnight all public area lights reduce to 40 percent lighting.

Recycled water after processing through STP is used for lawns and gardening. Kitchen & restaurant waste are used as garden manure (organic waste compost) after processing.

Furthermore, all guest rooms’ airconditioning connects through key tag only. We have guest bed & bath linen reuse programs. The washroom of guest rooms & public area washrooms are fitted with water saving aerator filters and dual type flush.

Different hot water temperatures are maintained during summer & winter seasons and with us recyclable & non-recyclable items are segregated and disposed. All our F&B outlets are fitted with induction heating systems and organic vegetables & garden produce are used in the kitchen.

What is the marketing strategy you have adopted to promote your property?

One of our pre-marketing strategies will be to highlight the signature elements of the Novotel brand. Our strategy includes digital campaigns that will help build a positive word of mouth by two-way communication

medium to drive consumer traffic.

Also, we aim to create online traction by working closely with influencers, bloggers and portals. Further, we are also conducting locally based direct marketing and relationship building through our resortbased sales teams.

What distinguishes the property which you are presently managing from others in the same bracket?

As one of the most captivating resorts in south Goa, Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort has the perfect setting for a memorable gateway. Whether lounging by the openair pool, or playing games at the resort’s activity centre, guests will experience warm hospitality while soaking in the stunning landscape that surrounds them.

The picturesque location also makes for a perfect setting for glamorous events and black-tie affairs. Be it shopaholics, food connoisseurs, fitness enthusiasts or nature lovers – the resort’s location and features cover all they want.

What according to you is the role of F&B in getting business for a hospitality property? How much importance do you give to this department?

F&B plays a vital role in getting the business for a hospitality property. Hospitality chains are increasingly focusing on food and beverages’ operations since they are contributing huge share in their overall revenues.

We at Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia Resort try to keep a mix of gastronomic delicacies as well as the simpler dishes those which guests otherwise look out for, in order to cater to the maximum number of guests’ needs, demands and tastes.

With a variety food promotions throughout the year, our culinary team makes it a point to innovate and curate

international and regional delicacies.

These initiatives taken however are just the tip of the iceberg as far as presenting our guests with a range of different experiences with regards to food and living goes.

Could you reflect on the future plans and new initiatives you wish to undertake in the property?

The future plans for the property would be to create brand experiences that relate to the local population. We intend to capture a larger share of the domestic travellers to Goa. Through complete resort experience and integrations with our guests, we hope to create a property that fulfils the requirements of all the types of customers that visit the property.

We will continue to keep a watch on the trends and update ourselves accordingly. At a time when the Indian hospitality industry is undergoing extensive transformation, we would continue to evolve, learn and grow while remaining true to our commitments.

What is/are your strength/s, professionally?

I have been associated with prominent domestic and global brands, which has helped me to understand international standard service procedures in the realm of hospitality. This comprehensive knowledge has contributed for the growth & expansion of the properties I have been working with.

How do you de-stress?

For me, cooking has proven to be the best therapy to de-stress. Spending quality time with my family and our pet dog also helps me get refreshed after a hectic day.

Also, an early morning workout on the beach sets up my day perfectly; keeping me rejuvenated throughout the day.

Mar-Apr ’18

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P ro d uct Previ ew

Hotel Business Review

Effective Cleaning Solutions

One-Stop Solution

Interclean Solution Pvt. Ltd. is one of the most proficient manufacturers, traders and suppliers of chemical products.

Since its inception in the year 2013, the company is offering a wide range of quality chemical products like hand cleanser, carpet care, glass cleaners, marble

IRIS Hotel Craft is a unique specialist organisation offering a one-stop solution to luxury hotels, resorts and restaurants.

The company supplies an exotic collection of luxury personal care products, guest room amenities, housekeeping & lobby products that create pleasant & relaxing experience for guests. IRIS is one of the fast growing organisations for supplies to hotels & hospitality Industry; serving a huge number of international hotel brands in India. The company manufactures and imports more than 100 different categories of products for the hospitality industry with luxury amenity brands and several custom made collections. With more than 20 years of market experience in hospitality products, the company strives to ensure utmost responsiveness and trust with their customers, Products assortment by IRIS luxury toiletries include shampoo, lotions, conditioner, shower gel, soaps, bath salts and more, dry room amenities, dental kit, shaving kit, combs, shower cap, vanity kit, sewing kit, loofah, hangers, slippers, laundry bag, newspaper bag, acrylic trays & leather folders, bath linens, shoe horns, shoe shiner & mitts, coat brushes, aroma diffusers, diffuser oils, bath mats and more.

Guest room items from the company include mini bars, electronic safes, weighing scales, hair dryers, irons, iron boards, iron stands, kettles, mobile stand, bins and more.

Housekeeping & lobby items under the ambit of the company include trolleys, queue managers, roll away beds and more.

Timely supply and reliable after sales services with the spirit of mprovement are the hallmarks of the company.

IRIS Hotel Craft

cleaners, kitchen cleaners and specialised care chemicals, all detergent raw material and many more. These products are used in making of shampoo, and liquid hand wash preparation. The extensive domain knowledge and experience enable the company to understand the needs and demands of its consumers due to which it is capable to deliver such quality product range in the market.

Located in Gurugram, Haryana, the company has a highly developed infrastructure that is equipped with modern technology and is organised in a very systematic manner. Moreover, the company has a team of skilled professionals whose wide domain knowledge led them to deliver quality products and customised services for the market. They ensure that the products are of top quality and checks are made thoroughly through the entire production process.

