Food & Hospitality World (Vol.3, No.8) January 01-15, 2015 by Indian Express

EDITOR’S NOTE

Tapping the tertiary trend

he year 2 014 proved to be a

watershed year for India's tourism and hospitality sector, and the new government at the Centre defined and drafted some progressive policies and projects to provide the necessary impetus for hospitality and tourism growth. The Budget 2014 further made some relevant announcements namely on REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) and InvIT (Infrastructure Investment Trust) and mapped interesting development projects, such as smart cities, industrial corridors, setting up of new airports, development of surface transport, development of five new tourist circuits around specific themes, The National Mission on Pilgrimage, Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (Prasad), National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (Hriday), development of the SadhanaGaya - Varanasi Buddhist circuit to name some. Varanasi is being watched very closely as a growth centre. HA Mishra, chairman of FHS Hotel Management, expressed confidence in terms of business growth in the religious city. He runs the local Zeera Hotel and has witnessed robust growth from 2012-14, both in terms of infrastructure development and RevPAR. The corporate business inflow has also witnessed growth in the

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FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

January 1-15, 2015

“The next three to four years may see a series of hotels coming up in pilgrim regions and new economic zones”

city. This change is not only reflected in the PM's constituency but in many secondary and tertiary cities across the country. F&B trends are also fast changing in the smaller towns and cities. Secondary and tertiary cities are witnessing double digit growth as compared to their metro counterparts with single digit growth, as per hospitality reports. Today the serious investors and brands have finally realised the power of India beyond the metros and are stepping into hubs and future growth cities with a clear vision and plan. Home grown brands to international chains are coming up with projects in India's new growth regions. To name a few, cities like Bilaspur, Asansol, Raipur, Ranchi, Shillong, Tirupur, Vijaywada are attracting hospitality investments across categories from budget to mid-market and more. All this makes perfect business sense for investors and developers. The next three to four years, that is 2015-2018, may see a series of hotels coming up in pilgrim regions and new economic zones. On this optimistic note, I wish all our readers a happy and prosperous 2015. REEMA LOKESH Editor

Tel: 040-23418673/23418674/ 23418675 (Tele-fax)/66631457 Fax: 040-23418678 E-mail: ashwanikumar.shukla@fhwexpo.in

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CONTENTS INTERIORS & DESIGN

Vol 3 No.8 JANUARY 1-15, 2015

Chairman of the Board Viveck Goenka Editor Reema Lokesh* Assistant Editor Steena Joy Senior Associate Editor Sudipta Dev CONTENT TEAM Mumbai Kahini Chakraborty Rituparna Chatterjee New Delhi Archana Sharma Kolkata Joy Roy Choudhury DESIGN National Art Director Bivash Barua Deputy Art Director Surajit Patro Chief Designer Pravin Temble Senior Graphic Designer Rushikesh Konka Senior Artist Ratilal Ladani Kiran Parker Scheduling & Coordination Rohan Thakkar Photo Editor Sandeep Patil MARKETING General Manager Sachin Shenoy Marketing Team Dattaram Kandalkar Rajan Nair Ashwani Kumar Shukla Sreejith Radhakrishnan Pranshu Puri Yoginder Singh Ajanta Sengupta NATIONAL FOOD & BEVERAGE SALES Sasi Kumar G Keshav Barnwal INTERNATIONAL FOOD & HOSPITALITY SALES Soumodip Ghosh Dhananjay Makharia

SMALL IS NOW

BIG

Manager Bhadresh Valia

SPA & WELLNESS

The secondarymarkets are todaybecoming as important as the primaryones,with major international chains and homegrown hotel companies expanding their presence in Tier II and Tier III locations across the country– from state capitals and industrial hubs to pilgrimage centres and tertiarytownships (28-34)

DEEP FROM INSIDE THE EARTH ONE OF AUSTRIA’S MOST SPECTACULAR ALPINE LANDSCAPES IS HOME TO A TRULY SPECIAL THERMAL SPA

P17: NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK Keys Hotel Vihas, Tirupati

P18: PRODUCT TRACKER Patrón XO Cafe

P50: LIFE Laurels in leadership

MARKETS

P65: WEEKEND Scene and heard by Marcellus Baptista

EDGE

LEMON TREE TO COME UP WITH MEGA HOTEL PROJECT IN MUMBAI

HPMF CELEBRATES ITS 4TH ANNIVERSARY

AND CHILLIES HOSPITALITY LOOKS TO OPEN THREE OUTLETS BY 2018

P52: MOVEMENTS Vivanta by Taj

PRODUCTION General Manager B R Tipnis

FIRST IMPRESSIONS FROM SERVING MAINLY AS A CHECK-IN AND CHECK-OUT AREA IN THE PAST TO BECOMING A MULTIFUNCTIONAL SPACE, THE HOTEL LOBBY IS BE COMING SMARTER AND DYNAMIC

INTERVIEW: RAHUL SALGIA, CEO, DIGIVALET HIGHLIGHTS ON THE COMPANY'S OFFERINGS AND MARKET PSYCHE

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.

MARKETS

Lemon Tree to come up with mega hotel project in Mumbai 600 rooms hotel with large commercial and meetings space in the vicinity of CSIA Sudipta Dev Mumbai THE LEMON Tree Hotel Company will add a sizable 900 rooms inventory to the Mumbai hospitality market in the next three and a half years. The first to open will be a 300 keys property in Andheri within the next two years followed by a 600 keys Lemon Tree Premier project in the vicinity of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. The second project will be operational by 2018. “It will be our own property, along with which we are planning a commercial space of about a 100,000 sq feet and meeting space of approximately 60,000 sq feet. This is still on the

drawing board,” said Rahul Pandit, president & executive director, The Lemon Tree Hotel Company. These projects will also make The Lemon Tree Hotel Company one of the biggest hotel operators in India's financial capital. The company that currently has 26 hotels in 15 cities, is restrategising its expansion plans across the country. “If you see the map of India and bi-sect it into two, we are currently predominantly in the left of the map - in the north, west and south. We have been where the services economy is happening. Now we realise that as the mineral wealth of India is called for deployment; resources, people

Rahul Pandit

and travel will also start happening in the right of the map. East will become more prominent. So that's one major shift

in the fulcrum which will happen,” mentioned Pandit. He pointed out that the leisure segment will also become more important for the company. Another focus segment is single lady travellers who currently comprise almost 16 per cent of the company's guests. “If you start winning their loyalties right now, then we win it for the long run. All these factors will drive our growth area,” stated Pandit. The upcoming projects include a resort in Udaipur, a hotel in Rajarhat area of Kolkata, and in Sector 60, Gurgaon a Lemon Tree Hotel and Red Fox Hotel together. “We have three hotels in Gurgaon. The second

inventory we are demolishing and rebuilding as the FSI norms have changed. We can now do a bigger hotel, it is becoming more upscale and will be a Lemon Tree Premier,” informed Pandit. Recently, the company started its third hotel in Hyderabad. “We are doing a second hotel in Pune, a resort in Shimla, another in Baroda, a greenfield project in Coimbatore is two years away. We are also speaking of Bhubaneshwar but it will take some time,” added Pandit. The newer projects will also see more allocation of meetings space than the existing hotels, as the company is now more focused on the MICE segment.

Swosti Group to launch eco tourism projects in Odisha Joy Roy Choudhury Kolkata SWOSTI GROUP, the leading hospitality company in Odisha, has several eco tourism projects in the pipeline. One of the major projects is an eco-friendly resort at Chilika Lake – the Swosti Chilika Resort. Speaking about the project, JK Mohanty, CMD, Swosti Group, said, “It was difficult to get a CRZ (Coastal Regulatory Zone) clearance from the ministry of environmen,t but the project is now being handled by one of the well known archi-

tects from Thailand. The resort will have huge landscaping area with residential villas, pool villas and cottages, all overlooking the 1100 sq km Chilika Lake.” The facilities include a modern spa, Yoga centre, herbal gardens, water sports activities, high-end houseboats with facilities for conferencing and spa. “Smaller boats are being imported to take the tourists around the 26 islands situated in Chilika Lake. This would be one of the most action packed resorts of India,” stated Mohanty. Another eco tourism project

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January 1-15, 2015

J K Mohanty

is the luxurious Eco-Forest Lodge at Bhitarkanika, the largest mangrove forest in eastern India, which is home to a large variety of wildlife and crocodiles. “People who have visited Bhitarkanika call it the ‘Mini Amazon’. We are also in the process of getting the CRZ approvals for our resorts in Puri and Satpada Lake, which is the home for India’s largest collection of Irrawaddy Dolphins,” stated Mohanty. Mohanty who is also the chairman of Hotel & Restaurant Association of Odisha (HRAO)

and chairman – IATO, Odisha Chapter, stated, “Looking at the huge expected growth in tourism and the acute shortage of trained manpower in the hotel industry all over the country, we entered into hospitality education sector with Swosti Institute of Management & Social Studies (SIMSS) affiliated under University of Culture, Govt of Odisha.” SIMSS has successfully completed one year and is offering three years Bachelor Degree in Tourism & Hospitality Services and two years Master Degree in Tourism & Hospitality Services.

MARKETS

HPMF celebrates its 4th anniversary FHW Staff Mumbai THE HOSPITALITY Purchasing Managers' Forum (HPMF) recently celebrated its fourth anniversary at Sahara Star Hotel, Mumbai. The event had a total guest count of over 250, which included more than 100 purchasing professionals from Mumbai and neighbouring cities along with few dignitaries, general managers, executive chefs, housekeepers, engineers, F&B directors and IT managers of various hotels. The forum comprises of purchasing managers from the hospitality industry such as hotels, catering companies, stand alone restaurant chains, airlines etc, HPMF was formally launched on November 26, 2010. It was created to support and develop purchasing managers from the hospitality in-

C P Balani

dustry. From three members in the beginning, now the strength has reached over 650 members from around 400 organisations across India. At the event, three senior most members of HPMF who spent more than 40 years each in hospitality procurement,

Mohan Deshpande

were awarded with 'The Living Legend Award'- Jagdish Prasad Sharma, CP Balani and Mohan Deshpande. These three senior most members have trained and mentored several industry procurement professionals. The awards consisted of a certificate and

J P Sharma

trophy which were handed over to all three recipients by the chief guest Shashi Chaturvedi; guest of honour Marcel Parker and other prominent industry personalities consisting of chef Satish Arora, corporate chef , Taj SATS; Anuj Prakash, VP and

GM, The Resort; Philippe Charraudeau, regional VP and GM, ITC Grand Maratha and Manish Sodhi, GM, Sahara Star Hotel. A powerpoint presentation on the achievements of HPMF in the last four years was done by founder Nitin Nagrale.

MARKETS

Dlecta Cafe launches fresh tea brewing machine Sudipta Dev Mumbai ON INTERNATIONAL Tea Day (December 15), Dlecta Cafe launched its indigenously developed very first automatic fresh tea brewing machine, in Mumbai. The tea brewing machine can serve upto 400 cups of tea in a day. “The vending machine which brews tea from leaves is a technical innovation, we have applied for patent. It only takes 25 seconds for the tea to brew. It is not a premix – there is no sugar, just water and tea leaves,” said Deepak Jain, founder and

MD, Dlecta Foods. The machine also has options for coffee, soups and more. A tea tasting and awareness session was also organised to mark the occasion. International Tea Day is celebrated by tea growing nations since 2005, to create awareness amongst the governments and the citizens about issues associated with the industry. Jain said, “In most countries tea is a beverage, but in a few like China and Japan, it is also a tradition.” Seventy eight per cent of the world's tea production comes from four countries – China, Sri

Deepak Jain

Lanka, Kenya and India. “Our production is 25 per cent of the world's production. Almost 80 per cent of the tea we produce, we consume inside the country,” said Jain. Assam produces 52 per cent, West Bengal 25 per cent, Tamil Nadu 15 per cent and Kerala six per cent, some tea is produced in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Odisha as well. “Darjeeling is known as the 'Champagne of teas' because if perfectly brewed the colour is similar to champagne. Nilgiri Frost tea is also growing in popularity,” mentioned Jain.

