Hotel Business Review (Sep-Oct 2018)

Sept-Oct ’18

53

Sept-Oct ’18

1

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)

E

ven two decades ago, spa was considered a luxury and a rarity in India’s hospitality industry. But nowadays, the hectic tension filled lifestyles have enhanced the need for spas in India’s lifestyle space, whereas the growing consciousness for wellness in the urban Indian society has enhanced the demand for spas. As a result, these days we are seeing a plethora of high-end hotels and resorts in India having a spa in them. This trend is expected to gather momentum in the near future.

In this issue, we explore the spa culture in India’s hospitality industry and also try to compare the specialised Ayurvedic spa resorts with regular hotel spas.

RevPAR is a crucial indicator of a hotel’s financial performance though like everything else, RevPAR too has its own shortcomings and limitations.

In the Business Story, we discuss through feedbacks from industry experts the role of RevPAR, its shortcomings, and also the digital routes to enhance RevPAR. Besides Bollywood and cricket, religious festivities are perhaps the only other abiding passion of India which garners massive and enduring popularity, across the length and breadth of the country. High-end hotels and resorts in India’s hospitality industry can have great potential for attractive revenues by hosting religious festivities within their precincts.

This idea is being explored in detail in our Feature section.

With the growth in popularity of local and regional food in India’s food service industry, the regional Indian food festivals in hospitality properties across the country are expected to gain frequency, in the near future. In the F&B section, we talk with some seasoned Chefs and food experts to find their understanding of hosting regional Indian food festivals. The exhaustive coverage of Hyatt Regency Amritsar also makes for interesting reading.

Besides these, some other industry relevant topics are being covered here to help make the issue an engrossing read for our valued readers. Our News and Appointment sections can give you a feel of the happenings of this happening industry.

I hereby sign off while hoping that you all are going through a happy, fruitful and prosperous festive season. I wish the festive hues to continue infuse in your being…not only till the culmination of the present festive season in Diwali, but for the rest of your lives.

2

Sept-Oct ’18

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

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

Editorial Policy: Editorial emphasis in Hammer Hotel Business Review magazine is on educational & informational material specifically designed to assist those responsible for managing instututional Hotel business. Articles are welcome and will be published on the sole discretion of the editor.

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

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

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

HOTEL B u s i n e s s

inside

R e v i e w

An Exclusive Business Magazine for the Hotel Industry

22

42

COVER STORY

As far as India’s hospitality industry is concerned, over two decades ago, spas were found only at the mos t exclusive resorts. Today, however, they are found in hospitality properties of all sizes, across the country.

The management of many of the hotels and resorts have now realised that adding a spa to their offerings would draw more guests easily.

28

BUSINESS

O n e of t h e m o s t c r i t i c a l performance metrics for the hoteliers is the revenue per available room (RevPAR). It is a ratio commonly used to measure financial performance in the hospitality industry. By this you not only gain a valuable snapshot of how well your hotel is filling its rooms but it also enables you to gauge how much you can charge per room.

34

FEATURE

It would be pragmatic for the hospitality industry of India to further explore India’s enduring passion for religious festivities to generate handsome revenues. By doing this exercise, the industry can counter its lean phases.

38

SPA

Among the Renaissance Mumbai’s many attractions is the Quan Spa, where one can head for a rejuvenating session. In mandarin language, the word ‘Quan’ translates into a source of pure water.

44

PROPERTY

Located on the Grand Trunk Road, Hyatt Regency Amritsar is the closest upper upscale hotel to the world famous Golden Te m p l e . T h e h o t e l i s conveniently located within three miles of the Golden Temple and a mere 25-minute drive from Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport.

48

INDUSTRY

In today’s business e n v i ro n m e n t , u n i fo r m of an organisation can play a facilitative or even an integral role towards creating brand awareness.

And we all know that in today’s day and age, brand positioning is very much important in the formal segment of hospitality industry. So it is no wonder that in today’s hospitality industry the role of uniform is extremely crucial.

departments F&B

Preference for local and regional food is an important food trend in the present year, for India’s food service industry. The Chefs are travelling across the country to explore regional cuisines and flavours of India to get better understanding of them. In this scenario, regional Indian food festivals in hotels across India are expected to gain frequency.

04 Event 06

News Scan

16 Appointments 18 Focus 36 Technology 50

Product Preview

52 Interview

Cover Pic: Couple Room Spa, Hyatt Regency Amritsar

Sept-Oct ’18

3

Event

Hotel Business Review

Ambiente 2019 to Promote India’s Handicrafts

I

ndia is the partner country at Ambiente 2019 – one of the world‘s important international trade platforms for interior decor, dining, cooking, household goods, gift items, jewellery, and fashion accessories.

Messe Frankfurt, which is the oldest and perhaps the biggest trade fair organiser in the world, has nominated India as the partner country for Ambiente 2019.

Ambiente 2019 will take place at Frankfurt, during 8th-12th February 2019.

India remains one of the very few countries in the world that still creates textiles and crafts from the dexterity of its master weavers and artisans. With an aim to draw attention to Indian artisans and promote handicraft exports, Ministry of Textiles together with Messe Frankfurt India unveiled the India Design Concepts on the lines of ‘FUTURE IS HANDMADE’ at a press conference in New Delhi on 10th October, as part of the Partner Country highlight at Ambiente. This exclusive project will make way for Indian designers and artisans to showcase the best of heritage art & crafts infused with modern design thinking, and facilitate to position India on the world map of design & decor.

Jaipur-based designer Ayush Kasliwal

4

Sept-Oct ’18

and Bengaluru-based Sandeep Sangaru have been nominated to design the India pavilion, and the café respectively at Ambiente Frankfurt. The themes and design concepts will be curated by Sunil Sethi, President of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI). Additional spaces have been awarded to the government to present the scope and various perspectives.

A design arena on the theme of ‘Timeless and Handmade’ will be curated by Jaipurbased designer Ayush Kasliwal and will be designed with gentle Indian shades; to be beautifully lit in the format of a design gallery. It will be organised in two parts. The first Timeless and Handmade section will celebrate everyday crafted objects, some of which are authentic, timeless originals, and the second section will cover crafted objects which have evolved to respond to today’s expectations, and are more relevant to an international audience.

Bengaluru-based Sandeep Sangaru, who will designing the Café concept based on the theme of ‘Starry Nights,’ will be illustrating the usage of bamboo in his designs.

Th e ot h e r a re n a w h i c h h as b e e n accorded to the government to present the Indian design perspectives will be based

on the themes of Crafts Forward, Crafts & Perspectives, and Crafts & Industry. The Crafts Forward arena will showcase the finest of Indian crafts, which will be a liberal mix of ancient objects from museums to collectibles of today.

The Crafts & Industry arena will depict products and enterprises that have got the two together. The products shall be showcased along with the craft process and with the details of the same. The intent here is to establish craft process as a value addition proposition, to buyers as well as manufacturers alike with the objective to present India as an ideal destination where craft, industry and the combination are readily available.

India being an important participant at Ambiente every year, over 400 Indian manufacturers present Indian workmanship at the global fair. With India being the Partner Country for the 2019 edition of the show, the worldwide consumer goods sector has its eyes set on the future potential of the 3573 million USD Indian handicrafts export market, and the heritage art and crafts, that will be put together through the concept of ‘Future Is Handmade.’

R

Since 1963

Hotelware

Gifting

Follow us on:

@Venus Industries

@VENUS Industries

@venusindustries

Sept-Oct ’18

5

Hotel Business Review

50 Years of Pune Hotel Management Institute In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the Maharashtra State Institute Of Hotel Management And Catering Technology in Pune is planning to facilitate 50 eateries/restaurants/ cafes, etc, which have been a part of the city for the past fifty years or more.

Several other events, including seminars and cooking competitions, are also being planned as part of the year-long golden jubilee celebrations, the institute said in a statement.

The Maharashtra State Institute of Hotel Management and Catering

N ews Sca n

Marriott International Unveils the Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa Continuing its expansion spree in India, Marriott International recently opened Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa, in Tamil Nadu. Located along the scenic East Coast Road, overlooking the pristine Bay of Bengal, the property is spread over 10 acres of land.

“The opening of the Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa underlines our focus on enhancing and building the Marriott Resort portfolio within India,” said Neeraj Govil, Area Vice President, South Asia, Marriott International.

The hotel features 125 guest rooms, appointed with all of the Sheraton brand’s signature amenities and services.

“We will continue to cater to our ever-expanding customer base with sophiscated hotels that offer spectaular architecture, culturally significant art, great public spaces, unique dining concepts and thoughful amenities,” Govil added.

First Holiday Inn Express Hotel Opened in Gurugram Technology was established at Nagpur in 1969 with a view to impart vocational skills in cookery, bakery and food processing.

The institute shifted to Pune in the year 1975. Over the past five decades, it built a reputation in providing quality education in hospitality and tourism with various programmes under its banner.

In 2003, the institute introduced the four years Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Hotel Management and Catering Technology, affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University. It launched a two-year full-time Master’s degree programme in Hotel Management & Catering Technology in the year 2012, which is recognised by the All India Council of Technical Education.

Some of the institute’s illustrious alumni include internationally acclaimed Pastry Chef, Anil Rohira; Celebrity Chefs — Nilesh Limaye and Shailendra Kekade; renowned food stylist Nitin Tandon; Praful Chandavarkar — owner of the famous Malakka Spice chain of restaurants; and Sandeep Soparkar — t h e i nte r n at i o n a l l y a cc l a i m e d choreographer.

6

Sept-Oct ’18

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, in September inaugurated its first Holiday Inn Express hotel in Gurugram. The hotel, Holiday Inn Express Gurgaon Sector 50, is part of IHG’s partnership with real estate firm SAMHI for a portfolio of 14 Holiday Inn Express hotels.

Located just 30 minutes drive away from Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, the hotel features 205 rooms, a gymnasium and a laundry room, among other amenities. The hotel is in close proximity to the Metro station, providing great accessibility and connectivity to the guests.

“Holiday Inn Express is our fastest growing brand globally, and we see further opportunity in the South-West Asia market to expand our footprint,” said Vivek Bhalla, Regional Vice President, South West Asia, IHG.

IHG Enters Udaipur with Signing of Holiday Inn Hotel Hospilaity major InterContinental Hotels Group has signed a management agreement with real estate firm Bhumika Enterprises Private Limited for the first Holiday Inn hotel in Udaipur — Holiday Inn Udaipur Urban Square. The 195-room hotel is expected to be operational by 2022. The signing of the hotel also marks IHG’s entry in Udaipur, a hotspot for domestic as well as for international tourists.

Located on NH8, the hotel will be a 30-minute drive from the Maharana Pratap Airport and a seven-minute drive from the city centre. In addition to the guest rooms, Holiday Inn Udaipur Urban Square will feature 12,000 sq. ft. of sizeable meeting space, including a 10,000 sq. ft. ballroom, which can accommodate 800-1,000 people.

Commenting on the announcement, Sudeep Jain, Vice President, Development, South West Asia, IHG said, “The Holiday Inn brand family is our growth driver in the midscale hotel segment in India, and we have accelerated our expansion this year with a number of signings across the country.”

Sept-Oct ’18

7

Hotel Business Review

Sarovar Hotels Opens New Property in Jaisalmer Sarovar Hotels Pvt. Ltd. expanded its footprint in Rajasthan with the opening of Sairafort Sarovar Portico, Jaisalmer in October.

Located on the Jaisalmer-Jodhpur Highway, Sairafort Sarovar Portico is a contemporary palace style hotel made of golden sandstone.

“I am delighted to welcome guests to the Sairafort Sarovar Portico in Jaisalmer. We have ensured the inclusion of everything necessary to make each stay an upscale experience for our guests,” said Anil Madhok, Executive Chairman, Sarovar Hotels and Resorts.

The hospitality property offers 53 deluxe rooms and 6 suites, all equipped with state-of–the-art amenities and comfort.

8

Sept-Oct ’18

N ews Sca n

Marriott Opens New ‘Fairfield’ Hotels in Bengaluru, Pune Marriott International recently annouced the opening of new properties in Bengaluru and Pune under the ‘Fairfield’ brand.

Situated approximately 40 kilometres from the Kempegowda International Airport, Fairfield by Marriott Bengaluru Whitefield features 104 guestrooms and 1,860 sqft of dedicated meeting space, among other amenities.

“This is our third Fairfield hotel in Bengaluru and the thirteenth opening for the brand in India,” said Neeraj Govil, Area Vice President, South Asia, Marriott International.

The hotel is close to numerous attractions in the city, including the HAL Aerospace Museum, Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, National Gallery of Modern Art and Bannerghatta National Park.

Fairfield by Marriott Pune Kharadi, on the other hand, is the first Fairfield property in the city. Widely recognised as the IT hub of Pune, Kharadi is a leading destination for business. The hotel, which features 109 well-appointed rooms and 950 sq.ft of dedicated indoor meeting space, is also in close proximity to business hubs like the World Trade Centre and Magarpatta City, and offers easy access to shopping centres like the Phoenix Mall, Seasons Mall and Amanora Mall.

Sept-Oct ’18

9

Hotel Business Review

N ews Sca n

Inde Hotels Adds Jodhpur’s Ferns Estates & Developers Forays into Hospitality Bijolai Palace Hotel to its Business Portfolio Inde Hotels, a platform for independent hotels, providing end-to-end marketing and support services to drive revenue, has successfully added another feather to its cap by adding the Bijolai Palace Hotel, Jodhpur to its portfolio.

The Bijolai Palace Hotel, a sprawling royal palace built in the 19th century by the then ruling family of Jodhpur-Marwar, is nestled between the Aravali hills surrounded by lakes.

“Adding heritage property to Inde’s portfolio is a well thought strategy for the brand’s expansion. Heritage properties have witnessed an upsurge of tourism in India as these properties are privy to the rich culture, history and have a story to tell,” said Shamita Singh, Executive Director, Inde Hotels.

“Bijolai Palace Hotel will offer not only marvellous heritage architecture but will offer a bouquet of royal services to its customers,” Shamita added.

The hospitality property offers multiple dining options, ranging from delectable local Marwari cuisine to other Indian and international specialties.

Bengaluru-based realty firm Ferns Estates & D eve l o p e rs h as n ow f o ra y e d i n t o l u x u r y timeshare hospitality segment with the commitment to build projects across Sakleshpur, Chikkaballapur, Coorg and Bandipur in Karnataka, and Yercaud in Tamil Nadu at an investment of Rs. 700 crore over a period of three years.

The objective is to develop properties at short distances from Bengaluru and other key cities in souther part of India so that clients can enjoy their holidays from a bouquet of luxury holiday destinations at 3-5 hour driving distances, Ferns Estates & Developers said in a statement.

The company’s first of the five projects — Rosetta by Ferns – will be a 100-acre luxury resort at Sakleshpur, Karnataka.

To enhance customers’ lifestyle holiday experiences and a sense of belonging, the company launched the Club Rosetta Holiday Memberships, a flexible point-based membership programme that provides members immediate access to thousands of resorts and holiday homes worldwide.

This membership programme will be facilitated through the ‘Rosetta’ mobile app.

“Our expertise in developing premium gated communities over the years has enabled us to seamlessly marry real estate with hospitality. With the new initiative, we now offer members the best and memorable lifestyle holiday experiences and at the same time provide an investment opportunity in a five-star deluxe property,” said Errol Fernandes, Chairman & Managing Director, Rosetta by Ferns.

ITC Hotels Acquires Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa ITC Hotels, one of India’s leading luxury hotel chains, on 19th September announced the successful acquisition of Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa. The acquisition is a part of an auction held by Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) for Rs. 541 crores in 2015, and upheld by the Supreme Court in its 19th March judgement, ITC Hotels said in a statement.

Spread across an area of 45 acres, the luxurious Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa at Cansaulim is a beachside plush property comprising of 252 Indo-Portuguese style rooms and suites. ITC said the sprawling property was currently undergoing minor renovation to comply with all the ITC’s sustainability practises.

