Hotel Business Review ( Sep-Oct 2015)

July-Aug ’15

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Sept-Oct ’15

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Editorial

Hotel Business Review

HOTEL B u s i n e s s

R e v i e w

An Exclusive Business Magazine for the Hotel Industry

Publisher cum Editor

Rajneesh Sharma

rajneeshhammer@gmail.com

Associate Editor

Swarnendu Biswas Resident Editor

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

Hari Kumar V

Production Assistant

Mamta Sharma

Advertising Sales

Delhi: Debabrata Nath, Sumesh Sharma Director Sales

Sanjay Anand Mobile: +91 9811136837 Director Operations & Finance

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 Telefax: 91-22-28388947

E-mail: info@hammer.co.in Š 2015 Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. No article can be reproduced in part or as whole without prior permission of the Publisher.

Hammer Hotel Business Review is a bi-monthly magazine, printed and published by Rajneesh Sharma on behalf of Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 206, Samrat Bhawan, Ranjeet Nagar Commercial Complex, New Delhi. Printed at Swan Press, B-71, Naraina Industrial Area, Phase-II, New Delhi-110 028. Annual Subscription rate within India is Rs. 450 and overseas US $110, for surface mail. Single issue is available for Rs. 90 in India and US $25 overseas. Cheques are payable to Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. Editorial Policy : Editorial emphasis in Hammer Hotel Business Review magazine is on educational & informational material specifically designed to assist those responsible for managing instututional Hotel business.

Articles are welcome and will be published on the sole discretion of the editor.

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The rising health consciousness in the Indian society is getting reflected in the Indian hospitality industry in a big way. Many high-end hotels and resorts in India have initiated or are initiating several measures to attract the health and wellness conscious guests, which can enable these guests to continue with their regular health and wellness routines, even when they are travelling.

For quite some years, spa and gym have become essential features of five-star hospitality properties in India. That is nothing new. Now the question is how sophisticated, how exhaustive, how user-friendly and how personalised the spa and gym facilities are being provided across high-end hospitality properties in the country. The food & beverage offerings in hospitality properties in the country are also tilting towards the preferences for their health conscious guests. In the Cover Story, we have tried to explore some health and wellness initiatives by some select hospitality properties in the country.

The Business Story dwells on the criteria adopted by different hotels in choosing the cutlery and dinnerware. We also get some glimpses on how some established hotels choose their suppliers and get to know about their random checks on the suppliers.

The idea of music themed restaurants in hotels is being explored in detail, in our F&B section. The growing role of e-lounges, which has emerged as an important revenue generation option for the Indian hospitality industry, is also being covered in the issue. The endeavours required by hotels and resorts to attract MICE delegates are also being discussed upon. In the Property section, we have covered Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan, which besides being a business hotel catering effectively to the business travellers, has also positioned itself as an urban resort, which can be explored by both business and leisure travellers. Here guests can avail of some memorable excursions in the vicinity, as weekend gateways.

RCI, a global leader in vacation exchange business, has been growing appreciably in India since the last three years of its presence in the country. The company has plans to expand its Indian presence, as its top management feels that RCI has huge business potential from the country. We have covered this topic in the Focus section of our magazine.

The birth of an association of purchasing professionals, which can facilitate in disseminating relevant information and knowledge among purchasing professionals in the Indian hospitality industry, are among other highlights of this issue.

The opinions and perspectives of our features are amply supplemented by the rich information provided through our News section, which attempts to holistically showcase the important happenings in the Indian hospitality industry during SeptOct of this year. We hope our esteemed readers would appreciate our sincere endeavour.

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

These days, a broadening contingent of travellers is of the belief that a vacation does not only amount to utter indulgence and relaxation.

For them it is more an occasion for restoration. The hotels in India are realising the aspirations of these newage tourists and have taken steps to meet their objectives and desires.

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BUSINESS

The awesome range of products needed for the functioning of a high-end hotel provides a mind-boggling business opportunity for the enterprising entrepreneurs.

Several organisations have established themselves in serving the Indian hospitality industry but there is scope for more.

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F&B

One of the models which the restaurants in hotels could explore upon to enhance their revenues and profits is the concept of music themed restaurant.

42 TREND

The concept of e-lounges is a growing trend in the Indian hospitality industry.

They say e-lounges meet many objectives...

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INDUSTRY

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PROPERTY

The MICE segment of tourism forms one of the most important elements for the Indian hospitality industry. Besides contributing towards volumes in terms of room revenues, this segment also facilitates incremental business of hotels from other streams such as catering, recreation, and food & beverage. MICE’s contribution to the total revenues of the hotels should also not be undermined.

As you enter Chakan, located 34 km from Pune, the one building that acts as the beacon to guide you to the SEZ area is the Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan. Standing tall and stately, it has an impressive façade that makes it an outstanding structure in the surroundings.

departments 04 Event 06

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SPA

Shanaya means ‘first ray of the Sun’ that brings with it exuberance; signifying a fresh beginning of another day. Located on Level 4 of Club Tower at Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi, Shanaya Spa is an ideal destination to relax while enjoying the luxurious therapies offered.

News Scan

18 Appointment 20 Report 22 Focus 48 Housekeeping 54

Product Preview

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Business Opportunity

56 Interview

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Event

Hotel Business Review

HostMilano 2015 — A Mega Event for the Hospitality Industry

HostMilano, which was held during 23rd27th October 2015 in Fieramilano fairground in Milan, Italy, attracted 150,968 visitors, 40 percent of whom came from abroad. There was 13.5 percent increase in presence of visitors at HostMilano 2015, as compared to its previous edition of the show. At the event, there were 2000 exhibitors from 47 countries. Out of the 2000 exhibitors, 714 were international exhibitors. Host2015 occupied almost the entire exhibition centre in Rho. The mega event experienced doubledigit growth in exhibitors from Germany, France, Spain, the US, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. More than 1,500 hosted buyers from 60 countries participated at the show.

Here it deserves a mention that HostMilano is an international hospitality exhibition, a leading event for HORECA, food service and retail segment. “Now the internationalisation of Host can be said to be a fact, which can be seen in the size, numbers and quality,” said Fiera Milano’s CEO Corrado Peraboni. “And that’s not all. Host also reflects the new geopolitical scenario, opening itself up to markets like Iran, Africa and Cuba,” he pointed out further.

At the recently held edition of HostMilano, the new gourmet trends which are the product of technological innovation and the creativity of Chefs were the big stars of the Food Service Equipment – Bread/Pizza/Pasta macro-area. The Food Service Equipment – Bread/Pizza/Pasta macro-area (pavilions 2/4, 5/7 and 9/11) brought together the high-tech equipment with quality ingredients,

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benefitting the professional restaurant and baking industries.

Network del Gusto, a journey that explored different regions and cosmopolitan gastronomic innovation in partnership with APCI – the Italian Association of Professional Chefs — and the Network of Taste which offered up ideas for excellent restaurant formats, from breakfast as a business opportunity all the way to catering, banqueting, restaurants and hotels, were some of the interesting highlights of the event.

At HostMilano2015, at the Food Service Equipment – Bread/Pizza/Pasta macroarea, technologies and quality ingredients went beyond just seeking out cutting-edge products and services – they made the show a business facilitator that anticipated and accompanied socio-gastronomic phenomena, stimulating and favouring creative expression with new formats that meet the continuously evolving needs of consumers.

HostMilano 2015 was characterised by various special projects. One of those was the return of a brand new EXIHS - Italian Excellent Hospitality Services, the “container of beauty” dreamt up by the Studio Dante O. Benini & Partners Architects. Then there was Futurbar, which offered up an interactive bar concept for tomorrow that is a bit technological, a bit design-oriented and has a bit of a social media element. Then there was the Innovation Gallery, the space in pavilion 18 where, for all five days of the show, visitors

could admire projects by the finalists of Hosthinking, which best showcased the evolution of new hybrid spaces with a particular focus on involving the client in the concept.

The lifestyle focus of the show, Furnishings and Tableware (pavilions 6/10) did fit in perfectly as part of the three-way partnership with the other two food and technology “souls” – as expressed with the macro areas, which included Food Service Equipment – Bread/Pizza/Pasta and Coffee/ Tea – Bars and Coffee Machines for Vending along with Gelato/Pastry.

HostMilano was a design hub in this year’s edition of the show. One of the innovations in this year’s edition of the show was a green lung designed by landscape design architects from Studio Ankhe, which had a ‘living’ room, an edible garden where Chefs and the public could make the most of the genuine flavours of fruits and vegetables, and a healing garden that brought to mind the images of ancient gardens full of healing plants.

Succinctly, Host2015 was made all the more exciting thanks to its more than 400 events, including seminars, workshops, competitions, championships, cooking shows and tastings.

Gianni Cocco from the Como area was crowned the ‘Best Barista in Italy’ while the World Pastry Championship saw a surprise victory from Japan. The silver medal went to a very determined Italian team.

The next edition of HostMilano will be held at Fieramilano in Rho, during 20th-24th October 2017.

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Event

Hotel Business Review

National Tourism Awards A Huge Recognition for Jaypee Palace and Convention Centre, Agra Jaypee Palace and Convention Centre, Agra has been adjudged the ‘Best Hotel Based Meeting Venue Hotel’ at the National Tourism Awards. The award was presented to Manju Sharma, Managing Director, Jaypee Hotels and Resorts by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee and Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Tourism & Culture, at a function held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

Manju Sharma, on this special occasion said, “We are honoured to receive this prestigious award. We are extremely proud to be the pioneer in establishing an International Convention Centre at Agra. Jaypee Palace Hotel & International Convention Centre at Agra is par excellence as we set benchmarks each year for meetings and conventions. Jaypee Palace Hotel & International Convention Centre has always created something unique in all its ventures and this is recognition for our endeavours. ”

A Coveted Recognition for Meluha The Fern, Mumbai Meluha The Fern, Mumbai has been recognised as the Best 5 Star Hotel at the National Tourism Awards 2013-2014 by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. The award was presented by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee to Punish Sharama, General Manager, Meluha The Fern, Mumbai, during the award ceremony held at Vigyan Bhavan, in New Delhi.

A five-star environmentally responsible hotel, Meluha The Fern, in Mumbai, according to a press release, is the world’s only hotel to have an ecotel Level 1 certification and a LEED Gold rating.

Located in the heart of Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, and situated in close proximity to the international and domestic airports, this five-star hotel comprises 141 rooms and suites. Meluha The Fern is part of The Fern Hotels & Resorts under the CG Hotels and Resorts portfolio.

Speaking on the occasion, Punish Sharama said, “It is an honour for Meluha The Fern, Mumbai to receive this recognition. We are absolutely thrilled that the industry is recognising the constant efforts of our management to maintain the standards and deliver world class services at the hotel. The hotel strives towards delighting our guests with a choice of excellent hospitality products and services by creating a pleasant stay.”

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EVENTS’ CALENDER Europain & Intersuc 2016 5-9 February 2016 Paris Nord Villepinte http://www.europain.com Gulfood 2016 21-25 February 2016 Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Dubai www.gulfood.com Aahar 2016 15-19 March 2016 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi http://www.aaharinternationalfair.com EDT Expo 2016 23-26 March 2016 Istanbul, Turkey http://www.cnredtexpo.com FHA 2016 12-15 April 2016 Singapore Expo, Singapore www.foodnhotelasia.com HOTELEX 2016 29 March -1 April 2016 Shanghai New International Exhibition Center, China http://www.hotelex.cn/ SIAL China 2016 5-7 May 2016 Shanghai New International Exhibition Center, Shanghai,China www.sialchina.com Travel Catering Expo 2016 9-11 May 2016 DICEC, Dubai http://www.travelcateringexpo.com/ Ambiente India 2016 22-24 June 2016 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi www.ambiente-india.in Heimtextil India 2016 22-24 June 2016 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi www.heimtextil.in

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Hotel Business Review

A Strategic Partnership The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group has announced its strategic partnership with the Worldhotels to strengthen its sales and marketing reach globally for its metropolitan properties — The Lalit New Delhi, The Lalit Mumbai, The Lalit Ashok Bengaluru and The Lalit Great Eastern Kolkata.

The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group is focusing to tap the international market and with this alliance the group is extending its reach to international destinations.

Worldhotels is a global brand that has an extensive portfolio. It includes 450 hotels in 250 destinations across 65 countries within its ambit.

“The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group personifies Indian tradition, cuisine, art and culture in all its luxury hotels, palaces and resorts. After strengthening our presence in the domestic market, we decided to intensify our focus on the international market,” said Keshav Suri, Executive Director, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group.

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Grand Mercure Goa Shrem Resort Awarded Grand Mercure Goa Shrem Resort, an upscale resort

by AccorHotels, has been recently awarded the Best Spa & Wellness Hotel by the West India Travel Awards.

Nestled amidst the serene countryside of lush paddy plantations, the resort is an ideal location for guests to unwind and indulge in the latest spa treatments, relaxation routines and partaking of modern wellness health trends.

The spa at Grand Mercure Goa Shrem Resort is created like a tropical Balinese style garden. It features a couple’s heated stone Hammam bed. It houses five chalets, each of which has two treatment rooms. Ten treatment rooms are equipped and designed to cater to a range of spa offerings.

Holistic solutions through a blend of therapeutic treatments are offered at this spa sanctuary.

While receiving the honour, Rohan Sable, General Manager, Grand Mercure Goa Shrem Resort said, “It is wonderful to receive this appreciation. The resort is designed to offer its guests the very best of Grand Mercure hospitality. Spa & wellness is our specialty and we will continue to delight guests at the resort with our offerings.”

Niraamaya Retreats Surya Samudra’s Spa Awarded The Niraamaya Spa at Niraamaya Retreats Surya Samudra has won the award of ‘India’s Best Wellness Spa’ at the World Spa Awards, which was held at the Inter Continental® Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, in Vietnam.

The World Spa Awards celebrates excellence in the spa industry. Manu Rishi Guptha, CEO, Niraamaya Business Group, received the award on behalf of Niraamaya Retreats.

Niraamaya Retreats offers a comprehensive wellness programme that ranges across traditional Ayurvedic therapies, authentic western and Thai relaxation techniques, yoga and many more.

“It is definitely a proud moment for Niraamaya Retreats as we were up against the best in the industry. This award adds to the bouquet of other awards we have received and recognises Niraamaya’s commitment to excellence and determination to become the undisputed market leader. This accolade is dedicated to all the hard-working team members at Niraamaya.” said Manu Rishi Guptha.

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Hotel Business Review

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Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru Emerges on India’s Hospitality Scene On 24th September 2015, Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru was opened. The hotel shows the potential of emerging as the Garden City’s leading destination for business and leisure. “Our diverse portfolio of accommodation, dining destinations and meeting space means we are perfectly positioned to set new standards and provide an elite urban lifestyle for our guests from the community and all over the world.” said Jens Corder, the General Manager of Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru.

The 397-room property is spread across nearly two acres; between the central business district and residential suburb. Located 30 minutes from the international airport, Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru is a 19 storied property, located on Palace Road. The nine-metre high lobby of the hotel showcases nine impressive cylindrical chandeliers, while imposing marble columns highlighted by wall sconces call attention to intricate Indian motifs.