Giving information about the various categories of tea, Jain stated that tea can be classified according to the geographical region and method of manufacturing – black, oolong, green or white. The black tea manufacturing process is either orthodox (traditional method) or CTC (crush, tear, curl). India is the only country which produces both varieties in sizable quantity. India is largely a CTC market. “There are also herbal teas, which are infusions, and technically not tea. Sometimes these are referred to as tisane,” informed Jain.

Del Monte looks at expanding distribution reach in India Kahini Chakraborty Mumbai FIELDFRESH FOODS, a joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and Del Monte Pacific, is looking at increasing the width of its offerings under the brand Del Monte. The categories in which the company operates includes sauces and condiments, gourmet pasta, olive oil, packaged fruits, dressings and spreads, and juice drinks. Speaking exclusively to Food & Hospitality World, Yogesh Bellani, CEO, FeildFresh Foods said, “Expanding distribution reach geographically and increasing width and depth of coverage within our existing markets is a

priority. We recently launched a range of dessert sauces. The range offers four flavours that include peach, strawberry, chocolate and choconut (chocolate and hazelnut). Additionally, we have also strengthened our olive oil portfolio by introducing tin packs as we aim to have the widest range of olive oil offerings in the country and tap into newer distribution channels like pharmacy. We will continue to focus on our existing categories going forward.” Elaborating on the plan of increasing the distribution network, Bellani highlighted, “Currently, we cover most of the outlets in modern trade, I would imagine that we have

10 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD January 1-15, 2015

Yogesh Bellani

coverage of about 90-95 per cent barring a few outlets in the central and eastern parts of the country; while on the general trade side, we remain

focused on the top 50-60 cities and towns for direct distribution coverage. In general trade our focus in the short term is to increase width and depth in our existing metro and tier one cities,” he said, adding further, “On the other hand, our distributive food service business covers about 136 cities and towns at present and we plan to take this beyond the 200 cities and towns mark by the end of this financial year.” On the ratio of sales through institutional versus retail, he informed, “Currently our business is split equally between our B2B and B2C channels; going forward, with expansion in our distribution

reach and coverage, we expect our B2C business to start forging ahead of our B2B revenues. Our revenue growth this year is in line with that of the last few years at around 45-50 per cent across categories and we would look to maintain the growth rates in the coming year as well.” Sharing his views on the significant growth of the FMCG sector in India, Bellani opined, “The FMCG sector continues to be one of the most important segments of the economy, being the fourth largest, contributing almost 2.4 per cent to the GDP and remains one of the most important sectors from an employment perspective.”

MARKETS

And Chillies Hospitality looks to open three outlets by 2018 Launch of two hospitality brands in pipeline Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai MUMBAI-BASED And Chillies Hospitality, which owns and operates pan-Asian restaurant chain 'And Chillies' in the city, has plans to expand in the Mumbai market by opening three outlets in the next twothree years. Presently, the company has two outlets in Mumbai – one at Worli with 20 covers and the other at Mahim which recently opened with 60 covers. This expansion, which is part of the company's long term growth plan, will be partly funded by internal accruals and partly by its partner company. Speaking more about the expansion, Vaishnavi Nalawade, co-founder, And Chillies Hospitality stated, “Once the second outlet starts making profits, we want to go into opening more

outlets. We believe in word of mouth advertising, which will work for our brand. Recently, we have started our marketing through media meets, which is a better platform. We are customising the dishes as per guest requirements and we also have dishes for the Jains.” And Chillies Hospitality was started in 2011 by siblings, Rahul Nalawade, Rohit Nalawade and Vaishnavi Nalawade. Shree Dutta Bhuvan, an eatery in Worli, owned by their grandfather was converted into the first outlet under the And Chillies brand. “Since we already had the premise for the first outlet, we had to spend around `30 lakh on refurbishments. For the second outlet we invested `70 lakh along with our partner company. As for the future three outlets, we are looking at having

50-60 covers with an investment of around `70 lakh each,” opined Rahul Nalawade, director, And Chillies Hospitality. Moreover, the company has two more projects in the pipeline which includes foraying into the QSR segment with a health food brand and launching a semi-fine dining restaurant called India Delicacies, offering regional Indian cuisines. “We have finalised the menu for India Delicacies which will offer guests different regional cuisines of India. The next project is to launch our QRS brand by offering healthy eating options, mainly fruits and salads to consumers. Both these projects are part of our long term expansion plan which will be focused around Mumbai and then we might look at other cities,” added Vaishnavi Nalawade.

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MARKETS

GourmetItUp to offer 500 restaurants by end 2015 To add two new locations Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai GOURMETITUP, a Mumbaibased online restaurant reservation platform, has plans to add new locations like Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Goa to its portfolio by end of 2015. Presently, the company offers 75 restaurant brands across 120 locations in Mumbai, Delhi and Pune and through this expansion the company is eying at taking the number of restaurant offerings to 500. The company recently raised US$ 300,000 angel funding from several investors to expand its team and geographical presence and scale

up its marketing activities. “We will be growing the team three times the current size, geographic expansion will also be part of the plan and the overall reach through marketing is going to grow from five to 10 fold by January. User base will grow to 10 times its current size,” stated Kunal Jain, founder, GourmetItUp. The company would be adding Bengaluru by January 2015, offering the top 15 restaurant brands in the city initially and then scaling up the number to 100. “We are also looking at entering international markets like Dubai and Singapore, which is under planning stage. We

The company would be adding Bengaluru by January 2015, offering the top 15 restaurant brands in the city initially and then scaling up the number to 100 would be looking at entering at least one international city by 2015,” mentioned Jain, adding that, plans are also underway to launch their mobile application to enable their restaurant part-

ners to improve customer experience. The company is also looking at raising its second round of angel funding in 2015. “Though it is too early to tell, we are looking at

raising another US$ 300,000 at least but we plan to take it up to US$ one million in the future, but whether it is in the next round or not, we shall see. Our international expansion would be part of the next round of funding,” added Jain. As for their marketing plans, the company is planning to scale up their customer reach through digital marketing, offline campaigns and event participation. “We are participating in farmer's markets, food and wine festivals, and we are also planing to organise a large event along with our partner restaurants and independent chefs, which is at planning stage,” he revealed.

OYORooms.com plans massive pan-India expansion Kahini Chakraborty Mumbai STARTED IN the year 2012, OYORooms.com has massive expansion plans of building technologically enabled budget hotels on a pan-India basis. Presently, the company has more than 55 properties in Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Bengaluru. With an initial start of 11 rooms in 2012, the company is now selling on an average of 5,000 rooms every month. The company recently launched more properties- one in Bengaluru and two in Delhi and four in Mumbai. Providing ease of location is significantly high on the agenda for the com-

pany. Bullish about the company's growth in the next five years, OYORooms.com is planning to establish approximately one lakh rooms inventory on a pan-India basis. Speaking exclusively to Food & Hospitality World on the company's expansion plans, Ritesh Agarwal, founder and CEO, OYORooms.com, said, “Our company is using technology to completely redefine the customer experience in the hospitality sector and deliver hassle-free experiences to budget travellers, starting from room availability and booking, through their stay and check-out. We are passionate about solving the

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problem of budget hotels and our intent is to deliver what we commit to customers. We are working on a hub-and-spoke model for our business expansion. Early this year we raised our seed capital which is in significant billion dollars from Lightspeed Venture Partners. Generally you run the business to make money, we work the other way round by making money so that we can run the business. We plan to open fourfive hotels every month. On the business revenue generation, the company has done upwards of `20 crore in the year.” On the potential of investing in smaller cities, Agarwal

Quality and standardisation of operations are available in metro cities but is not present in Tier II and Tier III cities. For us, this is a bigger growth driver opined, “Quality and standardisation of operations are available in metro cities but is not present in Tier II and Tier III cities. For us, this is a bigger growth driver and we have fundamentally seen the need for this requirement in these cities. As per our hub-and-

spoke model, for us potential cities would be region specificMumbai-Pune, Nashik, Ahmedabad, Surat, Shirdi, DelhiChandigarh, Jaipur. Though we have internal targets, we have not set any specific hotel targets for specific markets.”

MARKETS

The Leela Group enters Nepal with four properties FHW Staff Mumbai THE LEELA PALACES, Hotels and Resorts and Summit Group of Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the presence of prime minister of Nepal, Sushil Koirala, to collaborate on the first of four hotels, to be established across Nepal, marking a new era of partnership in tourism between India and Nepal. The Leela Kathmandu, the first of the series, a five-star deluxe hotel to be built in the heart of Kathmandu, is expected to be completed within 36 months. Summit Group, which has extensive interests in real estate, hotels and allied businesses, will develop the property, while The Leela will market and manage it as part of its award-winning portfolio of eight iconic properties in prime urban and holiday destinations across India.

Emphasising on the crucial role that travel and tourism plays in the economic development of the country, Vivek Nair, chairman and managing director, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts said, “We are delighted to begin our foray in the international markets with Kathmandu. Given the potential of tourism worldwide, we look forward to expanding our footprint in India and overseas.” Located close to the Narainhity Museum, The Leela Kathmandu will be the first of a series of hotels to be established across Nepal. It will be followed by a hotel in Lumbini, birthplace of the Buddha, as part of The Leela Group’s plans to pave a Buddhist Trail from Nepal to Bodhgaya, Nalanda, and Varanasi in India. Other places in Nepal where hotels are being planned under the Leela banner include Pokhara.

Marriott launches second property in Kochi FHW Staff Mumbai MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL has announced the opening of the Kochi Marriott Hotel, its fifth hotel under the company’s flagship Marriott Hotels brand in India. This will be the second Marriott International property in the Kochi city and is located amidst the Lulu Mall campus. The hotel offers its guests 274 spacious and elegantly designed rooms which include 25 club suites, one vice presidential suite and one presidential suite. Speaking on the occasion of the launch, Rajeev Menon, area vice president- South Asia- Marriott International said, “Kochi Marriott Hotel is an exciting addition to the Marriott Hotels portfolio. This property embodies the brand’s drive to enable its guests to travel. We believe the city of Kochi has tremendous potential for business and hospitality growth, making it an obvious choice for the Marriott Hotels brand.

The Kochi Marriott Hotel will set new standards in offering guests a dynamic hotel experience.” The hotel offers a range of dining options, each one special in its own authenticity and flavours. 'Cassava', the exclusive Kerala Cuisine specialty restaurant. 'Kochi Kitchen' the all-daydining, will offer menu options, of world cuisines across Asian, Continental and Italian specialties. With 720 sq. metres of banquet and meeting space, equipped with the latest technology and amenities, the hotel will make an ideal venue for large conferences and intimate gatherings. Vineet Mishra, general manager, Kochi Marriott Hotel said, “Kochi Marriott Hotel introduces stylish, modern hotel experience for guests and has been designed to provide the best in-house service and facilities for business and leisure travellers. We are excited to offer our guests new concepts in service and food and beverage.”

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BAKERY FOCUS

A MARKETING INITIATIVE

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FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

January 1-15, 2015

BAKERY FOCUS

A MARKETING INITIATIVE

definitely great. Use Brilloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perfect mirror finish to finish the product well, all the while embellishing it with unsurpassed gloss and flavour. Brillo is, after all, not merely a glaze, or a pretty product - it adds that special flavour too, taking the patisserie to that next level of taste.

