EDITOR’S NOTE
The luxury element
T
he last week of September witnessed a plethora of events in the name of tourism across cites, regions, both in the public and private domain. The reason for this sudden outburst was to celebrate World Tourism Day (WTD) which, is held on September 27 every year and though there are organisations who truly put into action some strong, relevant and thought provoking programmes to commemorate the day, there are the rest who do it as a ritual or a formality without any concrete action plan. However for a sector that is probably one of the most ignored, initiatives to highlight its importance is always welcome. This year’s theme also touched upon a very vital and depleting natural source of nature water. The United Nations celebrated the WTD 2013 with the theme 'Tourism and Water: Protecting our Common Future', which was in line with UN’s International Year of Water Cooperation. There is a lot that needs to be done to preserve water and promote tourism as water gives a smooth flow to tourism. From sea and river cruising to water sports and beach tourism and more, you cannot take away the role of water towards the growth of tourism. Island tourism, which in itself is definitely high-end and niche in form gains prominence under this year’s WTD theme. Today as we see it luxury is rather understated and selling luxury tourism is truly an art. It is not opulent, grand or stylish but it is rather subtle, classy
HEAD OFFICE Food & Hospitality World MUMBAI: Rajan Nair, Dattaram Kandalkar The Indian Express Ltd, 1st Floor, Express Towers, Nariman Point, Mumbai-400021. India Tel: 6744 0000 / 22022627 Fax: 022-22885831 E-mail: rajan.nair@fhwexpo.in; datta.kandalkar@fhwexpo.in Branch Offices : NEW DELHI: Pranshu Puri, The Indian Express Ltd, Express Building (Basement) 9 & 10, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi - 110 002 Tel : 011- 23465670 Fax : 011 - 23702141 E-mail: pranshu.puri@fhwexpo.in Our Associate: Dinesh Sharma Mobile: 09810264368 E-mail: 4pdesigno@gmail.com
4 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
CHENNAI: A K Shukla, The Indian Express Ltd, New No.37/C (Old No.16/C), 2nd Floor,Whites Road, Royapettah, Chennai - 600 014 Tel: Board: 28543031/28543032/ 28543033/28543034 Fax: 28543035 Mobile : 09849297724 E-mail: ashwinkumar.shukla@fhwexpo.in BENGALURU: Sreejith Radhakrishnan, The Indian Express Ltd, 502 Devatha Plaza, 5th Floor, 131 Residency Road Bengaluru - 560025 Ph 080-22231923/24 Fax: 22231925. E-mail: sreejith.radhakrishnan@fhwexpo.in HYDERABAD: A K Shukla, The Indian Express Ltd, 6-3-885/7/B, Ground floor V.V. Mansion, Somaji Guda, Hyderabad - 500 082 Tel: 040-23418673/23418674/
“ From sea and river cruising to water sports and beach tourism and more, you cannot take away the role of water towards the growth of tourism ”
and absolutely personal. A holiday on an island resort, which provides the option of connecting with oneself, going through a digital detox therapy, makes sense to today’s discerning traveller. However, interestingly so, on the other hand we have hotels today that are Twitter inspired, namely the Sol Wave House in Spain. India is probably one of the best destinations to offer real time luxury be it in the islands of Lakshadweep or the tea gardens in the east. Our cover story on plantation tourism highlights interesting angles of a form of tourism and hospitality that is waiting to be explored. Unfortunately, however much we promote the luxury element, it is the accessibility to destinations of tranquility that can be dampeners for the discerning soul. The recent airfares displayed on some interesting Indian sectors are shocking. A Mumbai-Khajuraho-Mumbai during the first half of October displayed a figure that read approximately `57,000 return. Interestingly these are cities of two adjoining states Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. But the flight goes to Varanasi and then into Khajuraho. So much for preserving our natural resource - fuel, which like water is yet another depleting source. Time to act and think right, I guess.
REEMA LOKESH Editor
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CONTENTS Vol 2 No.3 OCTOBER 16-31 2013
CHEF’S PLATTER
Chairman of the Board
Viveck Goenka Editor
Reema Lokesh* Assistant Editor
Steena Joy Associate Editor
Sudipta Dev CONTENT TEAM Mumbai
16
Kahini Chakraborty Rituparna Chatterjee Niharika Shukla Kolkata
Joy Roy Choudhury DESIGN
BALANCING IT RIGHT RESPONSIBILITY OF A CHEF DOESN’T END WITH BEING JUST A GOOD COOK, SAYS CHEF ANURAG BALI
National Art Director
Bivash Barua Deputy Art Director
Surajit Patro Chief Designer
Pravin Temble Graphic Designer
Rushikesh Konka Layout
Ratilal Ladani Kiran Parker Photo Editor
Sandeep Patil MARKETING General Manager
Sachin Shenoy Marketing Team
Dattaram Kandalkar Rajan Nair Manish Shringarpure Ashwani Kumar Shukla Sreejith Radhakrishnan Pranshu Puri Yoginder Singh Ajanta Sengupta
PLANTATION STAYS
A WAY OF LIFE From the tea estates of Darjeeling and Assam to coffee plantations in Coorg and spice gardens in Kerala, plantation stays are emerging as a niche tourism product that is attracting the evolved traveller who wants to truly experience the soul of the land.
INTERNATIONAL FOOD & HOSPITALITY SALES
Soumodip Ghosh Rahul Bisht
PRODUCTION
P14: NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK JW Marriott, Bengaluru
P15: PRODUCT TRACKER
MARKETS
06
THREE RESORT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN ANDAMANS AWAIT ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCES
08
GREAT EASTERN HOTEL TO REOPEN AS THE LALIT GREAT EASTERN, KOLKATA
Le Creuset
P36: MOVEMENTS The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway, Chennai
P35: LIFE Goa to get second IHM at Farmagudi
12
General Manager
B R Tipnis Manager
Bhadresh Valia
LEARNING EXPERIENCE AJAY SHETTY, FOUNDER, MYRA VINEYARDS TALKS ABOUT HOW THE COMPANY IS CREATING BRAND VISIBILITY IN THE MARKET
MANAGEMENT
Marketing Coordination
Darshana Chauhan
18
(20)
NATIONAL FOOD & BEVERAGE SALES
Chandra Shekhar Sasi Kumar G Keshav Barnwal
HIGH SPIRITS
P54: WEEKEND Scene and heard by Marcellus Baptista
THE ADVANTAGE RAHEJA PLANS TO DEVELOP RESORT IN KUMARAKOM
25
THE CENTRAL STRATEGY CENTRAL RETAIL CORPORATION HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF INNOVATIVE RETAIL FORMATS
EDGE
33
INTELLIGENT SOLUTIONS SAMEER SAXENA, VP-MARKETING, LEGRAND INDIA TALKS ABOUT THE HOW THE COMPANY RESPONDS TO MARKET TRENDS
Food & Hospitality World Published for the proprietors, Global Fairs & Media Private Limited, by Vaidehi Thakar at Express Towers, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021, and printed by her at Indian Express Press, Plot EL-208, TTC Industrial Area, Mahape, Navi Mumbai. Editor : Reema Lokesh* (*responsible for selection of news under PRB Act). @ 2012 Global Fairs & Media Private Limited. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in whole or part without the Publisher's permission is prohibited.
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Three resort development projects in Andamans await environmental clearances Steena Joy – Mumbai ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO), a government enterprise of the Andaman and Nicobar administration, has lined up three resort development projects that are in the final stage of environmental clearances. Speaking exclusively to Food & Hospitality World, Pervaiz Mohammed, general manager, ANIIDCO informed, “We are awaiting the environmental approval for all the three projects. Once we get the go ahead, work on the projects will start and they are expected to become operational in two years' time.” The three projects which will be implemented through private sector participation, include development of a
beach resort at Havelock Island jointly with Indian Hotel Company (IHCL). The world class beach resort will have villas, a specialty restaurant, banquet facilities, health club, spa, water sports facility, etc. ANIIDCO has also entered into lease agreement with CGH Earth for development of another beach resort at Long Island. The proposal is for the construction of a fivestar resort including an Ayurveda centre, diving centre, eco tour centre, yoga centre, art studio, library, etc. The third project is with Soma Enterprises for development of a beach resort at Neil Island. The proposal is for the construction of a fivestar boutique resort with villas including private swimming pool, restaurant, state-of-the-art gymnasium laced around a fresh water
There is definitely a demand supply gap as far as good quality, high-end accommodation is concerned. There is a shortage of rooms especially during peak season Pervaiz Mohammed
lake, water sports facility etc. “Andamans has the potential to develop as a world class tourism destination. Setting up of these projects by leading hotel chains will boost tourism in the islands,” said Mohammed. “There is definitely a demand supply gap as far as good quality, high-end accommodation is concerned. There is a shortage of rooms
especially during the peak season that is from October to March,” he added. ANIIDCO already operates Megapode Resort - a threestar hotel, Megapode Camping Resort and an IATA approved air ticketing agency. Megapode Resort is spread on an area of 7.5 acres having 23 rooms and 10 cottages, with a multi-cuisine restaurant and
conference cum banquet hall. The corporation has also leased a water sports facility at Rajiv Gandhi Water Sports Complex, Port Blair to Ocean Blue offering facilities like jet skiing, speed boat ride, etc. ANIIDCO has also invited Expression of Interest (EOI) for development of a shopping complex cum multiplex and hotel in Port Blair.
Rashi Eco Tourism to open its first five-star contemporary resort 'Siri' Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai RASHI ECO TOURISM is coming up with its first fivestar contemporary resort called 'Siri' in Chikmagalur and a three-star resort called 'Shilhandara' at Ramanagaram in Karnataka. Both the projects are running parallel and will be launched sometime next year and will cater mainly to corporate travellers, apart from local people and foreigners. While the other properties – Guhantara, Jhari and Shilhandara - are based on natural resources for the
6 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
S N Ramesh
generation of electricity, Siri is the only property where normal electricity will be used, speaking on which S N Ramesh, MD, Rashi Eco
Tourism, explained, “There is no scope for unconventional power since the location Chikmagalur is misty and we can neither generate solar energy nor wind energy or hydroelectricity so we have used normal electricity.” The landscape of Siri is being designed to resemble a golf course covered with high rising trees and will be elevated from the ground to create rooms underneath with each room having a terrace garden. While Shilhandara will have rooms carved out of rocks. Apart from the two upcoming properties, they are
also looking at building a three-star eco-friendly resort on a land near Kaveri basin, where the land is under acquiring stage. The theme for this new property will be sand and water where the resort will be completely covered with sand. Their other two properties, Guhantara and Jhari, are three-star resorts. Guhantara, which is situated on Kanakapura road near Bengaluru, is built underground, while Jhari, located near Chikmagalur, is situated amidst waterfalls. “All the three resorts have an informal environment
and Guhantara has zero carbon footprint. Local materials have been used for all, along with CFL bulbs and solar power for Guhantara, LED bulbs and solar power for Shilhandara and LED bulbs and hydroelectricity for Jhari. We also have a library and a relaxation area and though the resorts have nature themes, the luxury point has been maintained for all,” added Ramesh, further stating that, the reason behind choosing the nature theme for his resorts was the need to give a refreshing and informal environment to travellers.
