November Issue by Hotelier India

Registered with Registrar of Newspapers under RNI No. MAHENG/2009/34648. Postal Registration No. MH/MR/N/98/MBI/12-14 Published on 7th of every month. Posted at Patrika Channel Sorting Office, Mumbai-400001. Posting date: 8th & 9th of every month Total pages 86 Volume 5|Issue 11|November 2013| 2013|`50

www.hotelierindia.com

DESIGN DECISION

TECHNOLOGY

HOW TO USE LIGHTING TO ENHANCE THE LOOK OF YOUR HOTEL

APPS SPEED UP RESERVATIONS

PEOPLE MARK EDLESON,

DESSERT TRENDS

PRESIDENT ALILA HOTELS AND RESORTS

LATEST ON THE MENU: HEALTHIER FLAVOURS

SLICE OF LUXURY

PK MOHANKUMAR, MANAGING DIRECTOR & CEO GINGER HOTELS, WANTS TO GIVE GUESTS A TASTE OF LUXURY AT AFFORDABLE PRICE FOM

Roundtable Importance of Front office managers

Published by ITP Publication India

CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2013. VOLUME 5. ISSUE 11

Highlights October

CEO interview

18 COMMENT Dinesh Advani on the role played by HRA(WI) beyond getting the industry together.

Ginger Hotels represent 'smart basics', which means that the guests enjoy the lixury of a ﬁve-star property at affordable prices. It caters to the need of the budget traveller."

24 MARKET DATA Comparing the two famous beach destinations — Goa and Kerala.

28 FOM ROUNDTABLE Hotelier India speaks to the front offi ce managers to understand the challanges in the current scenario.

FOOD

The dessert trends signal a move towards a more mature palate — a mix of flavours and cultures.

HOTELIER INDIA | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

Hotelier

Op & Services

ROLES PLAYED BY LIGHTING FROM CREATING THE MOOD TO SAVING COSTS. 10BULLETIN

Fairfield comes to India in Bengaluru; Capt. Nair gets honorary doctorate.

18COMMENT & OPINION

MEET THE JURY OF HOTELIER INDIA AWARDS 2013 AND RELIVEMOMENTSFROM 2012.

Dinesh Advani on the different roles of HRA(WI); HVS on the common mistakes made by owners; and MukundVasudevan on desalination solutions to tackle water woes.

46PEOPLE

10 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT FAIRMONT JAIPUR.

Strategies and future plans of Mark Edleson of Alila; and Gulshan Arora of Sun N Sand.

78TECHNOLOGY Using technology to speed up reservations is almost a given today.

81PICKSOF THE MONTH

44 MANISHTOLANI,GMCOURTYARD BY MARRIOTT PUNE HINJEWADI

Hotelier India's round-up of what's new in the market and the must-have products for your hotel.

HOTELIER INDIA | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

November 2013 | Volume 5 | Issue 11 ITP Publishing India Pvt Ltd 898 Turner Road, Notan Plaza, 3rd floor, Bandra (West), Mumbai - 400050 T +91 22 6154 6000 Deputy managing director S Saikumar Publishing director Bibhor Srivastava Group editor Shafquat Ali T +91 22 6154 6038 shafquat.ali@itp.com Editorial

The basic philosophy of a business/budget hotel is to give the guest a slice of luxury at a basic price."

Small is big

Editor Babita Krishnan

Advertising

mall is beautiful — this holds true for the hospitality industry today more than it did every before. With recession biting into everyones pocket, all are looking inward to make the little changes that will save and help their bottom lines. What hasnt changed though is the business travel. This means that people/companies need state-of-the-art facilities for executives and senior management constantly. The natural fallout of this is a spate of development in the business/budget hotel category as almost all brands have grabbed the opportunity and drawn development plans for this segment in the tier-I, II and III cities. Ginger was probably one of the first brands in this category, as I recall a conversation almost a decade back about a "newly opened hotel called Ginger near New Delhi station that was quite luxurious yet affordable." Our interaction with PK Mohankumar, MD and CEO of Roots Corporation that owns Ginger Hotels, seems to narrate the story of this segment. He explained how the philosophy that is the mainstay of a business/budget hotel is a slice of luxury at a basic price. Tatas are known for the 'Nano revolution', but what is amazing is how they successfully translate it into different business models. What is more amazing is the response that we are getting for the Hotelier India Awards. With the jury meet happening this month, requests to extend the deadline are coming in everyday. Hoping all of you send the nominations in time for the jury, I would like to wish good luck to all the nominees. May the best hoteliers win!

T +91 22 6154 6042 babita.krishnan@itp.com

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 Senior designer Vinod Shinde 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 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

Babita Krishnan Editor

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.

Editor: Babita Krishnan

To subscribe please visit www.hotelierindia.com

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

| August 2013

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

Kamlesh Barot

Uttam Davé

Naveen Jain

KB Kachru

Rajiv Kaul

Akshay Kulkarni

Anil Madhok

Rajeev Menon

Dilip Puri

Sanjay Puri

Sanjay Sethi

Vijay Thacker

Manav Thadani

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

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

Partner, Mahajan and Aibara Management Consultancy Division

President, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts

Principal architect, Sanjay Puri Associates

Ex-President, FHRAI

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

Managing director and CEO, Berggruen Hotels

President and CEO, Interglobe Hotels

Managing director, Sarovar Hotels and Resorts

Director, Horwath India

President Duet India Hotels

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

Chairman HVS South Asia

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 | EMAIL ghassan.majdalani@alliancels.com

bulletin

A ROUND-UP OF HOTELS AND HOTELIERS MAKING HEADLINES THIS MONTH

BULLETIN Bulletin

Story of the month

Contents

Day in the life................................... 12 Openings........................................ 12 Trendsetters.....................................14

Meet the NEW Graduates IHG Academy felicitates the first batch of graduates

Fairfield Bengaluru Rajajinagar opens its doors to guests.

Fairfield comes to Indian shores Marriott International and SAMHI Hotels brings the Fairfield brand to Asia, with the opening of the first Fairfield in Bengaluru

arriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) in association with SAMHI Hotels Pvt Ltd expanded its brand offering in Asia with the opening of its first Fairfield by Marriott hotel in Bengaluru. Considered a growth engine for the company’s expansion in Asia with 12 hotels signed in India and additional properties signed in Nepal and Indonesia, Fairfield represents an opportunity for Marriott International to move into new locations and markets in the region. Talking at the opening, Don Cleary, Marriott International’s COO in Asia said, “The timing is right and the market is primed for a brand like Fairfield. The brand has a long history in service and offers innovative design at an affordable price, which

combined gives us a huge strategic advantage in many markets across the region. Fairfield product represents excellent value for transient travellers as the entry price point into the Marriott portfolio.” Ashish Jakhanwala, MD and CEO, SAMHI Hotels Pvt Ltd added, “SAMHI is pleased to open the first Fairfield by Marriott in Asia. Fairfield development is an integral part of SAMHI’s strategy, as it allows us to capture the fastest growing market segments across the country and the region.” Fairfield Bengaluru Rajajinagar offers 148-rooms with Kava, an all-day, multi-cuisine restaurant, meeting room space with modern technology, a well-equipped business centre as well as a fitness centre and a rooftop pool along with a fully functional bar.

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

celebration InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) celebrated the graduation of the first batch of students from IHG Academy programme at IIMT in Gurgaon. The group of 27 students have already found placements at various leading hotels across the country, with four of them joining IHG’s management trainee (I-Grad) and supervisors’ programmes (I-Host). The objective of the IHG Academy partnership with IIMT is to equip students with the right skills to support IHG’s rapid growth in India. Douglas Martell, IHG’s Vice President Operations, South West Asia said," It’s a pleasure to be associated with IIMT, and we are extremely impressed with the quality of students here."

Property-level

range of products

insar Infosoft Pvt. Ltd.

www.winsarinfo.com

BULLETIN

Openings

De Sovrani

opened in Salt Lake City, Kolkata, with 55 tastefully appointed guest rooms and a restaurant and bar.

Pratap Palace, a Keys The

Resort, is Berggruen Hotel’s ﬁrst palace and third resort property with 81 well furnished rooms including 5 suites with one Royal suite.

Capt. Nair conferred honorary doctorate For his exemplary contribution to the hospitality industry and inspiring leadership FELICITATED Padmabhushan Capt. CP Krishnan Nair, chairman emeritus of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, was conferred an honorary doctorate in Literature for his inspiring leadership, outstanding business acumen and unwavering commitment and exemplary contribution to the Indian hospitality industry by the Jodhpur National University recently. Kamal Mehta, chairperson and chancellor of Jodhpur National University, awarded the doctorate to Capt. Nair at the University’s 2nd Convocation Ceremony, which was attended by Amitabh Bachchan, Dr C Rangarajan, chairman, the Economic Advisory Council to the prime minister of India, among other dignitaries from Jodhpur and around the world. Expressing his delight, Capt. Nair said, “It is a privilege for me to be the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Jodhpur National University. It is a reminder of my dream for a fully literate India, where every child, whether a girl or a boy, is given compulsory free

Capt. Nair receives his honorary doctorate from Jodhpur University. education. Only a strong educational foundation will prepare the youth for our country’s future – a future of progress and prosperity.” Continuing further he said “The success code lies within you. Whatever dream you choose to pursue, take pride in it. Aim at being the best-of-the-best. Innovative thinking and persistent action are a necessity in this highly competitive globalised economy."

Quick facts: Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited, part of the $16.2 billion Mahindra Group, announced its ﬁrst quarter results. The Q1 income was Rs180 crore, up by 15%, while the net proﬁt after tax (PAT) was Rs21 crore, up 11% over the same quarter last year.

The ﬁrst upscale branded hotel in

Balaji Sarovar Premiere,

Solapur,

HOTELIER INDIA | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

RAHUL RAJ DIRECTOR F&B, COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT PUNE HINJEWADI

10pm

9pm

8pm

7pm

6pm

21:30pm – Final look at the e-mails. 21:45pm – Head back home. 22:00pm – Unwind at home/ playtime with my kid/dinner. 23:30pm – Sleep.

5pm

4pm

3pm

2pm

1pm

the restaurant. 11:00am – Discuss operations of the day with the chef, supervise display at the F&B outlets. 12:00pm – Lunch operations on shop floor and meeting guests. 14:30pm – Lunch with colleagues. 15:00pm – F&B meeting – discuss the daily activities and follow up. 16:00pm – Send e-mails and strategise operations for the coming days. 19:00pm – Back to the shop floor for dinner operation and meeting guests.

12pm

11am

10am

9am

Royale, India’s largest casino in Goa on board the ship, with over 800 gaming positions spread over 3,716 m2 across four levels.

8am

launches Deltin

6:00am – Wake up. 6:30am – Have my morning cup of tea while reading the newspaper. 7:30am – Get ready and leave for work. 8:00am – At work – monitoring breakfast operations at the restaurant MoMo Café. 9:00am – HOD morning meeting to discuss the previous day’s revenue, addressing restaurant related issues,etc. 10:00am – Breakfast with colleagues. 10:30am – Answer e-mails and meeting with managers and executives, briefing with team at

7am

Delta Corp.

DAY IN THE LIFE

6am

opened with 129 well-designed guest rooms and suites and 744 m2 banqueting space.

BULLETIN

IN BRIEF

TRENDSETTERS INSPIRING INITIATIVES FROM THE WORLD’S LARGEST HOTEL CHAINS

Hyatt celebrates 30 years in India

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, one of the ﬁrst international hotel management companies to enter and operate in India, is celebrating 30 years of successful operations in India. Hyatt introduced the Indian customer to contemporary and stylish luxury hotels and restaurants serving authentic international cuisines with the Hyatt Regency Delhi in 1983. At this time, Hyatt has 17 full service and select service hotels in 12 destinations across India.

MoU signed between Maharashtra and Wakayama, Japan Continuing its focus on attracting foreign tourists to Maharashtra, an MoU between Maharashtra and Wakayama Prefecture of Japan has been signed by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and governor of Wakayama, Japan, Yoshinobu Nisaka, in the presence of Maharashtra tourism minister, Chhagan Bhujbal. This MoU will expand the mutual economic relationship in the ﬁelds of Tourism and Agro-food processing. The MoU will lead to synergies between both the states for expansion of tourism ties to enhance economic growth and effect job creations in the industry. Both regions have also agreed to promote agro and food processing between local enterprises through existing framework.

Quick facts: Sterling Holiday Resorts (India) Limited's results for the Q3: Total Operating Income Rs395 million, up 25% ; EBITDA up by 336% ; PAT of Rs6 million

Samode Hotels partners with THRS

Samode Hotels, the luxury and heritage hotel group from Rajasthan, has appointed THRS to manage its sales and public relations in the inbound market. The hotel group aims to augment its brand awareness in the country by associating with THRS, an established hospitality ﬁrm involved in the sales, marketing and corporate affairs aspects of the business. THRS shall be responsible for handling public relations, domestic travel trade and corporate sales in the Delhi/NCR and Mumbai regions.

ITC Grand Chola turns One ITC Grand Chola has completed a year of successful operations. This palatial tribute to the imperial Chola dynasty is one of the largest hotels in the country and has since become synonymous with Chennai’s skyline. Philippe H Charraudeau, vice president and general manager, ITC Grand Chola on this ocassion said, “It has been an eventful year since we opened our doors to the city of Chennai, India and the rest of world. We are humbled by the continued patronage and contribution of our guests and the state of Tamil Nadu in making the hotel an iconic landmark.” ITC Grand Chola has facilitated employment for over 2500 people from all over India and several other countries. At present,a strength of approximately 1100 personnel is behind the functioning of the hotel.

'Will on Wheels' arrives at Udaipur Arjuna Award winner and the first and only Indian woman para-athlete to win a medal at Asian Games and World Championship Deepa Malik, has initiated India’s first longest drive as part of the 'Ability Beyond Disability' campaign. The journey began on September 22nd from Chennai, covering nine major cities including Bengaluru, Belgaum, Pune, Ahmednagar, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Udaipur. The entire journey will cover a distance of over 2,300 kms in a span of 10 days. Malik is using a car, which has been customised for her with hand-held controls for easy navigation. Shriji Arvind Singh Mewar, chairman and managing trustee of MMCF and 76th custodian of the House of Mewar, praised the initiative, which is to create awareness about paraplegic sports in India.

‘Khushboo Gujarat Ki’ goes inbound

Following the stupendous success of its ‘Khushboo Gujarat Ki’ campaign, TCGL is now focusing on travellers from across India. Thanks to their aggressive campaign, Gujarat's gross tourist flow during the year 2012-13 was 254.09 lakh, which is 13.62 per cent higher than the flow in 2011-12. “Domestic tourism is definitely outpacing the international tourism growth in India, and Gujarat strongly believes that if domestic tourism grows then international tourism will automatically flow in. Maharashtra continues to be the top state in India, from where we get the maximum tourists to Gujarat (35% share) and 18.80 lakh numbers in the last financial year,” revealed Saurabh Patel, tourism minister, Gujarat.

HOTELIER INDIA | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

ITC celebrates Joy of Giving ITC Rajputana celebrated the Joy of Giving Week with 'Naya Sawera', a registered non-government and not-for-proﬁt charitable organisation. Sunil Gupta, GM ITC Rajputana, alongwith the team distributed clothes, toys and useful items to the children. These items were personally contributed by the associates of the hotel as a drive towards social responsibility. .

CAREERS

MOVERS & SHAKERS NEW APPOINTMENTS THIS MONTH HEM CHANDER IS NOW EXECUTIVE SOUS CHEF Hem Chander has been appointed as executive sous chef, Ibis Jaipur. A graduate of the Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition, Chandigarh, chef Chander comes with almost a decade of hands-on experience in food and beverage operations and team management in the hospitality industry, and is well versed to handle coffee shops, specialty fine dining and banqueting. Chef Chander has earlier worked with Atlantis, The Palm Jumeriah Dubai, The Oberoi Wildflower Hall, Shimla, The Piccadily, Himalaya Marg, Chandigarh and Comfort Inn & Suits by Choice Hospitality International.

MIKE KISTNER AS THE NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER RezNext recently announced the appointment of Mike Kistner as chief executive offi cer of the company. A hospitality industry vetran, Kistner was till recently the chairman and CEO of Pegasus Solutions, Inc. with close to three decades of experience in the hospitality industry. He had accepted the position of board member RezNext earlier this year. A recipient of the International Stevie Award, Executive of the Year - Hospitality and Leisure for 2011, he was also elected vice-chairman of American Hotel and Lodging Association eCommerce Committee for the term of 2003 – 2005.

ANJORI KUMAR IS DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS With a Masters in PR and Communication, Anjori Kumar comes with over six years of experience in strategic PR, brand building, integrated marketing communications and

press relations. She has worked with numerous luxury brands, restaurants and hotels, and brings with her a rich experience accompanied with innovative ideas to ShangriLa’s - Eros Hotel, New Delhi as the director of communications. Extremely social by nature, communications has been her forte. Kumar is an avid traveller and loves exploring new destinations across the globe.

RUBDEEP SINGH MAKKAR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT HEAD Rubdeep Singh Makkar has taken over as the business development head, India, of Singhotel Group. Having trained with SingHotel while studying IB Diploma Programme in business management and economics as core subjects, he has taken over a larger role to promote the group in the Capital, and nationally. Singhotel is planning new projects in Neil Island and Chidiyatapu and all the spadework is Makkar's mainstay. With the market growing, more people are looking for new destinations like the Andamans and the group plans to cash on the trend earlier.

NITIN MOHAN IS THE NEW GENERAL MANAGER Troca Hotels, a curated lifestyle hotel collection, has announced Nitin “Nick” Mohan as the general manager for The Sofala 15°74, its ﬂagship property in Goa. Hotel industry veteran, Mohan joined The Sofala from the Park Group of Hotels. For the past several years, he has served as director of rooms at The Park, New Delhi, a ﬁve-star, 220-room luxury property, before joining The Sofala. Mohan is an alumnus of Cornell University School of Hotel Management’s Strategic Hospitality Management programme and Columbia University Business School’s Marriott Serve Excellence Training, Mohan comes with the hands-on experience of handling various verticals in a hotel group, successfully.