“ITC is pleased to announce the latest addition to its luxury hotel portfolio in the hospitality landscape of Goa. This has been a long-awaited destination for ITC and we welcome the opportunity to be integrated into the multi-faceted culture and ethos of Goa,” said Nakul Anand, Executive Director, ITC.

10

Sept-Oct ’18

Sept-Oct ’18

11

N ews Sca n

Hotel Business Review

Bengaluru’s Academy of Pastry Arts Wins Second Junior Pastry Indian Cup 2018 The hunt for the best Pastry Chef duo under 23 culminated with Bengaluru’s Academy of Pastry Arts winning the second edition of of the Junior Pastry Indian Cup, held in Mumbai recently. The team, comprising Vandana Konidala and Kush Jadav, will be representing India at the Junior Pastry World Cup during SIGEP show at Rimini, Italy in January 2019.

Teams from various parts of the country like Bengaluru, Gurgaon and Mumbai took part in this two-day tournament. The winners will be competing with teams from nine other countries at the Junior Pastry World Cup. Keeping the main theme of Flying in mind, the winning team chose the theme of aviation. Large, tall, impressive chocolate and sugar sculptures were carved as the choppers. With all the minute details of blades, clouds, fog a vast impressive representation was made by Vandana and Kush at the finale buffet.

Participants underwent seven grueling rounds which showed

Innovations That Will Change The Way You Cook

Conveyor Toaster

Made with fine stainless steel finish, AKASA Conveyer Toaster, guarantees uniformly coloured golden-brown Toast, Buns, English Muffins, Bagels, French Bread, and Frozen Waffles.

CT150

CT300

Let the Excellence of our Work be a reflection of yours

Akasa International

Serving Since Last Decade

Contact us: NEW DELHI - 09811117464, 09313414134 E-mail:info@akasainternational.in, www.akasainternational.in All Our Equipments Are 100% Indigenous made in India with Complete Service Backup, High Quality, Exclusive Designs, Energy Saving & Lower Maintenance.

AKASA Gives you more than you pay for.

12

Sept-Oct ’18

their creations in the Sugar Sculpture, Chocolate Sculpture, Individual Chocolate Bonbons, The Felchlin Chocolate Cake, Dessert on a Plate, Dessert in a Glass, Mini Pastries and more. The participants were graded on artistic representation, technical skills, flavour and texture.

The winning team, mentored by Chef Mukesh Singh Rawat from the Academy of Pastry Arts, Bengaluru, shared, “This win will give us a new identity, as we will be known as Junior Indian Pastry Chefs.”

“It will add value to our future and at this young age getting this recognition is a great experience overall,” they added.

Special categories were also awarded like the Dessert in Glass to Sonali Tandon and Sakshi Grover from Academy of Pastry Arts India, Gurgaon. The Best Dessert on Plate, Best Sugar Sculpture, and Best Chocolate Sculpture were won by Vandana Konidala and Kush Jadav.

The Junior Pastry Indian Cup was co-hosted and facilitated by Bakery Review magazine, Epicure Frozen Food and Beverages Pvt. Ltd. (who has been a part of Junior Pastry Indian Cup to support the younger generation of Indian Pastry Chefs) and School for European Pastry, Mumbai.

“JPIC is a perfect platform for all the junior Chefs to represent their skills and get a chance to brighten their career. We are now all geared up for the Junior Pastry World Cup competition to be held in Italy, which will require a lot of effort and time to be put in to represent our country with our creations,” the winning team said.

Day one also saw guest jury consisting of stalwarts from the industry, including Kainaz Messman-Harchandrai of Theobroma Foods Pvt. Ltd.; Vimal Sharma, Founder and Chief Evangelist, Bliss Chocolates; Ajay Chopra, Chefprenuer and Consultant, and Rushina Munshaw-Ghadiyali, author and food teacher. They were present to judge the wonderful creations as well as to boost the morale of the participants.

Sanjay Anand, Director, Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd., the host organisation, said, “It was exciting to see the young Chefs showcase their pastry talents at the national qualifying rounds. It was an entertaining two days of tough and intense competition.”

Co-presenter Sanjay Tandon, Managing Director, Epicure, said, “It was a pleasure to be associated with this event. It is a perfect platform for young Indian Pastry Chefs to make their mark on the international pastry scene.”

Vikas Bagul, Pastry Chef and Director, School for European Pastry, who was also one of the jury members, opined, “We are happy that School for European Pastry could be part of this Junior Pastry World Cup qualifying rounds.”

Sept-Oct ’18

13

N ews Sca n

Hotel Business Review

L. Aruna Dhir Becomes AELD ITDC Inks Pact with Board Member Morocco to Boost L. Aruna Dhir has been appointed as a Board member of the Association of Emerging Leaders’ Dialogues (AELD), an international network of leaders focused on developing the capability of future leaders in communities and countries across the Commonwealth. Dhir, who is a renowned corporate communications specialist and public relations strategist, is the second Indian representative and the only woman leader to be appointed as a Board Member from India.

Currently, L. Aruna Dhir serves as a Feature Writer and Columnist for a number of hospitality platforms, such as ehotelier.com, HospitalityNet.org, 4Hoteliers.com and Bizcatalyst360.com. She runs an exclusive channel on Bizcatalyst 360 called ‘Hospitality Matters,’ based on her hospitality industry watch, insights and commentary.

As a career PR practioner and hotelier, L. Aruna Dhir has had associations with several prominent hospitality brands including The Oberoi, The Imperial, and the Hyatt Regency.

AELD is the peak co-ordinating body for Commonwealth Study Conferences (CSC) and Emerging Leaders’ Dialogues (ELD) internationally. It is a legal entity under Australian legislation and is accredited by the Commonwealth Secretariat, London.

AELD, via CSCs and ELDs, exposes ‘leaders and influencers of tomorrow’ to economic, social, political, environmental, educational and leadership initiatives through conferences and learning experiences with global stalwarts and through ‘in field’ intellectually challenging study tour of a range of countries and communities.

Cooperation in Tourism With the aim of strengthening cooperation in the field of tourism, India Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. (ITDC), the public sector undertaking under the aegis of Ministry of Tourism, in September signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (SMIT), an autonomous body under Morocco’s Ministry of Tourism.

With the signing of the MoU, both the organisations, will be able to share engineering and tourism products development expertise; new trends and technology in tourism products and innovative tourism product development; marketing / feasibility studies related to the needs and expectations of investors and tourists; expertise in structuring projects in the infrastructure space, apart from sharing of data base of potential Indian and Moroccan investors in the tourism sector.

The organisations will also collaborate to promote tourism investment opportunities through participation in tourism investment events, economic missions, and co-organisation of promotional investment events which are of mutual benefit.

The MoU was signed in the presence of K.J. Alphons, India’s Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism and Mohammed Sajid, Minister of Tourism, Air Transport, Handicraft and Social Economy, Government of the Kingdom of Morocco.

HOBART Launches New Glasswashers and Dishwashers Global commerical warewashing major H O BA RT re ce nt l y p res e nte d i ts n ew glasswasher and dishwasher models that come equipped with new features such as a display with touch screen to make the daily washing routine even simpler. The new machines are designed to offer improved drying result and the ‘WASHSMART’ app allows one to call up comprehensive information on the status of the new glasswashers and dishwashers at the push of a button.

Among other features, the app informs the end customer well in advance of due maintenance dates or chemical consumption, and displays any system messages. Based on this data, the user can avoid standstill, re-order consumables directly via the app, and provide first information to

14

Sept-Oct ’18

the service technician in advance.

An user can resort to the troubleshooting advice in the app to remedy minor malfunctions themselves. If the problem still cannot be solved, the customer can contact the HOBART customer service or a qualified service partner directly via the app.

The presentation of the new undercounter glasswashers and diswashers, held at The Oberoi, New Delhi on 5th October 2018, was attended by leading commercial kitchen consultants, kitchen contractors and hoteliers.

“The new glasswasher is a killer,” S K Belur, Project Head, Equinox Solutions Ahmedabad, said after attending the presentation.

The machines combine low operating

costs with impressive operator comfort to make daily cleaning as easy as possible, HOBART said, adding that the machines offe r s h o rt was h i n g t i m es , guaranteed cleaning results, as well as low water, energy, and chemical consumption.

The HOBART’s ‘TOP-DRY’ drying ensures a perfect drying result without the need for manual drying and polishing. Eliminating the escape of steam during washing, drying and opening the dishwasher, the machine features ‘VAPOSTOP²,’ which ensures an agreeable room climate.

The front of the generation 2018 undercounter models is characterised by their new contemporary design. The ‘VISIOTRONIC-TOUCH’ control provides a touch display as well as a single-button control.

Ne w s Sc an

Treebo Hotels Partners with PhonePe for In-App Hotel Bookings Budget hotel chain Treebo Hotels in Ocotober announced its partnership with PhonePe, one of India’s leading digital payment platforms. The partnership will allow PhonePe users to directly book from Treebo’s over 400 hotels and homestays in more than 85 Indian cities, on the PhonePe app.

PhonePe users will also be able to spend and earn Treebo Rewards (Treebo’s loyalty points) on the Treebo hotel rooms booked through the app.

“We are excited to partner with PhonePe in making Treebo’s hotel bookings simple, fast and reliable. By building the Treebo app within PhonePe, we will be able to extend the reach of Treebo Hotels through PhonePe’s growing tech-savvy user base and facilitate seamless completion of transactions,” said Rana Vishal Singh, Head of Performance Marketing, Treebo Hotels.

AccorHotels Reach 1000 Hotels, 200,000 rooms in Asia-Pacific

Hotel Business Review

Radisson Hotel Group Signs New Hotel in Noida Radisson Hotel Group has inked a pact for the management rights of a new Radisson RED hotel in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

With 350 keys, positioned strategically in sector 129, adjoining N o i d a Ex p re s s w a y, t h e hotel — Radisson RED Noida Expressway — is poised to be a leading Radisson RED hotel for the group globally, the Radisson Hotel Group, which has partnered with real estate firm Bayaweaver, said in a statement.

“We are glad to partner with Bayaweaver for managing this hotel, which will give the brand unrivalled exposure in the Indian market due to its strategic location,” said Raj Rana, Chief Executive Officer, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group.

Radisson RED Noida Expressway will be the group’s third Radisson RED hotel in India; joining the Radisson RED hotels that are currently under development in Mohali and New Gurgaon.

With the launch of Pullman Tokyo Tamachi in Japan, AccorHotels has reached the 1000th hotel milestone for Asia-Pacific, bringing within the ambit of the group over 200,000 rooms in the region.

“For the first half of 2018, 72 percent of global room openings for the group were in Asia-Pacific,” said Michael Issenberg, CEO, Asia-Pacific, AccorHotels.

“We currently open, on an average, a new hotel in AsiaPacific every three days, but our goal is to move this to a new hotel every second day by 2020 and one hotel per day globally,” Issenberg said.

The Pullman Tokyo Tamachi will be the group’s 75th Pullman in Asia-Pacific in only 10 years. Having launched in Thailand in 2008, Pullman has become one of the group’s most successful brands with a network of more than 125 hotels globally.

Issenberg went on to say that in the past three years, the Asia-Pacific network of AccorHotels has doubled in size, thanks to a combination of organic growth and strategic acquisitions.

The AccorHotels’s portfolio now includes some of the world’s most iconic and respected brands such as Raffles, Orient Express, Fairmont, Banyan Tree, Delano, Mondrian, SLS, Swissôtel, and Mövenpick. The recent addition of Mantra Hotels to the network also added a further 19,000 rooms to the region.

AccorHotels currently has more hotels in the pipeline in the Asia-Pacific than any of its competitors, and the addition of these new brands will only help to accelerate further growth.

In India, AccorHotels has 49 hotels across nine of its internationally acclaimed brands and it plans to expand its network by 25 percent over the next few years.

Sept-Oct ’18

15

Appo intments

Hotel Business Review

Ritu Joshi Fairmont Jaipur, part of AccorHotels, has appointed Ritu Joshi as the Rooms Division Manager of the property. Before being promoted to the new role, she was working as the Executive Housekeeper of the luxury hotel.

With an experience of close to 16 years, Ritu has acquired deep understanding of operations related to the hospitality industry.

She began her career with The Oberoi Group in 2002 and worked with leading hotels such as Trident Nariman Point in Mumbai, Maidens Hotel in Delhi and The Oberoi New Delhi, prior to joining Fairmont Jaipur in 2017.

“We are delighted to have Ritu Joshi promoted as the Rooms Division Manager.

She has been associated with Fairmont Jaipur for a year now and has worked efficiently to provide the best experience to our guests. We firmly believe that she will add more value, with her skills, to the team,” Shares Srijan Vadhera, General Manager, Fairmont Jaipur, said on her appointment.

Vipul Kamboj Vipul Kamboj has joined as the Executive Assistant Manager of Hotel Crowne Plaza Today Gurugram, part of the InterContinental

16

Sept-Oct ’18

Hotels Group. Prior to this appointment, he was the Director of Sales & Marketing with The Leela Ambience Gurugram Hotel & Residences for over seven years. Before The Leela Group, he had worked with the Marriott International, Inc. for a decade.

“I am excited to join the IHG family.

Crowne Plaza Today Gurugram is already a preferred choice of stay of the corporate travellers. With my experience in handling the Gurugram market for over a decade I know the requirement of a corporate customer and I will put this experience to use to ensure our guests have a fruitful stay,” Kamboj said on his appointment.

Resort Goa is to ensure the growth and expansion of the properties through his innovative strategies.

Soares brings to the new role experience of working with various organisations across the globe — from Egypt to Tanzania. He has acquired over the years, comprehensive understanding of diverse markets, and his core expertise lies in delivering successful results by empowering teams and effective process.

Manish Dayya Manish Dayya has been appointed as the General Manager of Novotel Hyderabad Co n v e n t i o n Ce n t re a n d H yd e ra b a d International Convention Centre (HICC), managed by hospitality major AccorHotels.

In his new position, Dayya will be responsible for spearheading operations at these dual properties.

Dayya brings to the new role over two decades of experience in the trade and hospitality industry. He has been associated with AccorHotels since 2013.

His association with AccorHotels started when he joined the group as the General Manager of Novotel Goa Resort & Spa and Novotel Goa Shrem Hotel. Prior to joining the dual property in Hyderabad he was the General Manager for Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach.

Victor C Soares Victor C. Soares has been appointed as the Senior General Manager of Radisson Blu Goa. His responsibility at Radisson Blue

Victor Chen Victor Chen has joined Le Meridien Goa Calangute as the property’s General Manager. In a career spanning over 18 years, Chen has held key positions in sales, events, food & beverage and rooms operations across the country, as well as in overseas assignment.

Prior to joining Le Meridien Goa, he was the Resident Manager at JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu. In his current assignment, he will be responsible for creating a thriving environment for associates, consolidate the positioning of the hotel, drive market growth and brand preference and elevate the hotel’s food & beverage offerings.

Ap p oi n tm en t s

Hotel Business Review

operations at JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa, ensuring its growth and expansion through innovative strategies.

Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel and Convention Center, he was the Complex Executive Chef at The Westin Chennai and Le Meridien Kochi Convention Center.

Samy Sakthivel Samy Sakthivel has been appointed as the General Manager of Novotel Chennai Chamiers Road. In this role, he will be responsible for spearheading the overall operations of the property, which is owned

by AG Hospitality Pvt Ltd. Prior to joining Novotel Chennai Chamiers Road. Samy was associated with Raintree St. Marys Road since 2017 as the General Manager.

Fascinated with the hospitality industry since his early years, Sakthivel has worked at various positions in the industry.

Nishant Agarwal Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach has appointed Nishant Agarwal as the General Manager of the property. Agarwal, who brings to the new role 19 years of hospitality experience, will be responsible for spearheading operations at the beach hotel.

Over the course of his career, Agarwal has worked with leading international hotel brands and gained expertise across various segments.