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Indian Heritage Hotels Association holds annual convention in Jodhpur FHW Staff Mumbai IN ORDER to motivate heritage hotel owners to preserve and promote their properties, the union as well as state governments should come forward to support by way of incentives and subsidies. This was stated by Maharaja Gaj Singh, president, Indian Heritage Hotels Association (IHHA), at their second annual convention held at Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur. “The infrastructure as well as connectivity should be given high priority to promote heritage tourism. This sector will play a big role in
Infrastructure as well as connectivity should be given high priority promoting rural tourism and generating employment opportunities in their respective regions,” he added. Singh complimented the Uttar Pradesh government for beginning the process of formulating the Heritage Tourism Policy. He said that the other states must also follow suit. Singh also expressed deep concern about the recent incidents of sexual violence against women in the country. He said, “This has proved to be a great dampener for tourism in the country. The onus of making women travellers feel safe and secure in our country is not only on the government but also of the entire travel trade. The youth should be made aware of the rich heritage culture that this country possesses and should learn to appreciate and promote it.”
7 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
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Great Eastern Hotel to reopen as The LaLit Great Eastern, Kolkata Joy Roy Choudhury Kolkata THE ERSTWHILE Great Eastern Hotel (GEH), after nearly seven years of restoration work, has been revamped and rechristened as 'The LaLit Great Eastern, Kolkata'. This Lalit Suri Hospitality Group owned property will be opened on November 19, 2013 and the reopening ceremony will be attended by Mamata Banerjee, chief minister, West Bengal, and Jyotsna Suri, chairperson and MD, LaLit Suri Hospitality Group. The
LaLit Suri Hospitality Group had acquired 90 per cent of the erstwhile GEH from the West Bengal government headed by the Left Front regime for `52 crore in 2005. The West Bengal government now has a single nominee on the reconstituted board of the new hotel. The cost of rebuilding and restoration is estimated to be around `260 crore. The original building — the heritage block — will retain the architectural charm of the British era. The new wing, however, has been designed to sport a
The LaLit Suri Hospitality Group to soon open hotel management institution The LaLit Suri Hospitality Group will be starting a hotel management institution close to New Delhi in the next one and half years. Amit Samson, general manager, The LaLit Ashok Bangalore also informed that the name of the institution has not been decided upon as yet. But the institution will be careful on the intake of students and will have trained and experienced visiting faculty members.
-Kahini Chakraborty
modern look by a Singaporebased designer. The new wing will incorporate contemporary international hospitality trends, enhanced by Bengali art, craft and culture. “Spread across 2.3 acres, the hotel in its new avatar will offer 244 rooms including deluxe and presidential suites, banqueting facilities, several F&B outlets including the famous Maxim’s bar, swimming pool, car parking facilities for 250 cars and other modern amenities,” said Rakesh Mitra, general manager, The LaLit Great Eastern, Kolkata.
RP group signs management contract with ITC Hotels Steena Joy – Mumbai RP GROUP, the Middle Eastbased conglomerate that owns The Leela Kovalam, and three other hotels in various parts fo Kerala, has signed a management contract with ITC Hotels for managing all ist proeprties , except the Kovalam one. The other group hotels include The Raviz Kadavu, a leisure resort with 123 rooms and the upcoming Raviz Calicut, a business hotel with 70 rooms. Speaking exclusively to Food & Hospitality World, Dr Ravi Pillai, chairman, RP Group said, “We decided on ITC because of the competitive offer we received from them and we are happy to make them our partners. Presently hotel management has become a very competitive business and international chains are offering very competitive rates to secure business in India. We had received offers from all the ma-
8 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
jor chains such as Marriott, Starwood, Movenpick and IHG. All of them had offered us very competitive rates of the management fee and a contract period between seven to 12 years. I cannot disclose the rates being confidential in nature. But my only concern was to secure a management deal which made business sense.” He added, “Another major concern has been to have good restaurants in our hotels. ITC currently runs few of the finest restaurants in the country such as Bhukhara, Dum Pukht, Dakshin, Frontier, Peshawari, Pan-Asian etc. These restaurants will certainly add the flavour to our hotels; this will also help attract the tourists and as well as the local guests. ITC will also add local Kerala cuisine in its menu, which is world famous for its taste and variety.” All The Raviz hotels except the one at Kovalam will be managed by ITC.
Dr Ravi Pillai
Commenting on the industry scenario in the country, Dr Pillai said, “Currently the hotel industry is going through a tough phase in India. All the major chains are reeling under pressure and it has become very difficult to attain a positive GOP. In fact major international chains have understood the current market situation and some of
them have even reduced their management fees.” Meanwhile the group is busy preparing for The Raviz Dubai which is slated to open in early December 2013. “All the construction and interior design related works have finished and we are giving the finishing touches. Very soon we will hand over the hotel to ITC for management. This hotel is located in heart of the business area of Dubai as it is a business hotel. All major banks, embassies, markets are in walking distance. In fact the hotel is so well connected by Dubai’s metro and road network. But we plan to have another two luxury hotels in Dubai soon,” he revealed. Giving his insights on whether the management route is the future, Dr Pillai said, “I cannot give a clear answer to this question. For single unit owners it is very difficult to remain competitive in current market. Now a days, tourists and guests are
looking for very attractive packages. They do not like to limit themselves to one hotel or one location, and they always like to explore other places and hotels. Cost of marketing and connecting with the reservation system is very high. But for a hotelgroup managing many hotels will have an edge over other hotel properties as they can give very attractive packages involving excellent stay in multiple locations at a very competitive rates to the tourists. This is the reason why the management route is preferable.” He also felt that a lot of professionalism has come into hotel management operations. “Many new management chains are entering the field which is good for the owners as competition will bring in more efficiency. I feel management business will become more aggressive and many independent hotel units will come under the management contract,” he reiterated.
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Samir Kuckreja re-elected as NRAI president Niharika Shukla – New Delhi NATIONAL RESTAURANT Association of India (NRAI) elected its new office bearers at its 31st annual general meeting (AGM) in New Delhi. Samir Kuckreja was reelected as president of the association. Manpreet Gulri, development agent and country head, Subway Systems India and Riyaaz Amlani, MD, Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality, were elected as vice presidents. Kabir Advani, managing partner, Berco's was elected as the secretary while Manpreet Singh, direc-
tor, KS Hotels was elected as the treasurer. While the managing commitee members include: Ajay Kaul, CEO, Jubilant FoodWorks; Amit Jatia, vice chairman, Hardcastle Restaurant; Niren Chaudhary, MD, Yum Restaurants India; Rohan Jetley, VP, Bistro Hospitality; Sanjay Coutinho, CEO, Baskin Robbins; Vipin Luthra, chairman and MD, The Palms Town and Country Club; Jay Singh, co-founder and executive director, JSM Corporation and Sandeep Anand Goyle, CEO, Essex Farms. The India Food Services Report 2013 was also
This will be a single core group which will look into issues affecting the restaurant industry in a holistic manner launched at the AGM. The report showed a significant percentage of contribution made by the restaurant industry in the country's GDP. According to Kuckreja, the restautant sector has contributed to a large extent to the employ-
ment sector by providing employment to five million people directly and seven to eight million people indirectly. “Other than this the industry has also contributed towards sectors such as supply chain, agriculture and ancillary in-
dustries,” he said. “We are also working towards the formation of an inter-ministerial group by ministry of commerce and industry. The group will look into various issues of licencing, taxation, high food cost inflation and shortage of trained manpower. This will be a single core group which will look into the issues affecting the restaurant industry in a holistic manner. Its composition and members are not yet decided but we have had meetings with the ministry of commerce and industry last month to formulate it soon,” concluded Kuckreja.
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Great Mount Resort Coco Lagoon opens in Pollachi Sets up an Ayurvedic centre in collaboration with Vaidyaratnam Group Rituparna Chatterjee – Coimbatore POLLACHI, A HOLIDAY destination located 40 km from Coimbatore in the state of Tamil Nadu, recently got another resort to its offering - Great Mount Resort Coco Lagoon, a luxury holiday and Ayurvedic wellness resort which was officially launched on September 9, 2013. The resort offers a combination of leisure and Ayurvedic treatment. The resort has 32 rooms in total – 20 deluxe suites, five royal and presidential suites, a premier garden villa and a premium pool villa. The resort is equipped with a multi-cuisine restaurant and a conference hall with a seating capacity for 150 persons with facilities to host group gaming activities. The resort also has an Ayurvedic wellness centre – Vaidya Sutras which has been opened in collab-
T Sethupati
oration with the Vaidyaratnam Group. The resort has been built to cater to the MICE, FITs, students, honeymooners and the family segment. “Our vision is to have 300 keys in the form of a lodge or resort spread down South focused on Siddha or naturopathy in future,” he added. Speaking on the reason for choosing Pollachi, T Sethupati, managing director of the resort
stated, “Pollachi is a place which caters to different kinds of tourism – eco tourism, wildlife tourism, spiritual tourism and now medical tourism. The state government has declared Pollachi as a less known tourist destination and so we have asked the Chamber of Commerce in Pollachi and CII to help us promote the destination and they are planning celebratory activities which are right now at a nascent stage.” Vaidya Sutras offers two types of treatment – curative packages for ailments and rejuvenation packages for the leisure group. The curative package involves taking medical history of the patient and then discussing it with the senior doctors at Vaidyaratnam in Trichu, Kerala. “All the doctors and therapists are trained by the Vaidyaratnam Group which is our USP,” mentioned Sethupati. The resort has
also tied up with Temple of Consciousness in Coimbatore to send yoga instructors for guests interested in it. Speaking on the current growth of Ayurveda in India and abroad, Sethupati stated, “Medical tourism is picking up in India along with Ayurveda as people have understood that it is a cure for certain ailments. Apart
from India, Ayurveda is also flourishing in Europe, UK and the US.” As part of their promotional strategies, “We are attending international and national conferences, roadshows, exhibitions, approaching newspapers and distributing brochures locally to promote our brand,” concluded Sethupati.
Three Pronto Express outlets to open in Mumbai Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai PRONTO, A Mumbai-based Italian chain of fast casual restaurants, is planning to expand its base by opening three Pronto Express outlets next year across three locations (Bandra Kurla Complex, Andheri-
Kurla Road and Goregaon East) in Mumbai. Pronto Express will be different than the existing outlets under the Pronto brand as it will be similar to a QSR format offering a faster turnaround. Pronto currently has four outlets under its main brand and four outlets under the sister brand Paninaro, which is a
Aditya Parikh
QSR brand. While Pronto has an a la carte menu along with pizza and pastas, Paninaro offers healthy lunch food like sandwiches and salads. Speaking on the differentiating factor of Pronto Express, Aditya Parikh, co-director, Pronto stated, “For Pronto Express, we will take dishes that are not pre-prepared but have a quicker turnaround. Pronto Express will be more like
10 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
a QSR format and won't have the main courses as it requires an open flame and takes longer time to prepare. We would have pizzas, soups, salads, some varieties of pastas and baked dishes.” Currently all the outlets of Pronto, Paninaro and Pronto Express are self-funded. However, they are also looking at the option of franchisee for expansion in tier II and tier III cities and investors for opening outlets in Pune. “We are open to a franchisee option in tier two and three cities of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat as we are a strong believer that the growth is going to be there,” added Parikh. Pronto imports their raw materials like pastas, pepperonis, selected meats and cheeses from specialised distributors and has a supply chain management that extends to the
local farm. “The farm delivers the fresh produce directly to the central facility where it is processed and then sent to the outlets. This enables us to pass on the cost benefit to our consumers and maintain the freshness of the produce. We have a 48 hour turnaround from the farm to the plate,” revealed Parikh. He added, “We are planning to implement the same strategy at Pronto that we have implemented in Paninaro wherein we get an SMS alert for the customer calls we have missed so that we can call those customers and don't lose them. Apart from this, we are looking at tie-ups with Vodaofone M-Pesa so that Vodafone customers can pay their bills using their cell phones. We have also tied-up with online ordering companies who have tie-ups with corporates.”
