Hi feb13 coverf low res by Hotelier India

Registered with Registrar of Newspapers under RNI No. MAHENG/2009/34648, Postal Registration No. MH/MR/N/98/MBI/12-14 Published on 7th of every month., Posted at Patrika Channel Sorting Office, Mumbai-400001, Posting date: 8th & 9th of every month Total number of pages 84 Volume 5|Issue 2|February 2013|`50

PEOPLE

LAUCALA ISLAND’S KURT WACHTVEITL

TECHNOLOGY SOUND SYSTEMS

DESIGN

THE CONCEPT OFPROCUREMENT CONSULTANTCY NEW FORMATS IN DINING EXPERIENCE

AMBIENT LIGHTING FOR DIFFERENT AREAS

SPOTLIGHT 10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE LEELA PALACE UDAIPUR

SOUTHERN COMFORT

JOSE DOMINIC REDEFINES THE PARAMETERS OF LUXURY AT CGH EARTH An ITP Publishing India Publication

MARKET DATA J&K | RESEARCH HOLIDAY IQ | EVENT THE HIFI CONFERENCE | GM’S DIARY RANGANATHAN BUDUMOORU 01_HI_Feb13_Coverfinal.indd 1

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CONTENTS

26 cover story

CGH Earth is the first to get an eco-label certification from The Green Signal. MD Jose Dominic on guests with a green conscience and a thirst for culture.

18 Market Data

66 Food

Jammu & Kashmir retains great potential to draw leisure and adventure enthusiasts as well as socio-political groups. Infrastructure development is also on a high.

Getting guests to dine out is about adding a conversation-slash-tweet-worthy experience to his life. We explore new concepts.

42 people

As hospitality companies invest in the subtlest of product distinctions, we explore needs, new buys and what is new in sound systems.

Sahara Star’s head of strategy offers tips on revenue management, capturing market share, entertaining guests and hiring.

46 column For globetrotters who live in designer homes, luxury is experiential, says Laucala Island Global Advisor Kurt Wachtveitl, giving examples from the uber-luxe resort’s operations.

58 DESIGN Designers and lighting consultants offer special expertise and solutions to lighting demands from the properties.

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70 technology

74 ROUNDTABLE Spa managers share tips on best practices and new market segments.

80 Picks of the Month Hotelier India’s round-up of the latest arrivals in the market and of the must-have products for your hotel.

82 10 things you didn’t know About The Leela Palace Udaipur.

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Property-level

range of products

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February 2013 | Volume 5 | Issue 2

India in the spotlight!

ITP Publishing India Pvt Ltd 898 Turner Road, Notan Plaza, 3rd floor, Bandra (West), Mumbai - 400050 T +91 22 6154 6000

not only are all major hotel brands interested in setting shop here, The globetrotting indian is being wooed by the world and how!

As a teenager, with a head full of ideas, I wanted to go out and conquer the world. My grandma (who was a well-read lady) always told me that you are lucky to be born in a country marked by the gods as special – “the world is destined to come to us,” she would say. Was she prophetic? While the world struggled with recession, India seemed to have just slowed the pace in the last couple of years. As positive signs emerge, we seem to have become the centre of every global activity – a focal locus! And when that happens, travel takes on an important role – whether for business or pleasure, for work or leisure – and this pushes hospitality to the fore. Indian hospitality industry follows its own rules, a fact realised by all (read global brands). Not only are major brands interested in setting shop here, the globe-trotting Indian, too, is being wooed by the world and how! It’s a new dawn for the industry… and for me. After many years as a customer, I have forayed into becoming a part of this dynamic and fascinating industry. My initiation was marked by two very prominent events – the Hotelier Awards and the HIFI conference, which introduced me to the crème de la crème of hospitality. I got to know the people at the awards and their business at HIFI. The issue, as usual, is power packed with captivating people, information and products – something you have come to associate with your favourite information partner over the years. Before signing off, I would like to thank all of you for making me feel one of you in such a short span of time.

Babita Krishnan Editor

Deputy managing director S Saikumar Publishing director Bibhor Srivastava Group editor Shafquat Ali Editorial Editor Babita Krishnan T +91 22 6154 6042 babita.krishnan@itp.com Managing editor Raynah Coutinho T +91 22 6154 6043 raynah.coutinho@itp.com Advertising INDIA Business head Gurmeet Sachdev T +91 9987 208866 gurmeet.sachdev@itp.com Regional manager - South Sanjay Bhan T +91 9845 722377 sanjay.bhan@itp.com MIDDLE EAST Publishing director Diarmuid O’Malley T +971 4 444 3000 dom@itp.com Commercial director Sarah Worth T +971 4 444 3000 sarah.worth@itp.com Studio Head of design Milind Patil Designer Reshma Jhunjhunwala Production Deputy production manager Ramesh Kumar ramesh.kumar@itp.com Circulation Distribution manager James D’Souza T +91 22 6154 6032 james.dsouza@itp.com Cover Image: Vishal Kaul

Disclaimer The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review. Printed and Published by Sai Kumar Shanmugam, Flat no. 903, Building 47, NRI Colony, Phase – 2, Part -1, Sector 54, 56, 58, Nerul, Navi Mumbai 400706, on behalf of ITP Publishing India Private Limited, printed at Repro India Limited, Marathe Udyog Bhavan, 2nd Floor, Appasaheb Marathe Marg, Prabhadevi, Mumbai 400 025, India and published at ITP Publishing India, Notan Plaza, 3rd floor, 898,Turner Road, Bandra (West), Mumbai - 400050 Editor: Babita Krishnan

To subscribe please visit www.hotelierindia.com WRITE TO THE EDITOR Please address your letters to: The Editor, Hotelier India, 898 Notan Plaza, 3rd floor, Turner Road Bandra (West), Mumbai - 400050 or email babita.krishnan@itp.com. Please provide your full name and address, stating clearly if you do not wish us to print them. Alternatively, log on to www.hotelierindia.com and air your views. The opinions expressed in this section are of particular individuals and are in no way a reflection of the publisher’s views.

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Advisory Board Our distinguished advisory board has been assembled to help guide Hotelier India to become even more representative of its community. Members have been invited from the highest levels of the industry to ensure that the magazine continues on its path of success.

Homi Aibara Partner, Mahajan and Aibara Management Consultancy Division

Kamlesh Barot Ex-President, FHRAI

Uttam Davé President and CEO, Interglobe Hotels

Naveen Jain President Duet India Hotels

KB Kachru Executive vice-president – South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group

Rajiv Kaul President, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts

Akshay Kulkarni Regional director – Hospitality, South & Southeast Asia, Cushman & Wakefield

Anil Madhok Managing director, Sarovar Hotels and Resorts

Rajeev Menon Area vice-president India, Malaysia, Maldives and Australia, Marriott International

Dilip Puri MD, India and regional VP, South Asia, Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels and Resorts

Sanjay Puri Principal architect, Sanjay Puri Associates

Sanjay Sethi Managing director and CEO, Berggruen Hotels

Vijay Thacker Director, Horwath India

Manav Thadani Chairman HVS South Asia

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News&people

Market Data... p18

• Reports • Appointments • Analysis • Profiles • Openings

LHW to celebrate 85th anniversary year LHW In the Movies-themed promotions on the cards

Lloyd Lauland ...p 22

Spree Hotels launches flagship in Bengaluru Marks the opening of its tenth property new entrant

The (1975) film Return of the Pink Panther was shot at the 100-year-old Gstaad Palace .

MILESTONE Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) has decided to theme its 85th anniversary celebrations ‘In the Movies’, given that the Oscars celebrates the same anniversary this year. The tiein is natural, says Sowmyaragavan T, since several iconic, independent hotels have featured in award-winning films. Besides themed promo-

What They Said. Hoteliers are passionate about the industry in which they work. Every month, Hotelier India presents the sound bites that could spark discussion among experts.

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tions, the hotel marketing company has launched a micro-site dedicated to In the Movies on January 22nd that features 85 LHW properties, drawing attention to them through the movies shot on their premises. “We will be more active on social media. A new website, too, is to be launched during February,” Sowmyaragavan announced at a press conference held in Mumbai.

“In hospitality, you have to deliver more than you promise. Social media has helped us receive a lot of customer reviews. These are increasingly used for more than just reputation management and PR.” Aditya Malla, director sales and marketing, Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel, New Delhi

A new promotional film, called the Life of a Leading Hotels of the World Inspector has been created as a part of the celebrations. The chain will also offer enhancements to Unlimited category members of its loyalty programme, Leaders Club — the limousine pick-up that was started in June 2012, will be carried on into 2013 and a free stay is being offered upon every four reservations made.

“Sales opportunities could vary from the lead of an infrastructure project that is about to commence or a metro project by the government — they translate to travel into our city.” Shibil Malik, director sales and marketing, The Westin, Hyderabad

The Spree Hotel, Bengaluru, which opened mid-January has been modelled as the brand’s flagship hotel. Launched about 18 months ago, Spree believes that customer service is the key differentiating factor among mid-market hotels, as property features are easily replicated. Spree Hotels are mid-market hotels designed to provide extra service. Spree Hotels managing director Keshav Baljee said, “We have taken this hotel on a long-lease, and have invested a small amount in basis refurbishments and working capital. We hope to break-even in our first financial year of operations.” The 72-room hotel features all expected four-star staples. In addition, free wi-fi is available throughout the hotel, all rooms are 32 sq metres and about 65 per cent of them feature balconies and some even feature i-pod docks.

“A reversal in demand for serviced apartments has occurred on account of inherent requirements of the long-stay traveller such as location, hygiene, safety, range of facilities, choice of F&B. These travellers are checking back into hotels.” Suresh Kumar, CEO ITC Fortune Hotels

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news & People

Events preview

Hotel Build India 2013 on development

Will cover architecture, interiors and construction and feature structured networking

Confirmed speakers

Development woes will be broken down and tackled at the two-day conference.

TP Publishing India will host the conference, which is aimed at bringing everyone in the hotel development cycle including operators, developers, architects and interior designers, together, on March 14 and 15, 2013 at The Westin Gurgaon. Hotel Build India 2013 is aimed at being a unique forum for in-depth discussions on architecture, design and cost-effective prefabricated aspects of hotel construction in India. Delegates can also expect sessions that will address the latest and emerging technologies from leading solution providers from across the globe. The organisers have also signed up leading international experts to share case studies on the latest, most sustainable and cost-effective hotel projects that have been completed. Highlights at the forum include a panel discussion between CEOs of leading hospitality, development and architecture companies from across the globe and a structured speed-networking session that is designed to get 150+ attendees to exchange handshakes – it culminates in a break so as to facilitate more detailed discussions with the most relevant among newly-established contacts. The two-day conference has been designed for CEOs, CMDs, MDs, VPs, directors, GMs and project heads from development companies, architecture and design firms, structural consultants, hospitality consultants and operators of hotels, resorts and destination spas. The opportunity for partnerships is pertinent to lighting consultants and suppliers of technology, building and interiors materials, security solution, bedroom and bathroom fixtures and everyone who provides any solution to the hospitality industry.

What They Said. Hoteliers are passionate about the industry in which they work. Every month, Hotelier India presents the sound bites that could spark discussion among experts.

“We realise that Indians are like the French, who enjoy their food. So our success mantra for Ibis was a great emphasis on the quality of food and talent among kitchen staff.” Jean-Michel Casse, senior vice president operations India, Accor

 Rajiv Kaul, president, Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts  Dilip Puri, MD, India & regional VP, South Asia, Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts  Stephen Albert, VP, WATG  Gautam Anand, VP, operations, planning and pre-opening services, ITC Hotels  Rajiv Puri, VP, architecture, design and construction, Marriott International  Param Kannampilly, CMD, Concept Hospitality  Philip J Logan, VP — Formule1 India, director, Economy Hotels India, Accor Asia Pacific  Amit Nagpal, director, development, Hyatt  Dikshu Kukreja, principal architect, CP Kukreja Associates  Ajay Bakaya, executive director, Sarovar Hotels  Deepak Uppal, executive director, Vatika Hotels  Ritu Bhatia Kler, MD, Total Integrated Design (TID) India  Sanjay Sethi, MD and CEO, Keys Hotels and Resorts  Harpal Singh Saggu, CMD, Synergy Thrislington and Proud Owner, JW Marriott, Chandigarh  Niranjan Khatri, GM, Welcome environmental initiatives, ITC Hotels  Rishi Kapoor, VP, development, MGM Hospitality India  Carlyle Pereira, GM, technical services, Indian Hotel Company  Manoj Nandkeolkar, GM, development, Country Inns & Suites  Amitabh Tyagi, regional director, design and technical services, Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels.  Vinayak C Mahtani, CEO, Unique Precise International

Naman Ojha, Indian cricketer from Madhya Pradesh, joined Westin Hotels and Resorts in the India roll-out of its global Gear Lending Programme in partnership with sports and fitness accessory brand New Balance, through a run organized at The Westin Mumbai Garden City in January.

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news & People

Movers & shakers Kapil Chopra President,The Oberoi Group, India Kapil Chopra has been assigned to the post of President of the Oberoi Group, India. He will be responsible for all the Oberoi and Trident hotels in India. With an experience of nearly two decades as a hotelier, Chopra was, till recently, the executive vice president of the Oberoi group. Apart from being a hotelier, Chopra is an avid collector of Indian contemporary art.

Ashis Rout Executive Chef, Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon Rout has been appointed as the Executive Chef at the Courtyard by Marriott in Gurgaon. He has had more than a decade of experience in the hotel industry. Prior to joining the Courtyard by Marriott, he had served as Executive Chef at Ananda in the Himalayas as well as worked as a senior Sous Chef at the Ista hotel in Bengaluru.

Santosh Rawat Pastry Chef, Renaissance Convention Centre Hotel Rawat has been appointed to the post of Pastry Chef at the Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel and Lakeside Chalet in Mumbai. Rawat joins with approximately 10 years of baking experience. Before taking on the post of Pastry Chef, he was posted at the JW Marriott hotel in Chandigarh. He has also been a part of the pre-opening teams of JW Marriott, Hyatt and Shangri-La brands in India, besides postings at several five-star hotels around the world.

New kid on management company block Development company Shipra Group launches Tux Hospitality

The Mosaic brand of hotels will also operate under the Tux Hospitality umbrella.

EXPANSION Shipra Group’s new venture and dedicated hospitality vertical, Tux Hospitality will manage and operate the group’s hotel portfolio. Besides managing the group’s own properties, Tux will form alliances in the form of acquisition, lease and joint ventures as well as the more conventional management and marketing

contracts with the hotel owners and developers in India. Tux is targeting 10 operational properties by the end of 2013, according to a press statement that also said, “Looking at the fact that Tux is offering many unique options to individual property owner including minimum guarantee and services such as independent project management, training and development programmes,

additional revenue streams such as memberships and allied options, it will be no surprise if this number is doubled.” The group has a marketing alliance with US-based Preferred Hotels. Tux Hospitality’s services range from managing turn-key projects to hotel consulting. The three brands in its portfolio include flagship brand Mosaic, a collection of value-driven hotels; full-service brand Hive, which will soon see the opening of its first hotel in Alwar with projects expected in Nainital, Jageshwar and Panipat; and Seed, which will have limitedinventory hotels that possibly hold a historical significance, a theme or a story behind them. In terms of footprint, apart from the already operational Mosaic Noida, Tux Hospitality’s Mosaic Mussoorie is at project stage. Additionally, the first Hive would be opened in Alwar in early 2013.

MTDC reaches out to Asia Promotional TV episodes aired in 14 markets PROMOTION In an exclusive tie-up Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) will promote six unexplored tourist destinations from various parts of the state to 14 Asian markets. The telecast partner, Discovery TLC Channel, telecast the episodes dedicated to Maharashtra on December 29 and December 30, 2012, with repeat episodes aired towards the end of January. They have been aired under the title Go Maharashtra. The 22-minute show was aired by Discovery TLC SAARC (Mauritius, Maldives, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal) and by Discovery TLC Asia Pacific (Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand). To further ensure a multiplied reach, these episodes will also be included in the Discovery Worldwide archives library and will be telecasted globally by the international scheduling team in the other markets subject to the availability of airtime in their corresponding regions.

The Leela Palace Bangalore was conferred the National Energy Conservation Award 2012 by the President of India Pranab Mukherjee. The awards are organised annually by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) a statutory body under ministry of power.

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01-02-2013 20:24:59

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news & People

Movers & shakers Somnath Dey Director of F&B, Hyatt Regency, Delhi

Hilton brings flagship brand to India Hilton Hotels & Resorts makes debut in the Sahyadris

Somnath Dey has been assigned to the post of Director of F&B at the Hyatt Regency in Delhi. With a vast experience of 17 years, he maintained various positions in F&B portfolio for different companies. He began his career in the hotel industry in the year 1997.

Marin Leuthard Executive Chef, Hyatt Regency, Delhi Leuthard brings a rich and varied multicultural experience of 20 years as the Executive Chef at the Hyatt Regency in Delhi. Before being appointed to the Hyatt Regency, he was posted as Executive Chef at the Grand Hyatt in Muscat. He was also with the Hyatt Regency in Almaty, Kazakhstan with the same posting before his appointment with the Grand Hyatt, Muscat. His career with the Hyatt has seen him performing various assignments around the globe post 2004.