Abhishek Rajagolkar Abhishek Rajagolkar has been appointed as the Market Director of Sales & Marketing for Marriott properties in Tamil Nadu. In his new role, Rajagolkar’s key responsibilities include developing and implementing sales and marketing strategies for all Marriott managed properties in Tamil Nadu. Previously, he was the Multi Property Director of Sales & Marketing at Kochi Marriott Hotel, and Courtyard by Marriott Kochi Airport Hotel.

In his career spanning over 13 years, Rajagolkar has worked in various roles across different properties with Marriott International in India as well as in other major hospitality chains like AccorHotels and the Taj.

Srikant Peri

Piiyush Kapoor Piiyush Kapoor has been appointed as the General Manager for JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort and Spa. Kapoor has been associated with leading domestic and international hospitality brands for close to two decades now. During these years he has had the opportunity to work with Holiday Inn, Manali followed by Crowne Plaza, Mussoorie and The Lalit, Jaipur, among others. Prior to joining JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort and Spa, he served as the General Manager at Radisson Blue Udaipur Palace Resort & Spa. In his new role, Kapoor will spearhead the

Jatinder Pal Singh Jatinder Pal Singh has joined as the Exe c u t i v e C h ef a t S h e ra t o n G ra n d Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel and Convention Center. In his role as the Executive Chef, Singh will supervise the daily operations of the kitchen, design menus, develop new impressions and train the culinary team at the hotel.

In his professional journey of over a decade, Singh got the chance to work alongside many high profile Chefs across the world. Prior to joining Sheraton Grand

Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat And Spa in Maharashtra has appointed Srikant Peri as the retreat’s new General Manager.

In his new role, Peri’s responsibilities include strengthening partner relationships, strategic planning, managing and overseeing day-to-day operations and driving business developments to meet growing business and consumer needs.

In his career spanning over three decades in the ‘luxury hospitality industry,’ Peri has served many roles, including as Restaurant Manager, Food and Beverage Manager, Director Food and Beverage, and as Hotel Manager. In these years, he had been associated with leading hospitality brands, including Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts, Taj Hotels, and The Oberoi Cecil in Shimla.

Sept-Oct ’18

17

Focus

Hotel Business Review

Presenting a Comprehensive Hospitality Package

By Swarnendu Biswas

S

ituated at the centre of the business district of Mumbai, Radisson Mumbai Andheri MIDC is a new addition to Mumbai’s bustling hospitality scenario. It is an upscale hotel offering a relaxing stay in the Andheri East suburb of the commercial capital of India.

Located just minutes from Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM) and Andheri railway station, the hotel comes across as an ideal haven to host business meetings. The hotel is also near to the famed Juhu Beach, which is only 6 km from the hotel. The property is only two kilometer drive from Mahakali Caves, which are a group of 19 rock-cut monuments anchoring a Buddhist monastery, built between 1st century BC and 6th century AD. Here heritage and serenity reign together. Sanjay Gandhi National Park, which is an ideal place for nature walk, picnic and wildlife spotting, is only 6 km from the property.

The hotel is owned by GHV Hospitality

18

Sept-Oct ’18

India Pvt. Ltd. “The soft launch of the hotel happened on 13th July 2018. The hotel is currently open with its entire inventory of 111 rooms, which includes two Suites and one Accessible Room. Till now, the response to

the hotel has been extremely encouraging.

It is garnering good occupancies and ADRs. The hotel has already achieved its market share index as per the available known resources,” explained Ravi Ramachandran, the GM of the hospitality property.

“A combination of Yes I Can!SM service attitude, proximity to numerous leisure and business locations, a host of modern amenities, and carefully curated dining options can make Radisson Mumbai Andheri MIDC the hotel of choice for the discerning travellers,” observed Ravi. Though leisure tourists can also have an enjoyable stay at the hotel, but the primary target segment of the hotel are the corporates.

Room for More

Ravi Ramachandran

The property has 94 Superior Rooms, 15 Deluxe Rooms and 2 Executive Suites. “Each of the 111 spacious rooms and suites at the Radisson Mumbai Andheri MIDC offers modern comforts in a stylish setting. You

We Know what productivity means to you.

A LOT !

Inspire Experience Perform

Strolleys & Trolleys

Furniture

FURNISHERS www.mehtafurnishers.com

Baskets

Accessories

No.1, Chotey Lal Park, Main Najafgarh Road, Opp. Kirti Nagar, New Delhi-110015 Tel. : +91-11-25442200, 25412250, Mobile : +91-9811114668 E-mail : mehtafur@gmail.com Sept-Oct ’18 • Practical designs • Protective sleeves to reduce scratching • Superb Quality • Option of Pneumatic wheels for transit vibration reduction 19

Focus

Hotel Business Review

can relax in front of the 42-inch LED TV, or complete work assignments at the spacious desk. In the morning, you can brew a fresh cup of coffee from the in-room facilities while reading your daily newspaper. All our rooms and suites are equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity, and our two Executive Suites also afford beautiful city views,” Ravi elaborated.

Ravi informed that all the rooms of the hotel included free Wi-Fi facility, 42-inch LED TV, coffee/tea making facilities, in-room safe, a large work desk with ergonomic chair, the provision of daily newspaper, multi-media hub with HDMI, USB, audio and Bluetooth connectivity, hair dryer, and a mini bar.

Delectable Offerings The hotel offers delectable options for guests to savour. “Gallery Café, the allday multi-cuisine dining restaurant of the hotel offers distinctive delicacies from around the world. It also has a Chef’s counter where guests can watch culinary choreography in motion, as their dishes are cooked and plated with skill and care,” explained the GM. “ Th e Q e b a b Fa cto ry i s o u r I n d i a n specialty restaurant. It boasts of flavourful biryanis and kebabs, which can take you on a wonderfully desi culinary journey.

Authentic recipes, handed down through generations, are served up here in all new avatar,” he added further.

For enjoying a flavourful and energising beverage after a hectic day, Squeese is the right address at the hotel. It should be noted that the hotel doesn’t serve

20

Sept-Oct ’18

alcoholic beverages, but the guests can bring alcoholic beverages if they wish to.

“Beans & Crème, our bakery and deli at the lobby lounge, offers guests a selection of savouries, homemade breads, sandwiches, cakes and pastries along with freshly brewed tea and coffee,” Ravi informed further. And if you are too tired to go to the restaurant, you can of course order food by availing the option of 24-hour in-room dining service.

For Memorable Meetings As was expected, the hotel has an impressive M I C E a n d b a n q u et i n g i nf ras t r u ct u re.

“Radisson Mumbai Andheri MIDC houses an event space of 3,000 sq. ft. to host over 250 guests with warmth and convenience,” the seasoned hospitality industry professional offered.

“The pillarless event space of the hospitality property can be easily demarcated into two sound-proof venues of 1,058 sq. ft. each, by drawing the partition. They can

be ideal for breakout sessions or smaller seminars,” Ravi informed. The pillarless venue offers a welcoming atmosphere with large glass doors, and natural daylight. One can also take advantage of the pool area just outside and host a summertime party or an intimate black-tie reception.

“Besides these, a dedicated pre-function space of 1,000 and 850 square feet is available. With daylight streaming in, the space can be allotted for meal and tea breaks. A state-of-the-art 10 seater boardroom is available for the high-end board meetings,” he disclosed.

High definition multimedia projectors, drop-down projector screens, corded and cordless microphones with high quality amplifiers, mixers and speakers, audio/video conferencing facility, high speed dedicated Internet lines are some of the amenities and services provided at the hotel, which can make meetings and seminars at the hotel a memorable and fruitful exercise for the participants.

Other Features As for the wellness and fitness services provided by the hotel, the GM informed that “Here the guests can rejuvenate their mind, body and soul at our Spa with its three treatment rooms, or head for a workout at our 24-hour fitness centre equipped with state-of-the-art equipment.”

The state-of-the-art fire, safety and surveillance systems can give the guests a secured feel as they enjoy the property’s opulent ambience and impeccable services.

With such a comprehensive hospitality package, how does Ravi evaluates the business prospect for Radisson Mumbai Andheri MIDC? “Going by the initial response, it seems that we would achieve break-even well ahead of our projections,” he replied with confidence. n

Sept-Oct ’18

21

Hotel Business Review

Cover Story

Wellness Dimension in Hospitality Hotel developers and owners having their operations in India, in the not so distant past, were reluctant to offer their guests in India spa facilities due to the significant investment needed for a spa and also because majority of those guests did not demand spa in the package. About two decades ago, spa was considered as a luxury in India’s hospitality industry, even for high-end hotels and resorts.

Today many tourists in India, whether they be leisure or business tourists, whether they be inbound or domestic tourists, believe that spa is a prerequisite for a hotel. Of course, this consumer demand is reflected in mushrooming of spas across hospitality properties in the country. Moreover, spas these days are expected to be holistic wellness havens.

The extremely hectic and tension filled lifestyles of these days have enhanced the need for spas in many well-heeled guests’ lifestyle space. Ashok Malkani explores the spa culture in India’s hospitality industry to find that most star-rated hotels in the country now deem it essential to have a spa. In the feature, the comparison between the specialised Ayurvedic spa resorts with the regular hotel spas is also being done.

22

Sept-Oct ’18

Cover Story

Hotel Business Review

S

pas in hospitality properties in India, which once upon a time were rare features, h ave b e co m e co m m o n havens of rejuvenation in several star hotels operating in the country. This is mainly due to the fact that well-being is becoming the norm today for leisure as well as business travellers. Spas are at the forefront of holistic health and wellness movement in the country.

Though the spa culture has gained momentum in the recent years, spas do have a rich legacy. If one looks back in history, one finds that ancient Greeks were the first to use spas for therapeutic purposes, not just for hygiene and cleanliness. The Romans took this line of thinking of the Greeks one step further and built thermal baths at natural mineral and hot springs.

They loved their baths, and wherever they went the steam baths and healing massage were sure to follow.

As the Roman Empire expanded, spas began springing up all over Europe and beyond and became places to socialise, relax and receive medical treatment. The fall of the Roman Empire might have taken place about 1,600 years ago but the

Europeans never lost their love for spas.

Hotels Need Spas This love has now flowed to India too. As far as India’s hospitality industry is concerned, over two decades ago, spas were found only at the most exclusive resorts. Today, however, they are found in hospitality properties of all sizes, across the country.

The management of many of the hotels and resorts have now realised that adding a spa to their offerings would draw more guests easily.

Laltlanpari Varte, Spa Manager, Conrad Pune, averred, “All leading luxury hotels in India these days house a spa. Today’s savvy travellers like to relax and unwind in style while being pampered at the spa.

A spa adds an element of luxury to the modern travellers and hence can play an important role in hotels’ and resorts’ identity. Nowadays, a spa is also indirectly responsible for the success of a hotel business, through revenue generation and upping the satisfaction score for guests looking for a wholesome experience.”

“Latest report on spas indicates that modern day travellers consider wellness facilities as one of the most important factors when booking a hotel. Spa is a key differentiator to us in both the leisure and business travel segments today. Additionally, 69 percent of the travellers, according to the report, said they were most likely to visit

the spa at the hotel during stay,” revealed Migmar Lhamo, Spa Manager, Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway.

“Earlier, the spa menu used to come with one expansive list of offerings that led to significant operational problems, especially in the education of therapists, other staff and in marketing too. However, all these complexities have been addressed by contemporary spas of today with simplified, refined and targeted treatment menus,” she elaborated.

“With the advance in development of wellness facilities across hotels under the luxury segment, many professionals now believe that spa is an essential element in luxury hotels,” expressed Jyoti Rathod, Spa Manager, JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa. “At Cedar Spa by L’Occitane, at JW Mariott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa, we offer an array of specialised treatments, customised for complete rejuvenation. Nestled against a vertical drop on the hillside, the spa is a haven for Mediterranean wellness,” Jyoti conveyed.

Vijay Kanojia, Health Club Manager, The Suryaa New Delhi, believes that whether one is on a business trip, or on leisure or social travel, one “needs some time to relax, rejuvenate and unwind. That is where spa comes into picture. After a tiring hectic schedule, one needs time to refresh and re-energise oneself.”

Sept-Oct ’18

23

Cover Story

Hotel Business Review

Amit Kumar

Jyoti Rathod

Abbas Painattu

Sagar Gaonkar, Director of Rooms, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pune-Chinchwad is of the opinion that star hotels must have a spa. “These days travellers expect a star hotel to have all the facilities like swimming pool, gym and multiple restaurants. A spa is an advantage to help meet the guest expectations of a good star hotel,” he pointed out.

Dr. Maneesh Damodharan, Spa Manager, Radisson Blu Resort Goa Cavelossim Beach, added, “Nowadays wellness has become the most inevitable part of many tourists’ vacation as it helps in relaxing tired muscles and rejuvenation.”

“Wellness has captured the imagination of consumers. Consumers have grown more conscious and focused towards taking care of themselves. Whether it is for travelling for work or leisure, a professional spa facility at the hotel is often a criterion for selecting a hotel. Spa facility is an increasingly important differentiator as room amenities

and hotel infrastructure are more or less at par across the same star band of hotels,” opined Amit Kumar, General Manager, Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan.

with other international brands and don’t fall out of race,” explained Vijay.

Amit however, is of the opinion that spas housed in hotels in India are, on an average, superior to the global ones. “Hotel spas in India, on an average, are way ahead of their counterparts globally. This is in-line with the overall hospitality sector of India being far ahead over its global counterparts in terms of service and amenities offered for the price charged. Globally, spas in hotels are either larger than life or very basic in design. Globally, spa services are very steeply priced – upwards of 150 USD for a sixty minutes spa therapy that will be typically priced under 50 USD in India.

Global spa consumers, on an average, are also far ahead of their Indian counterpart when it comes to valuing the benefits of wellness therapies,” he elaborated.

Maneesh has a different opinion. “Indian spas have to improve a lot to compete with global spa standards,” he asserted.

“Experiences from spas in India have improved with more focus on hygiene and standards maintained, at par with those of the spas globally,” Sagar asserted.

“India is a key part of the global luxury spa market,” declared Laltlanpari. “The new economic boom and the economic multi-use packages have facilitated in the growth of India’s spa market,” she added.

According to Abbas Painattu, Spa Manager, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace, spa treatments in India include various Indian and exotic massages done with herbal and aromatic oils.

“The spa industry came into eminence in India during the last five-ten years. India has about 2,300 spa centers, which are concentrated majorly in South India, where people in the age-group of 25-45 are their

24

Sept-Oct ’18

Global or Indian In the luxury hotel segment of India’s hospitality industry, the role of the spa has been elevated to a position of being an expected amenity. But how do hotel spas in India compare with the spas of global standard?

“When we go for comparison, one should notice that most of the star hotels in India are franchised or managed by some international brand or other which has its own set of operational procedures to run hotels at an international level.

Thus the spas of these star hotels in the country reflect global standards. The other hotels with spas in India, which run their own brands, also do follow the global spa standard to make sure they are neck to neck

Cover Story biggest consumer segment. A major portion of the business of spa centers in India these days comes from health tourists from America, Europe and East Asia,” he added.

I ONLY ACCEPT MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE !

Ayurvedic Resorts and Hotel Spas In India’s fast evolving wellness industry, we are seeing specialised Ayurvedic spa resorts, which are different from general hotel spas. Which should be preferred is a question that often arises in the minds of the clients.

“Ayurvedic spa hotels and resorts are like wellness retreats for guests looking to eat healthy and detox. A stay at an Ayurvedic resort may extend for a long duration, such as 15 days, depending on the issues and the line of treatment. An Ayurvedic doctor at the resort may diagnose and recommend corrective nutrition plans, activities and treatments which are holistic in nature,” explained Laltlanpari.

“In luxury hotels however, a guest can schedule an appointment with the spa for deluxe spa facilities such as signature spa treatments using natural and exotic ingredients, which helps guests to soothe their nerves and unwind,” she maintained.