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Dubai hotels see 16 per cent growth in Indian visitor arrivals from Jan-June 2013 Rupee devaluation no impact on Dubai outbound Sudipta Dev Mumbai IN 2012 DUBAI saw 763,000 Indians staying in its hotels and hotel apartments. There was a growth rate of over 10 per cent over the corresponding year of 2011. In 2013 the first half was extremely encouraging, mentioned Carl Vaz, director - India representative office, Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Dubai. “We had over 460,000 odd Indians staying at hotels and hotel apartments in Dubai. These are excluding the VFR and transit visitors. There was a growth rate of almost 15.8 per cent. This
is almost 16 per cent over the corresponding first half of 2012. So 2013 is already on a good growth track. We expect the momentum to continue in the end of 2013,” he added. The rupee devaluation in fact has not had an impact on the Dubai market as a lot of long haul travellers have converted into short haul. “The depreciation of the rupee versus the dollar was for a very short time, and we as a short haul destination were not affected,” remarked Vaz. The continued growth, according to Vaz, is on account of several factors - Dubai enjoys a close relationship with India. Indians play a vital role, not only in
Dubai's economy but also in the tourism segment being the second largest market. “Over and above that we have good airline connectivity and good promo-
tions, for example, the recently concluded 'Summer is Dubai' campaign had promotions for the family wherein two adults and two kids below the age of 13
could stay and dine for free,” pointed out Vaz. Then there was the Ramadan Dubai campaign, the Back to School promotions. “Because of the frequency of these events we had a very good turnout. Going forward, in Q4 this year we are tapping the wedding segment, and we are also aggressively looking at the MBA programme (site visits for students, etc),” he stated. Education tourism is one of the focus areas for DTCM in India. "We have been in touch with many schools in the north, east and the western parts of India. We have seen a growth in the number of student groups going to Dubai,” said Vaz.
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Indian MICE top clientele for Pattaya’s largest integrated resort Royal Cliff Hotels Group expects 20 per cent growth in business from Indian market Sudipta Dev Mumbai ROYAL CLIFF HOTELS GROUP is the biggest integrated resort in Pattaya with 1100 rooms - it comprises a complex of four five-star hotels, a convention hall that can accommodate 9000 people and has its own beach. The hotel group has been largely catering to the Indian MICE market for the last six to seven years, and this segment has been growing rapidly. "India is our number one MICE market. In the near future we expect 20 per cent growth from the Indian market,” said Shreyash Shah, deputy director of sales, Royal Cliff Hotels Group and Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall. He added that this is the only convention hotel in Pat-
taya, so it is comfortable for guests to stay in the hotel and walk to the convention centre which is in the same complex. The convention centre has a large pillarless hall with 75,000 sq feet area. There are four halls, 18 breakout rooms, and a helipad on top. "Helicopters can bring the VIPs directly from the airport," remarked
Shah. The resort covers 64 acres of land with a golf course, tennis court, squash court etc. The Thai hotel group has a strategic focus on the Indian market - the sales staff and personnel taking care of operations are Indians (for weddings and groups). “Language is still a problem in Pattaya, none of the hotels in Pattaya have as
many Indian staff like we have to take care of Indian groups,” stated Shah. There is also an Indian fine dining restaurant called Maharani where Indian breakfast is served every day, along with a dosa counter with live chef. Jain, Gujarati and Marwari food can be also arranged. In-room entertainment includes Indian
movie channels and cricket channels. The resort has 11 restaurants including the Indian one. "We have hosted many Indian weddings from Rajasthan, Gujarat and Kolkata with guest lists from 400 to 800 people,” informed Shah. The hotel group is also popular among Indian FITs and honeymooners.
The Advantage Raheja plans to develop resort in Kumarakom Kahini Chakraborty Bengaluru THE ADVANTAGE RAHEJA, a realty developer in India, is positive on the hospitality scenario in India and feels that there is still a huge demand in the market for hotel developments. The company is planning to develop a resort in Kumarakom, Kerala as it has 31 acres of land bank on a private island. Speaking exclusively to Food & Hospitality World, Deepak Raheja, chairman, The Advantage Raheja informed, “Kerala is a challenging market to work in and we are waiting
12 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
for permissions, environmental clearances and so on. The resort will be an all suites 100 key inventory. We are in talks with the Marriott Group again but have not yet decided on the brand which would suit the destination.” As of now the company is focusing on Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pune markets. Besides, the company is looking at developing city centric properties. “If the location is right and your product is right, in the long run the replacement cost will increase. New supply will reduce for sure with the new land values. Currently the land value is
New supply will reduce for sure with the new land values. Currently the land value is not viable for building hotels
not viable for building hotels,” he added. The Raheja Advantage has developed three hotels - JW Marriott Mumbai, Courtyard by Marriott Pune City Centre and JW Marriott Bengaluru. The company recently launched the JW Marriott Bengaluru which features 297 rooms and suites, including an ultra-luxurious Presidential Suite. The property has been built with an investment of `750 crore. The five-star property features more than 10,500 sq ft of meeting space, catering to variety of meetings and events, from small scale board
meetings to global conferences. This meeting and banquet space includes a pillar less grand ballroom measuring over 5,024 sq ft. With a 32-foot ceiling, the grand ballroom is one of the largest ballroom spaces in the city. Giving his perspective on the South India market, Aditya Raheja, director, The Advantage Raheja opined, “I see a lot of potential in the Bengaluru market and probably we would be looking at developing more properties in the city in future. Metro cities are our focus for expansion in the market and not leisure destinations.”
MARKETS
Travelport simplifies 'Rooms and More' system for agents FHW Staff Mumbai TRAVELPORT, a leading distribution services and e-commerce provider for the global travel industry, is making its 'Rooms and More' system simpler with three new ‘How to’ videos. Rooms and More is Travelport’s hotel shopping and booking product which brings together over 475,000 unique hotel properties and over one million room offers. Three five-minute videos which have been released, cover account set up, adding agents and making a basic booking. “The videos are fast and free, and importantly they will get agents on the road to more bookings and more satisfied customers,” explained Niklas Andréen, GVP hospitality and advertising, Travelport, adding that, “Rooms and More takes a range of providers and displays the content agents choose that can be by highest commission, lowest rate for the customer or where you find that availability you need.” Travelport has also launched its Universal API (Application Programming Interface) to developers in Asia. Available in over 90 countries, Travelport Universal API aggregates content from the GDS (air, car and hotel), accommodation providers, low cost carriers, high speed rail suppliers, and merchandising and ancillary services through a single connection. Travelport Universal API enables developers to gain access to multiple content sources by writing code for only one solution, decreasing the time required to launch new travel applications. The API is available to developers and companies that want to build or expand their business from creating next generation travel apps and tools.
13 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
JW Marriott, Bengaluru JW MARRIOTT Hotels and Resorts has launched its first hotel in Bengaluru. The luxury five-star property features 297 rooms and suites, including an ultra-luxurious presidential suite. JW Marriott Bengaluru features more than 10,500 square feet of meeting space. This meeting and banquet space includes a pillar less grand ballroom which measures over 5,024 square feet. With a 32-foot ceiling, the grand ballroom is one of the largest ballroom spaces in the city.
Costa Coffee, Chennai
The Bakery, Hyatt Regency, Mumbai
COSTA COFFEE has launched its fourth store in Besant Nagar, Chennai. The store is located at Elliot beach. This new store is designed around three levels: ground, first and terrace and has the capacity to accommodate 100 people. With its international design aesthetic, the new store conveys a distinctly youthful vibe and a global verve in its look and feel. The store will serve over 25 varieties of hot and cold coffee and flavoured drinks along with a range of snacks and food items from both the international range as well as a range customised to suit Indian tastes and preferences.
HYATT REGENCY, Mumbai has launched its food and beverage outlet The Bakery located at the lobby level of the hotel. This 32-seat eatery is designed to provide a contemporary and casual setting. Health conscious guests can choose from gluten free or a variety of artisan breads, while those with a sweet tooth can satiate themselves with variety of pralines, cookies and macaroons.
DELTA CORP has launched a new casino Deltin Royale in Goa. Deltin Royale has over 800 gaming positions spread over 40,000 square feet across four levels. In addition, it has private gaming suites for select guests, ‘Vegas’ dining and entertainment section that is a signature of all Deltin properties, and an exclusive lounge bar ‘Whiskys’ that stocks fine selection of single malts. Deltin Royale is also home to an exclusive poker scene at the ‘Royale Poker Room’.
14 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
Deltin Royale, Goa
PRODUCT TRACKER
LE CREUSET King Henry VIII Blended Scotch Whisky
LE CREUSET has introduced nine different colours for its productsramkekins, mugs, casseroles and dishes for this Navratri festival. The French cookware brand is synonymous with providing professional results and is renowned worldwide for its high quality cookware, stoneware, kitchen textiles and wine accessories.
JAGATJIT INDUSTRIES has launched King Henry VIII Blended Scotch Whisky of George Sinclair & Sons Scotland (UK). The blend is exclusively distilled, aged and blended by Inverhouse Distillers in Scotland for a smoky fragrant accompanied by a spicy and sweet long lasting flavour with hints of toffee, honey, oranges and apples. The product for a quart (750 ml) is priced at `1000.
IICE Vodka JAGATJIT INDUSTRIES has launched IICE Vodka, a 100 per cent grain based drink. The product is available in two flavours: Green apple and orange IICE Flavorz. To ensure purity, the spirit is triple distilled through a unique platinum distillation plant specially imported from Russia. The taste of IICE Vodka is versatile at the same time, allowing for exceptional cocktails as well.
Dupont Sorona Green Pad Carpet SORONA FIBRE is the newest innovation from Dupont. It is one of the first bio-based textile polymers to demonstrate highly desirable technical and lifecycle advantages for wide range of designs. Sorona yarn is developed from corn fibres. Compared to nylon, Sorona production uses 40 per cent less energy and reduces green house emissions by 56 per cent.
LUXURY LINEN FROM WINDMILL WINDMILL HAS launched a new range of luxury linen in three different collections: embroidered royalty, living collection and regal collection. The embroidered royalty collection has high style luxury sheets, individually hand embroidered with intricate and contemporary
patterns; the living collection has casual, contemporary linens with subtle decorative accents. The regal collection has exquisite bed linen in white and ivory with traditional hem treatments which are subtle and create a quality product with lasting value.