Sonali Chauhan Director of Rooms, Hyatt Regency, Delhi Sonali Chauhan will be managing the in-room operations at the hotel as the new Director of Rooms at the Hyatt Regency in Delhi. With a work experience of 11 years, she started her career in 2002 as a Hyatt Corporate Leadership Trainee in the same hotel. She was exposed to all hotel departments, eventually growing leaps and bounds to become the director of rooms.

The Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat & Spa has an all-villa inventory.

LAUNCH Hilton Hotels & Resorts, the flagship brand of Hilton Worldwide, announced the opening of Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat & Spa, its first leisure property in India. Operated by Hilton Worldwide and owned by Writer Lifestyle, the retreat is nestled in the serene landscape of the Sahyadri mountain range in the Western Ghats.

The retreat features ecologicallydesigned all-villa accommodation with butler service, extensive dining options, one of the largest wine cellars in India and among the largest and most comprehensive spa facilities in Asia that encompasses 70 acres and offers more than 150 treatments. The retreat is designed, built and operated with sustainability as its core commitment. With the opening of Hilton Shilim Estate Retreat &

Spa, Hilton Worldwide extends its Hilton Resorts portfolio to 80 resorts across 29 countries. “Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat & Spa is an exceptional addition to our fast growing portfolio in India. Given the facilities and services on offer, we expect the property to become the favorite gateway for guests travelling on leisure in the region.” said Martin Rinck, president, Asia Pacific, Hilton Worldwide. The 99 villas at the retreat, set amidst rice fields, bamboo plantations and virgin forests, feature private decks or balconies, dedicated treatment areas and valley or forest views. The interior of the villas combines simple, contemporary elegance with latest technology to offer private relaxation havens. State-of-theart technology and full range of business services, including high speed internet access, video conferencing, audiovisual equipment rental and secretarial support, make it also ideal for conferences.

News In brief  The FHRAI together with HVS has released The Indian Hotel Industry Survey 2011-12. The survey, representing 1,320 hotels in various cities across different star categories in India, presents key statistics for the industry. It provides information about financial performance, marketing media usage patterns and guest segmentation, among several other areas. Look for excerpts in the next issue of Hotelier India.  Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel has joined its sister-properties in providing in-hotel-brandedentertainment with the launch of RLife LIVE on January 12th, 2013. The launch edition featured Raghu Dixit, (India’s biggest cultural and musical export) who has taken his unique brand of Indian folk music and made it a global phenomenon, performing live.  Marriott International has opened its 14th hotel in China in January. The 323-room Shanghai Marriott Hotel Pudong East will be operated under a long-term management agreement with Shanghai Hengchang Industry. Shanghai Marriott Hotel

 Sarovar Hotels has signed a contract for a 55-room Sarovar Portico hotel in Srinagar. The group’s first hotel in Jammu & Kashmir is owned by Royal Khazir Hotels & Resorts. It will be refurbished and launched by May 2013. It is located in the upmarket Sonwar area, on Gupkar Road and is adjacent to the Shankaracharya Forest Reserve, 12kms from Srinagar airport.  Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts and Convention Hotels India have opened the Swissôtel Goa in Calangute. Its 135 rooms and suites — sized between 31 sq m and 72 sq m — are designed and proportioned among eight three-level buildings, which are set within a tropical garden. Besides luxury staples, it will also feature a beach club on Calangute beach for resident guests.  Grand Hyatt Goa has received the ISO 22000 Certification from 2012 to 2015. The certification stands for Food Safety Management Systems. The hotel has also been given HACCP Food Safety Certification.  The Zuri Whitefield has rebranded Kahwa, its much-loved coffee shop with an experience better matched to the brand’s positioning. The diner is now named Karibu — which means welcome in Swahili to its guests — acts as an extension of Zuri’s larger brand philosophy that uses ‘welcome back’ as its tagline.

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gm’s diary

Happy Staff = Happy Customers Ranganath Budumooru General manager Holiday Inn Express, Ahmedabad

Nothing ensures a happy air for guests like a happy bunch of staff on board, says Ranganath Budumooru

HI Who is the most important guest you have hosted? On the launch of Holiday Express Inn, we hosted Spence & Becky Wilson – son & daughter-in-law of the founder of Holiday Inn, Kemmon Wilson.

HI What is the most anxious moment you had that day? I would have to say that I was quite anxious around the time when they were expected to arrive at the hotel and it increased further when I received news that Wilson had landed at the airport and was on his way.

have a thorough understanding of the business and market that the hotel is operating in. One has to understand the needs of the guest and provide them with a warm and efficient service through a team of highly motivated individuals. The main point to stress on is delivery of quality service all the time, which is the only way to grow in this industry. GMs must focus on maintaining a general air of happiness amongst the team that will be passed on to the guests. This has been tested and tried at a global level. If not an hotelier, what would you be? I guess, followed my official training and become an electrical engineer as I possess a master’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering. HI

What is the best thing about your job? I believe that the opportunity to meet a variety of different people from a number of cultures is something to be marvelled at. Moreover, I enjoy the fact that they all gather under one roof and collaborate with one another, work together. I enjoy a good challenge - multiple situations to tackle and decision-making are components of my job that I find most intriguing. HI

HI What is the worst thing about your job? Well, I have to be in constant contact with other hoteliers, guests and longterm clients. Amidst all this, I am unable to keep up with my own social circle.

Which market or city do you find most exciting as an hotelier? India, I would have to say is one of the most rapidly emerging markets. I was thrilled to be a part of the first Holiday Express opening in India. The establishment in Ahmedabad is the first of many in this country and it helps to meet the need for international standard, value and conveniencebased hotels. HI What has been the turning point in your career? The turning point was when I started working as a part-timer while pursuing my master’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering. The industry attracted me to such an extent that I decided to choose hospitality as my final decisive career.

HI What is the key ingredient that goes into being a successful hotelier? Well, I would like to first say that one has to be market savvy. You must

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HI What, according to you, is the best way for a hotelier to unwind? Soak in a hot tub would be one way to just sit back and relax, away from the busy industry. Alternately, I would slip into the most comfortable clothes and get into a peaceful frame of mind listening to soothing music. I also enjoy a pleasant stroll.

HI What is the best change you have seen in the hotel industry? The mid-market hotel space in India now offers a compelling investment proposition, with favourable demand-supply dynamics and an attractive build cost to operating returns equation.

HI How do you book your hotel rooms? Well, it depends on the destination for which I would be booking. But most often, I am inclined towards online booking and coordination via e-mail.

HI What’s your check-in style – self-service kiosk or front desk? Personally, I would go with front desk check-in. However, I wouldn’t mind having to serve myself for a few select services.

HI When was the last time you booked yourself in for a spa treatment, while on a holiday? In this hectic world, a spa treatment is a good way to rejuvenate. I underwent a spa treatment around three months ago. HI

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market data

J&K’s picture perfect terrain makes it tourism-friendly but challenging to infrastructure development.

The pinnacle of things Often touted as heaven on earth, Jammu & Kashmir, besides its potential as a leisure tourism destination, has a very strategic position on the Indian socio-political scenario as it shares international borders with China, Pakistan and Afghanistan By cushman & Wakefield Tourism is one of the key industries in J&K given its strategic location, geography and resources. The state has accorded tourism premier priority. Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh are the three distinctive regions in the state that have attracted tourists for centuries. Kashmir Valley offers lush green forests, springs, perennial rivers, scenic alpines and pleasant weather. Jammu region, with its numerous temples, is also famous for pilgrimages. Kashmir Valley, the Vaishno devi shrine in Jammu and Leh in Ladakh witness majority of the tourist arrivals. According to the ministry of tourism, domestic arrivals have increased to 9.97 million at a growth rate of 8 per cent during 2009-10 while there has been a decline by 11 per cent to 48,000

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foreign tourists for the same period. The growth rate in arrivals is slower in the J&K state as compared to that of the country which stands at 10.7 per cent for domestic and 24.2 per cent for foreign in 2009-10. As illustrated in the table, 77 per cent of arrivals are in the Jammu region. While Ladakh is the preferred destination for foreign tourists, Jammu and Kashmir valley are preferred by domestic tourists.

challenges in infrastructure development With the advantage of the unique geography of hilly terrain, comes the disadvantage of challenges in developing infrastructure. The economy suffers due to poor accessibility and connectivity, a heightened likelihood of natural disasters, inaccessibility, sparse population density, etc.

Connectivity Airways — Jammu, Leh and Srinagar are the main cities of J&K with air connectivity. Out of these, Srinagar airport has been upgraded to international, marking a constructive progress in the infrastructure of the state. Road — The undulating topography of J&K makes its roads the prime means of transport. NH 1A connects the two capital cities (Srinagar and Jammu). Buses and taxis are easily available. The total road length of the national highways in the state stands at 1,245 kms. The longest highway is 422 kms in length, connecting Srinagar, Kargil and Leh. JKTDC and JKSRTC also run luxury coaches to facilitate tourists. About 84 road projects are under various stages of execution in the state. NHAI is implementing three annuity-type road proj-

ects with the total cost estimates of Rs6,320 crores. Railways — J&K is very well connected by rail network across major parts of the country. Jammu Tawi and Udhampur are the main railway nodes in the state. The train connecting Kashmir Valley from Qazigund to Baramulla operates regularly. The Jammu-Udhampur-Katra-Quazigund-Baramulla Railway Line which is over 326 kms is the biggest project in mountains taken up since decades. This national project is being carried out in three legs; Udhampur to Katra (25 kms), Katra to Qazigund (129 kms) and Qazigund to Baramulla (119 kms). As per Northern Railway, the last estimated cost as of October 2012 of the project is Rs19,565 crores with Rs8,093 crores already spent. The project is due to be completed by 2017.

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01-02-2013 20:28:54

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market data

The tourist arrivals from 2005-10 Amarnathji

Kashmir Domestic

Foreign

Total

Jammu

Ladakh Domestic Foreign

Total

Grand Total

2005

3,88,000

5,85,702

19,680

9,93,382

62,51,998

13,781

24,665

38,446

8,315,654

2006

2,65,000

4,12,879

20,009

6,97,888

69,50,573

17,822

26,078

43,900

8,434,149

2007

2,13,565

4,17,264

24,576

6,55,405

72,22,318

22,102

28,477

50,579

8,634,286

2008

4,98,075

5,50,100

22,000

10,70,175

65,76,000

39,000

33,000

72,000

8,860,350

2009

3,73,419

5,20,454

20,809

9,14,682

76,57,000

48,127

30,446

78,573

9,643,510

2010

4,58,046

6,98,564

24,376

11,80,986

82,39,474

54,684

21,371

76,055

10,753,556

Domestic Tourists in J&K

12000000

540000

8000000

520000

6000000

500000

4000000

480000

2000000 0

460000

2008

2009

Foreign Tourists in J&K

560000

10000000

2010

440000

2008

2009

2010

Source: Identification of Tourism Circuits Across India-Interim Report MoT

Name of the Project/Circuit

Year of Sanction

Amount Sanctioned (Rs. In Lakhs)

Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex, Jammu-Destination

2010-11

Identified

Naagar Nagar Circuit (Watlab via Hazratbal, Tulmullah, Mansbal and Wullar lake), Sri Nagar

2011-12

3,814.56

722.12

Development of Leh as a Mega Tourist 2010-11 Destination-Setting up of Trans Himalayan Cultural Centre in Leh, J&K

2,242.95

448.59

Amount Released (Rs. in Lakhs)

New initiatives The MoT has given security clearance for opening of 104 additional peaks in J&K (Leh area). This will firm up the Himalayas’ positioning as an adventure tourism destination. Alongside, issues pertaining to the use of GPS and satellite phone by bonafide tour operators has been taken up for enhancing safety standards to that of international level. Central Financial Assistance has been extended to develop two new FCIs in J&K, to be located in Jammu & Leh. This step would narrow down the demand-supply gap for skilled manpower. A detailed project report for the development of Leh as a spiritual destination is scheduled to be sub-

Source: MoT- Annual Report 2011-12

State Sector

Project Name

Jammu & Kashmir Road Project Name

Status

Cost (Cr)

Type

Implementor

4 Laning of Jammu Udhampur Section

Construction

1,814

BOT-Annuity

NHAI

4 Laning of Qazigund-Banihal Section

Construction

1,987

BOT-Annuity

NHAI

4 Laning of Chennai to Nashri Section

Construction

2,519

BOT-Annuity

NHAI

Source: PPP Database, Department of Economic Affairs, GOI

The MoT is opening 104 peaks to position the destination for adventure tourism.

February 2013 | Hotelier India

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mitted to MoT by the engineering services division. The Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering (IISM)/Gulmarg Winter Sports Project by Directorate General of Tourism conducts ski and other courses in J&K valley. Mega destinations and circuits identified by the MoT in J&K are Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex, Jammu, Naagra Nagar Circuit (Watlab via Hazratbal, Tulmullah, Mansbal and Wullar Lake), Srinagar, Spiritual and Wellness Destination Leh-Ladakh. Some of the identified and sanctioned projects as mega tourist destinations are given in the adjacent table. This gives an indication that close to 20 per cent of the project sanctioned amount have been released marking 2011 and 2012 as significant years for J&K’s tourism infrastructure development.

Impact J&K’s beautiful Kashmir Valley, spiritual and scenic Leh-Ladakh as well as the pilgrim destinations in Jammu have been attracting domestic tourists year-on-year. Foreign tourist arrivals trend show conservative growth mainly due to the political instability in the state. Widely reported violent activities tend to deter tourists from the state despite its potential. The government has taken constructive steps to make the state safe for tourists, besides also investing in infrastructure development. According to the 11th Five Year Plan by the MoT, 112 projects of about Rs219.94 crores — the maximum number of projects among all states in the country — have been sanctioned. HI

www.hotelierindia.com

01-02-2013 20:29:12

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12/29/2012 3:10:16 PM

Photographs: courtesy JHM Interstate India.

focus

Rajasthali Rsort & Spa, Jaipur.

The India connection

Lloyd Lauland admits an unexplained connect with India that goes beyond his job as the executive director of JHM Interstate India. Hotelier India tries to unravel the mystery BY BABITA KRISHNAN

rom wanting to be a pilot to studying political science, from oscillating between taking up law or teaching, to becoming the India head of JHM Interglobe Hotels & Resorts, Lloyd Lauland found his calling in the hospitality industry by default. And the journey has been no less an adventure than one would find in a Paulo Coelho book where circumstance mould the course of life. Lauland shares a bit of his journey to and in India. HI Tell us about your career choice and Lloyd Lauland, the person. I consider myself an accidental hotelier. I have a degree in political science and wanted to be an airline pilot, but being colour blind I couldn’t. So, I quickly shifted focus on getting my degree and after graduation contemplated between law school and teaching. While taking some preparation courses for a

February 2013 | Hotelier India

22-24_HI_Feb13_focus Interview.indd 22

law school and graduate entrance exam for a master’s degree, I took a job as the security at the Hyatt in New Orleans. HI How did that initiate you into hospitality, you wouldn’t have had any experience with operations? How was the experience there? It was a 1,200-room property and being in security, I learned everything – I had the key to every door and interacted with every department (laughs). I quickly fell in love with the business and went on to become a supervisor. Two nights a week, when the night manager had his offs, the security supervisors took on the role of hotel managers – I did that for about six months and when the night manager resigned, I took up that responsibility. During my tenure with Hyatt I moved from security to housekeeping and then the front desk in four years. It was a great foundation because in a large hotel you are exposed to all types of things.

HI Where did you move after Hyatt? I moved to Four Seasons for a little less than eight years, where I learnt about quality and customer experience. From there I joined a small company that had a flagship 200-year-old hotel in Denver, Colorado. I’ve been with this company for around 17 years now and the journey

has been from being a general manager to a regional general manager looking over a bunch of hotels and then to India in June 2008. HI Was the move to India a very difficult decision? I had never worked abroad before, but for me, a move was always a

Shraddha Inn, Shirdi.

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01-02-2013 20:29:56

focus

Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa, Gulmarg. Lloyd Lauland

family decision. Well, we managed and adjusted and this journey has been perfect for us. We might not have made this move had my wife not told me to not let opportunities slip by. I understand that in Hindu culture, destiny and fate play a huge role and I have a strong belief that this journey was because of that. I am often questioned, ‘Why India?’ I reply, ‘I know why I’m here, because my company is growing here, but I don’t know what the real purpose is.’ Several things have happened on this journey in which, some might say, destiny, fate and even coincidence played a part. For example, I escaped the 26/11 terrorist attacks on The Taj due to a wrong flight booking. I was to interview someone over dinner there and so had requested for the

Turtle on the Beach, Kovalam.