“When we talk about Ayurvedic spa hotels & resorts it is understood that they are primarily meant for treatment related to healing of some chronic diseases and ailments through Ayurveda oil and ointments, which have some therapeutic benefits for some fixed session apart from relaxation. When we talk about the general hotel spas, they generally offer an array of different therapies, which are basically meant for relaxation and rejuvenation, be it Ayurveda, European, Chinese or the South-East Asian therapies,” elaborated Vijay.

“Ayurvedic spa resorts are very different from regular hotel spas. At an Ayurvedic spa resort, the respective guest is generally first consulted by a professional Ayurveda doctor and following that begins a tailor-made treatment, usually for a period of two weeks, depending on the guest’s health,” explained Jyoti.

On the other hand, in regular hotel spas, the emphasis is more on relaxation and rejuvenation in an opulent setting, rather than on cure from chronic ailments.

“A regular hotel spa offers luxurious spa facilities with signature spa treatments such as massages, facials and body treatments, which are specific to that hotel. The amenities at these types of spas could be in the form of luxury branded spa products, personal service along with steam, sauna, gym and swimming pool facilities. The ambience in a high-end hotel spa spells luxury and relaxation,” elaborated Jyoti.

“The Ayurvedic spas, also known as medi spas, offer traditional spa therapies as well as authentic Ayurvedic Panchakarma treatments in a relaxing environment. The treatments on a medical spa holiday generally focus on one of the two areas — aesthetic enhancement or wellness. The medical spas have become more popular in recent years for both men and women. An Ayurvedic doctor overseas these type of spa resorts and typically provides a health consultation at the beginning of your stay, whilst other medical professionals, such as physiotherapists and Panchakarma therapists, handle the daily treatments and therapies,” Abbas elaborated.

“On the other hand, hotels offer a relaxing and pampering

My focus is on the guest. I do everything for that, and I expect maximum performance from my equipment. The MKN FlexiCombi won‘t let me down. Its performance inspires me every time anew. And so I inspire my guests.

MKN FlexiCombi Performance redefined.

#mychoice WWW.MKN.COM Sept-Oct ’18

25

Cover Story

Hotel Business Review

Laltlanpari Varte

Dr. Maneesh Damodharan

Migmar Lmaho

spa that allows guests to escape from the stresses of everyday life. With a selection of beauty and rejuvenating treatments such as personalsed massages, body scrubs and hydrotherapy treatments, hotel spas aim to give their patrons a healthy glow and a renewed sense of energy,” he added.

“Ayurvedic spa resorts would only focus on traditional Indian treatments whereas other hotel spas generally have both western treatments as well as Ayurveda offerings,” maintained Migmar.

“Ayurvedic spa resorts mainly provide health related treatment programs with long-term effects and they focus on long stay guests, whereas regular hotel spas mainly focus on one time relaxation and pampering of the guests,” added Maneesh.

“Typically, the Ayurvedic spa resorts are destinations away from the city

where guests can enroll themselves for therapies and treatments spread across a minimum of seven days and going up to two months. The treatments are targeted towards specific benefits which could range across detoxification, weight-loss, etc.

The therapies revolve around Ayurvedic panchkarma and yogic kriyas. City hotels that have spas are more equipped for dayto-day relaxation therapies and because they are easily accessible, regular guests there enroll for annual memberships to enjoy special benefits. The hotel spas have the advantage of offering the full array of wellness therapies and undertake innovative wellness initiatives. Tattva Spa, at our Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan and some other places, has launched wellness detox F&B menu across select hotel spas and it is becoming a popular choice of

dining post a rejuvenating spa session,” articulated Amit.

26

Sept-Oct ’18

Spa Chain Models The spa culture has so enveloped the hotels in India that some hotel chains have created their own spa brands. ITC has Kaya Kalp, Taj has Jiva, Shangri-La has Chi. At the same time, some hotel chains boast about external spa brands housed by them. The Leela has Espa. Tattva, one of the largest chains of spa is housed in Radisson Mumbai, Holiday Inn Mumbai, Conrad Pune and several other places. So which of this model is more beneficial?

“Nowadays many a hotel has its own set of spa brand and it is beneficial as you have your own set of standard procedure to be followed. This can give these spas unique positioning from other hotel spas, and facilitate them to garner good reputation in the market,” explained Vijay.

“The idea behind hotel brands having their own signature spa is that when guests travel from one city to another, they can carry their wellness experience with them. Most hotel chain spas have their own set of therapies and treatments.

Signature therapies are standardised across all Westin’s Heavenly Spa spas, which can be a source of assurance for the guests,” affirmed Abbas.

Migmar iterates that having the same spa brand across several hotel chains is beneficial for the hotels. “Guests who have already experienced a certain class of services and facilities at a given branded spa, would prefer to get the same or similar wellness solutions at other places too,” Migmar pointed out.

“One of the most significant reasons for

Cover Story

Vijay Kanojia housing the same spa brand for various hotel chains is the credibility the spa brand brings for the guests at the hotel. A guest is keener to try the spa services of a wellknown and established spa brand, which can add footfalls at the spa for the hotel.

Also, loyalists of the spa brand may be easily converted into using the spa and it becomes easier for the hotel to latch on the brand

Hotel Business Review

value of the concerned spa brand,” stated Laltlanpari.

Sagar believes several hotel chains having the same spa brand would be beneficial to these hotels as it would help maintain a wellness standard across all these hotel chains.

Maneesh also maintains that several hotel chains having the same spa brand is beneficial as it would enable hotel chains to maintain the same brand standards & spa techniques across all hotels of the chain. “And guest will not feel any difference in the spa experience during their different stays with different hotel chains, who are having the same spa brand,” he pointed out.

“It is indeed an advantage if a hotel chain can work with a single spa brand or a maximum of two, depending upon the positioning of their specific sub-brands. It goes a long way in developing focus and increases the ability to do joint marketing initiatives at a larger scale. There are however, very few professional spa brands with a national footprint, resulting in hotels in India’s dependency on local spa

Sagar Gaonkar operators,” averred Amit.

In conclusion, we may state that whatever may be the model of their operations, spas have today become an integral part of India’s hospitality industry. Increasingly, hotels are offering spa and wellness services as a customer incentive. This trend is only likely to gain momentum in India’s hospitality industry, in the years to come. n

Sept-Oct ’18

27

Business

Hotel Business Review

Routes to Enhance

RevPAR

One of the most critical performance metrics for the hoteliers is the revenue per available room (RevPAR). It is a ratio commonly used to measure financial performance in the hospitality industry. By this you not only gain a valuable snapshot of how well your hotel is filling its rooms but it also enables you to gauge how much you can charge per room.

Ashok Malkani tries to find the pros and cons of RevPAR as far as profitability in a hospitality property is concerned. It is believed that digital marketing tools and online reviews are two important aspects for increasing the RevPAR. Search engine optimisation can, according to the industry experts, significantly increase a hospitality property’s RevPAR. But does a high RevPAR really ensure high profitability for the hospitality property? That is a question which the Revenue Managers need to ponder on.

28

Sept-Oct ’18

Business

T

o be successful in any business, b ot h p rof i ta b i l i ty a n d g row t h are important, or rather crucial.

Profitability is critical for a company’s long-term survival. Determining and focusing on profitability at the beginning of a company is essential.

Hospitality industry is no different.

Revenue Managers in hospitality properties have to ensure that the revenue earned is not only sufficient to meet the expenses but are enough for the property to make a net profit. RevPAR (or revenue per available room) is a performance metric commonly used in the hospitality industry.

This is believed to be an extremely important yardstick for the financial performance of a hospitality property.

To calculate the RevPAR the total room revenue is divided by the number of rooms. If a 100-room hotel is 60 percent full and earns a revenue of Rs. 60,000 per day, the average room rent would be Rs. 1,000 per room. However, the RevPAR would be Rs. 600 as the amount will be divided by the total number of rooms i.e. 100.

The Role of RevPAR Yasin Shaikh, Assistant Revenue Manager of Ramada Powai Hotel & Convention Centre, explained, “RevPAR is hotel’s key performance index. For a hotel it is very important to understand how much revenue is generated by every room daily.”

“It is the most important of all financial ratios for the hotels, because

the measure incorporates both room rates and occupancy. It provides a convenient snapshot of how well the hospitality property is filling its rooms, as well as how much it is able to charge,” he added.

“RevPAR is evaluated to see how much revenue a hospitality property has made within a certain period of time. RevPAR not only shows us if we are selling the rooms at the right rates but also how much profit we are making out of every room that is available for sell,” Yasin observed.

According to Rekha Ahirwar, Revenue Manager, Alila Diwa Goa, “RevPAR is revenue per available room and occupancy percentage multiplied by the ADR.” “RevPAR is the most important ratio that a hotel drives for because it measures both room rates and occupancy,” she asserted.

“RevPAR is an important indicator of the overall performance of a hotel, as well as a useful component of the hotel’s revenue management strategy,” Rekha pointed out.

“From the Owner’s /Operator’s point of view, rooms are a perishable commodity and hence maximising the entire capacity of the hospitality property at the best rates possible helps it achieve a high RevPAR,” averred Sucheta Jadhao, Director of Revenue, Sofitel Mumbai BKC. “RevPAR is a convenient and easy to understand measurement tool. It helps hotels to know their position in

Sept-Oct ’18

29

Business

Hotel Business Review

Rekha Ahirwar the market,” declared Rajesh Tripathy, Reservation & Revenue Manager, Radisson Blu Resort Goa Cavelossim Beach.

“RevPAR is the total room revenue generated per available room, whether sold or unsold. It is calculated as total room revenue divided by total inventory,” informed Amel Joe, Director of Sales & Marketing, The Westin Pune Koregaon Park.

“RevPAR is a very good measure of the hotel room sales. Since a hotel’s inventory is a perishable product, a room that goes unsold on a particular day is a wasted product, and hence there is always a need to fill the hotel at optimum rates. Since RevPAR takes into account every available room in the hotel and not just the rooms sold, it is considered a great measure of hotel room sales performance,” he elaborated.

Shortcomings of RevPAR Within the realm of current hotel revenue management, RevPAR is popularly believed to be the most accurate ratio that can be looked at to calculate a hotel’s’ performance.

It is also used to compare hotels’ economic performances.

The hospitality industry seems to be obsessed with RevPAR and, in particular, with RevPAR growth. Typically, one of the

30

Sept-Oct ’18

important items in discourse in a hotel company’s quarterly earnings report is the percentage of RevPAR growth achieved by the property concerned. It may be mentioned that while RevPAR is a convenient and easy-to-understand measurement tool, and though it may be the most popular indicator of hotel’s revenue performance, but it is not always the best one, especially in an economic environment of uncertainty or even recession. If you take a closer look, there are some limitations to its relevance.

“RevPAR won’t tell you the whole story when it comes to revenue. It is because it does not take CPOR (costs per occupied room) into account. You can’t tell what optimal occupancy you need to reach by only looking at your RevPAR. It does not take into consideration any additional income a hotel may have from other revenuegenerating departments. Also, it won’t tell you much about your profits. You could have an awesome RevPAR, but if your costs are outstripping it, your hotel will be suffering,” conveyed Rekha.

“The main shortcomings of RevPAR is that it fails to take ancillary revenue into account and therefore gives an incomplete picture of a hotel’s overall performance,” averred Yasin.

“RevPAR won’t tell us the whole story when it comes to a hospitality property’s revenue. For example, a large hotel with 500 rooms will pull in a lot more money than a hotel with 50 rooms, even if it has a much lower RevPAR than the smaller hotel.

Also, it won’t tell us much about our profits.

We could have an awesome RevPAR, but if our operating cost is higher, then the hotel will be suffering,” affirmed Amit Ghosh, Director of Sales and Marketing, DoubleTree

by Hilton Hotel Pune-Chinchwad.

“Today, most hotels see equivalent revenue contribution from room sales and F&B sales, and hence every business decision made by the hotel has to take into account the impact on both of these revenue channels. Guest demographics can have a significant impact on ancillary revenues like food & beverage revenues, spa revenues, catering revenues, etc. Since RevPAR takes into account of only the room revenue, it cannot measure the impact on other revenue streams and hence may not be the comprehensive measure of profitability of hospitality properties on a macro level. TrevPAR or Total Revenue Per Available Room is a better measure

Amit Ghosh of the hospitality property’s performance,” revealed Amel.

RevPAR Index It is sometimes more pragmatic for hotel GMs to focus on RevPAR Index. So what is RevPAR Index?

“RevPAR Index measures a hotel’s performance relative to an aggregated grouping of hotels (i.e., competitive set, market or submarket). We utilise indexes to measure performance in three key areas: occupancy, ADR and RevPAR. An index of 100 means a hotel is capturing a fair share compared to the aggregated group of hotels,” Amit pointed out.

“Revenue Generation Index or RevPAR Index is the hotel’s RevPAR divided by its competition set average RevPAR. The competition set is pre-defined by the hotel,” explained Sucheta.

“RevPAR Index measures a hotel’s performance to an aggregate of competition hotels. In other words, it is the hotel’s fair share in the market,” explained Rekha.

“RevPAR Index is the Revenue Generating Index that compares your hotel’s RevPAR to the average RevPAR in the market,” articulated Yasin.

For the laymen it may be explained that RPI (also known as Revenue Generating Index) is usually expressed as a percentage; so a property with a RevPAR Index of 102 means its RevPAR is two percentage points higher than the hotels in its competitive set.

Increasing RevPAR However, all said and done, despite its limitations, the hospitality industry is focused on ways to increase RevPAR. The question every hotelier is concerned

Business about is: How can I get more bookings so that I can increase my RevPAR? But does increasing room bookings actually increase your profitability? Merely increasing your room bookings does not increase your profitability unless you book the rooms at your normal rates. If you book more rooms at low rate you are not going to increase your profitability.

You will never know how your hotel is doing until you don’t have accurate records of your hotel’s revenue and expenses. By analysing certain key numbers like Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR), Average Daily Room Rate (ADR) and Occupancy Rate, you can get a better idea of how your hotel is performing in the current year as compared to the past year.

Rajesh categorically states that selling more number of rooms does not necessarily increase the profitability of the hospitality property. “To increase the RevPAR, the cost of room revenue needs to be understood by each demand segment. To truly understand the best net RevPAR, some of the measures need to be undertaken. Try playing with the average length; focus on occupancy and rate; harvest in online reviews; make endeavours in digital marketing; analyse the demand pattern and reduce the cancellation rate,” he explained.

“We can achieve a higher RevPAR by maximising on both aspects — occupancy & average daily rate. So achieving a target of 100 percent occupancy with the highest average rate amongst your competition set of hotels will help you achieve an impressive RevPAR,” Sucheta put forward candidly.

Yasin concurs with the view that selling more rooms helps in improved RevPAR. “Making hotel inventory sold out is the best way to make profit out of every room available,” he pointed out.

“However, for getting a higher RevPAR, it is important that you get your pricing right. You cannot price your rooms too high or too low. You must make sure that your hotel’s room pricing is very competitive in the market so that you get a fair share of the guests,” he continued.

“You must keep monitoring your hotel occupancy, and, as the occupancy increases you must increase the price. It is necessary to sell out your hotel inventory on daily basis. Have a proper yield management in place,” Yasin advised.

Rekha too agrees with the view that selling more rooms can help increase the RevPAR of the hotel. “Occupancy plays an

Hotel Business Review

Rajesh Tripathy important role in RevPAR. Every room sold adds up to the occupancy,” she said.

“To get a high RevPAR you need to ensure that your hospitality property yields as much as possible. You must be aware of the opportunities available in the market and tap the right sources to ensure that your hotel yields occupancy and ADR to its optimum,” Rekha asserted.

“There are two ways to increase the RevPAR. One is by selling more rooms at a static ADR and second is by selling at higher rates in a market where the demand is high and the supply is low,” Amit pointed out.

