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 pages 82 Volume 5|Issue 6|June 2013|`50
THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL HOTEL MANAGEMENT www.hotelierindia.com
PURCHASING UNRAVELLED
OPERATIONS
OUTDOOR FURNITURE TRENDS
PEOPLE
STEPHEN ALBERT FROM WATG
CASE STUDIES
GREEN INITIATIVES BY LEADING HOTELS
TALKING
Published by ITP Publication India
GREEN PARAM KANNAMPILLY ON SUCCESSFULLY TRANSLATING GREEN INTO A LUXURY CONCEPT
Published by ITP Publication India
MARKET DATA MADHYA PRADESH | FOOD ECO-FRIENDLY KITCHENS | GM’S DIARY RAJAT SETHI
CONTENTS
6
18
50
62 28 COVER STORY
Param Kannampilly, chairman & managing director Concept Hospitality, reveals his green dream and the success of his eco-friendly brand. MARKET DATA 18
OPERATIONS 62
Madhya Pradesh is a destination waiting to be explored both for its historic and religious tourism.
We focus on outdoor furniture as guests prefer alfresco experiences at hotels.
PEOPLE 24
Begining a new segment on the purchase managers with introducing HPMF and its objective.
CASE STUDIES 40
67
We explore the various ways of creating ecofriendly kitchens and the latest options available in the market.
74
Chief engineers talk about the innovations that help in smooth operations.
78
Top hotel brands reveal the green solutions implemented by them at their properties.
Hotelier India’s round-up of the latest arrivals in the market and of the must-have products.
Architect Stephen Albert shares his experiences with two futuristic designs.
Sun n Sand, Mumbai.
52
June 2013 | Hotelier India
80
10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW 80
www.hotelierindia.com
Property-level
range of products
insar Infosoft Pvt. Ltd.
www.winsarinfo.com
8
June 2013 | Volume 5 | Issue 6
The green dream…
ITP Publishing India Pvt Ltd 898 Turner Road, Notan Plaza, 3rd floor, Bandra (West), Mumbai - 400050 T +91 22 6154 6000
Studies have revealed that guests prefer green and sustainable practices and properties
Even as the entire world celebrates June as the ‘green month’, one continues to feel the harmful effects of centuries of environment abuse that we are now trying to rectify. Hotels are combating their reputation of being big consumers and wasters of resources like energy and water by increasingly adopting ecofriendly best practices. Putting this issue together was a learning experience as we came across so many ‘green’ success stories. It is not just about running behind the LEED certification, it is about making it a part of your lifestyle which helps in reducing the carbon footprint. More and more hotels are realising that looking at the future is not just about revenue generation and ROI, it is also about creating a goodwill in the minds of the customers as studies have revealed that there is a perceptible shift in consumer preferences in favour of green and sustainable practices and properties. You will read about many such case studies as part of this green issue – each one of them in no way less in their offerings to the guests or employees. A Kenyan proverb says, ‘Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It is loaned to you by your children.’ So, the onus is on us to look inwards and be responsible, look for innovations that will help in conserving the resources. Even at the time of getting into print, it was heartening to come across a newspaper story on how big chains buckup the trend in their new star hotels by redesigning their bathrooms sans a bathtub – owing to the water crisis and guest apathy. It is time for everyone to up the ante and dream the green dream!
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: Dipen Jungi Location courtesy: Meluha, Mumbai
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.
June 2013 | Hotelier India
08_HI_Jun13_Ed Note_Flannel Panel.indd 8
Published by and © 2013 ITP Publishing India Pvt Ltd RNI no.MAHENG/2009/34648 MIB no. 10/47/2008
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 18:30:38
9
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 & Wakefi eld
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 Pacifi c 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
Our footprint in India Registered Published onwith Registrar of Newspa 3rd of every pers under month. Posted RNI No. MAHEN at Patrika Channe G/2009/33418, Postal Registra l Sorting Office, tion No. Mumbai-4000 01, Posting MH/MR/N/99/MBI/12-14 date: 5th & 6th of every , month r of pages
Published by ITP
RetailTo day
Registered Published with Registrar of Newsp on 30th of every previou apers under RNI No. s month. Posted at MAHENG/2008/33387 Patrika Channe , Postal l Sorting Office, Registration . MH/MR/N/146 Mumbai-4000No. MH/MR /MBI/1 /MBI/13-15 01, Posting /N/146 date: 3rd 3-15 & 4th of every month
Total numbe
52
Total numbe r of pages
AN ITP PUBLIS HING INDIA
Publication India
Total pages
64
MAY 2013
Vol. 5 |
Issue 5
| May 2013
WWW.C ONSTRU CTIONW EEKONLINE.IN
| ` 50
ET
58
RIGHT FROM THE HEART Publish OF THE ed by ITP INDUS Publish TRY ing India
`
PUBLIC ATION
MOR E
5 |`50
Eyes on the future
SPOTLIGHT
R RESUL POO
Avatar produ on the future cer Jon Landa u of film-m aking 01_DS_
May13_
Cover final.indd
2
KUTTY RIPS
ANALYSIS
APART OLD
What make a compellings cloud computing proposition ?
SCHOOL IDEA
TECHNOLOGY
S OF SOUND
Multi-path broadcast routers redefine workflows
01_CW_
April13_
REVIEW
Innovation s showcased at NAB Show 2013 27-04-20
13 18:35:04
Total numbe r of pages
90
dd 1
ERP
00_RT_M
ay 2013_Co
ver F.indd
ng India
00_ET_A
23-04-20
er F.indd
Total numbe r of pages 52 Volume 1|Issu e 1|May 2013|`50
Published
Publication
Embracin g modern by ITP Publishin
g India
by ITP Publishing
00_MT_
Cover Final.ind
1
d 2
Registered with Registr of every previou ar s month. of Newspapers under Posted at RNI No. MAHEN Patrika Channe G/2012/46040 l Sorting Office, , Postal Registr Mumbai-40000 1, Posting ation No. MH/MR/N/242 date: 30th /MBI/12 & 31st of every previou-14, Published on 27th s month
Published
NS
S
PLAYING BALL India
As Panaso the top nic aims for the Indi slot globally, become an market has in its newvery important scheme things. of Indi Daizo Ito a Presiden t explain s why
WH PRESSUEN COST HIGH RES ARE EUROPIN US & THEY ACCELE, ERA THEIR ASI TE PLANS A VINA YAK SHEN FAURECIA DKAR, INDIA
04-04-20
13 12:11:00
Total pages 84 5|May 2013| `50
ISSUE 4 MAY 2013 | `50
SHOPFLOOR DYNAMI ARE CHANGIN G POSITIVE CS LY
p13_Cov
1
VOLUME 3 |
OPERATIO
RELIANCE AROUND INFRA CEO LALIT THE POW JAL ER DISTRI AN HAS TURNED BUTION BUSINESS
An ITP Publishi
OF PAGES 68
NEED FOR STRUCTURED PROJECT MAN AGEMENT
RESOURCE HOW
YOU CAN RELY ON HIM
OVER THE LAST FOU R YEARS, OTHERS ACR OSS THE SCORES OF MAL WE TALK TO COUNTRY ARE STR LS HAVE SHU HUTT DOW INDUSTRY UGG LEADERS LING TO FIND THEN AND MANY TO FIND A WAY OUT IR FEET.
TOTAL NUMBER
YOU R DEC FOR MAN ISIV E TOO L UFACTU RIN G EXC ELL ENC E
OPTIMISING ENHANCING PRODUCTIVITY, PROCESSES
STATES NOT TO PRIVATISEREADY DISCOMS
Registered Published with Registrar of Newsp on 7th of every month apers under RNI . Posted at Patrika No. MAHENG/20 Channel 09/34648. Sorting Office, Postal Mumbai-400Registration 001. Postin No. MH/MR/N/9 g date: 8th 8/MBI/12-1 & 9th of 4 every month Volume 5|Issu e
ALS TODA Y
TO THE INDU STRY
SPOTLI
D TOWNSH IPS TRUCKS & DUMPER S BAUMA 201 3
Cover.in
POW ER
JAYALALITHAA GHT AND HER POWER STRUGG LE
SPOTLIGHT INTEGRATE DESIGN
Manufact uring
Total number of pages | Issue 3 52 | April 2013 | `50
FOCUS
ROSS SHU STER UTC CCS, , ASIA PRESIDENT FOR SPEL GROWTH PLANS AND LS OUT HIS VISIO N, STRATEGY FOR INDI A
OSCAR-WINNE
Volume 1
ELECTRIC
| VOLUM
E 2 | ISSUE
Registered with Registr Published ar of Newsp on 5th of every month. apers under RNI No. MAHENG/201 Posted at Patrika Channe 1/37959, Postal Registr l Sorting Office, Mumba ation No. MH/MR/N/15 i-400001, Posting date: 4/MBI/2013, 7th & 8th of every month
13 12:50:08
Total number
of pages
48
thinking
Publishe
d by ITP
Publishi
ng India
www.hotelie rindia.com
FOCUS
T
UPDATE ON CHAINS ENTINTERNATIONAL ERING IND IA
PLUS
ROUNDTAB
Inspiration LE by design
MILLER INS TINCT May13_C
over F.indd
1
IT’S ALL IN
THE BRAND
PHIL MCAV
EETY, CHIEF
MARKET DATA 01A_HI_
May13_C
over.indd
1
BRAND OFFIC
PEOPLE
ERIC BRUN HYATT HOT OF ELS
13 19:41:28
www.hotelierindia.com
PATIE RELATIONT NS
ROLE OF ACTIVE LISTE IN HEALTHCA RE DELIVNING ERY
CASE STUDY
HOW COLUMBIA USES IT FOR ASIA EFFICIENCY
SPOTLIGHT
Spotlight
coverfina
l.indd
| Marc h
1
2013
SANJAY LAL THE BES BHAI OF ARV IND T BELT. WEJEANS BRANDS LTD HAS SEC URE CRACK THE FORAND OTHERWISE D SOME OF MULA BEH UNDER HIS IND HIS SUCCES S Published
by ITP Publishin
g India
09-05-20
29-04-20
OK
PITAL
ADVANTAGE S OF STANDING MRI OPEN
BSR PLAN S 200 IMAGING CEN TRES
NEW-AGE DESIGNERS
1 | FDD
ER, STARW OOD, ON
IELD HOS
TECHNOLOGY
DEMYSTI FYING THE LEG END
REVIEW HICSA 2013
WHAT IT TAKES RAIPUR: DEV TO GET THE POSITIONIN ELOPMENT G RIGHT PLANS | FOOD TOP Publish ed CHEFS | GM’S DIAR by ITP Publication India Y VINEET MISHRA
NH WHITEF
WOODLA ND SUPPLY ’S NEW STRATE CHAIN BOOST GIES TO BUSINESS
Ritu Kumar
DESIGN
INNOVATION SLEEP SOL S IN UTIONS
Thanks to intuitive deshis sensibility, ign Alfaz Miller known for is consistent his ly
01_ARC_
THE KE Y DRAWIN TO CUSTOM G ERS
SPOTLIGH
ible yet sturd y
>>>FIRST LO
Plus
VM
LIGHTING BY
Energy-savi LEDS ng solution
STRUCTURA L STEEL Flex
13 14:56:24
SUCCESSMULA
FOR HOW PADMA SHR
01_ HCR_MA
Y13_cov
er.indd
1
I DR V MOHAN
HAS REDEFINED
DIABETES CAR
E
For subscriptions, please contact:
James Dsouza Tel: 022-61546032 Email:james.dsouza@itp.com
Hotelier India | June 2013
10
BULLETIN
Market Data...p18
• Reports • Appointments • Analysis • Profiles • Openings
Stephen Albert...p52
A breathtaking sight! Himachal’s first revolving restaurant opens at Naldehra Opening The Chalets Naldehra, a boutique mountain resort located 22 kms from Shimla, announced the opening of The 360 – Top of the world, Himachal’s first revolving restaurant. This octagonal-shaped revolving restaurant, located at the resort, accommodates 24 people. During the day, its floor-to-ceiling glass windows offer breathtaking views of the Naldehra valley and the thick deodar forest. At sundown, to make the experience more pleasurable, guests are treated to an eclectic choice of music. A complete circle of 360° is completed in approximately 15 minutes. Amish Sud, director of The Chalets, Naldehra, while announcing the opening said, “It gives us immense plea-
Medical tourism gets a boost therapy The revolving restaurant gives a 3600 view of the entire Naldhera valley and the deodar forest.
sure to announce the opening of Himachal’s first revolving restaurant. We at The Chalets have always tried to provide a wholesome experience to our guests through our endevours and constantly look for new and inno-
Quick facts
: During the year ended March 31, 2013,TAJGVK Hotels and Resorts Ltd’s total income has dropped by 1% to Rs254.23 crore from Rs255.93 crore in the previous year.
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.
June 2013 | Hotelier India
10-12_JUN13_HI_News.indd 10
“What we do when planning our hotels is to choose energy efficient options, but not at the cost of customer comfort. Lighting should enhance guest experience and not affect it negatively.” Nirupa Shankar, director, Brigade Hospitality
vative ways to please them. We have a wide range of activities to choose from. The 360 – Top of the world, the latest addition to our property, is a one-of-its-kind restaurant, aimed at providing a rare and unforgettable experience. With its spectacular views and a wide range of food platters, this restaurant will give our guests a feeling of being on top of the world.”
“If we do not address genuine challenges of energy, water and waste at the projectdevelopment stage, we will face problems later on.” Chandrashekar Hariharan, executive chairman, Biodiversity Conservation India
Best Western India, announced the launch of Best Western AVN Arogya in Madurai, Tamil Nadu in association with AVN Arogya & Ayurvedic hospital and aims to give a boost to Medical Tourism in the region. Best Western AVN Arogya features 20 tastefully done cottages and rooms. A special feature is the private therapy suites giving the discerning traveller not only privacy but also comfort of home.
Corrigendum The name of Phil McAveety was wrongly spelt as Phil MacAveety in the Cover Story of May 2013 issue. The error is regretted.
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 18:51:32
HOTELIER AD PLACE.indd 80
5/3/2013 11:14:38 AM
Bulletin
12
The French connection Accor hosts FAM trip to Paris for top agents Partnership Accor India jointly organised a FAM trip to Paris with Air France, for ten of the top travel agents from India. The trip was initiated with the objective of educating agents on the many brands that Accor has to offer as well as to update them on the latest products and services. The trip provided an opportunity for the key hotel teams to attain a better understanding of specific requirements of the Indian travellers and explore new business opportunities. The group enjoyed
their stay at the Pullman Paris Montparnasse and visited other hotels under the Accor umbrella including ibis, Mercure, Adagio and Sofitel. The group was also invited to the Accor headquarter in Paris where they interacted with Jean-Luc Chretien, executive VP sales, distribution & loyalty at Accor. The guest-list included Kuoni India Travels, Kesari Tours India, Thomas Cook India, Tui India, International Travel House, American Express India, BCD Travel and Carlson Wagonlit Travels amongst others.
Woman power Self-defense a must for women employees Training In a bid to empower its lady employees to better protect themselves and safeguard against any untoward mishaps, The Grand New Delhi recently conducted some self-defense training sessions for them. The hotel has a large number of ladies on its staff strength and this step was undertaken out of concern and
alarm toward the rising rate of crime against women in the capital city. About 40 team members attended the training, which was organised by Brigadier (retd) JS Soin and Naresh Meena, both from Scimitar Solutions, Jaipur. While the former is a retired army officer with a degree in defence studies and a post graduate diploma in human rights, Meena is a martial arts black belt holder.
The safety of women employees is ensured by training them in martial arts.
A winner, again HICC wins accolades for the fourth time Top Indian agents experience French hospitality in Paris.
Woman of the year
Benita Sharma was given the award for Woman of the Year – ‘India’– Hospitality, in a function held at Hotel Novotel, Juhu, Mumbai. An initiative is supported by Grant Thornton
June 2013 | Hotelier India
10-12_JUN13_HI_News.indd 12
and Ernst & Young as Knowledge Partners, Women Leadership and Innovation Awards is an exclusive conference and awards function to recognise and honour the best of leaders and innovators in business, government, politics, education, society and individuals who have been remarkably considered role models, leaders, innovators, motivators, guides, philosophers and most importantly, have acted as a change agent being a woman.
Award Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) has been awarded the “Best Standalone Convention Centre” for the year 2011-12 by the ministry of tourism, Government of India in a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion Peter Frawley, general manager – delegate, Accor Andhra Pradesh, said, “We are delighted to receive the award and this is indeed a moment of great pride for HICC to win this prestigious award for the fourth time in a row. With the growing MICE tourism sector in India, HICC has established itself as the preferred ‘conven-
Peter Frawley receiving the award in New Delhi.
tion destination’ in India and this award will further strengthen our efforts to position Hyderabad as the convention capital of India.” Hyderabad International Convention Centre is the first purpose-built and state-of-the-art convention facility, the first of its kind in South Asia.