February 2013 | Hotelier India

22-24_HI_Feb13_focus Interview.indd 24

last late-night flight out of Mumbai. But due to some goof-up, I noticed that I was on an evening flight back and had to reschedule my meeting to leave Colaba at 6:00 PM. But the transition of moving to India was very easy for my family and me, I’ve fallen in love with the Indian culture and I have become a part of the Indian ethos. It’s been a very rewarding experience and one that I will cherish for a lifetime. I hope my time here doesn’t end because we love this country. Living in a foreign country really broadens your perspective about the world and I consider myself more of a global citizen now. HI In 2008 Interstate came to India, what are the brands you are associated with?

We work with all the international brands and have good working relations with all of them. Interstate is a 52 years old company and we have been pioneers in this business, being the first independent hotel management company in the US that has gone global with operations in 11 countries in over 400 hotels. Interstate chairman Tom Hewitt and HP Rama of JHM, which is also a US-based company, had known each other and their philosophies being similar, got together to work in India as a joint venture and created a hotel management company. HI What triggered your interest in the Indian market? We have a strong global portfolio with Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, IHG and Starwood hotels. The develop-

ment team was receiving multiple opportunities in India but our chairman was focussing on North America. However, at the end of 2007, he had a change of mind and decided to research the Indian market. Our desire to come here was also because all the international brands were moving here. It takes a while to build a presence, and we were going to be here for a long time as both companies are equally committed to being successful here. HI How many properties are you operating currently in India? There are 10 hotels that we are currently operating as our core business is hotel management. Owners interested in having an international brand on their hotels approach us as it is easier for JHM Interstate to make it happen, as we are the largest manager of all the major brands. The hospitality scene in India is changing with increase in the presence of international brands.

HI What do you feel about the future given the global slowdown? I remain very optimistic about the future and it is mainly because of the uniqueness of our business model. We are not a brand, so are not tied to hotel development. Our hotels are uniquely positioned in each of the markets that we are currently operating in. We are slowly finding owners who have the capacity to build hotels of international standards in smaller cities. It is exciting to work in these markets as such properties can be the five-star hotels of their small city and the competition is just not there. HI

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01-02-2013 20:30:13

i believe that by making the customer ‘king’, you are loading him with a responsibility that he doesn’t want to take.

Photograph: Vishal Kaul

cover story

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01-02-2013 20:18:47

uxury

27 cover story

Redefining

Jose Dominic has redefined the term Luxury Holiday with CGH Earth and won the first GreenSignal Certification

BY BABITA KRISHNAN

y general definition, a holiday means a vacation, to take a break from all things that you would do on any given day of your life – be it in office or home. We spend a lot of time and money planning our holidays – deciding the place to go, how to go there and of course, what we will do there, since it needs to appeal to everyone in the family. So we head for this really happening destination, book ourselves into the best property it has to offer, check in, curl up on the really comfortable bed, switch on the TV to surf for something to watch....Bliss! “Really?” asks Jose Dominic, managing director, CGH Earth, “You have only changed the locale but continued to do the same thing you do everyday – maybe at a

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26-34_HI_Feb13_Coverstory1.indd 27

slower pace. Is this what a holiday is all about?” This is not surprising, coming from someone who has redefined the term ‘holiday’ as an experience – in fact that is what the tag line of his brand reads, experience hotels. “I believe that by making the customer ‘king’, you are loading him with a responsibility that he does not want to take. And I am also in agreement with Steve Jobs when he says that the customer does not know what he wants, give it to him and he will love you for it. We have found the emergence of a conscious customer and at CGH Earth, we create experiences that involve the guests while being environmentally aware and culturally rich,” explains Dominic. But what does Dominic mean by this? How does this work? What is an experience hotel? Is CGH Earth an NGO or a business venture?

Too many questions that need an explanation and no one better to answer than the man himself. The company is a family-owned enterprise that opened its doors in 1954 with Casino Hotel in Wellington Island, Cochin, but it was a new venture by his father with practically no experience in hospitality. Dominic joined him later after a great deal of reluctance. “In fact, I was a chartered accountant in Mumbai with no intention of moving. My father was not in the best of health then and wanted me to join him, but I had very little

CORE VALUES • Ecology • Community inclusion • Local ethos

inclination in joining his business. So I promised to join him for two years and when my younger brothers were ready, I would go back to my chosen profession of accounting. But that was not meant to be, I’m still here,” he smiles. Dominic recalls the mantra his father followed to run his hotel – by convincing the existing staff to continue with whatever they have been doing, but the ‘reluctant hotelier’ was given a sound advice on leaving his employment in Mumbai by one of his clients who was the vice chairman of Indian Hotels Company – “to be successful, a hotel must be big and part of a chain and your hotel is neither of them”. These words of wisdom seem to have had a great impact considering the group now has 14 hotels spread across peninsular India. CGH Earth is a luxury brand that offers you a holiday marked by

Hotelier India | February 2013

01-02-2013 20:19:07

cover story

Standard villa in SpiceVillage.

50 Miles Restaurant in Spice Village serves food produced within 50 miles of the property

Ayurvedic treatments at Chittoor Kottaram.

Kalari Kovilakom has maintained the sanctity of the palace.

February 2013 | Hotelier India

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the absence of a phone, television, newspaper, AC, hot water, room service, multi-cuisine restaurants, or anything that you might associate with a vacation, especially a luxury holiday. Instead what you get is nature and the means to enjoy it without causing any damage to it. The story began with the much publicised holiday of the then PM, the late Rajiv Gandhi in Lakshadweep in 1988. One of the decisions taken during the trip was that the island of Bangara, which had a government hotel, was to be privatised. Invitations were sent by the ministry of tourism to interested parties for a visit and proposal. “All big brands like the Taj, Oberoi, Leela, etc. were there and the chances for a single property hotel from Cochin were very less. However, my intention, apart from wanting to expand, was to see the

island,” Dominic laughs. So, after seeing the spectacular island Dominic gave his proposal to the administration – “I said, don’t spoil this beautiful island with a hotel, but keep it original and authentic. We do not need to do anything here and that’s my proposal.” He became the successful bidder in October 1988 with the indication to recommission the hotel within three months. “The airport was going to be commissioned and we made a commitment that the hotel will also open when the first aircraft lands. Of the 14 passengers that landed on the island on December 18, 1988, ten were visitors to the Bangaram Island Resort,” he says. One of the biggest initial hiccup was the pricing which matched that of The Oberoi, Mumbai (at US$180), “During the first couple of years, we felt that we will not be able to recover our investment, but our confidence came from the fact that people came back after their first visit and the only advice we got from them was to keep the property as it is, even if the price is increased,” Dominic recalls. Armed with this experience, the brand chose Thekkady in Kerala

www.hotelierindia.com

01-02-2013 20:19:14

NEC: Your Hospitality Communications Partner Elated Guests, Elated You

Delivering Customer Delight & Enhanced Profits NEC offers a comprehensive set of solutions that is tailored to meet the unique needs of the hospitality industry. Whether on premise or in the cloud, from basic telephony to the latest advanced, productivity-enhancing UC solutions, NEC offers properties of all sizes, innovative hospitality solutions to fit their every need and to become more efficient, responsive and productive-resulting in overall guest satisfaction. Our proven track record in the hospitality industry demonstrates our commitment and our belief that five-star service requires five-star solution. That’s why premier hotels across the globe call NEC their trusted technology partner.

Reasons to choose NEC: • Staff Productivity & Mobility • Network Management & Security • Conference Services • Guest Services • Maximum ROI

Contact: NEC India Pvt. Ltd., Tel. No.: 011-61101000, Fax No.: 011-61101001 Sales: North & East: (Anirban Bhattacharya @ +91- 99710-48899) | West: (Ashish Dhole @ +91- 98201-91587 ) South: ( Sachin Watkar @ +91- 96866-01709) | E mail: enquiries@necindia.in | Website: http://in.nec.com NEC Hospitality Partner: Enkay Technologies (India) Pvt. Ltd, Tel No: 022-66262222

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cover story

CGH Earth Properties

Brunton Boatyard has been resurrected from a Victorian shipbuilding yard. The corals around Bangaram Island Resort.

following the same ideologies – preserving nature, including the community and being local – opened Spice Village on 18th December 1991 that became a spectacular success in a very short period of time. From then, as they say, there has been no looking back and “We continued the decision of no television in all our resort hotels and it is our most commented on and complained about feature,” laughs Dominic, sharing an instance of a Gujarati family who took a package of three-nights each at Coconut Lagoon, Marari Beach and Spice Village. At the end of their stay at

February 2013 | Hotelier India

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Coconut Lagoon, they commented that though they enjoyed the place, no TV was a disappointment as they missed on their serials and stock market updates; the same complaint came up in Marari Beach. Their last stay was at Spice Village and the comment card there said, this was the first time they spent a week without TV and though they had earlier complained, they now wanted to compliment for the same because this gave them an experience beyond the usual and the family communicated with each other. “That is the model we work on – not to just make your holiday a memo-

rable experience but a transformative experience.” By 2004, the group had four properties under its belt and they realised that the name Casino Group of Hotels was not reflective of what the group believes in and offers. “We decided to use the name Earth for our three core values. But we were informed by our brand advisors that the word Earth cannot be used for a hotel, and it needs a proprietary pre-fix. So we added CGH to Earth with this logic that people dealing with us will read it as Casino Group of Hotels, but now it simply means Clean, Green

 Casino Hotel  Bangaram Island  Spice Village  Coconut Lagoon  Marari Beach  Spice Coast Cruises  Brunton Boatyard  Kalari Kovilakom  Swaswara  Visalam  Eighth Bastion  Maison Perumal  Chittoor Kottaram

and Healthy – Earth,” Dominic decodes the brand name. Trade pundits say that geography is a strong influence on travel and we have a great advantage in India that the new drivers of travel need an intangible destination and within that he is really looking at a destination called the self. Dominic feels that the only way you can discover and connect with the self is in a natural surrounding and that is what CGH Earth offers to all its guests. Tourism is not just about a room with a view but more importantly, how does the room look from the view. Dominic shares the result of a research done some years back that put travellers in two baskets – one was called the Sun, Sand, Surf (SSS) basket and the other was the Alert and Able to Travel (AAT) basket. The SSS traveller may not even know which country he was in as long as he is around familiar brands and food, safe and very predictable. The AAT basket is exactly the opposite where unpredictability is more important. According to Dominic, over 90 per cent fall into SSS basket and the question is of one daring to invest in the AAT basket instead. “Secondly, one should look at your resources, assets and ability and in a country like India, AAT is our strongest asset. If you abandon it to go the other way, you lose the competitive advantage.

www.hotelierindia.com

01-02-2013 20:19:38

cover story

The success of CGH is, I believe, because we consider our customer as AAT. Going indigenous is also the reason for Kerala’s success and that of India. The fundamental question to be asked is why people take a holiday?” he says. Elaborating on the success mantra, Dominic adds that the logic is to find out assets at the destination – ecology, local community, etc. and then we can trigger off so many things like local skills, abilities and one has to value them in a local context. “Globalisation has a new meaning; it does not mean putting everything into one pot but to retain the identity and yet take care of all tastes. I believe that the ultimate luxury is when the consumer’s interest comes after that of the environment and local community. We look forward to becoming a brand that is local without compromising anywhere,” he adds. These were some of the reasons why the brand was awarded the first The Green Signal eco-label in the country. The business model results in lower investment and lower carbon footprint. “The day is not far when carbon tax will be implemented in our country. In

Kalari Kovilakom nestled amongst natural beauty.

CGH is the first eco-labelled hotel by The Green Signal.

Experience an old feudal village at Coconut Lagoon.

Start an inner journey at Swaswara.

February 2013 | Hotelier India

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the last few months we have seen the conscious traveller gaining strength, take control and do things differently,” says Dominic. Partnering with the rural community and local tribes, where their skills combine with strength of the brand, this is what the future holds for CGH. Even in the existing properties, most of the staff are locals, born and brought up in the neighbourhood who know the land and culture intimately, and are concerned about preserving them both. “We have decided to cross boundaries and I would like to go to places where other don’t want to go. India is such an undiscovered country and this idea can get translated in so many different ways. We are also looking at communitybased tourism,” Dominic reveals the way forward for the brand. Jose Dominic’s model for the success of CGH Earth recalls Alvin Toffler’s prescription for future development, which marries the values of Gandhi and the Satellite – Gandhi for local and participative inclusion, respect for animals, etc. and satellite for relevant and appropriate technology. It just might be a great thing to combine them to create a product that will bring the advantages of our million-year-old culture to the fore. HI

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01-02-2013 20:20:04

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cover story

Operationally green Vivek Gilani, member secretary, The Green Signal, tells us about how he chanced upon Jose Dominic and CGH Earth, the benefits of going green and how hotels can get eco-labelled BY RAYNAH COUTINHO

he Green Signal focuses on services and operations — versus its counterparts and predecessors that focus on building design and products — to provide guests with ratings that give guests an idea of how green a given hotel is. The body, which is an Indiaspecific eco-labelling initiative, wants to equip guests with credible data. The goal is to provide guests with the tools that will help them choose more sustainable hotels. Preliminary efforts kicked off as early as June 2011 and while it will focus on all sectors, hotels presented a logical starting point on account of their great focus on eco-tourism.

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HI Describe the journey thus far. There was no baseline data. So benchmarks on how much consumption should be are not possible. Larger chains are more reluctant to share data. We are incentivising hotels by giving our primary credits for disclosing data. Once we have reached 10 to 12 hotels, we will begin peer comparisons.

HI How will you make the consumer aware of The Green Signal? Institutional funding is on the cards. We’re also try to get a regular feature Consumer Education and Research Centre’s magazine Insight.

HI How does the rating work? Please elaborate on the symbols. 1 bar: disclosure of scope 1 and scope 2 (energy) GHG emissions. 2-bar: above + disclosure of waste GHG emissions (scope 3). 3-bar: above + disclosure of corporate and value chain emissions (Scope 3). 3.5-bars: above + disclosure of energy conservation practices and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). 4-bars: above + disclosure of water conservation practices and KPIs. 4.5-bars: above + disclosure of waste management practices and KPIs. 5-bars: above and disclosure of socio-economic-environmental sustainability initiatives and impact. We identify how much of what they’ve procured comes from within a local radius. HI How can guests and hoteliers be assured of credibility?

The Green Signal of the global travelling populais steered by a nine- tion. The hotel saves 30 per cent on member panel of water consumption. experts – each a It all goes to prove a primary belief; stalwart in various the choice between economy and areas of sustain- environment is a fake one. ability. The methodology is vetted by this panel. We HI How long does it take for a hotel looked at European, American and to get certified? Japanese eco-labelling and made Two weeks since one submits a the criteria local to India. We’re completed application on our webconsidering eventually turning it site stating what makes them eliover to the government, but in most gible for recognition – following parts of the world, such initiatives which the hotel is to get their data (with the goal of ensuring credibil- together. Once that is submitted, it ity) are privately owned, with cred- takes another two to four weeks for ibility resting in the hands of the the labelling to happen. steering committee. HI What investment will The Green Signal hotels have to make? has been incubated We divide the fees by the Centre into four tiers, for Innovation, namely, micro, Incubation and small, medium and Entrepreneurship large enterprises. housed in IIMWine is the greenest among For any entity with Ahmedabad alcoholic beverages a turnover in excess HI How did you and CGH of five crores per annum, Earth join hands for ecothe fees are Rs85,000 towards labelling? licensing fees and Rs15,000 towards I was called to address BioFa, registration and paperwork, which hosted by the German government, totals to Rs1,00,000. where I was taken in by a fellowspeaker’s presentation about the HI What must hotels know about 50-mile menu at his 4-star hotel how it works? Spice Village. That’s how I met The methodology differentiates Jose Dominic. It’s interesting how between one-star hotels, two and many things he does differently – he three-star hotels and four and fivetargets the Alert Individual Trav- star hotels. If all their hotels exist eller (AIT) and flaunts the fact that within the same category and the most of his hotels have neither TVs, same climatic conditions, then one nor newspapers. He sets aside huge submission can be made for all the chunks of land to harvest rainwater. hotels for a grouped rating – but How has this worked for him? Well beware, this may bring your overall the segment of AITs have grown rating down if not all your hotels are from four per cent to eight per cent as green. HI

DID YOU KNOW?

www.hotelierindia.com

01-02-2013 20:20:28

Photographs: courtesy Benjamin West India.

concept

Supplier solutions What could be the advantages of hiring a procurement consultancy firm for FF&E right from the planning stages of building a hotel property? We try to find some answers from Benjamin West India BY BABITA KRISHNAN

rocurement, or purchasing, is the process of selecting suppliers and signing contracts for the purchase of goods and services by a business; and procurement consulting is a professional service provided by people who have extensive experience and expertise in the various aspects of procurement. In a hotel development project, the chance

February 2013 | Hotelier India

36_40_HI_Feb13_concept-Benjamin West.indd 36

of costs running amok is very high and hence a greater need for a control mechanism to be in place — ideally provided by a procurement consulting firm. Of the many specs that make up a hotel project, the one that the guests experience the most (second to service of course!) are the furniture, fixtures, and equipment, also known as FF&E, though the acronym hardly seems adequate to describe such an important part of hotel development. Furniture,

fixtures, and equipment can make or break the guests’ experiences — and the budget. Cost overruns and time delays are typical in the FF&E purchasing process, and mismanagement of procurement can even set back the opening of the hotel. It becomes essential to approach this process with a strategy to maximise resources and prevent or prepare for the common roadblocks in purchasing. An organised, efficient procurement consultant makes a world of difference in this process.