Digital Marketing Tools There are various tools in this digital age to increase RevPAR. One way of improving RevPAR is by utilising digital marketing tools.

It helps boost the volume of your direct booking transactions. Digital marketing tools could improve the conversion rate of your website and the look-to-book ratio of

Yasin Shaikh

your distribution partners.

Normally the decision of an online booking takes a few days, during which the potential guest compares different destinations and different offers. This is the time in which you can influence the guest with marketing messages. Several softwares allow you to target only those who show interest in your hospitality property.

Yasin asserted that digital tools help in improving RevPAR. There are several tools which can be used. “Social media listing tools allow you to monitor conversations through flagging certain keywords, hashtags, or brand mentions online. What you do with these mentions are totally up to you. Ideally, if someone mentions your brand in a positive way (for example, through an Instagram post commending your property on a fun stay), you could express your gratitude through a reply. Similarly, if someone had a negative experience and wrote a less than stellar review on their blog and tweeted the post to their followers, you can reach out via the comments or on social media to offer to fix the issue,” Yasin elaborated.

“Google Analytics is another pragmatic option to increase RevPAR. One tool in your marketing toolbox is your hotel website.

To figure out how well this marketing tool is performing for you and your property, you can use Google Analytics. This free tool from Google empowers you with the digital analytics tools you need in order to figure out all the touch points your customers receive during their customer journey. Knowing how customers interact with your website can tell a qualitative story of how customers come and go into your ecosystem. If you are creating content on your hotel website (for example, with a blog), Google Analytics also tells you how much traffic your posts are generating.

Google Analytics is an especially powerful tool when it comes to direct bookings; which will help us to get direct revenue and avoid commissions,” Yasin explained further.

Website analytics tools like Google Analytics help you read through and understand customer demographics and behaviour. If your hospitality property has a website, you must know everything that is happening on it. What are the demographics of guests who are looking to booking your rooms? What do they find interesting? How long do they spend on your pages, which pages of your website are being visited most, from which part of the world are you attracting the most traffic from, etc. A

Sept-Oct ’18

31

Business

Hotel Business Review

good understanding of your hotel website can help you in multiple ways which include hosting the right content, designing the right promotion, targeting the right audience, etc.

“Surveys are a great way to get honest and quick customer feedback and conduct market research. While you may not think of a survey as a hotel marketing tool, it can inform you as to what people want to see more of from your hospitality brand. What kind of hotel promotions do your customers want to see more of? What do they love about staying at your property? Figuring out these nuggets of information can inform what you need to show more often in your hotel marketing,” Yasin averred.

“All the above tools will help improve our hotel ratings and hence it will help us to welcome more guests at our hotel,” Yasin pointed out.

Rekha is of the opinion that digital tools can facilitate in increasing the RevPAR of the hospitality property. “Digital tools can help in increasing the length of stay and also help in benchmarking your position and help you to sell higher room categories,” she articulated.

“Digital marketing helps to drive volume to the hotel which is a result of high occupancy and increase in the hotel’s RevPAR,” expressed Sucheta.

Listening to your customers is also a safe way to increase your RevPAR. With the rapidly developing online social environment, it has become imperative for hotels and other hospitality properties to have presence on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TripAdvisor, etc.to ensure that they are engaging with the audience in a timely and appropriate manner. Tools like Hootsuite help follow online conversation regarding your hospitality property and let you respond appropriately.

If a guest has posted a picture of his beautiful room on Instagram with a hashtag relating to you, you can express your gratitude, and on the other hand if a guest has highlighted issues by tweeting about, you can offer to fix them. In today’s digital age, it is not wise to not heed to customer feedback.

The proper handling of SEM and SEO can ensure that when a potential guest is searching for a hotel in your area, the search results show you up. Efficient SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) & SE M (Search Engine Marketing) can help display the right ad to the right guest at the right time, thus facilitating to convert ‘searchers’

32

Sept-Oct ’18

Online Reviews

Sucheta Jadhao into ‘bookers.’

For hospitality properties who see a high mix of international guest, GDS presence and marketing is imperative. For in such cases you have to not just reach the guest, but also the booker; the agent who makes the booking.

“Digital marketing like GDS promotion, e- banner marketing, choice of right SEOs and SEMs, linking of the hotel’s website to various upcoming events in the city, being active on social media and timely responsiveness of reviews on hotel’s website helps in increasing the hotel’s RevPAR,” declared Amit.

Rajesh concurs with the view that digital tools help increase the RevPAR and added “For example, bookings through brand website can make the revenue more than the OTA bookings.”

“RevPAR can be increased by achieving the right occupancy percentage at the right ADR. Digital marketing tools, whether they are Google Ads or GDS Banners, all help grab attention, educate travellers about the hospitality property and can facilitate to bring in room sales,” averred Amel.

Amel Joe

Nearly half of the travellers these days book their rooms after reading online reviews.

Thus your hotel’s online reputation would influence its RevPAR. So what steps should be taken to improve them?

Rajesh believes, “Maintaining rate parity would be of help.”

“The hospitality industry has made its way into the big world of online reputation management, where improving reviews and ratings in the online space play an extremely big role in generating revenues.

Better the reviews and image of the hotel in the social media, more guest preference for the hotel. The steps to be taken to facilitate this are continuous monitoring of the feedback platform, promptly attending the guest complaints with utmost care and resolving them, wherever possible,” stated Amit.

Rekha asserts that online reputation for hospitality properties must be maintained.

“As a hotelier, your property/ies must be visible on all online hotel channels including OTAs, Metasearch sites, travel review sites, etc. You must have effective channel management / OTA management,” pointed out Rekha.

“Hotel distribution and online reputation p l ay ve ry i m p o rta nt ro l e i n to d ay ’ s hospitality industry and they influence your hotel’s RevPar,” iterated Yasin.

Hotel distribution and online marketing can be improved by continually monitoring g u e s t s ’ fe e d b a c k , b y n ot i n g w h e n satisfaction drops or surges; digging deeper to understand the forces driving those trends, and then making changes based on what you learn. It is important to be online and discoverable on all online hotel channels including OTAs, Metasearch sites, travel review sites, etc. As more travellers are turning to reviews as part of their trip planning and sharing, a positive reputation is critical to the success of most hotels. Also analyse your ratings and rankings on key review sites, and decide where you should be (objectives) and how you will get there (strategies).

Also it is advisable to update your p rof i l e s o n key rev i ew s o u rce s l i ke TripAdvisor, Google Business, Yelp and online travel agencies. Maintain accuracy of your content over time. In case of any complaints take prompt action and prevent them from recurring, and endeavour to generate a steady stream of positive reviews. n

Sept-Oct ’18

33

Feature

Hotel Business Review

Hospitality with Religious Festivity

By Swarnendu Biswas

I

ndia is a modern nation with an ancient vibrant civilisation. Ours is a land of diverse languages, religions and cuisines, which are integral part of India’s essentially pluralistic culture. The country celebrates most of the religious festivities with grandeur and fervour. It goes without saying that religion and festivities are the soul of India.

In fact, besides Bollywood and cricket, religious festivities are the only other abiding passion of India which garners massive and enduring popularity, year and year, through out the country. The awesome popularity of all these three facets are even not much influenced by three potent forces of India’s recent economic and political climate — inflation, corruption and election — which otherwise have wide ranging influence in India.

The only difference is that India’s passion for Bollywood and cricket are twentieth century phenomenon and are integral part of its modern and post-modern culture, whereas India’s passion for religious festivities dates back to millennia, and are part of its perennial cultural cosmos. All these three have awesome revenue earning potential, which many a time are reflected into business realties.

It would be pragmatic for the hospitality industry of India to further explore India’s enduring passion for religious festivities to generate handsome revenues. By doing this exercise, the industry can counter its lean phases.

34

Sept-Oct ’18

“At Hyatt Regency Delhi, we aim to ensure an exquisite festive experience for all our patrons from overseas as well as domestic guests. A lot of festivals make a difference to the revenue game in India. For e.g. on Eid, we had a package for guests from UAE and Arab countries. Because of this, we saw a sudden increase in business as a lot of people visit their families and plan a staycation with us,” asserted Aseem Kapoor, General Manager at Hyatt Regency Delhi.

“All our guests are given a home away from home feeling, especially on festive occasions.

For example, on Diwali, a lot of corporates are working and staying with us so we create Indian festive sweets, rangoli, marigold décor all over the hotel,” pointed out Aseem.

However, though Hyatt Regency Delhi’s endeavour during festivities is welcome, but I think our hospitality industry’s association with religious festivities should be much more extensive than this.

In the feature, we are considering the revenue earning potential of housing religious festivities in the case of hotels and resorts only.

It is about time more numbers of highend leisure hotels and resorts in India host Durga Puja, Diwali, Holi and other celebrations within their precincts. There are perhaps already some resorts in India which are hosting Durga Puja celebrations within their property, but this trend requires gathering more momentum.

For example, during the Durga Puja

celebrations, which are generally celebrated outside West Bengal and within India for four days, and are nowadays being celebrated within West Bengal for close to ten days with great euphoria, the high-end hotels and resorts could use their green area/s to install the idols and construct a pandal.

People can stream in and pay their obeisance to the idols and partake prasad and bhog.

If these hotels and resorts develop an innovative theme associated with these Durga Puja celebrations, as is customary in many Durga Pujas celebrated in Kolkata(for example, environmental protection, women empowerment, the cultural diversity of India, etc.) and create the ambience of the Puja in relation to that theme, it would attract a great deal of crowd.

The savvy hoteliers may ask that the green area of the property which could have been allocated for banqueting or marriage parties otherwise would not lead the desired revenue on the Puja days. Apparently, they may be correct. But the people streaming in thousands in pandal for darshan are most likely to partake delicacies from the food stall, which could be introduced in the lawn area, in the vicinity of the pandal.

The management of the hotels and resorts can charge a good amount from these food stalls of various companies as daily rent, and they would be most likely to accept the deal, as the sale of the food items would be extremely brisk during the Durga Puja days.

Feature Anybody doubting me on the food sales can easily enquire about the sea of crowd at some of the famous Durga Puja celebration destinations in Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata(for example New Delhi Kalibari, Mela Ground in CR Park, New Delhi, Muhammad Ali Park Durga Puja in Kolkata, Santosh Mitra Square Durga Puja in Kolkata, Chetla Agrani Club Durga Puja in Kolkata, etc.) to get their doubts dispelled.

And of course, if huge crowd stream in these Durga Pujas hosted in high-end hotels and resorts, the management of the hotels and resorts can also collect huge revenues from advertisements, as many companies would be interested in putting their banners in those Pujas.

So the main thrust should be to bring in crowd in huge numbers, and for that the hotels and resorts should weave innovative designs and themes with the Durga Pujas hosted by them.

Moreover, on one or two twilights of the Puja, the management of these hospitality properties can also bring some celebrity singers or other performers to perform in their cultural programmes. Here it deserves a mention that many Durga Pujas in Delhi and other places allocate some hours (usually between 8 pm-12 pm) of the fourday celebrations to cultural programmes.

This can also bring in huge crowd.

Besides these there could be latent or potential revenue sources for hotels and resorts hosting Durga Pujas. Many guests who would make a beeline for these Pujas (say about 5 percent of the total crowd visiting the Durga Puja housed in a given hotel or resort), can also partake food & beverage at one of the restaurants of the property or go for a spa session at the property to get rejuvenated for more pandal hopping through the night.

Another latent benefit would be that through this exercise, the huge purchasing power of middle class India would get exposed to five-star or four-star hospitality in a big way. This could have long-term benefits for many hotels and resorts as after this exercise many middle class people would realise that they too can afford to dine in a five-star hotel’s restaurant or avail its spa once in a while(say once in three months) without unduly jeopardising their monthly budget.

However, for the crowd coming to visit the pandals housed in hotels and resorts, the management of the concerned hospitality properties should have a separate entry and

exit point for the crowd, so that the other regular guests of these properties are not unduly disturbed, unless of course they want to mingle with the crowd and take part in celebrations.

Similarly, more numbers of hotels and resorts in India can host Diwali, Holi, Christmas and other religious festivities within their precincts in a big way, with much glitter, fun, gaiety and creativity. If celebrity/ies are invited to the Diwali or Holi celebrations in hotels and resorts and they celebrate with the crowd, it would generate even more crowd. The business model can be the same; the advertisements through banners, and rents from food stalls.

Besides these, the potential and long-term benefits from hosting Diwali, Holi and other religious festivities for hotels and resorts is similar to those mentioned in the context of hosting Durga Puja celebrations in hotels and resorts.

The type of venue should also be similar to that of hosting Durga Puja celebrations; lawns or gardens in the property. Of course, resorts located far from the madding crowd would be more suited to host these religious festivities than a conventional hotel located in concrete jungle, as the later may be faced with space constraint towards hosting such festivities.

However, for taking part in Holi celebrations a fee needs to be charged from the crowd, and the quality of the crowd needs to be strictly screened by the security personnel, as sadly the festival of colours in India has potential for hooliganism. So a screening process would be necessary. And the bouncers should keep a close vigil on the festive crowd to prevent any untoward incident.

I think If done with passion and creativity, the short-term and long-term benefits of hosting religious festivities within hotels and resorts can easily cover the additional infrastructural cost of hosting such festivities, the cost of bringing in celebrities, the cost of additional bouncers and security personnel which need to be outsourced, the potential loss of revenues of not using a part of the hotel’s infrastructure on other revenue generating activities during three-four days, etc.

It is because not only religious festivities are a huge draw in India as has been mentioned before, but also many aspirational middle class Indians of post-modern India would like the idea of taking part in religious festivities housed in classy hotels and resorts. n

Complete range of Cleaning Chemicals

For Laundry

• SUPER BRIGHT-HD-ULTRA For removing oil/blood/grease stains.

• SUPER BRIGHT-WHITNER

To improve reflectance of both coloured as well as white clothes.

• SUPER BRIGHT-OPAL

To clean heavily soiled fabric & imparts high cleaning properties.

• SUPER BRIGHT-FABRIC SOFTENER

With anti-static properties, it improves the whiteness or brightness of clothes.

• SUPER BRIGHT-SOUR

Removes excess alkalinity, chlorine & detergent from the cloth.

For Housekeeping • CRYSTAL

Ready to use liquid glass cleaner.

• SANITEX

Sanitizer cum floor cleaner.

• TILEX

For tile cleaning.

Available Concentrated range for Glass /Floor / Toilet Bowl Cleaning.

Also available liquid cleaner for Dish Wash, Utensils, Crockery and for anti-germicidal treatment.

Ask for our detailed catalogue having information of 100 plus cleaning chemicals.

NAVIN POLYCON

Delhi Off.: 81, DSIDC Sheds, Scheme-I, Phase-II, New Okhla Indl. Complex, New Delhi-110020, Phone: 26387377, 26386392, 26386507 Fax: 011-26386063 Mobile: 98102 59863 E-mail: navinpolycon@rediffmail.com www.navinpolycon.com Agra: M/s. Camex India, Ph.:0562-2620720 / 6541904 Mobile: 9837077627 Contact: Mr. Sachin Jain Bangalore: M/s. Celestial Health Care, Mob.: 09343047197 Fax: 080-5504757 Contact: Mr. John Brito Calcutta: Ph.: 033-24554959, 24551558 Contact: Mr. Vipul Jodhpur: M/s. Chemtech Corporation, Mobile: 09829188885 Contact: Dr. A. Hussain

Sept-Oct ’18

35

SERVING THE INDUSTRY FOR OVER 2 DECADES

Technology

Hotel Business Review

Evolis Enables Designing Food Tags on the Spot

E

volis, a worldwide leader in plastic card personalisation solutions and printing systems, has announced a one of its kind offering for managing and delivering food/buffet tags. This offering is tailor-made for the HoReCa industry and local retail shops, which include bakeries and cake shops. This offering can support the specific requirements of each of these properties and includes a flexible card design software tool along the three ready-to-use solutions, which are part of the offering.