Quick facts
: KLM welcomed all its passengers flying ex-Delhi by KL872 on April 30, 2013 at check-in counters with scrumptious packs of Stroopwaffels and little girls were gifted attractive crowns each to celebrate the biggest and most colourful festival of Netherlands, Koninginnedag or “Queen’s Day”.
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 18:33:12
bulletin
14
With 16 years of experience, Barse joins as the HR Manager at Courtyard by Marriott Pune City Centre. She possesses a flexible approach towards work with excellent organisational and inter-personal skills. Before this, Barse was the manager HR & Training at Royal Orchids Hotel in Pune, where her responsibilities were to handle HR, Administration, Training and Public Relations.
Ratan has been appointed as the Vice President Operations at JHM Interstate Hotels & Resorts to oversee its operations in India at all properties managed by them. He has a career spanning over 25 years and two major chains in India, namely ITC and Taj and has worked in luxury, leisure and business hotels across nine very diverse locations in India and Sri Lanka.
Associate Director Rooms
Neha Saigal
Vijay Sethi Chief Operating Officer
Director Sales & Marketing
Elfa Cleofe
Chef Dubey is known for interpreting cuisine in a modern way. In the new role he will be responsible for engineering the success of dining venues under the executive chef. His experience lists brands like Marriott International Baku and Dubai, Hyatt International Goa, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Maldives, One & Only luxury resort Dubai.
Saigal is a dynamic team leader and a high achiever with dedication towards achieving quality and service excellence. As an associate director of rooms, Courtyard by Marriott Pune City Centre, she brings 10 years of experience in customer service after graduating in Business Administration in Hospitality & Tourism and Diploma in Hotel Management from Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
Berggruen Hotels has appointed Sethi as the new COO, who brings on board a rich experience spanning across 28 years and four verticals of hospitality.Sethi has also been associated with Thomas Cook India Ltd as SVP & head, tour management & customer service, The Intercontinental, The Leela Kempinski, Jet Airways and Asian Heart Institute in various leadership roles.
S S Vijaya Financial Controller
Ayesha Barse HR Manager
The Ritz-Carlton announced the appointment of Chef Anupam Banerjee as the Executive Chef of the hotel, which is set to open in late summer of 2013. A veteran of luxury hotel kitchens, he will be responsible for all the pre-opening stages of kitchen, menu planning and overseeing the daily culinary operations of all 7 restaurants and bars, in-room dining, catering and special events.
With an experience of nearly 20 years, Cleofe will head sales, catering, revenue, public relations and marketing divisions of The RitzCarlton, Bangalore. Prior to this, she opened The St. Regis Lhasa Resort and worked at the Four Seasons Hotels in Tokyo, New York and Philadelphia and the Ritz-Carlton Hotels in New York and Washington D.C.
Kapil Dubey Executive Sous Chef
Anupam Banerjee Executive Chef
Before joining The Orchid, Chef Navid Akhtar was working as executive chef of Sarovar group. He has been associated with the industry for the last two decades and has worked with various cruise liners as well as prominent hotels like The Retreat,Taj Intercontinental and Marine Plaza, Mumbai. He later worked in Abu dhabi and Dar es Salaam, east Africa.
Saurabh Ratan VP, Operations
Navid Akhtar Executive Chef
Movers & shakers
Vijaya has been appointed as the financial controller at Shangri-La’s - Eros Hotel, New Delhi and comes with over 15 years of experience. Prior to this, he held the same position at Trident Agra and has also worked with organisations like The Lalit, New Delhi, Orchid Group of industries, etc. In his current role, he will guide all the financial decisions and will lead the hotel’s finance team.
June 2013 | Hotelier India
14_HI_JUN13_M&SA.indd 14
03-06-2013 18:35:45
people
16
GM’s diary
Taking stock This number driven GM believes that the best way to self-audit a hotel is to blend into the lobby and watch how staff deal with a day Rajat Sethi General Manager Hilton Garden Inn Gurgaon Baani Square
BY raynah coutinho Tell us about the most important guest you have ever hosted. I would list all the Heads of State that I have hosted during my career span, and in particular senior diplomats from Israel, Singapore, Canada and Hungry. What is the most valuable lesson you have learned, vis-à-vis the suppliers and vendors? Deal with the best-known suppliers with absolute no compromise to quality. What is the best thing about your job? The buzzing, multi-cultural working environment and the opportunity to interact with the world’s crème de la crème. The worst thing about your job? The lack of a work-life balance is what pinches the most. Which market or city do you find most exciting as an hotelier? I have only worked in Delhi NCR and I think NCR is a very exciting destination, which still has mammoth potential for new hotels. If not a hotelier, what would you be? I like playing with numbers, revenue and stocks. If not a hotelier, I would have liked to take that forward and aspired to be a financial or stock analyst. What’s the best way for a hotelier to unwind? Sit in your hotel lobby from where you can watch your staff interact with the guests. It is also a learning experience. Your pet peeve, as far as hotels are concerned? No work-life balance. When was the last time you booked yourself for a holiday? Not been on a holiday in the last year. HI
June 2013 | Hotelier India
16_HI_June13_GM Diary.indd 16
King of the castle that does
70%
average occupancy has
230 201 300 18,000 employees
guestrooms
F&B covers
&
sq. feet of banqueting space
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 18:36:18
COMMENT
18
Khajuraho temples remain one of the most popular tourist draws in Madhya Pradesh.
Heart of India
Madhya Pradesh, located in central India, is a tourism destination waiting to be explored
June 2013 | Hotelier India
50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 -
Domestic Tourists in Madhya Pradesh Number of Foreign Arrivals (in Thousands)
government has identifi ed various places of importance with respect to Madhya Pradesh (MP) is located the different type of tourists. in the very centre of India, sharing Madhya Pradesh has a number its borders with the states of Raj- of signifi cant monuments, includasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharash- ing fi ve as part of UNESCO, most tra, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh. prominent of which is the Western Known commonly as the ‘Heart of Group of Temples located in KhaIndia’, MP spreads across an area juraho that drew a total of 350,900 of 308,000 sq. km, it is the second tourists during 2011. The second largest state and the ninth largest most popular monument in the economy in the country. The state is state is the Rani Roopmati Pavilgifted with large natural resources lion located in Mandu, which drew like forests, minerals, including a total of 289,510 tourists. Based on eight important rivers fl ow across the total number of tourists visiting the state. these monuments, 92 per cent tourMadhya Pradesh has a blend of ist is domestic whilst eight per cent signifi cant historic and cultural is foreign. heritage monuments, along with MP has 19 National highways, vast scenic expanses which draw a with a total of 5,344 kilometres number of tourists yearly. During that allow for connectivity to states 2011, the total number of domestic such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtourists was 44.1 million and had tra, Rajasthan, etc. The state has seen a year-on-year growth of 15.9 a total of fi ve operational airports per cent. Similarly, the total number — Gwalior, Khajuraho, Bhopal, of Foreign Tourists was 269,559, Jabalpur and Indore. Of these, and had witnessed a year-on-year Indore and Bhopal are known to be growth of 7.6 per cent. The state the busiest in the state. Indore as of
Number of International Arrivals (in Millions)
BY CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD
2005
2006 2007
2008
2009 2010
2011
Foreign Tourists in Madhya Pradesh
300 250 200 150 100 50 -
2005 2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Source: India Tourism Statistics 2011, Ministry of Tourism
Tourism Type(s)
Places of Importance
Facilities
Cultural Tourism
Gwalior, Orchha, Khajuraho, Sanchi, Mandu
Heritage hotels, Museums Craft villages
Wildlife & adventure Tourism
Pachmarhi, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Panna, Satpura, Pench Valley, National Parks, Tigra Lake (Gwalior), Upper Lake (Bhopal), Gandhi Sagar (Mandsaur)
Log huts, Camping Grounds, Trekking, Water sports Aero-sports, Angling, Cruises, Caravans, Tents, etc.
Leisure & Business Tourism
Pachmarhi, Khajuraho, Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Mainpat, Tamia, Raipur, Jabalpur, etc. Golf Courses, Country clubs
Convention centres, Exhibiton grounds, Shopping, Evening entertainment clubs, Weekend getaways, etc.
Pilgrim Tourism
Ujjain, Maheshwar, Omkareshwar, Chitrakoot, Budget accommodation, Day Amarkantak, Rajim, Sanchi, Bhopal, Orchha, etc. shelters, Cafeterias, etc
Source: Madhya Pradesh State Development Report, Planning Commission of India & Ministry of Tourism Madhya Pradesh
www.hotelierindia.com
COMMENT
20
Luxury Tax Luxury Tax on room rent for INR 2,001/- above applicable to 10% luxury Tax.
Budget Hotels Budget hotels on land provided by MPSTDC from their land bank will be entitled to 10% capital subsidy subject to a maximum ceiling of INR 50 Lakhs. Moreover, 50% subsidy on the upset price of land shall also be provided.
Hotels & Resorts On investment of INR 3 Crores, 25% subsidy subject to a maximum ceiling of INR 75 Lakhs On investment ranging from INR 3 Crores to INR 5 Crores, 20% subsidy subject to a minimum of INR 75 Lakhs and a maximum of INR 1 Cr.
Exemption in Luxury Tax on Bed & Breakfast Units: Units registered under “Bed & Breakfast Scheme”, having a maximum of 5 rooms, shall be exempted from Luxury Tax.
On investment of more than INR 5 Crores 15% subsidy subject to a minimum of INR 1 Crores. and a maximum of INR 1.50 Crores.
Number Of Tourists (in Thousands)
All new hotels in Bhopal & Indore Budget hotels on privately owned land, will be entitled to 20% capital subsidy subject to a shall be exempted from Luxury maximum ceiling of INR 50 lakhs. Tax for 5 years and for 8 years if located in rest of the State. A minimum investment of INR 1 Crore shall be mandatory. Subsidy will be available only when the Budget hotel comprise a minimum of 50 rooms and the tariff of each room does not exceed INR 2,000/- per day.
Visitors to Madhya Pradhesh’s Key Monuments
400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50
Westren group of The place Situated, Burhapur Temples, Khajuraho
Buddhist Caves
Royal comples Mandu
2009
12 10
Indore Air Arrivals
4 2 2009-10 2010-11
2010
Bhuddist Hoshang shah’s Bhojshala and kamal Maula Mosque Monduments,sanchi Tamb, Mandu
Gwalior Fort, Gwalior
2011
450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50
8 6
2007-08 2008-09
Rani Roopmati pavilon, Mandu
2011-12
Bhopal Air Arrivals
2007-08 2008-09
2009-10 2010-11
2011-12
Source: India Tourism Statistics 2011, Ministry of Tourism Source: Airport Authority Of India
Rani Roopmati Pavillion located in Mandu is a pupular destination.
2011-12, had seen 1,112,834 arrivals while Bhopal saw 422,595 arrivals. For both airports, almost 99 per cent of the total arrivals are domestic. Currently the Indore airport, known as ‘Devi Ahilya Bai Airport’ may soon start its own international operations, with preliminary meet-
June 2013 | Hotelier India
ings currently underway with officials such as Changi Airport Group operators of Singapore airport, to explore the possibilities of connecting Singapore with Indore. Due to its location of being a central state, the majority of the northsouth rail lines and some east to west
MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conference & Exhibitions) In Bhopal & Indore large convention centres of more than 1,000 capacity and in Gwalior and Jabalpur medium-sized convention centres with capacity of more than 500 persons are to be constructed. International standard convention centres with a capacity of more than 500 persons shall be entitled to 25% capital subsidy (excluding the land cost) with a maximum ceiling of INR 10 Crores
rail lines pass through the state. The main junctions within the state are in Bhopal, Bina, Gwalior, Indore, Itarsi, Jabalpur, Katni, Ratlam and Ujjain. In order to encourage setting up of tourism projects, the govt. of Madhya Pradesh has provided for the following incentives such as STZ’s (Special Tourism Zones). As per the state government tourism policy of 2012, the following exemptions lie in the STZ space: Exemption from Registration Fee and Stamp Duty for tourism projects. The same shall be refunded by the Department of Tourism after the commencement of the project. Full exemption from Luxury and Entertainment Tax for 10 years Discount up to 75 per cent on prevailing license fee for FL-2/3 Liquor License and the condition of minimum Guarantee shall be waived for 10 years. Exemption from Diversion Premium and Tax. Exemption from Motor Vehicle Tax for fi ve years for a maximum of three vehicles (out of which two should be of 5-seater capacity and one of 12-seater capacity) owned by the project. Furthermore, the state government has given special incentives to other tourism infrastructures, to hotel accommodation and convention centre facilities. They received compliments from the union tourism minister for becoming the fi rst state to have fully
utilised plan funds allotted to them for developing tourism infrastructure across various tourist sites in the state. These funds were utilised for the development of tourist destinations such as Betul, Burhanpur, Chitrakoot, Datia, Handia, Indra Sagar, Maheshwar, Mandasur, Mandu, Vidisha, and Shivpuri, etc. The destinations that will be taken up for an integrated development of tourism infrastructure from 2013-14 onwards will be Bhopal, Indore, Nagod-Maihar, Noorbad, Nemawar, Vindhya Phase-II, etc. During 2011-12, the MoT has sanctioned four new Food Craft Institutes (FCIs) in India, out of which one belongs to Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, showcasing an initiative to develop human resource for tourism in the state. MP tourism has also launched a new advertising campaign as of April 2013, which is the fourth in the series since the fi rst one in 2006. The government has also taken steps towards converting seven government owned forts and about 20 private heritage properties into hotels by inviting private parties to invest in tourism infrastructure. Madhya Pradesh has, over time, designed itself into becoming a major draw for tourists and tourism related projects into the heart of India. With its incentives, its government policies in place, effective use of funds, strong campaigning and recognition, Madhya Pradesh can be seen as a ideal destination for investors in the future. HI
www.hotelierindia.com
Comment
22
Uncensored
Investing in sustainability – a hospitality perspective By Manav Thadani, chairman, HVS India and HVS Sustainability
Numerous investments hold the interest of hotel owners and developers in their efforts to drive bottom line profitability and the underlying valuation of their assets. Some of the more common areas of spending regularly include marketing, property renovations, and FF&E replacements. These areas, intended to drive revenue, are readily comprehensible to a typical financial decision maker and routine to the hospitality milieu. While PNLs and growth statistics (e.g. occupancy percentages, RevPAR, etc.) are easy to compute, sustainability remains somewhat elusive to quantify in the absence of comprehensible industry-wide metrics. As a result, it has either been overlooked or adopted at a surface level as a marketing tool. However, we have found a tremendous level of unrealised potential in sustainability for the hospitality industry. HVS’s Sustainability division has adopted a financially-based approach to sustainability that focuses on reducing utility costs (energy, water, and waste) at hotels and resorts. We accomplish this through improved diligence over hotel operations and delivery of informed, strategic investments in building equipment that translates into utility cost savings in accordance with ownership investment parameters. We have adopted this approach knowing that with the success of a business case for this type of investment in a convincing and empirical manner, numerous corollary benefits will follow. These include, but are not limited to, reduced environmental impact of the business and greater guest appeal, marketing exposure, investor relations, and staff retention. Therefore, by facilitating the creation of significant investment and decision making opportunities, we intend achieving the outcomes of sustainability including growth through the oft-referred balance of people, planet and profit.