15 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
CHEF’S PLATTER
Balancing it right The responsibility of a chef doesn’t end with being just a good cook, says Chef Anurag Bali, executive chef, Fairmont Jaipur, but diversifies into many qualities. The chef has to be a problem solver, an artist and an inspiration to others. BY KAHINI CHAKRABORTY
C
REATING A surprise element with good memories by being creative in tweaking even the most well known recipes is what keeps Chef Anurag Bali, executive chef, Fairmont Jaipur going. Listening to customers and getting their feedback is the most important element to keep innovating, he says, adding that, “Good quality produce is the main factor that helps you while you innovate and experiment with dishes. There are very few suppliers/ vendors that share your passion to try something different without which innovation is hampered to an extent.” Indians have always been passionate about food and in the recent past have become a lot more experimental. They are willing to stay clear from the obvious Indian, Italian and Chinese restaurants. “Restaurants with niche cuisines are becoming more popular now. Today, Japanese grill restaurants, Korean and Spanish restaurants, specialty regional Indian cuisine restaurants, French cafes are gaining popularity and being recommended by all,” he opines. For him, food and beverage is always about the experience and having a great story to tell. A specialist in Italian and Spanish cuisines, Bali believes, “Cuisines are constantly evolving and people are more aware,
16 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
of what exactly they want to eat and what not to eat. I have observed that most of the guests want to experience dishes that are more regional, more authentic, dishes that are served fresh infused with local/traditional ingredients,” he replies. And hence according to him, the best part of being a chef is that there is a constant process of evolution to go beyond the obvious. Being a foodie himself and an army officer’s child gave him the opportunity to travel a lot and experience India's rich food culture, from Kashmir to Kerala. “In school, I was the only person who could whip up interesting egg dishes and make dosas. This was a lot of fun especially during late night study groups. Finally, when I stepped out for industry exposure as part of my hotel school training I realised I belonged in the kitchen. The high energy buzz combined with great learning of various cuisines and cultures have always excited me,” he reminisces. “With that one meal, you get the opportunity to create a memory; something that he/she will think about. We get to sample good food every day. The rush that you get from a busy kitchen is an experience in itself. Also, in cooking you get to see results of your hard work instantly which gives you a moral boost and helps you appreciate your
Anurag Bali
own skills,” Bali feels. But he believes in maintaining the flavour and texture of the recipe. “You have to find a balance and not mix up with the traditional flavour while innovating on a cuisine,” he says.
Change is constant A graduate from the Institute of Hotel Management in New Delhi and an Alumnus of Culinary Institute of America New York, for Bali, his journey as a chef has been outstanding till date and feels blessed to be part of many pre-opening teams of hotel brands launched in India. With an experience of 12 years in the hospitality industry, he has
worked in renowned hotels across India including The Taj Group, The Claridges and Berggruen Hotels. In his previous assignment as director food and beverage for Svenska Hospitalities he established and oversaw food and beverage operations for two of the groups’ hotels. “With the travelling and experience gained from it, my passion for food has grown. The responsibility of a chef doesn’t end with being just a good cook, it diversifies into many qualities. The chef has to be a problem solver, an artist and an inspiration to others. With Fairmont, the journey has gone a notch higher,” he says. “Today, many people are travelling across segments. On account of this there is development happening from five-star luxury hotels to branded budget hotels to organised bed and breakfast home stays. Traditional hospitality players are exploring new markets and new segments and everyone needs a good meal.” And its not just about hotel chains mushrooming rapidly in
the market but also the changes taking place in the world's food service industry wherein the shift has been towards traditional food. Restaurants are introducing regional specialty cuisine wherein the menu features regional delicacies rather than a generic fare. For example, Tuscan cuisine restaurant as opposed to Italian or Indian restaurant tracing routes of the Mughals as opposed to a north Indian generic fare restaurant. For health conscious guests who follow a strict diet, introduction of 'Lifestyle dining' is a popular trend. “At Fairmont, we run a global programme ‘lifestyle cuisine plus’ under which we offer customised menus for specific health requirements. For example, heart healthy food, low sugar, gluten free, vegan, etc. In some countries, restaurants are largely engaged in pairing beer with food and serve locally crafted beers,” Bali mentions. Citing huge demand for a more casual setting in restaurants, trends of creating café style casual dining restaurants is another attraction. Another notice-
able trend, he emphasis is the 'culinary cocktails'. “The focus is to use fresh ingredients and modern techniques to create attractive, delicious and stunningly innovative drinks. Restaurants also feature menus that serve home grown or local organic produce. Chefs prefer purchasing some or many of their produce, dairy, and meat products from local or regional farms and vendors,” he informs, adding that, “I too believe in using fresh seasonal local produce, which I don’t like to over process. The idea is to preserve the natural goodness and freshness and at the same time focus on enhancing the flavours. Using multiple texture components in a dish is something I enjoy as it keeps my guest engaged and busy.”
Different perspective No doubt the perspective of being a chef has changed drastically, still Bali feels that the challenge is to find the talented manpower to complete the team and more importantly keep them engaged and energised in order to bring out new innovative recipes. “ Today, the chef has to have a good understanding about different cuisines and at the same time be creative enough to make guests come back for more.” He emphasis, “Setting an example through your work works for me and hence you have to constantly keep challenging them.” Out of 100 students, sometimes only 20-25 per cent aspiring chefs are churned out. “The generation ahead of us is talented and brimming with ideas. If pointed in the right direction they can prove to be an advantage to the industry. Today, there are at least twothree dedicated food channels where chefs are the new stars,” he strongly feels. But in the end, Bali says, “The amount of hard work that aspiring chefs put in right now will be the determining factor for their success. The indispensable ingredient for cooking is the passion you have towards food. Another factor which will add to the success is the zeal for knowledge present in you.”
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17 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
HIGH SPIRITS
LEARNING
EXPERIENCE Constantly striving to introduce new wine variants for consumers, Ajay Shetty, founder, Myra Vineyards talks about how the company is creating brand visibility in the market by providing ideas, and is looking at producing wines to tease the taste palates of discerning connoisseurs. BY KAHINI CHAKRABORTY
D
ESIGNED TO be uncomplicated and experimental, Myra Vineyards which has been present in the market for the last 18 months, has been creating new stories for drinkers and non-drinkers by giving them different ideas, educating them on the wine varietals etc. Headquartered in Bengaluru, Myra Vineyards offers a selection of whites with Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc and red with a Shiraz and Cabernet. “Passion for viticulture is at the heart of Myra Vineyards,” says Ajay Shetty, founder, Myra Vineyards, who is committed to introducing high quality wines using different varietals and wine making techniques to please different tastes and palates. “Through social media we want to give Myra a personality which aims to deliver products that offer even the most judicious connoisseurs an experience to cherish,” he says, adding that, “a lot of things have changed in terms of people's demands and lifestyles. We are trying to
18 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
Ajay Shetty
make a gradual move up the pyramid by focusing on using the right strategies to tap the markets taking one step at a time and we are quite bullish on the market sentiments and acceptance of the brand.” The company offers its products in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Pune and will be soon venturing into Goa and Delhi. Using data from market research in the company's working apart from the passion is
the key to successful business strategies, is what Shetty believes in, which has helped him in identifying the reason behind wine culture still being at a nascent stage in the Indian market. “We have been given to understand that it is because of the lack of proper education among people that they end up purchasing expensive imported wines just to follow others. For me, bridging this gap is important and hence I don't consider it as a standard run of
the mill. Hence what we are doing is more systematic and segmental in nature which is customer centric based on their age, spending power, likes and dislikes, demographics etc,” he points out. Just as schools and colleges have different syllabus for each subjects, so does wine making. “Education also means that people have to pay for it and hence that is an aspect as to why we want to introduce wines even for entry level
,which is the plan for the future. A customer would want to know what are the different wines, why is it called Cabernet or Shiraz, what wine pairs well with which cuisine and so on. Hence through our communication strategies we are providing them with different creative ideas, experiences of people, education on wines through stories, leaving the rest for them to decide on what they want to choose,” he elaborates.
Rajesh Rasal,wine maker,Myra Vineyards Could you inform us on the types of grapes used for making your wines? Currently we are using Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc for white wine variants and Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz for red wines variants. Apart from these varietals, we are also working on new wine varietals to be introduced in future. When we speak about wine making, it’s a combination of art and science, one needs good technical background as well as lot of passion to craft unique wine variants. The procedure is intense; it starts with selecting the right category grapes at the right time and processing it gently to ext ract the delicate aromas and flavours, allowing the grape extract
of making red wine. Red wine is matured in different styles with the use of different types of oak barrels viz French and American oak barrels to give more complexity to the wine.
Rajesh Rasal
to evolve and mature over a period of time and blend it to enhance the wine character. Post blending, filter rightly to retain aroma and increase shelf life of the wine. Bottle the wine gently and allow the wine to be stored on its side to retain its inherent pleasant characters. Positive ageing phenomenon of wines also known as ‘maturation of wine’ which is the most important aspect
How does Myra look at creating a niche for itself in the market? At Myra, quality of our wines is of prime importance as 90 per cent quality of wine is determined in the vineyard itself. We equally focus on vineyard management apart from right winemaking. We select the land having right weather, good soil favourable for growing quality wine grapes, thus choose sandy gravel soil with low retention of water. We use organic manure and pesticides, thus lowering the risk of unwanted chemicals entering into the wine. The idea is to
keep our wine clean and palatable. Some of the things that we ensure are avoiding the use any fertiliser spray three-four weeks prior to harvest. Additionally, we take low yield per acre to get good aromatic concentration in grapes. As winemaker for Myra wines, what is your vision for the company? As a wine maker, I believe in consistent quality and at Myra Vineyards we are committed to deliver best quality wine to the Indian market. At Myra we constantly try to introduce new wine variants for our consumers, so that they can taste and enjoy different aromatic profiles with wide range of choices to choose from.
Right communication One has to keep reinventing and giving people ideas and alternatives, “that is where we are different from the other wine companies. Because of our approach there is knowledge about our brand in the public space,” he points out. Reiterating on education, Shetty adds, “In wines you know that anything above `500 is a good choice and below that price is a mixture of different varietals. Many a times people buy expensive wines without even knowing the difference only to follow others. Through our initiative, when we are introducing wines in the entry level as we want people to know why a Shiraz is priced at `250 and `600. This is another way of educating them on the different price points giving them a reason to experience the difference and graduate themselves. Hence we are focused on using the blue ocean strategy and target each segment systematically. At the end we want to be appreciated by connoisseurs and entry level drinkers as well.”
The company's wines have been produced taking into consideration consumer palate, quality, aroma, right processing, checks on quality right from harvesting, wine making, bottling, storage, and transportation. At present, Myra Vineyards has its presence in Maharashtra and Karnataka and will soon expand across
the country in the coming months. “We are a start-up company and we want to think out-of-the-box and be more systematic in our approach to consumers. We have done sampling tests at parties where we have been successful, we are doing a comedy show with a restaurant in Bengaluru and we are also looking
at associating ourselves with sports, corporate gifting etc. However, we still have to fine tune ourselves and experiment,” he opines.
Market sentiments The company does not take the projected industry growth figures at face value as it takes into consideration its market
analysis for developing its business strategies. Believing that right now it is the retailers market and F&B market which have huge potential and will undergo a change in the future as well, Shetty observes, “People will become more quality conscious in the future. We have been conservative in our first year of sales and will decide on our second year sales, based on market feedback. We are taking small steps as we don't want to jump into things too fast. We are here for the long run which is why we are acquiring vineyards. We recently acquired six-seven acres of land and are looking to add more to it. Till then we are in contract farming in Nashik and Bengaluru.” The company does not believe in overselling and percentage discounts and hence is not trying to reach every small mom-and-pop shops in the market. “We are doing a 60 shop strategy in Mumbai, which would be areawise and then go online and give customers one call centre number for delivery of products,” he mentions.