KANCHAN RIZVI IS DIRECTOR SALES & MARKETING The Claridges Hotel and Resorts has appointed Kanchan Rizvi as the director of sales and marketing. In her new role, Rizvi will be responsible for driving revenue and marketing strategies for the group which includes The Claridges New Delhi, Atrium Surajkund, The Claridges Nabha Residence Mussoorie and other upcoming projects. With an experience of 13 years in the hospitality industry, she was associated with Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar since its pre-opening in 2010, The Grand Hyatt Mumbai, Hyatt South West Asia Sales Office and The Oberoi Group.

CHEF PARIMAL SAWANT IS THE EXECUTIVE CHEF Chef Parimal Sawant, the executive sous chef of Courtyard by Marriott, Ahmedabad, has come back to Mumbai in his new role as executive chef at Hotel Meluha The Fern. A veteran of 16 years in F&B operations in the hospitality and food industry, chef Sawant brings a young, vibrant commitment to excellence and a refreshing down-home sensibility that shows the finesse of a chef of worldly experience and wisdom. He exhibited a culinary interest in his youth and enrolled for the Hotel Management Diploma programme at the Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai. Passionate about reading, driving and travelling, chef Sawant is a family man who enjoys exercising and listening to audio books.

RANJIT SHANKAR IS GENERAL MANAGER The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai has appointed Ranjit Shankar as the GM of the hotel. Prior to joining, Shankar has led teams as the general manager of The Gateway Hotels in Surat, Mangalore and Madurai. His current stint is his fourth term as the GM. With almost 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry Shankar has always been associated with the Taj Group and brings with him the experience

HOTELIER INDIA | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

of working in both, business and resort hotels. An alumnus of the IHMCT&AN, Mumbai, he has completed his executive MBA from SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai, and specialises in strategic brand management and services marketing. Additionally, he also has attended a general management programme with IIM Bangalore, in the course of his career.

AJAY KUMAR SHARMA AS MANAGER RESTAURANT & BAR OPERATIONS Ajay Kumar Sharma has been associated with Accor India since 2008. Prior to his new role as manager restaurant and bar operations, Sharma was working with Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach and ibis Gurgaon supporting the hotels in their food and beverage services. Sharma completed his diploma in food and beverage service from Food Craft Institute, Chandigarh.

APPOINTMENT OF THE MONTH SM SHERVANI ELECTED AS THE NEW FHRAI PRESIDENT After the 57th AGM of the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India, SM Shervani has been elected as President for 2013-14. He has previously been the president of the HRA of Northern India (2010-12), vice-president of FHRAI (2010-11 and 2011-12) and honorary treasurer of FHRAI (2012-13). A highly successful hospitality entrepreneur with over 25 years of rich experience, Shervani is the MD of Shervani Hospitalities Ltd., which owns and operates a chain of boutique hotels and the iconic 'Rodeo' restaurant. He is an alumni of the Pusa Institute of Hotel Management, New Delhi and presently serves on the institute’s Board of Governors. He is also a member of HCIMA, UK. On behalf of the industry, he has been at the forefront in actively pursuing various policy and regulatory issues impacting the tourism sector, with the central and state governments..

comment & opinion

COMMENT We reflect on what it takes to work together as an industry, steps for sustainability and most avoidable mistakes made by owners before building hotels...all in the wake of the slowdown

Dinesh Adwani

Want to enter the debate? If you have any comments to make on this issue, please email: babita krishnan@itp.com

Beyond the brief Dinesh Advani explains how the H&RA believes in working beyond liaising with the government

bout 24 million people are employed by the industry and an estimated 59 million will be on board by 2017. The number of rooms required is 188,000, so that is how employment can be shifted here. There has been a slight growth in the industrial output, but I think it is going to be really tough till the elections. Once we get a stable government things should improve. But there is no question about the industry being affected by the slowdown. Occupancies in most cities are down, as are ARRs. Things generally pick up during season – post Diwali, from the first week of November. India as a country has seen 6.6 million tourists last year as compared to cities globally – Singapore 30 million, Shanghai 27 million, London around 30-40 million. In the next five year plan, the government is envisaging the traffic to double, which leads to a shortage of close to 190,000 keys. We have presented all these facts to the government and sought infrastructure status. Now RBI has given some benefit that if your project is more than Rs200

The Hotel & Restaurant Association (Western India) holds conventions and meets to engage the government and the industry to further the overall interest of hospitality and tourism in the country.

crore you will get benefits, but the flipside is, how many projects are actually in that category, except for the really big ones. One of the primary objectives of the Hotel & Restaurant Association is to interact and liaise with the various state governments on different issues that plague the industry. But HRA (Western India) is involved in a lot of other things as a common platform for all the members to come together, exchange information and learn from each other. We have a convention where we do a lot of educational activities and host seminars. We held a very successful trade show two years ago and another trade show is happening sometime in January. The primary role, however, is of course, dealing with the Indian government which is the most important aspect of the association's responsibilities. We sometimes feel that either the government doesn’t take tourism very

seriously or does not realise its potential. This is why the theme of our convention this time was ‘awaking the sleeping giant’. Each state in India has its own peculiar issue — Madhya Pradesh, I think, is the only state where a luxury tax is charged on telephones or laundry and light goods. There is a liquor policy in Chhattisgarh, which we are dealing with, and the need for a single window license, etc. We have made some headway on the classification issue as the government is responding positively. As a body of the hoteliers, we have our work cut out with constant interaction with the government – both at the regional, state, as well as national level. HI

About the Author:

Dinesh Advani is president HRAWI, and joint MD The Shalimar Hotel.

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

| August 2013

comment & opinion

Juie mobar

Uncensored

Five Mistakes HVS South Asia on mistakes owners make prior to opening the hotel

ased on our 18 years of experience in dealing with owners and seeing hotel projects succeed and fail, we discuss some common mistakes hotel owners make time-and-again in India. Poor location A hotel’s site is an important determinant of the size and positioning, its future operating performance, and resultantly, its ability to meet debt-service requirements independently. Key aspects to consider are size, topography, neighbourhood, proximity to demand generators, accessibility, visibility and environmental issues if any. Owners often ignore a few or most of these aspects before deciding to build the hotel. A site that is appropriate for an office, residence or retail need not be suitable for a hotel. Similarly, a site that is well-suited for the development of a mid-market hotel cannot support a luxury one. We recommend that an expert/third-party consultant be engaged, especially when the developers are new to this industry, to conduct a detailed feasibility study for a hotel development on the site prior to commencing the project. Hasty and detrimental brand tie-up While we recommend that owners retain professional hotel companies to manage their hotels owing to the management experience, marketing and distribution benefits, and professional standards that come with it, we strongly advocate against hasty and detrimental brand tie-ups. Finding the right operating partner is critical as it impacts the financing, future performance of the hotel, and consequently the return-on-investment.

The most common mistake made by owners is considering just one operator for a tie-up. A management contract negotiation typically takes six months to conclude and having discussions with only one brand does not allow the owner to compare terms offered by the competition to get the best deal; or even worse, if the negotiations were to fail, the project is indefinitely delayed until another operator comes on board. Additionally, a poorly negotiated contract results in challenges post the hotel’s opening. The main focus of brand development teams is to increase their brand’s presence in the country and they may make implied promises of superior performance during the pre-signing stage. Consequently, there is pressure on the operational teams to deliver on such lofty goals, which may not be possible. Such a gap between the implied and actual performance is now becoming one of the major factors behind the termination of a number of management agreements. Inexperienced owners should consult experts to help them identify the most suitable operator for their project and negotiate a robust management contract on their behalf. Given that such relationships can last 20-30 years, it is worth the time, money and effort. Over-improvement Ego-driven spending on the hotel product results in escalation of development costs. This is a frequent mistake, especially by first-time hotel owners, who get carried away while building a hotel, with little consideration for the return-on-investment. An overbuilt hotel will not necessarily guarantee an upside in operating performance going forward. It is important to understand that while the hotel brand provides minimum brand standards that are to be met, it may not prevent the owner from over-spending on the asset. Therefore, over-improvement of the hotel at a significantly higher cost is a trap the owner creates for himself. Increased development costs, coupled with the high cost of debt, can make the project unviable even before it has commenced operations. Owners, therefore, need to plan their hotel investments based on a return-on-investment rather than return-on-ego. Over-leveraging We regularly see hotel developers that not only end up over-spending in terms of development cost, but also end up borrowing more from the banks than they should,

Over-improvement of the hotel at a significantly higher cost is a trap the owner creates for himself. Owners, therefore, need to plan their hotel investments based on a ROI rather than return-on-ego." resulting in high debt-service payments. Over-leveraging to reduce their equity investment invites trouble for the owner, the hotel project and the lender. This leads to a loss of credibility of the hotel industry within the banking community. In light of the rising bad debts and non-performing assets, owners should adopt a more disciplined approach towards borrowing and ensure the hotel’s future cash flows will be sufficient to meet their debt service burden. Underestimating licensing and approval delays Opening a hotel in this country, on an average, takes 30-36 months – ranging from 24 months in the case of economy/ budget hotels to 48 months for luxury hotels. The long development period is largely due to the time required to secure the necessary approvals and licenses, often underestimated by owners. You could have the best procurement team, construction management company and operator on board, but this one hurdle could throw the entire project off-track. Owners typically face bureaucratic bottlenecks irrespective of whether they use a top-down or a bottom-up approach to cut through the red tape. While efforts are being made by the industry and select government quarters to make the licensing and approval process more efficient, we urge owners to factor in the time, effort and resources required with adequate buffers. Though strong macro-economic conditions can help cover-up some of these mistakes as they have in the past, in the current challenging times, such mistakes can be lethal. HI About the Author:

Juie Mobar is Associate Director – Special Projects, HVS India HVS South Asia welcomes your comments at india@hvs.com, www.hvs.com

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

| August 2013

COMMENT & OPINION

This amounts to over 60 per cent of potable water going down the drain. The same holds true for the hospitality industry as well, where, the use of water is higher with little control on guest usage.

MUKUND VASUDEVAN

sharp water management systems. Mumbai has been debating desalination actively, with two plants announced in the city in 2010. However, there has been no progress. In sharp contrast, Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board has set up a Rs1,033-crore plant along with VA Tech Wabag for Metrowater, which will produce about 100 million litres of fresh water daily from sea water. The project at Nemili on the East Coast Road has been funded by a grant from the Central Government, and will supply water to the southern parts of the city. The plant will meet nearly one-sixth of the city’s drinking water needs. Mumbai water situation, however, is reaching a critical juncture with many parts of Maharashtra – Marathwada, Solapur, Ahmednagar, Sangli – experiencing the region’s worst drought in 40 years, this year.

Desalination as a solution Mukund Vasudevan on why its going to deﬁne Mumbai

ccording to data released by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the city’s water demand is 4,200 million litres daily (MLD). The BMC supplies 3,400 MLD, a shortfall of 800 MLD. A hydraulics expert also submitted a report to the government saying that the demand for water is expected to rise to 5,400 MLD by 2021. Internationally, countries like Israel have achieved rain independence with

Is there a solution for the island city? Research analysts Frost & Sullivan think that as Mumbai is situated near the sea, desalination is the most feasible option. Desalination is the process by which seawater to made suitable for drinking or irrigation. With the water availability in India reduced to 1,000 cubic meters per person per year by 2050, fresh water demand is expected to rise. Hence, desalination presents a huge untapped market with substantial opportunities for the next ten years, where industries including hospitality will have to adopt sustainable technologies for the supply of fresh water. HI

Water consumption Data shows that on an average, a household uses only 20 per cent of its water supply for cooking and drinking and 60 per cent for cleaning and bathing. A single ﬂush uses 10 to 12 litres of clean water.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mukund Vasudevan is MD Pentair, an industrial leader in ﬁltration equipment, pumps, valves, and equipment protection.

Our footprint in India 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 N E W S , A NA LY S I S , P R OJ E CT S & B U S I NE SS I NT E L L I G E N C E FO R T H E C ON S T R U CT I O N IN D U S T R Y

Registered with Registrar of Newspapers under RNI No. MAHENG/2009/33418, Postal Registration No. MH/MR/N/99/MBI/12-14, Published on 3rd of every month. Posted at Patrika Channel Sorting Office, Mumbai-400001, Posting date: 5th & 6th of every month

Total number of pages 84

Total number of pages 78 `

WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.IN

PUBLISHED BY ITP PUBLICATION INDIA

Published by ITP Publication India

Inspiration and insight for architects and interior designers

Volume 5 | Issue 7 | October 2013 | `50

Published by ITP Publishing India

TECHNOLOGY IS PRECAST CONSTRUCTION THE FUTURE?

Landscape architecture Changing urban living

AWARDS 2013

Pritzker Prize winner

MANHATTAN

LAND

TRANSFER

THE AMERICAN DREAM COMES TO INDIA AT MANHATTAN IN PUNE, CREATED BY MOCO DESIGN STUDIO

RetailToday OCTOBER 2013 | VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 10 |`50

TAKING STOCK OF THE RETAIL INDUSTRY Published by ITP Publishing India

SALES & MARKETING

INGREDIENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL MALL PROMOTION

www.hotelierindia.com

DESIGN DILEMMA

WHICH FACADE MATERIAL WORKS BEST FOR A PROPERTY

FOOD

THE DYNAMICS OF F&B OUTLETS HAVE CHANGED WITH THRUST ON ENGAGEMENT

>>>Ritu Chawla: Why this GM will stop at nothing to establish Coutyard by Marriott Pune Chakan as a success story

STAR APPEAL FILM-STAR-TURNED-POLITICIAN K CHIRANJEEVI GETS HIS ACT TOGETHER AS UNION TOURISM MINISTER AND GIVES THE HOTEL INDUSTRY A MUCH-NEEDED SHOT IN THE ARM Published by ITP Publication India

STRATEGY

HUMAN RESOURCES

REPORT: TRAVEL SPEND ON THE INCREASE

OPERATIONS

COMMENT

Total pages 44 Volume 1 | Issue 9| October 2013 | `50

ELECTRICALS TODAY EL

MANAGEMENT EXPERTISE FOR THE POWER INDUSTRY MANAGE

TO STAY IN THE GAME

EVENT

EATON’S PIMPRI PLANT FOCUSES ON BETTER CUSTOMER RESPONSIVENESS

GLIMPSES FROM MANUFACTURING TODAY CONFERENCE & AWARDS

SUCCESS STORIES ENTREPRENEURS LIKE DR AZAD MOOPEN OF DM HEALTHCARE ARE PROSPERING, THANKS TO PRIVATE EQUITY FUNDING

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

Total number of pages 56 Volume 1|Issue 5|October 2013|`50

FASHION DESIGN DISTRIBUTION

1 | Issue 2 |

13 | `

Abraham & Thakore COUTURIERS

OF CLASSY CHIC

TRENDS

Trends forecast MEN’S SCARVES ARE

DDISTRIBUTION

Gold lure WHY EVERYONE IS

ALL THE RAGE

SOLD ON GOLD

TURNING

SHOPPERS STOP MD & CEO GOVIND SHRIKHANDE IS ON A ROLL

OPERATIONS

PLANT VISIT

5 TH A N N I V E R S A R Y S P E C I A L

ROA ROADMAP FOR SMART GRID ROLLED OUT GRI

PEOPLE PASCAL GAUVIN, COO, IHG, INDIA, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

Published by ITP Publishing India

HOW RSB IS ADAPTING

W WALTER INDIA OPENS TECH CENTRE WITH COST-SAVING SOLUTIONS

FACED WITH SLOWDOWN, THE INDIAN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY IS REINVENTING ITSELF – AND BREAKING NEW GROUND

MORE COMPANIES OPT FOR THERMAL STORAGE

TOOLS

INDIAN TV BROADCASTERS BEAT SLOWDOWN BLUES; INCREASE BUDGETS FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES

FRANCHISING IN MODERN RETAIL

Importance of MarCom

RAJEEV MENON SPENCE WILSON SONAL HOLLAND

BACK IN FOCUS

ENHANCING PRODUCITIVITY & FACILITATING CAREER PROGRESS

Roundtable

Aligning business and healthcare in India

Published by ITP Publishing India

LAND OWNERS AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPERS ARE AT LOGGERHEADS WITH THE NEW LAND ACQUISITION BILL. WILL THE GOVERNMENT SUCCEED IN BREAKING THE IMPASSE?

Total pages 50

Total pages 82 Volume 5|Issue 10|October 2013|`50

YOUR DECISIVE TOOL FOR MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE

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 54 of every previous month. Posted at Patrika Channel Sorting Ofﬁce, Mumbai-400001, Posting date: 30th & 31st of every previous month

AT EXCON 2013

PROMISED

Lighting

The brightest trends

TOTAL PAGES 64 VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 9| OCTOBER 2013 | `50

Manufacturing

Vol. 5 | Issue 10 | october 2013 | ` 50

EVENT WHAT TO EXPECT

THE

Tribute to Toyo Ito

JURY MEET CONSTRUCTION WEEK INDIA

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

THE CUTTING EDGE OF THE FASHION BUSINESS

Total number of pages 96 + 60-page supplement

THETIDE THE

CHAIRMAN & MD RAJEEV SHARMA ON HOW THE RURAL ELECTRIFICATION CORPORATION HAS RECORDED CONSISTENT GROWTH DESPITE THE DOWNTURN

SPINNING

CELEBRATING THE JOY OF ALL THINGS INSPIRATIONAL

NEW DREAMS

1 | FDD | March 2013

From simply woollens to a complete clothing brand, Sandeep Jain is weaving new strategies for Monte Carlo

Published by ITP Publishing India

For subscriptions, please contact: James Dsouza Tel: 022-61546032 Email:james.dsouza@itp.com HOTELIER INDIA | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

An ITP Publishing India Publication

strategy

Beach Destinations Peak season will see an increase in travel to beach destinations of Goa and Kerala

market data

B y C u s h m a n & Wa k e f i e l d

oa has the country’s most famous beaches and is known as a leisure destination while Kerala is famous for its ayurveda, backwater cruises and few renowned beaches. As the peak season draws closer these two states will see an increase in footfalls.