Starting from 41 square metres, each room of the hotel is accented by a tufted leather headboard and plush patterned carpeting. Complimentary and wireless Internet access allows guests to use their personal electronics at the executive desk or on the window-side sofa. The hotel’s 30 suites range from 98 to 274 square metres, and include three Governor Suites and the palatial Shangri-La Suite.

The newly launched hotel is endowed with diverse F&B options. Shang Palace serves fine Cantonese and Szechuan cuisine on the hotel’s third floor with semi-outdoor seating. The restaurant’s modern design blends with a rich and vibrant Chinese heritage. Shang Palace presents authentic dim sum, barbecue items and Peking duck, as well as a variety of vegetarian dishes.

The hotel’s all-day dining restaurant b Cafe features an interactive buffet and à la carte menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. With a focus on freshness and quality, this lively restaurant looks out over an outdoor dining deck.

For those looking for authentic Indian fine dining option, for them shortly there will be Ssaffron and the lovers of Mediterranean food can head to Caprese, from mid November onwards. Both Ssaffron and Caprese as well as the authentic Japanese restaurant named Yataii will be opened at the hotel, in the very near future.

CHI, The Spa offers a serene and luxurious retreat for jaded mind, body and souls. Adjacent to CHI, The Spa is the health club, facing the outdoor and kid’s swimming pools. The 24-hour gym offers state-of-the-art equipment and time-deprived executives the option to work or hold conference calls during a training session – made possible through an Android interface system.

Spread over two levels are the hotel’s function rooms. The Grand Ballroom, with its own pre-function area and with a ceiling height of 9.5 metres, covers 739 square metres and is one of the largest meeting spaces in the city. The flora-inspired venue can have up to 900 guests for weddings and grand events, and is supported by five additional and versatile function rooms on level two of the property.

New Addition to WelcomHeritage Portfolio WelcomHeritage has added WelcomHeritage Mani Mansion, Ahmedabad to its portfolio. WelcomHeritage Mani Mansion is a 94 year old heritage property that was once home to the Dalal family. It was built by the legendary social worker and acclaimed businessman, Manibhai Dalal, way back in 1923. The property is located on the Ashram road of Ahmedabad, in the heart of the city. At present, the property is under renovation and will re-open in January 2016.

WH Mani Mansion is a boutique heritage hotel with 21 suites, providing an experience of the old era in Ahmedabad. The architecture with high ceilings and antique 70-year- old fans clearly speak volumes about the rich lineage of culture associated with the city of Ahmedabad. WH Mani Mansion has also received heritage property stature from the Government of Gujarat. The heritage factor of the hotel is, as expected, complemented with all the modern amenities.

The rooms of the property carry the essence & artistic creativity of eminent personalities. The hotel offers a multi-cuisine restaurant serving variety of cuisines, including authentic Gujarati cuisine.

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Hotel Business Review

Crystal Sarovar Premiere Opens Completing the Golden Triangle of hospitality in the north of India, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts, the renowned hotel management company, has opened Crystal Sarovar Premiere in Agra, in the recent past. The newly opened hotel is the fifth hospitality property in Uttar Pradesh, within the ambit of Sarovar Hotels & Resorts. The group has presence in the state in Vrindavan, Ghaziabad, Noida, and Lucknow.

Conveniently located in Agra’s tourist hub, Fatehabad road, Crystal Sarovar Premiere can cater to both leisure and business travellers.

More than half of the hotel’s rooms offer a magnificent view of the Taj Mahal.

Commenting on the development, Anil Madhok, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts said, “The opening of Crystal Sarovar Premiere, Agra marks the entry into a key leisure market for Sarovar Hotels & Resorts. We are delighted with this opportunity to grow our brand presence in the market and deliver a premier full-service, upscale hotel experience to guests visiting one of the most popular tourist destinations in India.”

The elegant 136 well-appointed rooms of the hotel offer luxurious amenities and personalised service. The hotel has three dining and nightlife venues, which can enhance the stay experience. A fully-equipped health club, and a spa are other attractions of the property as are meeting, banqueting and conferencing facilities.

“Agra is one of the most sought-after leisure destinations in India for its unparalleled heritage & monuments. A crucial component of Indian tourism’s ‘Golden Triangle’, Agra holds significance on the tourism map of India. With the opening of Crystal Sarovar Premiere, Sarovar completes the golden triangle circuit of hospitality, with hotels in Delhi, Jaipur and Agra,” proffered Ajay Bakaya, Executive Director, Sarovar Hotel & Resorts.

“V” are Family Launches Two Properties in Goa “V”are family has launched two brand new luxurious properties in Goa in the recent past. It has aim of adding more properties by the end of this year. The two recently launched properties are Casa Verma and 3 Tropical Woods which exude luxury amidst beautiful environment.

“V”are family gives travellers home away from home atmosphere in pristine surroundings. The company offers comfortable homes across different categories including, Hill Villas, Beach Bungalows, Farm Houses and Golf Resorts. These luxurious vacation homes are ideal groups of 8 to 15 people, and can be popular with kids.

Casa Verma is located in the heart of South Goa’s bustling Cavelossim beach area whereas Tropical Woods is located ten minutes from the Panjim bridge in North Goa, perched up on top of a hill, overlooking the grand vistas of the of river Mapsa backwaters.

Commenting on the launch of these Goa properties, Aman Batra, the Founder of “V” are family said, “Goa is a great place for travel and we are excited to announce that we now have homes in the area! Since new year is round the corner, there will be an increase in tourism and bookings. We are adding more options to make everyone’s travel and stay a lot more comfortable!”

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Hotel Business Review

Ganapatipule Gets a Luxury Resort Recently Ganpatipule, located in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, has got a luxury resort, named Blue Ocean Resort & Spa. Ganapatipule is known for its pristine beaches.

Besides natural beauty it has attractions for religious tourists too. The small town located 375 km from Mumbai, is an offbeat tourist destination.

The new resort has enchanting Portuguese style villas, set amidst coconut plantation that opens onto a golden sweep of beach. The resort comprises 31 guest rooms and villas that include Tropical Garden View Villa, Luxury Garden Villa and Luxury Villa.

When at Blue Ocean Resort & Spa one can dine at The Atlantic Multi-cuisine Restaurant of the resort featuring authentic Indian-Asian freestyle cuisine, Italian, Chinese, continental and other specialties. This eco-friendly resort offers its guests the opportunity to experience different healing traditions at its Siam Spa.

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FHRAI Elects New President Bharat Malkani has been elected as the President of the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) for 2015-16. The 59th Annual General meeting of FHRAI was held at the The Suryaa New Delhi on 30th September 2015, where Malkani was elected.

Prior to being elected as the President of FHRAI, Malkani was the President of Hotel and Restaurant Association (Western India) and the Vice-President of FHRAI’s outgoing Executive Committee. While TS Walia, the former President, FHRAI has been appointed as the new Vice-President of FHRAI, Luv Malhotra, Jt. Managing Director, CHL Hotels and Syama Raju, Managing Director, Hotel Maurya, Bangalore will continue to hold the Vice President’s post for another term.

An alumnus of the University of Washington, St. Louis, USA, where he completed his MS in Technology Management, Malkani is a dynamic and trusted entrepreneur with business interests spanning hospitality and the aerospace industry. He is the Chairman of Transit Group of Hotels.

“The association has completed fifty years and has made substantial progress in these years for the betterment of the hospitality industry. The next decade will have to be strategically defined and we will orient ourselves to addressing issues that affect the industry the most. The Federation will take up the hotel classification issue with the government as a priority. We feel that the classification job should be given to the industry experts which is the practice world over,” stated Malkani.

Preferred Hotels & Resorts Awarded at TTG Travel Awards Preferred Hotels & Resorts has been named the “Best Hotel Representation Company” at the 26th annual TTG Travel Awards, for the fourth consecutive year.

“We are thrilled to be recognised for the fourth year running as the “Best Hotel Representation Company” by TTG Asia, and would like to share this honour with all of our associates in the seven sales offices across Asia-Pacific. We are more committed than ever in engaging and collaborating with our valued partners, and look forward to more opportunities to raise the profile of independent hotels in the years ahead,” commented Anthony Ross, Executive Vice President of Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa for Preferred Hotels & Resorts. “We would like to thank everyone who voted for us, and extend our appreciation to TTG Asia for their ongoing support,” he added further.

At this year’s, TTG Travel Awards, 84 winners were honoured across four categories, with 143,000 votes cast by Asia-Pacific’s leading travel trade professionals for the various awards in each category.

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Hotel Business Review

VITS Luxury Hotels to Expand Footprints Hoping to cash in on the growing numbers of business travellers, VITS Luxury Business Hotels, promoted by VITS Hotel Worldwide Pvt. Ltd. (VHWPL) has announced the opening of seven new properties nationally.

As part of its expansion plans, VHWPL will unveil the VITS hospitality experience in Mumbai, Chakan, Nanded, Surat, Dahej, Ahmedabad and Mangalore by December 2015. The company plans to penetrate its reach nationally with 15 properties scheduled for launch, primarily in tier -II and tier-III cities; within the next three years. VITS presently operates nine properties located in Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik, Latur, Ankleshwar, Bellary, Tirupur and Bhubaneshwar.

Announcing the development, Chandrakant Shetty, Vice President, VITS Luxury Business Hotels said, “We are pleased to announce the VITS Luxury experience in seven new locations this year and will further expand our footprints to 15 hotels nationally within the next three years. All the new properties will be managed under the franchisee model. With the present expansion, we will be adding 400 new rooms to our inventory with host of banqueting and restaurant facilities.

VITS, positioned as moderately priced full service luxury business hotels, enjoys high occupancy rate at all its present properties. With the launch of new hotels, we aim to bridge the growing demand for luxury rooms, primarily in tier-II and tierIII cities of the country.”

Le Meridien Strengthens its Presence Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced the opening of Le Méridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa in Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra.

The resort is owned by BrahmaCorp.

Marking the first Le Méridien resort in India, Le Méridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa is the brand’s ninth property in the country. Nestled in the scenic Western Ghats, the resort is a few hours’ drive from the cosmopolitan centers of Mumbai and Pune, and offers guests an ideal getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Le Méridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa features 122 stylishly appointed guestrooms and suites, all complemented with private balconies that offer expansive views of the surrounding natural scenery.

The resort has diverse F&B options. Latest Recipe, the interactive all day dining restaurant, features a mix of international, Asian and local cuisine. Chingari, the Indian specialty restaurant, offers some of the most diverse flavours and fiery preparations of Northern India. The pool-side restaurant, Plunge Bar, allows guests to savour canapés and sublime blends and spirits, while Longitude 73 transforms from a casual coffee house by day to a vibrant social scene in the evening.

Other facilities of the resort include the Explore Spa by Le Méridien with eight treatment rooms, including a hammam bath treatment room and a vichy shower treatment room. The well-equipped fitness centre along with both a lagoon style swimming pool and a rooftop infinity pool make for the ideal rejuvenating experience. The resort also offers 250 square metres of banqueting space including a ballroom, four meeting rooms and a well-appointed business centre. The serene outdoor venues provide for inspiring spaces for meetings and events.

India Holiday Report 2015 Kuoni– SOTC has revealed the findings of its India Holiday Report 2015. The study was conducted by Nielsen with 900+ Indians across six cities, which are Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai. The respondents were in the age group of 25 to 60 years. The endeavour of the study is to understand the mindset and behaviour of the Indian travellers towards holidays.

Speaking on the report launch, Vishal Suri, CEO — Tour Operating, Kuoni India said, “At Kuoni-SOTC, it has been always our endeavour to continuously offer great value to our customers and cater to their needs. The insights from this study will further help us move in this direction towards making holidays

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a priority for Indians.”

According to the findings of the study, 96 percent of the respondents believed that holidays were important.

The study reveals that international and domestic holidays are looked at as an investment for an experience that no material pursuit can provide. 15 percent respondents rated holidays higher than clothes & electronic gadgets.

Most respondents said that they planned and saved money for their dream vacation. According to the study, almost 64 percent respondents stated that they saved money for their holidays. Credit cards has turned out to be the next preferred option as it gives the respondent the space to pay for the trip in installments for a small interest.

The Indian traveller is cost sensitive.

One of the traits that set many Indian travellers apart is their preference for Indian cuisines, even when they are abroad. These factors are being revealed in the exhaustive study. In this study, 81 percent of respondents who chose group holiday, chose it because of their cost-effectiveness while 68 percent of respondents who chose group holiday, chose it for their inclination towards home food. 87 percent of respondents in Delhi and 73 percent of respondents in Ahmedabad selected ‘Indian Food’ as the decisive factor for opting for group holidays.

The study shows that 83 percent respondents took up to 20 days of leave annually.

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Appoi ntment

Hotel Business Review

Neeraj Govil

Marriott International has appointed Neeraj Govil as the Market Vice-President for South Asia. Prior to this appointment, Govil was the General Manager at the Shanghai Marriott Hotel City Centre, China. Govil will be responsible for creating and executing a strategic road map that will focus on establishing brand positioning and effectively expanding market share of the Marriott’s portfolio in South Asia. With over 14 years in the hospitality sector, Govil brings a wealth of international experience and expertise to the table spanning across several disciplines including operations, marketing strategy and business development.

Vishal Atreya

Chef Vishal Atreya is the newly appointed Executive Chef at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar. He brings over 16 years of experience in the industry. He has expertise in fast paced environment and high volume operations with multiple styles of service. Chef Vishal began his culinary journey with Taj. He has explored various cuisines across the globe, thereby enhancing his culinary repertoire. Over the years, he gained thorough knowledge of different cuisines; learnt to cater to large banquets and also spearheaded operations across bars, lounges and fine dining restaurants in his remarkable culinary journey. During his tenures, Chef Vishal was responsible for several kitchen operations at many prestigious hospitality properties.

Roshan Rajpal

Novotel Hyderabad Airport has appointed Roshan Rajpal as the Executive Assistant Manager for Marketing. Roshan comes with an experience of 24 years in the industry and has a passion for marketing and sales. Her last tenure was the head of Sales and Marketing at Novotel Bengaluru Techpark.

At Novotel Hyderabad Airport, Roshan will be responsible for overlooking the marketing and sales activities and making sure that the same runs smoothly. She will also be looking after hotel’s marketing strategies and plans. In her career of 24 years she has worked with brands like IHG, Carlson, Accor, etc.

Sandipan Bose

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Golden Tulip Hotels South Asia, part of the international hospitality chain, Louvre Hotels Group, has announced the appointment of Sandipan Bose as the General Manager, Golden Tulip Chattarpur. In his new role as the General Manager, he will be responsible for overseeing the hotel operations, maximising revenue generation of the hotel, and training and leading a team of department heads.

Sandipan comes with 18 years of

experience in the hospitality industry. He has experience of working with renowned brands like Carlson Rezidor and ITC Hotels Ltd. He began his career in hospitality in 1998 as a Management Trainee for Hotel Golkonda. In the past, he was also associated with Park Plaza, Noida and Radisson Blu Hotel Noida as Food and Beverage Manager.