19 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
cover ) PLANTATION STAYS
a way of
life From the tea estates of Darjeeling and Assam to coffee plantations in Coorg and spice gardens in Kerala, plantation stays are emerging as a niche tourism product that is attracting the evolved traveller who wants to truly experience the soul of the land. Lodging options from colonial bungalows to heritage homestays add to the unique experience. BY SUDIPTA DEV
20 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
(
F
or the new age traveller who has roamed the world and has experienced many of its glitzy sights and sounds, the new attractions are more simple – the joy of picking leaves in a tea garden, watching the evening sunset from the verandah of a century old bungalow, or living the life of a planter for a couple of days. There are many unique experiences that plantation stays offer to the discerning traveller. Interestingly, these experiences are not just marketed as a tourism product, but as an eco tourism experience to an evolved segment of clientele. Apart from the eco tourism aspect which is at the heart of a plantation stay experience, the fact remains that a holiday in a tea estate or a spice farm or a coffee plantation is the unique attraction of unspoiled version of nature at its best – from nature walks and bird watching tours to Orchid spotting. The accommodation is also a highlight – from heritage homestays in spice gardens of Kerala to colonial bungalows in Darjeeling's tea estates. “Plantation stay becomes unique because it is a combination of an exclusive lifestyle, while touching the soul of the land. It also gives one an opportunity to see the precious commodities that they buy or use in the day-today life. Apart from this it is a very exclusive experience which can be enjoyed only in a plantation,” says Cherian Ramapuram, director – sales, Orange County Resorts & Hotels. Pointing out that his property in Coorg promotes 'exclusive local experiences', Ramapuram adds that guests are offered a unique experience of living like a planter for a day, going on a plantation trail, and this is what a discerning traveller looks for. Guest profile has also shown a continuous evolu-
tion. “Today's guests have more educated tastes and is more refined as they have travelled around the world,” he concedes. Those interested in plantation stays include travellers looking for experiential holidays, nature lovers and adventure seekers, and retired people. Yet another significant category are corporate executives who wish to get away and senior corporates who are interested in using the setting for their strategy meets, small meetings and conference. “The key trend we are observing is that travellers are seeking experiences rather than just ‘sightseeing’. Concepts such as voluntourism and experiential holidays are gaining popularity in India which is further supported by a general consciousness to the idea of using their recreational time to
contribute to the socio economic/ environmental causes they believe in,” states Christine Jamal, consultant, Tata Coffee Plantation Trails.
Plantation lifestyle experience Tata Coffee’s Plantation Trails offers its guests 'an authentic plantation lifestyle experience' in its eight colonial and heritage bungalows spread across Coorg and Chikmagalur. According to Jamal it is a unique holiday proposition, combining the grace and grandeur of a bygone era with contemporary comforts and warm service. “History and heritage blend gently here with the fragrance of fresh coffee and the cool mountain air to provide our guests an unforgettable experience. Nestled amidst the lush plantations and cradled by the verdant hills
21 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
THE MAIN FOCUS
cover )
Photo courtesy: namastay.in
“In states like Kerala, the Land Reforms Act etc does not permit the plantation owners to utilise their land for any other commercial activity” George Scaria Director - Incoming Tours, Keralavoyages (India)
“Growers, since the time of Britishers, have always been enthusiastic people who live elegant and charming lifestyles devoted to their passion of planting. Staying in a plantation gives the guest a chance to experience this piece of history,” Vaivhav Todi Director, Greener Pastures
22 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
of south India, the bungalows create the perfect destination to refresh and rejuvenate,” she states. Not only do the guests stay in original planters’ bungalows located amidst lush plantations, but even the food and service is in true plantation style. The staff are also from plantation workers’ families. There are guided coffee tours - guests drive in a jeep through the coffee plantations and receive firsthand information on how coffee is processed from bean to cup. Other activities include a ninehole golf course, badminton, table-tennis, trekking, boating, and white water rafting. Coorg, acknowledges Jamal, is one of the fastest growing destinations in India. “Our focus continues on providing the guests with the local plantation experience. In the process, we continue to work with local communities towards improving their quality of life,” she adds. With a special focus on south India, Keralavoyages (India) pro-
motes special experience tours in connection with the tea plantations in Munnar, tea making experience in Periyar, tea plucking experience in Munnar, cardamom plantation walks near Periyar and coffee plantation trails in Coorg and Chikmagalur. “We are basically into inbound markets and we have a strong base in Europe especially in German speaking countries namely Austria, Germany and Switzerland. We also have regular clients from countries like Poland, Denmark,USA, Canada, Australia and UK,” says George Scaria, director - Incoming Tours, Keralavoyages (India). He avers that only the high end domestic travellers appreciate plantation tourism initiatives. Marvel Tours is focused on two types of plantations tours first is based on the spices and rubber and the second on fish farming and paddy cultivation. Tea plantation tours are also conducted along with tea tasting. Sejoe Jose, managing director, Marvel Tours explains that
majority of the guests are from cities and most are not aware of which products come from which plant. “Stay in plantation house is also called farm house stay where the guest along with host experience the life as a farmer.. This will not only help guests to understand the farm but also to know the different traditions and customs followed in different villages,” he adds.
Tea tourism The popularity of tea tourism has given a fillip to plantation stays in the north east. For almost two decades Help Tourism, an ecotourism organisation, has been working to promote tea tourism in the Eastern Himalayas. Raj Basu, founder, Help Tourism and his team have managed to convince a significant number of tea gardens and estates to look at tourism as a product. “The basic idea had come from wine tourism and the key mission was to lead tourists to explore the 'actions behind a cup of
tea'. The people involved, the landscape and the heritage. The best part was the hospitality, a culture which developed during the British in India, the Dak Bungalow of the tea estates, which we now call the Tea Bungalow,” says Basu. The first tea estate to start tea tourism was Phaskhowa in the Buxa Tiger Reserve area of Dooars. “The most successful tea tourism till date is Glenburn. The first to show the way in Assam is by the Jalans at Mancotta, while the most responsible model till date is Makaibari,” states Basu, who is also the coordinator of teatourindia.com, a project of Help Tourism to support tea tourism in east and northeast India. “This is a fast growing sector and has added activities like golf and horse riding to the luxury hospitality. The Tea Bungalows though isolated are safe places even for visit of all women groups and individuals because of the age old culture,” he mentions. The homestays at labourer houses mainly are used
( by voluntourists. Assam-based Greener Pastures is extensively promoting experiences in tea plantations. Guests stay in heritage bungalows which are a reminiscence of the rich heritage of the early British tea growers. “Plantations such as that of tea have a very rich history. Growers, since the time of Britishers, have always been enthusiastic people who live elegant and charming lifestyles devoted to their passion of planting. Staying in a plantation gives the guest a chance to experience this piece of history, while at the same time live in a place of serenity and learn about plantation processes," states Vaivhav Todi, director, Greener Pastures. Apart from serene walks in lush green tea gardens, visitors can also learn more about tea production by visiting a factory and
THE MAIN FOCUS
cities and other urban areas," adds Todi.
Unique accommodation
get to taste the various grades of the finest Assam tea. Other activities include visiting the villages of the tea tribes and Assamese people, safaris in nearby wildlife areas, cooking lessons and cultural programmes.
Green Pastures provide accommodations in three different tea estates across Assam. “Plantation stays deserve popularity because of their uniqueness and rich heritage. It is not everyday a guest can experience a
grower's lifestyle and the breathtaking beauty of large plantations. This segment certainly has a lot of potential as the experience offered is something of value and is a good getaway for families and couples living in
Plantation stays are attracting those people looking for different stay options other than hotels and resorts. Namastay.in offers travellers the option to stay on plantations - accommodations on its network are small independent places offering anywhere between two to 10 rooms. “We do not work with large hotel chains, so our experience is a lot more intimate. People are moving away from the hotel experience and are actively seeking something new. Most of us living in cities crave to see an expanse of greenery. Plantations are ideally suited to offer that and when you live in a homestay or a bungalow on a plantation, there is not a better sight to wake up to. That, coupled with a cool cli-
cover ) “Most of us living in cities crave to see an expanse of greenery. Plantations offer that” Rekha Goyal Co-founder, Travacco/namastay.in
“We bring out all aspects of ecological agriculture” Sujata Goel Mojo Plantation spice farm and the Rainforest Retreat
“There is a lot of interest in plantation homestays” Sejoe Jose Managing director, Marvel Tours
24 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
mate, quiet and serenity make plantations an ideal getaway for overworked city dwellers,” says Rekha Goyal, co-founder, Travacco/namastay.in. She reveals that the interesting thing about those who opt to spend their getaway at plantations is that they come back to experience it again in a different season. “Repeat clientele is high and they do the best marketing for us, which helps in attracting like-minded people,” adds Goyal. There are different types of accommodation options in plantation retreats. The basic ones are like more of a homestay attached to the small farm owners home. For example, Pepper County and Elathottam at Periyar. “These kind of accommodations are run by the family members and like a home only. The next level may be a kind of guest house accommodations in estate bungalows like Cherakara and Talapoya in Wayanad district of Kerala or Coffee Plantations Bungalows of Tata Coffee in Coorg and Chickmagalur. Also, the Windermere estate in Munnar is a unique plantation theme resort set in the midst of a 40 acre cardamom plantation,” says Scaria. The next level is luxury and theme resorts like Orange County in Coorg, Serai in Chikmagalur(both in Karnataka), Carmeliya Haven in Vandanmedu in Kerala, Elephant Valley in Kodaikanal in Tamilnadu, etc. Some of the properties promoted by Marvel Tours are Shembaga Villasam (located in 500 acer of farm in Pollachi); Parayil homestay in Kerala – the biggest prawn cultivation centre near Kochi; Elam Thotam - a homestay giving the experience of staying in a rubber plantation which is located in Kanjirapaly, in Kottayam district; Nelpura – a homestay on an island in Allepey district which is in the middle of paddy fields. “There is a lot of interest in plantation homestays with rise in occupancy by 15-20 per cent. In the beginning our target clients were British in particular. But today the trend has changed as we have now people showing in-
terest from Europe and the US,” states Jose. The NRI crowd is another interested segment. Indians visitors from metro cities are also interested in the concept in particular to educate their children.
Many challenges Despite its vast potential plantation tourism has not developed as a sector due to many factors. Scaria rues that operators like him are not been able to choose a steady marketing of plantation tourism products because of government orders to close down the bungalows. “They also come out with regulations restricting the planters from doing any other commercial activities other than farming. In states like Kerala, the Land Reforms Act etc does not permit the plantation owners to utilise their land for any other commercial activity. If the idea is formulated in a better way with proper licensing and strict monitoring, it can bring a good volume of foreign currency to the country,” says Scaria. Lack of policy for tea tourism is the biggest handicap for the sector. “We have been lobbying to bring in an amendment that the existing bungalows in no or less use in the tea estate should be allowed for tourism, which means that if all the tea estates agree, there will be more than 2000 quality room nights available for North of West Bengal (Darjeeling Hills and Dooars),” said Basu. They have a demand that all Tea Bungalows with four or less rooms should be exempted from any taxes, service or luxury as such infrastructure are not as profitable to make it a business for tea estate owners.