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Brillo is, after all, not merely a glaze, or a pretty product it adds that special flavour too, taking the patisserie to that next level of taste

MARKETS

Hettich India unveils Innovation Centre in Bengaluru FHW Staff Mumbai HETTICH INDIA has unveiled a state-of-the-art Innovation Centre at Cubbon Road Bengaluru. Launched by Dr Andreas Hettich, chairman and global CEO, Hettich and Anil Goel, managing director, Hettich India, this innovation centre is the first of its kind in the world and will showcase the most premium products and applications from the Hettich portfolio. Hettich Innovation Centre will showcase the most premium fittings, products and their applications in modern furniture design to customers and designers with prior appointment for personalised attention. The Hettich Innovation Centre will also house a team of experts available for consultation on design services to customers and is aimed at giving a touch-and-feel experience to the consumer and to

demonstrate the exciting possibilities that Hettich fittings offer. Speaking at the launch, Goel said, “Hettich has always been a pioneer in furniture technology focused on ease, convenience and above all, lifelong durability of our fittings. But our work has always been in the background. With the Hettich Innovation Centre, we hope to bring to the foreground the vast range of all that we offer and actually show what our fittings can actually achieve for our customers in ultimate luxury.” On why they chose Bengaluru to be the first centre, Goel added, “This has always been a key market for Hettich. Bengalureans travel a lot; people here are exposed to the best homes and interiors in the world. The average Bengalurean invests early in real estate and takes a considerable amount of effort to research options before doing up

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

January 1-15, 2015

his home. So we thought that Bengaluru would be a good city to start from.” Hettich is hoping to start similar such initiatives in the other countries as well in the near future. Dr Hettich confirmed, “People around the world are looking for intelligent living solutions and better interior ideas. With the recent surge in the economy and the new government stressing on smart cities and housing for all, India is our most promising market. We are looking at it as a pilot project; we are hoping that we can replicate our learning here in other cities around the world.” Along with the new centre, Hettich India has also beefed up its design services arm. The company now offers free design and hardware consultation for its customers at their doorstep. The company’s hardware engineers do on-site visits and offer customised solutions.

HIFI 2015 to focus on new opportunities and outlook FHW Staff Mumbai THE HOTEL Investment Forum India (HIFI) convention being organised in New Delhi from January 14-15, 2015, will highlight many new investment-related aspects in Indian hospitality industry, apart from revisiting the old issues. “HIFI 2015 is the first major hotel investment conference in India after the Modi government assumed office. REITs, evisa, visa on arrival and harnessing tourism for national growth are key factors for driving wider travel and investment opportunities. HIFI will focus on opportunities and outlook for North-East, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Mumbai, leisure sector and religious destinations. A special (by invitation only) roundtable is being hosted, together with World Bank group, on PPP in tourism – senior government officials from central and state tourism will attend HIFI, following this Roundtable. Plenary panels will involve the travel trade and airline advisors besides senior “on-theground” hotel leaders,” said Vijay Thacker, director, Horwath HTL-India. Some of the key topics programmed for HIFI in

Vijay Thacker

2015 include: an update on REITs; development track showcasing the key geographical and sector development opportunities; a product track emphasising opportunities and challenges in ‘hot’ hotel sectors; strategies for success with regional hotel leaders interpreting industry data; important financing and valuation insights; lessons learned in management contracts and franchising; how to expand into alternative and mixed-use products; exclusive interviews and panels with hotel investment industry leaders; the HIFI Awards: Deal of the Year, Rising Star, Hall of Fame, and Aatithya Ratna.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Keys Hotel Vihas,Tirupati KEYS HOTELS RECENTLY launched its 17th hotel—Keys Hotel Vihas at Tirupati. Located in heart of the city, Hotel Keys Vihas is at convenient distance from Tirumala Temple. The hotel is equipped with 58 spacious rooms and three luxurious suites. The hotel offers two halls, each with the capacity of accommodating up to 120 guests and equipped with state-ofthe-art audiovisual technology, dedicated for meetings and team events. Other amenities include high speed internet and a travel desk.

The Park Hotel Nusa Dua Bali, Indonesia PARK HOTEL GROUP HAS signed a management agreement for its first hotel in Indonesia. The Park Hotel Nusa Dua Bali, scheduled to commence operations in the first quarter of 2015, is nestled on 3.4 hectares of land on a hilltop in Nusa Dua. The 152 rooms and suites at the Park Hotel Nusa Dua Bali will range in size from 25 sq m to 209 sq m, while the resort’s 39 villas will comprise of 35 one-bedroom and four two-bedroom units, each with a private swimming pool and a traditional Balinese pavilion set in a lush tropical garden. The hotel’s facilities will include a rooftop dining restaurant, a spa, bar, gymnasium, business centre, function rooms and a tour desk.

DoubleTree by Hilton Agra HILTON WORLDWIDE HAS announced the opening of DoubleTree by Hilton Agra. The hotel features 104 guestrooms, including four suites, all equipped with modern amenities including the signature Sweet Dreams by DoubleTree sleep experience bed, Wi-Fi, 42” HDTV with premium channels, tea and coffee making facilities, mini bar, electronic safe and a three or fourfixture bathroom with a walk-in rain shower. Guests will be able to choose from four dining venues at the hotel including: North 27, an all-day global cuisine restaurant; Kebab-E-Que, offering Indian North-West Frontier cuisine; Plush Bar, a lounge; and The Food Store, an all-day café and deli. Recreational facilities include an outdoor infinity pool, complimentary 24-hour fitness centre, kids’ activities room, spa and a salon.

Suiran, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Kyoto STARWOOD HAS SIGNED its first Luxury Collection property in Japan. Scheduled to open in March 2015, Suiran, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Kyoto is being developed as a ryokan-style accommodation and will boast of 39 rooms. In addition to the newly built guestrooms and facilities, Suiran will preserve two of its original structures ‘Enmei-kaku’, built in 1899, and ‘Hasshoken’, constructed in 1910 – both of which are currently undergoing extensive renovations and will ultimately house a signature restaurant and cafe.

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Hermosillo, Mexico INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS GROUP has opened its third hotel in Hermosillo, Mexico. The 185- room Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Hermosillo features a 24-hour fitness center, outdoor swimming pool, hot tub, three small meeting rooms with a capacity for up to 50 people, parking, complimentary highspeed internet access and a business center. The complimentary Desayuno Express bar features a full range of breakfast items. Guest rooms feature a queen or king-sized bed, a sitting area with a lounge chair and an in-room coffee machine with complimentary coffee.

Per AQUUM,Zanzibar MINOR HOTEL GROUP (MHG) has announced the addition of a resort on the Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar in Tanzania. Currently operating as Essque Zalu Zanzibar, MHG has recently taken over the management contract and the property will be transformed into a Per AQUUM resort by the end of 2015. Featuring 40 suites and nine three and four-bedroom villas, the retreat already offers personalised service of Per AQUUM. Essque Zalu Zanzibar offers three distinctive restaurants showcasing fresh local organic produce, a fine dining option and Arabic cuisine served al fresco on the shores of the Indian Ocean. The spa offers a range of revitalising and holistic treatments.

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

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PRODUCT TRACKER

Patrón XO Cafe PATRÓN XO CAFE is a blend of ultra-premium Patrón Silver tequila and fine coffee. The taste is dry, not sweet as with low-proof coffee liqueurs with notes of chocolate and vanilla. Patrón XO Cafe is good for sipping as a premium cocktail ingredient or as a dessert topping. It is priced at `7045.

Tata Tea Tata Tea has launched a new variant in the green tea category, for health and wellness conscious consumers. The Tata Tea Acti Green is available in milder blends and in Indian flavours of ‘Elaichi’, ‘TulsiNimbu’ and ‘100% Natural’. It is packaged in compact packs of 5s at ` 20 and 50 gm at `40.

Chevon CHEVON OFFERS BIRYANI Cut Goat Meat for making different biriyanis ranging from Hyderabadi biryani to saffron seasoned biryani. It is available in two vacuum packed trays of 215 gm each. Pack size of 430 gm is priced at `520.

Paramount Surgimed PARAMOUNT SURGIMED has introduced OrthoSleep traditional memory foam pillow, which is an open cell viscouselastic, temperature sensitive material that conforms to the exact contours of our body, providing optimum support and comfort. The OrthoSleep traditional memory foam pillow price is from `1,900 to `5,900.

ENRG floating lamp ENRG, A LIGHT, SOUND and storage product maker in India, has launched floating lamps for this New Year. The ENRG floating or levitating lamp functions with the power of magnets and keeps the upper half of the desk lamp suspended in air. This next generation LED lamp rotates automatically and is priced at `4, 990.

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

January 1-15, 2015

INTERIORS & DESIGN

FIRST IMPRESSIONS From serving mainly as a check-in and check-out area in the past to becoming a multifunctional space, the hotel lobby is becoming smarter and dynamic By Rituparna Chatterjee

N RECENT YEARS, hotels have come to accommodate a growing variety of functions and suffice to say they have become destinations in themselves. In the past, hotel lobbies mainly served the function of catering to guests, who were checking-in or checkingout, with basic seating arrangements, but now they have become the epicenter of social and business activities. Every space in the lobby is being designed with a view to accommodate the varying needs of every guests – be it for relaxing and socialising or for business and networking. Today, the surge in business travel has led hoteliers to provide multifunctional spaces that offer both comfort and functionality to guests who are either there to conduct transactions, create networks or engage in casual conversations. The latest design trends

in hotel lobbies include creative and strategic segmentation of spaces to include areas for intimate conversations, socialising and business negotiations. Tables for laptops, charging stations and a sufficient number of dining outlets and lounges are also making their way into modern hotel lobby designs. “Hotel lobbies have evolved quite a bit. Over the past few years, in our opinion, there have been multiple reasons for this evolution, out of which one of the important ones is the overall rationalisation factor. Today, hotel lobbies have become more sleeker, more space optimised and above all more smarter in literal sense,” states Ar Prem Nath, principal architect and CEO, M/s Prem Nath & Associates. Hotel lobby designs are highly governed by individual hotel brand standards and philosophy with each having their

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own unique look and feel. “The one thing in common is the new age building techniques that goes into making that same concept. Nowadays each hotel is doing their own R&D and changing their designs occasionally to cater to the new age clientele. Hotel owners are also increasingly associating themselves with hotel operators who are constantly reinventing themselves and are keeping themselves abreast with the latest design trends that are internationally acceptable,” opines Bobby Mukherji, principal architect, Bobby Mukherji & Associates. Interestingly, it has been observed that travellers have also become more accommodative. When they travel to a specific category of hotel, they expect the same standard, look and feel. “It is understood by most travellers that the dynamic use of space has not only

Ar Prem Nath

Bobby Mukherji

Hotel lobby designs are highly governed by individual hotel brand standards with each having their own unique look

INTERIORS & DESIGN

made the lobby space more multi-functional and easy to access, but also adds to the much required economy, which inturn trickles down to the best deals the traveller tries and gets,” points out Ar Nath.

Focus on function Despite the growing significance of smart hotel lobby designs, the lobbies of budget, two or three star category hotel brands are yet to evolve further when compared to luxury hotel brands. “With rack rates like `3000-`3500, you cannot afford to have elaborate lobbies since it would require huge investments. However, a few brands like Lemon Tree Hotels are evolving and investing in R&D to create smarter lobbies without increasing the room rates. But competition is coming in from the international hotel brands,” states Mukherji. Adding more to this, Ar Nath mentions, “Budget hotel lobbies are very space conscious and are kept to their optimum use, the same lobby is also openly accessible and usable as a waiting cum cafeteria – which in earlier times were separately planned/segregated spaces. Also one must not miss that security features too are more visible now, keeping in view a possible safety threat, especially at the key access point – the entrance lobby.”