The Business Case for Investment Are investments in cost-cutting measures advisable? Yes, the fundamental business case has been proven by applying an engineering-based approach to optimising building equipment and operations. We have observed typical utility line item reductions in the range of 5-30 per cent, translating into increases in gross operating profitability of upto several percentage
June 2013 | Hotelier India
22_HI_June13_HVS.indd 22
points. While the lower end of this range is readily achievable through no-cost or low-cost strategies, the higher end typically requires some level of capital investment into building efficient infrastructure. Unfortunately, there is no ‘single fit’ across all hotels due to the vast diversity in ownership objectives, investment philosophies, building types, locations, and commodity rates among other factors. We have found that the most effective way to encourage owners to invest in their properties is for us to first develop an understanding of ownership goals and objectives and then evolve an investment programme meeting their needs. It is important to note that sustainability applies to both existing assets and greenfield projects. Of particular significance is the lifecycle cost of equipment and technology, which includes not only the upfront cost, but also the savings from reduced maintenance/replacement generated over the life cycle of the investment. Since building equipment is typically a one-time purchase, the savings begin immediately upon installation and commissioning and can be quite significant over the investment horizon of an asset. We have identified numerous projects with a greater than 20 per cent IRR over a typical five-year hold. Other projects have more extended payback periods and lower returns; however, owners should also consider the potential for higher property valuation via income capitalisation of the savings, which can greatly enhance project economics. Benchmarking for a Sustainable Hotel As owners and operators contemplate investment in a variety of sustainability initiatives, the concept of benchmarking a hotel’s environmental performance becomes increasingly more relevant. Benchmarking is defined as the comparison of certain metrics of a property’s performance against that of other hotels with similar physical and operational attributes. Performance is key to understanding consumption, thus, by understanding basic consumption patterns, hotel owners and operators can not only identify the basic potential to optimise utility and operations efficiency at a particular property, but also evaluate performance trends over time. We believe the fundamental metrics of consumption include energy intensity, water inten-
sity, and waste generation/diversion from landfills. We also focus on the quantification of ROI (via identification of simple payback period, IRR, net present value of mutiple investment options), improvements in P&L performance (via utility line item reductions and corresponding improvement in gross operating profiability), and increases in the underlying asset values (via the capitalised value of the savings created), thereby integrating sustainability metrics into the hospitality matrix. Owner Considerations for Investment Since this article covers investment in sustainability initiatives, the conversation would be incomplete without some discussion on associated risks. Throughout the hospitality sector, we have heard of stories from owners who invested in areas with insubstantial returns. We contend that the true optimisation of building performance requires an engineeringbased approach that is delivered by senior-level mechanical, engineering, plumbing (MEP) and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) professionals with considerable experience in an applied hospitality context – minimising the possibility that any recommendations will contravene brand standards or operational requirements, or more importantly, have any unforeseen adverse impacts on the guest experience. Owners and operators, too, should exercise the proper level of due diligence in identification of their consulting teams for building design, construction, and optimisation. Relating to technology and building equipment, the greatest indication of the viability of a new or emerging technology is its performance in the real-world scenario. In our experience, the investment on new technology is typically nominal compared to the potential liability of corrective action for unpromising equipment. The Way Forward We believe that the most practical method of scaling up sustainability across the hospitality community is for fundamental business cases to be repeatedly proven. Success begets success, and we are hopeful that those who have already embraced sustainable development will share the message of its simple business sense, thereby encouraging owners and operators worldwide to seriously consider sustainability as a core business practice. HI
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 18:39:35
People
24
Purchasing unravelled Nitin Nagrale, founder, Hospitality Purchasing Managers Forum spellls out the aims and objectives of this non-profit organisation
W
e train the spotlight on a largely sidelined discipline and its game changers – Purchase. The purchase department is one of the pillars of success for a hotel property. The pressure is constantly on the purchase heads to keep the expenses under control, with a vigilant eye
on the budget and quality. Recognising this fact and taking its role as information facilitator of the industry to the next level, starting this issue, Hotelier India is focusing on the procurement decision makers of the industry. These spearheads will discuss the challenges they face and factors that guide their buying decisions.
HPMF had partnered with AAHAR 2013 to organise an event earlier this year, which was attended by powerbrokers in hospitality.
June 2013 | Hotelier India
24-26_HI_Jun2013_People_Purchasing unravelled.indd 24
This endeavour is assisted by the Hospitality Purchasing Managers Forum (HPMF), an initiative that aims to provide a platform for confluence of buyers from hotels, restaurants, cater-
ing, airline industry and manufacturers and traders catering to the hospitality industry. HPMF was formally launched in November 2010 as a nonprofit organisation. With its launch, HPMF aspires
Objectives of HPMF To bring together and channel the
To create a website of the Association,
wealth of expertise in logistics, purchase and supply chain /materials management. To promote this important area of work and to foster a basis for best practices. To provide a sounding board for change in this sphere and also to make comment and provide recommendations relating to relevant law commission, government department and existing / proposed legislation. To promote green Initiatives to help save the planet. To encourage procurement of high quality and high standard products to upgrade the overall standard of the organisation. To promote training initiatives together with opportunities for those in purchasing /materials management professions to network and share experience and knowledge. To establish a multi-disciplinary association of persons involved in purchasing decision. To enable free exchange of views, experience and advice. To provide correspondence and newsletters to members by e-newsletters and e-mails.
providing information on latest industry updates, promotions, transfers, achievements, vendor data base. To promote lectures, seminars, and similar events, on hospitality purchase for both members and non-members. To provide networking opportunities for members. To liaise with universities / institutes to provide assistance on purchasing management topics. To affiliate with universities / institutes for special courses on the subject. To act as a reference point and sounding board for government, the law commission and others on compulsory purchase issues and proposals. To obtain vendor information like key vendors /new vendors /potential vendors. To obtain product information like new products in the market / substitutes. To obtain a fair amount of information on average industry rates of “A” category products. To utilise collective procurement power resulting in increased profits and to benefit the overall Indian economy.
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 19:17:51
PEOPLE
26
HPMF had parterned with ITPO and HOTREMAI to present a panel discussion on transforming hospitality supply chain management at AAHAR 2013
to link procurement and supply, the vital ends of the procurement chain and organise and streamline the entire process such that it would provide the hospitality industry an opportunity to save approximately 10 per cent of related costs. Nitin Nagrale, who is the founder and general secretary, reveals the objectives of HPMF,
“There are several objectives of this forum. We want to bring together and channel the wealth of expertise in the subject of logistics, purchase, supply chain/materials management; promote green initiatives that contribute to saving the Earth; encourage procurement of high quality and high standard products to upgrade the overall standard of the organisation; pro-
mote training initiatives together with opportunities for those in the purchasing/materials management professions to network and share experience and knowledge; develop purchase professionals in the industry to move to the next level; provide networking opportunities for members; liaise with universities and educational institutes to provide assistance on pur-
ABOUT NITIN NAGRALE Nitin Shankar Nagrale graduated from Mumbai University with a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce. He has obtained a diploma in Materials Management from IIMM, Bangalore, and diploma in Hotel Management in Catering Technology and applied Nutrition from IHM, Mumbai. He has also completed Masters in Marketing Management from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai. Nagrale brings with him an experience of over 18 years of managing procurement and supply chain procedures for hotels like Taj Mahal Palace & Towers, Taj Lands End (The Regent Mumbai), Grand Hyatt Mumbai and The Westin Mumbai Garden City. He was also a part of the pre-opening team at the Grand Hyatt and The Westin Mumbai Garden City. At Starwood Hotels he has represented India, Bangladesh and Nepal
June 2013 | Hotelier India
at the Purchasing Council. He has also worked with Jet Airways, RKHS and Dawnay Day India Land Private Limited. Nagrale has been awarded the fi rst “Business Manager of the year 2001-2002 and recognised as “Best Manager on Duty” at The Regent, Mumbai. He is also been awarded with “Certifi cate of Appreciation” for successfully opening of the Grand Hyatt Mumbai, The Westin Mumbai Garden City and Sofi tel Mumbai BKC. He is working with Sofi tel Mumbai BKC as the director of procurement and was recently sent to Indonesia as part of the task force to set up Sofi tel Bali Nusa Dua.
chasing management topics and to utilise collective procurement power resulting in increased profits and to benefi t the overall Indian economy.” He adds that this is the fi rst time that the hospitality purchasing fraternity has come together and created something like this. This forum is sure benefi t members but also their respective organisations. Consolidated procurement, industry product standardisation, volume discounts, improved professionalism in purchasing process, and development of potential vendors are some of the key elements of HPMF. The forum is looking forward to creating a better purchasing environment by developing knowledge and expertise of hospitality purchasing professionals. It plans to apply latest techniques and updated information to achieve this purpose and intends to set up best practices in the industry. With the implementation of best practices, HPMF wants to ensure overall long term benefi ts for the hospitality industry. HI
www.hotelierindia.com
HOTELIER AD PLACE.indd 80
5/3/2013 12:46:56 PM
COVER STORY
28
WE WERE THE FIRST TO USE DUAL FLUSHING SYSTEM AND THE GREEN BUTTON IN OUR PROPERTIES. June 2013 | Hotelier India
www.hotelierindia.com
29
Param Kannampilly on how ‘green’ grew on him and got successfully translated into a luxury concept BY BABITA KRISHNAN
P
aram Kannampilly is a perfect example of how circumstances shape one’s destiny. The split of Raheja brothers gave birth to Concept Hospitality in 1995 as he decided to “hang up his operational boots and to start a new venture”. (Kannampilly was overseeing Raheja’s hotels division at that time.) As luck would have it, this is when his friend, Vithal Kamath, was looking for someone to build a hotel for him. Kamath went on to join Kannampilly as 50-percent partner and together they built The Orchid in Mumbai. “I thought if we are building something for the future, we must give what the public wants and zeroed down on environment, as this was the most important value for the next generation.” Kannampilly had understood the subject while working with consultants who would reduce, reuse and recycle all material, and decided to create a better product in The Orchid – Asia’s fi rst Ecotel that was externally certifi ed. When
www.hotelierindia.com
he and Kamath decided to split four years ago, Kannampilly bought off Concept Hospitality and started with managing about seven hotels. “Today, after three years, we run about 25 hotels and this fi nancial year we have planned to open 10 more,” he shares.
K
annampilly is a man of very fi rm belief and determination, who thinks that he has been plain lucky in many cases. “I have made some interesting moves in
Being eco-friendly and following sustainable practices is part of the company culture. my life,” he says with a smile. “First was when I joined the catering college Bombay. I decided that, by the end of the course, I will come out as manager. If engineers pass out as engineers and doctors as doctors, why do hoteliers come out as supervisors only?”
Yet his fi rst job was, unfortunately, as a supervisor with the Taj. However, as soon as he joined, an offer to be the acting manager of a hotel in Goa belonging to the Salgaonkars called the La Paz came his way. Not one to miss an opportunity, he took a salary cut of Rs500 and was on his way to becoming a manager. “Neither could I spell the word general nor manager then,” Kannampilly says. But that’s another story. His life went on to take a different turn when he met one of his mentors, who urged him to move on and Kannampilly did. After gaining experience as a banquet manager, F&B manager and GM at the Connemara, owned by the Spencers, he decided to move on when the property was sold to Taj. This time, Kannampilly wanted to earn some resort experience. Fariyas gave him that for the next fi ve years as the executive director of both the Lonavala and Mumbai properties. “I had put in approximately 15 years of operations by then, and had had enough of it. I decided to get into human resources because I felt operational excellence could not
Hotelier India | June 2013
COVER STORY
Talking Green
COVER STORY
30
The Fern Residency,Vadodara.
be achieved without proper human resources and, unless an organisation has a good HR backbone, it cannot be successful,” he says. One of the reasons why Kannampilly wanted to get into HR was that, in all these years, many of his ideas were not implemented properly as the people were not skilled enough to execute them. This is where Captain Nair stepped into his life again! (Captain Nair of Leela Hotels & Resorts had asked Kannampilly to join him some years ago during his southern sojourn.) He joined The Leela, Mumbai, as general manager, human resources, and was allowed a six-month sabbatical to lead HR and put training programme and policies in place. “Then the sales director resigned so I was put in charge of sales and was looking after sales and HR of The Leela Group and later become in charge of the Goa property,” he reveals. After three-and-a-half years of this rollercoaster ride, he joined Rahejas for the next fi ve years.
C
onversations with him reveal that, for Kannampilly, being eco-friendly and sustainable are not just a business proposition. They go beyond that. “They grow on you,”
June 2013 | Hotelier India
Kannampilly with son Suhail, who is VP-operations in the company.
WE REINFORCE POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR – WHEN ONE GOES BEYOND HIS LINE OF DUTY TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE SUSTAINABILITY MISSION, HE EARNS A POSITIVE STROKE. he responds, “In 1997, if someone wanted to grow a brand for the future, there were only three positions available in the industry. One was ‘professionalism’, which was ruled by The Oberoi; next was ‘hospitality’ that was synonymous with The Taj; and the third was ‘cuisine’, which meant ITC. So there was no position available for anybody else. Hence, I decided to create a fourth position – revolving around the environment – and took leadership there.” With the spread of environment awareness, it wasn’t diffi cult to fi nd like-minded people for this business plan. “I explained the benefi ts and people I worked with wanted to be a part of this. Also, what helped was that it was a one-off activity for them, not their main business, and
www.hotelierindia.com
31
A guestroom at The Fern Club, Jaipur.
www.hotelierindia.com
28-31_HI_Jun13_coverstory.indd 31
cover story
they wanted to be distinct,” he says. As two of his properties earned LEED certification, how much importance does he lend to it? “Certain principles are good, but we have not modified it for Indian standards and that remains a grey area,” he replies. And what about going green? “I call it ‘greenwash!’ Green has become fashionable. A lot of brands are not able to motivate people who are working with them. It is easy to get IGBC or LEED certification because, at that stage, the people involved are builders, architects and consultants. But later, to get your people to follow is a challenge,” Kannampilly says. This is the reason why Concept Hospitality has training and monitoring programmes in place. “We have the philosophy and the culture built into the hotel so that they can be followed. We hire people for enthusiasm and skill and then they are inculcated with this philosophy,” he adds. Green teams at each property and people working on the floor are empowered to raise the flag to the highest level if something goes wrong at the property. “Even a utility boy can approach the GM!” Kannampilly says. The company reinforces positive behaviour and has a scheme called ‘positive strokes’ that works well. When anyone goes
Fern Residency, Rajkot.
beyond his line of duty to contribute towards the sustainability mission, he earns a positive stroke. During his Lonavala stint, Kannampilly got to understand why most good ideas fail. “You have to get people involved in your dream,” he quips, “Though easy to say, it is one of the most difficult things to do. Communication is not easy. You have to encourage positive behaviour in the employees/ teams. This is very important to us and a lot of emphasis is given to this,” he concedes. Concept Hospitality has a learning centre that not only trains new people but reinforces and upgrades knowledge of senior employees regularly. “Many of the programmes have been developed by us and our career development programme is very original and shapes careers,” he says. Taking the business of sustainability beyond hotel projects, Kannampilly, who believes in community involvement, wants to educate everyone and explain the benefits of being sustainable. This also includes vendors as they are given purchase guidelines. “We ask vendors to follow these guidelines and share the savings with them,” he says.
M
eluha, the flagship property of the company in Mumbai, has a very ambitious project – Advanced Locality Management (ALM) programme – where the waste management of entire Powai neighbourhood will be taken care of by the property. “It is a huge exercise under the leadership of Puneesh Sharma, the area GM, and Renu Menghrajani, who heads the green team. Though many societies have come forward to join us and we are doing lot on that front, there is still a long way to go,” Kannampilly shares. Under this programme, citizens feel responsible for the cleanliness of their locality. Kannampilly is keen to take this programme further, across all areas in Mumbai, so that “We can have an annual competition for the best ALM in the city. This will motivate people.” So what would be the pillars of his company? “Concept hospitality, which is a management company, has experienced manpower in each field and that is our main strength; our owners are the next strength; and then come our on-ground teams. We don’t claim to be the best, but these three strengths have kept us in good stead. In fact, I have people who have worked with me for a decade and more,” Kannampilly shares.
He is disturbed by comments at every forum about the paucity of good workforce in the industry. He feels that one needs to train and motivate one’s employees and groom them into the culture of the organisation. “At Concept Hospitality, we grow people,” he says. As a veteran, where does he see the industry and his company in the next five years? Kannampilly believes that the industry is likely to become one of the largest employers of semi-skilled and skilled labour and Concept Hospitality will have an upward growth chart with nearly 45-50 hotels in the next three to five years. “We will become a brand to reckon with. I was pleasantly surprised that we featured in an HVS survey of owner’s preference of brands in India. And to get on that list within three years of operation makes me very happy,” he shares. “India might not be a global leader in hospitality, rates or professionalism – not yet – but we can take a position on environment,” says Kannampilly. “It is a question of the position that is available.” If the formula used by this hotelier is anything to go by, green can be more than just a need of the hour. It can also be a successful luxury concept. HI
Hotelier India | June 2013
03-06-2013 18:44:06
Cover Story
32
Meluha The Fern has won several awards for the various eco-friendly measures it has employed.
Meluha The Fern Summary of savings using energy-efficient products Sr No
Description of energy saver product for energy saving
Saving per year in kWh
Savings per year in Rs
1
Guest room fitted with energy efficient PL/CFL/LED
1,74,549.71
12,21,847.97
2
Common utility area replaced by energy efficient PL/CFL/LED
110717.97
7,75,025.5
3
By suing natural lighting in the restaurants during day time
26,167.31
1,83,171.18
4
Dimmerstat in restaurants and banquets
88,805.23
6,21,636.61
5
ECO button feature on the master control panel (pamba) for AC control in the rooms
1,01,616
7,11,372
6
Heat recovery system connected in A C plant using DE Super Heater Condenser
14,44,328.3
10,10,298.1
7
STL (storage thermal latent heat) installed in AC plant
7,59,20
1,33,54,320
TOTAL SAVINGS
7,22,104.52
1,78,77,671.36
Water savings after implementing different steps Sr. no
Description of water savings employed areas
Saving per year In KL
Savings per year in Rs
1
guest rooms, public area showers, taps and WCs, back wash system
12,445.444
7,56,683
TOTAL SAVINGS
12,445.444
7,56,683
June 2013 | Hotelier India
32-36_HI_Jun2013_Lead story Meluha-cast study.indd 32
All rooms have the green button that helps in conservation.