Ashwani K. Goela

Ashwani Goela has joined as the General Manager of Crowne Plaza Jaipur Tonk Road, which will become operational in November 2015. His key role will include overseeing the complete operations and ensuring the hotel is set up for successful launch. Goela’s earlier tenure was with Crowne Plaza New Delhi Okhla, where he was working as an Executive Assistant Manager. He has experience of working with many prestigious hotels like Crowne Plaza Gurgaon and Radisson Delhi among others. Goela brings a wealth of industry knowledge in the upscale and business travel segments.

Sutee Sripichean

JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh has appointed Chef Sutee Sripichean as the new Thai Chef at the hotel. In his current role, Chef Sripichean will oversee the Thai food preparations at JW Marriott Hotel Chandigarh and shall play a vital role in bringing the authentic Thai flavours to the hotel’s guests. He plans to bring an undiluted Thai-style dining experience for the guests at the hotel.

Chef Sripichean brings almost seventeen years of experience in various luxury hotels and resorts along with him. He began his career with Seapearl Beach Resort in Thailand. In his last assignment, he was working with Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort as Chef De Cuisine.

Liam Crotty

Hyatt Regency Gurgaon has appointed Chef Liam Crotty as its Executive Chef.

Passionate about cooking, the dynamic Chef is a connoisseur of culinary arts from across the globe. Prior to joining Hyatt Regency Gurgaon, Liam was a part of the pre-opening team at Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights. He has over 18 years of professional experience.

Chef Liam joined the Hyatt family in 2008, at the award winning Manhattan Grill Restaurant and Market Café in Grand Hyatt Dubai.

In 2009, he was promoted as the Chef De Cuisine at The Kitchen Restaurant of Hyatt Regency Dubai. This was followed in May 2012 by a move to Park Hyatt Maldives, as the Executive Chef of the only resort property of the Park Hyatt. brand.

His innate understanding of food allows him to adopt delicacies from different cultures and adapt them according to the Indian tastes and sensibilities.

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Hotel Business Review

A Platform to Facilitate Purchasing in Hospitality

By Swarnendu Biswas

F

or many years, a growing need for a association of purchasing professionals was felt in the Indian hospitality industry, which can facilitate disseminating relevant information and knowledge among the players across this fraternity, which in turn can help better manage the costs of procurement among hospitality properties in the long-run and prevent the vendors to take the hotels for a ride.

In this context, the formation of Purchasing Professionals ForumIndia on 31st October 2015, a fraternity of purchasing professionals across India’s HORECA sector, was commendable. The newly formed association would serve as a platform to develop the skills of its members and facilitate the purchasing and procurement services associated with the Indian hospitality industry. The launch of the association at Le Meridien New Delhi attracted the presence of stalwarts from the Indian hospitality industry.

Purchasing and procurement are crucial elements of the hospitality industry. From toiletries to lifts, and from flooring to food & beverage ingredients, the role of procurement in hotels and resorts is almost omnipresent. The right purchase can keep the quality of hospitality properties high and keep the costs in check.

But optimum purchasing and procurement which often entails maximum possible efficiency at minimum possible investment can be a hugely challenging task. Even making decent purchases

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and procurement which can accrue profitability to the hospitality properties concerned in the long-run, is not a cakewalk. They involve sourcing the right products through vendors and their products’ comparative evaluation and skilful negotiation of contracts. They require market research, judgement and negotiation skills.

“The need for such an association was long felt in the industry but somehow it never got materialised before,” observed Rattan Keswani, the Deputy Managing Director, Lemon Tree Hotels, who praised this initiative without any reservations.

He lamented that the purchase and procurement department of hospitality properties seldom came into limelight but often the purchasing and procurement personnel of hospitality properties were the first to get the flak if something went wrong with the equipment/s and other product/s of those properties.

“Formation of this association has the potential to eventually bring in more transparency among the hospitality properties and their vendors, both in the construction and day-today operations of the properties, affirmed Naveen Jain, President, Duet India Hotels.

According to Jain, about 30-35 percent of cost in development and operations of hotels can be saved if the purchase department of hotels is well informed and knowledgeable.

Besides bringing in more transparency among hotels and their vendors, PPFI would be an added advantage for the purchasing managers in hospitality properties to locate the right products and getting the right suppliers. Especially for the new purchasing personnel in this industry, this association can be greatly helpful. “For example, let us assume there is a common product which is needed across a hundred hotels, for which there are a number of vendors trying to crack the market. Now sharing the information pertaining to various vendors of the product, comparing the quality offered by them, and sharing their prices quoted for that given product among purchasing professionals of this association will greatly facilitate those hospitality properties with these professionals are engaged with to get the best possible product at the minimum possible price among the various choices being offered,” explained Amarjit S Ahuja, President, Purchasing Professionals Forum — India.

Moreover, according to Amarjit, the association can help the professionals by sharing knowledge about how to effectively negotiate with the vendors. “One can say this is our way of giving back to the industry,” stated Amarjit, who is also the Director of Procurement, Le Meridien New Delhi.

Already PPFI has 120 members. However, at present the reach of the association is within north India only. “We would go for a pan-India presence after two years,” informed Amarjit.

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Hotel Business Review

RCI Plans to Expand its Indian Presence

By Swarnendu Biswas RCI’s annual timeshare conference, FastForward 2015, was held at Agra during 6th-7th October 2015. The conference was hosted at Jaypee Palace Hotel and Convention Centre, Agra.

Offering its 3.8 million members the ability to exchange their timeshare interval within its network of more than 4,500 affiliated resorts across the globe, RCI remains the leader in vacation exchange, offering the world’s largest vacation exchange network.

Founded in 1974, RCI is a division of Wyndham Worldwide. Wyndham Worldwide Corporation is the holding company for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, RCI and other lodging brands.

One of the world’s largest hospitality companies, Wyndham Worldwide provides a wide range of hospitality services and products through its global portfolio of world-renowned brands.

The above-mentioned event attracted about 200 delegates and the participation of the top management from the Wyndham Worldwide group.

The event was an ideal platform for resort owners, hoteliers, timeshare marketing professionals and industry body representatives to interact with the 22

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senior leaders of Wyndham Worldwide— to share, learn, and collaborate on ideas for a lucrative timeshare business in India.

The conference began at Jaypee Palace Convention Centre in Agra, with the traditional lighting of the lamp and a welcome note to the delegation. The conference included presentation by Steve Holmes, the Chairman & CEO, Wyndham Worldwide, who addressed the gathering explaining why India is such an important market for Wyndham & RCI. This was followed by a talk by Sean Lowe, Managing Director, RCI Europe Middle-East Africa and India, who spoke on ‘Destination India.’ In his presentation, Pali Badwal, Managing Director, RCI India Pvt. Ltd., explored the timeshare market in India, and talked about the untapped potential of the evolving, technologically-savvy Indian consumer. Gordon Gurnik, President, RCI, spoke on the evolution of RCI products, technology and the customer experience.

The other highlights of the day-long conference on 7th October included a roundtable Q&A session, where Wyndham management and industry leaders discussed investment and growth

opportunities for the travel industry.

The Chairman’s Round Table panel discussion was conducted by Gail Mandel, President and CEO, Wyndham Exchange & Rentals. The topic of discussion among the panellists included the next phase of timeshare in the future of travel and tourism. The conference was followed by a glittering award ceremony, in which seven Indian resorts won prestigious titles awarded by RCI. Though timeshare is a nascent concept for Indian travellers, it is gaining gradual understanding and acceptance across the country. No wonder, RCI is showing impressive growth potential in the Indian market.

During the two-day-long seminar, I had the opportunity for a discussion with Gail Mandel regarding RCI’s presence in India. Here it deserves a mention that Wyndham Exchange & Rentals is the global leader in vacation exchange and the largest provider of professionally managed vacation rentals, providing annually more than 5 million leisure-bound families with access to approximately 110,000 vacation properties in over 100 countries, through its prominent exchange and vacation rental brands. According to

Focus

Hotel Business Review

Gail Mandel

Stephen P. Holmes

her, at present RCI is affiliated with 130 hospitality properties within the country, which is expected to increase to 170 by 2018. The properties within RCI’s timeshare ambit in India include a varied range of hospitality properties, which include five-star, four-star and three-star hotels and resorts.

“With a renewed focus on travel and a growing middle class, India is becoming one of the fastest growing travel markets in the world,” said Stephen P. Holmes.

“We are excited to see that Indian travellers are embracing timeshare,” aired Holmes. “The vacation ownership segment is a powerful and growing driver of tourism in India and thanks to the continued efforts of RCI, of our affiliated resorts, and of our industry partners, timeshare providers today are delivering great experiences for guests and are creating memorable vacation experiences for owners who keep coming back year after year,” he added further.

“With India’s middle class population expected to reach 200 million by 2020, the country has huge potential for timeshare business. Even if we could tap one percent of this 200 million into timeshare, the business potential of RCI from India seems huge,” proffered Gail.

Already the indications of such impressive potential are getting evident.

“RCI has experienced approximately 40 percent growth in its affiliations in India since the beginning of 2012,” informed Pali S Badwal. However, here it deserves a mention that RCI has presence in India since 1990. Pali opined that the desire among Indians to travel for leisure had experienced an exponential increase during the recent times,

which again could augur an impressive growth for RCI’s network in India.

One of the reasons for this appreciable rise in inclination for leisure travel among Indians during the recent years, according to Pali, happens to be the marked improvements in road and air infrastructure. Presently RCI has tie-up with 60 companies in India. Prominent among them are brands like Sterling, Mahindra, Toshali Resorts and Jaypee.

Especially, in an inflation-prone market like that of India’s, timeshare products are expected to be competitive because the person, according to Pali “is investing on timeshare at present price level, which will be valid for 25 years or more.”

Recent expansion of RCI in India includes the addition of Treat Resort in Silvassa, Mirasol Water Park & Resort in Daman, and Ananta Spa & Resorts in Udaipur to its impressive portfolio. As far as the company’s Indian expansion goes, it is worth noting that RCI has expanded its footprint during recent years in markets such as Kerala, Assam, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh. “We

Pali S Badwal giving an invigorating talk

Gordon Gurnik

have future expansion plans in Gangtok in Sikkim, and in Jammu & Kashmir, Pondicherry, Kerala and Goa,” disclosed Pali.

“With the improvement in the security situation in the state and with more numbers of people exploring this picturesque destination, J&K is now very much on our agenda, as far as expanding our footprints in India is concerned,” he asserted. He also informed RCI’s endeavour to tap the pilgrimage destinations in the country.

According to him, last year, people from 66 countries came to RCI’s affiliated properties in India.

RCI’s resort selection, according to Pali, is done while taking into account both location as well as facilities. This right combination of location and facilities may differ from property to property. RCI’s involvement with its affiliated hospitality properties in India has been fairly extensive. “We may give the relevant ideas towards developing a future affiliated hospitality property from the scratch or we may enter into an affiliation with an existing hospitality property, and advise the owner or the management of the property on relevant additions/alterations to the property, in order to get the desired RCI branding,” the corporate honcho elaborated.

He admitted that sometimes, the affiliated property with RCI India doesn’t require any additions or alterations and everything fits well. He also pointed out, “We endeavour to educate the developers of the properties with whom we are affiliated with, about the guests’ needs and wants. We share our feedback with them on a weekly basis.”

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Hotel Business Review

Cover Story

Hospitality Gaining

Healthy Edge

A sizeable section of tourists in India these days are adhering to strict regimen for better health. Whether travelling on business or for leisure, a large number of travellers nowadays want to maintain their regular schedule of daily workout and health food.

These days, a broadening contingent of travellers is of the belief that a vacation does not only amount to utter indulgence and relaxation. For them it is more an occasion for restoration. The hotels in India are realising the aspirations of these new-age tourists and have taken steps to meet their objectives and desires.

In the past, a modest hotel gym was enough to satisfy the health requirements of most guests. Today, however, hotels in India are competing for patrons who are savvy when it comes to issues of physical and nutritional health.

They are also more demanding of hygienic environment than they were before. Many tourists are now opting for hotels which cater to their goals of health and hygiene. Ashok Malkani, in this first part of the article, discusses how hotels and resorts in the country are meeting their guests’ evolved health and hygiene demands.

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H

ealth and fitness are becoming the most endearing words for the tourists in India these days.

Irrespective of age or sex, the guests are becoming conscious of maintaining their physical well-being. No wonder, health and wellness have become more than a trend in the Indian hospitality industry.

Nowadays spas and gyms are being revamped to meet the high aspirations of these health savvy travellers.

This is in fact, a global trend. A report from the US states that several hotels have started having fitness themed rooms to cater to this segment. Fitness centers have become brand standard for many hotels. So has the hotels’ offering of healthy options in their food and beverage outlets. However, several hotel brands have taken things to the next level, offering everything from hotel rooms that alleviate altitude sickness to showers with vitamin-infused water.

In India, hotels are now not only catering to the health conscious guests by having a gym and spa but also by offering healthy food and clean and hygienic rooms.

For the Health and Fitness Conscious “In today’s business climate, where the guests are more health conscious, the hotels have learnt to address their health and wellness needs. The guests’ demands for health and wellness are being heeded, ranging from a well-equipped gym to a healthy menu. Hotels are now

experimenting to measure up to the guests’ aspirations. Sofitel Mumbai BKC supports the health conscious guests in many ways,” affirmed Manoj Chauhan, Wellness Manager of Sofitel Mumbai BKC. Sofitel has created So FIT, the brand’s trademark fitness label, which works around the busy traveller’s hectic schedule. So FIT fitness centre offers a blend of performance and freedom of use, bringing the latest exercise technology.

Sofitel Mumbai BKC is also characterised by De-Light Menu.

Presenting a gastronomic adventure in healthy eating, new low-calorie menu items have been introduced in the restaurants, banquet and event options, as well as in room service menus at the hotel. The offering is also a part of Sofitel’s international menu and is available all across the globe. The De-

Light menu items like Roasted Red Pepper Shots (33 calories), Vietnamese Spring Rolls (81 calories), Low Carb Mini Veggie Pizza (96 calories), Strawberry and Lemon Panna Cotta (133 calories) and more, place an emphasis on the freshness and highlight the relationship between food and well-being .

“Sofitel Mumbai BKC has also supported events which cater to and encourage the health conscious individuals, namely the Cycle2Work initiative to encourage commuters to ride to work and the Mobiefit application launch which trains one to run to stay fit,” explained Chauhan.

“Being health conscious has been an ever-growing phenomenon. As we are a business hotel, most of our guests live out of their suitcases. Being a home away from home we take care to provide simple, oil free, home cooked food for our patrons. Besides this, the healthy drink section in our breakfast has always been doing well, providing a power packed start to the day. Pune has the advantage of some great organic vegetable produce which we promote though our cyclic menus,” Sahdev Mehta, GM, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pune – Chinchwad, disclosed.