ROI is a significant concern of all hoteliers. Since lobbies require sufficient investment, more and more hotels are maximising its functionality by including business centres, coffee shops, meeting spaces, to name a few. “For instance, Le Meridien has the 'Le Meridien Hub' concept, while Marriott has the great room concept. More and more hotels are transforming their lobbies into a business hub and a living room but not for free. Hotels are designing the lobbies to cater mainly to hotel guests and avoid outside guests. Even if guests come from outside it is at a cost. Free seating has been kept to the bare minimum. Moreover, to make the hotel guests come down, hotels are also equipping the lobbies with different functional spaces like coffee shops, day and night bars, lounges of various types, internet kiosks, communal cables,” highlights Mukherji.

Going green Today sustainability is becoming a part of way people are living – whether at their homes or hotels. A survey conducted by Travel Advisor showed that 62 per cent of travellers in the US are looking forward to more green practices in hotels they stay in. 84 per cent believed that ecological practices will not be a hindrance to their ho-

However too much focus on sustainability also impacts the design. When you start focusing too much on sustainability, then it is difficult to achieve the right atmosphere in the lobby. If we have to look for building materials within the 100 km radius then the quality suffers tel experience while 52 per cent stated that moves towards sustainability will not impact the cost of their hotel stay. With the establishment of the Hospitality Sustainable Purchasing Index by the Hospitality Sustainable Purchasing Consortium, hoteliers can expect a better guidance in creating a sustainable design for their hotels. “To start with, hotel lobbies are being integrated with eco-friendly systems, starting from energy efficient LED lamps, water saving faucets, low VOC sealants, refrigerants and paints, ozonisers and treated fresh air systems, smart air-conditioning systems with flexibility to work on lower loads without waste of energy, and much more,” mentions Ar Nath. However too much focus on sustainability also impacts the design. “When you start focusing too much on sustainability then it is difficult to achieve the

right atmosphere in the lobby. If we have to look for building materials in my immediate hinterland, which is going to be mined and manufactured within my 100 km radius then the quality suffers. Unfortunately in India when it comes to building materials we are a 100 years behind, we are forced to depend on manufacturers outside the country to create these spaces,” avers Mukherji.

Future designs Future belongs to smart hotels, smart not just in its engineering, planning or sustainability, but also in terms of use. “We foresee that the future has a lot of technological advancement in store for us, especially hotels shall see an increased use of technology be it from guest check-in to systems installed in the room, which are more occupancy based and guest focused. Also, keeping in mind the secu-

rity threats, hotels world over are now having a great focus on the accessibility zoning of the hotel right from the outside of the hotel up to the very specific access to each floor and further to guest rooms,” predicts Ar Nath, adding that, currently their firm is developing a hotel, which not only boasts of 300 plus rooms, villas and cottages, it also talks of an overall development spread over about 50 acres of land, with its own party lawns, launch/promotional event grounds, theme park, artificial wave pool and the works, making it a destination be it for a wedding or a launch or a weekend getaway. Agreeing to the same, Mukherji states that technology will be a focal point of hotel lobby designs in the future with the need to provide better and free Wi-Fi connectivity along with more functionality being integrated into the design.

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SPA & WELLNESS

Deep from inside the earth One of Austria’s most spectacular Alpine landscapes is home to a truly special thermal spa

HE AQUA DOME – Tirol Therme Längenfeld is in a class of its own. This luxury retreat is a paradise for spa lovers thanks to its spacious pool areas, deluxe sauna zones, four-star superior hotel and unparalleled views of the stunning Öztal Alps. Careful attention to detail means the resort is full of little touches which ensure that this picture postcard spa resort is a popular destination for all the family– there is even an underwater camera to immortalise

those cherished memories.

An oasis of relaxation The Aqua Dome – Tirol Therme Längenfeld is a selfcontained luxury water world for children and families with play areas and family attractions such as the giant water slide. One of the most distinctive spas in Austria, the Aqua Dome – Tirol Therme Längenfeld also has its own childfriendly restaurant. Guests can try something more active or simply sit back and enjoy the Austrian Alps

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from the comfort of the spa. The spa offers a full range of outdoor attractions from climbing to mountain bike tours. But if you prefer to take things a little easier, then countless spa treatments, curative massages and other signature experiences await in the spacious Spa 3000 - an oasis of relaxation packed with products from the local region. The new premium spa zone on the roof of the spa building extends over two levels and 2,000 square metres – providing oceans of space for guests

to experience the magical effects of some of the precious resources that make the Ötztal Valley special. Herbs, minerals and precious stones – fire, ice and water – combine to incredible effect, opening the door to a secret world of spa relaxation. Flowers, herbs and aromatic timber from the forests of the Ötztal Valley set the tone on the first floor. Wild thyme, dry mountain hay and Swiss pine – the scents in the air at the Aqua Dome’s new spa conjure up images of an idyllic stroll

through luscious Tyrolean pastures. The adventure begins in the Alpenkräutersauna or Alpine herb sauna where special infusions of achillea, lavender, mint and arnica mixed with the purest Ötztal Valley spring water await. Guests are free to choose from a full range of Alpine herbal pack treatments in the Kräuterpackungsbad. The absolute highlight of the exclusive new rooftop spa zone is the Ötztaler Kristallbad, where fine nozzles permeate the air with minerals and trace

SPA & WELLNESS

elements such as magnesium and selenium. After experiencing the delights of the sauna, the Kräutertee-Veranda provides an ideal setting for quiet reflection. Everyday worries soon evaporate here, as guests take time out to savour every sip of freshly brewed herbal tea and drink in the sensational views of the rugged Öztal Valley. On the upper level of Spa 3000, spectacular views of the surrounding 3,000 metre high mountains open up behind peaked glass facades measuring eight metres from top to bottom. The names of the relaxation rooms – which translate as fire and tranquillity, pasture view, and floating calm – give a clear indication of the special charms that await within. Visitors will be suffused with warmth and wellbeing as they take to the Ötztal Valley spa waters in the Längenfelder Badl’n pool. In the final stage of an unforgettable journey, spagoers take in the stunning mountain panorama as they recline on submerged loungers immersed in 36°C natural spa water. Two big pools filled with 34° and 36° C warm, sulphurous thermal water, which comes from a depth of 1,865 metres, invite for healthy bathing throughout the whole year. The stately waterfall, the two indoor pools, the relaxation room arranged like galleries in an opera and the view onto the nature through the big glass window front are simply stunning. Solaria and a heat oasis top off the range of offers in the thermal indoor area. An own water world with two big swimming pools on the deck of a ship, a 90 metre long gigantic water slide and fanciful playrooms are waiting for children and families.

The pyramid and the pools The three seemingly levitating, futuristic bowl-shaped pools, connected with each other by a shining glass cone,

convey a feeling of weightlessness in the outdoor thermal spa Talfrische. In a bowl, the bathing pleasure is accompanied with underwater music and light effects. The massage bowl presents itself as a kind of oversized sulphur pool and the brine pool neutralises gravity. Watching the sun set behind the mountain tops covered with snow while floating in the bowls is an unforgettable experience. A very special highlight is the moonlight bath until midnight, which promises pure romanticism under the starspattered sky of the Ötztal every Friday night. The three bowl-shaped pools have already become an architectural landmark. In the sulphur bowl, pure sulphurous water runs to the thermal water every 15 minutes and all around the edge of the pool, you can find massage benches. The brine bowl invites for ultimate relaxation with a salt content of five per cent, underwater music and light effects. Bathers can swim towards the glass pyramid through the lock of the thermal dome and the Talfrische pool. From the Talfrische pool through the whitewater whirl, stairs lead through the soaring glass pyramid to the three levitating bowl-shaped pools, arranged in a shifted position. At night, the pyramid shines in the play of many colours. The 25-metre pool meets all the requirements sportsmen need for effective training sessions: an invigorating water temperature of 28 degrees celsius, neutral water, sufficient water depth for the turn and much space for technical moves. On request, four lanes can be separated by dividing lines. In the 15 square metres large activity pool, daily aqua gymnastics and aqua cycling exercises are conducted.

Healing waters From the former Längenfelder Badl thermal bath in the 16th century to the foundation of

the Aqua Dome four centuries later. The healing waters of Längenfeld in the Ötztal surface from a depth of 1.865 metres and at a temperature of 40° celsius. After the spring of the 'Badl', which had been known for centuries, had dried up in 1960, the water was rediscovered in 1997 via deep drilling. According to analysis, the drilled waters from Längenfeld are a sulphur thermal spring with a divalent sulphur content of 5 mg S--/l, sodium chloride sulphate thermal water and a legally recognised healing spring. Three to four litres of warm and pure water are spouting into the thermal spa through the 100 metre long pipe system every second. In the 16th century, one could read the first time about a spring 'with a distinctive sulphurous smell' on the floor of the valley in Längenfeld. “Wherever water with an exceptional flavour of earth, iron or sulphur appears, people consider it a healing spring,“, the journal der Alpenfreund slandered in 1872 and further: “Beside farmers, now and then clerics of the surrounding area and some old spinsters are the only representatives of the female gender haunt there.” Consequently, such a farmer’s Badl wasn’t necessarily considered a part of the upper way of life, but nevertheless: it was a bath. In 1897, the German travel writer R Flab was eager to take a bath after a long walk in the mountains and descended to Längenfeld. The putative 'fine Badl' turned out to be a wooden shack. “Beggars can’t be choosers. So, let’s jump into the sulphur puddle!” Flab disclosed to the newspaper Straßburger Post. The farmer’s Badl was followed by a veritable sanatorium and afterwards by the ultra-modern thermal spa Aqua Dome. After farmers and spinsters, more and more hiking tourists visited the spring and with them grew the appreciation for the healing water of Längenfeld.

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cover ) The Promenade Pondicherry

SMALL

BIG is now

The secondary markets are today becoming as important as the primary ones, with major international chains and homegrown hotel companies expanding their presence in Tier II and Tier III locations across the country – from state capitals and industrial hubs to pilgrimage centres and tertiary townships BY SUDIPTA DEV

HE GROWTH of the secondary markets in India is compounded with the emergence of the midscale segment which has marked the strongest growth and will continue to do so in the future. While homegrown brands like Sarovar Hotels and The Fern Hotels & Resorts have always had a strong focus on Tier II & Tier III locations, what has brought dynamism to the market is the growing footprint of major international hospitality chains in these destinations. Raj Rana, CEO, Carlson Rezidor, South Asia avers that the Indian hospitality landscape is evolving after first having made inroads in metro cities and is now shifting focus to secondary markets where broad parameters such as improved infrastructure, focus on connectivity and lower land

costs are promising growth indicators. The leading international hotel operator in the country with over 110 hotels in operation and under development in over 40 cities across India, is at the forefront of expanding into these markets. Of its current pipeline of over 40 hotels under development, about 20 hotels are in secondary cities such as Jalandhar, Aligarh, Raipur, Kota, Karjat, Phagwara and Coimbatore. “This year, we have opened hotels in secondary markets such as Radisson Blu Guwahati and Country Inns & Suites Bathinda, which gives us a first mover advantage in these markets,” adds Rana. The company has a wellestablished presence in the northern region and is now focusing on opportunities in East and South India through prospective strategic partners.

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Wyndham Group recently announced that the 10 properties, which will operate under the Ramada Encore and Howard Johnson brands, in locations like Gurgaon, Darjeeling, Greater Noida, Jaisalmer, Pali, Lonere, Dharmapuri, and Trivandrum. Marriott International is also venturing into North East India with hotels coming up in three cities in the next couple of years. Marriott will launch a Courtyard by Marriott in Shillong, Courtyard by Marriott and JW Marriott in Siliguri and three properties in Guwahati. All the properties in North East will be developed within the next two years. Marriott International in association with Chhatisgarh based-City Mall 36 Group is planning to launch Renaissance by Marriott in Raipur by mid 2015.