Goa is spread over an area of 3,702 sq. km with a total population of 1.4 mn – 0.12 per cent of the total population of India, and a population density of 394 persons per sq. km. Goa has two districts namely North Goa and South Goa with a population share of 56:44. The GDP of the state has witnessed a decline in growth rate to 8.9 per cent in 2011-12 over 10.1 per cent in the previous year. This drop is mainly the result of the impact from banning of mining activity in Goa in the primary sector. Kerala is spread over an area of 38,863 sq. km with a population of 33 mn, Trivandrum’s contribution being about 10 per cent to this number. Its GDP has witnessed a growth of 9.5 per cent in 2011-12 over 8 per cent in 2010-11. Though Kerala is 10 times larger in area than Goa, it is lagging behind in per capita income by

almost 54 per cent. Calangute Beach of Goa and Kovalam Beach of Kerala are the most famous and known beaches in these two states, we have drawn a detailed comparison on them below. Hospitality Market Performance: Calangute has over 90 hotels with above 4,200 keys and has high presence of unorganised hotels in the budget segment. Few of the branded hotels operating are Park Hotel, Swissotel (which has now been deflagged), Adamo The Bellus Goa and Azzure by Spree hotels. Kovalam has over 40 hotels with over 2,500 keys. It, too, has low presence of branded hotels. Few of the brands available are Vivanta by Taj, Leela Hotel, KTDC Samudra Resort and Niraamaya-Surya Samudra Resort.

Area

Goa 3,702 sq. km

Capital

Panaji

GDP (at Constant Prices in 2011-12) Per Capita Income State Population Total Tourists (2012) District Population Most Famous Beach

Rs 23096 crore @ 8.9% growth rate Rs133,778 1,457,723 2.8 mn North Goa-817,761 Calangute Beach

Kerala 38,863 sq. km Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) Rs 210,107 crore @ 9.5% growth rate Rs 60,536 33,387,677 10.7 mn Trivandrum-3,307,284 Kovalam Beach

Water sports remain the main attraction of beach destinations

On comparison of Calangute and Kovalam beaches’ hotel performance as of YTD (year-todate) 2013, it has been noticed that Kovalam Beach is leading in ARR at INR 6,075 at an AOR of 64 per cent. Calangute Beach witnessed an ARR of Rs 3,990 though it is ahead in AOR by five per cent at 69 per cent. This beach offers vari-

ous water sports activities for leisure tourists while Kovalam offers ayurvedic treatments too beyond its surfing activities near the artificial reef. Calangute has hotels like Hyatt Place, Fairfield by Marriott, Ibis in its upcoming supply while Kovalam has a convention centre in the pipeline with a hotel. However, Trivandrum, which is

Hospitality Market Performance: 7000

70% 69%

6000

68% 5000 67% 4000

66% 65%

3000

64% 2000 63% 1000

62%

61%

Calangute Beach

ARR(in INR)

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

RevPAR(in INR)

Kovalam Beach

AOR(in %)

strategy

just 16 km away from Kovalam, has brands like Novotel, Hyatt Place, Courtyard by Marriott, Hilton Garden Inn, Formule 1, etc. in the upcoming list. Air Arrivals Air arrivals to Calangute come through Dabolim Airport and at Kovalam through Trivandrum Airport. Both of these are international airports. The ratio of domestic to foreign air arrivals to Dabolim airport is 81:19 while that to Trivandrum airport is 35:65. Goa received in total 3.5 mn arrivals while that in Trivandrum is 2.8 mn. The domestic arrivals in Goa airport is leading Trivandrum airport by 192 per cent while it is lag-

During 2012, the total number of domestic tourists was 2.3 mn, and had grown 5 per cent year on year, whilst foreign tourists had accounted for a total of 0.5 mn and had grown 1 per cent year on year. During January to July of 2013, the total number of tourists to Goa were1.4 mn of which 83 per cent was domestic and 17 per cent was foreign. For Trivandrum, the total number of tourists in 2012 was 1.6 mn, out of which domestic to foreign ratio was 85:15. For Kovalam Beach as of 2011, it was found that out of the total tourists of 0.37 mn, 71 per cent were domestic while 29 per cent were foreign. The average duration of stay in Goa for domestic tourists is five

Air Arrivals in Goa 4,000,000 3,500,000 3,000,000 2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000,000 500,000 2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

Domestic

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

Foreign

Air Arrivals in Trivandrum

3,000,000 2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000,000 500,000 -

012-13

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10 Domestic

ging behind in international arrivals by 65 per cent. Tourist Arrivals & Visitor Profile For Goa, the total number of tourist arrivals during 2012 amounted to 2.8 mn and had grown 4.4 per cent year on year. During 2012, of the total tourists, 84 per cent was domestic and 16 per cent foreign.

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

Foreign

days while it is nine days for the foreign ones. The average duration of stay in Kerala is six days for domestic tourists and 16 days for foreign tourists. The top three international source markets for Goa tourists are Russia (31.1 per cent), UK (26.6 per cent) and Germany (7.06 per cent) as of 2012. In contrast, as of 2011, Kerala had top three

Inventory Classification Calangute 2013 Budget

Midscale

Upscale

6% 19%

75%

Inventory Classification Kovalam 2013 Budget Midscale Upscale Upper Upscale Luxury 1%

2% 7%

26% 64%

in this area. Kovalam is being promoted as a surfing and wave riding destination by the government. Recently, an event was held here wherein domestic and foreign surfers had participated. Visa on Arrivals (VoA) scheme has been started to lure foreign tourists at Trivandrum airport by the state government. VoA has been provided to 11-odd countries so far. Kovalam’s proximity to Trivandrum airport is beneficial even in the case of the Sea Plane project that is being executed by the state government providing connectivity in the priority sector including Trivandrum.

Conclusion Both Calangute and Kovalam source markets as UK (26.2 per Arrivals 3,000,000 beaches are internationally cent), France (9.5 per Air cent) and in Trivandrum renowned and reflect their respecGermany (8.2 per cent). 2,500,000 tive cultures. Calangute Beach Classification-wise, Kovalam 2,000,000 is famously known as ‘Queen of offers accommodation across all Beaches’ and offers water sports to segments 1,500,000 while Calangute’s hotels exquisite handicraft showrooms are limited to upscale segment on 1,000,000 while Kovalam offers ayurvedic the high-end side. Both these desmassages to yoga sessions beyond tinations 500,000 have maximum invenwater sports activities. Calangute tory in budget segment with 75 per Beach has double the amount of cent for-Calangute and 63 per cent 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 accommodation facilities availfor Kovalam. Midscale segment able inForeign comparison to Kovalam. comprise about 19 per cent and 26Domestic Though, statewise, the total numper cent respectively. ber of tourists in Kerala is 10.7 mn, almost four times higher than that Tourism Development received by Goa. But the fraction Initiatives of tourists visiting the TrivanGoa tourism government has drum district is almost half of that marched ahead towards making received by Goa in total. It can be Goa a lucrative tourist destinadeduced that Calangute belongtion even in the off season. During ing to one of the two districts monsoons, the state government namely North Goa, has advantage has cut down the luxury tax in the of receiving higher footfalls on midscale - upper segment hotels its beach while Kovalam receives to almost 50 per cent. This step is fraction of tourists arriving in to make hotels profitable even in Trivandrum district which is one the lean period. Other than a monof the fourteen districts in Kerala. soon destination, the government Additionally, the lower ARRs in is promoting Goa as an adventure Calangute is another favourable and eco-tourism tourism spot too. parameter for tourists in comThe National Institute of Water parison to Kovalam. Along with Sports Goa is setting up a new tourism initiatives planned by building and facilities up-gradathe state governments, these two tion for training in water sports beach destinations will remain activities. sought after options for tourists Construction of Kovalam’s but Calangute would lead in footmulti-purpose artificial reef has falls even in years to come. HI given a boost to water sports too

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

CHEF AVIJIT GHOSH Corporate Pastry Chef, The Leela Palaces Resorts and Hotels CALLEBAUT AMBASADOR, INDIA

MADAGASCAR CHOCOLATE AND PISTACHIO MOUSSE WITH SAFFRON ICE CREAM

Ingredients

Quantities

Method

250 gms

s "OIL MILK WITH SUGAR AND ADD THE beaten yolks to make smooth custard. s !DD TO THE -ADAGASCAR CHOCOLATE AND EMULSIFY WITH A BLENDER s #OOL DOWN THE GANACHE AND FOLD IN THE WHIPPED CREAM

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE Madagascar â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Single Origine Chocolate Egg Yolks Castor Sugar Milk Whipped Cream

4 Nos 25 gms 125 gms 225 gms

New Arrival Callebaut Pure Pistachio Paste

PISTACHIO MOUSSE Milk Cream Egg Yolk Sugar Gelatin Leaves Pistachio Paste Whipped Cream

125 gms 125 gms 3 Nos 50 gms 3 Nos 65 gms 250 gms

s "OIL MILK AND CREAM s -IX SUGAR WITH YOLKS AND ADD TO THE milk and cream to prepare smooth custard. s #OOL DOWN THE CUSTARD TO $EG # Add the dissolved gelatin. s &URTHER COOL DOWN TO $EG # AND FOLD IN THE WHIPPED CREAM

125 gms 125 gms 200 gms 2 Nos 1 gm

s #OOK MILK AND CREAM WITH SAFFRON s "EAT EGG YOLK AND SUGAR TOGETHER AND ADD TO THE ABOVE MIX TO PREpare a smooth custard. s #OOL THE ICE CREAM MIXTURE OVERnight in the refrigerator.

SAFFRON ICE CREAM Cream Milk Castor Sugar Egg Yolk Saffron

MADAGASCAR - SINGLE ORIGINE DARK CHOCOLATE For more details contact: Barry Callebaut India Pvt Ltd, #401 Times Square Building, 4TH Floor, Western Express Highway, Near Sai Service, Andheri East, Mumbai 400069 Tel: 91-22-67 21 3080 to 3087 Website: www.callebaut.com www.Chocolate-academy.com Email: salesindia@barry-calllebaut.com abhiru_biswas@barry-callebaut.com

strategy

Front runners From being the first to meet and greet the guests to ensuring a guest's smooth stay, a Front Office Manager (FOM) today is more than just a face

Round table

B y Ma d h u l i k a D a s h

hey are the ever-smiling faces of the hotel – people who always know how to listen and solve crisis. A guest’s guide, these men and women are instrumental in making a guest's stay memorable – even before it begins. But is that their only role in the new scheme of things?

How has the role of a front office manager changed/evolved over the last few years?

The front office manager’s role is no more about operations only; s/he is now responsible for multiple portfolios including revenue management, communications and PR. More hotels are now investing in getting operationally-strong individuals with experience in front office, and grooming them for various multiportfolio requirements as it eventually boils down to how efficiently (and effectively) does the manager, essay these roles and give result. Raza Muqri: The role has become more dynamic and hands-on. In an industry where the first and last impression of a guest is significant for our existence, FOM just can’t sit in the office and direct his team. He has to be present at the shop floor and be actively involved in the growing complex and high paced movements. Vikram Sood: From being the face of the hotel, a FOM today has to don the dual role of a revenue generator and also communications person, who is the go-to person for all issues. It’s his responsibility to transform a guest to a loyalist. Kapil Kapoor: The front office departAllen Machado:

One of the vital roles of front office managers is to transform guests into patrons.

ment is the most important cog of the operations and is easily the most recognised person as he/she would be taking centrestage in handling VIP’s, CIP’s, group movements, guest feedback and situation handling. FOM is instrumen-

tal in getting leads, indoor sales and closing room rate requirements of guests in sync with the sales team. Zubin Todiwalla: A FOM plays a significant role in creating the brand’s aura and delivering the brand

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

promise to guests through his body language, attentiveness, communications and solutions. He is no more the complaint book, but a guide, a confidant and the bridge that ensures that the hotel performs to its best capability.

strategy

A front office manager today defines the level of customisation of a hotel.

What has been the most challenging aspect of this role?

Machado: At present, the challenge

is to be up-to-date with the latest changes in technology, especially those that are more popular with our guests. There is a constant need to upgrade ourselves, and our system, so we are in tandem with our tech-savvy clients. Muqri: Coping with immense demands of the new age travellers and yet ensuring that we keep up with the service levels at all times while exceeding guest expectations is the challenge today. Sood: A FOM has to be a peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s person, but with guests having the information edge today, it is staying ahead of them, which is a chal-

lenge today. Of course, indulgence is another roadblock that needs clever handling. Kapoor: To focus on administering the entire departmental operations, handling guest complaints/ feedback, following-up on top management assignments, driving new initiatives, keeping abreast of market trends, is quite a task. Balancing all these aspects is the most challenging part of the role. Todiwalla: Giving each guest personalised service with solutions they would like rather than what the hotel would want to provide is a daunting task in itself. However, to be able to exceed oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own record all the time is the biggest challenge, yet the most

fascinating part of being at the front desk.

What kinds of service options are becoming popular these days? And how, in your opinion, will this evolve in the future?

Machado: Nowadays guests, in both

the leisure and business segments, are more self reliant and aware of the processes. Self check-in facilities are extremely popular amongst many travellers these days. The mobile key service has been equally popular. Self service options like kiosks available to pre check-in into flights without the option of human interaction at the concierge or travel desk, etc. Systems for virtually pre-ordering

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

food and beverage for in-room dining have also gained acceptance. Clearly, such quicker options will grow, but the human touch will stay, albeitin a peripheral manner. Muqri: Making reservations has become very easy with numerous hotels designing their own smart apps. A lot of hotels are already working on self check-in apps so, yes, we can expect some very unique self check-in options in the times ahead. Sood: There is no alternative to personalised service. People come to stay in a five-star luxury hotel for the amenities and level of personalised, attentive service that the brand offers. Self service is not a module that goes with the image of

strategy

Being well-informed and quick on their responses is a pre-requisite for front office staff.

a luxury property/chain. And it's existence, I feel, will be limited. Kapoor: Most of the hotels have now moved to self-service information kiosks. An express checkin option, ordering meals, booking spa treatments, view and pay bill options are the trending options which are evolving. Also, currently all lounges have the option of self service kiosks for tea/coffee/ beverages instead of the standard butler service. Todiwalla: There are no fix formulas to service options. Global guests travel all across the world and know basic formula solutions all hotels globally will provide. In the coming times, we have to get more innovative and realistic in handling guests as a smooth stay and transition has more value than monetary benefits or discounts.

How far has technology enabled you to perform better?

Machado: Technology has opened

new horizons and options to

Irrespective of self-check-in kiosks, front office management still remains a personalised service.

enable us to provide cutting-edge service to todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s discerning and smart traveller. Muqri: Technology has increased efficiency and excellent record maintenance. For todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s traveller recognition and meeting preferences really matters the most, and technology has helped us to perform these tasks smoothly. Virtual concierge, smart phone apps, in

car check-ins are a few examples of how technology has really helped. Sood: i-Pads for sharing information, enhanced real time communication within different departments, wi-fi connectivity throughout the hotel, wi-fienabled hotel limousines are a few incidences of how advancement of technology has helped hotel upgrade their services to enhance

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

guest satisfaction and improve their own functioning. Kapoor: Analysing the demographics of guests patronising the hotel and tailoring services to make their stay comfortable is what is enabling us to perform our role better. Also, yield management has touched a new level altogether post the advent of technology and its gamut of reports, suggestions

Sometimes your hands could use a hand.

TOUCH 2 O® TECHNOLOGY. TOUCH IT ON, TOUCH IT OFF. Touch anywhere on the spout or handle with your wrist or forearm to start

and stop the flow of water. For more information, visit www.deltafaucet.co.in/touch or email india@deltafaucet.com

BANGALORE - *Sai Gallerium, 100ft Road, Indiranagar. Ph: 080 25210332 *Sai Gallerium, HRBR Ring Road, Babusaab Palya. Ph: 080 41261901 COIMBATORE - *Purplebay Home Decors, Kannusamy Road, R.S.Puram. Ph: 0422 4384605 DELHI - *Home Boutique, Main Road, Jagatpuri. Ph: +91 9999944502 *Julka Sales, Greater Kailash-II Market. Ph: +91 9310156443 *SBG Designs, BD Block Market, Pitampura. Ph: 011 46310000 HYDERABAD - *Dream Kitchens, Road Number 1, Jubilee Hills. Ph: +91 9000161144 MUMBAI - *C.Bhogilal & Co., Perin Nariman Street, Fort. Ph: 022 40858585 *J B Home Store, Turbhe, Navi Mumbai. Ph: +91 9224353637 *Ritik Ceramics, S.K Bole Road, Dadar West. Ph: 022 24372468 PUNE - *B S Sales, Next to Marketyard Post Office, Marketyard. Ph: 020 24266133 SURAT - *Dev Ceramics, Majura Gate, Ring Road. Ph: 0261 2478586

strategy

Roundtable

Meet the experts

Allen Machado

Front Office Manager, InterContinental, Marine Drive Voted "The Most Admired Front Office Executive of the Year " at the 4th Golden Star Awards, he has also been awarded the IHG award for the highest system delivery in the region in the year 2012 amongst over 40 hotels in the brand. Raza Muqri

Front Office Manager, Jaipur Marriott An alumnus of IHM, Kolkata, his all-round experience makes him the ‘Iron Man’ of guests relations. His readiness to know his guests and then memorise each detail has made him the most admirable face of the hotel. Vikram Sood

Director of Rooms and Front Office Manager, Shangri-La's - Eros Hotel, New Delhi In the last nine years, he has helped the hotel grow by adopting the 360 degree responsibility of overseeing the rooms division, front office operations, the exclusive Horizon Club Lounge among others. Kapil Kapoor

Executive Assistant Manager, Waterstones Hotel He is called the Santa Claus of Waterstone. Kapoor has played a key role in giving the ‘Best Boutique Hotel of India’ it’s warm yet sophisticated greet style. One that many say is different and addictive. Zubin Todiwalla

Front Office Manager, Sofitel His calm nature is has a zen-like affect on the guests. Tech savvy and up-to-date with everything makes him the best system manager in the hotel.