Sumit Kant, VP & General Manager, Four Points by Sheraton, Vashi, Mumbai declared, “Nowadays guests are becoming extremely cautious about their food habits. Today’s travellers are health conscious. Many of the guests are carb conscious and are looking for low fat, low cholesterol menus.” Moreover, many a time the length of the stay is long and thus the guests don’t want to miss out on their healthy habits.

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“Our cooking is always with low fat and less oil. There are some healthy items in our menu. However, we also have provision in our F & B menus and in our menu cards for any dietary requirements a guest may have. Our Chefs are welltrained in meeting the guest requests and can suggest the guest as and when required about the right healthy food,” informed Kant.

“Due to hectic work conditions and tedious lifestyle, guests staying at high-end hotels now look forward to availing fitness centre & spa facilities.

Many of them believe that it is extremely important to stay healthy. Hence the need for fitness centre & spa in hotels has increased. The five-star hotels in India are now ensuring that they have a fitness centre or a wet area facility in their hotel, to cater to the guests’ needs,” averred Anna Fernandes, Director, Quan Spa, JW Marriott Hotel Pune.

“At Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru, health and wellness are more than just a short-term indulgence. They are a way of life. Keeping this in mind, the hotel’s level 3 was designed to be a fully equipped dedicated wellness floor to cater to all its guests’ health and wellness needs. It treats guests to a variety of experiences that takes them away from their busy schedules to an environment of peace, calm and healing,” averred Patrick Lefranc, Executive Assistant Manager, F&B, Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru.

“This oasis of calm features an outdoor swimming pool and a hydro-thermal experience encompassing a steam bath, sauna and a Jacuzzi. The Wellness Floor also has a state-of-the-art gymnasium equipped with Technogym ARTIS and Arke series — the unparalleled, highestquality gym equipment,” Patrik stated further.

Sahdev Mehta

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Manoj Chauhan

Moncy Joy, Spa Manager, Goa Marriott Resort & Spa informed, “The awareness towards health and wellness in the country is growing immensely, thereby creating a market for hotels that cater to the health conscious guests. The Goa Marriott Resort & Spa offers an impressive gym and a five- star fitness workshop for guests. As more and more people look to improve their lives through a healthy routine, hotel industry players are working to make sure that routine isn’t broken when people travel. The resort offers Circuit Training Class, an intensive whole body work-out performed with weights. Personal Fitness Training Development, motivating a one-to-one coaching, is undertaken to help you reach your personal health and fitness goals.”

“It is true that health awareness among the guests is increasing and we make sure that our hotel is constantly adapting new techniques to cater to the needs of our guests. We offer a wide range of health cuisine to our guests.

We tell our guests that if they desire we can design a specialised nutritious food menu especially for them, during their stay. We have facilities like gym, spa, sauna, steam, yoga, doctor’s consultation, nutrition consultation, hypnotherapy, pranic healing, which our guests could avail during their stay. We have exclusively designed a detox package named ‘Detox Detur’ for those of our guests, who are very wellness conscious.

Wellness is an important aspect which our brand believes in; and we make sure that we offer best wellness services to our guests,” elaborated Dr. Arjita Kumari, Spa Manager at Alila Diwa Goa. “Hyatt Pune offers unique de-stressing options such as daily complimentary yoga sessions. The in-house doctor is a

certified Reiki Master and offers Chakra Balancing, Crystal Healing and Reiki sessions. In addition to all this, our allday dining restaurant, Eighty Eight, and room service menus carry healthy balance menu options. For the diet conscious off the menu requests are also taken. We have a guest preference data base shared between all Hyatt hotels and we use that to our benefit in delighting the guest, and we are able to cater to them before they ask,” revealed Shul Ambwani – Front Office and Spa Manager at the Hyatt Pune.

Spa for Wellness Today, spas have graduated to become integral part of hospitality in five-star hotels across the globe. Many of the five-star hotels are equipped with designer spas which enable guests staying with them to indulge in various wonderful spa therapies. Resorts and hotels are joining the trend of health spa development; some resorts are even offering wellness services which were till recently offered by destination spas. In India, yoga and yogic massages have also become a part of spa treatment.

Patrick Lefranc declared, “Wellness is considered with a holistic approach nowadays. At Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru, we are happy to introduce Shangri-La’s signature CHI, The Spa, for the first time in India. With an array of treatment rooms, including VIP suites for couples, CHI’s service staff are fully trained and dedicated to cater to every need of the guests. CHI treats its guests to an ethereal healing experience using the vital forces of Ayurvedic science, inspired by the traditional Indian healing philosophies; designed to restore balance and harmony to the mind and body.”

“In traditional Chinese philosophy,

Shul Ambwani

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Anna Fernandes

ch’i or qi is the universal life force that governs well-being and personal vitality.

To maintain good health, it is believed that ch’i must flow freely within the body. CHI draws its inspiration from the origins of the Shangri-La legend, a place of personal peace, enchantment and wellbeing,” he pointed out further.

“With a dedicated Ayurveda room, CHI at our hotel offers a host of Ayurvedic treatments, such as Udhwartana, Shirodhara, Pinda Sweda and more,” articulated Patrick.

He went on to inform that CHI also offers a host of facials, such as the Radiance Facial that stimulates circulation, eliminates toxins and brightens the skin; and massages, including the Swedish Massage or the Indian Head Massage – all of which are specially designed and customised for all guest needs. “In its opulent treatment rooms, CHI brings together different wellness cultures through its array of treatments, ranging from the Philippines’ Hilot to India’s Ayurveda and China’s Tuina,” iterated Patrick.

“A spa adds to the wellness facilities of a hotel. We have the So Spa which is a brand standard across all Sofitels around the globe. The music and aroma have also been standardised. The So Spa in Mumbai has recently become a 24 hour offering. On a dedicated floor sprawling over 6,000 square feet, the spa comprises six treatment rooms. Of these, one is the exclusive couple’s spa area with a private Jacuzzi and more,” disclosed Chauhan.

The So Spa treatments draw inspiration from a French restaurant menu. The Starters & Desserts last for 30 minutes, the Main Course lasts between 30 to 90 minutes. There are a few specials and menu suggestions that last up to 150 30

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minutes per treatment. So Spa promises a unique personal experience — original music and exclusive signature treatments, with products from Gemology, a famous French brand that is entering the Indian market for the first time.

Anna informed that at the Quan Spa (Quan means a source of pure water in Chinese) at the JW Marriott Pune they have a range of treatments to offer. “These comprise of Ayurvedic treatments, western treatments, body scrubs, body wraps, bath therapies, facials & day packages, etc. We also have a fitness centre, pool facility, steam, sauna & Jacuzzi with locker facilities,” she proffered.

“Spas are becoming popular with the health conscious guests. They are becoming a key factor in choosing a hotel. Business travellers are increasingly looking for a place to de-stress from the hectic agenda between meetings. It is not enough anymore to have a fully equipped gym where they can follow their daily fitness routine without missing on their work out. A solid spa treatment is also required by them, which lets their body and mind regenerate from their busy schedule,” opined Mehta.

“At DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pune - Chinchwad we have a full service luxury spa with five treatment rooms and a salon. Our guests enjoy a large variety of treatments at Aristo, our spa and salon,” he added further.

“According to me, spa services for the guest rejuvenation is extremely necessary.

The spa is a serene sanctuary featuring luxurious treatment rooms where you can pamper yourself with a relaxing full body massage, clarifying or detoxing facial, warm herbal wrap or body glow scrub.

Steam rooms and Jacuzzi in the spa help

Sumit Kant

Dr. Arjita Kumari

to relax and ease the tension of the day,” opined Joy. “Spa services can help guests to cope better with stress, soothes sore joints and muscles, and facilitates to simply feel better. Most of the spa treatments are anti-ageing. They help to detoxify the body and improve blood circulation, giving you a sense of renewal. Spa treatments focus on nourishing and stimulating the skin and pleasing the senses,” affirmed Arjita. “At our spa, at the Alila Diwa Goa, we offer a wide range of wellness services like holistic treatments across the globe,” she pointed out further.

“At the Four Points by Sheraton, Vashi, Mumbai we offer the services of Aristo Spa, which is the brand of Serena Spa. They have spas across India and overseas. Our spa provides blissful and deep tissue massage and also Thai Yoga massage. We also provide body scrub, body wraps and facials. We have unique red rice and detox massage also,” proffered Kant.

“Spa is an important offering of a full service hotel. The awareness and importance towards wellness have grown across the country. Spa not only gives an option for the guest to relax & rejuvenate but also makes it an important revenue generating outlet for the hotel. Spa has become an important service offering for our guests, especially for the guests who stay long and for the leisure travellers,” iterated Ambwani.

“Hyatt Pune has one of the best spas and pools in the city. Our spa offers both western and Ayurvedic therapies.

There are separate treatment rooms for Ayurvedic, western and Couple therapies.

Attached to the spa is the vitality pool and gym. Swimming lessons are provided

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by our coach. All in-house guests have access to these areas. We also offer memberships for the pool and gym to local residents,” he elaborated further.

Holistic Fitness Solutions Besides spa, another amenity that the health conscious travellers staying in highend hotels and resorts are demanding is the gym. The most important aspect of keeping fit, particularly for the younger generation, is the daily workout at the gym. Gyms are, thus, becoming a necessity for high-end hotels in India to stay relevant and competitive in the current market. This is mainly due to a paradigm shift in the mentality of people and in their belief of how important it is to stay fit.

Most of the high-end hotels in India have a gym. In fact, some of them have also introduced a treadmill in some rooms for the convenience of their guests. This measure however has potential danger for heart patients with adventurous streak.

The heart patients are advised to use the treadmill only under the guidance of a medically qualified person.

Ambwani disclosed that Hyatt Pune had a fully equipped 24 hour gym. He pointed out, “Our gym has a personal trainer. The gym comes with the latest cardio machines and free weights.

The instructor guides the guests with workouts and gives health tips. He also offers coaching services to the guests and members but does not give any guidance on heart problems or other ailments.”

Speaking about gym equipment in hotel rooms he said, “There are concepts of workout or fitness equipment in hotel rooms that can be a boon for frequent business travellers or fitness enthusiasts.

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Patrick Lefranc

These rooms come equipped with your choice of treadmill or stationary bike, plus extras such as yoga mat, resistance tubing, a stability ball, jump rope, and other options to meet the diversified needs of fitness enthusiasts.”

“However, every hotel should have a disclaimer for using gym equipment and thus should have a policy in place along with the facility of providing fitness equipment in rooms. When providing fitness equipment in rooms it is most important to have a source of fresh air and thus a balcony becomes an important aspect. However, all hotels cannot provide the same due to the design factors. It may not be safe to have guests unattended with fitness equipment. Besides the stateof-the-art equipment and ambience of a professional gym may be missed by the guest in the room,” Ambwani analysed further.

“Our hotel has a 24 hour wellequipped fitness center and an instructor is onsite to assist our guests in their workout. The safety of our guests is our number one priority so it is more than obvious that only very well skilled and certified instructors are being employed

for this position. They are fitness experts and recommend the guests the appropriate exercise schedule and also assist in diet modifications,” asserted Mehta.

“Four Points by Sheraton, Vashi, Mumbai has a large gym of around 2800 sq ft. It has a tie-up with Mickey Mehta Wellness Temple. All our instructors and fitness therapists are trained and certified.

We also have in-house nutritionist and physiotherapist who visit the gym regularly. We also provide yoga sessions and have concept of equipment free exercise,” informed Kant.

As far as introducing fitness equipment in hotel rooms is concerned he said, “To my knowledge certain hotels do this. I think that if the hotel has no round the clock gym then this can be an alternative solution. As far as the installation of a treadmill in rooms is concerned, I think it is not advisable to have it in the hotel rooms as often there is no proper guidance on how to use it, which can put in risk the guests’ health.” “We do not follow the policy of providing fitness equipment in rooms,” he asserted while discussing the idea of installing fitness equipment in hotel rooms.

“Our gym has a fitness instructor and our spa has a doctor. If someone needs any guidance or any consultation she/ he could take help from the doctor and accordingly, the right kind of fitness activity would be advised to the guest,” put forward Arpita. “Personally, I would not recommend the use of gym machines like treadmill without the proper guidance of an instructor,” she aired.

“The gym in our hotel, Goa Marrriott Resort & Spa has certified trainers who are well qualified to guide the guest to a safe workout. We don’t encourage any guest suffering from heart ailment or some other aliment for a workout but we suggest guest for doctor’s assistance since we do not have any qualified doctor in the hotel,” averred Joy. “At Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru, we have a 24 hour gymnasium with the best in line Technogym Artis and Arke series of equipment. This equipment is designed to guide users even in the absence of trainers. ‘My Wellness Cloud’ allows users to access their exercise regime through Technogym online account; through Artis machines,” affirmed Patrick Lefranc.

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Hotel Business Review

“We have a fitness centre which has certified fitness trainers. When a guest visits our hotel’s fitness centre, the trainers immediately offer assistance and try to gauge the guest’s purpose of using the facility. If a guest has a medical history, the trainers advise the guest to avoid certain exercises and accordingly, guide her/him on using the right form of exercise. In case of senior citizen guests, the trainers ensure that they are with those guests throughout the exercise,” stated Anna. “I feel that it is not advisable for guests to use gym equipment, if it is provided in the hotel room, without guidance,” she opined.

“Sofitel Mumbai BKC has the So Fit fitness center, which is an unconventionally elegant space, with a 4.6 metres high ceiling and natural light streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. So Fit is a wonderful blend of form and function, marrying elegant art-deco design with the latest exercise technology. The fully-equipped fitness zone comes with state-of-the-art cardio

Moncy Joy

machines, Spinning area, Kinesis Wall, free weights and more, to ensure that the guest can pick from an array of fitness options. So Fit outlet at our hotel has 14 machines (four high-tech treadmills, two power-cycles, one cross-trainer, five spinning bikes, one vario and one wavemachine). The Kinesis Wall is a unique functional fitness station. It offers you a total workout, enabling 360-degree body movements. Guests can also request for

personal yoga sessions. So Fit attempts to move beyond just a fitness area and offers fitness and harmony of the body and the mind,” elaborated Chauhan.

Delving on fitness equipment in the rooms he added, “It is an additional facility that hotels offer to their guests.

We have added fitness equipment in the Imperial Suite. Most travellers and guests today are technology savvy and know how to operate the fitness equipment as they are easy to use. If guests require help from a fitness trainer, we are happy to support and guide them.”

So for the health conscious travellers, the high-end hotels and resorts in India offer ample scope to carry on their health regimen even while they are away from home.

But that is not all that hotels and resorts in India are offering in terms of health requirement of their guests.

They also offer a variety of health food and hygienic environs to keep you hale and hearty. Read more about this in our next issue. n

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Sept-Oct ’15

33

Business

Hotel Business Review

Vend

Your Way With the growth of the Indian hospitality industry, the sales of the suppliers/vendors to the Indian hospitality industry have also received an impetus. The hotels need furniture and furnishings, kitchen equipment, towels, linen, toiletries and also regular supply of raw materials for preparation of meals and bakery items, and a numerous other things.