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 18:48:55
Cover Story
34
PAMBA panel ECO button Planning, replacements and rearrangements, is how they achieved the target of energy savings. As widely quoted, energy savings is equivalent to energy produced. Look at the benefits both in terms of kWh and in Rs is the best way to quantify the savings. If a guest opts to use the ECO button on the panel say from 26 deg C to 28 deg C, the water saving per hour will be 1,620 litres. To simplify it, here is the calculation. Water flow per hour
3.6 GPM x 3.75 ltr x 60 min x 2 deg C = 1,620 liters (kcal/h).
watts required to heat/ cool the said quantum of water (to heat / cool 1 litre of water it requires 1.163 watts)
1,620x 1.163 = 1,884 watts x PF 0.85= 1,601 watts And 1,620 Watts/1,000 watts =1.6 kWh
Savings in Rs
1.6 kWhx rs 7 /unit = 11.2 /hr
If the guest use ECO mode for 6 hours then the savings would be
1.6 kWh x 6= 9.6 kWh
Average a) At 70 % occupancy b) 30 % guest use Eco button c) Savings
Total number of rooms 141 a) 98 rooms b) 29 rooms c) 29 X 1.6 x 6 = 278.4 units/day
Savings per year in kWh
1,01,616 kWh/year
Savings per year in Rs
Rs 7,11,312
Chillers are automatically adjusted based on external temperatures.
Meluha achieves energy conservation through state-of-the art automation systems at all levels.
Awards Today’s Traveller Award for Best Environment Friendly Hotel 2011 7th Hospitality India & Explore the world Annual international Award for Best Environmental Friendly Hotel -2011 TATA Power Energy Conservation award Architect & Interiors Award 2012 (Editor’s Choice – Hospitality & Leisure Project) Best Learning & Development Awards 2012 for The Best Environmental Organization Golden Peacock Awards - Golden Peacock Eco-Innovation Award Asian Learning & Development Leadership Awards 2012 for Green training Award 8th Hospitality India & Explore the world Annual International Awards -Best Environmentally Friendly Hotel -2012 African Learning and Development leadership Awards 2012 for Green Training Award - Learning with the Environment in Mind in Mauritius Travel Brand Awards in association with NDTV for Best Green Hotel Tata Power Energy Conservation Award - Second Prize in HT commercial sector Best Premium Business Hotel of The Year Award by 5th Golden Star Awards Nishant Pawar has won Chef of The Year Award by 5th Golden Star Awards Best Sustainable Hotel in India 2013 from Asia Pacific Hotel Awards Meluha has installed several energy- efficient products.
June 2013 | Hotelier India
32-36_HI_Jun2013_Lead story Meluha-cast study.indd 34
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 18:49:29
Cover Story
36
The Green Team of the property.
Heat recovery system connected to AC plant
Cleaning drives are a part of the ALM.
Process involved
Savings Calculations
Water temperature
25 deg C Heating upto 50 deg C
For conserving as hot water
25 deg C and more is required
Hot water consumption per day
16,000 litres
Total energy consumption
25 deg C x 16,000 = 40,000 Kcal/day
To heat / cool 1 litre of water it requires 1.163 watts
16000 x 25 d C x 1.163 x 0.85/1000 = 395.42 kWh/ day
Total energy savings per year
395.42 x 365 = 144328.3 kWh
Total savings in Rs per year
144328.3 x 7 = Rs 1010298.1 (Rs7/ kWh
Power Saving by using STL for AC plant Sr No
Initial reading
Final reading
Total kWh
Tariff rate
Energy Consumption
A
STL Charging + load meter with chiller
1885.99
1999.21
2115.2
4.45
9412.64
B
Only STL
1985.15
1985.99
134.4
6.2
833.28
C
Only Chiller 1
1450.95
1452.36
225.6
5.7
1285.92
Only Chiller 1 &2
1452.36
1457.35
798.4
5.2
4151.68
Only Chiller 1
1457.35
1460.51
505.6
6.2
3134.72
Only Chiller 1
1460.51
1466.18
907.2
4.45
4037.04
Only Chiller 1
1999.21
2001.77
409.6
5.7
2334.72
D
Power consumption by charging and Discharging the STL (A+B) = (9412.64 + 833.28) = 10245.92 Thus Yearly saving in Rs by using STL for AC plants is Rs13354320
June 2013 | Hotelier India
32-36_HI_Jun2013_Lead story Meluha-cast study.indd 36
Power consumption by Operating the Chiller (C) = Rs12609.36 Power consumption by Operating the Chiller (D) = Rs14008.32
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 18:50:00
Consumer connect initiative
38
Bedbugs – a resurgent pest These tiny mites can be a major health hazard if not gotten rid of quickly a room which has bedbugs is most
requires fi nding and identifying the
dressed is the bed itself. Bugs usu-
likely to be the only room infested
bugs themselves.
ally do not nest on beds unless they
in the home. Only when their main
While the insecticide treatments
are made of wood and have a lot
source of food disappears will they
are done, there are certain important
of cracks and crevices for conceal-
pack up to move! Bedbugs can hide
pre–treatment responsibilities. Re-
ment. These cracks and crevices are
in tufts, seams, folds of mattresses,
ducing clutter is a necessity. Infested
most common where head and foot
bed covers, window and door cas-
bedding and garments will need to
boards attach to side railings. There
ings, picture frames, posters, wallpa-
be bagged and laundered (120°F
could also be seams where supports
pers, cracks in plaster or paint, base
minimum) or discarded since these
for the box spring are mounted to
boards and partitions, baggage,
items cannot be treated with insec-
the side railings. Headboards could
furniture cracks, wall cracks, curtain
ticides. Smaller items that cannot be
have inlaid wood or moldings which
seams, bed springs and sofas used
laundered can sometimes be de-
are loose. Bedbugs will readily crawl
for sleeping.
infested by heating. Bedbugs also
into such seams. All such places need
Bedbugs usually bite while peo-
succumb to cold temperatures be-
to be properly inspected for design-
sleep
ple are sleeping by piercing the skin
low 32° F, but the chilling period must
ing any treatment schedules.
tight and don’t let
and engorgement takes about three
be maintained for at least two weeks.
Remember, the eggs are usually
the bedbugs bite.
to 10 minutes, yet the person seldom
Vacuuming can be very useful
well hidden and even a strong vacu-
This grandmother’s
knows they are being bitten. Symp-
for removing bugs and eggs from
um is not likely to dislodge them from
Ravi Chandra Pest application specialist, Diversey India Pvt. Ltd.
G
ood
night,
bedtime
warning
their grip. If you fi nd any evidence of
may make a comeback if bedbug
bedbugs in the mattress or the bed
infestations continue to escalate.
frame, you should resign yourself to
Infestations have been reported in
treating it at least three times over
hotels and motels, houses and even
the next month. There are two rea-
in hi-end hospitality chains. Unlike
sons for this. First, there is no product
the cockroach, which thrives on un-
which can kill the egg. Hence, hidden
kempt environments, the bedbug is
eggs will probably hatch in a week
an equal-opportunity pest, invading
or so. Follow up treatments insures
swish hotels with the same fervour
these new young are not able to es-
it lends to fl ophouses. Though gen-
tablish themselves. Secondly, even
erally associated with fi lthy living
if you do a great job – both treating
conditions, they can be brought into
and vacuuming, it is very likely more
any environment and are very good
eggs will be laid in the week follow-
at hiding.
ing your initial treatment by females
International travel and commerce
that are missed during the rest of the
are thought to facilitate the spread
treatment.
of these insect hitchhikers, because
The cryptic, mobile nature of bed-
eggs, young, and adult bedbugs
bugs limits their prevention. Avoid-
are readily transported in luggage,
ance is especially challenging in ho-
furniture.
toms, thereafter, vary with the individ-
mattresses, carpet, walls, and other
tels, motels and apartments because
They infest airplanes, ships, trains and
ual. Some people develop an itchy
surfaces. Pay particular attention to
occupants and their belongings are
buses and are most frequently found
welt or localised swelling, while oth-
seams, tufts and edges of mattresses
constantly changing. This affords
in dwellings with a high rate of oc-
ers have little or no reaction. Unlike
and box springs, and the perimeter
many opportunities for the bugs to
cupant turnover. It only takes one
fl eabites that occur mainly around the
edge of wall-to-wall carpets. After-
be introduced. Owners should be
female, which has fed to start a local
ankles, bedbugs feed on any bare
wards, dispose of the vacuum con-
wary of acquiring secondhand beds,
infestation.
skin exposed while sleeping. The
tents in a sealed trash bag. Steam
bedding and furniture. At a minimum,
The common bedbug, Cimex lect-
welts and itching are often attributed
cleaning of carpets is also helpful for
such items should be examined
ularius, is the species most adapted
to other causes such as mosquitoes.
killing bugs and eggs that vacuuming
closely before being brought into
to living with humans. Though bed-
For these reasons, infestations may
may have missed.
the home. Although incidence of
bugs can travel and will move 5-10
go unnoticed, and can become quite
There are several products which
bedbugs is increasing, they remain
feet easily to get a good meal, they
large before being detected. Con-
should be used and the use and
rare in comparison to most other
prefer to live immediately adjacent
versely, it is important to recognise
where you use them will depend
pests. Familiarity may help to avoid
to any good food supply, like a bed
that not all bites or bite-like reactions
primarily on surfaces being treated.
infestation, or at least prompt earlier
which has people sleeping. In fact,
are due to bedbugs. Confi rmation
The fi rst area which should be ad-
intervention by a professional.
clothing,
bedding,
and
June 2013 | Hotelier India
www.hotelierindia.com
case studies
40
The green initiative
Lemon Tree builds hotels like these according to LEED standards and environment-friendly practices.
Small steps by top hotels lead the way towards being eco-sensitive BY BABITA KRISHNAN
W
ith the mercury rising water and power scarcity has hit the country hard and how. As the need to be eco-sensitive gains momentum, we look at a few initiatives taken by hotels, which could serve as easy examples. The Oberoi, Mumbai has effi-
June 2013 | Hotelier India
40-50_HI_June13_feature_Green.indd 40
cient systems in place for the management of water resources, reveals executive VP Devendra Bharma, “Apart from the usual, we also use water from STP for cooling towers. Sensors and flow restrictors notwithstanding, area-wise metering of water consumption is undertaken to determine areas of high usage and initiate further conservation methods.” Patu Keswani, CMD,
Lemon Tree Hotels, shares that they use approximately 30 per cent of the recycled water from STP in the garden and flush systems. “We also have rainwater harvesting and auto flush for public urinals in place,” he adds. “Our hotels are designed and operated with zero waste-water discharge,” reveals Sunil Relia, VP, engineering, The Leela Palaces, “To reduce site disturbance,
green area provided is 25 per cent more than the local norms and species selected are of native/ adaptive nature to reduce water consumption. We have efficient rainwater harvesting (RWH) system to recharge site aquifer through recharge pits to reduce storm water run-off volumes post development and these pits are cleaned and maintained periodically,” he elaborates.
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 18:54:58
CASE STUDIES
42
A
number of tools are used to control energy consumption and enhance energy efficiency — integrated room automation system, VRV technology for air conditioning, HRV with thermal enthalpy wheels, LED lighting in public areas, etc. “We have the world’s most energy efficient and lowest emissions Trane CenTraVac chillers in air-conditioning systems. Their energy consumption is as low as 0.57 KW per ton. The hotel also uses halon-free fire extinguishers and chimney stack heights are
maintained according to Pollution Control norms,” explains Bharma. At Lemon Tree hotels, many steps are underway to bring down power consumption or use renewable energy (wind power is being implemented in a phased manner at the Chennai property followed by Aurangabad and Pune). “Reducing power consumption is a key priority. Our hotels are designed so that entire floors can be shut down if demand drops (unlike others, our AC and water lines are horizontal). We also use other techniques and
alternate sources to save energy. For example, Key Tag Energy Saver System, Solar Panel for hot water, Wind Power and many more,” says Keswani. In light of its commitment towards prevention of pollution and continual improvement in environmental performance by controlling the impact of activities, products and services on the environment, all Leela hotels adhere to save 10 per cent on energy cost year on year reveals Relia, “We recognised the importance of alternate power source and established
Lemon Tree uses coded garbage bins for efficient solid waste management:
Organic: Green Yellow: Glass White: Paper Metal: Grey Blue: Plastic Red: Hazard
wind mills in Karnataka. Incidentally, we are working on introducing solar power generation at our Bangalore hotel,” he adds. The Oberoi practices benchmarking for energy consumption in day-to-day operations, “Sub-meters monitor, target and control power consumption for strategic areas. Energy benchmarks for daily operation volumes of various departments have been set, and performance is monitored on a daily basis. The benchmarks are reviewed quarterly for further scope of improvement. Energy audit has been conducted and methods of improving energy efficiency are being implemented,” Bharma elaborates.
SOME INITIATIVES ATB (Automatic Tube Brushing)
systems for chillers enhance efficiency by 20% MBR (Membrane Bio Reactor) technology for STPs where 95% of water is recovered for cooling towers, flushing systems and irrigation requirements Thermal storage system for airconditioning systems Constructing rain-harvesting pits Energy efficient hydro Kneumatic system with variable frequency drive to maintain water pressure in guest rooms.
Lemon Tree intends to retain its competitive advantage of best-in-class business model.
June 2013 | Hotelier India
40-50_HI_June13_feature_Green.indd 42
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 19:21:35
GERMANY
case studies
44
Patu Keswani
Sunil Relia
T
The Oberoi, Mumbai, saves energy through the following additional measures: ►Electronic ballasts for all fluorescent lighting are 30 per cent more energy efficient, produce less flicker, less audible ballast noise and also less waste heat. ►Osram low voltage Halogen Reflector Lamps in guestrooms that give 40 per cent energy savings. ►Use of LEDs result in an approximate energy usage reduction of 15 per cent. ►Glass windows have two layers of 4mm clear annealed glass with a 0.76 mm Poly Vinyl Butyl film
June 2013 | Hotelier India
40-50_HI_June13_feature_Green.indd 44
between each of them and an air gap of 40 mm. These reduce solar thermal heat gain and cut down noise pollution. ►Washbasin taps are fitted with flow controllers rated @ 6 litres per min and the showers with those rated @ 15 litres per minute. ►The hotel has an active Energy Conservation Team with members from each department that meet every fortnight to monitor progress on initiatives implemented and plan new initiatives.
he Oberoi, Mumbai has undertaken waste management programmes that save material, resources, energy and money. “Different kinds of waste are separated and disposed of suitably,” says Bharma, “All printed stationery, after being screened and processed, is reused as note pads, for photocopying, facsimile printouts and posters for internal use.” The vegetation waste is shredded, and used for making compost at The Leela, polythene bags used for plant propagation are re-used after the plants are transplanted, used engine oil lubricates wheels of hand carts, and trolleys and banquet set-up garbage is handed over to an agency that builds huts and sheds for poor people Relia explains. Engaging guests in conservation efforts can work quite well. Standard operating procedure of changing room linen, individual control over lighting systems and thermal comfort, electronic dimmers with mood lighting in all guest rooms, No
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 18:56:00
case studies
46
carried out in late 2008 by a professional company for the property and their recommendations to reduce energy consumption were duly implemented.