Sustainable practices Eco tourism is an integral part of plantation stay experience, with many of those involved in developing and promoting plantation stays actively involved in sustainable tourism practices. Mojo Plantation spice farm and the Rainforest Retreat are located in Kodagu (Coorg) district of Karnataka state. Mojo Plantation and the Rain-
“Plantation stay becomes unique because it is a combination of an exclusive lifestyle, while touching the soul of the land”
“The key trend we are observing is that travellers are seeking experiences rather than just ‘sightseeing” Christine Jamal
Cherian Ramapuram
Consultant, Tata Coffee Plantation Trails.
Director – sales, Orange County Resorts & Hotels
forest Retreat fund the activities of the WAPRED Research Foundation (Worldwide Association for Preservation and Restoration of Ecological Diversity), an environmental NGO. “At Rainforest Retreat, we welcome travellers from different parts of the world. Most express their desire to learn more about sustainable living, ecological agriculture, sustainable farming practices. All our crops here are grown organically under the canopy of the rainforest trees. We bring out all aspects of the ecological agriculture through an interpretive plantation tour to our guests,” says Sujata Goel, who calls herself a farmer. The Goels also grow fresh fruits and vegetables which are used for creating meals for the guests. “They often participate in several plantation related activities as well,” says Goel. Since its inception in 2000, Rainforest Retreat has attracted ecologically-aware clientele who seek to enjoy the forests and learn about sustainable living and farming practices. “This category of visitors has grown in the past few years. We do get more school and university students now as we host more programmes and workshops customised towards their learning through experience,” informs
Goel. The activities at Rainforest Retreat include treks in the local hills with a trained guide; birding and orchid spotting with an in-house naturalist. Help Tourism's proposal for eco tourism at Makaibari was first accepted by Raja Banerjee, the owner of Makaibari Tea Estate, which is a biodynamic tea garden with 40 per cent natural cover. “We initiated the first eco tourism committee in Makaibari Tea Estate by the name 'Hum Tera', we thirteen, a 13 member committee from the five Labour Lines,” says Basu, adding that, labour quarters were identified as homestays and an alternative livelihood was started for the youths of the tea estate for the first time. Now after six years, many volunteers from Europe are staying at these homestays from four to 12 weeks, who support social activities. An extremely niche product, for a segment of travellers plantation stays are an attractive new holiday option, which provides excellent diversity in terms of destination, accommodation types and experiences. Social media and word-of-mouth publicity have been very effective in highlighting this segment. With inputs from Steena Joy
SPOTLIGHT
Since the opening of its flagship store in 1973, Bangkok- based Central Retail Corporation has been at the forefront of developing innovative and diverse retail formats. Starting as a family run business, the conglomerate today has evolved into a multi-store brand that has adopted modern merchandising, marketing and operation techniques. BY STEENA JOY
The Central strategy
25 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
C
entral Chidlom, the flagship store of the Central Retail Corporation (CRC) covers a total of eight floors and sells many luxury brand names such as Gucci, Burberry, Bally, Ferragamo, Paul Smith and Zegna. A USP is the complimentary Personal Shopper Service where renowned fashion stylists provide professional advice on attire, make-up, hair styling and accessories. In order to promote tourism industry in Thailand, Central also has the Tourist Privilege Card which offers discounts to tourists when they make purchases at every Central store. It also has its own inhouse brand, De Fry and an exclusive sports section called Super Sports. Central's reputation is the result of its long commitment to outstanding product selection, visual merchandising, store environment, and service. Its nine Bangkok stores are joined by branches in the largest northern city, Chiangmai; the largest southern city, Hadyai; and a new store in Thailand's wealthiest tourist destination, Phuket, Pattaya. Two more new branches are in the pipeline - Central Festival Chiangmai and Central Festival Hadyai. Internationally, Central has three branches in China, which are Central Department Store Hangzhou, Central Department Store Shenyang and Central Department Store Chengdu. Central will soon be opening another super luxury store stocking only high-end luxury brands .
Unique Zen Another tourist stop is the Central World Shopping Mall with several leading shops, restaurants, cinema, convention centre and the five-star hotel Centara Grand. It has two shopping stores, Zen plus Zen World, and Isetan. Located in the heart of Bangkok at Rachaprasong intersection, Zen is the largest lifestyle shopping mall in Asia covering more than 50,000 sq m
26 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
across seven levels plus Central World Live on Level 8 where all the lifestyle activities and shows are performed on an area of more than 6,900 sq m. Zen World has 13 more levels with over 30,000 sq m and the Big Zen which displays the time in important cities of the world every hour and is the largest vertical LED screen in Southeast Asia at the size of 525 sq m. Unlike Central Chidlom, Zen World promotes unknown Thai designers who are given a special pavilion to display their talent. Zen World’s recent revamp has given it a completely unique look that is modern in design reflecting the tastes of its target clientele who are the gen next modern Thai customers, expats living in Thailand, and foreign tourists who love trendy and creative products. The new design makes the use of materials to wrap the building to create shadows of widespread tree branches. The side of the building is decorated with mirrors to make it neat and focuses on the contrast of the steel structure on the outside. When looking from all three sides, the building looks like beautiful-patterned box dec-
orated with diamonds. The big open concourse in front offers a complete view of the department store.
Culinary heaven A new landmark in Bangkok with four unique upscale dining and entertainment concepts, in a setting that offers downtown’s most breathtaking 360º rooftop views is Heaven Bangkok. Located right on the rooftop of Zen World tower at Central World, Heaven Bangkok, with a total floor area of more than 6,000 sq m presents four unique concepts – Zense Gourmet Deck & Lounge Panorama, Shintori Japanese art cuisine and sake bar, Horizons international tapas cuisine and bar and lastly, Heaven-on-Zen, the champagne bar. With both indoor and outdoor seating, chic décor and a distinctive ambience, Heaven Bangkok presents culinary delights from seven top restaurants, delectable signature cocktails by award-winning mixologists and lounge-to-party music by funky and well-known DJs. As the head of this ambitious project, Khun Allan Nam-
chaisiri, president of Zen Department Store and Dining Zensations (which manages Heaven Bangkok), is known for introducing concepts that combine a full range of lifestyle trend alterna-
tives. By continuing to maintain and invest in stylish talk-of-thetown restaurants that pay meticulous attention to taste and atmosphere, he has received overwhelmingly response to the
concept. Namchaisir says, “Khun Tos Chirathivat, CEO, CRC has provided good guidance for the project’s planning from the beginning of 2006 when the new Zen was launched and uptill now. Finally all the hard work and persistence has paid off, and Heaven Bangkok has made the concept complete.” The first achievement at Heaven Bangkok back in 2008 was the launch of Zense Gourmet Deck & Lounge Panorama located on Level 17 of Zen World and relaunched again in September 2012 after closing for more than two and a half years. Very recently Zense underwent a revamp with the introduction of the highly acclaimed French cuisine by Le Beaulieu and an enhanced wine list and menus from renowned international kitchens: Thai by White Café, Italian by Gianni’s, Indian by Red, Modern European by To Die For, Japanese by Kikusui and desserts by the Zense’s very own patisserie team. Of course, Zense’s main attraction is its spectacular wide angle dining deck with an expansive wide view of Metropolitan Bangkok and its great chilllounge music. Following the success of Zense, an additional 150million baht was invested to create Heaven Bangkok’s upper levels taking the total cost of the project to 250 million baht.
Japanese art cuisine On Level 18 is Shintori, the highly world-acclaimed Japanese restaurant from Shanghai and Taipei which opened in February this year. The minimalistic décor is in black and grey with dark wooden accents in contemporary furnishings. It’s Grand Dining Hall with a spacious high ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows offers a great view from every corner of the room and is becoming popular for corporate events like product launches. In the glass-walled kitchen, 20 to 30 energetic chefs work tirelessly to prepare Shintori’s signature ‘Art Cuisine’ with the finest and freshest ingredients. Another unique highlight is the outdoor dining terrace, which offers a floating private dining villa that features its own private kitchen and glass walls on three sides.
Heaven Bangkok will be investing at least 20 million baht on marketing promotions and entertainment Next is Horizons international tapas cuisine and bar on Level 19, with its combination of dynamic up-tempo music, a team of experienced mixologists in a hip bar, plus a youngbut-inspired food team creating tapas cuisine and an unbeatable 360° view. Right on the very top,on Level 20, is
Heaven-on-Zen, a champagne bar and also a full beverage bar decked out in white and glittering gold, signifying - Heaven. Featuring every prestigious brand of authentic French champagne, Heaven-on-Zen is the place for a cool romantic getaway, a fun party or a nice corporate or private event.
Heaven Bangkok will be investing at least 20 million baht on marketing promotions and especially entertainment, such as monthly theme parties and daily events to give guests an exciting experience when they visit any of the four establishments. Namchaisir says, “Heaven Bangkok promises to be the
must-visit destination for both Thais and foreign tourists in Bangkok. With an ideal city location and unmatchable city view, Heaven Bangkok will be an entertainment hotspot that we hope will put us in the travel guides of the great entertainment and dining wonders of the world.”