One needs to ensure frequent and detailed reporting, have transparency in the FF&E purchasing process, in case of a setback one needs to know how will it will be resolved and make adjustments as needed, choose trustworthy vendors, ask the designers…the list is endless. Or one could choose the easy and more effective option of partnering with a procurement company or consultant who has an extensive library of established vendors, to carry all of this out for you.

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01-02-2013 20:30:51

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concept

Alan Benjamin

Suprio Ghosh

The entire process is extremely time sensitive as FF&E is not just about one element. From design all the way down to installation, it is a process with many steps. To understand the need for a procurement consultant, Hotelier India met up with Alan Benjamin, president, and Suprio Ghosh, MD, of Benjamin West, a leading global FF&E and OS&E purchasing firm for the hospitality industry that has earned a reputation for cost-effective, industry-leading results. Through its vast network of resources and relationships, Benjamin West manages to deliver tremendous value to its global client base. “By demonstrating accuracy, integrity and reliability in each project, Benjamin West has earned an unparalleled reputation,” says Alan Benjamin. “Our goal is to create a process through strategic supplier relationships where Benjamin West can quickly manage the opening and renovation OS&E procurement both on time and on budget,” adds Suprio Ghosh.

February 2013 | Hotelier India

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Benjamin West has, as a firm, successfully completed more than 2,600 hotel projects around the globe — from selected service properties to luxury boutique properties. Its largest corporate clients include Host Hotels & Resorts (handling projects around the world); FelCor, Omni, Apple REIT, JHM, Watermark, Chatham Lodging Trust, Chesapeake REIT, Diamond Rock, Extended Stay for Blackstone/ Centerbridge/Paulson, Starwood Capital in Europe, and many more around the globe. Benjamin West is also handling one of the largest new construction projects in the world — it includes 26 hotels of every major global brand and over 13,000 rooms, for Jabal Omar Development Company in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. “We have worked in 30 countries and our current FF&E spend is over US$1.7m per day,” reveals Benjamin. While the firm has state-of-the-art purchasing systems and accounting procedures, it credits the staff around the world with the success, who “with their incredible passion and commitment make it happen every day, on every project”. The India operations that began in July last year, have already started making inroads with a very positive response.

We completed over 450 hotels in the last business year as compared to any large developer who would do a few in any given year. (Though Benjamin feels the biggest challenge he faced in India was not “which procurement consultant to hire” as in the US, but “why do I need one”!) Even as the industry becomes aware of the need to hire consultants for procurement, we get Benjamin and Ghosh to reveal some more: HI Why does one need to hire a procurement consultant? Alan Benjamin: Though there are many reasons to hire a procurement consultant, I can tell you why you would hire Benjamin West. We have a huge buying power as we handle more than 2,200 vendors. We completed over 450 hotels in the last business year as compared to any large developer who would do a few in any given year. We leverage our huge cache of knowledge, including design knowledge. Along with our ability to engage with the stakeholders to fully understand

the existing building and its possibilities. We work closely with operator and the ID Consultants to deliver the new vision. HI How are you different from a procurement company? AB: We work as a fiduciary agent and all the processes run on a proprietary software called RPM (Revolutionary Purchase Management) that is absolutely processdriven with “best in class“ and we follow this globally. Thus, we have everybody on the same page and the client has access to all the documentation and we help them take an informed design decision.

HI In a hotel development project, where would you place yourself in the hierarchy? AB: We are the bridge between designer and vendor, and work as eyes and ears for the client with the sole objective of time and cost integrity while maintaining the quality.

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concept

HI Tell us something about the ‘Benjamin West’ advantage. SG: We have a proven track record of working with all the major brands, most of whom are active in India. Benjamin West is one of a handful of firms globally approved to handle Hyatt’s FF&E and OS&E purchasing. Our well-established relationship with Marriottbranded properties includes over 575 properties around the world, having provided purchasing services to more than 20 per cent of all Marriott hotels in the US and 15 per cent of all Marriot properties worldwide. We look forward to continue expanding these brand affiliations and this experience is what is now in India as well. HI You have a presence in 30 countries, is your procurement network also global or do you concentrate on local vendors? AB: We try and get the best possible solution by mixing local and international vendors for each project.

HI How different is the Indian client? AB: Indian client is very wellinformed and well-travelled, who also recognises a need for procurement consultancy and quiet open to new ideas.

HI Since it is a fairly novel concept in India, what is your strategy to take this forward and create awareness? AB: India remains one of the world’s hottest hotel development

February 2013 | Hotelier India

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Our staff there has extensive purchasing background both in terms of regulations and local, regional and international sourcing. markets, which we believe will continue for the foreseeable future. This projected growth compelled us to open our fourth international office to provide on-the-ground service and support to our clients. Every country has its own specific customs and regulations for purchasing. Our staff there has extensive purchasing background both in terms of specifying/regulations

and local, regional and international sourcing. Suprio Ghosh: Over the next decade, India has vast development potential that is just beginning to be realised. The economy has enjoyed robust growth for 20 years, and the outlook remains positive. As the economy expands, demand for quality, branded hotels will rise.

HI Which properties in India are you presently working with? SG: The New Delhi office began with an initial assignment for SAMHI that is developing five new-build hotels under the Marriot and Hyatt brands. The hotels under agreement include: 178room Hyatt Place, Gurgaon, 171room Courtyard Marriott, Bengaluru (Outer Ring Road), 161-room Fairfield by Marriott, Bengaluru (ORR), 153-room Fairfield by Marriott, Sriperumbudur, and 148room Fairfield by Marriott, Bengaluru (City Centre). We are also doing a high-end resort at Cape Weligama in Sri Lanka with 37 Villas for Dilmah Tea. HI

www.hotelierindia.com

01-02-2013 20:31:24

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people

Reaching for the star

Tips on revenue management, strategy and hiring from Rajesh Mohan, head of strategy planning and technology, Aamby Valley City and Hotel Sahara Star By Raynah Coutinho

ahara Star, despite an incomplete façade, does good occupancy, high rates and continous F&B business. It also has growing competition, across categories, within the stretch leading to Mumbai’s domestic airport and as such location alone cannot be credited for its success. Read on to find out what keeps it successful. As the head of strategy tell us what thumb rules you have employed to keep Sahara Star’s rates and RevPAR at a good level, and F&B outlets always buzzing, despite the fact that the exterior is yet to be a gleaming jewel as expected? While you do have the benefit of location... but what else? The analysis of STR figures has lead to the conclusion that Sahara Star has highest RevPAR (Revenue Per available room) of Rs6,850 as against competition set’s Rs5,100. HI

February 2013 | Hotelier India

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This achievement is a blend of various factors like dynamic pricing, global penetration through WorldHotels, a top listing on online travel agents like Expedia, flexible RevPAR-based rate offers, value for money, customised promotions depending on the season, our services and of course, our focus on providing guests with a multitude of dining and entertainment options. HI Give us an idea of your distribution strategy? How are you working towards increasing direct sales? Many hotels rate their success by their occupancy levels or average rates, but this isn’t necessarily the best measure of success. Our aim is to maximise RevPAR by selling rooms to the right customers, at the right price, at the right time. Today’s guest is information savvy and they no longer differentiate between media channels and content formats. The convergence of media channels has lead to the emergence of one single customer engagement

channel. This new channel demands a completely new approach to hotel marketing and distribution. Mastering the direct online channel and all of its segments — traditional Web, SEM, SEO, email, social media, mobile Web — has been a crucial step in this direction. HI What should owners and operators look for in their strategy managers in the hiring, promoting and grooming process? Look for people who understand that strategy management is a science of calculation that gradually develops into the art of managing revenue, occupancy and ARRs. Ensure that they have an interest in and like to stay informed about industry trends and policies.

HI In your previous role at Hyatt, you were responsible for energy costs — between 2004 and now in 2012, which areas of energy saving do you think the industry continues to ignore/lack a focus on?

Rajesh Mohan

The hospitality industry is starting to take responsibility for environmental sustainability. A strong focus on energy, waste and water usage is directly linked with financial benefits in the operations. Practices connected to social aspect of sustainability are less developed. The economic driver has become overpowering. Companies include sustainable development in their strategy — as long as the benefits are visible. A broad definition of

www.hotelierindia.com

01-02-2013 20:32:09

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people

Uranus Suite at Sahara Star.The hotel is said to enjoy the highest RevPAR in Mumbai.

Sahara’s star statistics According to STR reports, Sahara Star boasts:

34%

Edge over fair market share financial year to date

72%

Occupancy against 62% in the competitive set, comprising The Leela, ITC Maratha, JW Marriott, Hyatt Regency, Taj Lands End and Grand Hyatt

Highest ARR of Rs 9,450, against the competitive set’s Rs 8,250.

February 2013 | Hotelier India

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sustainability is needed and more attention should be paid to the different stakeholders. HI You’ve been involved with lots of pre-openings...where are the gaps? Is architectural talent (that is wellversed with hospitality projects) available in the country or would you go elsewhere? Are you happy with interior design talent in India? International architects definitely have an edge when it comes to master planning large-scale projects as they have more experience. However, in terms of understanding customer needs, market trends, products and pricing, Indian architects are comfortable. Interior designers need to become more flexible. Every design in the hotel industry needs recall and a ‘wow’ response from the user.

HI As an industry veteran, where do you think are the loopholes in terms of sourcing, motivating and retaining staff? Attracting, recruiting and retaining key employees over the longterm will require both stimulating and challenging job opportunities within a company as well as creative compensation programmes. Properly designed, long-term incentive plans will help motivate employees to invest their efforts in longer-term business goals and objectives of a company. These plans can create an environment whereby the goals of shareholders and key employees are congruent and focused on improving business value. A great plan will allow

Mohan believes that the hotel’s multitude of dining and entertainment options have played a key role in increasing its popularity.

the shareholders to view management team as business partner rather than employees and may lead to attracting and retaining key employees for many years. HI How is the market as compared to the recent years? The Indian hotel industry is currently on a weaker note with subdued pricing eroding margins. Muted ARRs and high costs have led to one of the weakest performances in recent years. With uncertainty continuing to cloud the near term, wavering business and consumer confidence and a sluggish economy, there is no significant trigger for an increase in rates. However, we remain optimistic on long term growth: improving demographics and rising affluence within the country plus under-penetration in the Brazil, Russia and China markets represent opportunities for us. Over the medium term we expect a structural change, with supply in the industry diversifying across price points. Further, with the entry of international brands in the economy segment standardisation of product offerings is expected. The market is expected to move towards a sustainable valuefor-money proposition.

HI Your top five tips to revenue managers on working your own rates upwards in a way that is sustainable to the industry at large? Successful revenue management, an understanding of what the hotel hopes to achieve and a clear understanding of what kind of hotel you

are working with, will lead to an understanding of what the guest wants as a hotel experience. An ability to measure group sales against the overall goals of the hotel and a knowledge of what will cause the market to fluctuate is important. The distribution strategy must be dynamic. Managing and marketing your own website should be your numero-uno priority but not at the cost of excluding other distribution channels. Your website should generate the highest yield compared to any channel, but other channels can give access to markets that might be otherwise difficult to access. Be market specific to take account of the fit between product, market and market share. Have relevant pricing strategies — to suit both offline and online channels. Consider internationalisation of your website for relevant overseas markets for language, currency, imagery and search engine optimisation. Managing inventory across a number of channels takes time and commitment. Allocate time each day or set aside a day each week to manage online distribution by using an online channel tool. While being dynamic, make sure to maintain rate parity across all online distribution channels as the internet makes pricing transparent and guests don’t like the idea that they may be charged more depending on where they buy. But to shy away from dynamic pricing — remember, the same guests are comfortable with price fluctuations when they book air tickets. HI

www.hotelierindia.com

01-02-2013 20:32:30

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Column

The luxury formula Hotelier India gets Kurt Wachtveitl, global advisor of uber-luxe resort Laucala Island, to break down its formula for catering to the evolving demands of the luxury guest

hen it comes to delivering extreme luxury, it is about letting the globetrotters and jetsetters of the world, live like billionaires... like one per cent of the world’s population is able to live. As such it must be easy, authentic and experiential. The hotelier behind Laucala Island is Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz — also owner of Formula 1 team, Red Bull Racing. He built the product and services around the lifestyles of his social circle. You can be certain he has got the recipe right. Experiential We’ve gone with a formula that combines nature, culture and activities, to ensure that there is something for this segment of the market — that already lives in designer homes — to savour, that is new to their already luxurious lives. Today’s luxury guest is conscious of his footprint. He wants to consume in an organic fashion. We build a connection here. About 90 per cent of the products that find their way to the table are grown on the island itself. We have a herb and vegetable garden, and also cattle — even wagyu beef comes from the island itself. Everything is organic and we take guests on a tour of both the front and back-ofhouse areas. There are hydroponic gardens — even the water comes from the island’s volcanic interiors, our spa products, too, are produced on the island. Nonetheless, guests remain spoiled for choice. For example, innumerable varieties of mushrooms and 12 different kinds of tomatoes are grown on the island. The chef and his team check what is ready to be picked and precisely that finds its way to the table.

February 2013 | Hotelier India

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Everything, down to the materials used in rooms, is essentially Fijian in nature so as to give guests an authentic experience.

we have combined nature, culture and activities to ensure that there is something for everyone to savour THAT is new to their luxurious lifestyles Interestingly, our guests see in mind, but it retains its Fijian the island as a place to gain roots. There is tremennew hobbies — peodous representation of ple have been taught Fijian culture across horse riding, to play the hotel — from golf, to dive and sail. the materials used We ask them to tell in the guestrooms, us what kind of holito a cultural evenRepeat guests this year day they have in mind. ing that every guest We’ve conducted cookis treated to during ing classes, exotic cocktail their stay. Most of our lessons and crash courses in fishstaff is Fijian — especially with ing. For example, people appreci- people from the Western world, the ate chancing upon little-known warmth of service from people who details like the fact that a catch are very visible steeped in culture has to be frozen overnight before and religion, is very appealing. being cooked. A detail such as this can be taken home from a holiday, Big, little things increasing its value to the well- We see it as important to offer them heeled guest. a variety options — in many allinclusive island-like settings, with Authentic small inventories, the F&B options The resort has been designed keep- are luxe but sometimes limited. We ing the needs of the global traveller have 25 villas, but we offer five F&B

30%

outlets, so they can sample a new dining experience every day. Service, of course, has to be superlative. Even though we would probably have only 10 or 20 guests at a given time, we have 400 employees to cater to their needs. Nonetheless, we recognize that this market is very particular about privacy and exclusivity. As a result, we have ensured that except for our executive committee, none of the other employees live on the island — we want to ensure that they truly feel like the entire island is theirs, and private. We’ve given DND a rustic spin — red coconuts signify DND, while green coconuts give housekeepers the green signal, literally. Moreover, we teach them to get into a guest’s psyche and offer services accordingly. A large chunk of the market prefers unobtrusive service, but they are geared to seek out exceptions. Also, pocketed roles have been put in place for the staff – for instance, even with guest relations, we have a team specially dedicated to activities. Customisation is another minute detail that invites immense focus. Even within a single family, we would create different itineraries based on each member’s preferences. Exclusivity is obvious in many forms – for instance all the cutlery and tableware are specially prepared for the island. It is apparent that all of this works — 30 per cent of 2013’s bookings are repeat guests. HI

Kurt Wachtveitl,

global advisor of uber-luxe resort Laucala Island

www.hotelierindia.com

01-02-2013 20:33:34

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Column

Engage & enthuse HR managers must ensure the involvement of management and alert superving bosses to motivate and retain staff in an era of rooms-supply outpacing labour supply

f you zero in on the word ‘motivation’, it is a very relative word. It is synonymous with getting inspired or enthusiastic, and can be applied to any situation, not just the workplace. Some people need to be motivated, whereas others are naturally motivated — the naturally motivated are often very successful. Starwood encourages properties to not only care about guest satisfaction, and the community and environment, but also to ensure associate satisfaction. My belief is that every associate must carry a passion for his or her individual area of operation – note that I say passion, not interest or dedication. Passion, in turn comes from being motivated and at the brand level, too, Starwood gives individual properties tools to motivate associates. There are various initiatives organised to ensure associate satisfaction. Each one of these pillars has a direct ripple effect and directly leads to the next. Primarily, the leadership team at The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace is proactive in identifying and settling grievances among associates. There is a close check on the moods of our associates across levels. When the leadership team is this involved, it displays a level of commitment to associate wellbeing. When there is a need, they counsel the associates. This ensures on-thespot, proactive settlement of grievance, if any, with a touch of personal care. This goes a long way in retention. Besides this, a close eye also aids round-the-clock maneuvering of performance. The involvement of the property’s management extends to all initiatives. The human resources team ensures that any initiative,

February 2013 | Hotelier India

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Simply training from the management may not yield the same results as their involvement and leadership by example.

there are 100 pairs of eyes watching and observing us (to take in cues about everything from grooming to loyalty, participation in HR initiatives and of course, guest satisfaction notwithstanding its size, sees the participation of the leadership team throughout its implementation. At an ex-comm level, it is important to ensure that you serve as an example for the rest of the team. We strongly believe, and I always give this example that, while we are only a pair of eyes (to keep a watch on your team and iron out creases where necessary), there are 100 pairs of eyes watching and observing us (to take in cues about everything from grooming to loyalty, participation in HR initiatives and of course, guest satisfaction). Even team building activities involve the property’s leadership team because we strongly believe that this participation displays the leadership’s involvement. This,

in turn, automatically reflects on associate engagement as well, which has a direct impact on associate satisfaction levels. Another area where it makes sense to invest, and most hotels do this, is training. Remember that motivation also emerges from feeling confident about the product in their care. So, unless we take out time to teach employees about our brands, bring them over to believing in our brand standards, they will not feel passionate about following our brand standards and will lack the confidence and security required to carry them out. Hence, The Westin Hyderabad focuses on this area right from day-one, i.e., the on-boarding experience known as Discovery,

which is the formal induction given to all associates. We also have a feedback session after this, to take in what a pair of fresh eyes has to say about the way things are done. As the associate progresses in the company, the leadership team personally carries out department-specific overviews — each stage is designed to ensure that there is clarity in the expectations from both ends, so that the associate knows what is in store for him during his tenure (referred to as journey internally). Of course, the little things count. We celebrate associate success and special occasions in an extraordinary way — the goal in mind while carrying these out is to ensure that the associates feel a sense of belonging with the team that takes joy in their success. All our initiatives are well recognized within Starwood Hotels & Resorts, but the most valuable recognition we have received on several occasions is from associates who, after hving moved to other organizations, return due to our positive culture. We have also had several instances of associates who go to other hotels for support and cross-training and return to affirm that nothing beats our culture of care. To an HR professional, this is real recognition. I would like to close with some food for thought: “Real leadership is when the leader is no longer present and the ‘will’ of the team stands strong.” HI

manish kumar rishi

serves as director of human resources at the Westin Hyderabad Mindspace

www.hotelierindia.com

01-02-2013 20:34:50

RESEARCH

Travel intelligence: HolidayIQ research

Puri enjoyed the highest traffic among visitors to HolidayIQ, with nearly 7,000 bookings.