E
Devendra Bharma
Jean-Michel Casse
Smoking zones, etc. are some steps in this direction. Following certain norms and strictures right from construction stages can also help in conservation in the long run, says Bharma. Things like maintained Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) during construction and before occupancy as per Sheet Metal Air Conditioning National Association (SMACNA) guidelines, ventilation systems as per ASHRAE 62.1 – 2004 Std and monitored through CO2 sensors connected to BMS, using low-emitting adhesives, sealants, paints and composite wood, using environmentally-safe and bio-degradable products for housekeeping and kitchen would be some. “We have a ‘Green Team’ comprising of HODs that conceptualises and implements innovative ideas to conserve energy and preserve the environment. We have planted trees and tree guards around the hotel and their maintenance and upkeep is also our responsibility,” says Bharma. A comprehensive energy audit was
June 2013 | Hotelier India
40-50_HI_June13_feature_Green.indd 46
mployees are deeply involved in the eco-friendly cause at Accor, which is a major supporter through its sustainable development programme. Planet 21 represents Accor’s commitment to being a better corporate citizen and ensuring sustainable development at its more than 3,500 hotels worldwide. With this programme, Accor places sustainability at the heart of its business strategy and makes 21 ambitious commitments to environmental and social sustainability with concrete targets for 2015. These targets include 15 per cent reduction in water consumption, 10 per cent reduction in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and a total ban on endangered seafood such as shark’s fin from hotel menus by 2015. To qualify as a Planet 21 hotel, properties must meet certain criteria, such as installing low-flow water regulators and energy efficient light bulbs, implementing recycling programmes and offering healthy meals. After just one year, 60 per cent of Accor hotels meet these minimum criteria, up from 24 per cent last year. Accor has a colour-coded system to help monitor hotel performance. The system, based on four performance levels (bronze, silver, gold and platinum), guides and encourages Accor hoteliers as they implement more sustainability measures. “With Planet 21, Accor Group has decided to take sustainable development to new heights. We aim to reinvent the hotel industry on a sustainable basis by mobilising our employees, guests and partners to actively contribute to the cause. Accor India understands the pressing needs of its environment. Driving the Planet 21 initiative, all Accor properties in India are taking part in sustainable development activities. The programme is already witnessing Accor’s employees and guests mutually contributing back to the environment successfully. Accor is proud of the commitment
On the 1st anniversary of Planet 21 in April, Accor properties across India undertook various activities:
Celebrating with planting trees and setting up STPs.
of its employees who, through their actions have made this project a reality with a shared goal of preserving the planet for future generations,” says Jean-Michel Casse, senior vice-president, Accor India. Lemon Tree, on the other hand, drives sustainability through three pillars — People, Planet and Profit. “We want to build an organisation of highly engaged, productive and diverse professionals who find opportunities to give back to society. We recruit hearing and speech impaired people who will make 10 per cent of the workforce by end 2013,” explains Keswani. They will reuse, recycle and replenish the resources used by building hotels to LEEDs Silver and Gold standards, and through environment-friendly practices in general. By doing this, Lemon Tree will be the most cost-effective hotel company in India, he claims and promises that it will retain the competitive advantage of best-in-class business model — lowest costs, superlative service delivery and revenue maximisation.”
1 Setting up sewage treatment plants 2 Power saving initiatives like Earth Hour, introduction of motion sensors, etc. 3 Sapling plantation 4 Lake cleaning 5 Encouraging employees to travel to work on bicycles
The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts is committed towards prevention of pollution and continual improvement in environmental performance. This is done by controlling impact of activities, products and services on the environment by providing training and education to stakeholders including employees, suppliers, vendors, customers and society. “We are committed to reduce landfill and increase the recycling ethos of social, environmental and economical policies; to achieve a three per cent decrease in energy consumption year on year. Suppliers with the best eco-friendly products are chosen for various consumables, tools and machinery,” says Relia. (The case study underlines some innitiatives). With increasing concerns of environmental damage, the hotel industry has to play an important role in changing the perception of wastefulness. Steps taken in the direction of environmental maintenance will help build trust in the brand and involving guests will cement the relationship with them further. HI
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 18:56:24
case studies
48
The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts
The Green Wall celebrates the eco-friendly commitment.
The Leela group of hotels’ endeavour is to be environment-conscious and the green message is reinforced through a foundation on renewable energy source of how energy resources can be more efficiently and effectively managed through the innovative designs in future trends. In order to achieve this, various technologies have been adopted.
Grease Trap The automatic grease removal process takes place daily in the case of timer-based systems and before the trap is 10 per cent full in sensor-based systems. This automatic grease removal process relieves the burden of measuring grease levels and either hand scooping grease out of small passive traps.
June 2013 | Hotelier India
40-50_HI_June13_feature_Green.indd 48
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 18:56:55
YOUR CORPORATE IDENTITY, DESIGNED, DEVELOPED AND MADE BY ...
Contac us : Corporate sale corporate@lecoanethemant.com 00 9112 44 76 86 00
Lecoanet Hemant India(P)Ltd. Gurgaon - 122002
LH
CORPORATE
case studies
50
Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) Sewage treatment is a multi-stage process to renovate wastewater before it is applied to the land or is reused. Leela has Ion Exchange Sewage Treatment Plants for treating the hotel waste water. The quality of the treated water is maintained as per the standards of Pollution Control Board.
Rainwater harvesting systems Rainwater across the property will flow towards drain by gravity. Instead of throwing it outside the premises, rain harvesting pits are being used for increasing the water table by charging the rainwater to the ground.
To encourage efficiency in standby power source, steps by The Leela at the New Delhi property include:
Dual Fuel Gas Generator – 1900 KW
Organic waste converter.
Effluent Treatment Plant All waste water from kitchen and laundry is collected in grit chambers where grease is separated. Heavy particles, which sink to the bottom are removed at regular intervals. Then water flows to an aeration tank where bleaching powder, ferric chloride and copper sulphate are added. It then passes through a multi-layer filter before it is stored and used in the hotel garden and fountains. Excess grey water is used on local agricultural land. Energy & Water consumption of The Leela Palace New Delhi Description
Year 20111-12 (Actual)
Year 2013-14 Year 2012-13 (Budgeted / (Actual) Estimated)
Electricity (KWH)
12602880
11860290
10230500
Piped Natural Gas 366534 (Laundry was out699913 (SCM) sourced initially for 7 months)
540005
HSD (Liters)
45190
21490
18800
Water
125005
123486
110500
June 2013 | Hotelier India
40-50_HI_June13_feature_Green.indd 50
Efficiency increases quite considerably Ability to function on natural gas as well as on pure diesel Quick change-over of fuel Very flexible fuel system
Innovative air conditioning – BROAD – 824 TR Lowers dependency on electricity supplies Reduces energy costs Improves system reliability Cuts greenhouse emissions Uses water as the refrigerant, no ozone depletion or expensive leak detection systems Very few moving parts, quiet operation and less maintenance Avoids need of a separate boiler, saving money and space in the plant room Optimise efficiency and keep maintenance to a minimum Optimum efficiency and reliability with continual improvement in technology
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 18:57:26
HOTELIER AD PLACE.indd 80
1/30/2013 3:33:40 PM
case studies
52
Committed to sustainability With sustainability as its mainstay, Honolulu-based architectural firm WTAG includes environment in its hospitality projects says Stephen Albert
Lobby of The Leela Palace, Bangalore, allows ample room for natural ventilation.
W
ith more than 100 projects under its belt and having worked in over 160 countries and territories across six continents, WATG has a design presence probably second to none. Many of WATG’s projects have become international landmarks, renowned not only for their design and sense of place but also for their bottom-line success and sustainable ethos. Stephen Albert, vice president WATG, shares his commitment to being sustainable, creating eco-friendly designs and educating his clients towards embracing these solutions. Having worked on many hospitality projects in India, Albert feels that, “There is awareness about sustainability and environmental concerns. I ask almost every client/owner that I meet, on how strong are his feelings on sustain-
June 2013 | Hotelier India
52-53_HI_Jun13_case studies_sustainability.indd 52
ability and they all claim that it is very strong and they embrace it, but somewhere it stops at getting a certification,” Sustainability is a very serious matter at WTAG and goes beyond just embellishing, as there are many aspects that the firm looks deeply into. “It all boils down to how far does the owner want to go and if he really wants to do it then they would hire not just a sustainable architect who is passionate but also a consultant who would lead them to the LEEDs accreditation,” explains Albert. Globally the awareness is much more and steps are being taken to reduce the carbon footprint, in India it is still fairly a new phenomenon. It could almost be called a fad as not all owners and developers understand the importance of what they are committing to or that it is the needof-the-hour, something that every-
Stephen Albert
one needs to contribute to. Albert shares his Indian experience. “I think in India, people are aware but don’t know enough and there certainly is more that they need to learn. They are still to realise that if they embrace sustainability, they would have much larger savings than what they
imagine. Many aspects of sustainability are related to making savings, and if done well, it will bring value to the property. It may not make money in the short term, but if you invest in certain systems, in the long term their running costs are less and make better return on investment. And some of these solutions are fairly simple,” he reveals. Having worked on projects like Taj Falaknuma and The Leela Bangalore and Goa, Albert feels that there is much to learn from the historical architecture of India. He specially mentions The Leela Bangalore, which according to him is an interesting project “since it is designed like an Indian palace and there are some great learnings and design ideas one can get from vernacular architecture”. The open verandah, which has been converted into an open lobby allowing breeze to passes through;
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 18:59:11
53 case studies
an extensive garden area, where the greenery naturally cools the air before it moves into the lobby so that one doesn’t need air-conditioning; etc. are some of the ethnic ideas WATG adopted into the architecture here. “A lot of owners think that if we do not wash the towel every day we have done our bit, but that is not enough. It is not important to get a LEED certification, the real thing is what they do to actually conserve resources, make a better building, and guests enjoy knowing about that and feel better about staying in an environmentally-responsible hotel,” Albert shares. While in Europe, there are recycling bins everywhere which are used judiciously, however, in India, it is not a part of the culture. “I find people throwing things on the road and many times instinctively bend to pick up some trash so casually dumped by the guy walking in front of me. There needs to be a wider education and awareness where everybody
Taj Falaknuma follows ethnic architecture which is sustainable by nature.
realises the cost to the environment. There is a long way to go,” he feels as there is a gap between being aware and actually practicing sustainability. “I had a client who took me to Egypt and we went to look at a site along the river Nile that gets flooded. So there was this amazing landscape and I was really taken in by the natural
beauty of the place and the owner was very keen to do a green resort there that would be fully sustainable. I thought it was fantastic and loved the idea. And then, he finished his cola and threw the can into the water! These are the challenges that we face,” he smiles. While WATG has been designing in India for a considerable
time now, Albert doesn’t claim to understand the Indian ethos and mind set, “But I can safely say that I have a better grasp of it now than what I had when we first started,” he admits. HI We present two case studies by WATG that were a part of Stephen Albert’s presentation at Hotel Build 2013.
The D’HOOGE brand is synonymous with a wide range of high-quality, highly productive and economic washer extractors for heavyduty laundries. Our expertise is based on more than 50 years in business and a number of patents, such as the single motor drive system with more power and reduced downtime.
GO TO www.dhooge-laundry.com FOR MORE INFORMATION
The D’HOOGE product range consists of open pocket washer extractors and split pocket washer extractors, with capacities ranging from 57 kg up to 290 kg.
For further info, please contact Ghassan Majdalani (Director International Sales Middle East/Africa/India Subcontinent) PHONE +1 920 748 4448 | MOB. +1 920 216 2931 | FAX +1 920 748 4564 | EMAIL ghassan.majdalani@alliancels.com
Alliance Int. bvba | Nieuwstraat 146 | 8560 Wevelgem | Belgium | TEL. +32 56 41 20 54 | FAX +32 56 41 86 74 | info@dhooge-laundry.com
ad-dhooge(201x132).indd 1
52-53_HI_Jun13_case studies_sustainability.indd 53
11/01/12 11:52
03-06-2013 18:59:15
Case Studies
54
Haptik Sustainable Suite Client
US Green Building Council
Size
Sustainable hotel suite concept 20’ x 20’ model room
Services provided Architectural design Interior design
Associate architect IDEO
Awards
Awarded Sustainable Suite Design Competition winner by USGBC WATG’s design solution was the winning entry in the USGBC international design competition.
Fresh breeze filtered by fragant herbs and linen curtains at the greenery-swathed outdoor lounge.
Challenge
Solution
The design challenge was to redefine how a high-performance, energy-and-resource-efficient hotel suite should look and function. In a sustainable suite design competition sponsored by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) in conjunction with the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), entrants were challenged with developing hospitality design strategies that boast environmental responsibility while enhancing guest experience. Judging was based on three overarching categories: Design Elements (water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality), Education (guest room attributes and guest practices) and Overall Design (integrated design approach, originality and innovation, general aesthetic and financial feasibility).
The WATG/IDEO team created “Haptik” (a Greek term meaning to experience interactions) based on a sense of touch and created a juxtaposition between sustainability and luxury by redefining the guest experience without sacrificing either ideal. Among the innovative winning strategies were the many energy-reducing features such as an “all-off” switch to ensure lights are automatically turned off based on passive infrared sensors (PIS) and room conditioning equipped by a four-pipe horizontal fan-coil system. Additionally, water use was also key in reducing environmental impact, as the Haptik suite includes a Trombe wall in the shower that captures solar heat to warm the shower water and a graywater irrigation system that filters and recycles shower water to outdoor gardens and landscaping. A&I
June 2013 | Hotelier India
54_HI_JUN13_Case Study-1.indd 54
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 19:00:19
HOTELIER AD PLACE.indd 80
03-06-2013 19:42:29
Case Studies
56
re_inhabit, Tomorrow’s Hotel European Hotel Design Competition Client
Arup Sleeper Magazine
Services provided Architectural design Interior design
Awards
Awarded Tomorrow’s Hotel winner by Arup and Sleeper Magazine
WATG’s design solution was the winning entry for “Tomorrow’s Hotel”, a new category in the European Hotel Design Awards competition.
Challenge
Solution
The design challenge was to explore conceptually what tomorrow’s hotel will look like and how it will be influenced by the city of the future, by focusing on sustainable places, spaces and product innovation. Entrants were encouraged to introduce new products or services and showcase their thinking and design skills to a new audience.
The WATG created re_inhabit, a lightweight system of modular building components that can be configured to create the guest room, walls, bed platforms, shelves, desks, and benches. The blocks are made from local sustainable sources, timber, or recycled materials. The square shape allows the blocks to be configured easily to suit the space they inhabit. The components are also light enough to be hand-carried, so they can be assembled, dismantled, and transported without the use of cranes or heavy machinery — ready to be regenerated as tomorrow’s hotel once again.
June 2013 | Hotelier India
56_HI_JUN13_Case Study-2.indd 56
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 19:01:06
suppliers
58
Outdoor furniture... p62
Ops&Services
• News • Events • Awards • Movements • Launches Eco-friendly kitchens... p67
That’s the spirit! 21 Constellation Stars Launched at Delhi Duty Free Launch Delhi Duty Free, India’s largest duty free retail space at T3, IGI Airport, New Delhi, has become the first duty free in Asia to exclusively launch a rare and exquisite collection of The Dalmore’s finest whiskies. Named The Dalmore Constellation Collection, this range includes some of the world’s rarest single malts. Created at Dalmore’s Scottish Highland Distillery from 1964 – 1992, these shining star single cask whiskies have been chosen from the darkest warehouses. The collection consists of 21 individual expressions, which have spent
their lives maturing in the finest casks from around the world before being bottled at natural cask strength and natural colour. The Dalmore has released only 20,000 bottles, 4,000 a year, under the Constellation Collection banner, and Delhi Duty Free Services (DDFS) will house one bottle of each of its sub-brands to begin with at their shops. Arun Barathi, COO, DDFS, said, “We have always been conscious of the evolving choice and tastes of our travellers and are confident that our patrons will be happy to have the opportunity to purchase such rarer unique malts first from this exceptional collection”.
All for a good cause Ecolab helps raise funds for NRAEF Event Ecolab (ECL), the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that protect people and vital resources, helped raise more than $130,000 for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) through a silent auction at the 11th Annual Ecolab Chairman’s Reception, held in conjunction with the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago. A trusted partner at more than one million customer locations, Ecolab delivers comprehensive solutions and on-site service to
June 2013 | Hotelier India
58-60_HI_Jun13_Supplier News.indd 58
promote safe food, maintain clean environments, optimise water and energy use and improve operational efficiencies for customers in the food, healthcare, energy, hospitality and industrial markets in over 170 countries. Proceeds from the event will support NRAEF’s ProStart® programme and provide scholarships for students seeking to build a career in the restaurant and foodservice industry. NRAEF is a philanthropic foundation with a goal to enhance the stature of the restaurant industry. The NRAEF’s focus is to attract, develop and retain a career-oriented professional workforce and to create a more positive
business climate for the restaurant industry. Over the last 11 years, Ecolab has raised over $1.3 million for NRAEF and the ProStart programme through this annual event. “Talented young people bring new energy and fresh perspectives to the restaurant and foodservice industry,” said Ecolab chairman and CEO Douglas M Baker Jr. “Through the ProStart programme and other educational initiatives, the NRAEF helps ensure the industry’s continued vitality.” Baker presented Denise Marie Fugo, chairwoman of the NRAEF board of trustees, with a cheque for $130,370 on behalf of Ecolab and event attendees.