Blending technology with human touch is the key to success for a front office manager today.

and analytics. However, there needs to be a balance between usage of technology and keeping that human touch in service. Indian hospitality is wellknown for its warm service and as a hotelier we have to capitalise on that aspect. Todiwalla: Technology has helped us maintain guest data, preferences, past record of transactions, personal details like birthdays, etc, which is a great tool in creating that connect so imperative for a hotel's growth.

What has been the biggest achievement in your career?

Machado: That of being recog-

nied and awarded as one of the best front office executives in the country at the Golden Star Awards as well as being part of the dream team that achieved one of the highest average rates and REV PARS in the city year after year. Muqri : Completing five years in Marriot, while being promoted constantly for good work. Sood: Doubling guest satisfaction scores in last three years, while still maintaining the profitability of the hotel. Kapoor: Leading the team, ensuring there is constant learning, motivating them, getting good CSI scores is

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

something that every Front Office Manager strives for. But personally I believe that when the staff attrition is next to negligible and your ex-staff calls up stating that they would like to join you when you take up a new assignment is what I feel is the biggest achievement in my career. Todiwalla: I had joined this hotel in 2011 as part of their preopening team, almost over three years, and have since risen to becoming the Assistant Front Office Manager and then Front Office Manager within a year - and that has been my biggest achievement. HI

Cover story

By Babita Krishnan

Slice of luxury PK Mohankumar, managing director and CEO, Ginger Hotels, wants to give guests a taste of luxury at an affordable price

Mohankumar believes that the beginning of the industry with the first few hotels was more an opportunistic response rather than a strategic infrastructure development – a tactical response to the foreign tourists coming into India. “The reason for the hotel industry to even start here was to cater to these foreign tourists and rich Indians. Five star luxury hotels started coming up as the tourists that came in were not middle class, mid-market people, but were affluent Westerners,” says Mohankumar. In response to this need, a whole host of top luxury hotels started being launched. It also lead to the perception that hotels meant expensive luxury. However, it also left a huge vacuum – between that opened between the top-end and the family-owned properties that were a tradition as old as the legendary Indian hospitality. Mohankumar gives credit of the original segmentation of the industry to Camellia Panjabi, who realised what was happening globally and replicated the same in India for the Taj Group – by creating the Taj Residencies and Taj Luxuries. “Though we were the pioneers, there was no real need for segmentation or productisation of the industry till 9/11, when suddenly the whole overseas market, which we depended so heavily on, collapsed coupled with the global recession,” he explains. One disaster opens another window of opportunity – and apparently,

this one did for the Indian industry as they were forced to look inwards and found a goldmine of opportunity in the domestic market. “They have the propensity to pay and sustained the Indian hospitality industry post 9/11. For almost two years, we had to completely depend on the domestic holiday goer and there were lot of tourist as well as business destinations which were very cyclical in nature,” remembers Mohankumar.

atan Tata, who headed the Tata Group then, always dreamt of creating products that are affordable for its patrons yet profitable for the company – for the Bharat that is beyond the urban India, made up of the millions of aspirational Indians. “Ginger, in that sense, was the brainchild of that philosophy and thinking. The first thought was to create a hotel, which is a slice of a five-star hotel, but priced at Rs1,000,” says Mohankumar about the first Ginger that was launched by Ratan Tata at Whitefield, Bengaluru. While the product was created for the budget space, the marketing team felt that it was not fashionable to call it so. The disconnect came from the perception of a hotel – that of being a five star. “Therefore, in 2004 the Ginger Whitefield was launched as a ‘smart basics’ property at Rs990. Till today, it has been one of the best performing Ginger Hotels in our group,” reveals the CEO,

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

the safety and security of all its guests is top priority for the brand and that is also the brand vision and promise.

t might not believe in shouting its presence from the rooftops, but as one of the first brands in the budget hotel segment, Ginger accelerated the acceptance of this segment amongst the frequent travellers in India. Of course, one of the factors that has helped its cause is that Ginger is owned by Roots Corporation Ltd, a Tata Group company. And PK Mohankumar, MD and CEO is the first to admit this. But there is nothing even remotely gingerly about this industry veteran who, in the last 40 years as a hotelier, has travelled the world as a representative of the Taj brand and has been part of its growth.

Cover story

Tourism Minister Interview

Ginger Hotels represent 'smart basics', which means that the guests enjoy the luxury of a ďŹ ve-star property at affordable prices. It caters to the need of the budget traveller." HOTELIER INDIA | October 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

Though my ministry is charged with the job of promoting tourism, we actually needed the cooperation of 16 other ministries to deliver the goods."

Cover story

Ginger Hotels are based on the philosophy of basic amenities presented smartly.

rmed with a strategic plan to ramp-up, expand and grow to 40 hotels in next three years in all locations (Ginger opened its 30th property in Jaipur last month) he has come up with what he calls the 365-day turnaround plan. He is looking inwards to consolidate all the existing Gingers and make them world class. “So I am benchmarking them with the best-in-class in the world, seeing whole lot of product upgradation, renovation, service excellence and processes. We are

also part of the Tata business excellence movement,” Mohankumar says. Targeting the Gen X, Y and Z, the aim is to make Ginger an aspirational brand since the existing properties in the metros are already being patronised by the young crowd. Mohankumar wants to cement this relationship. “In the last two years, we opened eight Ginger hotels in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru, and all are doing 80 per cent plus occupancy. This is what the current scenario is and one can see how the hospitality industry has matured with clear segmentations and different products,” he explains. The mid-market, budget and economy are segments that are still being discovered by the country's hospitality industry as well as by investors and builders. Slowly but surely, the acceptance within the marketplace for them is on the rise. The growth potential is about 150,000 rooms all across the country, including metros, tier-I, -II and -III towns. Out of the present 8,000 rooms in the organised sector, Ginger has 3,000 rooms and Mohankumar is aggressively looking at increasing his market capacity. Before the year ends, the brand will open another three Ginger Hotels in Chandigarh, Amritsar and Greater Noida. “These are Greenfield management contracts, but we are also looking at mergers and acquisitions,” he says, explaining the way forward. “We have drawn up a strategic plan of profitable growth and expansion and we have identified locations where we want to grow. That is in sync with what the governsmart hotels at an affordable price point that deliver profitable growth, will attract a lot of investors and partners to be a part of the Ginger story.

who believes that India is all about mid-market, and economy and budget hotels, and affordable price points. Drawing a parallel with Indigo Airlines, he explains how they are low-cost, not cheap. With the desire to position Ginger as a very fashionable and stylish young brand that could be a very sensorial experience, attractive, yet affordable, Mohankumar believes that it is doable to actually create the entire design, cost and operational concept at Rs 2,000. With about 8,000 branded and nearly 30,000 unbranded rooms in this space, there is a huge potential for all of these to come under the branded umbrella and that huge piece of the pie is what this veteran is eying. “It is going to be such an enormous phenomenon that for the next 20 years, it is going to be all about budget and economy hotels in India like it was about small cars a few years back. The proposition of smart hotels at an affordable price point that deliver profitable growth, will attract a lot of investors and partners who will want to be a part of the Ginger story in the years to come,” says the head honcho.

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

SURYAGARH Jaisalmer, India

650 Hotels and Resorts / Locations in Over 85 Countries / 7 Renowned Global Brands / Over 1 Million

THE IMPERIAL NEW DELHI New Delhi, India THE ZURI KUMARAKOM KERALA RESORT & SPA Kerala, India

iPrefer Loyalty

Members / 30 Global Sales Offices / Over 250 Sales Events Annually / 150,000 Guestrooms / Celebrated on Every Major Best Hotels List / THE FIRST LUXURY ART HOTEL ROMA Rome, Italy THE ALPINA GSTAAD Gstaad, Switzerland

3 Million Unique Online Visitors

One Valuable Partner.

To learn more, contact Saurabh Rai, Regional Director, South Asia & Middle East, Tel: +91 98117 33393 Email: SRai@PreferredHotelGroup.com CVK PARK BOSPHORUS ISTANBUL Istanbul, Turkey DEVI GARH Udaipur, India

Fnl_13-PHG_Hoteller_India_Nov2013.indd 1

Or visit PreferredHotelGroup.com/HotelierIndiaNov

THE LANESBOROUGH London, England, United Kingdom

10/16/13 8:34 AM

Cover story

All the world's a stage

The goal today for Ginger Hotels is upgrading the facilities to make them world-class yet affordable.

ment’s infrastructure development chart looks like. In the next three years we are looking at about 40 hotels, and this could come in the form of greenfield, lease rentals, management contracts, conversions of operating hotels, and franchises,” Mohankumar adds.

There is a large market available to us within the country that is recession proof and we are perhaps the only country in the world, which has its biggest strength in the 200-million educated middle class."

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

eing a part of the global economic scenario, India cannot insulate itself completely from the global recession. But he believes that being a developing economy gives it a strategic advantage. “There is a large market available to us within the country that is recession proof and we are perhaps the only country in the world which has its biggest strength in the 200-million educated middle class,” he says. Mohankumar feels that the government and industry should seize the advantage and build capacity. Also, the industry must put up hotels at affordable price points, otherwise the domestic market will continue to stay with unbranded operators. “The government has not realised or accepted the emerging new segment in the industry – the mid-market, economy and budget – that is very different from the top and luxury or premium sector. It must come up with a tourism policy and a hospitality infrastructure policy

COVER STORY

Creating more properties through greenﬁelds and lease are high on the company's agenda.

We run on SAP and almost 60 per cent of a Ginger hotel is driven by automation. The other thing is simplicity by design." ing favourable policies like a tax holiday.” he says pointing out some of the pain-points. hough “minions” in a large conglomerate which is a very inclusive group, Ginger has the Tata DNA and is equally sensitive to the employees as much as to the customers. This reﬂects in the many employee-friendly policies that attract a lot of young people to work in this model. “We have a team of people who have joined us for what the brand stands for – aspiration and excitement,” Mohankumar explains. “We are a delayered, ﬂat organisation and the main attraction for the associates is that it is a rapidly growing brand that has the potential to become global. Another thing is that we are technologyled and are completely supported by TCS at the back end. We run on SAP and almost 60 per cent of a Ginger hotel is driven by automation. The other thing is simplicity by design. Operations is minimal as we are accommodation driven. We outsource our restaurant, café, security and housekeeping, and even our core functions and that is a fresh phenomenon in India,” he says. Proud of the fact that he is part of the changing India, Mohankumar believes, that with the right policies and guidelines, Ginger will be to make a difference. “You will see India in safety and security wherever there is a Ginger. This is not an empty statement; it is our aspiration and vision for the brand,” he says with conviction. HI

T Replicating the standards will be the biggest USP and challenge.

that would build capacity in economy and budget hotels. When that happens, you will ﬁnd acceptance with 400 million young Indians who are willing to see their country but are unable to because of a lack of branded products in all the locations they want to go,” elucidates Mohankumar. He feels that the government should create a consultative group separately for this segment and come up with policies that can actually help the builders and investors to actually build capacity in these hotels, “So we do not have to go through the same approvals and regulations as the other top-end hotels. Ours is a very affordable price-point, therefore our budgets are minimal. So the strain, cost of capital and cost of operation should be kept at the minimum by hav-

HOTELIER INDIA | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

HOTELIER AD PLACE.indd 80

1/30/2013 3:33:40 PM

PEOPLE

GM interview: Manish Tolani Focused management Manish Tolani of Courtyard by Marriott Pune Hinjewadi believes a successful hotel is simply about better business coaching By Babita Krishnan

What has been one of your most important on-the-job lessons? In a day and age where individuals are highly competitive, competition is consistently innovating and with every new hotel opening, one is introduced to pinnacle practices in product, people and processes — the most important lesson I have learnt is that success is never final. A moment’s lapse can have long term repercussions on one’s strategy and sometimes irreparable impact on the results. How has your experience helped in your present role? I believe that running a hotel is fairly logical and simple. It does need a fair amount of focus on the market trends, policies, economic outlook, etc. but within all of this, we sometimes ignore the most important factor— our guest. My experience has helped me understand the significance of ‘balance’ and that is the most important part of my role. The integrated focus on product + service strategy innovation, managing employee aspirations, investment in technology and smart cost management methods that contribute to the community in an effective manner eventually help us deliver on the commitment to our key stakeholders (guests, employees and owners). What is the most exciting thing about being a hotelier? Managing a hotel is akin to running a small country where you are responsible for the happiness and satis-

The Big Lessons Competition is consistently innovating and with every new hotel opening, one is introduced to pinnacle practices in product, people and processes Revenue increase is the derivative of a hotel’s strong identity, highly motivated employees who go above and beyond the product offering, consistently deliver what’s expected of the brand Close to 55 per cent of our guests have stayed with us more than once – leveraging this fact is our key differentiator within our competitive set is our knack of personalisation

faction of people visiting (guests), sustaining a strong long term economy (delivering profits), welfare of the people who work with you (employees), and upkeep of the infrastructure in the country (hotel product) – doing a good job of it gives me an adrenaline rush. In doing this, I meet a lot a people across cultures, borders and backgrounds which keeps me learning, excited and grounded. What is the one training that you personally impart to your team? Some of us gain experience and along with the whiff of arrogance that makes us believe that nobody can do a particular job better than us. My primary theme of training my core team is around two basic philosophies: ‘success in never final’ and ‘devil is in the details’. This helps us challenge each other in our respective roles, get prudent feedback, constantly improve, enhance and innovate. What will the future of hospitality be like? The present hospitality scene in India is promising in terms of the exponential growth experienced in supply but the restrained environment of demand growth in most Indian markets continues to play a damper. Every economic cycle changeover has its immediate impact on industries like airlines and hotels, hence, from a long-term perspective hospitality will sustain and grow. Focus on Tier-I cities is gradually moving to Tier-II and III cities considering the probable ROI for owners vs. in Tier-I cities. What are your reevenue enhancing strategies with this brand? I believe revenue increase is the derivative of a hotel’s strong identity, highly motivated employees who go above and beyond the product offering, consistently deliver

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

Manish Tolani, Courtyard by Marriott, Pune Hinjewadi

You have to grow with the local community – you need to include them but be prepared for everything." what’s expected of the brand while driving innovation. Our strategy is deployed keeping the mentioned parameters in mind. Close to 55 per cent of our guests have stayed with us more than once – leveraging this fact is our key differentiator within our competitive set is our knack of personalisation for our guests. This word is understood and imbibed by each employee hence customisation is delivered with passion in every aspect of guest experience. We consider archival and current data from our sister hotels as gold dust – we recognise, pre-empt and support every aspect of this guest goal. What has been the property story so far? The growth has come in from both rate and occupancy supporting our endeavour to drive employment within the community and generate committed profits. F&B revenue is pioneering some of the largest catering events and promotions in the city. We will continue to innovate. HI

zieher.com

catalogue

facebook

„Squareline“

www.zieher.com

www.facebook.com/ZieherGermany

„DressCoat“

„Basic“ & „Konkret!“

PEOPLE

Lessons learnt One should learn from competition rather than getting intimidated by them says Gulshan Arora, senior VP, Sun N Sand By Babita Krishnan

his business is all about competition, but that can, and should, be taken positively and in your stride, says Gulshan Arora, senior vice-president Sun N Sand Hotel. He should know, having seen the Oberoi coming up when he was with the 19room Nataraj Hotel on Mumbai’s Marine Drive, which later became The InterContinental. “In the 1960s, there were no big brands saving the Taj, so when the Oberoi was built, we thought that smaller hotels like ours would be forced to shut down. But as environment in the country changed, business grew and there was room for everyone,” Arora reminisces. Having worked with different brands, he has learnt important lessons which have been successfully implemented at Sun N Sand in last few years. Arora believes that “If you give guests the comfort level, personalised service, which they don’t get in a larger hotel, you have won their

The key to beat slowdown is better service.

Pune has one of the most successful properties of Sun N Sand in the state.