(

THE MAIN FOCUS

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cover )

"This year, we have opened hotels in secondary markets like Guwahati and Bathinda, which gives us a first mover advantage in these markets" Raj Rana CEO, Carlson Rezidor, South Asia

"Secondary market would be the main theme of our expansion strategy" Anil Madhok Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels

"Our midscale brand The Fern Residency will be our focus in these markets" Param Kannampilly CMD, Concept Hospitality

When it comes to Indian hospitality chain, Sarovar Hotels has from the beginning had a focus on the secondary markets. “We have been well rewarded and secondary market would be the main theme of our expansion strategy in next three to five years," says Anil Madhok, managing director, Sarovar Hotels. Sarovar with 70 hotels is looking to be a true pan India company. "We are monitoring all regions and states and wherever cities show potential of growth we are targeting those cities," adds Madhok. For The Fern Hotels & Resorts of Concept Hospitality, this market is very important as 70 per cent to 80 per cent of its development is within Tier II and Tier III cities. “Our primary focus is in the western region (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa) and we are strengthening our presence in north and southern region as well. We recently opened two hotels in eastern region - The Fern Residency Tezpur and The Fern Residency Asansol, future plans in this region is limited,” says Param Kannampilly, CMD, Concept Hospitality. Another fast growing chain in the country, Keys Hotels has its presence in many Tier II and Tier III locations. “The secondary markets are as important as the primary ones. Keys is looking at a high density pan India presence,” says Sanjay Sethi, MD & CEO, Berggruen Hotels India. While the company has a significant presence in west and the south India, in the future the focus will be on growing in the northern and eastern part of the country. Apart from metros like NCR, Kolkata, Hyderabad, the immediate focus of the company, according to Sethi, is having a presence in cities like Lucknow, Agra, Patna, Ranchi, Mysore and Bhopal.

ibis Gurgaon

Era of midscale

Holiday Inn Amritsar Ranjit Avenue

vice president - Development & Asset Management, InterGlobe Hotels, mentions, “In these locations hotels show high growth in F&B revenue through social dinners, outings and functions being organised in hotels. Hotels in most of the secondary markets have F&B contributing a large pie of the total revenue and to succeed in these markets hotels should have sufficient banquet space and good restaurants. MICE is another important segment growing in these cities.” The primary growth factor is the dynamics on the supply and demand front. “One

has to carefully study the proposed (under development) supply too. On the demand front, we look at the economic drivers for the region / city that will impact business in the future,” states Sethi. Growth, acknowledges Madhok, cannot happen in cities of Maharashtra and Gujarat only. “For the seven to nine per cent growth we will need multiple hubs of manufacturing and trading. I think same holds true today particularly with 'Make in India Campaign'.” Sarovar will be driving Sarovar Portico and Hometel brands for

Factors driving growth Affordable real estate prices, available talent pool and improving connectivity have attracted many hotel companies to the growing Indian secondary markets. These companies generate a lot of hotel room business along with reasonable F&B demand. Shwetank Singh,

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expansion in Tier II and Tier III cities, in the larger cities it will primarily be Sarovar Premiere. This market segment has lack of quality accommodation facility with latent demand for these facilities. Kanampilly avers that development in terms of infrastructure projects coming into tier II cities is a good sign of growth, “Our midscale brand The Fern Residency will be our focus in these markets, though the choice of brand will depend on markets ability to absorb the rate. Secondary market has immense development potential, cost of operations is low and low land cost therefore allowing healthier operating margins.”

"Development cost at hill stations and offbeat locations is very high” Mandeep Singh Lamba Managing Director - Hotels & Hospitality, Jones Lang Lasalle India

Secondary markets are attractive due to their better return on investment as land costs are lower and financials therefore point to sustainable profits. "These markets are ripe for midscale brands as demand resonates with the growing corporate and leisure travellers in that market segment," states Rana. The shift in the Indian hospitality scenario on quality midscale hotels have attributed to the development to more hotel projects in non-metro locations. Another global hospitality major, IHG, has ambitious growth plans for its midscale brands, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express. “We currently have nine Holiday Inn hotels and two Holiday Inn Express hotels open across major metros and secondary cities, and close to 85 per cent of our development pipeline (by number of hotels) in the country are Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels which are expected to open in the next three to five years,” says Shantha de Silva, head of South West Asia, IHG. In developing the hotels in the pipeline, the company is also working to ensure they are locally relevant by bringing global brand standards to India, customised for the Indian customers. “For instance, we are tailoring our dining concepts to reflect regional tastes and cultures which we know are well-received by our guests,” informs de Silva.

cover )

"The secondary markets are as important as the primary ones” Sanjay Sethi MD & CEO, Berggruen Hotels India

( While secondary and tertiary cities offer good potential for midscale hotels over the long term, however, for India to develop as a mature hospitality market over the next decade, these cities will require better hospitality-specific infrastructure. “As several Indian cities are benefiting from improved rail, road and air connectivity and state governments are aggressively seeking investments, they are attracting manufacturing, industrial, commercial and IT-related developments. All this augurs well for new hospitality-related infrastructure development in such cities, which currently lack any quality accommodation and related services,” says Mandeep Singh Lamba, managing director Hotels & Hospitality, Jones Lang Lasalle India.

Industrial corridors

"In these locations hotels show high growth in F&B revenue" Shwetank Singh Vice President Development & Asset Management, InterGlobe Hotels

The development of industrial corridors, for example the Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor is a huge fillip to the hospitality industry in the cities and townships along the way. Lamba is bullish about the industrial corridors, which have large captive demand with little

Emergence of micro markets A significant development in Indian hospitality scenario in the last decade has been the emergence of micro markets. Singh believes that India should

be seen as a collection of micromarkets rather than markets per se. “Therefore we believe that there is still a lot of scope of expansion in these markets. Beyond these we are also very keen on establishing our flags in the secondary markets and we are pursuing them proactively. We are keen to establish ourselves in all the state capitals to begin with,” he states. Following its presence in all Tier 1 cities such as Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kolkata, the company is now targeting state capitals and other cities such as Surat, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Kanpur, Madurai, Trichi, etc., besides looking at further development opportunities in Tier I micro-markets. The focus is on expanding the ibis brand in India.

Pilgrim and leisure Both Indian and international hotel chains are looking at expanding their presence in pilgrim townships and leisure destinations that have significant growth opportunities. Carlson is amongst the first international chains to establish hotels in pilgrimage centres and

The development of industrial corridors, for example the Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor is a huge fillip to the hospitality industry in the cities and townships along the way

"We are tailoring our dining concepts to reflect regional tastes and cultures” Shantha de Silva Head of South West Asia, IHG

Radisson Blu Guwahati

30 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD January 1-15, 2015

or no significant hospitality infrastructure. “These are spread across the country and offer great potential. We have recently done some feasibility studies in some of these locations and find this to be an attractive investment opportunity,” he says. Growth is going to happen at the intersection where there is infrastructure development and industrial productivity. “New growth is going to be driven around highways in India. What happened in the US in the 70s is that motel and hotel boom rode parallel to the growth of roadways/ highways. In India highway growth is going to lead to growth in hotel demand,” says Rahul Pandit, president and executive director, The Lemon Tree Hotel Company. He points out that another factor leading to growth is tertiary locations surrounding big markets.

THE MAIN FOCUS

other destinations such as Country Inns & Suites Katra, Radisson Varanasi, Radisson Blu Haridwar and Country Inns & Suites Ajmer. The company has also made timely entrance into resort destinations and opened hotels such as Radisson Shimla, Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay Mamallapuram, Radisson Blu Goa Cavelossim Beach and Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel in Mysore. “It is part of our strategy to cater to this market segment with the appropriate brands in various locales,” says Rana. Sarovar opened in Shirdi in 2014, and in January 2015 will open in Tirupati. “We are also looking at resorts and hill stations as we feel that as the country progresses creating a bigger middle class and people take more frequent holidays these destinations will be very lucrative,” adds Madhok. Keys Hotels already has a sizeable inventory in the pilgrimage and leisure destinations at Shirdi, Ajmer, Tirupati, Goa, Jaipur and Mahabaleswar. “We have an upcoming product in Haridwar and another in Varanasi,” mentions Sethi. Roots Corporation is also expanding its footprint in key pilgrimage centres across the country – from a 100 room Ginger in Katra, near Vaishnodevi and 125 keys property in Tirupati to Shirdi, Udipi, Ajmer and Haridwar. Interestingly, InterGlobe Hotels is selective when it comes to pilgrimage centres, hill stations and offbeat locations. Singh explains why, “Pilgrimage tourists are generally budget conscious and hence performance of branded hotels in these locations is not very encouraging. On the other hand, hotels at hill stations and offbeat locations are doing good but development cost at these locations is very high given the scarcity of material and labour. These markets being seasonal in nature carry a big business risk as well.” However India’s hospitality infrastructure in most pilgrimage markets is inadequate, as is reflected by the lack of good quality economy and mid-scale rooms. (With inputs from Kahini Chakraborty and Akshay Kumar)

SPOTLIGHT

Grandeur in Goa Following a simple philosophy of 'making sure that the brand speaks for itself', Grand Mercure Goa Shrem Resort is a destination in itself 'where time stands still', says Manish Dayya, general manager of the property By Kahini Chakraborty

Manish Dayya

YNONYMOUS with elements such as music, art and culture, Goa has been providing travellers with their much needed relaxation coupled with a lively environment. The north of Goa- Candolim has recently seen the launch of the first upscale brand of Accor- Grand Mercure Goa Shrem Resort bridging this the gap between the supply and demand curve in the market. Owned by the Shrem Group and managed by Accor, this getaway property situated around the bustling nightlife and beaches of Goa, provides the perfect rejuvenation for travellers. With the brand functioning on its four essential brand pillars - Sense of Welcome; Sense of Guest Amenities; Sense of F&B and Sense of Discovering Culture, this 121 room property has a dramatic architecture which has elements of Indo-Portuguese design, and the interiors reflect the Goan ethos. The resort features 86 Superior Rooms, 10 Deluxe Rooms, 20 Superior Suites and five Executive Suites. Manish Dayya, general manager, Grand Mercure Goa Shrem Resort highlights, “Each room at the resort has been designed keeping the comfort factor in mind along with taking into account detailing of elegance in interiors, indulgence facilities for guests to provide a comfortable and memorable stay at the resort.” Having a clear agenda to offer the best of hospitality service to leisure and business travellers to the region, Dayya states that the resort offers four restaurant and

bars - Chy, an all-day cafe and deli, Festa- 100 seater trendy allday dinning venue offering European, Asian and Indian delicacies, Junho Bar- which offers a fine selection of spirits and wines and Sunken Bar attached to the pool. Boasting about the resort's spa and wellness offering, he mentions, “Our BalaeSpa at the resort has been adopted from Bali and has been designed as a tropical Balinese sanctuary offering 10 treatment rooms providing holistic therapeutic traditional and exotic treatments. We have also introduced the Turkish Bath and Hammam spa treatments, and are also going to add Raindrop Therapy (nine oil therapy) for the well-being of our guests. These are some of the elements that we consider as our biggest unique selling points in the market. We will also be bringing in new concepts- yoga,

gym, Ayurveda and much more for long stay guests.”