Nerolac’s Mobile Application Nerolac Color Style is a user-friendly application and it offers variety of services to the users. One could pick a colour, using the Fandeck of around 1,500 Nerolac Paints shades or from their picture and build various combinations – Monochromatic, Analogous or Complementary. It allows one to experience the appearance and touch of a room’s colour combination before the paint is applied. In addition, one could also learn about the basic principles of vastu and how it helps their homes. The app also offers these features: Pick a Colour, Virtual Painter, Colour Combo Guide, Product Range, Store Locator, Professional Painting Service, Healthy Home Paints, Expert Advice, Updates, Calculator for approximate paint and budget, Connect with Nerolac’s website and social network sites, Facebook and Twitter, and Game. Nerolac’s mobile app is available on Android-based smart phones. The same can be expected in other smart phones too. One could download the app using key words like Nerolac Colour Style, Home Painting and Colour Combinations in their app-stores. *Designed and Developed for Nerolac by Robosoft.
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 19:02:12
suppliers
60
A power-packed promise This genset promises to be India’s most cost-effective Launch Cooper Corporation, an engine major, launched its three-cylinder, 62.5 KVA and 82.5 KVA, Generators under the brand name “Cooper ECOPACK” at the Power Gen Exhibition in Mumbai. A cost-efficient and silent revolution, this genset is not only eco-friendly with low fuel consumption but is also light weight and small in size. It meets the US and European emission norms. Years of in-house research and the technical collaboration with Ricardo, UK, culminated in the launch of the Cooper ECOPACK genset. The range is powered by Cooper three-cylinder engines with four valves per cylinder, and centrally placed injector with a peak firing pressure up to 210 Bar. These engines come equipped with builtin lube oil cooler, hydraulic tappets with roller follower and cylinder
Cooper ECOPACK launch at the Power Gen Exhibition.
head cast in compacted graphite iron (CGI). Commenting on the launch, Farrokh N Cooper, CMD said, “The three-cylinder engines series enjoys a unique position among other diesel power genera-
tors in India. This will set a global platform for Cooper Corporation. It owes this distinction to several outstanding features and benefits like 25 per cent lower fuel consumption, 25 per cent smaller in
size, 40 per cent lighter in weight, 42 per cent saving in maintenance cost and several times quieter.” Cooper Corp’s Eco Pack could be used for homes, farm houses, bungalows and hotels.
Two days of focusing on fire safety and security IFSAI 2013 is set to bring together the experts and industry professionals on the issue Summit Indian Fire, Security And Integration Summit 2013(IFSAI Summit 2013), taking place from June 20 to 21, 2013 at the Taj Lands End in Mumbai, is a two-day summit focusing on fire and security and will bring together experts and industry professionals to discuss and deliberate the drivers and challenges, to strengthen the relationships and forge alliances. It will not only serve as a platform for knowledge sharing but will also help to focus on growth opportunities for stakeholders
June 2013 | Hotelier India
58-60_HI_Jun13_Supplier News.indd 60
and give a clear perspective on the future trends and opportunities in the industry. Fire safety and physical security are critical societal requirements and need to claim their rightful place in our national agenda. Direction setting and training in these areas is a critical area and FSAI aims to play a central part in the nation’s quest towards a safer environment for all. Some of the highlights of the event are: ► Knowledge partner Frost & Sullivan on the Industry outlook ► Two day seminar: Day one with focus on Fire and day two with
focus on Security ► A two-day exhibition ► Two-day
training session by Factory Mutual Global FSAI was set up to facilitate business and trade in safety, fire protection and security engineering as a non-profit organisation under the Societies Act of 1975. It has also set about the task of implementing high ethical standards among its members and to spread the awareness of life safety to the society at large. The primary objective of the association is to act as a catalyst for growth of the fire protec-
tion, safety and security services including the safety equipments manufacturing industry in India. Other goals include promotion and application of contemporary global practices and developments in Fire Safety and Security systems enabled through a network of similar associations across worldwide. The association wants to establish life safety and security as an important human obligation in the economic development of the country and use this as an index for future investments and growth of the nation to become a world leader.
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 19:02:32
operations
62
The alfresco welcome With guests showing preference for alfresco options, the need is to focus on outdoor areas
Outdoor solutions from Loom Crafts.
Voyage daybed from Idus.
By Shweta Shridhar
H
otels are supposed to be restful and rejuvenating destinations, about good food, luxurious stay and great ambience peppered with attractive furniture. Furniture enhances the whole atmosphere of a place and the right kind of furniture complements the interiors. This is true, especially in the hospitality industry, where every nook and corner has to spell beauty and warmth. “The aim is to provide our customers with choices in colour, comfortable designs and durability. For this, we keep
June 2013 | Hotelier India
62-66_APR13_HI_outdoor furniture final.indd 62
This option from World Bazaar marries function with form.
searching the best in the world for our Indian clientele,” shares Randip Dhinga, owner World Bazaar. Furniture must be a perfect blend of form and function. Outdoor areas are gaining popularity as people prefer spending more time in the open. Architect Sanjay Puri says, “Outdoor furniture has become as important as interior furniture in hotels today. Urban lifestyles keep one indoors most of the time and when people go on a holiday, they tend to spend a lot of time outdoors especially by pool sides and if the weather is good, in outdoor seating areas of the coffee shop or bar, if they are
Vania, a poolside option form Abaca.
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 19:06:09
HOTELIER AD PLACE.indd 80
8/3/2012 12:50:09 PM
operations
64
“Outdoor furniture is not just restricted to tables and chairs, it also includes planters, rugs and sculptures that add to the aesthetics of any space. Even poolside furniture like the deck-side tables and lounges, formal and informal sitouts cater to various gatherings of people and their requirements. Not to forget party furniture like outdoor bar counters, bar stools are a huge market by themselves,” asserts architect Bhavya Kenkare, who has ordered Vondom Furniture from Milan for her recent project. She adds, “With the foreign market opening up, a lot of imported outdoor furniture has stormed the Indian market where currently money is no constraint for the client. These stylish and unique pieces of furniture are available in avantgarde styles for flexible usages.” Crafted from quality materials, brands offer collections that will appeal to the unique style and design of hotel and resort environments.
Sanjay Puri
Lolah sofa from Idus makes for a good sit-out seating arrangement.
Photograph courtesy Bhavya Kenkare.
Bhavya Kenkare
Galaxy of Stars boasts of an aesthetic outdoor area.
innovation, technique and materials, which are far durable, stylish and apt for the hospitality sector,” shares Sameer Hora, MD, Idus. Shabnam Gupta
available. Even business travellers tend to use outdoor areas in good weather, if they are well sheltered.” It is, thus, important that outdoor areas of hotels and restaurants be decorated with comfortable furniture, soft lights and plants that set the ambience to inspire exclusive memories. There are several kinds of commercial outdoor furniture available in the market to choose from, but making the right selection can be difficult. “Outdoor furniture is no longer a wicker of rattan or plastic furniture. It has come way ahead in terms of design
June 2013 | Hotelier India
62-66_APR13_HI_outdoor furniture final.indd 64
O
ver the years, outdoor lifestyle has evolved beyond the cold, hard and uncomfortable wrought-iron furniture laid over typical landscaping. “The boom in the hospitality industry has resulted in a lot of competition which, on the other hand has instigated hotels, clubs, resorts and other hospitality units to go beyond just service and food, and extend a comprehensive experience to guests. These simple basic facts have created a lot of opportunities for us at Loom Crafts, a name synonymous with innovating trend-setting concepts for ultra-chic outdoor lifestyles,”
shares Rahul Jindal, MD, Loom Crafts India Pvt. Ltd. Considering the tropical climate and dynamic weather conditions of India, there is a huge demand for furniture that requires less maintenance while sustaining vagaries of weather. Parasols, chairs, dining sets, bars, swings, lounge sets and sofa sets are some options and they feature cutting-edge design that appeal to both, commercial and residential customers. Modular seating is in vogue while modern wicker outdoor furniture and outdoor living products with tropical patterned cushions help create a classic Caribbean theme. Metal outdoor furniture sets lend a modern look with clean lines and bold designs and more classic design pieces are inspired by the English garden appeal.
A
hotel’s functionality defines its need. If the decor is modern, then modern wicker outdoor furniture such as sofas, love seats, coffee tables, reclining chairs and side tables are perfect. To set up an outdoor kitchen or poolside dining area, aluminium outdoor furniture sets make the ideal choice. “The most important thing to keep in mind is the weathering of furniture in the outdoor, hence it is advisable to limit the choices to maintenance-free weather proof options which are not necessarily the most aesthetic options but are functional. It is equally important to select furniture as per the natural flow of the decor,” says designer Shabnam Gupta. It is important to consider the hotel’s outdoor furniture goals, the types of entertainment activities, space availability, any landscaping schemes, and how all this will blend with the hotel’s interiors. Selection of outdoor furniture depends hugely on the design theme of the hotel. Every structure has its own theme and interior concept. Sanjay Puri informs, “We are designing all our hospitality projects with north-oriented outdoor
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 19:06:35
Randeep Dhingra
Guests prefer to sit out at Oceanic designed by architect Sanjay Puri.
Sandeep Hora
spaces as extensions of the lounge lobby, the bar, coffee shop and in some cases, the rooms too, opening into small balcony spaces. Outdoor areas generally provide spaces to lounge or relax in and in response to this the furniture needs to be extremely comfortable. The look and feel must integrate with the design of the space it is being used for and should seamlessly extend the ambience of the interior design.”
L
oom Crafts offers one of the largest varieties of all-weather outdoor furniture ranging from hand-woven wicker, fully-uphol-
June 2013 | Hotelier India
62-66_APR13_HI_outdoor furniture final.indd 66
Photograph courtesy Shabnam Gupta.
Rahul Jindal
Idus offers international brands which are eco-friendly and best suited for outdoors; it includes Sika Horsnaes from Denmark and Kenneth Cobonpue from Philippines. Sika has come to symbolise understated luxury and elegance in rattan and wicker furniture, while Kenneth Cobonpue is highly acclaimed for his organic collections. They use water-based or bio-based products that eliminate the use of volatile organic compounds (VOC) Alfredos in Mumbai designed by Shabnam Gupta. that are found in many traditional glues and finishes. stered and luxurious teak. The The imported range at World recently launched four new neo- Bazaar offers contemporary modern wicker design ranges fea- designs, using indigenous raw ture architectural lines and clean materials such as rattan, wicker, finishes. The other ranges include iron, seagrass, abaca and handLoomTex (anti-staining and abso- made paper. It is made of synthetic lute water repellent), Outdoor wicker and using Sunbrella (Paris) Teak Furniture collection (classic fabric for upholstery which is 100 timeless finishes and original wood per cent acrylic and has a five-year finishes), Teak Furniture Range warranty for colour fade and is UV (requires zero maintenance and is and water-resistant. Scolaro Pararesistant to weather conditions and sols from Italy are built with strong UV rays). Loom Crafts also pro- marine varnished Iroko wood vides an extensive range of patented frame and powder-coated anthracommercial umbrella systems and cite steel components. The canopy parasols to create the perfect shade is woven from a highly durable Tefand comfort all year around. lon-coated Dralon acrylic. Through
Photograph courtesy Sanjay Puri and Associates.
operations
66
this customisable system one can turn the outdoor spaces into a year round hospitality environment. Dutch brand — 4 Seasons Outdoor — gives the freedom to choose from aluminium, textilene or all-weather wicker furniture in a variety of styles, from the traditional to contemporary. Fermob have chairs and tables featuring distinctive lines and forms which combine the lightness and resistance of aluminium, the comfort of curved seats and the practicality of stackable frames. Alexander Rose UK has been making a wide range of quality Garden Furniture which includes dining sets, lounge sets, sunbeds, swings and exotic daybeds. SaVeri®, the reputed German outdoor furniture brand offers aesthetically designed center tables, fire tables, planters, dining tables and chairs with special newly discovered material MARECO® — which is cement, sand, granite reinforced with natural fibre. The surface polish is the transformation of the old Venetian wall plaster technique. It is the most contemporary look available in the world market today. “The rate of growth of outdoor furniture demand in the Indian hospitality industry has been phenomenal. As more and more hospitality units are opting for maximum space utilisation, which includes transforming the outdoors areas including patios, roof-tops, backyard spaces into a revenue generating module, this change has been greatly broughtabout owing to international trends and concepts. In all global trends have seeped into Indian hospitality cultural thereby opening doors to a vast spectrum of opportunities for the outdoor furniture industry,” concludes Jindal, as Loom Crafts has worked with some of the top hotel brands from across the globe. Ultimately, the style and class of the furniture and fittings utilised inside any hotel gain merit purely based on the external presentation it showcases. Thoughtfully designed outdoor hospitality products can create lasting impressions — adding chutzpah to success of the hospitality industry. HI
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 19:06:59
67 operations Kitchens are the biggest energy consumers in a hotel.
Recipe for savings To seriously cut down operating costs, incorporate sustainable ideas into your kitchen By BABITA KRISHNAN
T
he food service industry is buzzing with the idea of ‘going green’. As the earth’s resources are strained and rising costs continue to squeeze profits, implementing environmentally friendly practices has become a responsible and smart business strategy. Even if the environment were not an issue, going green would still save you a lot of money on utilities in the long run. An upgrade to energy-efficient equipment can almost halve your energy usage, and local governments and utility companies encourage the use of ‘Energy Star’
www.hotelierindia.com
67-70_HI_Jun13_Operations.indd 67
qualified equipment. Taking steps to conserve water can save you a surprising amount of money on your bill. Studies show that using energy-efficient equipment and green cleaning supplies with no hazardous chemicals, improves worker productivity and health by reducing heat levels. Consumers are more aware of their impact on the environment than ever before. If you want to retain your existing customers and attract new ones, you need to go green. The initial cost of greening a kitchen is far less than the cost of losing your customers. The amount of energy and water use, and waste production in food service makes it one of the least sus-
tainable industries. Commercial kitchens pollute the air, water and soil simply by operating. Rajat Rialch of HPG Consulting feels that the focus is slowly shifting to designing kitchens with equipment that minimise consumption of electricity, gas and water, “With rising utility rates, it impacts operating budgets and profitability,” he says.
W
ater is the scarcest natural resource and it is essential to monitor its consumption. It is estimated that machine wash uses about 1/8th the water as compared with hand wash. Meiko (Asia) Techcentre has been actively promoting the use of pot and dishwashing machines instead of tra-
ditional hand wash systems. “We are pleased that our constant effort has created positive awareness and dishwashing machine is now almost standard equipment in all hotels, commercial kitchens and large institutions,” says Virendra Dutt, managing director & CEO, Meiko (Asia) Techcentre Pvt Ltd. Dishwashers use less water, and within dishwashing technology, Meiko has recently introduced the M-iQ machine, which further reduces water consumption by over 40 per cent as compared with standard dishwashing machines. Lower the water usage, lower is the consumption of detergent and rinse chemicals. Meiko claims that its chemical saving systems in con-
Hotelier India | June 2013
03-06-2013 19:08:25
operations
68
Food preparation accounts for 35 per cent energy consumption in a kitchen
veyor machines reduce detergent consumption by up to 80 per cent. Installing low-flow pre-rinse spray hoses and taps is another way to keep water consumption low.
T
he second scare resource, after water, is energy. Reducing energy consumption in the kitchen
is not as difficult as one might think. Rialch recommends investing in appliances that flaunt the Energy Star emblem and informs that gas ranges have low efficiency (about 30 per cent), “Induction is the need of the hour as it saves energy.” The new offering from Halton – Marvel is a demand-based system that con-
The Marvel system is designed to drastically cut energy costs.
June 2013 | Hotelier India
67-70_HI_Jun13_Operations.indd 68
Studies reveal that
62 %
diners would prefer
to eat at an eco-friendly establishment sumes only as much as is required to be consumed. With this system, built-in infra-red sensors identify specific functional hot equipment and accordingly send signals to adjust the fan speed. “This system has helped various installations across the world in bringing down energy costs by more than 50 per cent as compared to the conventional kitchen hoods. Lower exhaust rates would mean lower air conditioning requirement, which is where the major savings come about. Besides the savings on airconditioning cost, lower investment cost initially on lower sized fan and ducting is also a plus,” reveals Jestin
Antony, managing director, Halton India Pvt. Ltd. “The first installation of the Marvel system combined with our range of water wash hoods in India is at ITC Mahabalipuram owned by Adyar Gate Hotels Ltd, due to open end of this year,” he informs. Another huge energy guzzling activity is of heating water. To achieve optimum hygiene, as specified by HACCP standard, it is essential to heat water up to 85oC for effective sanitisation of food service items. “Meiko machines are all energy efficient and offer 10-30 per cent power saving, depending upon the model,” reveals Dutt. Besides that, it’s important to perform preventive maintenance of the refrigeration systems on a regular basis to ensure they consume less energy. “This can be achieved by maintaining clean evaporators and condensers, replacing worn door gaskets, repairing door closers and checking refrigerant charge,” Rialch points out. Also, replacing regular lighting fixtures with efficient ones and installing intelligent water heaters will further reduce the energy consumption. “First effort should be to maximize natural light in the kitchens while planning. Easy to read
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 19:08:30
The new SelfCookingCenter® whitefficiency®
The standard for Indian and Western cuisine
up to
400
portions Yellow Daal in 35 minutes.