Interclean Solution Pvt. Ltd. info@interclean.in

irishotelcraft@gmail.com

Exclusive Carpets Shri Ganesh Carpets is a thirty-six year old company, engaged in manufacturing of handmade carpets. The company has facilities to manufacture nice quality hand tufted carpets in custom designs, made to customised sizes, for large public areas in hotels, and conference halls. Their products are preferred for their perfection, elegance and acoustic benefits.

The company manufactures high-end woven pile

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carpets in real mulberry silk, which are ideally suited for exclusive and discerning customers, in hotels, villa residences, ships, and up market retail outlets. Their products are available in wide range of evergreen solid shades, developed for international clientele.

Shri Ganesh Carpets ganeshcarpets@airtelmail.in

Advertiser’s Index Company

akasa international ambiente india

Page No.

14 fic

charnock equipments pvt. ltd.

01

heimtextil india

31

home comfort texo fab

10

home zone india

25

ifb industries ltd.

13

infinity hygiene care

12

interclean solutions pvt. ltd.

41

kesri transcontinental

BC

loomcrafts furniture india pvt. ltd.

15

lords wear pvt. ltd.

17

mehta furnishers

11

Metinox india

33

mkn india

51

navin polycon

35

pammi khanna associates

16

pushkal textiles

29

quartz homecare (I) pvt. ltd.

07

RANS TECHNOCRATS (iNDIA) PVT. LTD.

Bic

remington steel arts

54

samrat furnishers

39

sial china 2018

19

sipani energy Ltd.

47

trafs 2018

27

Venus Industries

05

vista hospitality Solutions pvt. ltd.

55

winterhalter india pvt. ltd.

09

Mar-Apr ’18

55

Intervi ew

Hotel Business Review

Going the Extra Mile

By Sharmila Chand

Vineesh Kurup, General Manager, ibis Chennai City Centre Hotel, has been associated with AccorHotels since almost a decade.

He was a part of the pre-opening team for ibis Pune Viman Nagar Hotel. As part of his career growth, in 2015 he moved to ibis Chennai Sipcot, located near the IT hub of Chennai. During his tenure, the hotel ranked among the top ten best hotels in Chennai on TripAdvisor.

Last year, he was given the responsibilities to manage ibis Chennai City Centre Hotel.

“Now in the third year of its operations, the hotel is setting up new benchmarks in performance be it in terms of revenue or guest satisfaction levels,” he expressed. The excerpts of the interview with the seasoned hotelier follow: What is the USP of the property which you are presently managing?

The USP is definitely the location of the hotel. Located centrally on the main arterial road of the city, it is close to the US Consulate. Its location makes it an ideal choice for travellers.

Please tell us about the green initiatives the hotel has undertaken To facilitate a greener life for our guests, we give a ‘seed bomb’ to each of our guests. It is essentially seeds wrapped up in a compost ball.

The compost keeps the seed alive and once the guest leaves the ball at a suitable place the seed grows into a plant or a tree.

Furthermore, we discourage the use of plastic items. We are in the process of eliminating the usage of plastic straws in the restaurant and replacing them with paper straws. Paper straws too are provided only when requested by the guests.

What is the marketing strategy you have adopted to promote your property?

Our marketing strategy is mostly focused on digital marketing. We track the search pattern of our prospective customers and invest in search engine optimisation (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM).

We also try to optimise the social media platform where we see a huge opportunity to connect with our customers.

We have a huge customer base on our social media portals where we constantly strive to engage and interact with them through various activities.

What distinguishes ibis Chennai City Centre Hotel from others in the same bracket? ibis has created a niche for itself among

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the travellers. ibis stands for a clean, safe and economy brand. When coupled with trained & friendly staff, ibis Chennai City Centre Hotel becomes a sought after product in its segment.

What according to you is the role of F&B in getting business for a hotel?

How much importance do you give to this department?

Food & beverages hold great importance for hotel industry. It is not easy to have a consistent and high-quality F&B department. ibis has done exactly that. It has consistent F&B quality across all the properties in India under its brand ambit.

What would you say is the differentiating factor of the hotel’s F&B outlets?

We believe in quality over quantity. We provide selected number of products but never compromise on quality.

We have made every effort to include local flavours from various parts of the country but offered only those items on which we are confident to offer consistent quality.

Our menu has been designed after an extensive research and feedback from our guests. Our guests are happy and we are seeing the outcome of our efforts in our F&B department.

Could you reflect on the future plans and new initiatives you wish to undertake in the hotel?

We have some exciting plans which are in the process of being implemented. We are also working on a new breakfast concept, which will have elements of local cuisine from across the country.

We tested the concept and it has been highly appreciated by the guests. We eagerly

look forward to rolling it out and taking real time feedback from the guests.

What is the most crucial issue to tackle in the Indian hospitality industry these days?

These days, hiring and retaining the right talent is extremely critical. It is mandatory to have good people at work and is equally important to regularly train them. This way the employees feel valued and they in turn eventually make the customers feel welcome.

What do you enjoy the most about being at the helm of affairs at the hotel?

The most enjoyable part of my job is to see the team come together and going that extra mile to ensure guest delight.

The sense of achievement comes when guests leave the hotel with a smile on their face is priceless.

What do you think makes a good GM? A good General Manager should be able to think rationally when dealing with a business proposition and also be able to think emotionally while dealing with people, which includes both staff and guests.

W h at i s / a r e y ou r s tr e n gth / s professionally?

I think my biggest strength is being a people’s person.

What is your working mantra, your guiding philosophy at work?

I believe happy employees make happy guests and happy guests make happy investors.

I consider a well-trained team member to be the biggest asset for an organisation and I work towards that.

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