HolidayIQ has released a study on the nations various travel markets and destinations that could help hotels plan more efficient rates and promotions By Raynah Coutinho

he study, titled Winter Intelligence, is based on the holiday planning habits of its 5-million-odd-travellersper-month audience across the winter travel months of November 2012 until February 2013. From where they’re travelling from, to where they’re travelling to, the time dedicated to travelplanning, length of stay, average spend and group size, here are the finer details to keep in mind in the coming months: Studies earlier in the year have pointed to the fact that the budget and mid-market accommodation segments attract the highest number of online reservations and HolidayIQ’s study seems to reinforce this — among those surveyed, the average per-night spend on a (nearly) 3-days stay is Rs1,655. The average spend per trip is Rs4,485.

February 2013 | Hotelier India

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Where from and where to The 24/7 Mumbaikar seems to top the list of break-takers in the country, with nearly 25,000 travellers emerging from the metropolis. Kolkata follows with nearly 20,000 travellers while the national capital ranks sixth, with 7,500 travellers. Ahmedabad sent out a little over 10,000 online bookers, Bangalore and Pune came neck-to-neck with about 12,000. Whether driven by economic uncertainty or fears of Mayan prophecies or just plain devotion, pilgrimage destination Puri enjoyed the highest traffic among visitors to the website, seeing nearly 7,000 bookings according to HolidayIQ. Conversely, beach paradise Andaman & Nicobar Islands saw only a little more than 3,000 bookings. But don’t read this as an aversion to sand and sea. Eternal favourite, Goa saw 5,000 bookings while Kerala saw nearly 7,000 bookings.

Interestingly, Maharashtra tourism destination Mahabaleshwar saw nearly as many bookings as Andaman & Nicobar, as did the state’s increasingly popular beach destination — note that is not very far from Goa — Tarkarli.

2011 versus 2012 The good news is that group sizes and spend saw a marginal increase during the year gone by. Group size went from 4.35 to 4.71; spend (for the group) increased from Rs15,825 to Rs20,870 and this year’s Rs4,485 per person, per trip spend displays an increment over 2011’s Rs4,133.

Region of Customer

% East North North East South West

East 57.4 9.6 22.6 2.8 1.8

Similarly Rs1,655 per person, per night is a sizeable increase over Rs1,237 during 2011. Evidently, this section of the market is very open to absorbing higher room rates, within reasonable limits. However, revenue and marketing managers designing packages might want to pay heed to the fact that the average trip length has gone from a little over three days (3.05 to be precise), to about two-and-a-half days (2.7 to be precise). Also, if you’re looking to get a higher per person spend out of your target audience, put your offers out there well in advance . Destination Regions North North East 11.9 6.8 44.1 2.0 13.1 27.3 6.7 0.9 20.4 0.9

South 17.3 26.3 21.2 77.3 18.4

West 6.6 18.0 15.9 12.2 58.5

www.hotelierindia.com

01-02-2013 20:35:32

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RESEARCH

If your target audience is based in Varanasi or Jamshedpur, Allahabad, Kolkata or Durgapur, make sure you target them between their vital booking period that is about 57 to 70 days prior to travel. Vadodara, Surat, Valsad and Rajkot residents book between 24 and 32 days prior to travel. Interestingly, the more wary travellers are of a destination, the earlier they book. Since travellers are perhaps less used to travelling to India’s east and north east, they plan these trips 49 to 54 days in advance. With India’s west being fairly well-tread, trips here are planned only about a month (36 days) in advance, while trips to the north and south are planned about a month and a half in advance.

City of Travellers with longest period of planning Varanasi Jamshedpur Allahabad

Days

Kolkata Durgapur

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

70.00

80.00

City of Travellers with shortest period of planning Surat Baroda Rajkot

Days

Vadodara Valsad

Deep-pockets You’re in luck if you’re located in Sikkim, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Kerala, or Rajasthan, all of which commanded an average spend of between Rs13,000 and Rs15,000 per person, per trip. Even better if you’re in Himachal Pradesh, which saw an average of Rs18,000 dedicated to travel there. As for those who invested in or plan to invest in Jammu & Kashmir, the average spend on a trip there is nearly Rs25,000. Keep in mind that

this includes travel to and from the destination as well. Smaller cities led HolidayIQ’s budget per person graphs. People from Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Agra and Vijaywada reportedly spent between Rs8,000 and Rs9,000 and travellers out of Dehradun spent over Rs10,000.

Babies boost budgets In Hotelier India’s 2011 year-end special, the industry’s leading lights predicted the need for integrated

Trips with higher per person budget has a longer planning period. 60 Days 51.3

50.3

30 20 10 0 <1000

1000-5000

February 2013 | Hotelier India

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5000-10000

>10000

family resorts across categories. True enough, HolidayIQ’s research seems to point to financial gain in enabling family bonding. Budgets for trips including children are 63 per cent higher. Murud and Ratnagiri had about 20 per cent tourists coming with their kids, while Rajasthan and Kovalam saw about 22 per cent to 23 per cent and Bandipur National Park saw about 24 per cent of its audience bring their children along. The cities that the maximum children-included family holidays are Jamnagar, Rajkot, Baroda, Surat and Aurangabad with anything between 18 per cent and 23 per cent of holidays out of these cities, including children.

Advance booking

Puri, Kanyakumari, Vishakapatnam, Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Havelock Island) and Allahabad are destinations that see tremendous advance planning — when travelling here, your guests in all likelihood, plan their trips over two months in advance. Meanwhile, a destination like Harihareshwar, only sees movement planned about 15 days prior to travel. The same goes for Diveagar, Dharmasthala, Bordi and Kukke-Subrahmanya.

Money-minded metrokars People from Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai apparently spent less than their non-metro counterparts. While both groups (metro and nonmetro) stayed for nearly the same amount of time, with nearly the same group size, the average spend of the former closed at Rs19,217 as compared to the latter’s Rs22,537. The average per-person budged was about Rs4,800 from metros and about Rs5,100 from non-metros. The average spend per night for people from metros was Rs1,546, whereas those from non-metros paid Rs1,579. People from metros plan 45 days in advance, while those from non-metros plan 40 days in advance. Interestingly, 35 per cent of bookings that came from the non-metros had children included as compared to 29 per cent of those from metros.

Singles surging It is a growing market according to the study. These travellers come mainly from metros, with Mumbai unsurprisingly topping the list, followed by Bangalore, Delhi and Pune. They apparently aren’t travelling on work either with God’s Own Country topping their list of hotspots, followed by several other leisure destinations: Goa, Ooty, Andaman & Nicobar and increasingly popular Coorg. HI

www.hotelierindia.com

01-02-2013 20:35:49

53 EVENT

Nikhil Desai,Amitabh Kant and Ashish Kumar Singh on the Challanges and Creative initiatives for Growth.

Getting back on track The HIFI conference got the industry together to talk about planning for the future BY BABITA KRISHNAN

ower packed two days marked the HIFI Conference held this year at The Leela Kempinski Gurgaon on January 14 and 15, 2013. Right from the preconference to the closing session, the focus was on development and investment, and what avenues does the hospitality industry need to explore in the near future to ride the lull affected by the global slowdown. Organised by BHN in collaboration with Horwath HTL, the event saw the coming together of owners, developers, operators, consultants, vendors and bureaucrats – all with the vision of exchanging ideas and exploring the possibilities in the future. While Jim Burba, president, BHN, in his opening address gave a general overview of what can be expected globally by the hotel industry in terms of RevPAR, investment in new construction

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and revenue, he also revealed that India and China have almost identical predictions. According to Burba, studies have shown that the money spent on new construction was on an all-time low last year and that trend might continue this year as well. Overall, he feels that despite more optimistic revenues predicted, it might be a tougher year. Vijay Thacker, director, Horwath HTL gave a presentation on Outlook for the Indian Hotel Market where he spoke about how in keeping with the demand, the number of branded rooms had gone up from 2009 to 2012, the pace of growth was impacted by external forces. He pointed out that while the room supply predictions mention 91,000 rooms between now and 2016, the realistic figure

was closer to 50,000. He also reiterated the need to focus on tier-II cities. “Demand-generation measures need to be taken to match the gap between the supply and demand,” he said. Thacker also pointed out how MICE sector is sadly lacking in any international standard convention centre and he ended his presentation with highlighting the need to give hospitality an industry status, which will help in getting resources like electricity, etc. at industry costs. Amitabh Kant, CEO and MD, Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation, was another keynote presenter who spoke about the campaigns that put India on the global tourism map and about strategies for getting back on track. He pointed

Policy environment is imperative to faster econimic growth Denis Medvedev, senior economist, The World Bank

out how demographics will be a key factor for development as the aspiring middle class and the youth will need to be catered to. He also revealed the plans underway to create a 336-acre MICE convention centre at Dwarka in Delhi. “It is the age of cities in India and they will be the drivers of our economic growth,” he said, adding that “experiential tourism” is on the rise and the hospitality industry needs both skill and managerial development. He ended his note by pointing out that “every crisis is an opportunity” and putting India on the world tourism map would require focused attention on what he described as the 6Cs – civil aviation development, civic governance, capacity building, constant communication strategy, convergence with other sectors, and community participation – “The sector needs to concentrate on the soft element that drives the hospitality industry – its people.”

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EVENT

Some of the other speakers who made presentations over the two days included Sukhbir Singh Badal, deputy chief minister of Punjab; Stephen Farrant, director, India Tourism Partnership; Denis Medvedev, senior economist, The World Bank; Elizabeth Winkle, managing director, STR Global and David Scowsill, president and CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council. Another interesting panel discussion moderated by Kapil Chopra, president, The Oberoi Group, was between Nikhil Desai, MD of Tourism, Government of Goa; Ashish Kumar Singh, secretary to CM, Government of Maharashtra and Kant on Solving the Challenges and Creative initiatives for Growth. What made the conference more interesting were the concurrent sessions tracking the various aspects of development and focus on the different regions of India that had discussions amongst some of the most prominent developers, owners, operators, investment, development and legal consultants from across the country. Another conversation point was a detailed overview of the Indian hotel market by Horwath HTL and STR Global. We bring you parts of the report.

INDIA HOTEL REVIEW REPORT – 2012 This report examines the occupancy, ADR and RevPAR trends nationally and for a dozen major

markets for the years from 2006 to 2012. Hotels are classified into three segments, consistent with STR Global classification practices – Luxury & Upper Upscale (LuxUpperUp); Upscale & Upper MidScale (Upscale-UpMid) and MidScale & Economy hotels (M-E). Q4 2008 was the tipping point for the industry. Demand declined in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, followed by continuing rate losses and the trend has been pretty much downwards since then. The sharp occupancy decline is undoubtedly a matter of concern; nevertheless it needs to be viewed in the context of significant supply growth that has occurred since 2006.While ADR has also declined by 12.66 per cent between 2006 and 2012, part of this decline is a downward rate correction from supply shortage led high rates in 2006; a significant element of this decline is also on account of increased supply share from the Upscale-UpMid and M-E segments. The occupancy trend clearly challenges the perception of India being ‘severely under-supplied’ at the same time, we cannot lose sight of the business reality of the last 5 years, during which the bulk of capacity addition has taken place – global investment and economic outlook, and global travel, were severely impacted in the 2008-2010 period due to the global financial crises. The last two years have seen weak investment and economic scenario in India which have

The Pearl Ballroom wasthe venue for many Plenary Sessions.

Discussing Planning For Change.

India Performance 10,000 9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000

A concurrent session underway .

70 65 60 55

4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0

50 45 40 2006

2007 ADR

Source: STR Global

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2008

2009 RevPAR

2010

2011

2012 Occ Global hotel leders in a discussion.

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01-02-2013 20:36:35

55 EVENT

Philippines is targeting the Indian middle class as their target tourist

Award Winners

Elizabeth Winkle, MD, STR Global

impacted business travel and hotel stays in general. The Lux-UpperUp segment has always performed above the all India aggregate average occupancy, with premium in the range of just 1.0 percentage point in 2010 and upto 3.3 percentage points in 2006. On the other hand, the Upscale-UpMid segment has consistently operated at a discount ranging from 1.1 percentage points in 2011 upto 2.2 percentage points in 2006 compared to the all India aggregate average occupancy; a nominal premium was derived in 2010. The more recently introduced and expanding M-E segment had 2006 occupancy nearly 14 points below the national aver-

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age; the negative gap has declined to between 2 and 3.7 points over the last four years. The Lux-UpperUp segment enjoyed peak ADR in 2008, but has drawn increasing premium over the national average ADR â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 18.8 per cent premium in 2006, gradually increasing to 31.5 per cent by 2012. Upscale and UpMid hotels achieved ADR below the national average. The extent of discount peaked at 35 per cent in 2007 and has since narrowed to 24-25 per cent over the last four years. The M-E segment operated at between 51 per cent to two-thirds discount to the national average. Although this is the only segment which achieved absolute ADR increase between

Sukhbir Singh Badal.

2006 and 2012, the concern is that current ADR and occupancy levels would challenge cash flows and returns, particularly given high land costs. The RevPAR decline in real value has caused viability challenges for several projects that were initiated in the 2006 to 2008 period, with aggressive costs and funding, on the back of high RevPAR growth expectations. The report examines the performance of hotels across 12 key

AATITHYA RATAN AWARD Jose Dominic, CEO, CGH Earth HIFI HALL OF FAME AWARDS Chandru L Raheja, chairman, K Raheja Corp & Radhe Shyam Saraf, chairman, Yak & Yeti Hotel Limited HIFI DEAL OF THE YEAR AWARDS Budget and Mid-Priced Scale Novotel-Ibis Bengaluru Techpark First Class and Upper Mid-Scale DoubleTree by Hilton Gurgaon Luxury and Upscale ITC Grand Chola, Chennai

national markets that comprise the six metro markets â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad; two major primary cities of Pune and Ahmedabad; and four key leisure markets of Goa, Rajasthan, Kerala and Agra. HI

01-02-2013 20:36:36

news

Designs on lighting... p58

Ops&Services • News • Events • Awards • Movements • Launches

Spa managers discuss... p74

Interface partners with Zoological Society of London Community-based supply chain for discarded fishing nets in the Philippines PARTNERSHIP Global carpet tile manufacturer Interface, Inc. and conservation charity the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) have successfully completed a pilot project and started a commercial venture with conservation and socio-economic benefits. The innovative collaboration, called Net-Works™, has been created to tackle the growing environmental problem of discarded fishing nets in some of the world’s poorest coastal communities in the Philippines. By establishing a community-based supply chain for discarded nets, Net-Works aims to improve the livelihood of local fishers, while providing Interface with an innovative source of recycled materials for its carpet tiles. After

Local communities and NGOs work closely for Net-works .

conducting research and working closely with local communities and NGOs, Net-Works established the infrastructure to collect the fishing nets, gathering 1,000 kg of nets in the first month, and substantially

3CX’s new phone system

Snippet Harman International, a global provider of premium audio and infotainment solutions, have received 16 international awards in the year 2012. Innovative wireless technologies for providing consumers with flexible playback options led Harman International to win eight coveted CES Innovation Awards, including a Best of Innovation Award for the Harman Kardon BDS 577. They also received another eight awards at iF Product Design held at Munich, Germany.