The patented HiDensityControl® – the reinvention of cooking quality
30 % more capacity* less energy up to 70 % consumption* up to
* compared to traditional kitchen without Combi-Steamer.
You can grill, bake, roast, steam and much more in just one single unit. The operation is child’s play. You get generations of cooking experience at your fingertips. You select food, define result. That’s it! Visit our RATIONAL CookingLive event. Reservations under www.rational-online.in or call our office in Gurgaon +91 124 4635865.
OPERATIONS
70
Rajat Rialch
Virendra Dutt
'AS RANGES HAVE LOW EFlCIENCY APPROXIMATELY
and accurate thermostats and condensing water heaters with central processing units should be considered,� he adds.
I
n any kitchen environment as of now, the exhaust system works at 100 per cent capacity throughout the day. It is here that innovation is needed to bring about energy savings. Halton’s integral designed ventilation canopies and ventilated ceilings are equipped with patented innovations that reduce maintenance costs and hygiene hazards. Demand-Controlled Ventilation (DCV) is the way forward, where the exhaust runs only when cooking is happening and stops when cooking is done. This is done automatically and monitors each equipment, not just each hood. The M-iQ has an air-conducting system that retains and utilises the energy within the machine. “Also, the M-iQ heat recovery module often makes a direct exhaust air connection unnecessary. Even the smallest machine has insulated panels
June 2013 | Hotelier India
%NERGY #ONSUMPTION IN +ITCHEN !REAS s &OOD 0REPARATION s (6!# s 3ANITATION s ,IGHTING s 2EFRIGERATION
The induction equipment advantage
s %NERGY EFlCIENT s )NSTANT ADJUSTMENT s .O WASTED HEAT s #OOLER KITCHENS s ! COOL STOVETOP s 3AFETY s #LEANLINESS
to minimize latent heat radiation in the warewash environment. This has a positive impact on performance and load of HVAC system,� Dutt explains.
F
ood waste management is also receiving attention in the past couple of years since waste disposal is a huge challenge. Soon regulatory policy will make it mandatory to consider an effective waste handling and disposal system; but it has many advantages. The kitchen staff
does not have to carry waste manually. Instead, it can be collected collected in a place and converted into bio-gas/electricity or organic compost, solving disposal problems and creating wealth from waste. “Meiko is constantly working towards a clean world – our commitment and contribution is to the people and environment,� Dutt promises. Incorporating sustainable ideas in your kitchen is a recipe not just for impressing customers but also for boosting your bottom-line. HI
www.hotelierindia.com
Our footprint in India Published on 3rd of every month. Posted at Patrika Channel Sorting Office, Mumbai-400001, Posting date: 5th & 6th of every month
ET
Total number of pages 52
Total pages 48 Volume 1 | Issue 4 | May 2013 | `50
RetailToday Total pages 58
MAY 2013 | VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 5 |`50
RIGHT FROM THE HEART OF THE INDUSTRY
Published by ITP Publication India
Vol. 5 | Issue 5 | May 2013 | ` 50
Published by ITP Publishing India
Embracing modern thinking Published by ITP Publishing India
ELECTRICALS TODAY
MORE POWER TO THE INDUSTRY
PATIENT RELATIONS
>>>FIRST LOOK
T&D
NH WHITEFIELD HOSPITAL
ROLE OF ACTIVE LISTENING IN HEALTHCARE DELIVERY
SMARTENING UP TO SMART GRIDS
TECHNOLOGY ADVANTAGES OF OPEN STANDING MRI
HE KNOWS WHICH WAY THE WINDBLOWS
CASE STUDY
HOW COLUMBIA ASIA USES IT FOR EFFICIENCY
SPOTLIGHT
BSR PLANS 200 IMAGING CENTRES
HYDRO
When Ramesh Kymal, chairman, Gamesa India and PROJECTS IN OSCAR-WINNER RESUL POOKUTTY RIPS APART OLD SCHOOL IDEASTROUBLED OF SOUND DESIGN IWTMA, says wind energy WATERS will scale new heights, you SPOTLIGHT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW can take his word for it ANALYSIS Avatar producer Jon Landau on the future of film-making
Registered with Registrar of Newspapers under RNI No. MAHENG/2012/46040, Postal Registration No. MH/MR/N/242/MBI/12-14, Published on 27th Total number of pages 48 of every previous month. Posted at Patrika Channel Sorting Office, Mumbai-400001, Posting date: 30th & 31st of every previous month
What makes cloud computing a compelling proposition?
ET
An ITP Publishing India Publication
Multi-path routers redefine broadcast workflows
Innovations showcased at NAB Show 2013
Total pages 48 Volume 1 | Issue 4 | May 2013 | `50
OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, SCORES OF MALLS HAVE SHUT DOWN AND MANY OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE STRUGGLING TO FIND THEIR FEET. WE TALK TO INDUSTRY LEADERS TO FIND A WAY OUT
Registered with Registrar of Newspapers under RNI No. MAHENG/2011/37959, Postal Registration No. MH/MR/N/154/MBI/2013, Published on 5th of every month. Posted at Patrika Channel Sorting Office, Mumbai-400001, Posting date: 7th & 8th of every month
TOTAL NUMBER OF PAGES 68
Manufacturing YOUR DECISIVE TOOL FOR MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE
ELECTRICALS TODAY
VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 4
SS ULA E C SUC ORM F
F
ADMA HOW P
SHRI D
RVM
AS RE OHAN H
DEFINE
D DIAB
ETES C
ARE
Registered with Registrar of Newspapers under RNI No. MAHENG/2008/33387, Postal Registration No. MH/MR/N/146/MBI/13-15 Published on 30th of every previous month. Posted at Patrika Channel Sorting Office, Mumbai-400001, Posting date: 3rd & 4th of every month Total number of pages 68 `50
E N GAG I N G C O N S T R U CT I V E R E A D E R S WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.IN
PUBLISHED BY ITP PUBLICATION INDIA
MAY 2013 | `50
MORE POWER TO THE INDUSTRY
ERP
T&D
HE KNOWS WHICH WAY THE WINDBLOWS When Ramesh Kymal, chairman, Gamesa India and IWTMA, says wind energy will scale new heights, you can take his word for it
LENDER’S ENGINEER
OPTIMISING PRODUCTIVITY, ENHANCING PROCESSES
SMARTENING UP TO SMART GRIDS
SHOULD YOU HIRE ONE?
OPERATIONS NEED FOR STRUCTURED
COMMENT
LEARNING TO PLAN FROM OTHER KEY CITIES
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
RESOURCES HOW SHOPFLOOR DYNAMICS
HYDRO
PROJECTS IN TROUBLED WATERS An ITP Publishing India Publication
ROADS & HIGHWAYS
CASE STUDY
ARE CHANGING POSITIVELY
PLAYING BALL
As Panasonic aims for the top slot globally, the Indian market has become very important in its new scheme of things. India President Daizo Ito explains why
SWITCHING TO THE FAST LANE
IGI - T3 TERMINAL
ROOFING
ON SITE
LACK OF STANDARDS HAMPERING GROWTH
Making of the Mughal Road
WHEN COST PRESSURES ARE HIGH IN US & EUROPE, THEY ACCELERATE THEIR ASIA PLANS VINAYAK SHENDKAR, FAURECIA INDIA
Godrej unlocked From locks to building blocks, Godrej has come a long way. Pirojsha, MD of Godrej Properties, is determined to build on the group’s legacy and take the real estate business to towering heights
Published by ITP Publishing India
Total number of pages 90 Total number of pages 52
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
Volume 1|Issue 1|May 2013|`50
Total pages 84 Volume 5|Issue 5|May 2013|`50
Plus
Published by ITP Publishing India
FOCUS LIGHTING BY LEDS
Energy-saving solution STRUCTURAL STEEL
Flexible yet sturdy
PLUS
ROUNDTABLE
Inspiration by design
Thanks to his intuitive design sensibility, Alfaz Miller is known for his consistently good work
MILLER INSTINCT
VM
WOODLAND’S NEW SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGIES TO BOOST BUSINESS
www.hotelierindia.com
SPOTLIGHT
THE KEY TO DRAWING CUSTOMERS
UPDATE ON INTERNATIONAL CHAINS ENTERING INDIA
DESIGN
Ritu Kumar DEMYSTIFYING
INNOVATIONS IN SLEEP SOLUTIONS
THE LEGEND
PEOPLE
ERIC BRUN OF HYATT HOTELS
Spotlight NEW-AGE DESIGNERS
IT’S ALL IN SANJAY LALBHAI OF ARVIND LTD HAS SECURED SOME OF THE BEST JEANS BRANDS AND OTHERWISE UNDER HIS BELT. WE CRACK THE FORMULA BEHIND HIS SUCCESS
1 | FDD | March 2013 Published by ITP Publishing India
THE BRAND
REVIEW HICSA 2013
PHIL MCAVEETY, CHIEF BRAND OFFICER, STARWOOD, ON WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THE POSITIONING RIGHT Published by ITP Publication India
MARKET DATA RAIPUR: DEVELOPMENT PLANS | FOOD TOP CHEFS | GM’S DIARY VINEET MISHRA 01_FDD Mar13_coverfinal.indd 1
09-05-2013 14:56:24
01A_HI_May13_Cover.indd 1
29-04-2013 19:41:28
For subscriptions, please contact: James Dsouza Tel: 022-61546032 Email:james.dsouza@itp.com
Operations
72
Power savers Simple and effective ideas drawn from everyday that could inspire energy conservation By Ravindra Kumar Singh
T
hose wanting to conserve energy can learn a lot from the Income Tax (IT) Department of our country. This massive departmentfinds it impossible to keep track of the earnings of each citizen. So, the trick that IT officers use is to only focus on people with very high incomes. This ensures best utilisation of resources available with maximum returns. Similarly, an engineer looking to cut energy consumption must concentrate only on top energy guzzlers in his establishment. Once, these are under control, he can then move down the ladder. However, like that work of the IT department, this task, too, is not a one-time affair but a constant effort, which then gives consistent results. Another example is that of doctors. We go to a doctor not only when we are unwell, but also for annual health checkups. The doctor checks us, orders tests and depending on the reports, pre-
June 2013 | Hotelier India
72-73_HI_JUN13_Technology.indd 72
scribes medicine. He then asks us to take the medicines, and keep a record of certain parameters, which he then checks and depending on them, either modifies the dosage or changes the medicine. Now, for good energy conservation, we must adopt the measures Income Tax officers and doctors have been following. If we tabulate the monthly bills, we will find that the total value is almost in the order indicated as follows: electrical consumption, followed by fuel costs for boiler and generators, water consumption and cooking gas. So we need to monitor consumption of these and find out the biggest offenders, so priority can be given to them.
P
ower meters come in handy to monitor consumption pattern as they can record consumption in different locations and of different parametres including KWH (which is the most important), in real time. These meters, when connected to a central system, can help monitor consumption from various loca-
tions. They track power consumption on a 30 minutes-basis through the day, helping you understand peak and low consumption periods. They also give you an extensive base for comparison in future, which is important and not generally available. The system also tabulates the data, so you can segregate information in different areas for easy identification. The areas normally chosen are: HVAC; exhaust and ventilation systems; guest room power consumption; banquet area power consumption; kitchens; cold storages; and, pumping and water systems. The system tabulations should be customised to give power consumption in same area, date wise, making it easy for you to compare and monitor the consumption. It also indicates areas with increased consumption, helping you can look into that specific area. One of the biggest consumers of power is the chiller for HVAC system and it is very critical to monitor and evaluate its performance. For this, in addition to the indi-
vidual KWH meters, one must also use BTU meters. They record the chiller’s cooling, which can be compared with the power consumption to work out the performance of the chiller. This is the best way to monitor a chiller’s performance and ensure that you are running at optimum values.
M
eters are also available for monitoring water consumption that can be connected to a centralised system. However, in case of installations, which have already installed normal meters, one can install devices that record a pulse, every time a meter completes a circle. This way a simple meter can be connected to a computerised system. Other useful devices are time totalisers and impulse meters. Time totalizers give the total running hours of operations in a day and can be installed in numerous applications Such as pumps, refrigeration compressors, exhaust and ventilation fans or any equipment with a high horse power and heavy power consumption. Impulse meters
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 19:10:10
73 OPERATIONS
give help you track the number of times an equipment has started and stopped. The numbers have to be monitored in case this goes up, which indicates a total change in consumption pattern. Equipment that starts and stops frequently, like pumps, refrigeration compressors, jockey pumps is considered good. Once you have installed the meters, it’s important to know how to record their readings. Main metre readings must be recorded/ tabulated date wise. Cumulative total of these readings must taken and average consumption on daily basis to be calculated till date. Based on this average consumption, expected monthly consumption must be calculated and arrived at. This must be compared with the previous records on average consumption in that particular month in previous years. Conditional formatting should
THINGS TO REMEMBER
line is missed, then even next day’s consumption cannot be controlled. These are the standard procedures and each property will have to prepare customised charts to meet its own requirement. In this manner, you come to know that areas in which the consumption is more and can explore ways to bring it down. If one is regular, it is surprising how easy it becomes to control consumption. Having gained valuable information, based on the readings and observations made, you can plan where you would like to save costs should change accordingly. without compromising on comforts and standards. You would be suronsumption must be effec- prised to fi nd out how, with good tively controlled in the fi rst ten housekeeping and without making days of the month. If the consump- huge capital investment, you can tion has gone up, then it might be conserve energy. HI diffi cult to bring it down. Ravindra Kumar Singh is a GurAlso, actions to bring down consumption must be taken before gaon-based consultant and director 10:00 hrs in the day, if this dead- Eco-Vision.
There is a widespread belief that installing meters can be expensive and may not give the required results. Contrary to that: It is not only installing meters but also using the data collected, which makes them useful. Meters are a great tool in your hand, which make your job easier, much like the diagnostic tools like MRI and CT Scan, equipment used in a hospital. The crux lies not jot in installing metres but in regularly monitoring consumption levels to ensure that they are where you would like them to be. It is the only way to catch deviations as they occur, fi x them immediately and fi nd out about them in your next bill.
be done in two ways, which one fi nd most suitable for individual properties. If the consumption goes above the normal daily consumption for that point, the fi gure must turn red for easy identifi cation. If this is below the average fi gure then it should turn green. If the average consumption swings between high and low, the colour of the fi gures
C
Everything that’s good for your coffee business Schaerer has the world’s largest selection of fully automatic coffee machines and technologies for milk preparation. Along with numerous optional accessories and systems, they are the foundation for truly individual coffee machine configurations, be it for restaurants, vending facilities, takeaways, coffee shops,
quick-service restaurants, hotels, chain restaurants, convenience stores, offices, cafés, universities, bistros, hospitals, bars, sports centres, cultural events ...
Schaerer Ltd. for India, Middle East and Africa: Please contact our regional office in Dubai on +971 50 5512266 or export.sales@schaerer.com
www.schaerer.com
operations
74
our panel of experts Mahesh M Govekar Chief Engineer, Alila Bangalore Hotel & Residences, Bengaluru
Nandkumar Naik Chief Engineer, Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport, Mumbai
Soumen Dhara Chief Engineer, Lords Hotels and Resorts, Lords Plaza Ankleshwar
Sachin Naik Chief Engineer, The Orchid, Mumbai
Kanwaljit Walia Chef Engineer, The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi
Nitin Kerkar Director of Engineering, Hyatt Regency, Mumbai
S K Mishra Head Engineering, Hotel Sahara Star, Mumbai
Solar energy is being increasingly looked at as an alternate source to power hotels.