However, it may be mentioned that the five-star hotels have stringent measures of quality control which the suppliers need to adhere to. There are several other requirements which the new suppliers to hotels must also know. Ashok Malkani, in the first part of the story, delves on the requirement of the suppliers for supplying in high-end hotels. He also explores the criteria adopted by various hotels for choosing their cutlery and dinnerware, in choosing their suppliers, and also talks about the random checks adopted by hotels from time to time for keeping a tab on the suppliers’ quality.

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Business

Hotel Business Review

T

he Indian tourism and hospitality industry is one of the important drivers of growth in India’s services sector. The Indian hotel industry has been seeing a steady growth, with the growth in tourism. This has resulted in impressive growth potential for suppliers and vendors across Indian hotels and resorts. Moreover, in India, the tourism and hospitality sector is among the top 15 sectors as far as attracting foreign direct investment is concerned.

This also augurs well for the growth of the vendors and suppliers to the hospitality properties in India.

The increasing number of hotels in India will definitely need a spurt in hotel supplies. Hotel supplies include a wide gamut of products such as furniture, catering equipment, food processing equipment, bakery equipment, refrigeration equipment, kitchen equipment, laundry equipment, luggage trolleys, room service equipment, linen, toiletries and many others.

The awesome range of products needed for the functioning of a highend hotel provides a mind-boggling business opportunity for the enterprising entrepreneurs. Several organisations have established themselves in serving the Indian hospitality industry but there is scope for more.

However, all new entrepreneurs venturing to supply their products and services to the Indian hospitality industry must understand that the Indian hospitality industry in general is very particular about the quality of the product. “Our experience with the

industry has been very good. As more and more hotels come up there are opportunities for suppliers’/vendors’ business to grow. Our company’s range of products serves a gamut of our customers’ needs, ranging from bar refrigeration to walk-in freezers/chillers.

We also supply cooking, washing and bakery requirements for hotel. Our products, being manufactured under stringent quality control measures, are easily able to meet the high standards of the industry,” said Nitin Kumar, Managing Director of Rans Tedhnocrats (India) Pvt. Ltd. Namita Jain, Managing Director of Kishco, concurred with Nitin Kumar’s views about there being ample opportunity for a supplier to do well in the Indian hospitality industry. “As far as the hospitality industry is concerned, it has been a pleasure working with this industry as they are very clear about their requirement which, in turn, makes it easy to cater to their needs. Hotels always bear two vital factors in mind while making a purchase — quality and novelty — within their price range,” expressed Namita.

But as said before, supplying to

Rahul Korgaokar

Namita Jain

Potential and Requirement

hotels, especially to high-end hotels, is full of challenges. “It may be mentioned that there is high competition in the Indian hospitality industry. Hotel brands require suppliers to follow brand standards and comply with often stringent property improvement plans and timelines. The suppliers have to keep in mind that they must not only provide high quality material but also reasonable rates,” Kumar advised.

Kishore Chainani of Durbagi’s also informed that the Indian hotel industry insists on products of superior quality.

“As far as our company is concerned, we supply linen and bathroom materials and are now expanding into supply of uniforms. We have good relations with the industry. The towels that we supply to the hotels are not only checked for the material used but even for the thread used to embroider the hotel’s logo and name. Of course, they are also tested for colour fastness,” he disclosed.

“Implementing a strategic sourcing initiative for operating supplies and equipment into a hotel’s purchasing process allows hotels’ purchasing managers to expand their budget while building strategic, long-term relationships with suppliers that ensure consistent quality and availability of the products to run daily hotel operations efficiently,” Chainani opined.

Choosing the Cutlery Cutlery is a crucial item that is required by the hotels. Choosing the hotel’s flatware often means buying knives, forks and spoons which not only blend with your establishment’s dishware, but also with your establishment as a whole.

For example, cheap mismatched hotel

Nitin Kumar

Sept-Oct ’15

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Business

Hotel Business Review

P N Chandrasekhar

flatware may work fine for a budget accommodation with a coffee shop rather than a formal dining room. If your hotel is more high-end and offers fine dining, only the most elegant, matched flatware would be acceptable.

“Hotels always look out for newer designs. Depending on the theme of the restaurant, the designs may vary between simple and clean to ornate or contemporary. Peanut nut bowl, swan nut bowl, flower and peacock nut bowl, peacock fruit plate are the unique dining offerings in tableware that stand out from the rest and thus give the diners a regal experience. Some hotels may ask for their logos to be embossed on the cutlery,” articulated Namita.

“Cutlery is used not only in food service but also in food preparation and is an essential item in the hospitality industry. As far as Kishco is concerned, we match innovation with idea to come up with a unique range of products,” she pointed out further.

“There is a niche market preferring silverware. Silverware or silver-plated cutlery is mostly used across luxury hotels and fine dining outlets. Silverplated cutlery gives a superior rich experience to the diner. At Kishco, our

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Sept-Oct ’15

Rana Chetia

silver plated flatware offering has an unblemished sheen, with a coating of up to 16 microns, which results in quality, elegance, durability and excellence. The USP of Kishco lies in its quality and craftsmanship as its products are crafted from the finest metals, ensuring durability that has become our hallmark since 1950,” she stated further.

“Selection of cutlery depends on the theme and type of restaurant. For example, the cutlery of a coffee shop is very different from that of a specialty restaurant,” asserted Rana Chetia – Housekeeping Manager, Hyatt Pune.

“The suppliers of cutlery to the hotel must adhere to the brand standards of the hotel,” he opined further.

P N Chandrasekhar, Materials Manager, Hyatt Pune declared, “In our pan-Asian restaurant Baan Tao, oval and square platters are being used. Bowls of various sizes and brass buckets are used to serve Indian cuisine in our all day dining restaurant Eighty Eight. There are fixed suppliers for all our cutlery and crockery.”

Choosing Chinaware and Glassware Dinnerware is used in every type of restaurant, which of course, includes restaurants in hotels. Choosing the right dinnerware can facilitate in giving a holistic feel to a guest’s dining experience.

From modern to traditional and bamboo to Fine China, knowing the appropriate dinnerware options you have is crucial to creating the perfect setting for a restaurant. So how do hotels maintain the standard of Chinaware?

Sahdev Mehta, GM, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pune-Chinchwad informs that hotels often ask for specific shape of glasses and china supplied to them.

Kishore Chainani

“This,” he added, “is again mandated by brand specifications, hotel’s positioning and concept of the outlet. Clarity of glassware, pitting of china, is it double coated or not, are among the various parameters considered during their procurement. Our hotel does not ask for hotel logo or name to be embossed on the cutlery. It is not contemporary and makes for a busy, cluttered plate. It is definitely not our style,” said Mehta.

“We use specific china for each outlet; glasses are standard all over. We don’t emboss our tableware,” informed Chef Mihir Kane, Courtyard by Marriott Pune City Centre.

Selection of Suppliers But how do hotels select the suppliers?

“Our suppliers are shortlisted by our Central Purchase cell that operates out of Mumbai for all Marriott India hotels.

This ensures that the quality and pricing have been checked and verified by them.

When it comes to the final selection of the brand, we choose through a balance between the quality we desire and the price that our budgets can accommodate.

Supplier specifications, other than quality and fair pricing, of course, include deliverables like time line for shipping, vendor representation in the market, etc.,” explained Rahul Korgaokar, Director of F&B, Goa Marriott Resort & Spa. “For us, quality and standards are of utmost importance in the selection of suppliers and they are not negotiable.

We always go with top-end brands and suppliers with the right track record,” pointed out Mehta.

Sumit Kant, VP & General Manager, Four Points by Sheraton, Vashi, Mumbai, stated, “We follow a stringent supplier

Business

Kiran Kumar

selection process. We look at our records for past dealings and we also choose them through exhibitions, trade directories, trade associations, recommendations, etc.

We strongly believe that suppliers are our partners. We take into account of various factors in the supplier. Some of them include reliability and responsiveness, quality and service level, delivery commitments, competitive pricing, after sales service, financial standing of the supplier, how long the supplier has been in the market and its clientele & its feedback.”

“We have a group contract with suppliers with whom we must work with.

The specifications depend on a lot of factors, such as the theme of the restaurant, the purpose of the item, etc. We always prioritise on guests’/employees’ safety. All our items are safe and eco-friendly,” Kiran Kumar, Housekeeping Head, Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru disclosed.

Patrick Lefranc- Executive Assistant Manager, F&B, Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru stated that Shangri-La as a brand had a group contract for the supplier selection. “The suppliers go through the sampling process after which the final product is shortlisted,” he affirmed.

Mihir Kane

Need for Random Checks Just pre-checking the antecedents of the suppliers is not enough for the hotels.

Nitin Kumar informed that random checks were being conducted by the hotels on the suppliers’products to ensure that the quality was maintained.

Chainani concurred with the general view that random checks are being undertaken by the hotels to ensure that the quality of the supplies does not deteriorate. “Every once in a quarter we conduct random blind checks to ensure that the quality that was desired and promised is being adhered to,” iterated Korgaokar.

“With us there are checks and balances for all hotel equipment depending on the nature and frequency of usage. F&B OE is inventoried and vetted every month by F&B / stewarding and finance department. The individual outlets maintain daily and weekly inventory too for better control,” informed Mehta.

“It is mandatory that we have random visits and checks, minimum twice a year, for suppliers of meat, fish, poultry products, milk & dairy products, vegetables and fruit suppliers, grocery suppliers, and egg suppliers. It should also be ensured that they have all the necessary licenses from the different government bodies and copies of these are also needed to be taken. With us, all linen and tablewares are chosen through sampling. We deal with international and top domestic suppliers,” averred Kant.

This may give the readers some idea about the requirements of the hotels from their suppliers, in the context of the Indian hospitality industry. For more information on other items that are needed by the hospitality industry, check n our next issue.

Sept-Oct ’15

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F&B

Hotel Business Review

The Business of Music Themed Restaurants

By Swarnendu Biswas

A

ccording to a NRAI report released in 2013, the total size of the Indian food services industry, which includes both organised and unorganised sectors, was estimated to be Rs.2,47,680 crore in 2013 and it was projected to grow to Rs.4,08,040 crore by 2018, showing a CAGR of 11 percent. There is no denying the fact that the Indian food services industry, especially in the light of increasing numbers of nuclear families, busy lifestyles and increased disposable incomes(among select but sizeable pockets of urban India), and also due to growth in travel is slated for impressive growth in the coming years. This growth of the food service business can bring increased dividends for the Indian hotel industry too as F&B is an important part of many hotels.

However, with growth competition is only expected to increase and simply increase in the size of the food service business wouldn’t necessarily mean that most of the food service outlets in India would be rolling in profits. In today’s food service business scenario in India, those stand-alone fine dining and casual dining outlets who would be able to outsmart the competition can have higher expectancy to bring in impressive profits in the short and as well as in the long-run. And one of the intelligent ways of outsmarting the competition, these days and always, have been experimentation and innovation.

In the food service business, especially the restaurant business has lots of scope for innovation. Moreover, in the present business climate, innovative restaurant models do have better possibility of garnering investment support and also better revenues in the Indian hospitality industry than conventional restaurant models.

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Innovation was always important for growth in any business in any time, but these days in the Indian restaurant business, innovation has almost become a necessity to thrive. It is because these days, guests at the restaurants in urban India are more open to experimentation than they were ever before. One can say that the Indian restaurant business can effectively tackle the nagging problem of inflation, the looming threat of recession and continued unfair taxation through infusing more creativity. Therefore, it is always better for restaurants in hotels to come up with innovative themes or uncommon marketing routes to attract impressive footfalls.

Food for the Soul New ideas can come not only through creative usage of the social media and other online mediums but also through conceiving innovative restaurant models.

One of the models which the restaurants in hotels could explore upon is the concept of music themed restaurant. The concept of a music themed restaurant has a decent possibility of getting translated into a

Harjeet Wasan

successful venture in India, as India is a music loving nation. The way popular Bollywood numbers have become part of our system can easily attest to this claim.

Music can serve as food and drink for the soul, which can complement the satiation of the palates.

Of course, it goes without saying that live musical performances by expert singers and their accompanying musicians would be the soul of the music themed restaurants. Live musical performances are nothing new in the Indian restaurant business, but the music themed restaurants should carry forward this reality more extensively. In music themed restaurants not only the cuisine and décor should gel with the music offered, but live performances with singer and her/his accompanying musicians should ideally be the feature of these restaurants through the entire hours of those restaurants’ operations. For example, a music themed restaurant which is opened from 12 pm in the afternoon to 12 am in midnight should ideally have live musical performances during these entire 12 hours. Then only it can be called a music themed restaurant in real sense.

Harjeet Wasan, Vice-President, Tux Hospitality Private Limited, which is a venture of Shipra Hotels Limited, sounded enthusiastic about the idea of music themed restaurants. “Nowadays people eat out as a form of entertainment. While they may not be coming to a restaurant for the music but when it is present music can greatly enhance the enjoyment of the guests and the quality of their time spent at the restaurant,” he observed. “Music also becomes a powerful tool to make memories with the near ones, and has the potential to induce people to come back to your bar or restaurant,” he pointed out.

F&B Praveen Patni, the Vice-President of Ambrosia Bliss, believes that in restaurants, whether they be formal fine dining ones or casual dining restaurants, live music has the possibility of being an added attraction for the guests. Here it deserves a mention that Ambrosia Bliss is a huge 280-seater restaurant or rather a restaurant complex at Connaught Place, New Delhi. However, at the same time, Patni, a veteran of the hospitality industry, feels that restaurants themed on music do have their own advantages and disadvantages. “Advantage is that music themed restaurants can stand apart from competition because here music adds to the atmosphere of dining.

However, very few restaurants can bear the costs of such arrangements and moreover, music may not be the choice of all the guests dining at a given time. Thus at the same time it becomes mandatory for the management at the ‘musical restaurants’ to make sure the guests coming there are well informed of the restaurant’s focus,” explained Patni.

He certainly has a point. The guests coming at the music themed restaurants must know beforehand that they will get to see live singers and musicians performing. If they do not like that option they may not come to the restaurant. For this the restaurants endeavouring to be music themed must do some awareness building exercises, preferably through social media, before they embark on this venture.

Of course, the music themed restaurants should have a number of expert singers and musicians on their rolls, who can work in shifts. This would of course incur an additional cost, which I don’t think the guests would be reluctant to bear, as they would get not only food and drinks but also live musical entertainment at the same place. For the guests, it could be like eating at a restaurant and enjoying a decent musical performance at the same time. Music in restaurants, in fact, can be a refreshing option for the weary business travellers staying at hotels. Like gym and spa, musical restaurants can also add to the appeal of the hotels.

Specialised or General?

It should be remembered that music covers an amazingly wide ambit, and different profile of restaurant guests may like different kinds of music. Therefore it can be more pragmatic for a hotelier to

Hotel Business Review

Praveen Patni

tailor the theme of her/his restaurant on a particular genre or school of music, which will help her/him to define and cater to her/his target profile in a more precise manner. To increase the guest attractions, focusing on two genres or schools of music can also be done.