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cleaning up the beaches in four local communities near Danajon Bank, a threatened coral reef in the Philippines. Operations are now scaling up, with the intention of developing commercial carpet tiles incorporat-

ing the collected nets later this year. Collection systems will now be set up in at least 15 local villages. Nigel Stansfield, chief innovation officer at Interface, says, “The collected fishing nets have a nylon that can be recycled directly back into our carpet tiles, which will help us reduce our use of virgin raw materials and, critically, create livelihood opportunities for local communities.” Dr. Nick Hill from ZSL says, “It is still early and we will be monitoring both the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the project over the coming year, but the signs are there that these impacts will be positive.” During 2013, Interface and ZSL also plan to develop a toolkit to help other groups and organisations establish Net-Works supply hubs accross the globe.

Low-cost, feature-rich phone system LAUNCH

Harman’s award-winning soundsticks.

3CX has officially confirmed the compatibility of 3CX Phone System with three Micros-Fidelio Property Management System suites, allowing hotel owners and managers to leverage the industry’s most feature-rich and costeffective IP PBX for their hotels. 3CX Phone System requires far less initial investment than other hotel phone systems and reduces maintenance fees. 3CX Phone System also includes more features than many

Micros-Fidelio approved PBX‘s. “This works hand in hand with Micros-Fidelio, and we’re pleased to be officially confirmed compatible with three Micros-Fidelio Property Management Systems,” said Nick Galea, CEO of 3CX. A number of the world’s finest hotels currently use 3CX Phone System, including Sandy Lane Hotel in Barbados, the Castelnou Aparthotel in Belgium, Intercontinental Hotels in Malta and Oman, the Best Western Gouda, Netherlands, and Holiday Inn Express hotels in the Netherlands.

www.hotelierindia.com

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design

Let there be Light BY babita krishnan

ight makes the quality of our environment visible and impacts on our emotional and subconscious response to it. We respond emotionally to the presence of light and intuitively enjoy the different atmospheres that daylight or artificial lighting create. Like a stage production, visual ambience and impact of light can be planned down to the very last detail. A good lighting constellation — whether it is designed to aid orientation, facilitate communication or promote a sense of wellbeing — plays a key role in shaping the way we assess any experience, even if that assessment is on a purely subliminal level. Architect Khozema Chitalwala of Designers Group feels that lighting is the essential finishing touch

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for a hotel project because the ambience created by general and mood lighting at various times of the day is an area of expertise where the lighting consultants work with the designers to create the right mood. This is seconded by Architect Reza Kabul of Reza Kabul Associates, “Lighting is a delicate tool. One does not realise its importance, especially in setting the mood or highlighting certain areas or corners. It plays an extremely vital role in changing your mood.” Modern lighting technology offers a wide range of tools designed to tackle different problems. They should be used discriminatingly. Hotels and restaurants are classic service enterprises. As such, they require a lighting atmosphere designed specifically to meet guests’ or diners’ needs. Lighting consultant Kapil Surlakar of LIGHT@WORK Design Consultants, feels that architects

The rules of sensitive, practical lighting design are complex. Designers and lighting consultants offer special expertise and solutions to demands from the properties

and interior designers are finally realising that lighting is a major contributor to the overall quality of a space. “It is important to note that though good lighting design adds value over basic lighting interventions, wrong lighting interventions can completely destroy the quality of a space,” he says. Sarangan Ramaswamy, principal consultant, Luma Design Arts, adds, “Aweinspiring architecture, laudable landscape and innovative interiors don’t come to life in the dark. Light (natural or artificial) defines shape and form. There are several instances where hotels with excellent architectural and interior elements look bad at night because of ineffective lighting.” But do the owners and operators give lighting the same importance as them? A hotel is a place where varied activities are carried out. D Kavarana, area manager

(West) and general manager, ITC Maratha, says, “Light is a technically difficult yet astonishing medium that requires mastery of varied and continually evolving disciplines. It’s clear that quantity, quality and distribution of light have to satisfy several needs and two different subjects: hotel

 The quality of artificial lighting plays a key role in shaping the image of a hotel or restaurant.  In lighting design, emotional quality comes first.  Lighting designers are specialists in lighting atmospheres and lighting aesthetics and offer experience which make creative joint design work possible.  Harnessing light also means working with shadow.  Warm light colours make for a homely atmosphere.

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59 design

Surlakar cites JW Marriott CDG lobby to showcase use of lighting.

Effective lighting at the ITC Maratha lobby.

Chitalwala uses lighting as a design tool for the lobby of Yogi Midtown, Navi Mumbai.

lighting quality also needs to strike the right emotional note for the people, interiors or objects illuminated.

FUNCTIONALITY VS AESTHETICS employees at work and guests.” Devesh Gupta, director engineering, Radisson Blu MBD Hotel, Noida, feels that lighting in hotels must consider aesthetic elements as well as practicalities like quantity of light required, occupants of the hotel, energy efficiency and cost. The quality of lighting this necessitates does more than just enhance the visual impact of the hotel or restaurant architecture; first and foremost, it sets the stage for the guests themselves. To attain that goal, close attention needs to be paid to contemporary lighting design criteria and, in particular, to “lighting quality”. This is a factor shaped by a whole range of quality features — from illuminance, glare limitation and luminance distribution to light colour, colour rendering, direction of light and modelling. The basic ingredients of lighting quality are set out in technical standards. But

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A conflict as old as design itself, there is always a tightrope walk for all concerned since one needs to be mindful of the costs involved. Surlakar, however, does not see any conflict. “Once you understand the design criteria and how to work with light, every functional illumination can be delivered aesthetically and every aesthetic luminaire can be selected to deliver a highly functional result,” he says. Chitalwala relies on the dimmer or mood setting panels, which control the luminosity of light, to create a balance between functionality and aesthetics, especially in restaurants. Ramaswamy works very closely with the designer right from the start of the project, so these issues are tackled at the early design stages. “We give priority to guest safety and build aesthetics around it,” he explains. Gupta feels that functionalityaesthetic conflict can never be overruled during general operation

Khozema Chitalwala

of hotels as “sometimes interiors delights are operational nightmares”. The best way to tackle this conflict is to refer to guest preferences and make changes accordingly. “We overcome conflicts either by maintaining the same aesthetics with more convenient and reliable material or by simply provisioning a better maintenance schedule,” he adds. Suralkar attributes any conflict to a lack of comprehension about architectural lighting design, its possibilities and its limitations.

SUSTAINABILITY A sustainable lighting system should ensure that there is a control on power consumption. However, in the hospitality industry, the function of lighting goes beyond providing only illumination, which sometimes works contrary to the power-saving aspect of sustainability feels Surlakar. Sustainability also means saving of power by restricting or eliminating misdirected light (called light trespass) that has to be curbed or completely eliminated. “One more important aspect of sustainability, not often

Kapil Surlakar

discussed or documented, is the disposal of spent technology. For example, if spent CFL of fluorescent tubes are not disposed correctly, mercury from them contaminates the soil, and can, in turn, percolate into the ground water tables,” he elaborates. Sustainability of a system means not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources. “We ensure sustainability by using natural light, wherever possible; employing LEDs even though a good LED system is expensive and utilising lighting control systems (dimming, switch-

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design

Devesh Gupta

ing) where incandescent sources are employed,” reveals Ramaswamy. More than 80 per cent of the energy used in ITC Maratha is from renewable energy. “We have six MW of power generated from wind energy, thus, enhancing the environment with more power,” shares Kavarana. Sustainability goals for a property should be to lessen nonrenewable energy use by reducing lighting consumption, maximising the efficiency of available lighting systems and at the same time replacing the old systems as per technical and commercial feasibility. “Most of the sustainable lighting options like LEDs, CFLs, timers, motion sensors and VFDs, are installed in our property and we have EarthCheck Silver certification for the last three years for our sustainability principles,” says Gupta. Technological developments also help in a sustainable approach. Judicious use of power management systems, appropriate lamp technologies as well as sensor technologies aid in the design of a sustainable system.

INNOVATIONS & TRENDS While everybody agrees that automation has made things easier with a variety of profiles and dimming systems, it is difficult to single out the most exciting innovation. Surlakar feels that in India, however, we see a lot of corners being cut as the awareness is less. “New automation systems, user-friendly interfaces, LED technology, media projections and dynamic lighting solutions are being judiciously implemented,” he says. Kabul feels that sensors help to greatly economise, not only on the consumption of electricity, but bills too. The new age LED’s are very flexible to use and are easily camouflaged wherever necessary. Chitalwala says, “Globally, LEDs with colours are being used extensively and the consistency of colour temperature is getting better with each passing day.” Kavarana adds that LED lights which come with dimmer control would be an interesting innovation that would pave the way to resolving the aestheticsfunctionality conflict. Their longev-

Reza Kabul

Sarangan Ramaswamy

Kabul uses coloured LEDs to change the mood of the banquet at Ark Express Inn, Nashik. Lighting can enhance outdoor spaces as well says Ramaswamy.

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ity and potential to lower electricity bills adds to their value. According to Gupta, innovations like systems that support demand response (DR) and will automatically dim or turn off lights to take advantage of DR incentives a; daylight-linked automated response systems and Passive Solar Design have made a huge difference. “Passive Solar Design makes use of the building components to collect, store, and distribute solar heat gains to reduce the demand for space heating and cooling. It does not require the use of mechanical equipment because the heat flow is by natural means (radiation, convection and conductance) and the thermal storage is in the structure itself. Also, passive solar strategies provide opportunities for day lighting and views to the outdoor through well-positioned windows,” he explains. In Ramaswamy’s opinion, the most exciting innovation in hospitality lighting is the ceiling recessed down light. “Regardless of the lamp used, it contributes to the aesthetics of the design and provides functionality. Use of day-light harvesting and alternative energy sources such as solar-powered lighting are the flavours in the industry now,” he says. However, architectural lighting, with its highly technical equipment and parameters for safety, does not come cheap. “I think if the developers, end users and architects understand this, then our job becomes easier and we can then, as designers, lay more stress on the creative, rather than the exercise of identifying cheaper and not always technically sound luminaires to meet the impractical and often misinformed budgets,” says Surlakar. Globally, lighting is globally being recognised as design enhancer. 2013 will see a shift from electrical to electronics with a focus on a human-centric approach, sustainability, and spatial articulation. If LED has been in vogue, it is also a technology that is evolving fast — Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diodes (FOLED) being the latest to provide amazing options to tackle some difficult lighting challenges. HI

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61 Supplier Interview

Light headed the green way New solutions from Lutron emphasise on energy-saving besides staples like convenience and intuitiveness, says Javier Segovia, India sales director, Lutron. By Raynah Coutinho

utron, which takes pride in its founder Joel Spira’s role in the electronics world as the “inventor of the dimmer switch” which replaced unsightly rheostats and autotransformers, has focussed its resources on creating controls for public areas of hotels, including ballroom partitions and corridor lighting. The company now trains its eye on adding convenience to the in-room experience.

Please elaborate on Lutron’s latest in-room controls. The new controls are wireless and can simply (up on dismantling and unscrewing) be moved to another location. This not only helps hotels during renovation — as no wires will be hanging around when the room is being re-done, but gives the guest the choice of location — offering options is a big consideration HI

Recently completed  A large

chunk of ITC Hotels Park Hotels  Several Leela hotels, like the Leela Palace Bangalore  Marriott, Chalet Hotels Powai, Mumbai  Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur  Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra  The Oberoi and Trident in Gurgaon, besides other properties by the group  Rambagh Palace Hotel, Jaipur  Sahara Star, Mumbai;  Le Meriden, New Delhi  Several

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for hotel operators today, and also in the case of serviced apartments, where guests often rework the furniture placement to better suit what they are used to at home. Even if the guest is asked not to move the controls, there is another convenient option. The controls are also available on smartphone application. HI How do they conserve energy? We use a patented technology called Clear Connect which does not consume energy except for the secondlong interval when a finger touches the switch. It works on Radio Frequency — which some hoteliers have their reservations about — but be assured that it is safer than a cell phone or a wireless mouse. Also, the battery life of these controls is about 10-years long, eliminating the need for frequent replacement.

HI How can procurement managers and hotel owners experience Lutron’s products? We make sure that we are at every mock-up. Besides that, we host frequent open-houses in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi where we invite hotel owners and those who are related to hotel development such as architects, MEP and lighting and interior designers.

HI How does the company maintain a competitive edge? Our main competition is the switch. We’re developing simplified solutions — to ensure intuitiveness of a given product, we continuously research consumer (or in this case, guest) reactions. We’ve changed symbols on our controls towards this end. We’re happy to customise our offering for

Segovia controls blinds using Lutron’s smartphone and tablet application.

hotels, which goes a long way given of crisis. So our marketing and this industry’s focus on product research budgets, which might have been 10 per cent during regudifferentiation at every level. lar times went to about 13 per cent Besides, we control any kind when our target markets of light from LED to were thinking about incandescent and cutting back. even natural light — We also utilised through motorised the last three years to blinds. Note that develop new products. especially in a hosAbout 40 per cent of pitality environGrowth per annum the products launched ment, where any globally in 2012 were developed in unwanted sounds the three years preceding it. are frowned upon, our controls are a huge bonus — the movement of blinds is com- HI How do your public area lighting pletely silent. Also, we continue to controls serve to reduce energy conoffer a variety of options even when sumption? it comes to controlling blinds — so Especially in terms of corridor hoteliers can use one set of controls lighting, motion sensors allow for to have blinds on different windows light to exist only when required in do different things at the same time. the corridors. Moreover, depending on a locaAlso blinds can be pre-set to be autotion or specific hotel’s sensibilimatically drawn at a specified time. ties, there may be a need for varyHI Did the recession affect Lutron? ing degrees of lighting at different Our owner is of the belief that one parts of a day. Our controls allow must invest more during times for this to be pre-set. HI

20%

Hotelier India | February 2013

01-02-2013 20:40:17

Supplier Interview

The smart idiot-box Hotels have perfected bed, bath and F&B experiences. It is time to up the ante on in-room entertainment, indicates Amitabh Reu, national head, business solution sales, Sony India BY raynah coutinho

oday’s globe-trotting guest wants a host of choices when it comes to entertainment — he might even turn his nose up at what you have put on offer and demand the option of playing his own audio or video instead. He also wants efficiency in his demands being met and the world at his fingertips. Interactive TVs (ITVs) and IPTVs equip hotels to check all these boxes.

What trends have hoteliers conveyed to you? Convergence has become a necessity. The latest technologies offering this conjunction include ITV and IPTV solutions that are gaining immense popularity. These new age television solutions combined with optical networks that provide bandwidth capability of several hundred gigabits per second, offer the convenience of convergence. Hotels HI

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can carry voice (telephony), IPTV channels, internet data, video on demand services, CCTV streams, building management system data and other services, all on the same fibre, without having to deploy separate cables for each of them. This helps service providers to reduce overall deployment cost and time — a huge consideration at the project development stage — and also ensures future-proofing due to the huge bandwidth of the fibre.

amongst national and international hotel chains. HI How much of your focus is on institutional (hotel) sales? What percentage of your total sales comes from hotels? The total sales garnered from Sony India’s hospitality segment contribute about 40 per cent to the overall B2B business in India. We have a

HI How do your products respond to these trends better than the competition? Sony provides cuttingedge technology with advanced products which meet hoteliers’ demands. With a wide range of products including top-selling The 4K Reality Pro Engine can upscale any content to HD. Monolithic design LED and LCD TVs, 3D Blu-ray Play- dedicated B2B team spread paners and DVD Home Theatre Sys- India, concentrated in tier I, II and tems, Sony is the most preferred III markets. and trusted brand for the Indian HI What are the newest collections hospitality industry. As guests become more con- introduced and what new product feanected at home, it is important for tures or design do they incorporate? hotels to offer the same level of Sony India has launched India’s connectivity. The latest range of first ever 4K technology enabled 84” Sony BRAVIA LED TVs comes BRAVIA TV, which is equipped with DVB (Digital Video Broad- four times the resolution of full HD. cast) capability and customised Its 4K X-Reality Pro Engine is also software and hardware. These capable of up-scaling any HD conare integrated with Next Gen tent to 4K, so that customers can ITV and IPTV solutions and seamlessly enjoy upscaled 2K coninternet video-dedicated tent at any time. It has a 10-unit live content, to allow hotels to speaker system built into a rigid alulaunch and convert web minium speaker housing. BRAVIA browsers. Our BRA- TVs come with special features. Procurement managers will be VIA range, especially the 32-inch (81 cm) happy to note that all BRAVIA and 40-inch (102cm) televisions are pre-installed with 30 models, are the most channels at no additional cost. Our preferred televisions 3D Blu-ray, DVD Home Theatre

Systems will provide guests with an enhanced home theatre experience that combines the latest in video and audio technologies. Some are even compatible with the latest digital television and have dedicated audio input for connecting their portable digital music players. An X-reality picture engine, which enhances the performance of our LED TVs under any viewing circumstance — high definition, standard definition or even internet video content. Access to Sony Entertainment Network, that allows for direct access to most of the popular programmes on Sony Entertainment Television and SAB TV through the content providers list. The TVs come with three video-on-demand channels across different languages and genres. All our LED TV models are IPenabled, allowing the guest to watch, to communicate and search the internet. HI What is your USP to the procurement manager? Sony is known for its technology, design and product lifecycle powered by strong after sales and installation services carried out on a priority basis. We have a strong grasp of the business and are the most trusted brand among procurement teams.