Market analysis Being in the hospitality industry and working for the best of hotel brands such as Marriott, Taj Group of Hotels, Lemon Tree and now Accor, Dayya opines, “Over the years, I have seen that while there is a huge demand for hotel developments, offering consistency in services among hotel brands is where the market really lacks. And this is exactly where I see a brand like ours having a good opportunity as the north Goa market belt has few hotel offerings. As Goa has two distinct market belts- north and south, the south Goa is very restrictive to luxury and upscale properties and north Goa lacks a strong mix of this. Hence, according to us our brand Grand Mercure

Goa Shrem Resort has stepped into the market at the right time and the right place to make sure that the offering is available to travellers opting for a vacation in north Goa.” He further continues, “We opened the Hotel Novotel Goa Shrem Resort in 2013 and in our first year of operations we touched nearly 70 per cent of occupancy during the pre-opening phase itself. Novotel showed a growth in its market share in Goa and it is the city's demand that helped us in deciding to bring in an upscale brand- Grand Mercure Goa Shrem Resort into the north Goa market. We did a soft launch of the property in July 2014 with limited services and now we are fully operational.” Goa is a market that has not only been the most soughtafter among domestic tourists but also international travellers.

“About 30 per cent of the business is through charter services and the domestic market which was earlier ignored is now forming a key segment for business growth. The emergence of the middle-class segment and youth travellers are the real travellers who do not mind spending money on quality and consistent services being offered to them. We are looking at targeting leisure, honeymooners, families and business travellers. Presently the market has about 4,750 rooms inventory across all segments of hotels. Of this only 15 per cent fall under the upscale segment and there are a lot of people who look forward to being in Goa. By 2018 there should be a healthy upsurge of 6,500 rooms ready to cater to discerning travellers in Goa. Having said that, the next year is going to be challenging for hotel chains.” Giving an understanding of the market dynamics of Goa, Dayya states, “Goa has been one of the most favourable short weekend getaway destinations among travellers, and in terms of year-on-year growth the sector has seen a growth of three per cent in RevPar and 70 per cent occupancies resulting in five per cent growth. The resort has an outdoor banqueting and meetings space which has 16 meeting rooms with capacity to accommodate 150 persons. “We want to cater to the MICE segment and we are fortunate to be situated in this belt which gives us the option to offer club business with leisure facilities for our guests,” he mentions.

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

January 1-15, 2015

SPOTLIGHT

Whisky & Wine tourism

A MATURING MARKET Though still at a nascent stage in India, the demand for outbound wine and whisky trails continues to show immense growth as travel agents and tourism boards turn their focus on developing unique gourmet experiences for the discerning Indian traveller By Rituparna Chatterjee

oday’s evolved Indian is travelling like never before and so is his increasingly discerning and sophisticated palate. Indians are also becoming more cosmopolitan - with a keen desire to indulge in not just the local cuisines but also in whisky and wine trails across different regions of the world. A 2012 food and travel survey conducted by TripAdvisor revealed that 33 per cent of the 1,000 respondents across India have attended a wine/whisky trail while on a hol-

iday. Among those who hadn’t, almost 50 per cent expressed their interest in attending one if given a chance. Another encouraging trend is that 25 per cent respondents said they had chosen a holiday destination specifically to experiment with the local food. From Cape Town in South Africa, Napa Valley in USA, Hunter Valley in Sydney, Australia, Portugal, France, Italy to Ireland and Scotland, Indians are increasingly exploring popular and emerging wine and whisky destinations across the

32 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD January 1-15, 2015

world. “However, this market is still niche. But it is growing steadily,” says Karan Anand, head, relationships, Cox & Kings. “We have already observed a 20 per cent upswing from the segment of travellers opting for food and wine experiences and expect it to grow by about 10-15 per cent in the next few years. While we saw its origins in classic wine tours of France or more contemporary new age wines of California, Australia, New Zealand, today there is a veritable smorgasbord of

wine-cheese-chocolatier experiences in Switzerland, champagne trails in France, culinary tours around Italy’s Piedmont truffle festival and safari-spawine and fine dining itineraries of South Africa,” states Shibani Phadkar, senior vice president products and operations, leisure travel (outbound), Thomas Cook India. The Barossa Valley in Australia holds strong allure to food and wine aficionados on account of its fresh food produce and finest wine offerings. Virginia in

USA, a popular winery destination, is also being recognised for its nascent distilleries manufacturing some of the most exquisite whiskies. The other emerging whisky and wine destinations are Mendoza, Argentina; Aegean Islands, Greece; California, Mexico; BadenBaden, Germany; Texas Hill Country, USA. “Interestingly, we have seen a strong uptake for special interest tours from India’s Gen Y and equally so from our senior citizen Gen S clientele and ad hoc group of friends,”

SPOTLIGHT adds Phadkar. However, very few Indians opt for wine and whisky trails as a standalone product. Most Indians are combining them with their regular holidays as they believe in getting value for money.

the history, the atmosphere and above all the taste at the Old Jameson Distillery in the heart of Dublin where guests receive a signature Jameson drink and volunteers are selected to participate in a tutored whiskey comparison and earn a personalised Whiskey Taster Certificate. Additionally, we also promote the Ireland Whiskey Trail which is a free touring guide to Ireland's distilleries, best whiskey pubs, hotels and golf club bars and specialised whiskey shops,” she adds. Also featured on the whiskey trail is the Jameson Experience in Cork, Kilbeggan Distillery Experience in Kilbeggan and the Tullamore Dew Visitor Centre, County Offaly.

Unique experiences With this category of tourism set to expand in the Indian market, travel agents are exploring the possibility of offering well framed packages as the growth in this segment is still at a nascent stage. “Indians opt for tours of the winelands that are paired with activities such as harvesting, cultural heritage or gourmet experiences. We design tailor-made Scottish, Italian, French holidays to suit the needs of our travellers. We provide options such as self-drive whisky and wine tours on request. Travellers can explore distilleries in Ireland, or can even plan a holiday or vacation that combines both Scotland and Ireland. We do get a lot of queries for wine tourism in France and Italy as these are more evolved and preferred destinations in this segment,” mentions Vishal Suri, chief executive officer- tour operating, Kuoni India. Apart from travel agents and tour operators, even most tourism boards today have identified more than one way to woo the discerning Indian traveller. In a step towards this direction, they are now offering travellers more unique wine and whisky experiences. For instance, with a view to promote a holistic image of France as a destination for wine trails, Atout France in addition to acquainting the Indian traveller with famous wines, is also making the wine tasting experience interesting with games such as blind wine tasting, wine casinos and tastings at unusual locations. “Visitors can expect vineyard visits, gastronomic meals with pairings of local delicacies and wines from the region, activities such as hot-air ballooning promises panoramic views of resplendent vineyards. Even the hospitality experience can be made special with a choice of accommodation options ranging from bed and breakfast properties to luxurious chateaux in vineyards that

For the last two and a half decades, the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre has been offering the inimitable whisky experience to world visitors make the entire wine-trail experience a truly memorable one. For the future, we would also like to forge associations with prominent wine clubs to find mutually beneficial avenues of working together,” opines Catherine Oden, director, Atout France in India, adding that over the recent years, the regions of ReimsEpernay-Champagne, Strasbourg-Alsace, Dijon-Burgundy, Beaujolais-Rhone Valley-RhoneAlpes, Provence, BordeauxAquitaine and Loire Valley have gained popularity among Indian travellers. Cape Town, South Africa's capital, offers a number of wineland experiences, and the region is the source of many legendary Cape wines. Apart from the Franschhoek and Paarl routes on the outskirts of the city, there are three key wine routes that are a half-to-full day trip for visitors to the city - Constantia, Durbanville, Stellenbosch and Helderberg. Beyond these routes, there are other wine regions like the West Coast, Swartland, Robertson and Overberg. “To date, the trend we have seen for visiting Indian travellers is that they like to combine wine farm visits and tastings with activities such as blending your own wines, wine and food pairing, horse trails – and a general focus on activities for children

and families,” says Hanneli Slabber, country manager, South African Tourism in India. Scotland is synonymous with its most iconic brand – the Scotch whisky. Apart from tasting the best in the land of whiskies, most visitors to Scotland are keen to know about the history of scotch whisky, how it is made, which are the most famous distilleries, and other interesting information. For the last two and a half decades the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre (SWHC) has been offering the inimitable whisky experience to visitors from around the world. SWHC was launched in July 1987, in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The heritage centre has seen a substantial increase in number of arrivals from India in recent years. “In 2012 we welcomed 3,250 visitors from India and in 2013 the market increased by 56 per cent,” reveals Julie Trevisan Hunter, head of marketing, The Scotch Whisky Experience at SWHC, adding that, “We are also home to the world’s largest collection of scotch whisky and a visit to this is included in every tour experience.” The scotch whisky experience includes the silver and gold whisky tours covering all aspects of scotch whisky. Guests can dine in Amber restaurant with its whisky bar where many

Working strategically

whisky and food matching packages are offered. However, reinventing the whole experience is essential for attracting repeat visitors. “We invest in the attraction every year having spent over GBP five million in the past five years and are constantly changing and updating our interpretation, increasing language provision and interactivity and introducing new tour, tasting and food experiences. There is always something new,” says Hunter. Another whiskey destination, the island of Ireland is famous for its high quality whiskies, whether it’s blended or single malt. “Two of the main distilleries we promote in the India market are the Old Bushmills Distillery in Northern Ireland and the Jameson Distillery in Dublin and Cork in the Republic of Ireland,” mentions Huzan Fraser Motivala, India representative, Tourism Ireland. Bushmills Irish Whiskey is made at Ireland’s oldest working distillery in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The Bushmills Brand Experience encompasses guided tours around a working distillery with all the associated sights and smells, tutored whiskey tastings and a specialist whiskey shop. “Travellers can also relive the story of John Jameson and Son through

From organising B2B workshops and familiarisation trips to being counseled by travel agents on creating various wine and whisky itineraries, tourism boards are tapping diverse platforms to enhance and update the Indian travel trade's knowledge on various wine and whisky trails. “We often welcome wine growing regions as part of our annual B2B workshop that takes place in New Delhi and Mumbai. Our workshop enables these regions to reach out to potential agents,” mentions Oden. In 2014, Cape Town Tourism accompanied South African Tourism on a roadshow across India. “In early 2015, we will be visiting India again and we look forward to sharing more information on the food and wine experience that awaits visitors to Cape Town,” informs Slabber. Likewise, Italy which is popular for its old world wines is also looking at penetrating further into the India market. “Italy has 20 different wine producing regions. We have to push our wine trails more in the country. To achieve this, we need to invite people to Italy to participate in cooking classes and wine tasting events. Moreover, we have to organise educational tours and familiarisation trips to Italy, invite opinion makers to important events, and so on. Advertising is also equally important,” states Dr Riccardo Strano, director Asia and Oceania, ENIT - Italian National Tourist Board.