However, Harjeet Wasan, the industry veteran, believes that a restaurant themed on music in general would have better business potential than a restaurant themed on a particular genre or school of music, such as Indian classical music, ghazals, Bollywood music, rock music, etc. It is because, as he rightly pointed out, “People select different beats and different kinds of music for different occasions and places.”

But one cannot ignore that within the ambit of a given genre or type of music, say within Bollywood music, there can be different moods of music, reflecting a diverse array of emotions. Similarly different songs of Bob Dylan or Beetles or Madonna or for that matter of Ghulam Ali may reflect different types of emotions or moods.

Yes, a restaurant themed on music in general can attract common and casual music lovers across all genres of music, but at the same time, the outlet may discourage an aficionado or connoisseur of rock if she/he gets to hear ghazals time

It should be remembered that music covers an amazingly wide ambit, and different profile of restaurant guests may like different kinds of music.

Therefore it can be more pragmatic for a hotelier to tailor the theme of her/ his restaurant on a particular genre or school of music, which will help her/ him to define and cater to her/his target profile in a more precise manner.

and again in her/his first two visits at the restaurant. In that case, she/he may be reluctant to chose the restaurant for her/his future visits.

But despite the flip side to it, a general music themed restaurant can cater to casual music lovers and can be a good business option. However, it is always pragmatic for a general music themed restaurant to be a multi-cuisine one.

Its décor can easily showcase musical instruments and photos of music maestros across all genres, but if it goes for a specialised cuisine, then that cuisine will not gel with general and varied genres of music dished out at the restaurant.

The debate over the specialised music themed and general music themed restaurant can be settled by introducing the idea of restaurant complexes, having two-three different restaurants of 80-100 cover each within its ambit. In that one restaurant can focus on say ghazals, the other on say Bollywood music and the third on say rock.

Of course, sound proof walls between the different musical themed restaurants in such a restaurant complex would be mandatory in such a scenario. There is no denying the fact that a musical restaurant complex like this would be an expensive affair, and only players with deep pockets can venture into this exercise. The five-star hotels in India can introduce the idea of restaurant complexes within their precincts to attract the connoisseurs of varied musical genres. In fact, these high-end and huge hotels are more likely to have the requisite financial muscle to undertake the endeavour of restaurant complexes as compared to a stand-alone restaurant or restaurant chain.

Mood and its Costs One of the challenges of running a music themed restaurant is to cater to different moods. The varying moods within a particular genre of music or different genres of music can be accommodated across different time periods.

For example, let us assume a music themed restaurant opens at 12 pm in the noon and closes at 12 am in the midnight.

From 12 pm to 6 pm there can be soft numbers, and from 6pm to 8pm there can be a mix of both soft and fast numbers, and from 8pm to 12 pm, only fast numbers can prevail. This way the guests can visit the restaurant suiting their given

Sept-Oct ’15

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F&B

Hotel Business Review

frame of mind, provided they are aware of the changing mood of music in that restaurant, during a given day.

Ambience and Decor The ambience and décor of the music themed restaurants should also be ideally different from the ambience and décor of a regular restaurant. Visuals of musical instruments and visuals of important musical luminaries should ideally be part of their décor. For specialised musical restaurants, visuals of those musical luminaries should be part of the décor who cater to that given genre or type of music that the restaurant chooses to highlight.

For example, a restaurant focusing on ghazals should ideally have large photos of maestros like Ghulam Ali, Mehdi Hassan, Jagjit Singh and Talat Aziz as part of the décor, whereas a restaurant focussed on western pop music in general (western pop music has several genres within its ambit) can have photos of global musical icons like John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Pete Seegar, John Denver, Elvis Presley, Madonna and Britney Spears as part of its décor. It is better if life sized photos of the musical performances of the maestros and divas or their rare photographs are depicted on the walls of the restaurant.

Of course, it goes without saying that in restaurants focused on the theme of a given genre or type or school of music, the main cuisine should be in most cases gel with the music. For example, a restaurant focused on the theme of ghazals should have an emphasis on Mughlai cuisine, whereas a restaurant focused on the theme of Jazz or Rock, can have emphasis on continental cuisine. Similarly, a restaurant focusing on Bollywood music can have emphasis on contemporary Indian cuisine or a music themed restaurant in a Kolkata hotel focusing on the songs of Tagore and modern Bengali songs should ideally emphasise on authentic Bengali cuisine.

However, in this regard some careful consideration needs to be given. In this globalised world, it is risky to pigeonhole tastes. There is no guarantee that a person loving Rock and Roll and swearing by Elvis Presley would not have fascination for biryanis. Similarly, a Bollywood aficionado may love her/his dish of salmon or foie gras.

Therefore, it would make smart business sense for a ghazal themed restaurant to have emphasis on Mughlai cuisine, but also offer multi-cuisine options 40

Sept-Oct ’15

The music themed restaurants should have a number of expert singers and musicians on their rolls, who can work in shifts. This would of course incur an additional cost, which I don’t think the guests would be reluctant to bear, as they would get not only food and drinks but also live musical entertainment at the same place. For the guests, it could be like eating at a restaurant and enjoying a decent musical performance at the same time. to cater to special requests. In this age, it would be intelligent for restaurants to be Jack of all Trades and Master of One. However, the multi-cuisine options in a specialised music themed restaurant could easily be charged a little higher comparatively than the cuisine in which it is focusing on, so as to make these special demands from guests economically viable for the restaurateur or the hotelier concerned. Normally, guests arriving at a specialised music themed restaurant are likely to expect that they would get to savour a given type of cuisine only. Media promotion and smart PR can consolidate or heighten this expectation further.

I think the ambience and decor of music themed restaurants can also be extended to cutlery and furniture. For example, it would be nice to have a guitar shaped soup bowl or a synthesiser shaped table or a veena shaped wine glass! They would definitely add value to the dining experiences of the guests and can be part of their fond memories for the future.

Similarly, it would be better if the staff uniform of the music themed restaurants could extend the musical theme in some way or the other.

Celebrity Support Inviting celebrity singers from time to time can also be explored as an option to enhance the revenues of the music themed restaurant/s in hotels, in the long-run.

For example, a Bollywood music themed restaurant in a five-star hotel can get into a yearly contract with divas like Shreya Ghosal or Sunidhi Chauhan, where they can visit the restaurant once a month and sing and dance with the crowd for twothree hours.

Of course, guests can be charged extra (for that day a particular seat in

the restaurant can have a given price tag, which could be excluding the price of the dishes ordered) on those days and they are expected to be happily paying that. However, the two industry experts I discussed the idea with differed with me on this view. Harjeet Wasan believes that though this strategy may not fetch the desired revenues for the restaurant every time, but “yes, it works in building the image of the restaurant.” He views that inviting celebrity singers from time to time as “more of a PR activity,” for the restaurants.

Patni believes that bringing celebrity singers in the restaurants is good for creating a hype and attracting fans to the restaurants. However, he also feels that “It is an expensive affair and acts primarily as a kind of advertisement of the place.

Business wise, he stated, “inviting celebrity singers or musicians to the restaurant can hardly be a lucrative option.”

However, I personally feel that there could be a high degree of possibility that celebrity singers’ or musicians’ support can fetch enough revenues for a music themed restaurant; enough to easily cover the cost of the celebrity singer/s and musician/s and flow into the profits.

If this exercise is carried over a period of time, the anticipation among the guests and potential guests of the restaurants carrying these endeavours can also increase, and the said restaurants can become the talk of the town. Hotels having restaurants inviting celebrity singers and musicians from time to time can attract more numbers of leisure guests and thereby this exercise can indirectly contribute to their room revenues too.

The guests are likely to choose the hotel having a music themed restaurant where celebrity singers are performing over a hotel in the same city which doesn’t have any such musicial restaurant if all other aspects of hospitality remain more or less the same between these two hotels.

The footfalls to the music themed restaurants opting for celebrity support can be further enhanced if celebrity singer’s or singers’ visits to the restaurants concerned are highlighted in the social media in a proactive manner. In this way, hotels having musical themed restaurants with celebrity support can outsmart their competition and attract more guests to their ambit.

With inputs from Ayonendu Biswas

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Trend

Hotel Business Review

The Growing Trend of E-lounges

By Sharmila Chand

T

he concept of e-lounges is a growing trend in the Indian hospitality industry. They say e-lounges meet many objectives. First and foremost, they can transform the lifeless common areas of hotels and resorts into engaging workspaces and thriving social hubs. Secondly, they have the potential to boost the sales of food and beverages of the hospitality properties. And most importantly, they can and do attract very important sections of business travellers.

Today’s business travellers are often highly tech-savvy and are always looking to e-connect for their work. They do not mind sitting in the lobby and checking their mails outside their hotel room.

They seek hotspots that are designed for working and socialising. E-lounges are just the place to do both.

So it will not be wrong to assume that e-lounges will soon become one of the frequented places in five-star and fourstar hotels of India, in the near future.

As the modern-day traveller changes, it is imperative that hotels adapt by offering new services or features to make 42

Sept-Oct ’15

their travel experiences more enjoyable.

E-lounge is one such new-age feature of the new-age hospitality industry.

Interesting Initiatives Goa Marriott Resort & Spa is one such hotel which has the concept going strong. Reema Kamat, Senior Marcomm Manager at Goa Marriott Resort & Spa said, “At Goa Marriott Resort & Spa we have a ‘Great Room’ (Lobby Lounge)

concept (as do other modern Marriott hotels) where the lobby and the attached lounge combine to make a multifunctional space, which is very much attuned to the moods and needs of our guests during the course of the day.”

“There is wired and wireless Internet and gadget connectivity; here the offering from food to music to beverage changes throughout the day and night and even the look and feel of the space changes

Trend

Hotel Business Review

through use of lighting and displays. The space literally transitions from morning until night and is designed to cater to the needs of the individual business travellers, group meetings and family/friendship groups,” she informed.

“We have the lounge which is a vibrant and interactive zone, with discovery points at various touch points. The murals depicting the Ramyana and Ganesh Puranam are great talking points between the ambassadors and guests. In fact, these are great points for guests to discuss within themselves. The lounge has high speed Wi-Fi and working zones. Additionally, the recently launched ‘Discovery Hour’ is a great tool and initiative to encourage social discovery and networking. The navigators who are the local experts, guide the guests to discover the best in Mumbai.

To enhance their outreach and to activate the digital platform we have the discoveries of sip, savour, shop and see on iPad as part of the navigator program,” proffered Nasir Shaikh, the Director of Operations, Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel.

Significance of E-Lounges “E-lounges are especially important these days because of the blurring lines between business and leisure. Catching up for a

“

E-Lounges bring in vibrant energy, conducive to a variety of needs for tourists and local patrons.

”

Nasir Shaikh, Director of Operations, Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel

coffee and discussing a business idea over it are happening trends. This needs to be reflected in the hospitality industry.

The old concept of different spaces for relaxing, for meetings, for cakes and pastries, for an evening drink and for a lounge is getting redundant. The Great Room concept amalgamates all of these and makes a tourist comfortable in the space no matter what she/he is in the mood for,” articulated Reema.

“E-lounges appeal to the modern day traveller and the social discoverer who likes to be connected all the time,” aired Nasir Shaikh.

“For both business and leisure, a substantial number of guests are now spending their time socialising at the e-lounge. While people who come for business end up doing short meetings at the e-lounge, leisure travellers like to upload pictures and stay connected with their friends and family at the e-lounge.

E-lounges are growing in popularity and are a growing trend,” he pointed out further.

E-Lounges as Food & Beverage Venues E-lounges are now emerging as important venues for food & beverages. They can be creatively and innovatively used to significantly enhance the food & beverage revenues of hotels and resorts.

“We have a very interesting concept in the ‘Great Room’ (Lobby Lounge) called the 5-10-20 menu,” asserted Reema. “This is essentially a snappy selection of food & beverages that can be ordered within the time frame stipulated by category so that a guest can decide whether she/he would like a quick bite or has the time frame for a more leisurely meal. The menu is also coloured in such a way that the guest can place it green side up for service, and red side up when she/he wishes to be uninterrupted until she/he desires to be attended to. This is in line with respecting a traveller’s time and space as personal and individual,” she explained further.

“A Bar which is a part of the lounge at Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel, serves a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, handcrafted cocktails and curated snacks,” pointed out Nasir.

“Recently launched ‘Interspace’ at A Bar provides workspace for start-ups

“

For the guests who love to stay connected, the addition of an e-lounge to the property allows those guests to relax, catch up with friends while still staying wired as needed.

”

Reema Kamat, Senior Marcomm Manager, Goa Marriott Resort & Spa

and budding entrepreneurs. The service includes complimentary wi-fi, stationary and additional offering of 20 percent off on food & beverages,” he added further.

Making E-Lounges Profitable “Ensuring prompt, speedy service which reinforces staff efficiency at the e-lounge; providing complimentary Wi-Fi for the guests’ business needs; providing local/ ethnic entertainment in place of music at the e-lounges; providing quick teaser therapies like a 10 minute foot massage for rejuvenation of guests; and of course providing attractive and continually evolving food & beverage options are some of the important steps to generate attractive revenues from e-lounges,” explained Reema.

“Ensuring flexible workspaces, bringing the bar to the lounge and providing unwinding sessions at the bar, engaging associates to anticipate needs and upsell, and providing retail sales at the e-lounges are some of the pragmatic ways to generate impressive revenues from e-lounges,” averred Nasir. n

Sept-Oct ’15

43

Spa

Hotel Business Review

Offering a Rejuvenating Experience

By Sharmila Chand

S

hanaya means ‘first ray of the Sun’ that brings with it exuberance; signifying a fresh beginning of another day. Located on Level 4 of Club Tower at Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi, Shanaya Spa is an ideal destination to relax while enjoying the luxurious therapies offered.

Embark on a wellness journey at

44

Sept-Oct ’15

Shanaya Spa with Turkish Hammam, Ice Fountain experience, relaxing and refreshing Elakkizhi and Padabyanga massage, stimulating Green Coffee Body Wrap and the ‘C’ & Sea Facial: Luminous Renewal Facial.

Succinctly, the spa has a variety of therapies, including steam & sauna baths along with ice fountain

experience and Ayurvedic therapies as well as Hammam treatment.

Shanaya can be construed as a calming and blissful haven, offering holistic rejuvenation with choice of oriental, European and Ayurvedic therapies.

Here one can enjoy exotic body treatments, relaxing massages and ancient beauty rituals.

Managing the Wellness Experience While going through the spa I got to meet Jasmine Maan, the Director of Shanaya Spa at Kempinski Ambience Hotel Delhi. Jasmine has been working with Shanaya Spa since its inception in 2013, and has been managing the day-to- day operations of the spa & salon; ensuring its profitability and quality of service delivery to members and guests. Prior to this assignment, she has worked with ModiRevlon, and Visage Beauty and Healthcare. I had an interaction with her which revealed to me interesting aspects of India’s growing spa culture. The excerpts of the interview follow: What are the kinds of changes you have witnessed in the Indian spa industry during the past five-six years?

The need of the consumers for wellness products and services are continually evolving in the country. Even in the recent past, health and wellness was a relatively niche concept catering to a select few. But now it has gained mainstream interest in the country.