Gulshan Arora, senior vice president, Sun N Sand

loyalty for life, even if you charge nearly on par with the international brands.” He says this with conviction as Arora implemented an increase in the room rates when JW Marriott and Novotel opened next door, without impacting the occupancy. But with growing business, one needs to hire trained staff – who prefer a foreign brand rather than a home-grown one – and that has been a sore point for Arora. “They come here get trained for five to six months and then move on to a bigger brand. That is a natural tendency.” But he blames the academic institutions as he feels these colleges have become commercial establishments and do not take people based on their aptitude. Sun N Sand has a very strong culture of training people – “every employee has to be trained in our culture and has to adhere to it whether he stays with us for a couple of months or years,” Arora reveals the reason behind there being almost no complaints from the guests. As a small hotel, he personally goes to every area to see if things are in order or not. A strong advocate of two-way communication, Arora listens to what everyone in his team has to say. “He may not be completely right, but I can be wrong as well. Sometimes, the junior staff can come out with bright ideas. Listening to them makes a lot of difference.” Arora reveals that despite the industry slowdown, they have been able to meet their revenue targets. “In fact our occupancy has gone up. When you know that the market is slow and rates are dropping, you concentrate on getting more occupancy and increasing the revenue margin so that margins are not affected. While in Mumbai, the revenues elsewhere are down by 20 25 per cent, ours are not, and the credit goes largely to our service and strategies that we have implemented – learning from our competition,” he says. Though he agrees that the overall market situation is slow and not congenial to expansion, Arora reveals that their properties in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Shirdi have been doing well and the group is exploring opportunities to build more hotels in MP. HI

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

PEOPLE

The design story With a design driven work philosophy, Mark Edleson, president Alila Hotels and Resorts, has India on the brand’s growth chart By Babita Krishnan

Though its name being in Sanskrit spells a deep connection with India – Alila has just started making inroads into the country with two operational properties (a resort in Goa and a city-resort in Bengaluru) and one soon-to-be-opened property near Jaipur.

lila is a 10-year-old brand that started in Indonesia and then moved to Singapore to set up a global corporate office. The brand manages hotels in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Maldives and has now come to India. The strongest appeal of the brand lies in its basic tenet, which is Alila is built on strong design principles that reflect the culture and environment of the destinations where it operates. “So, we try to protect and support the natural and cultural environment. We offer a well crafted and tailormade product to our guest – a wealthy well-heeled globetrotter. What many of the bigger and safer hotels may not offer is such proximity to the local environment,” reveals Mark Edleson, president Alila Hotels and Resorts. India that has thousands of potential destinations with vibrant cultural and artistic traditions, is the perfect playground for Alila, yet the brand is virtually unknown here. “We try to blend those traditions into both the design of our hotel and the guest experience. So each hotel is crafted specifically for its destination,” he adds. Hence, the experience begins from the property itself,

Mark Edleson, president Alila Hotels and Resorts.

For us, it is not just about quantity, it is also about the quality. Each property is a different story and design is the basic element of that story where apart from the design, the team is empowered to interact as much as possible with the guests. Since most of the staff is local, they tend to become the connect between the guest and the destination. People tend to remember personal interactions from a holiday more than the shopping or the rooms they stayed in, Edleson believes. “I have always had a fascination for India, but it is not easy to get in here. We found the system of building

Traditional architecture is the mainstay of Alila Diwa Goa.

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

PEOPLE

Being traditional does not take away from the promise of best-in-class amenities like a swimming pool.

We have always seen India as a perfect destination for us because it has such a rich cultural heritage and natural diversity.”

Blending culture with traditional art is the centre of most Alila properties.

Alila Bangalore creates sustainable natural and cultural environment successfully with in the city.

hotels by developers a bit strange. Though we don’t invest, don’t have to clear land, get licenses and permits, these developers have a strong sense of their own capabilities and ideas. Alila being purely a service provider is to our disadvantage because of the passion we bring to the design of a hotel. So, we need to find like-minded developers,” Edleson reveals his pain points. While the brand follows certain systems and processes to maintain standards of operation, to protect the owner’s assets and take care of the cash flow, when it comes to conceptualising, designing or operating the hotel, Alila tries to keep an artisan outlook. “We do our best to maintain natural landscape and preserve the flora and fauna that make up the environment. The sustainability of the natural and cultural environment is key to the success of our hotels,” he says. Comparing the working style in India with others in the region, Edleson is trying to come to terms with some facts. “In most other places, the owners come to us, with the awareness of the brand philosophy. Whereas in India, developers assemble local consultants, they build first and usually the last thing they think of is who will operate the hotel,” he rues. Building something without having thought through the experience makes it difficult for the brand in India, as it goes

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

PEOPLE

Designing for the guest's has been Alila's USP.

against the grain. He doesn’t believe that they are late in entering India because market in the resort sector is so underdeveloped, he feels. “In fact, owing to the easing of infrastructure bottlenecks, we think it is a perfect time to come in. We have always seen India as a perfect destination for us because it has such a rich cultural heritage and natural diversity that there are numerous places where we could be present. The only hitch is in ﬁnding the right developers.” Right now, the strategy has been to be present in destinations which are already catering to international tourism – hence Goa saw the opening of Alila Diwa Goa. Not wanting to miss out on domestic market as well, Bengaluru was targeted to open the Alila Bangalore as a city resort. “Since Rajasthan and Kerala also have been traditionally catering to foreign tourists, they are on our list,” he reveals. Alila has a property opening in Rajasthan sometime middle of next year near Jaipur. The brand is also exploring the possibility of some UNESCO sites, hill stations with tea plantations, coffee plantations, Himalayan towns — “there are all these wonderful places that have the essence which we are always on the lookout for,” he explains. As the brand moves away from the international tourism circuit towards the domestic traveller, Edle-

Team Alila

From Left: Frederic Simon, Sean Brennan, Julian Ayers, Mark Edleson, Guy Heywood and Doris Goh — the senior executive team.

"First of all, our philosophy is com comparatively, a lot more fun and satisfy satisfying — to build resorts in culturally interesting and naturally beautiful places — that’s why we are in the business. If we were in the business to make money, we would be looking at budget business hotels in second secondary and tertiary cities. We, the senior executive team of Alila, need to fall in love with the mix of the destina destination, vision of the developer, the guest experience we envision and ultimately make it ﬁnancially sustain sustainable. For us, at Alila, what sells is each of our creations as they stand out within their markets and showcase our brand efforts. The way we market ourselves is not so much on brand value, but is product driven. So, each of our products speaks for itself, and that’s what drives us, our brand and our properties."

son is confident that they stand to gain and grow, as people would come to understand the brand, though it would not be easy. What makes him positive about consolidating their presence is the fact that their niche is relevant today because people in the cities who are very particular about experience are becoming more discerning. “And we hope that through these travellers we will also be able to support the ecosystem and help create sustainable tourism,” he adds. So how many Alila properties are we likely to see in India in the near future? “For us, it is not just about quantity, it is also about the quality. Each property is a different story and design is the basic element of that story,” he confirms. The team works very closely with the architects and consultants to refine the conceptualisation and “think from the perspective of the guest experience”. The growth chart for an Alila property is a little different, explains Edleson. “In the first year and a half, the pick-up might be a little slower, but after you cross the curve the number of returning guests increases – adding to the bottom line.” On the operational side, generally it is possible to harness the true potential of a property only in the third year. While agreeing that hotels are long-term investments and one has to give them a seven-year window for ROI, Edleson concurs that it really depends on the investment, the developer and the loan structure along with a lot of other elements. Driven by aesthetics and culture, the group is sure of its success in India as they believe in preserving and maintaining the traditional ethos of each destination – albeit draped in the luxurious experience that is essentially Alila. Edleson is confident of connecting with like-minded young investors and owners to make the Alila experience available to the deserving.

Fredrick Simon, MD Alila Hotels and Resorts

HOTELIER INDIA | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

MICROS

RESTAURANT SOLUTIONS

Offering solutions to fit your unique restaurant needs

Table Service Quick Service Fast Casual

Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a neighborhood restaurant or a worldwide chain, MICROS Systems, Inc. offers a superior menu of technology solutions to suit your needs. MICROS Restaurant Solutions are designed to be scalable and flexible, which enables you to select the solution that will work best for your operation. Plus, regardless of your type or size of business, these systems are capable of being fully integrated into a complete enterprise solution. We are dedicated to providing you the tools that will enhance speed-ofservice, guest experience, staff productivity, back office operations, and overall efficiency; thereby producing a positive bottom line for your business. Our bold offering of Point-of-Sale, Kitchen Management, and Back Office Applications provides valuable benefits including: POS Terminals that are Intelligent, Easy to Deploy, Easy to Maintain, Reliable and Affordable Faster Reaction Time with Improved Data Peace of Mind with More Security Immediate Visibility into Profit Impacting Situations Cash Accountability Through an Integrated Cash Management Module Open Architecture That Grows With Your Needs Color Kitchen Monitors Improve Staff Performance Contact us to find out more about MICROS Restaurant Solutions at:

apindsales@micros.com Visit us online at www.micros.com

Ops & Services

INDUSTRY news The third edition Live Drinks Academy at Fine Food India will set industry spirits racing

Diversified Communications announced the third edition of Fine Food India (FFI) scheduled to be held from 11th to 13th December, 2013 in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Fine Food India is a premiere gourmet and speciality food and drinks event focused on the HORECA and retail sector targeted at F&B professionals, purchase managers from top hotels and restaurants, caterers, QSR chains and major retail chains. To cater to this booming segment, FFI will this year present ‘The Wine Pavilion’ for Indian and international wineries. FFI 2013 aims at presenting an opportunity for wineries to network with visitors from leading hotel chains, restaurants and caterers in India and interact with purchase managers and buyers through concurrent events like Wine Tasting, Cheese & Wine pairing, Wine & Chocolate pairing and Winetails. These aside, FFI will also host a number of educative, entertaining and networking activities for trade visitors. The business forum will feature well-known industry specialists talking about the latest products, technologies, trends and the future of the food & beverage industry. Leading Indian wine, beer and spirit companies along with country pavilions from Australia, Chile, Columbia, Catalonia, Lithuania & Spain have already confirmed their participation at the show, while leading international brands from Canada, Thailand, Italy & Austria are soon expected to be on board. FFI 2013 will bring together the world’s finest food products and exquisite wine & spirits and non-alcoholic beverages along with a special pavilion for launch of gourmet food products including a range of rare meat and seafood specialties.

Channel manager integration STAAH completes first channel manager integration with WinHMS in India STAAH’s continuing efforts to provide flawless electronic distribution, revenue management, and operational efficiency to customers worldwide have gained additional momentum with the company’s integration with WinHMS Property Management System (PMS). WinHMS is the flagship product of Winsar Infosoft, which caters to all the functional areas of the hospitality segment to improve control and operational efficiency. WinHMS has emerged as a market leader in integrated hospitality management software system in India. It covers the entire gamut of the hospitality industry with powerful features Gavin Jeddo. that meet every hotelier's need for accurate, and timely information, and to facilitate analysis and operational efficiencies. The two-way connectivity between STAAH and WinHMS means room inventory is updated from WinHMS to STAAH, who then updates the channels managed via STAAH including the STAAH Booking Engine. When a booking arrives from any of the channels managed by STAAH or the STAAH booking engine, this information is populated directly into WinHMS and then inventory is updated to the channels once again. This provides a complete 360 degree solution, saving time, reducing errors and ensuring inventory is accurate at all times allowing for the sale of more rooms. SM Edwards, MD Winsar Infosoft Pvt Ltd said “We are delighted to offer hoteliers a real-time WinHMS Interface with STAAH to facilitate more booking opportunities though hundreds of Online OTA Channels. This connection between our PMS system and STAAH will enhance our customers extend their reach, increase multifold room bookings and revenue growth. Also Interfacing with WinHMS, provides Hotels easy management of rates and room inventory, and automates bookings from OTA direct to the PMS system”. Commenting on this integration, Gavin Jeddo, founder of STAAH said “Both WinHMS and STAAH have a shared philosophy towards seamless electronic distribution that yields maximum results for our hotel partners. This integration means hotels can now update their last room availability to all OTAs including the hotels website Booking Engine with minimum risk of over booking. This can only mean a winning formula for all concerned.”

Pizza online Foodpanda ties up with Pizza Hut to provide its services in West & South India Foodpanda.in, reputedly the largest online food ordering platform, has confirmed a liaison with Pizza Hut's franchise in India Dodsal Enterprises Pvt Ltd. This will enable the leading online food ordering platform to take orders online for Pizza Hut delivery stores from West and South India, thereby providing Pizza Hut services pan India. Rohit Chadda, co-founder Foodpanda.in commented, “We are quite excited to announce our association with Dodsal. With this tie-up, we’ve expanded our coverage for Pizza Hut across all major cities in India and are expecting to generate 8-10K additional orders per month for Pizza Hut.”

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

Ops & Services

Best tech firm award AMX India received the BEST TECHNOLOGY COMPANY AWARD FOR 2013 at Construction Week India Awards 2013

Mayank Gupta, Country Manager, AMX India receiving the award from Architects Aron B Schwarz and Shashi Prabhu.

Bangalore-based AMX India, integrated automation and control solutions provider for homes, offices, hotels, smart classrooms, has bagged the coveted Best Technology Company Award for 2013 in technology hardware category at Construction Week India Awards 2013. The recipients were picked following an online survey through its readers comprising architects, builders and project management companies. The award recognises AMX India’s commitment to solving the complexity of managing multitude of technology and operating platforms in a building whether at work or home. The annual Construction Week Awards honours achievements of finest projects, people and companies, which provide the market with good design, form, function, quality, safety, sustainability and innovative solutions. Receiving the award, AMX India country manager Mayank Gupta said, “This is an appreciation of the company's award-winning hardware and software solutions, which stand out in the minds of architects, builders and project management companies. The award represents the confidence architects and builders repose in the control and automation systems AMX provides. I thank them and our customers, too, for choosing AMX India as the Best Technology Company of the year.”

A spirited blend Kyndal Group to partner with Scotland for £6.7 million distillery project Kyndal Group has entered into a joint venture with John Fergus & Co Ltd, promoted by Ian Palmer, to set-up a new malt distillery and bonded warehouse in Glenrothes, Fife. Planning permission for the 17 acre site was approved in January 2013 and the facility is expected to be operational by 2015. The project will focus on exporting to markets in India, Africa and the Far East. It is Siddharth Banerji in discusstion with Humza Yousaf expected to create 15 new jobs and generate new exports worth £3.6m from Scotland over the next three years. Scottish Enterprise support of £240,000 Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) will go directly into creating permanent employment at the new site. The announcement was made by Scotland’s minister for external affairs and international development, Humza Yousaf, during his visit to India to promote business links between the two countries. Siddharth Banerji, managing director, Kyndal Group commented, “Kyndal Group is an emerging markets player and developments towards rationalisation in import duty structures would open up a large market for Scotch Whisky. Kyndal in partnership with John Fergus & Co would like to maximise this huge opportunity. Together, we would launch high quality premium Scotch and ad-mix brands in these markets.”

Celebrating with designer edition Blenders Pride and Wendell Rodricks collaboratE to create Innovative product portfolios This season, the glamour of Blenders Pride Fashion Tour 2013, has inspired designer Wendell Rodricks to style the experience by crafting the Blenders Pride Reserve Collection festive pack. The central form is the purest drop of gold, surrounded by whisky that cascades into elegant silken drapes. The mood is vibrant and festive, with sparkling starbursts that adorn a majestic backdrop of regal blue. It is a collection of “reserve whiskies” that have been blended together by the noted master blender to deliver the most premium whisky in India. “It’s a great pleasure to design the pack for such a coveted brand, synonymous with style and glamour, and in sync with my aesthetics. The limited edition exudes vibrancy with sparkling starbursts that adorn a majestic backdrop of regal blue,” said Wendell Rodricks on the occasion. "We are elated to have Wendell Rodricks on board to design the Blenders Pride Reserve Collection Limited Edition festive pack; reflecting the master blender's personal touch and uniqueness. The pack is crafted to deliver an unforgettable and lasting experience to the whiskey connoisseurs," said Raja Banerji, GM - Marketing, Pernod Ricard India. Emphasising on the exclusivity of the design, the exotic limited edition pack was launched on the first day of the Blender’s Pride Fashion Tour in Bangalore by Wendell. The irresistibly stylish pack reflects the festive mood seamlessly blending with the designer’s collection in bright neon green, peacock blue and hot pinks creating a lively and young atmosphere that stands true to the bottom line of Blenders Pride. The all new Designer Edition would be available in markets across India.

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

ops & services

Not just in a bag Changing perceptions about tea is the biggest challenge faced by the suppliers reveals Debraj Banerjee, head of marketing, Newby India

supplier interview

BY B a b i t a Kr i s h n a n

stablished in London in 2000, Newby is a family business with over three generations’ experience in the tea industry. What started with a few exclusive teas, has grown to an offering of over 250 products that are offered to the diverse clients from offices all around the world including Europe, Russia and Asia.

The brands vision statement strives to ‘give consumers the opportunity to choose a truly premium tea at deserving prices so that they can enjoy tea that tastes as fresh as the day it was produced and in fulfilling it, Newby is particular about sourcing, preserving, packing and selling the best quality, freshest teas. The brand has invested in a state-of-the-art preservation and packing facility to ensure that their teas remains as fresh, clean and flavourful as possible. The Kolkata -based factory has been certified by the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety and received the highest grade (A) for blending and packing teas and tisanes. It has also received HACCP & ISO certification. But what have been some of the challenges faced by this global brand in the shores, Debraj Banerjee, head of marketing, Newby India, shares that and the path ahead.

What has been the biggest challenge you faced in the Indian market?

The challenge is related more to the perceptions associated with the category. Despite a wellchronicled history as the beverage of choice for the upper crust of

Debraj Banerjee, head of marketing, Newby India

society, tea has, thanks to its widespread popularity and consumption, come to be seen as a common man’s drink. This has robbed consumers from understanding the nuances of the finest teas. This is the space where Newby operates in. It takes time and concerted effort to educate them about what goes into making the finest cup of tea. For this, we conduct regular tea tasting and appreciation sessions amongst our existing and potential customers so that they can separate the wheat from the chaff as it were! So the challenge is one of changing existing perceptions. We are happy to note that we are succeeding in this to a large

The packaging is Newby's special appeal — blending aesthetics with taste.

extent, given the rapid strides we have made in the India’s premium HORECA space in a relatively short span of time.

How has the tea space evolved in the hospitality sector in recent years?