HI Please cite a few recent projects. Top hotel chains like ITC Hotels, The Leela, The Oberoi, Taj group, The Lalit, Hyatt, Accor and Carlson groups feature amongst our regular clients and we have a credible relationship with all of them. HI

www.hotelierindia.com

01-02-2013 20:41:10

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1/31/2013 5:23:07 PM

AI DS ad.indd 11

1/31/2013 5:23:08 PM

Food

In a new format

F&B, like rooms, is drawing additional focus on packaging that goes beyond decor and food presentation. It is now about removing the diner from his usual environment and adding a conversation-slash-tweet-worthy experience to his life By Raynah Coutinho

rom trendy restaurant formats to experiences that could be only called nascent earlier in the year, 2012 brought a lot to the table. Over the last year or so, food presentation took centre-stage, impeccable pairing become the rule, rather than the exception, beverages besides whisky and wine, have found takers and amidst all of this, the diner — who can order

just about anything in — has to be drawn into dining out. Here is a look at what works.

FRESH, FUN FORMATS Evolution in hospitality formats is being seen everywhere. Resorts want to integrate areas targeted at different family members to allow bonding. Spas want to team up with medical service providers to have integrated wellness. And restaurants... are set to become more fun.

Alfresco There was a time when fancy decor was what guests were taken in by. But given tough economic times, diners’ lives have changed. Cooped up in offices all day, with little or no time to get out of the city, diners today demand a breath of fresh air — literally — to see value in their eating-out experience. “Open-air dining is a great concept; it brings guests close to nature, which works especially in an era where people need to

get out of their daily indoorsy routine,” says Sudhir Pai, executive chef, Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport. Vikas Kapai, general manager at Hilton Mumbai International Airport, which opened its outdoor restaurant just in time for Mumbai’s cooler months, says that metros and busy cities offer “limited openair dining restaurants. An alfresco restaurant provides a refreshing change to guests.” To beat weather woes, the hotel’s outdoor restaurant

The Hilton Mumbai International Airport opens its outdoor restaurant ‘Flames’ during the cooler months of the year.

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67 Food

Rahul Hajarnavis

Today, the diner expects to see a degree of showmanship from the chefs.

operates only during winter to allow people to enjoy the weather. Pai’s advice on conceptualising an outdoor restaurant is to keep in mind that it is nature and fresh air that the guest wants. “The restaurant should offer an expanse of space, water elements or greenery and at the same time remain hygienic. The guest should be able to breathe freely and enjoy some quiet, so choose a location far away from a main road,” he says. An outdoor restaurant, chefs say, will work best with grilled foods and Indian cuisine. Live kitchens Entertaining guests has now become staple in a chef’s role. While the industry has caught on to this trend, there is much to look at and in some cases, correct in retrospect. “Choose your chefs wisely; not everybody has the personality to be a showman,” feels Pullman Gurgaon director of F&B, Rudrojit Deb. At JSM Hotels’ Shiro restaurant, the Teppanyaki table is very popular with guests. It is also apparently important to choose slightly complicated cuisines for live kitchens because it displays

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the chef’s expertise. “The chef needs to be well trained while juggling with the ingredients and cutlery to set the entertaining mood,” says the brand’s executive chef Rahul Hajarnavis. Deb agrees that it must be dramatic. Pai adds that even something as simple as a naan, can be made in a variety of ways. Kapai says that chefs could be given a crash-course in guest

Having guests grill food at their tables, using lava stones, has become a common practice.

interaction techniques. Another interesting point Pai brings to the fore is that live kitchens also allow for customisation of dishes. “Guests who are actually involved can change ingredients to their liking. But be sure not to compromise on authenticity in the bargain,” he cautions. Involved dining It also works to involve the guest in the dining experience. A whole host of hotels have invested in tablegrills. Deb offers an important tip. “Invest in a high-quality exhaust system — a smoke-filled restaurant will not be popular,” he says. ITC Grand Chola general manager and VP, Philippe Charraudeau tells us that ITC uses lava stones that are able to retain heat for 45 minutes. The benefit here, of course, is that any ventilation concerns will be dispelled since there is no fire and therefore, no smoke. He adds that involved dining could be extended to cocktails. A pub in Mumbai, Bonobo, created most of its PR, during its early days (about two years ago) by allowing guests the liberty of DIY drinks. There’s also the factor that people are more savvy with ingre-

Rudrojit Deb

Philippe Charraudeau

Sudhir Pai

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01-02-2013 20:42:19

Food

Using lighter fluid becomes boring after a few times; a bartender juggling the tools of his trade and still making a fabulous drink, quickly, will never go out of fashion dients, cooking styles and are increasingly passionate about different cuisines — courtesy Masterchef-type shows and burgeoning outbound travel. So they tend to enjoy bonding with chefs over food. “Every gourmet-loving guest is proud to show off his skills and knowledge to the chef,” he smiles.

ECLECTIC EXPERIENCES The great thing about tweetworthy experiences, or those that people will talk about, is that they build PR by default, and with no cost to or effort from the hotel. Wine flights As Charraudeau rightly points out, India remains a predominantly ‘brown spirits’ country. Of course, there has been a good response to different types of alcohol in recent years, but most of this demand has emerged due to awareness created by beverage companies in partnership with hotels and restaurants. “Wine flights expose guests to different kinds of wines that they can sample and learn the finer nuances of, while tasting a variety of regions and varietals. They are a relatively inexpensive way of educating people about wine. It works in mature wine markets too, just as well as it does in younger markets like India,” he says. Deb says that wine flights work in any market because wine is such

a vast and varied subject. One can choose the wines to offer depending on the guests’ level of interest and experience with wines. A handy tip from Charraudeau: Relatively inexpensive wines should be part of wine flights but they should have different characters in order to make the experience more meaningful for the guests. Food festivals Most hotels are already adept at hosting festivals. But as they have become common, it is important to not lose sight of why they are hosted. Our experts say that the festivals are aimed at increasing the buzz around a restaurant. So during lean times, it is advisable to host one. It is also ideal to have a couple in a year to ensure brand recall and make sure your guests return — at the prospect of sampling something new. Remember to throw in a few cultural elements — it should not be just a PR exercise or the guest will not get excited by a festival in the future. Authenticity is important to ensure that guests find the experience fulfilling. “Don’t have a dim sum promotion helmed by your regular chef, who was born in Nepal!” says Deb. Besides local chefs, Pai feels that sourcing authentic ingredients, local to the cuisine is a must. Being genuine is important or you will throw the guest off, chefs

Remember that more than anything, the diner looks to be removed

February 2013environment | Hotelier when Indiadining out. from his usual

66-68_HI_JAN13_Food_NewConcepts_Revised.indd 68

Working flair appeals to all demographics.

underline. “F&B folk should avoid simply mixing and matching to create new dishes for the festival. The menu needs to be unique and well thought-through,” says Hajarnavis. Deb advises hotels to keep the festival focused on the actual food or beverage. “Gimmicks such as Bollywood, World Cup and Olympic promotions don’t work,” he says. Our experts also caution against overkill. “In order to avoid that, one has to see what the guests expect — there are certain places where the guest expects a festival every month — one should be cautious of doing food festivals too often,” says Charraudeau. Pai puts a number to it, “Host four major cuisine-based festivals

in a year and any others ones based on seasonal ingredients.” Deb feels that more often than two months will result in overkill. Charraudeau advises against moving away from the cuisine of the restaurant. Flair bartending The common belief is that flair bartending appeals only to pubhopping youngsters. However, Deb dispels this as a myth, “Working flair appeals to all demographics. It is important to differentiate between entertainment and working flair. Setting fire to the bar counter using lighter fluid becomes boring after a few times; a bartender juggling the tools of his trade and still making a fabulous drink quickly, will never go out of fashion!” Perhaps it’s a matter of which city one operates in. Charraudeau’s experience is that it works better with pubs, nightclubs and certain events aimed at youngsters. “There are some bartenders who succeed in exciting even the older crowd,” he acknowledges, adding that it can be extended to casual dining and special banqueting events. HI

www.hotelierindia.com

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Hear...and how!

Photographs: Courtesy arman Professional India.

Technology

Sound is a big part of the ambience at Fairmont Jaipur.

Even as hospitality companies invest in the subtlest of product distinctions, we explore hospitality’s current sound-system needs, new buys and what is new in the market BY RAYNAH COUTINHO

popular lounge in suburban Mumbai had all the ingredients for success amongst their young target audience. The decor was right, the pricing justified and the choice of music was popular – but patrons often complained about the DJ remixing music distastefully, his “extra beats” marring the originals. A change in management, the subsequent rebranding exercise and a new DJ did nothing to change it — techies among their patrons finally came to the conclusion that bad acoustics and resulting echoes were to be blamed. Sound is an integral part of your in-room experience, sets the ambience for your F&B

February 2013 | Hotelier India

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outlets and becomes a deciding factor for whether banquet bookings will return. It is also part of what guests experience when they enter your lobby and as such deserves more than a mere second glance. For instance, when Le Meridien conducted a brand overhaul in 2008/09, besides sprightly entrances, signature scents and a new focus on art, signature sounds were also developed.

What hotels want “A carefully designed auditory experience can add immeasurably to the image of quality and luxury we want our guests to remember. Custom designed music for hotels delights guests,” says Abhishek Sadhoo, director of operations, Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel in New

Delhi. Custom-made music is becoming popular as brand gurus spread the awareness about the fact that sound is a strong memory trigger because it heightens the brains ability to recall information. As with every area of project management, from permissions to lighting, in the area of sound too, hotels want to see professional, experienced consultants: “Emergence of an organized AV (Audio Video) industry in India has carved a path for AV consultants who lay a lot of emphasis on technology along with effective commercials. The sole aim

of these experts is to specify the most technically advanced system supplemented with a great service support in India — both considerations for the operator, while also

Quality speakers at a nightclub will only need to be revisited 35 to 50 months after installation.

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Technology

staying within the budget — which is the topmost concern of owning company,” says Karan Kathuria, national sales manager, Installed Sound, Harman Professional India. Owners will always raise eyebrows at big upfront investments. As such a rental option — for almost anything, from LED lighting fixtures to IP phones — are becoming a common demand. Nikhil Gandhi, assistant director, F&B, Hyatt Regency Chennai says that he likes to go the rental way for music. “We conduct an annual music philosophy to prevent the music from getting outdated due to continuous change in music styles during the course of a year,” he says. These are good times for the sound solutions company, according to Kathuria because hotel owners today specifically prefer to deal with Overall Electronics Managers (OEMs) like Harman that can supply entire audio chain, i.e. all electronics in an audio chain starting from the source (microphones) to signal processors and amplification to output (speakers, display, public address systems ). “They see it as a method of saving time, not to mention reducing the stress involved in dealing with different suppliers,” he explains. Proficiency with hospitality demands indeed invites great focus. “We look for providers of sound solutions well-versed in the requirements for hotels who can, therefore, handle the job competently,” says Ashish Bakshi, F&B director at The Zuri Whitefield Bangalore. For instance, there has been an increasing demand in defining multiple zones in hotels to cater to zone-wise paging – but this is a piece of technology that only sound professionals specializing in hospitality are aware of. Also, finding an increasingly firm footing is convergence of audio and video. “With AVB (Audio Video Bridging) just about to unleash its magic in AV world, all major OEM’s today, including Harman, are building their expertise in this platform. Soon, we shall witness audio buses travelling on same IT bandwidth along with video signals hence aiming most

Abhishek Sadhoo

Ashish Bakshi

Sound can trigger a memory of an experience at a hotel or restaurant as it heightens the brain’s ability to retain information.

efficient utilization of resources,” Kathuria adds. Product lifecycle is becoming a big question mark. “On an average, it is ideal for a nightclub to revisit the sound setup anywhere between 18 to 24 months. But if the initial setup was well done then it can be safely revisited after 35 to 50 months,” says Bakshi. Gandhi’s criteria are still stricter. “Changing sound systems should occur only during renovation or if the technology upgrade is demanded. Since it is a very high-cost item it should not be changed frequently; once in six or seven years is justifiable,” he says.

Procurement logic “We have been working with a company called DMX (music systems) sound solutions and they have been successful in providing our guests with the best variety of music, suited best to the location and time of the day,” says Sadhoo.

Make a sound decision How to choose your supplier: Has the company worked with hotels before? Does it offer overall electronics management across the audio chain? How big is the footprint of authorised service centres? Are there provisions for preventive maintenance and upgrades? How often will you have to revisit your sound systems?

It was chosen because its disk can be updated every three months and because it is a complete show controller: “It can be used all by itself for a small show, controlling both lighting and a single serial device,” he adds. The Hyatt Regency Chennai,

Karan Kathuria

which opened in August 2011, installed Bose speakers. “Our sound consultant suggested these during the pre-opening stage after we gave him specifications like space, clientele and concept of the restaurant, besides what amplification of music is required in a particular area like executive floor, club or lounge bar, restaurant, private dining room or the lobby,” says Gandhi. The Zuri Whitefield Bangalore recently selected sound systems from the brands Ashly and Community for its nightclub. “They are

Hotelier India | February 2013

01-02-2013 20:43:22

Technology

Hotels prefer to work with sound solutions providers who have worked with the sector before.

Zone-wise paging is a new demand from hospitality companies

Three wishes What hoteliers would like to see in future sound systems: “I would like solutions to have a vast music library so that we can provide the guests with the right choice of music to blend with their mood is what we would like to see in sound systems.” - Sadhoo “I would love to see a combination of the mixer with the effect processer, the equaliser and the cross over – all in one unit.” - Bakshi “[Android app Shazam – which in any case cannot track indigenous music — notwithstanding], often when guests ask for the name of a track, we are unable answer them as the systems do not display details. It would be nice to have this feature.” - Gandhi

two of the world’s most efficient brands for live sound. Our main consideration was large footfalls. The product attributes that drew us were the bass, the highs and the mids,” says Bakshi. Harman says its products have been procured by a host of hotels for a variety of reasons. “Harman has designed background music

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Harman’s JBL installation at the Crowne Plaza New Delhi.

solutions for budget hotels like Red Fox to semi-luxury properties like Novotel and Courtyard by Marriott to brands at the upper end of the spectrum like JW Marriott, Gateway, Westin and ITC’s luxury properties,” says Kathuria. He reckons that their interest in Harman emerges from their wealth of experience in catering to their needs and also its after-sales service – onsite preventive maintenance, hardware upgrades and system support through a network of trained system dealers. The brand works with Starwood, Marriott, Hilton, ITC, Taj, Carlson and Accor. Hoteliers also reportedly tend to choose Harman because of multiple authorised service centres. “We have already launched authorised service centres in Mumbai and New Delhi, in addition to the company-owned and operated centre in Bengaluru, with plans of expansion to Kolkata,” Kathuria says. Procurement managers demand flexible pricing: “We operate in Indian market via multiple system integration partners (who are the front-end the project) like HCL, Siemens, Avaya Global etc., which give procurement managers flexibility,” he adds. There’s also a call for more easily justifiable pricing strategies: “Fluc-

Aesthetically steeped solutions, that add to a space’s design are also availble .

tuations in the dollar value result in varying rentals,” Gandhi says.

Sound on shelves In the loudspeaker segment, Harman has recently introduced its JBL STX and VTX series which supersede its SRX and VRX series. “We have invested significantly in R&D in India aiming to develop products catering specially for hotels in India. We have major plans for launching solutions for hospitality. Hoteliers can expect some revolutionary solutions in the near future — the generation of JBL AWC series (Weather Resistant) speakers which is designed to blend with the ambience of the outside areas like swimming pools, front façades etc. Our Marquis series (for dance clubs and

discotheques) is another gem for the Indian hospitality market. This is a series which has already created ripples among discotheques all over India, giving DJ-spun music an all new meaning,” Kathuria says. Besides that, the company has launched Information Delivery Systems to respond to the audio consultant’s multi-zone paging system issue. “IDX not only provides the most advanced technology for this but also allows for infinite zone creation and multiple zones programming,” he adds. With technology keeping pace with the industry’s ever-evolving demands, it is a little wonder that we are getting smarter spaces and experiences in all the properties across all segments. HI

www.hotelierindia.com

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Roundtable

A ‘spa’-cial affair The spa is no longer a luxury enjoyed only by the manor born. As fancy holidays become popular, spa treatments have become a major lure to entice the holiday maker. Spa managers discuss different issues faced by the industry

Ambiance plays an importan role in creating a recall value for the guests.

by Lendell Patel

oday’s demanding lifestyle is increasingly causing escalated stress levels and anxiety. People look forward to holidays for distressing and cleansing their systems. No holiday seems to be complete without the “spa-treatment”, which plays such an important role in the rejuvenation of a per-

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son’s mind and body. From sound and aromatherapies to implementing proper training programmes, the spa industry is bursting with new trends and ideologies. Communication across different industries like hospitality and health care, along with inputs from the dynamic brands has changed the face of the spa. Hotelier India gets a few people from the industry together to talk ‘spa’.