Leveraging its unique solution for managing food tags, Evolis has innovated, yet again, through an offering designed for the HoReCa industry. This user-friendly asset makes it possible to print tags on PVC cards, autonomously, allowing tags to be updated and replaced on demand, at the point of sale, by the unit or in runs. Evolis intends to enhance its support to players in the hospitality industry by providing them with a simple method to design and update their food tags. This cost-efficient solution stands as a production tool that allows for major savings in time, and improved

36

Sept-Oct ’18

responsiveness in managing tags.

Edikio Offers Edikio solutions from Evolis are all-inone solution package dedicated to food professionals for food labeling on PVC cards.

Edikio solutions are comprised of a card printer, card management & design software, a print ribbon and blank plastic cards. Edikio enables the user to print quickly and independently on PVC cards. Food tags can thus be created individually or in batches — any time and at any location. The printer operates just as easily as an office printer.

The Edikio offering consists of three solutions, which are Edikio Access, Edikio Flex, and Edikio Duplex.

Depending on the requirement of single or dual-sided tag personalisation, all these solutions include a card printer with premium printing features and performances. Also included are the software, black blank cards and a ribbon for printing tags that support contact with food products.

Edikio Access is the entry model and affordable all-in-one solution for creating and

printing single sided food tags on PVC cards in the standard credit card format. It is ideal for printing small volumes of single-sided price tags.

Edikio Flex is the flexible and compact solution for single-sided card printing in long format (120 x 50 mm and 150 x 50 mm) as well in the standard credit card format to fit different display needs.

Edikio Flex can print 370 cards per hour in monochrome and 140 cards per hour in colour. In India, the Edikio Flex Solution is currently being used at the world renowned Shamiana restaurant, housed at the iconic The Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai.

The Edikio Duplex is the advanced solution for creating and printing doublesided price tags on standard credit card sized PVC cards. This solution is ideal for printing large volumes of double-sided tags. This enables you to display customer information on the front and information for sales staff on the back.

Innovative Software, Comprehensive Accessories The included software has been specially d e s i g n e d to m e et a l l t h e n e e d s of food professionals. It is simple to use, customisable and provides a large choice of card templates as well as a library of 300 icons for the display of allergens, food symbols, hotel services and much more.

To extend this offering, Evolis provides a range of accessories for displaying tags on buffet counters and in display cabinets, depending on the product type and the environment. Pickets, supports, claws and promotional stickers are all available from Evolis’s distribution partners.

“With this modular offering, we provide great flexibility, while demonstrating our ability to innovate and showcasing our sound knowledge of the HoReCa industry. Besides food tags, Edikio is also the key enabler for multiple applications such as loyalty cards, membership cards, event invites, gift vouchers and employee badges, so that such requirements can be met in an improved and wider scope,” said Ganesh Ramamurthy, Managing Director, Evolis India. n

Sept-Oct ’18

37

F&B

Hotel Business Review

Celebrating the Myriad

Tastes of India

By Sharmila Chand

P

reference for local and regional food is an important food trend in the present year, for India’s food service industry.

Chefs across the country are seen focused on cooking regional dishes, sourcing local ingredients.

The Chefs are travelling across the country to explore regional cuisines and flavours of India to get better understanding of them.

In this scenario, regional Indian food festivals in hotels across India are expected to gain frequency. Here we talk to some Chefs and food experts to find out their understanding of curating regional Indian food festivals.

Pic Courtesy: Bombay Brasserie, Delhi

38

Sept-Oct ’18

Exploring Regional Flavours “Almost as soon as I stepped into the role of Executive Chef at JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru we launched a Goan food festival at the JW Kitchen. We would have an Awadhi food festival happening at the JW Kitchen from the 26thof October this year, and are looking to host another regional food festival this December,” expressed Daniel Koshy, Executive Chef at JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru.

“We did the Goan food festival because we wanted to bring something new to the table and allow our guests to engage with a whole new taste spectrum since at our JW Kitchen we mainly serve north Indian, south Indian and Asian food,” he pointed out.

“At JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru, we don’t believe in decreasing the number of dishes we bring out as part of our JW Kitchen buffet during a food festival. We also don’t believe in doing a food festival if we aren’t going to represent the region bountifully. We offer the best of food from the region we are throwing open to our guests by bringing in some very specific ingredients. Like for the Goan food festival, we brought the Goan tamarind and coconut that cannot be replicated by any other region,” he elaborated.

“We have participated in various food festivals where we have showcased regional food. At the ‘World on a Plate, Season 3’ held in Bengaluru, we displayed our Mango Mario Prawn Curry with Coconut Rice, which is made from Ambotik Masala sourced from Goa. Tamil Street Chicken which is our version of a Tamil street dish with chilli coconut tempered chicken; Aam Papad Paneer, which has aam papad sourced from Amritsar, were our other offerings at the food festival. The Tamil Street Chicken was awarded as the Best Runner up Dish at the festival,” Shikha Nath, Culinary & Brand Director, Bombay Brasserie, disclosed.

“We have organised the ‘Aromas of Andhra’ (Andhra Food Festival) and ‘Flavours of Kerala’(Kerala Food Festival) amongst other food festivals, which offered authentic regional Indian cuisines to our guests,” Rohit Joshi, Executive Sous Chef, Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield stated.

“The key offerings at these food festivals with us were popular traditional dishes that the region which was the focus of the food festival had to offer. The aim was to let patrons explore the hidden treasures of local delicacies from the destinations; highlighting the true essence of the region,” Rohit articulated.

“To start with, we have changed the breakfast offerings to

F&B

Flavours of Kerala at Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield

reflect Hyatt’s philosophy of FLOSS (Fresh, Local, Sustainable, Seasonal). In fact, we have gone a step further. We, at our all day dining buffet restaurant, offer organic cereals, vegan breads with super grains, freshly squeezed juice combination and organic local eggs,” pointed out Vikram Ganpule, Executive Chef, Hyatt Regency Chennai.

“It is a fact that local produce always guarantees freshness and taste. A growing awareness to ‘Go Local’ concept is on the rise.

Not only does it support the economy of the local community but also it helps to keep the environment in check.”

Rohit Joshi, Executive Sous Chef, Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield

“Our emphasis is on core South Indian breakfast, which incorporates the local super grains like jowar, ragi and millets to name a few. In terms of festival, we have been experimental and if I do say so myself, quite successful with our recent Oktoberfest menu. Oktoberfest has been curated with an eye to the future, because we see a growing trend of vegan food in India’s food service industry, which is not necessarily exotic but can be derived from local/regional Indian cuisine as well. Vegan Nawabi Kebab, Vegan Mock Duck Curry, Mock Meat Curry are some of the dishes which we did incorporate,” Vikram explained.

“Yes, we have done regional food festivals for our guests. The key offerings to the guests varied as the menu was vast. This is the best thing about regional Indian cuisines; no matter how many items you place, it is always less,” conveyed Rajinder Sareen, Executive Sous Chef at Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway.

“We recently organised Kerala Food Festival and Sri Lankan Food Festival and both were great success as the guests enjoyed the spread. For instance in Kerala Food Festival, the special menu revolved around four major cuisines such as Malabari Cuisine, Plantation Cuisine, Backwater Cuisine, and Tatte Kada Cuisine. Here one got to savour diverse spread of dishes such as Karimeen Roast, Syrian Beef Curry, Chicken Stew, Palappam and much more. During the Sri Lankan Food Festival, the key dishes were Jaffna Crab Curry, Lamb Bistek, Lotus Rooy Curry, Fish Bun, Asmi and Sri Lankan Aluva,” Rajinder elaborated. “ We h ave h o s te d m a n y fo o d festivals for our guests. We would like to highlight the ‘Tangara’ festival which was a great success and was hosted in our specialty restaurant, Emperor’s Court.

It was our endeavour to bring forward an experience of two different cuisines.

The tantalising flavours of the authentic Chinese cuisine on Kolkata’s palate along with a pinch of Indian ingredients ensured the perfect taste of Kolkata’s Chinatown,” explained Karanbir Singh Gulati —Director of Food & Beverage at Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel & Lakeside Chalet, Mumbai — Marriott Executive Apartments.

“Chef Cham Hun Chakap, Chef de Cuisine — Emperor’s Court along with his

Sept-Oct ’18

39

F&B

Hotel Business Review

team of culinary experts curated a special menu of Hakka delicacies from the Tangra region of Kolkata, during this festival,” he informed.

Curating the Menu “To curate the above-mentioned food festival menu, I travelled with our Chefs across the length and breadth of the country to source regional ingredients.

We took traditional combinations and ingredients and created dishes, which highlight the flavour of the ingredients and at the same time are a twist on traditional dishes to suit today’s tastes,” Shikha proffered.

“While curating the menu the focus was to have a good mix of some authentic dishes and some uniquely inspired ones. Our inspiration came from the unique offering of ingredients that India has to offer, such as bhoot jolokia from Assam, aam papad from Amritsar, kudampuli from Kerala, tilkut masala from Sangli, and emma from Shillong,” she expressed.

“We curate the food festival menu based on the expertise of our visiting Chef as well as our team of resident Chefs, and we focus on the core factors of micro-regions and their local cultures,” Daniel offered.

“For instance, Goa is famous for its nonvegetarian food and for the many things it

“Hotels can start having vegetarian fest in restaurants with local touch, which is neither harmful to one’s self nor to the environment” Rayomund Pardiwalla, Executive Chef at Gokulam Grand Hotel & Spa, Bengaluru 40

Sept-Oct ’18

“Bombay Brasserie focuses on flavours, which have never been tried before. We believe in twisting old school recipes to suit today’s tastes. We use regionally sourced ingredients, like aam papad from Amritsar, kashundi from Bengal and emma from Shillong. Product of much research and trial, our menu showcases ingredients from across India which are unique.”

Shikha Nath, Culinary & Brand Director, Bombay Brasserie of K Hospitality Corp

does with its fish and beef, but it also has a very dominant Saraswat Brahmin population that is mostly vegetarian. We work with these culinary nuances to bring people of all taste preferences under one roof, and are currently in the midst of executing something similar for vegetarians with our Awadhi festival, since Awadhi food might be famous for its meat, but is not only meatcentric,” Daniel elaborated.

“While curating food festivals, it is important to focus on catering to the needs of each existing guest by looking to retain her/his interest in your offerings, rather than chasing after new ones alone,” he sensibly advised.

“To curate the menu for Aromas of Andhra, we invited a guest Chef from Hyderabad Marriott who hails from the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh,” Rohit informed.

“While curating the menu, the idea was to have a perfect mix of new home style preparations, which are filled with flavours, and pairing them with popular preparations from the region such as kodi pulao, Andhra fish curry, Hyderabadi biryani, haleem and other delectable offerings,” Rohit asserted. “ T h e i n s p i ra t i o n t o c u ra t e t h e Oktoberfest menu for the festival came from mock meats and vegan food trends.

We wanted our vegetarian guests should not feel left out while dining with us,” Vikram affirmed.

“When it comes to curating menu for the regional food festivals, we keep the menu according to the availability of local spices, vegetables as well ingredients of the particular region and as per our guests’ expectations and their eating habits. We

keep the dishes as authentic as we can so that they don’t disappoint our guests,” Rajinder pointed out.

Learning Opportunity The food festivals with regional Indian cuisines can be a learning opportunity, even for seasoned culinary professionals, as one here can get to familiarise with

“While curating food festivals, it is important to focus on catering to the needs of each existing guest by aiming towards retaining their interest in your offerings, as opposed to chasing after new ones alone” Daniel Koshy, Executive Chef at JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru

F&B

Hotel Business Review

Tips for Curating Food Festivals Rohit Joshi, Executive Sous Chef, Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield In the hospitality industry, it is extremely crucial to identify your guests and cater to their needs and preferences.

Innovative ideas always attract guests and pique their interests about the region and its cuisine. Inviting a native Chef from the region of the themed festival guarantees the authentic touch that is key when it comes to satiating guests’ palates.

Vikram Ganpule, Executive Chef, Hyatt Regency Chennai • Keep your eyes open for inspirational ideas • Study various social media handles to follow what is trending • Do both technical and market research when you have got your inspiration. Do a lot of trials; get many relatively lesser known ingredients and cooking styles. For awesome diversity of regional Indian cuisines can be continual learning experience.

“For our team, these food festivals are an opportunity to learn of new cuisines and a chance to broaden their cultural sensitivities as well as knowledge of different regions, without having to travel to the region for it,” Daniel pointed out.

“We also use these festivals to further understand the expectations our guests

feedback • Ensure implementation is spot-on.

Daniel Koshy, Executive Chef at JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru Focus on guest preferences as much as, if not more, than revenue. Food festivals should have interests of their guests at heart, so when an outlet sets out to curate its spread or menu, it ought to focus on innovation and authenticity as opposed to being obsessed with driving numbers.

Do not be repetitive.

While curating food festivals, it is important to focus on catering to the needs of each existing guest by looking to retain their interest in your offerings, as opposed to chasing after new ones alone. have of us, and the lengths we ought to go to ensure their satisfaction,” he asserted.

“Food festivals should have interests of their guests at heart. So when an outlet sets out to curate its spread or menu, it ought to focus on innovation and authenticity as opposed to being obsessed with driving numbers. If you get stuck in a rut by being repetitive, and by offering only a specific type of food (even if on rotation), regular guests who are bound to have tried them at some point of time are likely to grow bored

“It is great to be part of regional food festivals. Apart from learning, they may take you on a nostalgic trip as you may come across recipes which are inspired from what your mother or grandmother used to cook for you. They give you insight into ingredients that are rarely used, flavours that are not touched upon nowadays and recipes that are forgotten over the years in this concrete world.”

Jatinder Pal Singh, Executive Chef, Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel & Convention Center

Rajinder Sareen, Executive Sous Chef at Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway When it comes to food festivals, one should always do a bit of research and experiment. There is no harm in experimenting as that is how you will understand your customers’ palates.

Apart from gaining knowledge, research and experimentation also helps us to refresh the old recipes and offer new dishes to the guests.

Jatinder Pal Singh, Executive Chef, Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel and Convention Center Research deep; let your passion show in your work. Give the people what they don’t get to see every day. Surprise them. and move away, especially in the backdrop of the pie getting smaller due to emerging competition from stand-alone restaurants,” Daniel reasoned.

“The biggest learning from food festivals for me is that we should always try to keep it simple and let the star ingredient stand out in the dishes. Less is more when it comes to the range of ingredients in regional Indian food festivals,” aired Shikha.

“Food festivals are an opportunity to showcase traditional home style dishes, which are usually not prepared or served in restaurants. This creates an opportunity for connoisseurs of good food to savour different delicacies and also get an insight about the history and culture of different regions. For example, cities like Bengaluru comprises of a diverse set of people from across the country, who get a chance to relish regional delicacies from geographically far apart different regions of the country from theirs through these food festivals,” opined Rohit.

“Food festivals are fun and an opportunity to do something different. They are indeed a great learning experience and can set the trend. Guests these days are well travelled and are always looking for something unique and genuine. It feels good to tap into this demand and fulfill their needs,” observed Vikram. n

Sept-Oct ’18

41

Spa

Hotel Business Review

Wellness Through Water

By Sharmila Chand

R

enaissance Mumbai can provide an ideal weekend gateway in bustling Mumbai.

Sprawling in 15 acres of lush greenery on the banks of Powai Lake, the hotel is an oasis of opulence and serenity amidst the cacophony of Mumbai.

The hotel houses 600 aesthetically designed rooms and suites that offer the panoramic views of the lake as well as Mumbai’s vibrant skyline.

Among the hotel’s many attractions is the Quan Spa, where one can head for a rejuvenating session. In mandarin language, the word ‘Quan’ translates into a source of pure water.

Keeping in tune with its name, water is at the heart of the Quan Spa as it is based on the concept of ‘healing through water.’ The spa promises a rejuvenating journey that offers baths, and treatments using Thalgo products; created with ingredients from the sea.