India is predominantly a black tea consuming market hence traditional variants like Assam and Darjeeling continue to dominate. English Breakfast is popular amongst all hotels catering to a sizeable proportion of western

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

guests. With the sweep of healthy living (and consumption) across urban markets and amongst younger consumers, green tea is rapidly gaining in popularity. There is also a growing interest in flavoured teas – Masala Chai and Earl Grey (in Black Teas); and Jasmine (in Green teas). The market for herbal infusions (tisanes) is small but lucrative – as a lot of finedine restaurants and premium QSR’s need variants like Peppermint, Chamomile, etc. in their

Using Pure patented processes, your hotel room provides an environment where every surface and even the air in the room is treated to become 100 % sanitized. Pure rooms adds a new dimension to your current service offerings to help you target 41 % of travellers who suffer from asthma and allergies and to revitalize your revenues. The proven 7 steps Pure process offered by Caere in India kills 98 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 100 % of viruses and bacteria, making the room virtually allergen free.

Our clients in India : ITC Maurya, Inter Continental Marine Drive, Meluha - The Fern, Mumbai, The Park Plaza, Bengaluru to name a few...

HOTELIER AD PLACE.indd 80

03-02-2012 14:58:26

ops & services

menus. So the range of teas being sought has certainly expanded in recent years.

What are some of the initiatives from hotels that have been beneficial to companies like yours?

The biggest plus is the gradual change in the way HORECA management looks at tea. From being just a ‘need to have’ beverage to be served at banquets, restaurants and in-room, tea is now beginning to assume a lifestyle quotient – with tea lounges being set up and afternoon tea events being envisaged – to cater to tea lovers and connoisseurs of fine living. A growth in this trend can only be good news for a premium/luxury brand like us – as it gives us the canvas to showcase the depth and width of our range.

Do you interact with the chefs in helping them experiment with tea?

Yes, at Newby, a full tea tasting/ appreciation session is a SOP in interfacing with our customers. The chef and F&B team is typically our first point of contact, as they are the key influencers in the buying process. These sessions give us a forum to showcase our teas – both dry leaf and liquor and deliberate on issues ranging from preservation/storage and presentation to brewing mandates – as these vary from variant to variant. All this helps the F&B team with a better understanding of the subtleties of various teas, which in turn helps them provide the guests the best possible tea experience.

As an international brand what are the special things you bring to the table?

All our variants are best-in-theclass in their respective catego-

THE SPECIAL EDGE • Limited window sourcing of teas • Sourcing best of origin • Preservation of teas • Use of best packaging material • Company-owned facility

XXX

Consistency in blends has worked on garnering better markets for Newby, worldwide.

ries internationally. Our blend is unique and the same for all markets – so the experience/taste is identical across all our international markets – ensuring that every cup of Newby tea is of the highest quality wherever and whenever it is consumed. This is not the case with most international brands. Besides consistency in our product offering, our POS merchandise support offered against sale of teas is of the highest international class – in terms of styling and novelty.

Who are your competitors in the domestic and international markets?

The Newby brand is in a league of its own quality-wise. The growing legion of our marquee custom-

ers worldwide (and in India) will vouch for this. To that extent, we are setting the benchmark for the finest teas where we do not have competition. However, there are brands seeking a pie of the loosely defined ‘premium’ space wrtHoReCa. These include Ronnefeldt, Dilmah, Twinings, Tetley, Typhoo, Basilur to name only a few.

How do you see the tea market panning out in the next couple of years?

On the production side, due to a host of factors, tea prices are continually moving up – so tea is going to get more expensive! On the consumption/marketing side, these are exciting times as people are reinventing tea through a gradual, but unmistakable move for more

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

variety and healthier offerings.

Has the global slowdown affected your brand in any way? And how do you perceive its impact on the industry as a whole?

There is no direct impact specific to our brand – or for that matter the industry. However, as we are in the premium space, discretionary spends (across categories) do take a hit when the economy slows down as people either downtrade or consume less. So there is a negative macro effect that impacts everyone equally. The playing field, therefore, stays level. At the same time, things are bound to look up as the economy recovers and sentiment turns positive – so this isn’t a cause for major worry. HI

ops & services

Forthcoming hotels in india CITY

GROUP

BRAND

PROPERTY

Sarovar hotels & resorts

Sarovar Premiere

Sarovar hotels & resorts

RATING

ROOMS

OPENING

Sarovar Premiere

100

End 2014

Sarovar Portico

2015

Portico

2015

Sarovar Portico

2015

IGH

Ibis

Ibis City Centre, Bangalore

173

Shangri-La

Shangri-La hotel Palace Road

2014

Shangri-La

Shangri-La hotel Palm Retreat

2015

Sarovar hotels & resorts

Sarovar Portico

2015

Sarovar Portico

140

2015

Religious destination

2015

AGRA

AJMER

AMRITSAR

BEKAL (KERALA)

BENGALURU

BHAVNAGAR

BHUBHNESHWAR Sarovar hotels & resorts

BODHGAYA Sarovar hotels & resorts

CHENNAI IGH

Ibis

Ibis Sipcot, Chennai

180

IGH

Ibis

Ibis IT Expressway, OMR

190

IGH

Ibis

Ibis City Centre Chennai, Mount Road

155

IGH

Novotel

Novotel IT Expressway, OMR

160

IGH

Novotel

Novotel Sipcot, Chennai

180

Sarovar hotels & resorts

Sarovar Portico

Sarovar Portico, Sri Perumbudur

164

IGH

Ibis

Ibis Coimbatore

129

IGH

Ibis

Ibis Delhi Aiport, Aerocity

464

IGH

Novotel

Novotel Delhi Airport, Aerocity

400

IGH

Pullman

Pullman Hotels, Delhi Airport, Aerocity

217

COIMBATORE

DELHI

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

2015

ops & services

Forthcoming hotels in india CITY

GROUP

BRAND

PROPERTY

Sarovar hotels & resorts

Sarovar Portico

IGH

RATING

ROOMS

OPENING

Sarovar Portico

2014

Ibis

Ibis Goa, Calangute

200

IGH

Ibis

Ibis Hyderabad, Hitech City

178

IGH

Ibis

Ibis Jaipur, Civil Lines

145

Sarovar hotels & resorts

Hometel

2014

Sarovar hotels & resorts

Sarovar Portico

Apr-14

Sarovar hotels & resorts

Park Plaza

14-Oct

IGH

Ibis

Ibis Kochi, M.G Road

120

IGH

Ibis

Ibis Kalina, CST Road

121

IGH

Ibis

Ibis Pune, Hinjewadi

127

Sarovar hotels & resorts

Sarovar Portico

2014

Religious destination

2015

Sarovar Portico

Apr-14

Religious destination

120

2014

GANDHIDHAM

GOA

HYDERABAD

JAIPUR

JALANDHAR

KOCHI

MUMBAI

PUNE

RANIGANJ

RISHIKESH Sarovar hotels & resorts

SHANTINIKETAN Sarovar hotels & resorts

Sarovar Portico

TIRUPATI Sarovar hotels & resorts

VALANDUR Sarovar hotels & resorts

Hometel

100

2014

Sarovar hotels & resorts

Park Plaza

100

Apr-14

ZIRAKPUR

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

Awards

Flashback: Hotelier India Awards 2012

PRESENTS

In Association With

Surya Kumar Singh & Brijbhushan Jairath, Caparo Spinks; honourable mention for housekeeper of the year Neeraj Sharma, The Oberoi New Delhi; Manav Thandani, SAMHI.

Deepak Uppal, Vatika; honourable mention HR person of the year Nilesh Mitra, Carlson Rezidor; Deepak Sapru, Sleek International.

Chef of the year runner-up Sandeep Kalra, Trident Gurgaon; Deepak Haksar, ITC Hotels; Abhiru Biswas, Barry Callebaut.

Runner up chief engineer of the year Suresh Kumar Pillai, Hilton Chennai; Rahul Pandit, Lemon Tree Hotels; Gangaprasad Gururaja Rao, Grundfos.

Runner up F&B person of the year Nishant Vishwanath, Pune Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre; Sumedh Singh Mandla, Aspri Spirits; Pesi Engineer, Schott Zwiesel.

Dilip Puri, Starwood; Atul Kapur & Madhusudan Mokashi, Aerocon; runner up GM of the year — luxury Ko Van Den Hil, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace.

Dilip Puri, Starwood; Atul Kapur & Madhusudan Mokashi, Aerocon; runner up GM of the year — luxury Roger Wright, The Leela Gurgaon.

Dilip Puri, Starwood; Atul Kapur & Madhusudan Mokashi, Aerocon; runner up GM of the year — midscale Avneesh Kumar Mathur, Country Inn & Suites by Carlson, Jaipur.

Dilip Puri, Starwood; Atul Kapur & Madhusudan Mokashi, Aerocon; runner up GM of the year — upscale Dhiraj Mehta, The Trident Udaipur.

Dilip Puri, Starwood; Atul Kapur, Aerocon; runner up GM of the year — upscale Mahesh Aiyar, Vivanta Taj Whitefield, Bangalore; Madhusudan Mokashi, Aerocon.

Runner up housekeeper of the year, Kiran Kumar, The Leela Goa; Brijbhushan Jairath & Surya Kumar Singh,Caparo Spinks; Manav Thadani, SAHMI

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

Awards

Cover story

Deepak Uppal, Vatika; a colleague accepts the runner up plaque for HR person of the year P M Sriraj, The Leela Bangalore; Deepak Sapru, Sleek International.

Sanjay Sethi, Berggruen Hotels; Amitabh Srivastava, Sony India; runner up IT person of the year M Venkatachalam, The Oberoi New Delhi.

Puneet Gauba, Artize; runner up laundry manager R Shivakumar, Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort; Vijay Thacker, Horwath HTL.

A colleague accepts the plaque for runner up marketing & PR person of the year, Jyoti Roy, The Hilton Chennai; Kapil Chopra, The Oberoi Group; S M Edward, Winsar Infosoft

Ajay Naidu, Radisson Hotel Pune; Shafquat Ali, ITP accepts the plaque for runner up procurement person of the year; Rattan Keswani, Lemon Tree; Karan Kathuria, Harman International India, Ankush Agarwal, Harman International India

Filip Simek, Lasvit; Uttam Dave, InterGlobe Hotels; honourable mention project manager of the year, Ravi Kumar Sharma, Novotel ibis Bengaluru Techpark.

Dipak Haksar, ITC Hotels Division; chef of the Year, Glenn B Eastman, The Leela Palace New Delhi; Abhiru Biswas, Barry Callebaut.

Rahul Pandit, Lemon Tree Hotels; chief engineer of the year L Ganesan, The Westin Hyderabad Mindsapce; Gangaprasad Gururaja Rao, Grundfos.

Suresh Kumar, Fortune; Gurmeet Sachdev, Hotelier India; Sivaprasad Gangadharan, IDeaS present Tarun Sobti and Prakhar Kapoor with the sales/revenue person of the year award.

Sales/revenue runner up Prasoona Akkunoor; Sivaprasad Gangadharan, IDeaS.

Sanjay Puri, architect; runner up for unsung hero Suresh Kumar, Fortune; Gurmeet Sachdev, Hotelier Suresh Kumar, Fortune; Gurmeet Sachdev, Hotelier InIndia; Sivaprasad Gangadharan, IDeaS; honourable men- dia; runner up sales/ revenue person of the year Siddharaj of the year Krishna Tukaram Jadhav, Evershine Keys Mahabaleshwar; Aditya Kejriwal; Garnet Ply; Bibhor tion sales/revenue person of the year Anang Chaturvedi, Solanki, The Leela, Mumbai; Sivaprasad Gangadharan, Srivastava, Hotelier India. Courtyard by Marriott, Ahmedabad. IDeaS.

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

Awards

Dilip Puri, Starwood; Atul Kapur & Madhusudan Mokashi, Aerocon; GM of the year — midscale Somnath Mukherjee, The Gateway Hotel Ganges and Nadesar Palace Varanasi.

Dilip Puri, Starwood; Atul Kapur, Aerocon; GM of the year — upscale Martin Wuerthrich, Sheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway; Madhusudan Mokashi, Aerocon.

Sanjay Puri, architect; unsung hero of the Parthiban P, The Radisson Blu Temple Bay; Aditya Kejriwal, Garnet Ply; Bibhor Srivastava, Hotelier India.

Deepak Uppal, Vatika Hotels; HR person of the year, Raja Sadhukhan, The Gateway Hotel Ganges and Nadesar Palace Varanasi; Deepak Sapru, Sleek International.

Sanjay Sethi, Berggruen Hotels; IT Person of the Year Sumit Mathur, The Oberoi Gurgaon; Amitabh Srivastava, Sony India.

Rattan Keswani, Lemon Tree; procurement manager of the year, Joseph Pereira, The Westin Mumbai Garden City; Ankush Agarwal & Karan Kathuria, Harman International India.

Surya Kumar Singh & Brijbhushan Jairath, Caparo Spinks; housekeeper of the year Archana Gupta, The Westin Gurgaon; Manav Thandani, SAMHI.

Puneet Gauba, Artize; laundry manager of the year Rakesh Kumar Dureja, The Leela Palace New Delhi; Vijay Thacker, Horwath HTL.

Dilip Puri, Starwood; Atul Kapur, Aerocon; GM of the year — luxury, Jay Rathore, The Oberoi New Delhi; Madhusudan Mokashi, Aerocon.

Marketing/PR person of the year Hema Hariramani, JW Marriott Mumbai; Kapil Chopra, The Oberoi Group; SM Edward, Winsar

Sumedh Singh Mandla, Aspri Spirits; Pesi Engineer, Schott Zwiesel; F&B persons of the year Rathijit Dutta and Diksha Pande.

Filip Semek, Lasvit; Uttam Dave, InterGlobe Hotels; S Saikumar, ITP; project manager of the year Kuldeep Singh Bhamrah, Lemon Tree Hotels.

Dipak Haksar, ITC Hotels Division; Rekha Chaudhary, JCKRC Wellness Spa Group, Babita Krishnan, Hotelier India accepting the spa & fitness person of the year on behalf of Ashok Khanna, IHHR.

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

AWARDS PRESENTS

Meet the jury

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

MANAV THADANI

DILIP PURI

SANJAY SETHI

HOMI AIBARA

Chairman, HVS India

MD India & Regional VP south Asia, Starwood Hotels & Resorts

MD & CEO, Keys hotels & Resorts

Partner, Mahajan & Aibara Consultants

Sethi is a hotel management graduate from IHM Pusa and has spent 24 years in the hospitality industry. He has over the years acquired academic knowledge through mediums like AHMA, Cornell, XLRI, and IIM-B. During his tenure with the Tata Group he qualiﬁed and served as an assessor of Tata group companies through a model based on the Malcolm Baldridge method of business execution and performance. In 2006, he set up Berggruen Hotels in partnership with Berggruen Holdings, New York to launch Keys brand in India.

This CA from the UK was a manager in A F Ferguson & Co. prior to joining the ﬁrm. He has also worked as a hotel consultant with ITC Ltd. and the Al Futtaim Group in Dubai and later in New York for the purpose of developing ITC's chain overseas. Earlier he worked as Manager, Financial Consultancy Division of Hays Allan, Chartered Accountants, in London. Aibara has 21 years of experience in consultancy with specialisation in market studies, project related work and systems studies along with industry specialisation.

He, with partner Stephen Rushmore owns the New Delhi operations of HVS. Under his guidance, HVS-India offers services in marketing communications, web strategies and asset management and strategic advisory. He is also responsible for successfully holding Hotel Investment Conference - South Asia (HICSA) since its inception in 2005. Manav has a BS degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management, School of Education, New York University and MA in Food Service Management, School of Education, New York University.

Puri is a graduate in Economics from Delhi University. Dilip holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Hotel Management from the Oberoi Center for Learning and Development. He has also done an Executive MBA program for IHG General Manager’s with the Poon Kam Kai School of Business at the Hong Kong University. Prior to joining Starwood, Dilip was the Chief Executive Officer of Duet India Hotels. His aims to have 100 hotels operating, under development and management contracts signed by 2015.

NAVEEN JAIN

SURESH KUMAR

President, Duet India

CEO, Fortune Park Hotels

He is a CA with over three decades of experience in hospitality with groups such as Oberoi and Leela, carrying enormous experience in investment, treasury, corporate ﬁnance, operations ﬁnance, project execution and general management in the hospitality industry at senior positions. He is also associated with various industry forums and has been the chairman of CFO World for past few years.

An AMQ degree holder from School of Business-Bond University, Australia and a science graduate from Delhi University, he joined ITC Hotels in 1978. Since 2006, he assumed the mantle of CEO, Fortune Park Hotels Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of ITC Ltd. In his tenure, Fortune Hotels became a ‘First Class Full Service Business Hotels Chain’ in the country.

HOTELIER INDIA | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

COVER STORY AWARDS

KAPIL CHOPRA

RAJEEV MENON

VIJAY THACKER

RAJIV KAUL

President, The Oberoi Group

Area VP, South Asia & Australia, Marriott Hotels

Director, Horwath HTL India

President, The Leela Palaces & Resorts

The head of all Oberoi and Trident Hotels, this alumnus of OCLD has spent over 19 long fruitful years designing the structure of one of the oldest and most recognised hotel groups of India. Among his recent achievements are the opening of two Oberoi ﬂagship properties – award winning The Oberoi and Trident in Gurgaon. Under his leadership, the company posted a Quarter on Quarter proﬁt growth of 11.64 per cent in Q1 of 2013. The group’s occupancy has also risen by 12.2 per cent and RevPar by 9 per cent.

Menon in his current capacity leads a team that is responsible for 18 operational Marriott hotels, as well as the 50 soon-to-open hotels, that are a part of Marriott India’s development plan. A true Marriott stalwart, Menon joined Marriott International in 2001 as the general manager of the Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel and the Lakeside Chalet Marriott Executive Apartments, where he oversaw the successful launch and managed operations for the ﬁrst Marriott property in Mumbai.

In his 27-year-long career, Vijay Thacker has undertaken, supervised and directed diverse professional assignments including feasibility studies, concept planning, valuations and others in over 90 different markets in India and for 23 international projects, including several projects in the Middle East and Bhutan. He believes that while the fundamentals of business opportunity remain unchanged, a hard knock on conﬁdence can take some time for recovery and feels very positive about the future.