HI What are the spa trends you experienced in 2012? What new trends are expected to pan out this year? Hasit Patel (HP): Spa is a place to relax. However, we need to be innovative in services at all times in order to keep the interest of the client alive. In 2012, we have noticed that the cooler therapies like cool wraps and cooling facials, stood out as being more popular against the hotter ones like the American

hot-stone massage. During the course of 2013, we will have our treatments engage the client and have them following the breath work and meditation — making it more popular than now. Considering the high stress levels and the requirement of a human touch in the era of technology, we as spa managers, will reduce the minimum age limit for treatments. Shalin Jose (SJ): The spa industry

www.hotelierindia.com

01-02-2013 20:44:24

Roundtable

About our panel of experts... He is responsible for three spa locations including resort and club spas. He also concentrates on acquiring new projects for spas and setting up the same from its design to it operating smoothly. Hasit Patel, Area Manager, Spa and Operations, Sohum Spa, Core Wellness Ltd., Gujarat.

He is responsible for the employee training programme as well as its development. He is also involved in overlooking the spa and fitness centre operations as well as its renovations and is a part of the training support team for other properties within the group. Shekhar Malkotia, Spa Director, The Claridges Spa, The Claridges, Delhi, NCR.

Apart from managing the numerous operations at the Heavenly spa by Westin, he also holds the position of Global Spa Councillor for Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Shalin Jose, Spa Manager, Heavenly Spa by Westin, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace.

has become very competitive and has also seen the collapse of some spas that are not in sync with the industry changes and demands in the past two years. Spas have become more woman oriented in terms of staff strength as the number of male staff is dropping due to less demand. This puts the staff ratio at 80:20 per cent with females against males respectively. Cryotherapy and thermotherapy are becoming a familiar treatment in

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spas. Infra-red saunas are also a big hit. Spas for children have also become popular. Shekhar Malkotia (SM): New trends have evolved around the combination of medical approach with weight management and healthy lifestyle guidance between spa’s and medical practitioners. The year ahead will also lead to a better synergy between the two. Guests/ clients are looking for result-oriented, time-bound solutions rather

than just relaxation options in contemporary spas. HI Many experts say that only designation spa’s stand to become revenue generators of sorts, while regular hotel spa’s only serve as facilities, comment. How much of an increment did you see in your spa revenue? HP: The regular day spas will see a boost in revenue for 2013 as the client would frequent them for short and quick visits rather than the

long-stay treatments. The revenue for these spas will increase by at least 12 to 15 per cent. SJ: I agree that destination spas make more revenue than hotel and day spas. However, I am in disagreement with the fact that hotel and day spas are not profitable. Our total incremental revenue is at 25 per cent as of last year. I believe that the capture ration lies between three to five per cent in most of the hotel spas, where as we do an average of 4.3 per cent. SM: Destination spas have a very unique factor in their operations which require a dedicated approach and time commitment to reap the same benefits. A day spa/ urban spa/hotel spa will provide you same features with the exception of the locale that a destination spa has to offer. Hence, you can still attend your business meetings and clients at the start of your day and then visit the spa to meet your recreational needs. Hotel spas are transforming into profit centres and bringing about an increment in monthly revenue as time is the most valuable factor for them. HI What therapies do you use? Is Ayurveda really useable? Experts say guests tend to shy away from Ayurveda because of the strong aromas and oils that don’t wash off easily, any solutions to this issue? HP: Our focus is mainly primed on international therapies. In winter, however, Ayurveda proves more beneficial when it comes to treatment. But the oils and aromas are a big concern and we need to look for alternatives to be used in Ayurvedic therapies. SJ: Our therapies include Western, Oriental and traditional Indian treatments operated out of Heavenly spa at the Westin. I disagree with people about Ayurveda when they say that aroma plays as a psychological factor for the guest during the treatment. Once briefed on the benefits of the oils, 95 per cent of the guests will opt for Ayurvedic treatment without hesitation. SM: We have therapies that come out from a mixture of Thai treatments and aromatherapy-based

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77 Roundtable

treatments. We adapt the service delivery aspect of a spa to ensure that guest comfort and privacy is maintained so that people experiencing it for the first time are not left shocked. With respect to the aroma and smelling oil issue, we make sure to provide the right type of steam, body wash and shampoo to avoid the matter. HI As a wellness professional, what do you think of the new wellness formats? Any pointers on how India should expand on ‘hotel meets hospital meets yoga’ centre and spa? HP: Yoga centres and spas have always had a connection. We as wellness professionals would like to incorporate medical treatments into the normal spa treatments. This would require a well focused and experienced team to manage. There is a wide scope for running a spa in a hospital and this is a matter that we are currently working on. SJ: Over time, beauty parlours eventually will turn into spas, some clinics have already turned into medic – spas and dental spas. The same principle will follow for hospitals being turned into wellness centres with a touch of hospitality. SM: In my opinion, there has to be a balance between the spa, hospital and the yoga studio. They each have to understand and respect each other’s boundaries. A professional set up of well trained and qualified personnel should be maintained so that a holistic wellbeing can be achieved.

HI Where are the loopholes in spa classification? Any suggestions on how to make it better? SJ: In reality, there’s no major organization or government authority to classify spas. The government should give a trade licence as per the classification. There should be a government body or an audit firm to certify the quality of spas every year to renew their licence. SM: In order to better the spa industry, we require more training institutes with an extensive learning programme so as to train and prepare a skilled workforce to be part of a rapidly developing industry.

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A professional set up of well-trained personnel ensures a holistic experience for the guests.

HI What new segments can one tap in terms of target audiences for wellness therapies? SJ: At one time, spas were considered a luxury for the richer class of people. However, the scenario has changed; the new segment in terms of audience is aimed at the middle class, college students and children. SM: The spa industry now is targeting a new segment of the public to reach revenue goals and make it an affordable luxury for all classes of people. One could be for a teenager with educational aspects on healthy skin care and guided activities for fitness. Another class of people the industry is looking at are senior citizens. Incorporating fun-filled activities and therapies to keep them active and relax and young at heart would be some of the main priorities for this class of persons.

How are you working towards reducing operational costs of the spa — since it isn’t the busiest area? HI

HP: We always try to reduce the operating cost in the spa. For this we have a particular system called the Eco Audit Management System (EMAS) which always helps to control the costing without affecting the feedback of the client. SJ: The major cost factor for a spa lies in it productivity, payroll and electricity. The spas productivity can be maximized by properly scheduling the shifts of each spa therapist. Implementing and following energy conservation policies and procedures is another factor to benefit from. A tie-up with a good product company and achieving the best rate contract for the year can help reduce product wastage. HI What are you doing to ensure consistency and professionalism given that our industry’s staff turnover/ attrition is so high? HP: Education and awareness among the spa personnel always play a vital role. Clear crisp communication and continuous training

can also help reduce the attrition. SJ: The selection criteria should be such that we would hire people who are passionate and persuasive about the spa industry and the job it demands. The training programmes that are provided will help them connect emotionally to the respective brand. HI Tell us about procurement of spa amenities and products — who are you sourcing them from? What good tie-ups have you initiated during the last year? SJ: As a global brand, we have a specific product range that is globally approved for all Heavenly spas. We also avail of the Voleco products in wet areas. Our main equipment partner is Spa Equip from the United States. SM: We implement spa products from Aromatherapy Associates and have a constant support with respect to training and development of our team. Enrich products are also signed under our brand in our therapies and treatments. HI

Hotelier India | February 2013

01-02-2013 20:44:51

Consumer connect initiative

Food safety Simple precautions that go a long way in ensuring microbes-free kitchens reputed, known and approved sup-

room temperature zone for over

manner. Get rid of decomposing

pliers. Ensure checking of all consign-

four hours. Cook food properly. If

food debris. Garbage bins may be

ments as per proven specifications.

microwave is used to prepare food,

lined with polythene and lidded

Be selective about certain seafood

one must ensure that food is heated

when not in use to discourage flies

like prawns, crabs and shellfish,which

to at least 70oC. Never allow food

and prevent cross contamination.

can harbour infectious germs.

to thaw on the kitchen work surface

Ensure that all drains are protected

but preferably in the microwave or

with drain traps for cockroaches.

safety conditions for water

refrigerator and always in a dish. Conscientious hand washing

Water is an essential component of the human body and is consumed

Clean as you go

Use soap and water with a rub-

in its original state and as a food in-

Keep all food-handling and storage

bing action for 20 seconds to clean

gredient. It is also used for washing

areas clean and remove unwanted

hands. The rubbing action should

foods and food-contact surfaces.

materials. Ensure that hidden and

include the palms, the dorsal side of

Contamination of distribution wa-

inaccessible areas are kept to a

the palm, area between and around

ne of the gravest and

ter can be rampant during the rains

minimum and maintain cleanliness

the fingers, the nails (could also be

life-threatening

dangers

due to leaking pipes and contami-

to guard against pests which can

done with a nail brush), thumbs and

lurking in kitches is food-

nated water at source, which, if not

spread diseases. Apply targeted

exposed part of the hand (up to the

borne illnesses. Food-borne dis-

adequately disinfected and treated,

use of an anti-microbial cleaning

wrist or beyond as applicable).

eases cause approximately, 76 mil-

can harbour infectious microbes. All

lion illnesses globally according to

water consumed as a drink should

the Center for Disease Control and

be thoroughly filtered and treated to

Prevention. In India, where there

render it completely devoid of bac-

seems to be poor control over the

teria (water purifiers may be used)

rapidly flourishing food joints, fig-

or in the absence of the same, water

ures would not be appropriate be-

should be disinfected.

A Ganesh marketing director, Diversey India Pvt. Ltd.

cause very few cases are reported food-contact surfaces

to public health officials. Food-borne illnesses are caused

Use chopping boards and utensils

largely by disease-causing bacte-

including cutting and trimming im-

ria or poisonous toxins which they

plements for vegetarian and non-

produce. These bacteria can quickly

vegetarian foods. These should be

spread and find their way into food

disinfected between uses especially

via the food chain, i.e. from soil and

for non-vegetarian food and before

water, raw produce, kitchen surfaces,

being used to handle ready-to-eat

hands of food-handlers, food-han-

food. Disinfecting can be carried

dling equipment, food service uten-

out in boiling water for two minutes.

sils and food served. The top three

Do not forget to disinfect knives and

reasons for food poisoning include

cleaning cloths.

poor

time-temperature

Poor time-temprature control is among the primary reasons for food poisoning.

controls,

cross contamination and poor per-

Time-temperature controls

product for work surfaces which

Fingernails need to be short and

sonal hygiene.

The

come into direct food contact like

rounded in any case.

temperature

danger

zone

Kitchens are hotspots for such

(TDZ) for disease causing bacterial

chopping

boards,

work

tables,

Wash hands after using the rest

opportunistic microbes. More so

build-up is from 5oC to 60oC. Hence

dish sponges, dish cloths, cleaning

room, after breaks, after touching

during the monsoon, when diseases

the golden rule: Keep hot foods

cloths; fridge shelves, handles and

body parts, after any garbage-han-

and infections are rampant. Here are

hot and cold foods cold. For fro-

gaskets and also electrical kitchen

dling or any activity that could con-

a few tips from our experiences on

zen foods, the holding temperature

appliances which come into direct

taminate your hands and before the

preventing food-borne illnesses in

should not exceed -12oC or reach

contact with food. Food service

start of any food-handling or food-

commercial zones, food preparation

temperatures that permit thawing.

and preparation utensils should be

related activity.

areas and kitchens.

If your fridge is not equipped with

cleaned within two hours.

Remember, hands are an active

a temperature monitoring device,

carrier of microbes from the envi-

Supplier safety assurance

you need to leave one inside to en-

Waste handling

ronment into your kitchen. Hand

Food safety starts with the supplier.

sure that the temperature does not

Do not leave garbage out in the

disinfection after thorough washing

Ensure that food materials and in-

exceed 7oC. Do not leave perisha-

open. It needs to be disposed off

is most effectively carried out with

gredients are purchased only from

bles and ready-to-eat foods in the

as quickly as possible in a proper

alcoholic rub-in hand sanitizers.

february 2013 | Hotelier India

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01-02-2013 20:45:31

HOTELIER AD PLACE.indd 80

4/3/2012 4:06:20 PM

PRODUCTS

Round up of the newest products Videocon 65’’ DDB VJF65PA-XS TV Videocon has launched a brand new 65 inch DDB television; model number – VJF65PA-XS; which is a pillar of DDB enabled Smart Television. It comes packed with an array of features like 3D Technology, 4 trillion display colour, a dual-core processor, Omni Surround, Faroudja Video and Audio Optimized and Strata certified audio. The 65 inch DDB enabled television brings in the best of Digital Direct TV technology in a 3D Smart TV package. Its other industry best worthy features consist of Smart Connect (HDMI-CEC), File Sharing, 2 HDMI ports, 1 USB 2.0 port for playing movies, music files as well as viewing pictures in JPEG format. SMART TV Website: www.videocon.com

Swiss Military Travel Card Tool Swiss Military Lifestyle has announced another apt amenity for allround use in a hotel room, an 8-in-1 deluxe card tool. It has a varied number of on-board tools that become virtually useful during a day in a hotel room. Packed into this card is a bottle opener, a Philips screwdriver, a white LED light torch, four pieces of LR41 batteries, a ball pen, a PDA pen, a sim card holder, a magnifier and a pair of scissors. This accessory is a sleek compact card tool that can portray as a suitable companion when on vacation in a hotel room and comes into use at very distinct times during the course of one’s stay.

NATURAL FLOORING Website: www.pergo.com

Natural Variation Flooring Pergo has announced the release of its exclusive design feature ‘Natural Variation’, which gives a long lasting raw effect to the floor. It is offered in a classic plank format with four bevelled-edged and featuring Pergo’s new Embossed-In-Register (EIR) surface texture. There are a variety of decors ranging from light blonde oak to dark coffee, with gray and taupe in between.

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DELUX CARD TOOL Website: www.swissmilitaryindia.com

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81 PRODUCTS

VPL-HW50ES Projector Sony India has announced its most recent complete HD 3D home cinema projector, the VPL-HW50ES. This latest item sits at the top of advanced home cinema projection. It includes utilising a re-adapted version of Sony’s ‘Reality Creation’ technology, which was developed for Sony’s EISA VPL-VW1000ES 4K home cinema projector. The technology adopts an initially developed digital signal processing algorithm to restore any data lost when processing from original content to disc. SONY INDIA Website: www.sony.com

Engineered Floors Pergo has recently announced engineered parquet floors, which brings together the natural character of oak, cherry, ash and walnut. It consists of a 2.5mm veneer and UV-hardened oil surface, making it formidable, ready to use and quite easy to maintain. These floors are available in two styles, Harmonious and Lively, the high quality, UVhardened oil surface is factory applied with a special base treatment for a particular natural radiance.

FLOORING Website: www.pergo.com

FLOOR COVERING Website: www.intenv.in

Amoeba Carpets Obsessions Xclusif has launched an extensive range of Amoeba carpets. The new collection consists of shaggy carpets in 3D designs, made of polyester. Brown, beige, golden, wine, black and grey are some of the colours available among a wide range from the Amoeba collection. These polyester shaggy carpets are produced and manufactured from quality material which ensures long lasting durability.

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CHECKING OUT

Hotel Trivia

10 things you didn’t know about The Leela Palace Udaipur

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Elephants (a symbol of purity & prosperity) are crafted from silver, wood, metal, stone and others - framed or drawn - across the property.

120 The staff light

Total 12 domes are there in the hotel, including two fibre-optic ones in which every bulb costs

18,000

candles in the niches of the inner courtyard every evening.

GREEN GLASS

- a rare colour to be used in thekri work.

The Royal Suite has a dome within it that has

genuine gold leaf work on it.

150-YEAR-OLD SHIVA TEMPLE in its premises.

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MOTHER-OFPEARL throughout the Palace, such as in the headboards in every room.

The hotel features the only luxury tented spa, located in a

There are two trees of life featuring

The hotel features a

There is abundant use of

150-year-old haveli, beside the lake.

The MAHARANA PRINTS are replicas of the originals in the City Palace. They were created after due approval of the current Maharana.

Roshan Tiwari (senior boat captain) and Sardar Singh (doorman) have featured in the famous James Bond movie

“Octopussy”

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