The engineering marvels
They are responsible for a smooth running of a hotel and its back-ofhouse systems. We talk to some chief engineers of different properties to understand what challenges they face, how they work around them and what steps they have taken to ensure that the property remains eco-friendly without compromising the guest experience BY BABITA KRISHNAN
June 2013 | Hotelier India
74-77_HI_JUN13_Roundtable_REVISED.indd 74
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 19:16:37
75 operations
Q: What are the main challenges you face in the course of your job? Mahesh M Govekar: Main challenges are rectification of project-related issues such as air conditioning effectiveness; reducing energy consumption; monitoring and of high power consuming machineries and ensuring their effective usage; and operating least machineries during peak load conditions to control maximum demand penalties. Nandkumar Naik: The biggest challenge is to get trained and skilled technical staff within the budget. Soumen Dhara: Energy conservation is a major challenge as it is directly related to the weather. Especially in the summer it is important to keep the HLP within control without inconveniencing the guests. Getting trained manpower is also a big challenge, especially in small towns as fresh graduates move to bigger cities after getting trained. Sachin Naik: Engineering needs to function efficiently and effectively so that none of the core services suffer. The main challenge
is maintaining lowest costs without compromising on quality of guest services. With ample growth opportunities to relatively less experienced personnel clubbed with the already low pay scales, attrition is also a huge issue. Kanwaljit Walia: Some of the challenges include keeping utility consumption low to maintain the cost because price has increased almost 10 to 14 per cent; frequent power outage increases diesel consumption of DG sets and disturbs the balance of air conditioning; also, procurement of spare parts is tricky. Nitin Kerkar: There are a few that really impact work, like inavailability of funds, lack of highly skilled vendors/technicians in the local market, especially when most of the jobs are urgent. SK Mishra: Key challenge is to provide a safe and comfortable environment for guests and employees through integration of innovative technologies and astute asset management. And achieve this while conserving energy and minimising operating costs with focused approach to maintain and enhance the property assets, reduce energy consumption and ensure prudent control of capital expenditures.
Q: Any software/technology you’d like to use to make your functions a breeze? Govekar: Software that continuously monitors energy consumption and sends an alert in case usage exceeds and one that can integrated with BMS. Dhara: Installation of BMS in our hotel. Also, installation of VFD system in the chiller plant to help to save energy and add in a safety factor. Sachin: Latest BMS systems they can reduce a lot of laborious work of an engineer. Various custom-generated reports help
www.hotelierindia.com
74-77_HI_JUN13_Roundtable_REVISED.indd 75
take well-informed decisions on important matters. Furthermore, discrepancy/leakages in the electrical, HVAC system or water systems can be easily identified and arrested promptly instead of having to rely on manual intervention. Mishra: The world on smart phone with maximum usage of technology to optimise function and efficiency of the engineering division with particular focus on energy management, fire and life safety, and administrative procedures.
LED lights help bring down energy bills.
Q: The world is going eco-friendly. What steps have you taken in this direction? Nandakumar: Globally, IHG has introduced the application called “Green Engage” for all its hotels. It also has its internal communication called Merlin and, from time to time, certain energy conservation methods are updated on it. Sachin: We can proudly claim to be pioneers in this area. Orchid was Asia’s first five-star Ecotel hotel with ISO 16000 certification. Being eco-friendly since inception, we are always on the look-out for new methods to go greener. We use PNG for heating water and recycled water in gardens Walia: We use LEDs and PNG in place of LPG & HSD for boilers to reduce carbon emission. We have stopped printing reports and use LCD in meetings having adopted a zero-printing policy. Clutter-free meeting set ups, sustainable banquet and catering menus and environmentfriendly chafing fuel are also best practices at our property. Kerkar: In addition to usual methods, we employ a lot of unqiue initiatives–dimmers for various lighting controls, replacing heavy motors with energy efficient ones, connecting all AHUS to BMS, provided
with energy efficient actuators and thermostats, all heavy pumps, blowers operated with VFDS, operating heavy load during non-peak hours, rainwater harvesting, and wind-power utilisation. Mishra: ‘Energy Savings’ play an important role in increasing profit. Any positive result in saving natural resources is also positive public relations. One of the steps taken at our property, apart from the usual eco-friendly steps, is recycling electronic waste like computers, TV, telephone and others electronic equipment. For that we take the help of environmentfriendly agencies. Sealing and insulating a drafty building, for example, can save up to 20 per cent on heating and cooling bills. We have improved efficiency by sealing thermal leaks, properly installed insulation in walls, ceilings, and floors such as puff insulation and arm flex can significantly improve energy efficiency by preventing winter heat loss and summer heat gain. In addition, we have used skylights and light tubes, which bring lightwithout heating interior spaces.
Hotelier India | June 2013
03-06-2013 19:16:39
operations
76
Q: How difficult is it to budget for provisions that are ‘green’?
Q: Share one innovation that has impacted your job profile.
Govekar: Since it is difficult to know the exact return on investment on capital invested and payback period, it is difficult to know exact provisions. Nandkumar: With certain parameters being mandatory, for example pollution board requirements from state authorities, budgeting becomes easier, rest is set on priorities and requirements. Dhara: : It is quite difficult to budget for provisions that are ‘green’ as the GOPs have shrunk over time, whereas overall costing of things like HLP has gone up. Though the initial cost of these items are high, they have a longer life. And we need to do the budgeting in a phased manner to put them into the system. Sachin: Contrary to beliefs that going green requires additional costs, we found that the long-term benefits easily surpass the cost incurred for procurement and result in net savings. Even managements the worldover have changed their outlook towards this and they are much more
Govekar: The innovation is from my last property, where the corrosive particles from the AC chilled water system’s metal pipelines got continuously clogged into FCUs of guest blocks of this resort property, spread across 42 acres. The management decided to get an independent VRV system, costing about Rs45-50 lakh, but we came up with a solution and design to fit the Spirotech dirt separation and filtration system costing around Rs4-5 lakh, thereby solving the problem. Nandkumar: Savings on HLP and R&M cost which increases GOP. Dhara: Controlling HLP bills by using AC and boiler units systematic ally. This is done by giving maximum load during lean hours and minimum load during peak hours. This is possible because of Dual Metering System of the state electricity board. Sachin: My job profile entails ensuring guests are satisfied with proffered services, hence, one innovation that has really impacted my prima facie deliverable of guest satisfaction is the introduction of new seals for the doors and windows, which have cordoned off the noise levels completely, though we are so close to the airport. Walia: When services were at the project stage, we did not have PNG available nearby, but within one year of opening, we had ordered dual fuel burners and PNG piping network. Meanwhile, the HSD prices had gone up. So we replaced HSD burners with dual fuel burners and started operating steam boilers on PNG, cutting down boiler fuel cost by Rs6.5 lakh/month. We have also converted LPG rages into PNG by replacing their injectors/jets and re-adjusting flow rate. By this switch, we have reduced LPG expense by Rs7 lakh/ month. Re-adjusting various set points and by installing motion sensors, timers and various VFDs, we have cut down electricity cost considerably. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has a target to reduce 30 per cent energy consumption, 20 per cent water consumption by 2020, we call it 30/20/20 initiatives. Kerkar: We replaced our cooling towers (consumption of 225kw per hr) with energy efficient ones (consumption of 33 KW/hr), resulting in total savings of around Rs65 lakh/year. Mishra: One of the key challenges was to conceive a lightning arrestor on top of our spherical building with height constraints, as we are a hotel in close proximity to the airport! Innovative spherical lightning protection using Collection Volume Design principle resulted in the most effective lightning protection coverage for the world’s largest pillar-less clear-to-sky dome.
open to green initiatives taken at the engineering end. Walia: Since the owners/GMs/financial controller is aware of the facts, it is manageable to get the budget sanctioned. Again, it is a matter of understanding today’s needs. We believe in community service and in saving the environment and resourses for future generations and consider long-term impacts of what we do. Kerkar: Management is proactive when it comes to green energy initiatives and funds are not an issue when the ROI is less than two years. Mishra: What is your impact on the surroundings? How large is your carbon footprint? How can you lessen your effect on the environment? For new properties, embracing sustainability has become an ownership and management challenge. Introducing environment-friendly programmes to not only assist our focus on sustainability, but also fit into our branding, can be very costly but also prove to be rewarding and profitable in the long run.
HVAC is one of the major energy guzzlers in a hotel.
June 2013 | Hotelier India
74-77_HI_JUN13_Roundtable_REVISED.indd 76
03-06-2013 19:16:42
77 operations
Q: What best practices should be implemented in your department?
Regular seminars and workshops help keep team members updated on the latest developments.
Govekar: To have an e-learning certification programme with different engineering modules for technicians and supervisors. Cross exposure training for technicians if the company to upgrade their skills and knowledge in terms of different technologies used worldwide. Nandkumar: Training of staff, developing a career progression chart, identifying skill sets for each role across engineering functions. Dhara: Intra-departmental training to ensure multi-tasking and team work as this is highly beneficial to the property. Sachin: Having an emergency response team in place and ironing out weak links in procedures by re-visiting SOP’s every quarter are the best practices that I intend to implement in my department going forward. Walia: Any action which could lead to conserve energy, increase guest and associates’ satisfaction, improve Guest Experience Index and drive revenue growth would be welcome. Kerkar: Clarity on job responsibilities and employee accountability, continuous training on technical subjects, effective communica-
www.hotelierindia.com
74-77_HI_JUN13_Roundtable_REVISED.indd 77
tion with all employees, implementation of standard engineering practices, ensuring that SOP’s are in place for all processes and safe practices are followed always. Effective monitoring of all areas, good PPM tracking and maintenance system, trend analysis of data on a regular basis, proper inventory controls and look out for cost-effective solutions at all times. Mishra: Marketing engineering for creating and maintaining the mega structure; entering award programmes that recognise environmental achievements; participating in state or national green lodging certification programmes; prominently displaying membership plaques at the front desk; publishing an online booklet that tells our success story and make it available to meeting planners, guests and the media; creating an electronic newsletter to keep our loyal guests and staff up to speed on our initiatives; being a part of green industry events; partnering with a carbon offset organisation and offer guests the option of offsetting their travel as well as organisations that plan large meetings at our hotel.
Q: What are the common challenges you face in the preopening stages of a hotel and how do you tackle them? Govekar: Non availability of resources and inability of contractors in meeting deadlines are the common challenges. To overcome these, proper checklists and PERT charts can be developed and be regularly monitored to get desired results within the stipulated time frame. Nandkumar: There are a lot of challenges one faces – employing skilled and unskilled man power, picking the right talent, budget constraints, project time lines, completion schedule, right quality of productivity and infrastructure, approvals, etc. Dhara: The major challenge is to complete the project in the stipulated time and ensure that total cost does not escalate. Also, following up with different vendors to deliver to required plant and machinery and having them installed is a major task of co-ordination with the civil installation teams. Sachin: The most important hurdle is the co-ordination between project and operations team. Also, all the MEP data and drawings are important as they help the operational team to handle maintenance issues more precisely in years to come. All the vendors list and the procured materials list during the projects stage should be maintained. Most importantly all the statutory permissions and licenses should be obtained in advance. Walia: Pre-opening is the most painful opportunity to gain the best understanding of various experiences. Review the design/baseline design parameters/quality of the material selected/quality of the vendors and their work force, available funds, time lines, reasons for time laps. Commissioning and achieving performance of the equipment as per the contract is the key role of all the preopening chief engineers and each is a challenge in itself. In addition, it’s important to make good relations with owners and to deliver the results in line with management agreement. Kerkar: Jobs are not completed as per requirements – preparing a snag list and completing it with the local support; employee familiarisation of job responsibilities – to make them understand brand requirements; creating systems for record keeping and regular documentation; handover of designs and drawings of the properties...these are just some of the teething troubles. Mishra: The pre-opening phase of a hotel is both a big challenge and a great opportunity. At this stage, lots of coordination is required between project and operation team. As engineers, we have to be in the know of all information regarding the property, keep a check on snag points of various operational activities like provision of lights, ACs, power, water, drainage system and interiors. Creating a team is a big challenge as manpower needs to be most efficient when it comes to maintenance and operations.
Hotelier India | June 2013
03-06-2013 19:16:45
OPERATIONS
78
Picks of the month uDivine Massage chair OSIM India launched the world’s first human-3D massage chair, uDivine. This patented chair has an innovative massage technology that provides an intelligent and precise massage based on human body contours. Combined with a strategically-positioned system of airbags, kneading discs and automatic body detection, the chair delivers the most humanised and effective full-body massage. This massage chair also comes equipped with shoulder detection sensors, uDivine mp3 player with stereo sound built in speakers, plush leather upholstery and complete command from a sleek central controller with a large, easy-to-read and colour-rich LCD display. uDivine is available in 3 contemporary lifestyle colours: Marble Grey, Ruby Red and Heavenly Blue.
OSIM Website: www.osim.com
Electrolux Mixers
GeN2 SWITCH™ Otis India recently launched the first ever green elevator - Gen2 SWITCH™ that works even in case of a power failure. The system eliminates the need for three-phase power and requires 12-times less installed power than other elevators. This innovative system is a breakthrough in the elevator industry to operate GeN2 technology elevators with single phase 230 volts supply. The SWITCH is best-suited for low rise buildings up to 21 metres height. The capacity of this autodoor elevator is a maximum eight passengers and it comes with a variable speed up to 1mps.
Electrolux introduces the new 5 and 8 litre-BE stand mixers, the latest development of a wide range of planetary mixers (from 5 to 80 litres). The planetary movement, the variable speed rotation (from 67 rpm to 740 rpm) and the shape and size of the stainless steel bowl and tools (hook, paddle, whisk), ensure every part of the bowl is covered for uniform working of all ingredients, resulting in superior performance in kneading, blending and whipping. Furthermore, the new planetary mixers are ease-of-use and compact and offer 100 per cent dishwasher-safe components (tools, double-handle bowl and splash guard). electolux Website: www.electrolux.com
otis india Website: www.otis.com
June 2013 | Hotelier India
78-79_HI_June13_Pick of the Month.indd 78
www.hotelierindia.com
03-06-2013 19:20:32
79 OPERATIONS
Anantco Website: www.anantco.com
Flamebloc – Technology
Dusbins from Ozone
It is generally observed that the causalities/injuries during any fire accident are due to inhalation of toxic gases/fumes, suffocation, panic and stampede. Therefore, selection of eco-friendly fire-retardant coatings becomes more relevant. Flamebloc technology, offered in India by Anantco, is from Buckman Laboratories Inc., USA, are environment-friendly. Flamebloc products are waterbased, non-toxic, non-allergic, non-hazardous, non-halogen based clear liquids and free of PBDEs (PolybrominatedDiphenyl Esters) or any other restricted chemicals. Flamebloc GS coatings can be applied to various substrates such as paper, fabrics, all types of wood, plastics, metals, etc. Recently, Maharashtra government’s Public Works Department has used Flamebloc coatings as a preventive measure on wooden substrates in various new offices being created at Mantralaya buildings.
A range of stainless steel bins with advanced technology is the first offering from the kitty of Ozone@Homz, the flagship brand from Ozone. These modern, sensor-based bins offer hygienic and ultra-convenient solutions made with high-grade stainless steel ensuring rust-free long life. Available in touchless sensor-based, foot control and manual options, these bins are eco-friendly as they help to keep the environment clean and odour free. These bins see a wide application, such as at homes, restaurants, food joints, super markets, hypermarkets, hotels, resorts, offices, etc. The range also includes open bins and swing bins in different shapes and sizes, offering a solution for every need, requirement and budget.
Ozone@home Website: www.ozone-india.com
Smart technology from Duravit 2013 is all about reduced design in the bathroom. Technology is increasingly used intelligently in the bathroom and enhances comfort or wellbeing. Well-designed shower-toilets are also generating a growing amount of interest and acceptance. Duravit has extended its product range and adapted SensoWash® Starck C for the DuraStyle and Happy D.2 complete bathroom series. This makes the shower-toilet even more attractive for the project sector. Another highlight from the DuraStyle series is the rimless WC with its innovative, dynamic flushing technology that ensures optimum hygiene and short cleaning times. Duravit India Website: www.duravit.co.in
www.hotelierindia.com
78-79_HI_June13_Pick of the Month.indd 79
Hotelier India | June 2013
03-06-2013 19:20:50
CHECKING OUT
80
Hotel Trivia
10 things you didn’t know about… Sun n Sand, Mumbai
1 226 6 27 38 49 510 Sun n Sand is Mumbai’s first beach-front five-star property and has completed
50
YEARS.
Sun n Sand boasts the city’s
swimming pool.
Dev Anand stayed in Suite
Sun n Sand is the winner of the government’s Regional Tour Tourism Awards for excellence in the hospitality industry in the
for two years and wrote two movies.
During the fl ood in Mumbai on
26TH JULY 2006, the banquet halls had beds for stranded guests at no extra cost.
41
50’s.
24-HOUR COFFEE SHOP,
is presented individually in German porcelain miniatures.
June 2013 | Hotelier India
1998.
The oldest employee, Pandora Fernandes, has worked in the Linen Department for
Famous Hollywood icon Gregory Peck dined at The Sunset Room while visiting Mumbai in the
The cold food at Aqua –
YEAR
years. The buffet at Aqua, emphasizes food presentation in
ITALIAN DESIGN ITAL
oyster shell chaffers and French hand-crafted cast-iron cocottes.
mural sculpture at the
The
newly renovated Beachcomber Bar-Lounge is designed by sculptor Arzan Khambhatta. www.hotelierindia.com