Kaul balances his time and energies between providing strategic direction to the group, guiding the eight award-winning properties towards operational excellence and market leadership as well as leading the development and launch of new properties on the anvil. Under his leadership, the group has already doubled its portfolio from four to eight hotels with 2,220 rooms in key urban and resort destinations in India. He is a thought-leader, whose views and inputs are regularly sought on hospitality forums.

SATYEN JAIN

RAJESH PUNJABI

VIVEK KUMAR

CEO, the Pride Hotels

VP Development India, Hilton Worldwide

COO Sahara Star Amby Valley

This CA turned hotelier’s quiet manner turned Pride Hotels into a name of reckoning with in the hospitality industry. As one of the fastest growing luxury and mid segment hotel group, Pride and Jain have garnered some of the top accolades of the industry. Thanks to his ingenuity, Pride Hotel plans to open nearly 30 operational hotels by 2015. He is also involved in strategic planning and implementation of the company’s expansion plans for upcoming hotel units.

A chartered accountant by training, Rajesh Punjabi spent 13 years in consulting and then investment banking before joining the Hilton Development team in Mumbai in January 2006. Recruited to maximise Hilton's presence in the rapidly growing Indian market, Punjabi applies his ﬁnancial skills to deal ﬁnding and negotiation, using his local market knowledge to create relationships with key partners in the region. Prior to this he was VP with Ambit Corporate Finance Pte Ltd.

He he was the ﬁrst executive assistant in all group’s activities including aviation, mass communication, housing and infrastructure. Maharastra’s ﬁrst hill city, Aamby Valley City was his brainchild as was the iconic Sahara Star. He is Sahara Group’s youngest and most dynamic CEO, who in his current position, is responsible for spearheading new projects – the most noteworthy of it being acquisition of old hotels – as well as managing and developing the existence business.

HOTELIER INDIA | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

consumer connect

Powerful option Dehumidifiers are a hotelier’s friend as they help improve indoor air quality and reduce power bills

raditionally, dehumidifiers

cially humid weather is known to

for dehumidifier just due to their af-

have been used in homes

be associated with increases in ag-

fect on indoor air quality, which

and are a common sight

gression and violence, as well as a

has a direct effect on the health

in countries with high hu-

lower general mood. When people

of guests and employee ef-

midity levels. In India, too,

are sweaty, they are irritable, which

ficiency but also

there is some amount of awareness

affects their judgement and pro-

for their other

about the benefits of dehumidifiers

ductivity. “India is a tropical country

hidden

and they can be found in some ce-

with most places experiencing high

— reduced elec-

lebrity homes— Superstar Amitabh

to very high humidity around the

tricity bills. Humid

Bachchan, Governor of RBI and

year, especially the coastal areas.

air feels heavy and

even the CM of Maharashtra are

Dehumidifiers fit right into Indian

the atmosphere in the

some of the prominent names that

climate, both in commercial spaces

room feels hot, which causes

use dehumidifiers.

benefit

as well as residential. Unfortunately,

people to lower the thermo-

One of the most obvious benefits

the awareness about this product is

stat on their air conditioners,

of dehumidifiers is that they improve

lower than it should ideally be. But

thereby raising energy costs.

indoor air quality. Excess humidity in

the good thing is that it is catching

the air encourages mould and mil-

on in hospitality spaces. We have

dew growth, which pose a health

an impressive list of non-individual

risk, especially to those with breath-

clients and the list is growing,” says

humid air and hence con-

ing problems. When the air is humid,

Mansoor Ali, director, AMFAH INDIA,

sume more power. This is

there is a constant mustiness, which

a leading provider of dehumidifiers

another reason why dehu-

makes people uncomfortable. De-

in India.

ir conditioners have to work overtime to cool

midifiers are slowly making their way into hospitality en-

humidifiers work by reducing the

According to Ali, the last three

moisture content in the air, thus mak-

decades have seen a water purifica-

ing air lighter and cooler. Due to

tion revolution of sorts in the country

these obvious health benefits, they

in both domestic /commercial seg-

have also found ready acceptance in

ment with more and more people

dehumidifiers and air purifiers,” ex-

ing costs are considerably reduced,

healthcare sector. However, surpris-

being aware of the need for water

plains Ali.

which is reflected in the electricity

ingly, they have found other takers

purification systems, leading to a

According to him the fast increase

bill. This is especially important in to-

too. Offices in India are increasingly

huge surge in demand for water

in the number of Amfah’s clients

day’s economic situation when high

opting for dehumidifiers. Research

purification products. “We estimate

that are opting for dehumidifiers is

costs are putting a strain on margins.

vironments.

Since

dehumidi-

fiers work by absorbing the water content in the air, the air condition-

“We know that quality dehumidifi-

"We know that quality dehumidifiers help. And we feel that though it is still a new concept, there is a natural relevance. With air pollution levels increasing, there is increasing need for such solutions"

ers help. And we feel that though it is

Mansoor Ali, director, AMFAH India

the air is dry and the temperature

still a new concept, there is a natural relevance,” says Ali. Another point in favour of dehumidifiers is that since they improve indoor air quality, it affects on the mood of those occupying hospitality spaces including guests. When pleasantly cool, it creates an ambience conducive to great experi-

suggests that humidity makes one

that like water purification, the next

evidence enough of the big trend

ence. It is proven by research that

feel hotter, making people sweat

big thing in the coming years will air

to come. With the levels of air pollu-

guests like to spend time in spaces

more. Nancy Molitor, an assistant

treatment. And there will be upsurge

tion rising in the city, an urgent need

that are well-lit and pleasantly cool.

professor of clinical psychiatry and

in demand for all kinds of air purifi-

is being increasingly felt across sec-

Thus, dehumidifiers are a great fit for

behavioural science at Northwest-

cation products starting with air con-

tors for solutions to improve indoor

hotels as they take care of the three

ern University Feinberg School of

ditioners (which is already seeing

air quality.

things that matter to every hotelier:

Medicine found that hot and espe-

exponential growth), followed by

However, hotels are not opting

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

experience, costs and guests.

ops & services

Lights on, Action! From creating the right mood to saving costs, lighting plays a pivotal role in the scheme of things when designing a hotel By Shweta Shridhar

ighting continues to be a topic in focus among hotel operators and for good reason. Proper stylish hotel lighting beautifies the hotel's premises, compliments decor, and redefines all element creating an inviting mood that coaxes travellers to prolong their visit. The ambience of any hotel begins in the lobby. The lighting should always focus on detail as much as it does on design. The lobby is definitely an area one on which hotel lighting designers concentrates the most. Its welcoming ambience can do wonders to mesmerise guests and transport them to their rooms.

Lobbies should ideally be brightly lit with sophisticated lighting fixtures to illuminate furniture, display cases, bookshelves, and especially fine art pieces. Lighting in lobbies is almost the foundation of any stay experience, as it creates the first impression. Tejpal Singh, assistant director of engineering, Pullman Gurgaon Central Park shares, “Lobby and restaurants prefer to have theme and scene lightings while rooms have options for reading lights, mood lights, night lights and daylights. Chandeliers are the main part of banquets and lobby lighting.” Hotel lighting should not only compliment decor but create a comfortable ambience for guests as they enter their room. Hotel rooms are temporary homes and lightning can bring in that warmth. Gone are the days of having multiple switches and dimmers to control every light in the room. No more confusing, outdated methods – it's the age of automation with stylish keypads that control multiple lighting scenes to set mood at the push of a button. A happy guest is one who can alter the ambience without getting out of his bed. Comfort is not just sofas and upholstery, guests experience comfort when the overall lit space creates a sense of belonging through customisation on the go. Light creates scenes that help us perceive space experiences. Light makes good architecture even better. Energy savings is just another side of the coin for a hotel operator. This can be achieved with low voltage fixtures, dimmer controls, and LED technologies. LED lighting is perfect for hallways and corridors where only low levels of lighting are

Lighting often determines the guest's experience of a space.

needed. Nowadays environmentally conscious guests expect you to take those important steps toward sustainability, without cheapening the overall look. They don't expect you to "leave the lights on for them".They would prefer if it turns itself off instead. Pullman Gurgaon Central Park uses LED/CFL and halogen lamps. Halogen and par lamps play a special role to illuminate with different angles and parabola curves. The hotel uses energy efficient LED lights to light up the building façade. Singh adds, “LED lightings are extensively used in colour combinations for under water lightings at pool and other water bodies.”

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

OPS & SERVICES

Hyatt Regency Gurgaon is equipped with high-end energy efficient LED lights in guest rooms and public areas.

Using energy-efficient lighting fixtures and appropriate dimming controls can drastically reduce costs, while still keeping with the intent of a good lighting scheme and cutting the carbon footprint. Hyatt Regency Gurgaon is equipped with high-end energy efficient dimmable LED lights in their guest rooms as well as in public areas. They have also used energy efficient metal halide CFL and LED down lights & linear cove lights in Regency ballroom. CFL and LED lights are used to illuminate their landscape area. Lightings have come a long way in the hospitality sector from being just a mere facet of illumination. Rakesh Kumar director of engineering at Hyatt Regency Gurgaon says, “Today, it can be seen that the lights used inside and outside of the hotel are not only energy efficient but also play significant roles in livening up the most minutest details from giving guests a very tranquil and relaxed feel in their room to enhancing the botanic beauty of our landscapes and gardens to providing an aspect of entertainment in the ballroom to providing and safety and security within the building.” Kumar continues, “Innovative light fixtures play a vital role by enhancing the architectural aesthetics of any hotel. It exudes personality and character to a building to makes it look distinctive and gives it an impetus to stand out. Dimming lights, hidden lights, back lighting, cove lighting all add to the ambience and personalising

From theme to mood to utility speciﬁc, lighting has taken guest experience to a whole new level.

Innovative light fixtures play a vital role by enhancing the architectural aesthetics of any hotel. It lends personality and character to a building."

guest experiences. LED technology holds tremendous potential to conserve energy on a hotel scale.” With the shift from analog to digital, lighting has certainly become more innovative. Modern ﬂuorescent lamps have become more compact but they are now also brighter, kinder to the environment and offer better colour rendering. And the new mains voltage halogen lamps can be operated on normal power supplies. Many of them with screw bases will ﬁt in normal luminaires designed for ordinary light bulbs.

HOTELIER INDIA | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

OPS & SERVICES

Theme lighting is a popular format in the Phoenix Ballroom of Pullman.

High-intensity discharge lamps with round ceramic arc tubes are setting new standards in colour rendering and constant light. Halogen lamps give freedom to the luminaire designers because of its small size. Modern electronic control gear and controllers enable lighting to be adjusted with enormous flexibility to individual and changing requirements. White and coloured, warm and cool light can be combined to achieve lighting moods suitable for specific tasks or times of day. The hospitality industry is one of the sectors with the largest energy savings potential. Laundry, air conditioning, 24/7 operations - all add to a high CO2 footprint. Lighting is one of the most impactful ways to cut costs; 42 per cent of energy usage comes from lighting, of which 70 per cent is inefficient. Philips has developed a full range of lighting solutions that will help save costs and improve the bottom line without compromising on the quality of light. While Hafele India offers special lighting solutions for bathrooms, ceiling lights, sensor-based wardrobes, inner cabinets, et al. Today, it can be noticed that long service life of lamp and energy efficient illumination fixtures options are pleasing the eco-friendly sensibilities of guests as well as fulfilling responsible environmental practices for

Citrique bar lights are not just for convenience but also for functionality.

Lighting is one of the most impactful ways to cut costs; 42 per cent of energy consumption comes from lighting, of which 70 per cent is ineffi cient."

business operations. With escalating energy standards choosing the right kind of technology in lightings are enabling hotels to achieve greater efficiency responsibly all the while appeasing guests’ sensory experiences by accentuating the hotel’s architecture. “Throughout the hotel, from rooms, to suites to meeting rooms to common areas, everywhere the lighting technology has grown by leaps. This has presented the opportunity to create environments and craft experiences that capture the imagination of tomorrow’s traveller at Hyatt,” concludes Kumar. Excellent hotel lighting instantly boosts the feeling of comfort and luxury in each room. Lighting is no longer just for convenience and functionality, thanks to modern lighting techniques, hotels can create a dramatic look, a soft cosy feel, highlight artwork, or provide lighting for a work area in every room. Hotel lighting design is an art form where aesthetics and illumination come together for the ultimate in elegance. HI

HOTELIER INDIA | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

Ops & Services

In the sweet box From a rich festival of lard to healthier concoctions of flavours and cultures, dessert trends signal towards a more mature palate B y Ma d h u l i k a D a s h

en Chef Hemant Oberoi announced that he would try making kulfi dessert using molecular gastronomy, the pastry community in India stood up and took note. The act in itself wasn’t surprising, however the motive was. Till then molecular gastronomy though widely experimented in India, had little success to speak of. So someone like Chef Oberoi taking this into a genre where experiment with caution has been the suo motto was something that needed attention. While for the masterchef, this was a newer, more exciting way of presenting desserts to its patrons, along while popularising Indian dessert, it pointed out to a more omnipresent trend — the evolution of the mature palates of guests who were ready to be surprised. Surprised, said Chef Oberoi, not fooled.

When it comes to desserts, Consistency, Evolution and Innovations seem to be the three significant pillars of any hotel’s survival today. What has caused it? Credit for this goes to the well-travelled guests, with the other smaller, but significant, role played by the competition. After all, when it's F&B it’s all about who serves the best – and the most intriguing that survives. According to a recent Technomic report, the consumption of desserts has increased to 40 from 36 per cent in 2010, with the frequency of eating desserts after a meal twice a week to more often. In-betweenmeal dessert consumption also appears up, aligning with the snacking movement that is in full swing. More than a third of consumers (35 per cent, up from 33 in 2010) report eating dessert items at least weekly for a midmorning snack, and nearly half eat desserts as a mid-afternoon snack (47 per cent, up from 42 in 2010). THE (R)EVOLUTION If one has to judge by the range of desserts available today – molecular, fusion, light, healthy and such – it’s hard to believe that the dessert revolution has been barely a decade old. There was a time, says executive chef Sanjay Kumar, Shervani Hotel (Delhi & Nainital), “When desserts were expected to be rich in taste – and called for the use of lots of fat and other things. Today, thanks to the conscientious traveller, desserts have

Blueberry and banana crumble with tia maria ice cream.

gone healthy and lean in the true sense. The focus now is on using less-calorific, organic and fresh ingredients that can make the dessert a ‘guilt-free indulgence’. Agrees Rahul Kaushik, executive sous chef, Palladium Hotel and feels that along with authenticity and lesser sweetness, flavor, too, is the need of the hour. “With our guests becoming more aware of the quality of food, the expectation has skyrocketed. While on one hand they want to be amazed with how much authenticity you want to get to the table, on the other they want connectivity. Desserts have to be stimulating – visually, through aromas, varieties and yet have the familiar taste that triggers memories from childhood and time spent with friends.” In fact, yet another interesting facet of the dessert revolution, says Bhaskar Adeeb, executive pastry chef, The Leela Palace, Chennai, “Is the rise of the mature palates. The exposure to different cuisine has enabled both the chefs and guests to ex-

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

OPS & SERVICES FOOD

Chikki-Kulﬁ.

periment with newer type of desserts – and has given rise to ‘hybrid’ desserts. The wider exposure has also made them demanding but open to trying out new things.” While glocalisation has been in favour of both the desserts and the chefs – with more Indian pastry chefs now taking charge of ensuring the sweet box is always piping with action. It has remained unchanged in one facet, says Zubin Dsouza, executive chef, Waterstones Hotel. “Comfort. While people are willing to experiment, a bit of familiarity is essential. In India, guests would not try something that looks completely alien or is in contrast with their religious beliefs and aesthetics. " Another thing, points out Suvaranjan Banerjee, executive chef, The Zuri Whitefield, Bengaluru, “that has emerged as a classic, and is here-to-stay element of desserts are chocolates. Today, chocolate forms a larger than life part in giving the dessert counter of any hotel a definite character.” In fact, one of the biggest selling desserts in Zuri, Whitefield, is the warm chocolate mudcake— a signature dessert as well. Likewise for Sofitel, it was the single sourced chocolate mousse that became the highlight for the DeLite Menu, a specially crafted menu designed for the health-conscious guests. Concurs Vikas Bagul executive pastry chef at The Oberoi, Mumbai, who feels ‘deconstructed desserts’ have been the biggest revolution in dessert division. “Gone are the days when desserts were considered a single component. Today, even a classic dish like tiramisu is broken down to create a drama around to make desserts more interactive – and in doing so more indulging.” An excellent example of this is the apple crumble pie where the apple poached in cinnamon is presented with a crumble on the side and garnished with a layer of icecream.

Death by chocolate.

Nicholas Fernandes, pastry chef Hyatt Regency

Sanjay Kumar, executive chef, Shervani Hotels

While people are willing to experiment, a bit of familiarity is essential. In India, guests would not try something that looks completely alien." HOTELIER INDIA | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

This, adds Bagul, “brings out the flavours too, which is a big draw for the guests.” For Nicholas Fernandes, pastry chef, Hyatt Regency, however, the real evolution of the desserts have become their own entity. “ Today, you can make business in a restaurant through the desserts. In fact, such is their importance that an entire menu is designed based on the dessert, instead of vice –versa. And it works if you keep the dessert simple, flavourful and authentic as far as possible by using good ingredients.” Incidentally, another recent study proves Chef Fernandes point further. The report concluded that the highest ordered dish of half of 2013 was the red velvet cake – which curiously is an ordinary muffin with colour presented with a variety of interesting icing. THE INNOVATION Undoubtedly, the big revolution in dessert dynamics across the board has been glocalisation. Thanks to this limit-less borders, chefs – especially Indian chefs have began experimenting not only with global desserts as Chef Adeeb rightly points out, but also has given the extra palate to work on for the global travelers. But most importantly, says Paul Kinny, executive chef, The InterContinental, Marine Drive, “It has helped many to take on dessert fusion as a mode to revive old traditional favourites. Finer examples of these are the seasonal gulkhand chocolate mousse and kulfi cheese cake at The Park, Goa. However, fusing has not been the only innovation in the desserts arena. For Chef Kumar, the innovation has been to give their desserts a longer life in spite of using organically grown ingredients that have a low perishable rate, others like Chef

OPS & SERVICES

Grilled apple stack with strawberry cheese and beetroot-raisin compote.