Today’s young consumers in India are getting increasingly influenced by wellness.

They are expected to create a more evolved consumer base for the wellness industry.

This evolving consumer base will provide the momentum for growth to the wellness industry of the country.

As we continue into 2015, we are seeing a rising demand for green treatments and products made with organic ingredients by companies who are ecologically responsible.

A lot of people are also opting for Hot Stone Massage as it allows the deep, penetrating heat of volcanic basalt stones melt the tension away. Heat to the muscles enhances relaxation, circulation and healing process through this therapeutic massage.

What are the key challenges of opening a spa?

Selection process for hiring employees is probably the greatest challenge towards opening a spa.

The services delivered by spas to their customers are fundamentally about the power of human touch and human interaction. As such people are at the heart of a spa. People are a spa’s greatest asset and are essential to its success, but people are also typically a spa’s greatest expense and greatest challenge. Thus to maintain the quality of spa it is extremely important to hire employees effectively.

While hiring we take care of the employee’s past experience, massage skills, personality and her/his hospitality skills.

Kindly tell us briefly about the treatments at your spa Shanaya Spa offers a choice of international and Ayurvedic therapies to enrich and revitalise the inner self by rejuvenating the mind, body and soul. It encapsulates a variety of therapies including Abhyanga, Elakkizhi, and Shirodhara and international therapies like Balinese, Hot Stone Therapy and Turkish Hammam Bath Treatment.

Apart from body massages, Shanaya also has expertise in body scrubs, wraps and facials, along with steam, sauna and Ice Fountain experience.

Overall, we have therapeutic or relaxing body massages, wraps and scrubs, facials along with the Shanaya Signature Rituals; soothing you to the core.

While our regular guests enjoy the signature therapies, we also keep on incorporating new therapies and latest treatments which are in fashion, and create awareness among guests about the importance of wellness. For the continually evolving needs of our guests, we have a concept of ‘Treatment of the Month’ which is designed as per the seasonal requirements.

What do you enjoy the most about being the Director of the spa?

Being a Spa Director, I get the opportunity to interact with lots of people, understand their wellness needs and help them out with treatments that would best relax and rejuvenate them. This is what I enjoy doing.

Could you tell us the USP of your spa?

What distinguishes it from others?

Shanaya (meaning ‘first ray of the Sun’) can be described as a destination to eliminate your stress. We have five beautifully designed therapy rooms including a couple suite, and separate steam and sauna areas. We highly trained masseurs who provide the therapy best suited to your requirement. What makes

us unique is that we offer 5000-year-old Ayurvedic treatments, which incidentally appeal more to the inbound guests. We do cater to the needs of domestic guests with international therapies and skin care embodying modern approach.

Do you have some customised treatments?

Guests love the idea of couture treatments and we will continue to see growth in treatments and services that have a customisable dimension to them.

Apart from a set spa menu, we also cater to those who look for tailored treatments according to their skin texture, oil preferences and many other factors. We also offer customised treatments according to the season. We have introduced exclusive monsoon as well as festive spa treatments at our spa.

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

My favourite treatment is the authentic Turkish Hammam Bath Treatment, which we offer at Shanaya Spa. This luxurious bath is performed in our specially designed Turkish suite, where the guest can lie on the heated (108 degree) white onyx table, in a candle lit rosemary scented environment.

Any other point you wish to make?

In addition to the growing environmental concerns, today ’s consumers are also suffering from the mounting pressures of our modern society, which include increasingly hectic schedules; sheer paucity of leisure time; the pressures of the digital age where you need to be in constant contact, etc.

In response, people are developing the need to revisit the notion of how to live their lives, and are seeking inner fulfilment and a deeper meaning in their lives. In turn, they are getting more concerned about wellness.

In these times, wellness is not only about luxury. Rather it is a need of our times.

Sept-Oct ’15

45

Industry

Hotel Business Review

For Attracting MICE Tourism

By Tanya Viegas

T

he MICE segment of tourism forms one of the most important elements for the Indian hospitality industry. Besides contributing towards volumes in terms of room revenues, this segment also facilitates incremental business of hotels from other streams such as catering, recreation, and food & beverage. MICE’s contribution to the total revenues of the hotels should also not be undermined.

The MICE segment in India, specifically, is one of the quickest growing travel segments in the country with an average growth of 20 percent annually in terms of overall room nights and revenues. The business of MICE has evolved globally and MICE is capable of generating double, if not three times the amount of revenues for the Indian 46

Sept-Oct ’15

tourism and hospitality sector, than the leisure segment can.

In India, the potential for the MICE segment has been tapped at the surface, and we still have a long way to go in terms of development of world class convention and conferencing facilities coupled with adequate room inventory. It is lamentable that government subsidies do not exist for international associations as incentives to bring their large events to the country. Moreover, specialised MICE events and sales teams are the need of the hour, which can also increase job opportunities in the Indian tourism and hospitality sector.

There are few factors that hotels and resorts should keep in mind for attracting the desirable numbers and quality of MICE crowd to their hospitality

properties. Simply classy and luxurious hotel rooms wouldn’t attract the desired numbers and quality of MICE crowd.

Since MICE travel involves fewer hours actually spent in guest rooms, location of a hotel and the unique experience that the hotel is able to deliver would be the most important factors that would govern the choice of selection of a hotel for MICE delegates.

For attracting MICE delegates, it is important that the hotel is in proximity to and properly connected with the airport, shopping centers, and places of tourism interest. Hotels and resorts hosting MICE delegates should facilitate participants to explore what the destinations where those hotels and resorts are located have to offer in terms of tourism and shopping interests. The

Sp a Industry hotels and resorts hosting MICE delegates should ideally be conveniently connected to the airport, shopping centres and tourist attractions. It is also important that those hotels and resorts are able to deliver a completely extraordinary experience in terms of check-in processes, food and beverage service options and team building activities, after correctly gauging the needs of their corporate travellers. The hospitality properties hosting MICE delegates should create benefits that would foster the objective of the meeting of the corporate travellers.

The hotels and resorts thinking of attracting MICE delegates in huge numbers on a regular basis should also be savvy applier of new-age technologies.

With technology and social media growing, the use of these new-age tools effectively to enhance the conference experience has been adopted by many service providers. The Marriott group has recently launched its ‘Meetings Imagined’ and ‘Meeting Services’ App. which aim to engage customers through the planning of their events via visual cues that can be shared with the hotel. The aim has been to deliver more inspiring, more engaging, and more result-driven meeting experiences to meet the customers’ demand.

Hotel Business Review

The travel trade fraternity can also play an extremely key role in driving MICE business to any destination or hotel.

The travel trade fraternity can influence decision makers to lean towards a certain destination or property.

Therefore, it is very vital for the hotels to keep the agents engaged on a regular basis. We hold travel & trade shows on a regular basis along with FAM (familiarisation) trips, where we invite the agents to come over to experience the destination on a first-hand basis.

The Writer is Senior Manager, MICE Sales, Goa Marriott Resort & Spa

MICE in Goa

I

n India, Goa happens to be a promising market for the MICE segment. Though Goa as a destination is still to realise its complete MICE potential, with large meeting facilities in hotels, convention centres, etc. the state is increasing its share in demand from the MICE segment. With growing domestic flight connectivity and additional supply of inventory into the market, Goa is able to provide the perfect MICE package that corporates today are looking for. With state-of-the-art banqueting facilities, ample entertainment options, easy logistics and great indoor/outdoor value adds, Goa is now one of the top choice destinations for corporate offsites, conferencing and exhibitions.

There is a steady growth in demand for Goa as a MICE destination year on year, in spite of emergence of new MICE destinations like Cochin & Jaipur. Goa still stands out within the Indian MICE market as a preferred destination for various events like product launches, dealers’ meet, corporate offsites to name a few.

Moreover, the Goa Government is one of the most supportive administrations in the country for tourism, which can be reflected right from investments in infrastructure (new highways and a recently built larger airport) to offering a waiver on luxury tax to the state during the offseason. This allows hotels in Goa to incentivise travellers and tourists with a rate benefit during June- September. This again can give a fillip to the Goa’s MICE market in the near future.

Challenges to Goa’s share in India’s MICE segment, if any, could be in the form of emergence of newer destinations which are relatively lesser expensive & unexplored.

Also, due to the increase in numbers of new hotel brands coming up in the state, the supply could outpace demand, but then again, flexibility in pricing during the offseason can enable the MICE industry in Goa to channelise the excess demand for guests into the off season months.

Sept-Oct ’15

47

Housekeeping

Hotel Business Review

Housekeeping

Challenges for Hospitality

By Swarnendu Biswas

H

ousekeeping is the edifice of the hotel industry. Without a clean restroom, or a spic and span lobby, the best of facilities and amenities of a five-star hotel are likely to unable to attract discerning guests. It is because without sanitation luxury loses its significance. Similarly, the aesthetic décor of the room wouldn’t appeal to the guest if she/he comes to the room after the meeting and see that her/his bed sheets are still as dishevelled as it was before she/ he left in the morning, and the depleted toiletries in the bathroom are not yet replenished.

Yes, the major chunk of the revenue of hotels still comes from rooms (though F&B segment is fast catching up), but without good housekeeping standards, the best of hotel rooms will fail to attract repeat visitors.

However, it doesn’t mean that housekeeping is important only for five-star hotels, which are normally characterised by high-end amenities and decor. It is essential for all hotels, but for five-star properties, the housekeeping standards should be nothing short of impeccable, as here you are catering to guests who are likely 48

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to have experienced high standards of hospitality across the globe and naturally they have become habituated to not settle for anything ordinary.

Much More Than Cleaning Housekeeping in hotels today is a complex and elaborate task and is not at all confined to cleaning and changing the bedding of the guest rooms, and cleaning of rest rooms and replenishing their toiletries as is being commonly perceived by people outside the hospitality industry.

But that does not mean that the guests would not appreciate the wonderful laundry service, or for that matter the impeccable security of the hotel where she/he is staying, perhaps not realising that both of these facilities now fall within the purview of housekeeping in many hotels.

The laundry service does not only include cleaning the guests’ linens and garments, but also the linens of rooms and also linens of the F&B outlets of the hotels, and maintenance of staff uniforms.

At the same time, the now extended role of housekeeping also involves reporting of any untoward elements or about any suspicious person/luggage/activity in

order to facilitate the security concerns of the hotels. At the same time, the housekeeping department needs to ensure that the guests’ privacy is not in any way compromised because of rigmarole of security.

Of course, the guest is also unlikely to wonder why the facility is pest free, when the city is full of pests. Yes, pest control of the property is also a housekeeping exercise. Similarly, if the guests get impressed by the wonderful horticulture of the housekeeping property, many of the hoteliers should thank her/his housekeeping staff for that. And if hotel is an environmentally friendly property, the challenges of waste disposal and waste recycling can assume very crucial role in the purview of housekeeping.

Housekeeping plays an important role in forming the overall reputation of a hotel among its guests and potential guests.

Facilitating Guest Satisfaction Succinctly, on a broader scale, the role of modern housekeeping in hotels is to facilitate guest satisfaction through quality professionalism along with special personalised touches, thereby contributing to the guest’s repeat visits

Sp a Housekeeping to the property despite the attractions of competition.

Besides continual attention and stringent adherence to cleanliness and hygiene, aesthetics and security, great housekeeping should also focus on individual guests’ preferences, likes and dislikes and endeavour with the objective to not only meet her/his expectations from housekeeping services, but also to exceed them. The housekeeping teams at hotels shouldn’t miss opportunity to interact with their guests without getting intrusive and facilitate in every way to ensure that their guests are having not only a comfortable but also a wonderful stay.

For example, while chatting with the Executive Housekeeper the guest reveals that it is her birthday today. And then she would be pleasantly surprised if she gets a bouquet of flowers in the evening, along with a box of chocolates and warm wishes. Next time when she visits the city for business, she is likely to choose this hotel only, assuming all other factors remaining the same. Ideally, great housekeeping should in most cases (not in the above-mentioned case), be apparently invisible to the guest, but should add up to the overall guest experience. At the same time, it should help in making the first impression among the guests, which in these times of frenzied competition is extremely crucial for growth. The absence of good housekeeping, however, makes it apparent to the guests about the crucial role of housekeeping.

Cost-effectiveness and Coordination And of course, the Executive Housekeeper would ensure that this challenging endeavour must be attained in a cost-effective manner too, whether through in-house manpower or through judiciously or for that matter optimally combining the efforts of in-house staff and outsourcing operations. It is because cost saved can also be profit earned.

The housekeeping department of a hotel should also have excellent coordination with all the departments of the hotel, in order to minimise disruption and optimising comfort, convenience and security for the guests. Among all the departments, its coordination with the security department of the hotel is most important.

Hotel Business Review

Training is Crucial Housekeeping is not only a 24/7 exercise for the hospitality industry, but is a continually evolving field. Therefore the success of housekeeping services in hotels require training of the in-house and as well as the outsourcing staff (wherever applicable) not only at the time of induction but also from time to time, both in terms of soft skills and technical expertise, so that they are abreast with the latest trends and demands in housekeeping operations pertaining to the hospitality industry. This can help the hotels to compete with their competition, and no wonder many five-star hotels across the country are adhering to this principle.

Training should not only be at the level of rank and file housekeeping personnel, but also include the Managers and supervisors. However, the nature of training should ideally vary from senior and junior level personnel. For example,

the junior level housekeeping personnel can be trained on handling some newage equipment about which he is not familiar, or about tackling the day-today maintenance challenges, while the training for senior level personnel should focus on cost control, or people handling skills. These performance development training programmes from time to time can not only give an edge to the housekeeping of the hotel concerned, but can also help the housekeeping personnel in their career growth, thereby preventing employee dissatisfaction and arresting the attrition rate to some extent.

Already many five-star properties are laying great emphasis on frequent training, but the emphasis towards frequent and updated training in the

realm of housekeeping should percolate towards many three-star and two-star budget hotels also, spread across the country. Only then our hospitality industry can become more professional at par with international standards, in holistic terms.

The training process should ideally be based on feedback of guest satisfaction.

As far as housekeeping in hospitality industry is concerned, guest feedback should be ascertained and acted upon on a continual basis(ideally one hour before the guests’ check-out) , because only through guest feedback the Executive Housekeeper can decide for sure in which areas her/his idea and execution of housekeeping for the given hotel has been right or wrong.

A Challenging Profession The challenges of housekeeping are many. For example, the maintenance of cleanliness in rest rooms and lobbies of the hotels, which attract heavy footfalls, is a perpetual challenge. If the lobby has marble flooring, the task of its maintenance becomes all the more daunting. Removal of food stains and grease stains from marble flooring is a time consuming task.

Granite flooring also needs great care. It is advisable to periodically clean granite surfaces with a natural stone or granite cleaner to maintain their shine.

However, using harsh cleaners on granite flooring can damage the sealant and dull the finish. The Executive Housekeeper should also ensure that cleaning products and supplies are always adequate and appropriate floor cleaning measures are being employed for different types of floors of the hotels. Doing the cleaning up operations after a huge conference or banquet is over is no less challenging.