27 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
STRATEGY
In the lap of the Aravallis Nestled perfectly at the foothills of the wide ranging Aravallis, Rajasthali Resort and Spa (RRS) seamlessly reflects the well tuned passion of the owner and the management expertise of JHM Interstate Hotels. The resort destination is a sure winner as a wedding and MICE destination, with leisure as part of the deal. By Reema Lokesh
I
t was my dream to build a world class resort style hotel with an aim to showcase to the world the beauty of Rajasthan, its architecture, hospitality and more in its entirety, and Rajasthali Resort & Spa is the expression of this dream,� says Girish Agarwal, chairman and managing director, Rajasthali Resort & Spa (RRS). Belonging to an established real estate business family, Agarwal was clear on offering his guests an experience of Rajasthan that was stately and refined. Born in Jaipur, he set up his own real estate business by 1981. He had always dreamt of Jaipur growing to the level of cities like New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, and believes that infrastructure will drive growth for the economy. In his effort to contribute to the economy - Rajasthali was conceived in 1990-91, construction started in August 2009 and proudly received its first guests in November 2011. He brought in JHM Interstate Hotels to manage the resort as he firmly believes that it’s better to leave the job of running the show to the experts. He believes that the mantra for success rests in
28 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
‘team work’. The resort is an hour’s drive from Jaipur airport and is strategically located on the New Delhi – Jaipur Highway (which needs some serious repairs). The resort is located in Kukas at the foothills of the imposing Aravallis, 22 kms north of Jaipur and spans across 25 acres and is inspired by the grandeur of Rajput royalty. Meant for the leisure traveller, the resort offers 54 exquisitely crafted luxury guest rooms, tents, suites, banquet facilities, swimming pool, Pavitra Spa, 24 hour café and lounge and a multi cuisine speciality restaurant. Rajasthali is a reflection of Rajasthan, a word which means ‘where kings dwell’. The location is a winner as the property offers a stunning view of the majestic mountain range. “The location and it being a truly experiential property is our USP and we will also be marketing it this way. We are very close to nature as it is located at the foothills of Aravalli and yet it is 20 minutes away from the city and 10 minutes from the nearest monument. Also the concept of luxurious tents along with room accommodation gives us an edge over our competitors,” states Vinit Chhabra, general manager, RRS. The tent style luxury and grand luxury accommodation facilities are the main highlights of the property and they are tastefully designed, spacious and comfortable. The tents also provide guests with a jacuzzi facility amongst others. Chhabra further adds that, “RRS has emerged as one of the most preferred destinations in Jaipur for social events. We have marketed the resort to leading event creators of Northern India and continue to do so. In the coming season as foreign tourists begin to plan their holidays in the Golden Triangle, RRS has contracted the leading destination management companies who market India in Europe and Asia. We have presented RRS to corporations in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad for strategy meetings
The common thread of JHM Interstate service anticipating and exceeding guest expectations will run across all these hotels and incentives. Some leading corporations have been our guests and have thoroughly enjoyed the ambience and the traditional hospitality supported by state of the art technology. JHM Interstate Hotel's
long term plan for the Indian market is to offer the Indian and foreign clientele a collection of unique hotels with distinctive individual character. The common thread of JHM Interstate service anticipating
and exceeding guest expectations will run across all these hotels.” The architecture and the facade of the resort reflects the golden era of Rajasthani art and form. The well crafted
palace pillars, lofted arches at entrances and jharokha style windows are extensively used across the resort. The décor of the resort carries colour tones reminiscent of Rajasthani royalty which is enhanced by lib-
29 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
Girish Agarwal
The resort boasts of a well spread lawn and courtyard, which seems to be a perfect venue for the big fat Indian wedding. It is a well defined wedding destination venue and is also aptly suitable for MICE events as well eral use of art forms and patterns that mark the interiors of the resort. Rajasthani paintings, embroidered curtains, floral patterns and rich fabrics come together to create an ambience, which is a true reflection of Rajasthan. A walk around the property with A Chaaki, the front office manager of the resort, brought to light a few interesting aspects of the property apart from the architecture which resembles the princely lifestyle of Rajasthan. The resort boasts of a well spread lawn and courtyard, which seems to be a perfect venue for the big fat Indian wedding. It is a well defined wedding destination venue and is also aptly suitable for MICE events as well. The resort also offers special
30
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October 16-31, 2013
excursion trips around the area, to the wildlife sanctuary and other places of interest. For the adventurous lot, there is the option of mountain biking, rock climbing, elephant riding and horse riding. The other eye catching highlight of the property is its open air swimming pool, which is charmingly placed amidst the scenic surroundings. A resort of such nature requires a housekeeper who is on the job and Arundhati Raje Bhosle, executive housekeeper of the property is completely in control and is also known for her culinary skills as has been mentioned by Amit Soni, the resort’s F&B manager, who proudly states that the cuisine at the resort restaurant Jharokha, offers authentic lo-
cal delicacies and recommends the famous Rajasthani Thali. It was interesting to meet a young boy, Jalandher Singh Yadav, Chef de Partie at the resort, who not only dished out some fabulous food performing as the executive chef, as his boss had moved a few days before. He reflected the true face of grit and determination to succeed in the hospitality industry against all odds. He says proudly that the people at the resort, the GM and his team will give him the opportunity to grow and be says there is no substitute for hard work, which interestingly is also what the owner believes. From the top management to probably the baseline staff, the highlight of the resort is nothing but its people.
SNAPSHOT
Celebrating World Tourism Day 2013
L-R: Arvind Pradhan, director general, Indian Merchants Chamber (IMC); Clarence Fernandes, co-chairman - Travel and Tourism Committee, IMC; Pradip Madhavji, chairman - Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Committee, IMC; Ernest Rwamucyo, high commissioner, Rwanda High Commission – New Delhi; Shailesh Vaidya, president, IMC and Jitendra Sanghvi, deputy director general, IMC graced the World Tourism Day celebrations organised by IMC held in Mumbai
Students of Happy Home and School for the Blind present the welcome songs at the event
IndiaTourism Mumbai office celebrates World Tourism Day
Kiran Mehra Kerpalman, director, United Nations Information Centre for India and Bhutan (UNIC) lighting the lamp at Amity University's 10th annual convention held on World Tourism Day in Noida
Kiran Soni Gupta, principal secretary to government - Literature, Art and Culture, and CEO, Amber Development and Management Authority going around the photo exhibition by Padam Sharman along with the visitors held on the occasion of World Tourism Day at Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur
31 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
EVENT TRACKER DATE
EVENT
VENUE
October 18 - 22, 2013
HOST 2013
Milan
October 30 - Nov 03, 2013
Expo Drink and Wine
Bucharest (Romania)
November 08 - 11, 2013
Salon du Chocolat
Vannes (France)
November 10 - 12, 2013
WWM Asia
Macau
November 11 - 14, 2013
International Golf Travel Market
Costa Daurada, Spain
November 13 - 15, 2013
FHC China
Shanghai
November 21 - 24, 2013
Seoul International Cafe Show
Seoul
November 21 - 24, 2013
Coffee Expo Guangzhou
Guangzhou
November 21 - 25, 2013
Tea Expo Macau
Macau
November 23 - 27, 2013
IGEHO 2013
Basel
Nov 29 - Dec 01, 2013
Natura Bio
Lille (France)
December 03 - 05, 2013
Menope- Middle East Natural and Organic Products Expo
Dubai
December 09 - 13, 2013
Healthy Lifestyle
Moscow
December 14 - 16, 2013
International Travel & Hospitality Show 2013
Muscat
January 14 - 15, 2014
HIFI
Gurgaon
January 22 - 23, 2014
BIOVAK
Zwolle (Netherland)
January 23 - 25, 2014
Food Hospitality World
Mumbai
February 06 - 09, 2014
Bioenergy Expo
Verona
February 06 - 08, 2014
World Tea and Coffee Expo
Mumbai
February 11 - 13, 2014
Tea & Coffee World Cup - Europe
Warsaw (Poland)
February 12 - 15, 2014
BioFach 2014
Nuremberg (Germany)
February 13 - 15, 2014
African Fine Coffee Conference and Exhibition
Bujumbura (Burundi)
February 23 - 27, 2014
GulfFood
Dubai
February 25 - 27, 2014
Meetings Africa
Johannesburg (South Africa)
March 06 - 09, 2014
Natural Products Expo West
Anaheim, CA
March 08 - 12, 2014
INTERSUC
Paris
March 16 - 18, 2014
International Boston Seafood Show
Boston
April 08 - 11, 2014
FHA Singapore
Singapore
May 03 - 06, 2015
TuttoFood
Milan
May 6 - 8, 2014
Coffee fest- st.louis
St.Louis, Mo(USA)
May 30 – June 1, 2014
Seafood Processing Europe
Brussel
June 1 – 30, 2014
Semana Verde de Galicia
Silleda (Spain)
June 24 – 27, 2014
Fispal cafe
Sao Paulo
August 14 - 16, 2014
Hong Kong International Tea Fair
Hong Kong
32 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
TECH TALK
Intelligent solutions An increasing change in today’s lifestyle has led to the demand for intelligent, hi-tech products with modern technology, yet personalised to add an individual note to every living environment. Sameer Saxena, vice president-marketing, Legrand India talks about the how the company responds to market trends. By Kahini Chakraborty
D
ELIVERING PRODUCTS and services based on three criteria - simplicity of use, installation and distribution, Legrand continues to be a global specialist in the electrical and digital building infrastructure - be it residential, commercial or industrial. The company based in Limoges, France has manufacturing facilities in 60 countries and its products are sold in over 180 countries. Today with energy efficiency becoming a mandatory requirement of every industry, Legrand understands this need of the hospitality industry also and offers wide solutions. Arteor, a part of it, offers technology integration, in-room comfort/entertainment solution with unparalleled choice of design. Reasoning the idea behind the product, Sameer Saxena, vice president-marketing, Legrand India says, “Lighting is a significant consumer of energy in
33 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
commercial buildings and lighting management can result in energy saving of more than 30 per cent, reducing the building operating costs by ten per cent.” Arteor's design is inspired by modern technological devices, such as flat screens, digital photo frames etc. It offers a wide choice of ergonomics and finishes. All control functions are available in two shapes of rockers – square or round and two international colours – white or magnesium. “It offers a rich choice of finishes that are innovative, re-
fined, modern, classical and contemporary. Among the exclusive finishes offered are Mirror finish, Galuchat Leather and Woven Metal. The neutral finishes and tattoo designs add a classical tone for perfect harmony with modern environments,” he mentions. Legrand’s lighting management solutions save energy by using automatic lighting management (sensors) so that lights work intelligently: the right levels at the right locations, at precisely the right times. “Legrand offers a smart
Legrand’s lighting management solutions save energy by using automatic lighting management (sensors) so that lights work intelligently
Sameer Saxena
solution of lighting management system which has standalone and BUS/SCS (Network) system. For eg: A 400 room hotel, saving one minute’s housekeeping work a day adds up to a saving of six to seven hours per day, which actually means business to this industry. Legrand understands the quality which is the key factor in this industry - products like ‘Do
not disturb’ or ‘Make my room’ performance indicators becomes a basic requirement. With constantly evolving requirements of the industry Arteor offers solutions of easy to refurbish rooms. With ZigBee radio frequency solutions it facilitates scenario, lighting or blind controls,” he elaborates. The present market size for home automation/lighting control systems for the hospitality segment is around `100 crore and is expected to grow by 15 per cent in the next two years. “Legrand has a dedicated hospitality offer for in room comfort and entertainment and for common areas such as lobbies and lounges. For in-room comfort , we offer bedside touch units, soft light diffuser, electric room thermostat that can programme automatic air conditioning while for in-room entertainment we offer multimedia connectors like RJ45, HDMI,
USB etc. For lounges we have multimedia touch screens to create multiple scenarios as per requirement,” he informs. With increased awareness of environmental issues, allied to the potential financial impact of energy savings and changing regulations, there is an increasing consciousness among hospitality developers /owners to use energy efficient lighting control solutions in their properties. “Arteor combines the versatility and global vision and is an innovative answer to the increasingly complex requirement of the market all over the world,” he boasts , adding that, “with the growing focus on green buildings, the concept of eco hotels is booming in India, wherein the common areas such as passages and corridors are equipped with smart lighting management to avoid unnecessary expenditure.”
about an email that has to be sent, phone calls to be made etc. Hence a software is required with all the option to update the activities done by the sales team for the manager to review the report easily through his smart phone. “Ziel - a comprehensive and easy to use sales software from CRS Technologies India integrates all departments of the hotel and managesit with expertise. It minimises manual effort of the sales team and helps them organise their meetings,
schedules, align better quality leads from all channels, which also include social media,” states Neelkanth Pararath, managing director, CRS Technologies India. Sales directors can easily view and share business insights in real time to keep the numbers in track and forecast accurate business. It also maximises sales team productivity with complete, updated information about customers and prospects of all information in one place.