The healing properties of water can be regarded as the cornerstone of the spa’s wellness experiences.

Taking the concept of water further, the interiors of the Quan Spa have been heavily inspired from the aqua theme and the décor of the spa entrance, the treatment rooms and the suite are in sync; enhancing the overall calm and tranquil ambience.

The specially curated spa menu includes treatments and therapies that use the most natural and pure ingredients such as marine algae wrap, bath salts, warm stones as well as naturally calming ingredients such as sea salt, rose, sandalwood, orange, walnut shells, green tea and organic mud.

The various therapies offered at the spa include the Signature Quan Therapy, Algae Body Wrap, Deep Tissue Massage, Aromatherapy Hot Stone Massage, Foot Reflexology. The spa also uses high quality aroma oils and essences for all their therapies.

I experienced ‘Quan Signature Massage’ which is the USP of this spa. In this treatment, the healing powers of pure essential oils and their properties have an invigorating & soothing effect on the mind.

Using classical techniques, the therapist applied light pressure to

42

Sept-Oct ’18

improve the circulation and ease muscle aches, thereby paving for complete relaxation. Guests can choose from an array of essential oil blends to experience this signature treatment.

As the hotel is in close proximity to both the domestic and international airports, it hosts lot of frequent travellers. Keeping them in mind, the spa also offers a special ‘Jet Lag Body Massage’, meant to calm one’s frayed nerves from long distance travel.

In this massage, the therapists focus on relieving the nerves and increasing blood circulation with special attention to the legs.

Besides the regular spa treatments and massages, the spa also offers specialised beauty treatments for a feel good factor.

Here one could opt for deep cleansing facials, brightening facials and hydrating facials. There is also anti-ageing and intensive eye treatments to soothe the fine lines and dark circles on faces.

If hosting a closed get together is in your mind, then Quan Spa at Renaissance Mumbai is an ideal location to host intimate events like soirees, bachelorette parties and other types of ‘Sparties.’ The spa reception area is perfect for sundowner events, where guests can enjoy express wellness services while being treated with drinks and snacks.

I relished every moment of my wellness sojourn at Mumbai, while being thoroughly pampered at the rejuvenating Quan Spa.

Spa

Hotel Business Review

The Challenges and Opportunities in Spa Business While going through the spa, I got the opportunity to interact with Vinaya Jadhav, Spa Manager, Quan Spa at Renaissance Mumbai. The interaction was an insightful and fruitful one, throwing light on various facets of India’s fast growing spa industry. The excerpts of the interview follow:

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

More individuals around the world have started indulging and investing in spa treatments. Going to spa that was earlier reserved for rare occasions is common practice today.

There is an increase in the interest among masses for spa and relaxation treatments. Also the growing trend towards romantic spa treatments is quite notable in today’s times. Males are also visiting spa in hordes. Over the years, spas have seen an increase in the male visitors.

Clients nowadays pay great attention to the products used, like the brands of oil, quality of creams and scrubs for face treatments. There is an increase in the awareness among the spa guests, which has eventually led to increase in competition in this industry.

In terms of hotels, the spa segment is today considered as a business center, instead of just another department of the hotels.

What are the key factors towards opening or running a spa?

In order to create a lasting imprint among guests and make the spa standout from others, one needs to have the accurate planning of the project and the anticipated procurement of high quality products.

The biggest challenge towards running a spa is supply of innovation and procurement of high quality products. High quality equipments and furniture at good prices are not so easily available and it is a challenge to find the right fit.

Besides these, it is essential to have a well-trained professional team who understands the nitti-gritties of the industry and has detailed research on the treatments that is offered by the spa. The key to long-term success in spa business is a well-trained & knowledgeable team who is committed to the needs of the clients, treatments and the spa concerned.

How do you decide on the spa menu? What factors have to be kept in mind to chalk out a decent spa menu?

Spa menu must be crisp and descriptive at the same time. The guests should understand the detailed therapy they select i.e. the various stages and the products being used for a given therapy.

Having a variety of massage options with different techniques is a must for the spa menu. For the massage options, the focus should be on body scrubs and body wraps in different varieties along with the diverse choices like cream base, salt base, sugar base or gel base.

In case of popularity of products, most clients give their heart to the marine products as they are known to be highly result-oriented for body treatments. And keeping in mind the location of the spa, the menu must cater to the clientele’s expectations.

What do you enjoy about being a Spa Manager?

My position requires catering to the needs of the clients, employees and the

management to my best of knowledge and efforts. Every step in the profile is enjoyable, from the process of marketing to working on new spa treatments and customer interaction.

Motivating your team is the most interesting and at the same time challenging aspect of my job profile. Besides, interacting with guests and understanding and meeting their expectations are very interesting aspects of my job, which I enjoy.

Could you tell us the USP of the spa? What distinguishes it from others?

I believe that the USP of the Quan Spa at Renaissance Mumbai is the tranquil atmosphere and the serene vibe.

I feel this is most needed in today’s hectic and bustling life. Complementing the ambience is the excellent service and a vast and varied spa menu, making for a perfect wellness haven.

Do you have some customised treatments?

At the hotel’s spa, we offer variety of treatments with the intention to cater to various needs; skin types, comfort level and desires of the guests.

We do offer customising of treatments and the changes requested as per the guest preferences are made and offered to give them the desired result.

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

For me, the Signature Spa massage is the favourite. It includes the use of excellent luxurious products. The long duration of the treatment helps in releasing energies of the trapped emotions, while improving the oxygen & circulation. It is so far the most relaxing and deep massage experience for me.

Sept-Oct ’18

43

Property

Hotel Business Review

Presenting Holistic Hospitality

By Sharmila Chand

D

uring my recent visit to Amritsar, I got an opportunity to stay at Hyatt Regency Amritsar. As expected, the facilities and amenities there were impeccable, but what impressed me more was the human factor, the warmth in hospitality offered.

The hotel offers a comprehensive range of services and amenities, including notable culinary experiences; technology-enabled ways to collaborate and the space to work, engage and relax.

Located on the Grand Trunk Road, Hyatt Regency Amritsar is the closest upper upscale hotel to the world famous Golden Temple. The hotel is conveniently located within three miles of the Golden Temple and a mere 25-minute drive from Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport.

With an impressive inventory of 248

44

Sept-Oct ’18

rooms and 29 sets of interconnected rooms, Hyatt Regency Amritsar comes across as an opulent hospitality venue in the destination.

Delectable Platter

Hyatt Regency Amritsar offers a delectable range of options to cater to diverse palates.

For savouring delicious fabled street food from the highways and lanes of Punjab, ‘Punjab Province’ is the restaurant to head to. Naturally, I headed to Punjab Province.

Chef Shiiv Parvesh, Head Chef of the hotel, prepared wonderful kulcha chola and an elaborate thali for me.

Along with its gastronomical menu, Punjab Province hosts a variety of food festivals from time to time. It endeavours to serve the world on a platter to its patrons through these festivals.

Besides the food festivals, the restaurant

is also leading the evolution of the city’s rich culinary landscape by introducing new concepts.

Hyatt Big Brunch Weekend is the talk of the town; offering a Themed Sunday Brunch with the theme being a particular cuisine.

Then there is Scotch Haus, which offers a range of beverages from premium Scotch and single malts to innovative cocktail mixes, coupled with an enthralling ambience of live music and a DJ; making for a great lounging experience in the city.

S cotc h H au s , ref l e ct i n g g re at understanding of the local palate, offers a wide range of whiskeys and a host of innovative whisky-based cocktails.

Tarteria offers a wide selection of homemade confectioneries and pastries. It caters to guests looking for takeaway cakes and other baked items.

Property

For Meetings and Celebrations The meeting and event spaces of the hotel are spread over 14,000 sq. ft. with dedicated indoor and outdoor arenas.

The hotel offers a one-of-its-kind versatile and ideal space named ‘The White Box,’ which can accommodate about 100 covers for social occasions like family get-togethers, anniversaries, birthdays and kitty parties.

The White Box offers three private dining rooms and an outdoor seating space for 24 people with customised menu offerings.

Spread over an expanse of 11,647 sq. ft., Istana, the banqueting space at Hyatt Regency Amritsar, is an ideal destination for not only corporate conferences but also for social gatherings and weddings. It provides a flexible meeting and event space that can accommodate 500 people with spacious indoor and outdoor venues, i.e. Istana Ballroom & Istana Gardens.

The hotel is an ideal destination for weddings and other celebrations with sizeable indoor and outdoor event space. From intimate gatherings to lavish affairs and exclusive dinners, the expert team on board creates tailored memorable experiences with every intricate detail.

Comprehensive Wellness Solutions Hyatt Regency Amritsar houses the best of health & wellness facilities. Along with its beautifully landscaped rooftop swimming pool, Hyatt Regency Amritsar is the only property to offer a Vitality Pool in Amritsar.

Its Spa offers a wide range of options such as yoga, Ayurveda and exotic western therapies. The spa, spread across 5,240 square feet, offers eight distinct, beautifully appointed rooms to take you on a relaxing journey, along with a hair and beauty salon and a separate wet area for males and females.

Spa at Hyatt Regency Amritsar has a Couple Spa room, enabling couples to spend quality time while rejuvenating together.

Green Initiatives In the twenty-first century hospitality industry, luxury without environmental responsibility doesn’t deserve any laurel.

It was heartening to see that Hyatt Regency Amritsar has a host of environment-friendly initiatives, which include water saver aerators, motion sensor lights and taps, solar panels, LED lights, semi composting system, rainwater harvesting, and ETP.

Sept-Oct ’18

45

Property

Hotel Business Review

The Turnaround Man Having over 24 years of experience in the hospitality sector, Suman Dutta Sharma is currently the General Manager of Hyatt Regency Amritsar.

An award winning hotelier, Suman has worked with hospitality chains of repute like the Indian Hotels Company, Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Starwood over the years, acquiring the reputation of being the ‘turnaround man.’

With successful turnaround management based on excellent strategic and analytical skills, he is widely acknowledged for his ability to make ailing properties profitable and take successful properties to greater heights.

Over the course of his career, Suman has managed diverse customer segments, which include royalty and heads of states to global leaders and frequent travellers.

Suman excels in food and beverage concepts and products, service design developments and feasibility reports. Suman’s command over returns management, differential pricing, cost management and profitability is also enviable. He is equally adept at competition mapping, brand positioning and building image leadership and customer management system.

Suman has expertise in planning, opening and operating hotels. He joined Hyatt Regency Amritsar in April 2017 when it was still Hyatt Amritsar.

He led the hotel into a new dawn when it was relaunched as Hyatt Regency Amritsar in May 2018, a few months before schedule.

With this, the hotel, under the leadership of Suman, has become the 11th Hyatt Regency property in India and joins a strong network of more than 180 Hyatt Regency properties worldwide. His expertise is abundantly visible in each and every facet of the upgraded and rebranded 46

Sept-Oct ’18

Hyatt Regency Amritsar.

It is his positive and never-say-die attitude which has enabled him to win many significant awards and earn the respect and admiration of his fellow hoteliers and colleagues.

The excerpts of the interview with the extraordinary hospitality professional follow:

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

Strategies are always need-based and dynamic. We are adding unique value creations while ring fencing our existing accounts and adding on to new accounts in high growing markets. Exploring offline and online opportunities, seasonality and flexible pricing are some strategies which come handy for us.

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

Food and beverage is the backbone of any hotel and a key factor in its recall. Innovative and great food and beverage service always sets the tone and contributes to the additional footfalls and MICE flows in the hospitality property.

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

Innovative food, their great presentation, friendly service, local connect & awareness, creative beverage options are the differentiating factors of our F&B outlets.

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

We wish to create a reach out program and connect real time with the target set for greater recall, maximum visibility, extensive connectivity and continuity through various mediums, while offering innovative and value options to create a difference.

Property What is the most crucial issue to tackle in the India’s hospitality industry these days?

Paucity of trained and quality manpower is perhaps the most crucial issue in India’s hospitality industry these days.

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

What I really cherish as an hotelier is being ‘on the go’. The nature of my work has taken me places, across India as well as overseas; giving me an opportunity to experience different cultures and understand the hospitality requirements of the guests of divergent profiles. This exposure has helped me grow both as a hotelier and as a person.

What I enjoy the most being at the helm of affairs at the hotel is the opportunity to connect with the city through its people. I always try to take out time to move beyond the confines of my office and connect with the city; building a bond with the local populace and fostering friendships. Connecting with locals helps build trust and results in more footfalls too.

This connect also extends to people from the community who are employed at the hotel I manage. I like to understand from them what the city is all about. I value their inputs because these are the people who know the heart and soul of the city. Their insightful feedback helps a lot in making the hotel more responsive to its patrons’ needs.

What do you think makes for a good GM of a hotel?

A good GM of a hotel should be collaborative, flexible, friendly

Hotel Business Review

and ethical.

What is your strength/s, professionally?

People skills; expertise in uncertainty management; expertise in food and beverage concepts and products; service design developments and feasibility reports; expertise in turnaround management with strategic and analytical skills; expertise in profitability management are my professional strengths.

Which are the most rewarding milestones in your career?

It includes receiving an award from the former President of India, Smt. Pratibha Patil, for the Best Five-star Hotel in India. Also representing India in the ‘World Economic Forum’ at Davos was a very rewarding experience.

Receiving the Best Food & Beverage Manager Award in India from FHRAI, and receiving my EMBA Degree from SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR) are other high points of my professional life.

How do you de-stress?

I de-stress by spending quality time with friends and family.

Karoke music, countryside driving, forest treks & adventure are other de-stressing options for me.

Anything else you would like to say?

Teamwork is dream work. A great team is the ultimate differentiator.

Sept-Oct ’18

47

Industry

Hotel Business Review

Selecting the Right Uniform uniform. For example, if it is a leisure resort, t-shirt and shorts can be a uniform look.

Uniform of the hospitality property should also reflect its brand image,” she elaborated.

Vijay Laxmi also stated that the brand of the uniform is an important criterion in its selection for hotels and resorts.

“Style, material, colour, comfortability, functionality are some of the other criterion to be considered while selecting uniforms for hotels and other hospitality properties,” affirmed Vijay Laxmi.

Here we would try to explore some of these selection criterion for uniforms in detail.

Reflecting Brand Image

U

niform is a sure shot measure to distinguish the staff from other people in a facility. For example, everybody knows that uniforms of restaurant personnel help customers identify the staff in a crowded bar or a busy restaurant, but that is not the only utility of uniforms in the hospitality industry.

In today’s business environment, uniform of an organisation can play a facilitative or even an integral role towards creating brand awareness. And we all know that in today’s day and age, brand positioning is very much important in the formal segment of hospitality industry. So it is no wonder that in today’s hospitality industry the role of uniform is extremely crucial. A sleek well thought out uniform is now perceived as an essential element for almost all branded hospitality properties across India.

Factors to Consider However, there are several factors to consider while choosing the right uniform for hotels, resorts, for other hospitality properties, for restaurants and spas of hospitality properties, etc. Choosing the uniform of the staff in the hospitality industry is not simply a matter of convenience, comfort and cost as those

48

Sept-Oct ’18

not associated with this industry may tend to assume.

Vijay Laxmi, the Director, Lords Wear Pvt. Ltd., believes that uniform also helps in employees to stay more attentive and hence it facilitates in the growth of the business. Here it deserves a mention that Lords Wear Pvt. Ltd. is a one-stop shop for uniforms, linen and clothing for industries. It has a comprehensive range for hotels, restaurants, caterers, fast food counters, bakeries, food Industries, hospitals, factories, security agencies, schools, and petrol pumps.

According to Vijay Laxmi, durability, practicality, affordability are some of the fundamental criterion for selection of uniforms for staff of hotels and other hospitality properties.