And maintaining housekeeping standards amidst renovation is an arduous task indeed.

The Executive Housekeeper should ensure that the efficiency and the motivational levels of her/his team are kept high, so that both bottom lines and attrition rates are not unduly affected.

The paucity of skilled and qualified manpower in hotel’s housekeeping is always a challenge, which perhaps can be addressed through better pay packages, better social security and less erratic n working hours.

Sept-Oct ’15

49

Property

Hotel Business Review

Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan:

Where Business Meets Leisure

By Ashok Malkani

A

s you enter Chakan, located 34 km from Pune, the one building that acts as the beacon to guide you to the SEZ area is the Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan. Standing tall and stately, it has an impressive façade that makes it an outstanding structure in the surroundings.

As you pass through the security check, the receptionists greet you with warm smile, while the bell boy takes charge of your luggage. The elevator operates only if you have a door key.

More Room for Business Designed to soothe the nerves of the busy executives after a tiring day, the hotel has 175 spacious rooms, which comprise 12 suites, 42 twin rooms & 121 King rooms, including two specially abled rooms reflecting contemporary décor. All the rooms of the hotel offer high-speed Internet access, and are endowed with spacious, ergonomic work desks. Plush featherbed mattresses and crisp linens provide comfortable sleep to the guests.

Set in the heart of the automobile 50

Sept-Oct ’15

and manufacturing belt of the city, it is an ideal hotel for business executives.

The hotel, with nearly 18,000 sq. ft. of meeting and banqueting space, is able to meet the demands of conferencing and get together of the business travellers. The meeting rooms are equipped with stateof-the-art audio-visual facilities.

The hotel offers exciting team building activities, complimentary use of a banquet space for the main conference, complimentary screen and projector,

and also a complimentary DJ night experience.

The hotel also has a fully-equipped gym and a pool. The hotel is also ideal for hosting weddings. The hotel’s certified wedding planner and catering team will create wedding menu suiting a variety of preferences.

The hotel has the distinction of being the Most Preferred Emerging Hotel in India, awarded at the prestigious National Awards for Excellence in the

Sp a Property

Hotel Business Review

Hotel Industry, in July 2015. Courtyard

by Marriott Pune Chakan has been LEED-certified by the US Green Building Council, and the hotel is also the recipient of TripAdvisor’s coveted Certificate of Excellence.

The property has only one F&B outlet. However, the Momo Café, with its courteous and experienced Chef, Girish, can satiate the demands of even the most fastidious diner. The café presents delicious 24-hour buffet dining and a range of flavours from India and all over the world.

An Urban Retreat Besides being a favourite of the executives from the Special Economic Zone, the hotel is fast emerging as an urban resort too. Mumbaikars and people from the neighbouring areas are now seen vending their way to this august property to spend their weekend in peace and solace. Located 17 km away from the Mumbai–Pune Expressway, the hotel is easily accessible to the Pune & Mumbai residents looking for a quick yet refreshing weekend getaway. The hotel

can be construed as a getaway in the city but away from the city.

For those seeking a respite from the hectic schedule of life, Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan brings the perfect solution to disconnect from the daily grind through its new stay package – Urban Resort. The Urban Resort package is however, ideal not just for family

stackwell Stackable aluminum banquet and conference chairs

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Offering Memorable Excursions The hotel has occasional barbeque nights by the poolside. At other times, the hotel organises a trip to the beautiful Japalouppe Stud Farm for some horse riding and a gala dinner experience with

Flexiback chair

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getaways but also for corporate off-sites, alumni meets, trainings & conferences.

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Sept-Oct ’15

51

Property

Hotel Business Review

bonfire. Just 40 minutes away from the hotel, the stud farm spread across 36 acres, is surrounded with mountains and lush green fields. You can see beautiful horses galloping with their riders amidst trees and sunlight. If you have the inclination and the ability you can also indulge in horse riding.

The curious name of the farm is inspired by a true story of a small French horse named ‘Jappeloup’. Jappeloup was too short for succeeding in the world of show-jumping. But his rider Pierre Durand didn’t subscribe to this view.

He was determined to prove Jappeloup’s expertise. Jappeloup went on to become legendary in the world of show-jumping and won a gold medal in the 1998 Olympic Games.

While staying at the hotel one can also visit the Gowardhan Cheese Factory, where one can see Jersey Cows, learn about the European technology of manufacturing cheese and also taste delicious samplings. Just 40 minutes drive from the hotel, this factory is one of the only two facilities in Asia with UHT technology. The UHT treated cheese can be stored in ambient condition without refrigeration up to a period of six months, even in tropical countries like India. “At the Gowardhan Cheese Factory, you can experience how the milk is bottled untouched by hand, from the weaning to the bottling stage,” informed Hemant Tenneti, the GM of Courtyard

by Marriott Pune Chakan. The hotel also organises a visit to an auto factory, which is just 10 minutes away from the hotel.

From the hotel you could also plan a visit to the Pavana Dam. This is an excellent place for a full day outing as it is surrounded by the forts like Lohgad, Tikona, Tung and Visapur, which together add beauty to the ambience.

You could also go for motor boat riding.

So this outing can give you a date with nature, history and adventure. The hotel also organises a trip to Prati-Shirdi Temple which is 35 minutes drive from the property. This trip can be attractive for the religious tourists.

Succinctly, one can say that the hotel offers a host of excursions to make the stay of business or leisure travellers worth while. No wonder, the property has emerged as a favourite among the business travellers and also among the n weekend leisure guests.

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Aiming for 100 Percent Occupancy Hemant Tenneti, the GM of Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan, is heading the show at the property, located in the industrial belt. Established in 2013 in the backdrop of a sluggish economic climate for the Indian hospitality industry, Tenneti disclosed that the hotel was slowly but steadily establishing itself not only as a business hotel but also as an urban weekend resort. The excerpts from the interview follow: Your hotel has only one F&B outlet. Isn’t that a handicap for a high-end business hotel?

Our one F&B outlet, MoMo Café meets all the demands of the guests. The hotel’s guests and as well as other diners from the neighbourhood believe that MoMo Café’s buffets are beyond compare. So we haven’t really felt the need for more F&B outlets. We also have MoMo 2 Go, which provides you with snacks which you can carry away. MoMo 2 Go is perfect for guests on the go.

Whether you are here in Chakan for business or heading out to explore Pune, you can enjoy MoMo 2 Go’s sumptuous delicacies, while on the go.

When the hotel opened its doors to the guests in 2013, the global recession had not yet been over. So did you experience any difficulties?

Well, at that time most hospitality properties were having problems, and so was our hotel. We also felt the effects of economic recession. Being located in the industrial belt, it was natural to expect that the number of guests would be low during a sluggish phase for the economy. However, the business has now picked up and we are having an occupancy of about 70 percent.

Moreover, occupancy is on the rise and with introducing of our new concept of promoting the hotel as an urban weekend resort, business has picked up considerably.

Why would people come here for the weekend?

Well, Pune has a pleasant climate throughout the year. Moreover, our hotel offers a peaceful gateway from the hustle and bustle of the city. Several people from Mumbai, Nasik and from other places nearby visit our hotel on weekends. Even people from Pune come to our property. We organise events and outings for our guests.

What are the future prospects for the hotel?

The future prospects of our hotel are extremely good. With our courteous staff and dynamic approach we will soon accomplish the target of 100 percent occupancy. Our hotel is also being promoted as a destination wedding venue.

Sept-Oct ’15

53

P ro d uct Previ ew

Hotel Business Review

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and designers about the latest updates and trends through newsletters. Ramsha Home & Living is a product of ARS Colors, one of the leading manufacturers and exporters of carpet, home furnishing & colour reference systems. The business was founded in 2001 with the dream of making homes beautiful and it has been exporting its products to 48 countries around the world.

Ramsha Home & Living info@ramshahome.com

Smoking Cabins for Air-conditioned Areas S.N. Global, allIndia distributor for Smoke Solution, Denmark, has introduced Smoke Point Smoking Cabins for the Indian hospitality industry. It is a highly efficient smoking cabin that makes it possible for smokers and non-smokers to socialise without the risk of passive smoking.

It consists of a cabin which has powerful filters that purify the smoke filled air. The big fireproof stainless steel ashtray can contain up to 3500 cigarette butts. The cabin emanates no foul odour and the sensor based cabin is also quite effective in terms of saving energy cost. Designed to make maintenance hassle free, the cabins also require no ducting.

Such smoking cabins can immensely help the restaurants or bars of the hotels to increase the revenue as they encourage the guests to stay in the bars for longer period of time.

The smoking cabins are immensely popular in the hospitality industry of Europe. It is already in use in many high end hotels, bars and restaurants across India.

Smoke Solution India / S.N. Global shashi.sngm@gmail.com

Food Pans & Lids

Utopia based in Chesterfield, UK, provides for glass, ceramic and cutlery products to meet the requirement of its global customers.

Be it cutting edge design or practical and cost-effective solutions, Utopia’s collection provides for outstanding customer satisfaction.

Utopia has newly introduced Food Pans & Lids, suitable for use in food bars and steam tables. There are two types of Pans: Polycarbonate Pans — They withstand tough use, resist food acids and oils, and can handle temperatures between -22°C to 100°C. High Heat Pans — They excel in high temperature applications (-22°C to 190°C).

“Easy Lift Spoon Notches” are located at each end of the food pan for easy removal from steam tables and recessed counters because they reduce direct hand-to-food contact for greater food safety. The food pans meet specifications for use in food bars and steam tables, can be stacked for easy storage, are dishwasher safe, and NSF listed.

Soft Sensations Pvt. Ltd. raman@softsensations.net

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

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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

A d v e r t is e r ’ s I n d e x Company AMBIENTE india 2016

Page No. 31

Company

Page No.

pushkal textiles

08

ARCHII 29

RANS TECHNOCRATS (iNDIA) PVT. LTD. bc

BLUE FAB

55

reliance recron

01

combii organochem pvt. ltd.

17

remington steel arts

55

dhobighat 55

SAMRAT FURNISHERS

37

f&f global pvt. ltd.

15

SIO VASSUNDHARA INTERNATIONAL PVT. LTD.

13

GCMMF LTD. (AMUL)

07

sony india

gf

GRALIT INDIA BIOTECH P. LTD.

20

SPRINGFIT MARKETING INC.

HEIMTEXtil india 2016

41

STACKWELL 51

home zone india

10

Supershine Laundry Systems Pvt. Ltd. bic

H.S. AHUJA & ASSOCIATES

53

systems india PVT. LTD.

09

ifb industries ltd.

21

TAJINDER BINDRA DESIGNS

14

jaygee group

47

trend N Design fic

loomcrafts furniture india pvt. ltd.

24, 25

11

trinity home products

12

MKN INDIA

33

Venus Industries

05

P LAL & SONS

19

Business opportunity

55

* G F - G AT E F O L D * F I C - F R O N T I N S I D E C O V E R

* BIC - BACK INSIDE COVER * BC - BACK COVER

Sept-Oct ’15

55

Intervi ew

Hotel Business Review

Striving to Continually Excel

By Sharmila Chand

Devinder Juj, the Executive Assistant Manager, The Eros Hotel, New Delhi, Nehru Place began his journey as an enthusiastic hotel management graduate with the Hyatt chain in 1995. Since then there has been no looking back. He has been giving his best to learn every day in this industry since more than 20 years, and the fascinating experiences in this journey have added value to his life in manifold ways.

During his tenure in the hospitality industry, he has learnt the essence of three Ps, which are Patience, Persistence and Perseverance and the prime importance of the three Cs – Customers, Care and Culture. The Eros Hotel, New Delhi, Nehru Place has been the main focus of his career span.

“I have directed my efforts to each and every department of this hotel, and I am still learning constantly,” he asserted. The excerpts of the interview follow: What is the USP of your property?

Located in the centre of South Delhi’s business district, overlooking the elegant Bahai Temple, The Eros Hotel, New Delhi, Nehru Place, stands as a true icon for both business and leisure travellers, reflecting international standards of hospitality. The hotel is just 40 minutes drive from the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

The hotel’s USP, we believe, is the location combined with our service standards where we offer the warmth of personalised Indian hospitality experience. Our skilled and warm staff is another of our biggest strengths.

As far as the facilities go, I can say that with more than 25,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, fine food & beverage outlets, and an extravagant outdoor pool surrounded with lush green lawns together make this hotel one of the most asked for properties amongst our bracket.

Moreover, the old-world charm of the property in the middle of such a busy scenario, offers a perfect break to relax and enjoy the stay at the hotel.

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

We are a technically sound and updated property with a niche target clientele, whom we can reach through all the available mediums.

With digital and social media emerging as a very crucial broadcasting segment, we are well-versed with all the marketing tools for the hotel industry.

We b e l i e v e i n w o r d o f m o u t h remembrance and a genuine recall value for our services. Hence we believe in services as our best marketing strategy.

What according to you is the role

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Sept-Oct ’15

of F&B in getting business for a hotel? How much importance do you give to this department?

With widely travelled guests, today the choice of F&B options becomes very significant for a hotel. We have an established and refined set of restaurants catering to a diverse range of palates. Our food & beverage earns us stable revenues.

What would you say are the highlighting features of your F&B outlets?

We have put together an exclusive array of cuisines from various regions, which enables us to offer a varied spread.

The unique point of our Indian restaurant Singh Sahib is that here we have emphasised on cuisines from pre-partition Punjab and are offering exclusive dishes from across the border.

With Empress of China, one can savour the finest Chinese cuisine and a selection of fine wines. Our pastry shop Sweet n Crusty offers a delightful range of decadent desserts, scrumptious snacks and milkshakes to satisfy your sweet tooth indulgence.

Our all day dining restaurant and coffee shop named Blooms is popular for its luxurious buffet brunches and is a stop shop for our inhouse guests. Overlooking the crystal waters of the hotel’s poolside, Lounge and Bar offers an exquisite blend of cocktails and delightful wine collections, supplemented with a variety of appetising snacks. Tea Lounge offers a variety of tea and coffees and an informal atmosphere for formal discussions.

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

We aim to be a fully technology-enabled

hotel. We also endeavour to introduce new cuisine concepts to our restaurants to further elaborate the food & beverage options. We are also aiming to introduce more green initiatives and to have a stronger marketing approach to strengthen on the online channels.

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

The most crucial issue to tackle in the Indian hospitality industry these days is to deliver an unforgettable and engaging experience to all its guests with finest levels of hospitality.

What is/are your strength/s, professionally?

My strengths, according to me, are my flexibility and openness towards constantly learning through experience, colleagues, guests and through ever changing trends of the industry, and in consistently meeting my targets.

And what do you consider your weakness?

I have weakness of asking too many questions for everything that happens around.

I also get upset when the WOW experience to the guests is not delivered due to oversight or carelessness.

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

I feel we are our own masters and if we don’t give up there is nothing that can stop us to achieve our goals. I believe that life is all about learning and constantly evolving to a better form of your own self. Always beating your own benchmarks to become better than your best is my work mantra.

Mar-Apr ’15

19

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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Aug-Sept ’15