Simplifying work through technology
A
SALES SOFTWARE called Ziel, introduced by CRS Technologies India, helps to minimise efforts and organise activities of a hotel sales team for higher productivity The hospitality industry witnessed revolutionary change since the integration of different web based technology into the industry. Technology helps to simplify
34 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
every aspect of managing a hotel from its reservation to guest relationship. A cloud based software will be of an advantage to owners, reservation team, sales and marketing managers for the smooth
functioning of the hotel. The busy schedule of a hotel sales manager has made it difficult for him to get updates from his junior staff like asking about the status of a particular lead in the morning,
Sales directors can view and share business insights in real time to keep the numbers in track
CAMPUS CALLING
GOATO GETSECOND IHM ATFARMAGUDI With more hotels entering the hospitality market, the need for trained employees will continue to rise. This continuous demand has led the tourism department of Goa to come up with the decision to set up its second IHM in the state
T
HE DEPARTMENT of Tourism, Goa has decided to have its second Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (IHM) at Farmagudi, Ponda, to boost the hospitality industry in Goa and provide additional opportunities for education. Currently the hotel industry is at an interesting stage wherein it is witnessing a flood of international and domestic hotel companies opening new hotels across market positioning and
locations. According to the 2013 HVS report, the average percentage of trained employees per hotel is 83.3 per cent. While this average has witnessed a growth of six per cent in the previous year, none of the staffing levels (manager/supervisor/staff) have achieved an average of 100 per cent. Going forward, the survey reveals that with supply expected to increase by nearly 111 per cent in the next five years, the demand for high quality professionals will continue to in-
crease and will also lead to a steady rise in compensation levels. Responding to this growing demand, the tourism department in Goa has decided to set up its second IHM. The proposal has been sanctioned by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and has been approved for an amount of `23.18 crore. The contribution of the Goa government will be 50 per cent. The task of constructing the IHM building will be assigned to GTDC (Goa Tourism Develop-
ment Corporation) - designated as a Special Project Vehicle (SPV), and funds for the same will be made available through the SPV. Tenders have been invited for `19,47,11,421 crore which includes furniture, equipments and other statutory expenses contingency, centage, consultancy. The total area earmarked for this project is 40,000 sq m. This project will also include a girls’ hostel with 25 rooms, with a built-up area of 1,125 sq m. One of the biggest challenges
facing most hotel companies today as they try to keep pace with the growing supply of new hotels is the recruitment of trained manpower, to maintain quality and professional service delivery and product up-keep. Speaking on this, Dilip Parulekar, minister for tourism, Goa said, “With the construction of IHM building, the hospitality sector will receive a big boost and is expected to create skilled manpower in the industry in the years to come.”
MOVEMENTS Fairfield by The Leela Mumbai Marriott, Bengaluru The Leela Palaces, Hotels and PRANAY VERDIA has been appointed as general manager
Resorts has appointed ASHISH KUMAR RAI as general manager of The Leela Mumbai. In his new role, Rai will oversee the general operations and management of The Leela Mumbai. Prior to this, Rai was general manager of Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur. Rai began his career with The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts as a management trainee in 1998 and went on to lead the front office depart-
Pranay Verdia
of Fairfield by Marriott, Bengaluru. In his new position, Verdia’s mandate will be to facilitate smooth and efficient functioning of the property and guide the teams across departments to meet the set goals. Verdia joins Fairfield by Marriott, Bengaluru from Jaipur Marriott where he was the director of operations. Verdia began his career with Accor and was part of the pre-opening team at Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai and was an executive committee member at Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa.
The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway, Chennai The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway, Chennai has appointed RANJIT SHANKAR as general manager. Prior to this, Shankar was general manager of The Gateway Hotels in Surat, Mangalore and Madurai. He started his career as a hotel operations trainee with the Taj, and was given the responsibility of lobby manager at Vivanta by Taj, Bengaluru followed by Vivanta by Taj, Aurangabad, Maharashtra. He then went on to become the front office manager of The Gateway Hotel Beach Road Calicut. He later joined Vivanta by Taj, Connemara, Chennai and from there moved to Vivanta by Taj – President, Mumbai as accommodations manager.
36 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
working for Metropolitan Palace Hotel in Dubai, Cicada Resorts (now known as The Serai) and Clarks Exotica in Bengaluru.
Radisson Blu Hotel, New Delhi Paschim Vihar FIRUZA SHARMA has been appointed as director of sales and marketing at the Radisson Blu Hotel, New Delhi Paschim Vihar. In her new role, Sharma will be responsible for strategising and implementing the sales and marketing plans to ensure competitive positioning of the hotel. Sharma has been associated with hospitality companies like Ascott, Lalit Hotels, IHHR Hospitality, Golden Palms Spa and Resort, The Leela Hotel.
Singhotel Ashish Kumar Rai
ment at The Leela Palace Bangalore and thereafter at various luxury hotels as Rambagh Palace, Jaipur, Taj Bengal, Kolkata, Taj Land’s End, Mumbai.
The Tamara, Coorg VIVEK VINOD has been appointed as general manager, sales and operations, The Tamara, Coorg. He will hold the
Singhotel hospitality group has appointed RUBDEEP SINGH MAKKAR as business development head. He also looks after sales and marketing from Delhi, sourcing partners, maintaining social media networks for the group, and coordinating on any aspects of the business from the capital. 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.
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas
Vivek Vinod
reins of the sales functions at The Tamara while also overseeing operations of the resort. He began his career at the Taj Residency, Bengaluru and moved on to scale some remarkable heights in his career graph while
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas has appointed JULIA GAJCAk as vice president marketing and communications. She will focus on all avenues of communication and public relations, responsible for corporate, hotels, resorts and spas. Gajcak will be based in Six Senses’ home office in Bangkok. Prior to joining Six Senses, Gajcak served as vice president corporate communications and global marketing for The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, based in India.
Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel SANDEEP PANDE has been appointed as executive chef at Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel. Pande’s skills lie in multiple cuisines like Mediterranean, Indian, Thai. Pande’s culinary career began with the Oberoi Group, New Delhi in 1994. He then lent his expertise at Le Meridien, Jaipur as the executive chef before coming on board the Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel.
Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort TONY PEDRONI has been appointed as general manager of the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort, Thailand. Pedroni will report to William Visser, vice president operations, Asia Pacific, Outrigger Hotels Resorts. Before joining Outrigger, Pedroni was with Marriott International as general manager of the JW Marriott Resort, Phuket. Prior to that he was with The Renaissance Seoul Hotel, South Korea.
Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya ROBERT LOHRMANN has been appointed as general manager of Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya. Prior to joining Centara Hotels & Resorts, he was general manager at the Renaissance Zhongshan Park Hotel in Shanghai, China. Lohrmann has over 35 years of experience in hotel management and has held general manager and VP positions in properties like JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, JW Marriott Beijing, Ritz Carlton Hotel Beijing, JW Marriott Seoul, Korea and the Sanya Marriott Resort & Spa Hainan, China.
HRG China YATES FEI has been promoted to the position of general manager Hogg Robinson Group China with effect from October 1, 2013. Fei succeeds Harald Weber-Liel, who will return to HRG Germany to take up a key position within the senior management team. Fei has been with HRG for eight years in a variety of roles, most recently serving as director of sales and account management. In his new role, he will report to Greg Treasure, MD, HRG AsPac and president, HRG North America.
Sun International Sun International Hotels and Resorts has appointed RAJAN KALRA as associate director of sales India for Southern Africa. He will be based in Mumbai. Be-
Rajan Kalra
fore his current appointment, Kalra was responsible for sales of Sarovar Hotels .
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weekend
E V E N T S
SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE Radisson Blu Resort & Spa Alibaug visited Shree Samarth Krupa Vruddhadham as part of its CSR programme - ‘Responsible Business Action Month’ in Parhur, Alibaug
HONORARY REWARD Capt CP Krishnan Nair, founder chairman and chairman emeritus, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts was conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Literature by Jodhpur National University at its second convocation ceremony
TRAINING FOR EXCELLENCE Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Thiruvananthapuram organised a one-day workshop on ‘Code of conduct for Safe & Honourable Tourism’ for trainers in hospitality industry at Hotel Yuvarani Residency, Kochi
VENTURING OUT Intercontinental Hotels Group and TAJ RP International at the signing agreement ceremony held in New Delhi to open Crowne Plaza Dubai Marina in 2016
MEETING WITH A PURPOSE L-R: Office bearers of National Restaurant WIDENING BASE L-R: Anil Goel, MD; Saroj K Poddar, chairman and Dr Andreas Hettich of Hettich India at the announcement of their plans in India over next five years
Association of India - Prakul Kumar, secretary general; Kabir Advani, joint secretary; Samir Kuckreja, president and Vipin Luthra, vice president at their 31st AGM held in New Delhi
53 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
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Scene and heard
With Marcellus Baptista
Twice as nice REINVENTION IS the name of the game. That was the case with Lagerbay (formerly Zenzi) in Bandra. The place was given a new and fresh look with a second bar added to make it twice as nice. Pink was the specified dress code of the opening night as guests were encouraged to support the cause of women fighting against breast cancer and to raise awareness of the Pinkie Pride campaign. The mix of guests included Hard Kaur, Evelyn Sharma, Tanvi Singla, Amrita Prakash and Eijaz Khan.
Atul and Gayatri Ruia at the party in The Penthouse of Palladium Hotel Evelyn Sharma, Rocky S and Karishma Tanna at the F in Focus night at F bar
Top of the world
Sixth sense The concept-celebrity ‘F in Focus’ at F bar continued with its sixth edition, this one featuring celebrated couturier Rocky S. On view were two of his creations that were showcased at the recent Lakmé Fashion Week. The designer’s signature goat cheese smoked cashew cigar roll plus premium spirits were in full flow among the many guests including Karishma Tanna, Evelyn Sharma, Sony Kaur, Carol Gracias, Binal Trivedi, Himarsha Venkatswami, Maryam Zakaria, Bally Sagoo and Aki Narula. Mesmerising music spun by the in-house DJ added to the action.
Hard Kaur at the re-launch of Lagerbay
GUESTS GASPED at the grandeur unfolding before them on the 37th floor at The Penthouse of Palladium Hotel (formerly ShangriLa Hotel). It was the launch of Li Bai – the lounge bar and Mekong – the Asian specialty restaurant. Hosts Atul and Gayatri Ruia were there to welcome the steady stream of guests like Namrata Baruah Shroff, Tanaz Doshi, Chhaya Momaya, Chetan Bhagat, Gayatri Oberoi, Madhoo Shah, Nishka Lulla, Luke Kenny, and Schauna and Bikram Saluja. Besides partaking of the food and drink they all admired the 360-degree panoramic view from the top and learnt that The Penthouse at Palladium Hotel would soon house Yuka – sushi and sake space, Exo - bar and club, and contemporary European bistro - Anais and L.E.D (Love. Eat. Drink).
Cheer factor THE CHEER was on at the launch of Boveda (pronounced bo-vay-dah). The rustic interiors put the guests in a warm frame of mind as they relished the drinks and tasty hors d’oeuvres. They learnt that this restobar located in Andheri aimed at fusing entertainment and its offering of an interesting mix of cocktails, both new world and classic, beers, wines, spirits and a menu of scrumptious Euro-American fare. The opening party hosted by Abhishek Goyal and Yasho Sonthalia, saw the likes of Anil Kapoor, Alka Yagnik and Manasi Scott among many other guests. Abhishek Goyal, Anil Kapoor and Yasho Sonthalia at the launch of Boveda
54 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD October 16-31, 2013
REGD.WITH RNI NO.MAHENG/2012/42381, REGD.NO.MH/MR/SOUTH-383/2013-15,PUBLISHED ON 2ND & 17TH EVERY FORTNIGHT, POSTED ON 2, 3, 4 & 17,18,19 OF EVERY FORTNIGHT POSTED AT MUMBAI PATRIKA CHANNEL SORTING OFFICE.