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

January 1-15, 2015

GALLERY

Hyatt Regency Mumbai

ITC Maratha, Mumbai

Jaipur Marriott

Season for cheer

We take a look at how hotels across India decked up for the festive season PHOTOGRAPHS BY SANDEEP PATIL

Hyatt Regency Mumbai

34 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD January 1-15, 2015

Somerset Greenways Chennai

The Lalit M

(Pic Courtesy: Jaipur Marriott)

Trident Nariman Point, Mumbai

Hotel

Mumbai

(Pic Courtesy: Sofitel Mumbai BKC)

ITC Maratha, Mumbai

Sofitel Mumbai BKC

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

January 1-15, 2015

FHW MUMBAI 2015 UPDATE

FHW 2015 to focus on emerging trends in hospitality FHW Staff Mumbai THE FOOD Hospitality World (FHW) exhibition, to be held at MMRDA grounds in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai from January 22-24, 2015, will achieve a significant milestone in its journey with its 24th edition. To celebrate this occasion, FHW 2015 will be organising several interesting and engaging events. One such event would be 'Hospitality Think Tank: The GM's Conclave', a panel discussion to be held on the topic of 'Effective People Management' in the hospitality sector. This discussion will witness participation from general managers of leading hotels across Mumbai who will share their insights on mentoring, team building, manpower shortage, skill development to name a few. The second panel discussion 'Hospitality Knowledge Exchange: Serving up in Style' will cover emerging trends in cutlery, crockery, food presentation, tableware, etc. This discussion will have a mix of restauranteurs, a chef and a few vendors in the panel. The final panel discussion,'The Power of Purchase', will be a knowledge initiative focused on trends in purchase; what hotels want; best practices; guide to working with purchase teams of hotels in India. Spread across 10,000 sq mtrs of the MMRDA grounds, the trade show is expected to host approximately 200 national and international participants this time. The trade show aims at providing solutions to various industry-related problems faced by hoteliers, restaurateurs, facility managers, prospective students and distributors. The FHW trade show, organised by Global Fairs & Media – a joint venture between Hannover Milano Fairs India and The Indian Express, will witness exhibitors coming from different segments of the food and hospitality industry like F&B, interiors, kitchen equipment, housekeep-

ing, bakery to name a few. This ninth edition of the Great Indian Culinary Challenge (GICC), which is a part of Food Hospitality World (FHW) exhibition, is set to witness 150175 chefs participation. The Culinary Forum of Goa has extended support to the ninth edition of GICC. Speaking about GICC, Chef

Spread across 10,000 sq mtrs of the MMRDA grounds, the trade show is expected to host approximately 200 national and international participants

36 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD January, 1-15, 2015

Kalidas Baidya, president, Culinary Forum of Goa, said, “A passion towards profession is the key journey for me to be there. We need to encourage, engage and enforce various talents of our country through events like Food Hospitality World and it is the right platform for showcasing various talented chefs who work hard

behind the scenes. I appreciate organisations like yours which takes an effort to give these chefs a platform for their creative talents and also offers a learning experience. Winning and losing is part of the competition but participation is a stepping stone to success. Hence I would request all our aspiring chefs to take advantage of these opportunities that are being created across our country. I would like to thank the organisers for challenging the culinary skills of our next generations chefs.” GICC is supported by the Western India Culinary Association (WICA). GICC is a food preparation competition involving senior and apprentice

chefs across India. The competition provides a professional platform for culinary professionals from India to showcase their individual and collective skills, learn, share experiences, partner and network in a competitive environment. The other show highlight will be the forth season of the Cornitos Food Bloggers Contest powered by the Food Bloggers Association of India. The contest will be judged by celebrated chefs, where contestants will be challenged to showcase innovative preparations, toppings and decorations with Cornitos (nachos and decorations provided at the venue). The exhibition will also have an exclusive wine tasting session organised by PAUSE Wines. The GICC ingredients sponsorship is by Daawat Basmati Rice, American Pistachios and Unilever Food Solutions (HUL). FHW has already recorded a participation from over 15 countries namely - Italy, Germany, Spain, Malaysia, Tunisia, South Africa, Iran, Sri Lanka, China, United Arab Emirates and others. The FHW Mumbai VIP Buyer Programme 2015, launched in September, has been greatly appreciated by confirmed participants: supporting exhibitors with quality business promotions and networking with their wish-list of prospective, potential buyers.

BUSINESS AVENUES SEE YOU AT FOOD HOSPITALITY WORLD MUMBAI 2015

Stall no. C 20 Sunil Puri

Galileo Associates sells manual cleaning tools like Microfiber Mops, Wringer Trolleys, Window Cleaning Equipment, Janitor Carts, Restaurant Carts, Linen Trolleys, Extension Poles, Floor Brushes and all other cleaning tools required by the Cleaning Industry. Our special focus is on the microfiber mops and higher end cleaning systems.

Mops / Mops Reffills

With a philosophy of “Quality Goods at reasonable prices” Galileo looks to cater to the growing demand of good quality cleaning tools We also have an economical range of cleaning tools. We have a vast network of dealers and own offices throughout India and our customers include Dealers, Cleaning Contractors,

Corporate Offices, Industrial Units and Hotels etc. Further, Galileo has a range of cleaning chemicals and specialty range of hygiene and wash room products. We offer the regular range of cleaning chemicals, and the biological range of cleaning chemicals as well as the Bio Urinal Screens and the Gel Based Urinal Screens

Buckets / Trolleys

Window Cleaning Tools Brushes / Squeezes

Other Tools

108, A , Sona udyog, Parsi Panchayat Road, Andheri(E), Mumbai 400069 Maharashtra, India, Tel no :- 91 22 2837 2922/ 6699 0706, Fax :- 91 22 2837 2922/ 6699 0706, Mobile :- 91 98204 00067, Email :- sunil@galileo.net.in, Website :- www.galileo.net.in

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January 1-15 , 2015 37

BUSINESS AVENUES SEE YOU AT FOOD HOSPITALITY WORLD MUMBAI 2015

38 January 1-15, 2015

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BUSINESS AVENUES SEE YOU AT FOOD HOSPITALITY WORLD MUMBAI 2015

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January 1-15 , 2015 39

BUSINESS AVENUES SEE YOU AT FOOD HOSPITALITY WORLD MUMBAI 2015

One stop shop for all your hospitality and catering services A better way to serve !! Icespice is an independent, importer & exporters of Hospitality & Lifestyle products with over 10 years experience supplying the catering & hospitality industry. Icespice are experts in the sourcing & supply of restaurant & bar equipment, light kitchen catering equipment, hospitality products, & disposables. Over the years we have established ourselves and built a reputation as a trustworthy catering equipment supplier. We continue to build on our well-respected reputation by not only delivering quality items, but also by offering the highest possible level of customer service. We believe that getting to know and building a relationship with the users of our products will

ensure a happy consumer, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also the reason why our customers regularly come back to us and recommend us. Why Choose Icespice over other Catering Equipment Suppliers? We constantly benchmark our catering equipment prices in the market to ensure we offer very competitive pricing to our customers. As part of independent catering equipment suppliers we have a tremendous combined purchasing volume, which gives us significant negotiating power with key catering equipment manufacturers & importers as well as the ability to import directly in India on key ranges.

Shailesh Agarwal MD

Icespice - Catering Equipment Expertise: We have over 10 years of experience in catering equipment and we rigorously train our sales and customer services teams to help assist you in making the best decisions for your business as well as provide you with efficient & effective after sales back up. Icespice - Quality & Supply: We rigorously test any new catering equipment product to ensure it is fit for purpose and will offer you the best cost in use for your business. We do end to end designing of kitchen and providing of all kitchen equipments. For more details on our brand and products, vissit: www.icespice.in

R 32, Laxmi Vijay Industrial Estate, Andheri Link Road, Andheri (W), Mumbai - 400 053 Tel : 022-26318460, Email : shailesh@icespice.in / shailesh1up@gmail.com. Website : www.icespice.in 40 January 1-15, 2015

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

BUSINESS AVENUES SEE YOU AT FOOD HOSPITALITY WORLD MUMBAI 2015

ENHANCED CUSTOMER SERVICE WITH JUST 1 BUTTON TABLECALL PAGING SYSTEM Our Tablecall Paging System is designed specifically to help guests immediately call their servers when they need anything by JUST THE PRESS OF ONE BUTTON improves staff productivity

higher table turnover rate

ensures customer satisfaction

Higher Revenues

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Table No. 2

ice

rv Se

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Table No. 2

TechBrewery offers you a wide selection of innovative wireless communication systems specifically designed to make your business more efficient and your service more effective. Our products use RF wireless and FM technology to smoothen the entire existing process of patron engagement at your Hotel/Restaurant/Coffee Shop/Pool bar/Office.

GUEST PAGING SYSTEM Our Guest Paging System is designed to help restaurants manage incoming customers efficiently and distinctively. Customers are handed coasters and they receive instant notification when their table is ready, making them feel special and welcome. Saves time and money

Anti-theft Feature

W he n

fla sh i Pl vibr & ng ea at se ing fro to co , nt the me De sk !

Smoothens guestlist management

Offers convenience and mobility to customers

Visit us at Stall No. C5 at FHW Mumbai - 22nd to 24th January 2015 List of customers: To get more details about the product contact us as below : : sales@techbrewery.in/ sumeet@techbrewery.in : +91-22-26600177 / 26600178

: +91-9757102066

Address: 143, Dheeraj Heritage, S.V. Road, Santacruz (West), Mumbai â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 400054. FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

January 1-15 , 2015 41

BUSINESS AVENUES SEE YOU AT FOOD HOSPITALITY WORLD MUMBAI 2015 C o u n t e r To p S e r i e s

V I S I T

Made in Sweden

US AT

Pizza Master is renowned for quality to build the best pizza stone hearth ovens in the world. Pizza Master bake pizzas to perfection. Used in restaurants,hotels,bakeries,cafe,convenience stores,petrol stations and food outlets.

FHW

Our ovens are genuine multipurpose and can be used for many different items such as Pizza (all types) Bread (all types),Pastries,Bruschetta,Flat Bread, Roti, Nan Bread,Arabic Bread,Lasagna,Roasted Vegetables, Baklava,Garlic bread,Baked pasta and much more.......

E X H I B I T I O N

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The stone ovens are perfect for • Outside Catering • Restaurant chain • Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) • Hotel and Catering • Petrol stations / Foodcourts • Cash & Carry / food retailers

EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTOR

Eurotech Corporation Jogani Industrial Complex,Bldg no 9,2nd floor, Unit no:221,V.N.Purav marg,Chunabhatti (east),Mumbai-400 022. Ph: +91-22-65150452,65745564, e-mail:info@eurotechcorporation.in , eurotechcorporation@hotmail.com 42 January 1-15, 2015

22-24th JAN 2015 STALL NO D1-C23

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

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RAUNAK KITCHEN Stall No. B 5 EQUIPMENTS PVT. LTD. Shankar M. Shetty Managing Director

Raunak Kitchen & Sujata Refrigeration Equipment Cos. are the two leading names in Hospitality services equipment manufacturing sectors in Mumbai. Raunak tops the best name in stainless steel kitchen service equipment manufacturers with more than 25 years of experience. Shri Shankar Shetty is personally, well known to many Directors, Chef & Project consultants of these industries. Mr. Shetty has achieved this premier position in this field by sheer hard work, innovation & through innumerable successful implementation of a wide range of projects for many star hotels, institutions, restaurant chains, malls, corporates, canteens & many big and small hotels. Raunak executes the total projects from planning, equipment installation, ventilation & ducting, electrical, plumbing etc. under the supervision of project consultants and their teams, in India & abroad. Raunak Kitchen Equipment company has on display the widest and latest range of food processing machines and service accessories, systematically and effectively displayed for customer's convenience. Many foreign & Indian buyers are amazed by the sheer variety, convenience and elegant display.

Exclusive Showroom in Mumbai

Manufacturer of: All Types of Kitchen Equipments for Hotels & Canteens RAUNAK KITCHEN EQUIPMENTS PVT. LTD. Raj Industrial Estate, 1st Floor, Unit No.C-33 & 34, Marol Military Road, Andheri (E), Mumbai 400 059, Tel.: 2925 5500 / 6513 0034 / Telefax : 2925 6500, EE mail: raunakkitchen@gmail.com / raunak516@hotmail.com website:www.raunakkitchen.com

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WhaÄ˛ maČ&#x2019;eV \ÄąuU kiÄ˛cheQ uĹŹique? V \Äą \ÄąuU k ThH Futting-edgH Hquipment" ThH widH rangH oI products" OU LV iW thH closH attentioQ tR detaiO thaW wH givH tR itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;V desigQ anG execution? AlO oI thH above )roP housinJ globaO brandV tR providinJ integratHG solutionV foU \ouU kitchen wH strivH tR deliveU top-notcK kitcheQ solutions. For the gourmet in you.