Bagul, the newness has come in form of using ingredients like algin, calcite, lecethin in a way that the interest in a dessert is intact. “Keeping the guests engaged is the foremost priority of any pastry chef,” says Chef Fernandes, whose innovative use of ingredients ensures that in spite of smaller portion sizes the guests is egged into forgetting health issues and indulgences. In fact, one of the most noteworthy innovations in this segment has been the rise of Assiette of desserts and Desserts in a Jar. Says Chef Bagul, “the former allows you to use to dessert plate as a sampler with mini versions of all the desserts on offer, Dessert in a jar is like a souvenier, which is a great merchandise option.” Though both Chef Bagul and Chef D’Souza agree that presentation has been a big part of dessert evolution, they concur that the use of specialized ingredients and cooking technique has also played an equally important part in desserts becoming the single big draw of guests satisfaction. For Chef Kaushik, what has really worked is the interesting use of layering – be it in terms of combining two desserts or ﬂavours. “Our Temple Seven is nothing but an experiment in putting seven different ﬂavours together by layering, and it has worked beautifully because of the intriguing yet familiar use of ingredients and pattern.” A similar innovation, says Chef Adeeb, has been the rise of ‘hybrid’ desserts like the ‘cro-nuts’ and ‘cook-nie’. “These are reassembled classics with a twist and works again on the intriguing twist factor.” Newer cooking techniques too have added their bits in evolving dessert dynamics. In Waterstones Bar & Grill for example, the desserts are mostly grilled. “It adds a third element to any dessert, and also has this unqiue smokey texture that complements our grilled prepared cuisine

Warm Madras ﬁlter coffee chocolate lava cake.

perfectly,” adds Chef Dsouza. However what chefs across hotels agree to is the taste. “People may go health conscious and may want authenticity, but when it comes to desserts, you still will like to have that melt in your mouth, creamy gooey feel that lingers and makes a meal memorable,” ends Chef Kaushik. THE LINE AHEAD From layering to single sourced desserts and the use of local produce may be big in

Zubin Dsouza, executive chef, Waterstones Hotel and Club

desserts today, nothing beats Molecular Gastronomy. "It has enabled desserts rise to a different level with spheres, caviars represent the various components of the dessert. The technique when combined with the deconstructed dessert adds a surprise element taking the dessert experience several notches higher, “says Chef Bagul. In fact, adds the chef, “another reason for its rise in popularity is also the ease with which you can customize. Like a mousse cake can be custom-made in 60 minutes!” The other technique on the rise, says Chef Adeeb, “ are steaming or en papilotte (cooking in parchment paper) along with more

Rahul Kaushik, executive sous chef, Palladium Hotel

progressive technique like spheriﬁcation will also see a rise.” Especially, says Chef Kumar, “with the larger demand for using organic ingredients, which are not that high on ﬂavours.” However, for Chef Dsouza, the future will

Steaming or en papilotte (cooking in parchment paper) along with more progressive technique like spherifica tion will also see a rise." HOTELIER INDIA | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

be to baking, “When it comes to taste, nothing beats the age old baking, especially if paired with fresh, good ingredients.” Agrees Chef Fernandes, who feels the biggest challenge is not really pampering the guests, but helping their palates evolve.

THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL HOTEL MANAGEMENT

INDIA MAGAZINES

Hotelier India (English) www.hotelierindia.com

hoteliercontact@itp.com, hoteliersales@itp.com

Regular sections in the title include up-to date local and international news; interviews with hotel general managers and other senior staff; comment and analysis from industry professionals; market intelligence; round table sessions with every sector of the hotel community; industry case studies, destination reports and product updates. Hotelier India’s combination of strong industry-speciﬁc content, including a heavy focus on new products and service innovations, and its local industry audience, makes the title the perfect advertising platform for suppliers to the industry. India’s hospitality Download Media Pack Current Issue

industry is forecast to become one of the most stable in the coming years. The number of four- and ﬁve-star hotel rooms is set to treble in the next two years. 2007 and 2008 were record years for the country’s tourist industry. Driven by tourism and business travel growing inbound visitors are expected to grow at 8% per year for the next ten years, as such hotel chains both international and local are investing heavily to cater all travellers alike. With the Commonwealth Games taking place in New Delhi in 2010, there is an aggressive strategy to build 150,000 hotel rooms within the next two years. Today, there has never been a greater need for Hotelier India, nor a better time for suppliers to enter this market. For more information click here to download the Media Pack

NOW AVAILABLE FOR FREE ON DOWNLOAD YOUR DIGITAL ISSUE TODAY

Go to Apple App Store or Google Play and search for Hotelier India

Ops & Services

Speedy reservations Using technology to speed up reservations is almost a given today By Mini Ribeiro

otels that embrace technology, definitely gain a competitive edge in this rapidly changing world. Not surprising therefore, that most follow this mantra – using technology to enhance guest experience and increase revenue is well-worth it. And to speed up reservations today, it is a must. Technology is no longer at odds with the hospitality industry.

Many hotels have made the shift from in-house reservations to a central reservations team. Additionally, the online travel agents like Expedia, Booking.com, Make My Trip and social media sites have emerged as new options contributing to the reservations process. Networking the centralised reservation system again, enhances cost effectiveness, ensures faster communications, an effective exchange of information and efficient management of data. With the proliferation of online booking tools which compare prices and deals across a variety of properties at a specific destination, the method of calling a hotel to make reservations is now redundant. These tools make it easy for customers to look, book and pay. So, the guest, clearly prefers that. Caroline Zwierz, complex revenue manager for The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi and The Westin Sohna, Resort and Spa quips, “Even though everything has its pros and cons, it is very important to incorporate new technologies in hotel reservations, as the avenues for generating more revenue open up.” Sharing a different perspective, N Krishnan, GM, Sheraton Park Hotel & Towers, Chennai, says, “In the hospitality industry it is not the big who eat the small, but the fast that eat the slow. It is imperative for a hotel to adopt new methods of making reservations if they want to be relevant in the current times. Bookers are more impatient than ever and given a choice,

Cost effectiveness has added to online booking popularity.

they would choose the hotel with the quickest, most efficient mode of making a reservation.” He further elaborates, “This also ensures that the guest has complete control over his or her reservation and the guest can do whatever changes that need to be done, themselves. These methods also help in introducing the hotel to new markets and segments which was not being utilised earlier.” Explaining the latest generation technology, the computeried Central Reservation Systems (CRS), which most of the hotels have incorporated, Sachin Krishna, director market strategy, Pune market for Marriott International, adds, “There are five methods of reservations for all big hotel chains including Marriott - hotel reservations, central or global reservations, GDS, hotel website and Online Travel Agents (OTA’s). Over the years, hotels have seen a significant change in growth of GDS and Internet reservations percentages and they are at 40 – 45 per cent of total business, whereas central reservations is now at 25 per cent of total

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

OPS & SERVICES

Online booking has initiated the concept of 'Gift of Time' due to fast communication

business. Most hotels, including Marriott has a central reservations office based in Gurgaon which caters to all.” Apart from software, technology also includes the device. Amrendra Gupta - IT head, Hotel Sahara Star, Mumbai, adds, “Mobile has enabled some amazing things. At the beginning, we focused on reservations for hotels — pre-stay kinds. We are now also strengthening direct booking channels and building a loyal customer base. Our website with mobile booking option is part of our strategy to capitalise on the changing market and is crucial to achieving the right balance between direct and third party bookings. We aim to deliver

The risk of implementing them is much smaller, the cost of entry is lower and as a result, the potential ROI is much higher."

Amrendra Gupta

Caroline Zwierz

HOTELIER INDIA | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

a completely seamless guest experience, whatever the device and wherever the guest.” Developing or enhancing the hotel’s website to allow guests to make reservations directly is one of the most important steps an independent operator can take. The increase in revenue as a result speaks for itself. Internet is the fastest growing channel worldwide and one of the cheapest mode of reservation for hotels. Gupta agrees, “Technology tools are being delivered as a service via Internet. So, the risk of implementing them is much smaller, the cost of entry is lower and as a result, the potential ROI is much higher. With the right technology, that provides us with more business visibility, connects disparate operations and channels and uses the Internet as a delivery tool, we can manage the complexity of our business, and optimise revenue.” Change and innovation is clearly the need of the hour and thus, tech-

OPS & SERVICES

Kuldeep Bhartee

nology must be incorporated. While all hotels agree on this unanimously, they believe, customer satisfaction and comfort is still key. Kuldeep Bhartee, GM, ITC Grand Central, Mumbai, opines, “One cannot become tech savvy at the cost of a customers’ point of view. The systems and procedures must make it easier for a customer. Our new Contact Center, the software, the Property Management Systems, the IVR payment system, all make it simple for both the customer and people managing it internally. That's what will attract a guest to use it and to make a choice.” Most hoteliers are increasingly of the view that the use of technology should impact the bottom line. “Our online booking has gone up from 10 per cent of total reservations to 15 per cent over the last fiscal and our target for this fiscal is 20 per cent,” reveals Gupta. Krishna adds, “GDS revenues for Marriott hotels in Pune has grown faster than most of its competitors mainly due to GDS marketing strategy adopted by the hotel in the beginning of 2013.” Increased numbers is not the only thing hotels are seeking. Bhartee is forthright. “While it would be difficult to say at this point if the systems and new methods applied lead to an increase in numbers, VOC definitely suggests that this leads to better

Our online booking has gone up from 10 per cent of total reservations to 15 per cent over the last fiscal and our target for this fiscal is 20 per cent." 80

Technology in reservations systems is clearly redeﬁning ways of doing things.

N. Krishnan

Sachin Krishna

HOTELIER INDIA | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

guest experience in check-in, check-out and reservations.” Technology in reservations systems is clearly redeﬁning ways of doing things, as well as relationships. Zwierz analyses, “Currently the Indian market is getting used to these new options of making reservations and adapting to those. The biggest challenge that we initially faced when we moved from in-house reservation to central reservations, is the relationship that a booker and a reservation associate share.” Taking everything into consideration Krishnan concludes, “Today, the traditional methods of reservation can be unnerving to a guest/booker solely due to the amount of time consumed in this process.” Bhartee concurs, “No one has the time to waste, and want mundane tasks like hotel bookings to be made easier. And we do exactly that. We give to our guests "The Gift of Time.” And technology, with a simple touch of the keypad allows you to present this precious gift. HI

product guide

Picks of the month DREAM LONG, SLEEP LONGER

Reputedly India’s leading mattress company, Kurlon, revealed its new premium mattress – Luxurino-Eurotop – its latest product promises to elevate the experience of good sleep to the next level. Made with the latest Motion Sensor Index (MSI) technology, Luxurino allows one to have a peaceful sleep with no disturbance even when the partner changes his/her sleeping posture. This innovation comes hand-in-glove with another international feature – the Visco Elastic Foam, also known as Memory Foam, which creates a mould to support the body in any sleeping position, thus enhancing one’s comfort. This new product line has been created to cater to premium customers who crave for luxury and appreciate the aspect of finesses in comfort. This eight-inch spring mattress could rival any product in its class. Luxurino Eurotop ensures uncompromised comfort and support at every point. Kurlon Web: www.kurlon.org

SPACE SAVER LINEN TROLLEY

COST EFFICIENT GENERATOR

Cooper Corporation, an engine major introduces a cost efficient and silent revolution in eco-friendly diesel generators under the brand name “Cooper ECOPACK”. The Low fuel consumption generator is lighter in weight, smaller in size and meets with US and European Emission norms. It is available in power ranging from 10 KVA - 180 KVA. Cooper has come out with revolutionary breakthrough technology in collaboration with Ricardo, an international design engineering company to cut diesel cost. The 10 KVA to 40 KVA genset range is powered by a twin cylinder, in line, 4-valve, and liquid cooled, Cooper diesel engine, based on state-of-the-art CRDi technology. This genre of power generators is entirely produced at Cooper Corporation’s assembly plant located at Satara, Maharashtra. Cooper Corporation Web: www.coopercorp.in

Galileo’s space saver Linen Trolley with lockable door is compact and suitable for hotels with space constraint in corridors. Small and compact, the linen trolley is made from heavy duty fibre material, it has six wheels and is easy to handle and turn around with small turning radius. Being compact in size, it can be transported to various floors, even through small lifts, leading to lot of savings for the hotels with budget constraints. Galileo’s space saver Linen Trolley can be used by small hotels, hotels with small corridors, boutique hotels, etc. It is suitable for storing material for 3 to 4 rooms depending on the items used in the hotel. The trolley is lockable with doors and two inner shelves to store the linen and other items. It has a dust bag in the back and small drum in the front for storing purposes. Toiletries can be stored on the top of trolley which also has space to hold a writing pad/instructions for the handler. Galileo Associates Web: www.galileo.net.in

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

product guide

CHANDON MADE IN INDIA

Moët Hennessy India released Chandon Brut and Chandon Brut Rosé, two locally made sparkling wines from grapes grown in the Nashik region. Chandon is the first offering from Moët Hennessy Estates & Wines to be produced in and especially for India. Retailing at Rs1,200 for Chandon Brut and Rs1,400 for Chandon Brut Rosé, it will be available at select wine retailers, hotels, restaurants and bars. Following the launch in Mumbai, the wines will be introduced in New Delhi and all other major cities across India through 2014. The wines have been crafted combining the finest local grapes with the centuries-old “method traditionnelle” to ensure the signature Chandon style. Chandon Brut is made from Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Chandon Brut Rosé is made from Shiraz and Pinot Noir Moët Hennessy India Web: www.moet.com

MIRROR FINISH TILES

Somany’s latest offering is the large format polished vitrified tiles that replicates the astounding aesthetics of natural marble or granite. The trend of natural finishes in tiles has been in since a long time. Somany now offers advancement in this segment, launching a new variant which comes with Nano polish that provides a glossier look. These tiles are able to retain their shine, design and pattern for a long span of time and the polished surface makes the tile completely stain and dirt resistant. As these tiles are easy to lay, they can be used both as a floor tile and also on walls owing to good designs and colour options. The technology used in these tiles makes it a long lasting; giving the space a glamourised look. The tiles are available in sizes 605x605mm and 800x800mm. Somany Ceramics Web: www.somanyceramics.com

GRANDEUR COLLECTION

To cut the monotony, NITCO introduces its Grandeur collection which helps create the majestic and royal interior themes. Inspired from rich and royal heritage, every tile from Grandeur collection has a story to tell – be it of its African, Spanish, Italian or Mediterranean origin. The collection also includes Marble Book Match & Illusion designs. Italian marble is a gorgeous stone which is popular for its beauty since generations. Grandeur collection comprises of wall as well as floor tiles. All these tiles are HD Digital tiles made with 6 colour prism printing technology. Every design from this collection has got a set of base as well as décor tiles. With the interplay of these base and décor tiles create your own signature master piece Floor tiles from Grandeur collection are anti-skids, antibacterial and odor free tiles which provide better hygiene conditions and are available in 600 mm x 600 mm size. For an easy care opt these tiles which resists stains, dirt and can be cleaned up with a damp mop, sponge or common household cleaners. The wall Tiles from Grandeur Collection are available in size 300 x 600mm. Nitco Tiles Ltd Web: www.nitcotiles.com

ULTRASONIC HUMIDIFIER

OSIM India unveils uMist - The Ultrasonic Humidifier that uses ultrasonic technology to generate cool, fine mist to replenish and maintain a balanced hydrated indoor environment. It uses ultrasonic sound wave energy vibrating at very high frequency to break up water into extremely fine mist to humidify a room more quickly and effectively. The high capacity vibration in OSIM uMist ensures that one receives the right amount of coolness and desired freshness in the rooms upto 200 sq.ft. A complete user-friendly gadget, the OSIM uMist comes equipped with a LED indicator that prompts a refill when water level is low. When the water tank is lifted from the base, it automatically switches off preventing spillage or when the water runs low. The water tank is removable for easy cleaning and refilling as well. With a 3.5 liters water tank, OSIM uMist can be used continuously for approximately 14 hours and ensure that correct amount of humidity in the room for a good amount of time with a power consumption of 30W. Osim India Web: www.osim.com

Hotelier India | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

CHECKING OUT

Hotel Trivia

10 Things you didn’t know about...

16 27 38 49 510

Fairmont Jaipur

The baggi entrance is marked by a 300-year-old carved wooden door weighing around 270 pounds that measures 4x 5 metres.

dessert and chocolate gallery offers a treasure of

The ﬁrst-of-a-kind

edible jewels and gems crafted perfectly by Chef Anurag Bali.

Among Fairmont's exclusive adventure sports for guests

Fairmont Jaipur offers a pillar-less,

60,000 sq. ft

is Elephant

convention space, the largest in Jaipur.

The guests get a quintessential

Mughal court welcome. The palace’s

Cigar Diwan is a

luxurious

classic smoking room with a built-in humidor.

Gungun Girish is the ﬁrst

woman head concierge, Les Clefs d’Or member in Rajasthan.

parrot

An inanimate keeps guests company as a trustworthy friends in each room – like the Mughal war legend.

Polo.

HOTELIER INDIA | November 2013 | www.hotelierindia.com

The Fairmont culture of afternoon tea is brought to India by

Anjum, with an Indian twist.

Fairmont Jaipur offers a complimentary

BMW Cruise Bikes to explore the vibrant city and its stunning landscapes.

GERMANY