“Besides these basic parameters, the geographical location of the property can also be important for selection of uniform in some cases. For example, if the property is in Srinagar we should work on uniform with warm clothes, which need to be dry clean only. If the same uniform is to be used for a property in Rajasthan, it should be ideally made with cotton-based fabric and should be washed normally. Of course, the type of the property also influences its selection of

The uniforms should imply or convey the desired message about the company/brand effectively. While choosing staff uniforms for hotels and other hospitality properties, one of the important objectives is to make a statement about the hospitality brand from the moment guests enter the property.

For example, the uniform of the staff of a luxury high-end hotel and of a budget hotel should vary significantly, as these properties are endowed with different brand positioning, which should be ideally reflected through their staff’s uniforms too. “It may not be a good idea to have the staff wear a tuxedo while working in a casual dining restaurant. Similarly, it may also not be aesthetically appealing to have the staff dressed in western attire in a primarily Indian cuisine restaurant,” explained an industry expert once.

Choose uniforms that reflect your property’s image rightly. And it is always pragmatic for hotels to have different uniforms for each of their restaurants, different uniform for their spa and gym staff, different uniform for their housekeeping staff, for within the broad brand image there can be many brand nuances to consider. But all these different uniforms for the restaurant, spa, housekeeping personnel should adher to the broad brand image of the hotel concerned.

Durability and Ease of Maintenance Besides that the uniforms for the hospitality industry should also be durable enough to comfortably withstand the tough working

Industry

Hotel Business Review

accessories of the staff should also ideally match the colour of the uniform.

environment that this industry demands, and thus they should ideally be made from high quality, low maintenance materials. Uniforms at hotels, cafés, pubs and restaurants need to be as hard working as their working environments.

The uniforms of staff in the hospitality industry should also be easy to maintain, as these clothing are prone to be subjected to frequent abuse. Hospitality workers will always value materials that are easy to wash after a long day of drips and spills. Depending on their role, some might even benefit from flame-retardant materials.

Comfort and Functionality At the same time, the uniform should be comfortable to wear, fashionable to look and shouldn’t be a hindrance in efficiently handling the day-to-day work of the staff. Avoid clingy materials that are uncomfortable for the staff and unsightly to customers.

When conceiving a uniform range for a hotel or any other hospitality property, design first and foremost with its function in mind.

Style is important, but if the uniform makes the job difficult for your kitchen staff when on the floor serving, it will only frustrate them, even if the uniform looks extremely stylish and elegant.

It is worth bearing in mind that constrictive clothing may make your staff less productive.

If they can’t move around quickly, service to customers are likely to get delayed, which can easily lead to dissatisfaction, and which eventually may snowball into drop in footfalls to the concerned outlet/property. Choose uniform/s which could help the staff to easily move about. Though it is relevant for all staff, it is particularly important for frontof-house staff.

If your staff spends a lot of time running around serving customers, as is often the case in the hospitality industry, they are going to get hot. In this case, you need to choose either cotton or viscose materials for uniform.

Both materials encourage the skin to breathe and absorb sweat easily. As such, your staff won’t look hot and bothered, which may seem to be an unprofessional look in customers’ eyes. Finally, for those staff of your, who work around open flames a lot, consider flameretardant items for them.

Similarly uniforms designed with large functional pouch pockets to fit notepad and pens discretely is welcome, as this would help the staff to note down the guests’ suggestions, preferences and feedback. This feature may enhance the customer satisfaction eventually.

Other Attributes

Vijay Laxmi

Style Factor Of course, along with functionality, comfort and ease of maintenance, the style of the uniform also should be taken into consideration. It should look appealing at a first glance, and also in the future glances.

Don’t be afraid to use bold and flamboyant factors in your hospitality property’s uniform.

Whether it is brightly coloured monogram polo, a funky hat, or a new type of material, a ‘statement piece’ can be a key component of a modern work uniform A statement piece can send a strong message about your brand to your customers and potential customers.

Succinctly, while choosing work uniforms, it is important to find the right balance between fashion, comfort and functionality, without one negatively affecting the other.

Colour of the Uniform Besides the branding, style, comfort and functionality, colour of the uniform is also an important factor to consider. Much like the cut and design of the fabric, colours convey different messages, which many cases may be subtle, and in many other cases may not be so subtle.

For example, many people associate blue and green with caring and calm environments, which is why you commonly see these colours in hospitals and assisted living homes.

In contrast, red lends itself well to fun or invigorating settings. The colour of the uniform should also be a contributing factor in reflecting the brand image of the hospitality property.

Of course, there are several other cultural and geographical connotations to consider before arriving with the right colour of the uniform.

For example, a red uniform with inscription of dragon would be suitable for a Chinese restaurant, whereas a sober olive green uniform would be more suitable for a Mediterranean restaurant. Shoes and other

There are of course, other factors to consider before choosing the uniforms for hospitality properties. Now let us get a bit more into the specifics. As a hotelier, before getting the uniform for your staff designed, it would be pragmatic to ask whether Chefs’/Cooks’ hat would have the company’s or brand’s logo or not, whether the wait staff should have an apron where they can hold their pens and pads for taking order, whether the servers should wear gloves, while serving food.

Moreover, ensuring your staff uniforms communicate warmth and an approachable tone can help you drive customer engagement and sales. Yes, this is true even if you are running a high-end hotel with formal character exuding from its ambience and decor.

By taking account of these small but significant factors, you will arrive at a uniform that is likely to be perfect for your guests and staff alike. As uniform requires considerable investment, before going for its manufacturing it is always better to get your staff’s feedback over the proposed uniform, while it is still in the drawing board stage. If something is amiss, they are the best people to notice them and point them out.

Uniform Changes In today’s fast changing business climate, where social media and customer feedback are playing an increasing role, a deeply service-oriented business like the hospitality business must ensure that it can hold its customers’ interest.

As a result, business uniforms in hospitality properties should now be ideally refreshed on a much more regular basis (sometimes even annually). Think about changing out one component of your uniform every year, and coming out with an entirely new modern work uniform every 24-36 months. This will keep your employees engaged, and your brand fresh and modern in the eyes of your customers.

“Uniform in hospitality properties need to be changed when it shows wear and tear or some times when new concept or theme is being introduced. Ideally, uniform in hotels nowadays need to be changed every year,” expressed Vijay Laxmi.

But while revamping the uniform too, all these above-mentioned factors need to be considered. Yes, life is not easy for the hospitality industry… n

Sept-Oct ’18

49

P ro d uct Previ ew

Hotel Business Review

Housekeeping Carts

Luxurious Bed & Bath Linen

Ad d i n g va l u e, s ty l e a n d co nve n i e n ce to g o o d housekeeping are compact housekeeping carts and caddies from Mehta Furnishers, New Delhi. These carts allow housekeeping staff to bundle fresh and used linens, guest essentials, chemicals and cleaning utensils, all organised in one unit.

H i g h - g ra d e castors chosen as per their application make movement of carts effortless, which are also designed and sized to fit in standard size elevators.

Carts are designed to take care of customer’s requirements with bumpers, lockable doors, additional storage, operational needs and variety of desired features that add value to the style, and smile to good housekeeping.

Mehta Furnishers also makes minibar-replenishment carts, linen and luggage carts besides housekeeping baskets and strollers; bins, trays and several other accessories by combining wood, cane, wickers and metals.

Solid steel structure, durable block-board cabinet for linen and amenities, robust shelves, sturdy bars for handling and moving, hardwearing-coated fabric bags in choice colours with covers, heavy-duty non-marking pu-castors for effortless carting and breaks for parking, edge-protectors on all customary carts go a long way in building trust of the company.

Mehta Furnishers mehtafur@gmail.com

Quality and sophistication are the hallmarks of Home Zone’s bed & bath linen range, which is used in the star category hotels in India.

The company makes exquisite bed linen for hotel rooms with different infill materials like down & feather, soft microfibre & hollow fibre.

The company provides a comprehensive range of pillows, cushions, duvets, comforters, mattress toppers and mattress protectors.

In the bath linen category, the company provides an awesome range of towels & robes.

Succinctly, Home Zone’s superb quality linen can enhance the guests’ comfort while adding a fashionable touch to the hotel’s bedroom too.

Home Zone India, based in Panipat, Haryana, has marketing offices in New Delhi (Central Office), Punjab, Srinagar, Hyderabad, Kathmandu & Kolkata.

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

50

Sept-Oct ’18

Home Zone India

info@homezoneindia.com

Smartphone is the Key Since 1945, MIWA Lock Company Ltd. has emerged as Japan’s foremost provider of high-performance locks and security systems. Today, its reputation for quality and reliability has made MIWA the choice of leading hotel chains around the world. MIWA has setthe global standard for programmable lock technology.

MIWA from Japan has introduced Bluetooth enabled RFID electronic lock, which can use for hotel guestrooms.This operates by using smart phone as a key. Just launch a special app.(KEYMO (BLE) - Miwa mobile key system), tap the unlock button and then wave the phone over the lock(only a guest’s mobile can be used), and locked door of the guestroom would be opened.

This state-of-the-art system facilitates guests as well as hotel staff to enter and exit guestrooms on premises.

Vista Hospitality Solutions, is the authorised sales and service partner for Miwa Locks from Japan in India.

Vista Hospitality Solutions info@vistahospitality.co.in The company manufactures high-end woven pile carpets in real mulberry silk, which are ideally suited for exclusive and discerning customers, in hotels, villa residences, ships, and up market retail outlets. Their products are available in wide range of evergreen solid shades, developed for international clientele.

Shri Ganesh Carpets ganeshcarpets@airtelmail.in

Pr odu c t Prev i ew

Hotel Business Review

From Hotel Furniture to Designer Products and Beyond ….

S.K. International Est. itself in 1984 i.e. 34 Years ago with a group of well qualified and competent Professionals, Hotel executives & engineers with hardcore Professional streams. Today the company has the state of the art well equipped plant to produce undisputed quality products, varied spectrum of design for customised usage and timely delivery. The company specialises in hotel furniture, equipments and custom made products from last 34 years and now the company enters a vast market of office furniture as well as Interior design and execution, which includes complete interior solution from designing to p l a n n i n g , f u r n i t u re, paint & polish, stone work, ceiling, complete turnkey, etc. Its after continuous p ro cess of h a rd wo r k , research & development the brand SKI developed its other Companies i.e.

S K I P R OJ ECTS w h i c h undertakes the interior designing & execution work and EURO MOBEL for the office furniture and desking SKI SKI SKI solution. The company setup includes a well experienced team of architects, Interior designers, 3D designers, etc. and latest modular furniture manufacturing plant for the quality, finishing and timely delivery of the products. Known for the quality, reliability and environmental responsibility the company steps in the vast field to cater a larger clientele.

“The bitterness of inferior quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” S.K. International sanjay.skinternational@gmail.com

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

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

HOSPITALITY OFFICE & INTERIORS SINCE 1984

S.K.International other brands :

HOSPITALITY FURNITURE & EQUIPMENTS An ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company

DESIGN EXECUTION & TURNKEY

OFFICE FURNITURE & DESKING SYSTEMS

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

Located in Gurugram, Haryana, the company has a highly developed infrastructure that is equipped with modern technology and is organised in a very systematic manner.

Moreover, the company has a team of skilled professionals whose wide domain knowledge led them to deliver quality products and customised services for the market. They ensure that the products are of top quality and checks are made thoroughly through the entire production process.

Interclean Solution Pvt. Ltd. info@interclean.in

Advertiser’s Index Company

Page No.

Company

Page No.

akasa international

12

mehta furnishers

19

AVON HOSPITALITY

08

MKN INDIA

25

charnock equipments pvt. ltd.

01

navin polycon

35

chair craft india pvt. ltd.

13

pushkal textiles

47

evolis card printer india pvt. ltd. FIC

RANS TECHNOCRATS (iNDIA) PVT. LTD.

33

fabscapes 15

remington steel arts

50

home comfort texo fab

08

samrat furnishers

29

home zone india

27

sony india pvt. ltd.

hostech 2018

37

sugandhco pvt. ltd.

ifb industries ltd.

07

trend n design

infinity hygiene care

10

Venus Industries

05

intercleaN SOLUTION PVT. LTD.

39

winterhalter india pvt. ltd.

11

WORLDEX INDIA EXHIBITIONS & PROMOTION PVT. LTD.

21

kesri transcontinental bc loomcrafts furniture india pvt. ltd.

gATE FOLD 45 BIC

09

Sept-Oct ’18

51

Intervi ew

Hotel Business Review

Driving the Hotel’s Business Growth

By Sharmila Chand What were your initial years in the hospitality industry like?

The initial years were full of learning and hard work. My biggest learning however was learning how to deal with people. Having started as a housekeeper, I realised that the strength of any process are the people.

The job taught me how to work with people from all age groups and backgrounds.

From my colleagues I learnt that respecting individuals and sharing honest feedback build trust and help you grow.

What were the kind of challenges you had to face in your career?

Kanika Hasrat is the General Manager of Vivanta Dwarka, New Delhi. In her current role, she is responsible for the hotel’s business growth while driving overall guest satisfaction.

Kanika is committed towards working closely with the team and driving performance across verticals in the hotel. Kanika has worked in diverse areas of operations within the industry, including housekeeping, front office and rooms.

Her expertise includes improving standards, bringing innovation in day-to-day tasks and driving overall performance of the hotel.

With over 23 years of experience, Kanika has held different positions and worked with top brands/hotels like Courtyard by Marriott Gurugram Downtown; JW Marriott; Amsterdam Marriott Hotel; Trident, Jaipur; and The Oberoi, Mumbai. Kanika has won many awards and accolades during her career. The excerpts of the interview with the seasoned hospitality professional follow: 52

Sept-Oct ’18

Being a woman in this industry in the initial stages is challenging, but I fortunately worked in companies which showed no discrimination with regards to gender.

So I learnt to work shoulder to shoulder with men and made no excuses for being a woman. I did all shifts, worked long hours and learnt to enjoy the work.

My toughest time in my professional life was when I became a mom where I had to come back to work after three months of maternity leave; it was a heart-wrenching time to leave my daughter at home and come to work daily.

Though I had my mom with me at this tough time, I was finally able to convince my hotel’s leadership team to allow me to bring my baby and nanny to work, with me, after four months of me trying to manage by leaving my baby at home. The hotel team agreed and I do believe the first crèche and day care in the Indian hotel industry happened due to this revolutionary decision.

I am eternally grateful for this opportunity, as I continued working and growing due to this support at a truly crucial time in my life.

At work, I have always viewed challenges as learning opportunities and have always had an attitude to gain from each experience.

I remember the time the Mumbai flash flood took place and the city came to a standstill; we at the hotel opened our doors to everyone on the streets and had the who’s who of the Bollywood fraternity sleep on the lobby sofas along with regular

people from the street.

For three days we fed people, kept them warm and served them with smiles whilst not one of the hotel associates went home. With no cell phones, limited food and drinking water, everyone gave more than they took. It was three days before life went back to normal.

In your opinion, what is the position of women in India’s hospitality industry in the top positions like GM, etc.?

I do believe the hospitality industry is an ideal fit for women. Since we deal with human beings; be it guests or associates, qualities of care, empathy and multi-skilling which are strengths for most women, truly help women to grow in this industry. I have worked with a number of brilliant women who add joy and energy to our day with their charm, smiles, passion to serve and ability walk hand in hand with men.

Many women in hospitality leadership roles struggle to reach a work/life balance. How have you made it work for you?

I have been very fortunate to have my parents by my side in the initial stages of motherhood. Besides my husband comes from the same industry and understands my challenges.

He is someone whom I turn to for ideas and suggestions when I am bogged down by a situation and his thoughts along with mine help me to come up with unique solutions from time to time.

The unwavering support of my nanny for my daughter, whom I had for my daughter till she was 10 years old and who moved with me as my career took me to different cities, was also of great help.

What message you will like to give to young girls aspiring to be in leadership roles in the realm of hospitality?

Be proud of being a woman. You have many inherent strengths that today’s HR professionals are teaching men to develop.

Learn something new every day and enjoy what you do.

May-June ’18

65