44 January 1-15, 2015

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Spain

Stall No. D 16

Outdoor & Indoor Furnishing Fabrics

C.S.Kulkarni

Sujan Impex Pvt. Ltd., Distributors for leading names like Serge Ferrari - France (Textile Architecture Products), Gale Pacific - Australia (Shade Fabrics) and Sauleda - Spain (Awning Fabrics) are pleased to introduce the new collection of "Agora" furnishing fabrics for Outdoor and Indoor use from “Tuvatextil” Spain. "Agora" combines the know-how and will to innovate two expert fabric manufacturing companies: Sauleda and Tuvatexil. Two pioneer companies which have combined the latest technological trends with delicate, harmonious designs in the “New White & Colors Collection” "Agora" range of fabrics is woven from yarns made from 100% Solution Dyed Acrylic Fibre and treated with a special formulation of Teflon. The colored pigments impregnate the polymer dissolution before the fiber is formed. This gives high resistance to wear & tear, excellent color & light fastness, and exceptional behavior in outdoor conditions in presence of micro-organisms. The fabrics are stain and mildew resistant, have very good oil repellency and carry a 5 year warranty. A collection of luxury fabrics, that allow you to add your personal touch."Agora" can also be used to decorate the environment in a style as individual as you, with endless options as the result.

SUJAN IMPEX PVT. LTD. C-3, Nanddham Ind. Estate, Marol Maroshi Road, Andheri East, Mumbai - 400059. India. Phone: +91-22-6 66969381, Email: csk@sujanimpex.com www.tuvatextil.com

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BUSINESS AVENUES SEE YOU AT FOOD HOSPITALITY WORLD MUMBAI 2015

46 January 1-15, 2015

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

BUSINESS AVENUES SEE YOU AT FOOD HOSPITALITY WORLD MUMBAI 2015

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January 1-15 , 2015 47

TECH TALK

'Investing in right software is crucial for hotels' From luxury to upscale hotels, various hospitality brands are now choosing to invest into offering 'guest room solutions' to provide a comfortable stay to guests. Rahul Salgia, CEO, DigiValet highlights on the company's offerings and market psyche By Kahini Chakraborty What are the benefits to hotels for choosing to provide 'guests room solutions'? DigiValet makes the guests stay convenient, more enjoyable. Guests prefer staying in hotels that are served by DigiValet and hence the occupancy in all DigiValet served hotels is much higher than their nearest competitors. Needless to say that hotels are happy to see this. Besides this there are a lot of other operational benefits too. What is the software integration done with different hotel departments to provide a comfortable stay to guests? DigiValet is a guest room solution to make guests stay convenient and enhance the in-room experience. It integrates with: Room Control systems (Lights, AC, Curtains), TV system, Movies on Demand, Point of Sales system for ordering food and beverages, Spa system (to display Spa Menu and also allow guests to make their own reservations), Restaurant Reservations - Guests can see panoramic view of the restaurant and select the table they wish to reserve, Housekeeping - Guests can see the pillow menu and select the right one, Call Butler or Request for Laundry collection. How does choosing to provide a 'guest room solution' for guests increase the pro-

vide these premium services? DigiValet is customised to each hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs and hence it varies. However to give you a perspective it would be about one-two per cent of the cost of building a room. In return the hotel gets 200 per cent enhancement in room experience.

Rahul Salgia

ductivity of the hotel? DigiValet brings a lot of valuable information about guest's preference and usage statistics. For example, hotels conventionally have been spending a lot of time and attention in seeking guest preferences about room temperature, pillow, TV channels, etc. In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world when hotels are emphasising on reducing manpower it is impossible to focus attention to collect such information and put this into a system to be able to retrieve easily upon next arrival of the same guest. DigiValet does this all on its own and makes it available to hotels so that they can delight the guest every time, everyday of his stay. What is the amount of investment for developing these solutions for hotels? And how much on an average do hotels spend to pro-

48 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD January 1-15, 2015

Are these 'guest room solutions' used only for certain room categories in hotels? Luxury hotels were the earliest to adopt as they have high emphasis on guest experience. The upscale hotels and now even no frills hotels are considering this to be part of their guest room experience. We have seen no difference in traveller from any origin when it comes to using solutions that create wow and make the stay convenient. In fact the usage of DigiValet by guests in some hotels in India is the highest in the world. How different is the investment and software applications while designing a 'guest room solution' for a mobile app to an iPad menu? It is difficult to draw a comparison between a guest room solution and a menu app. They are very different products and serve very different needs and hence the investment will also be different. What is the current soft-

A guest room solution and a menu app serve very different needs and hence the investment will also be different ware development trends/ demands in the hospitality industry? Technology is going to be a driver and is one of the key elements in running hotels

efficiently. Selection and investment into right software is therefore crucial and hotels which have realised this have already aligned themselves.

TECH TALK

Catering to tech-forward travellers TravelClick partners with Frasers Hospitality to set a new standard in web design and functionality

RASERS Hospitality, one of the leaders in premium serviced apartments and hotel residences, has launched its new website, marking a major milestone of innovation and efficiency in its digital strategy to engage travellers online. Designed to optimise the browsing experience with fast, responsive and seamless access across desktops and multiple mobile devices, the revamped website reflects an entirely new look and feel that is content-rich with enhanced operational functionalities aimed at enriching the user experiences of its guests. Designed by expert web developers, TravelClick, the new website features built-in user-friendly search functions, filters and reservation options to help guests navigate their way across Frasers Hospitality’s 92 properties worldwide. It enables travellers to search and book, manage their reservations, communicate their preferences, receive news on special offers and enjoy exclusive privileges through the Fraser World members’ portal. The new website features expanded accommodation pages that portray the uniqueness of each residence category, layout and amenities, together with videos and interactive photo galleries that offer visitors a visual experience of each property and destination. This is further enhanced with interactive maps that showcase tourist attractions as well as a blog that serves as a travel guide with useful links to event happenings, destination highlights and historical sites of

interest, as recommended by local staff. To facilitate updates, enquiries and feedback, a social media channel integration has been built into the website, allowing guests to connect with the brand easily through live feeds and to ‘like’ or ‘share’ information and experiences on multiple social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+. “This is part of our ongoing efforts to continually enhance our offerings, always ensuring that we are well positioned to cater to the evolving needs and expectations of today’s tech-forward travellers, no matter where and how they are connected to the website. Our aim is to always deliver the Fraser experience at every touch-point possible and this new website reflects convenience, intuitiveness, service-orientation and innovation, which is at the heart of everything we do,” says Choe Peng Sum, CEO, Frasers Hospitality. “A key requirement of our brief was for us to develop a website that is not only easy to navigate, but also responsive, visually stimulating and interactive in order to drive conversions,” says Jan Tissera, president, TravelClick International. “Employing best-in-class digital practices, we’ve set a new standard in the online experience for corporate travellers with Frasers Hospitality’s new and enhanced website.” As an aggregation and distribution point for the group’s inventory, the website also incorporates the latest web analytics and tracking technol-

As an aggregation and distribution point for the group’s inventory, the website also incorporates the latest web analytics and tracking technology to better measure traffic conversion as well as other key performance indicators to monitor return on investment ogy to better measure traffic, conversion as well as other key performance indicators to monitor return on investment and improve the effectiveness of online marketing strategies. The website provides a clear introduction to its award-winning collection of premium serviced apartments and hotel residences, which span 49 of the world’s major cities and gateways

across Asia, Australia, Middle East and Europe. These include its Gold-standard serviced residences Fraser Suites, Fraser Place and Fraser Residence; Modena by Fraser serviced residences and Capri by Fraser hotel residences, which are conveniently categorised by destination. In line with its focus on technology and innovation, Frasers Hospitality also has in

place enhanced business intelligence, Global Distribution Systems and provides highspeed Internet access for travellers to enjoy seamless connectivity complimentary throughout their stay. Frasers Hospitality’s global portfolio, including those in the pipeline, stands at 92 properties in 49 key gateway cities, and more than 16,000 apartments worldwide.

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

January 1-15, 2015

CAMPUS NOTES

Laurels in leadership Boasting of five hospitality institute brands with campuses spread across the globe, Laureate Hospitality Education, a part of Laureate International Universities has been striving continuously to equip students for leadership roles in the hospitality industry By Rituparna Chatterjee

ITH A NETWORK of over 80 campus-based and online universities offering undergraduate and graduate degree programmes to over 950,000 students around the world, Laureate International Universities has been offering several undergraduate, masters and doctoral degree programmes in architecture, art, business, culinary arts, design, education, engineering, health sciences, hospitality management, information technology, law and medicine over the years. As for the hospitality space, Laureate Hospitality Education (LHE), was established under Laureate International Universities to offer several career-focused programmes through its five hospitality education brands Glion Institute of Higher Education with campuses in Switzerland and London; Les Roches International School of Hotel Management with campuses in Switzerland, Spain, Shanghai and China; Royal Academy of Culinary Arts (RACA) with campus in Amman, Jordan; Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School with campuses in Australia and China; and Kendall College with campus in Chicago, USA. “We have a vast geographical presence today and each institute offers a balanced curriculum of practical

Johan Stromsater

training, business management skills and a multicultural experience to prepare students for an international career in the fast-growing global hospitality industry,” states Johan Stromsater, vice president - global enrollment, Laureate Hospitality & Culinary Education, adding that, “We have seen great interest from Indian students for our schools. However, the Les Roches brand is more popular in India.” LHE has been witnessing a growing number of international students to its campusesmainly driven by the numerous opportunities opening up in the global hospitality space. According to a 2011 report by World Travel & Tourism Council, over the next 10 years approximately 69 million new jobs are expected to be generated. “Glob-

50 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD January 1-15, 2015

ally we see an increase in interest for a career in hospitality and this has been driven by the rapid growth in tourism and hospitality. There is job security in this profession and with the right profile, the hospitality field is a lucrative career option,” opines Stromsater. To cater to specific student and industry requirements, LHE has recently introduced several specialised courses. “Before launching a programme, we work with leading industry partners so as to create content that it is relevant in the global scenario. Recently, we have noticed an increasing interest among students for spa and wellness programmes and hence we launched BBA in Spa and Wellness at the Switzerland campus of Les Roches International School of Hotel Management. Furthermore, we also launched a Master of Science in Leadership since presently the industry has shown a need for managers who are well groomed to take on leadership roles,” he mentions. Plans are also un-

derway to launch luxury goods management programme at the Switzerland campus of Glion Institute of Higher Education this year. Interestingly, LHE also takes into account the location of a campus before introducing a particular programme. “We look at the positioning of different campuses. For instance, at the Glion Institute of Higher Education we try to attract students who are not only interested in working in the hospitality sector but also in other related sectors. As for Les Roches International School of Hotel Management, the focus is more on hospitality operations,” he adds.

Placement opportunities Offering a multicultural atmosphere is what LHE prides itself for, for it equips its students to work with diverse nationalities believes Stromsater. “We have more than 100 nationalities altogether. At the Switzerland campus of Les Roches International School of Hotel Management we have around 93 nationalities. The hir-

ing managers are interested in hiring students who have studied at international schools since they learn how to work with others of different cultures. An interesting trend is that apart from hotels other companies from different sectors are also hiring from our schools like luxury retail companies, technology companies, finance companies since our hospitality degree prepares the students to diverse options,” boasts Stromsater, adding that, their placement rate is close to 90 per cent and the remaining 10 per cent usually opts for a master's programme. “Interestingly, India has a higher percentage of students going for the masters programme. Across all our campuses 10 per cent of the total Indian students opt for further education before joining work,” reveals Stromsater. For placements and internships, LHE has tie-ups with around 100 industry partners who offer internships and also recruit finalyear students. “We also assist students in writing their CVs and coaching them for the interviews,” he concludes.

MOVEMENTS Vivanta by Taj VINOD VALSON has been appointed as general manager of Vivanta by Taj, Yeshwantpur. Valson has previously worked in Vivanta by Taj, MG Road as general manager. He will replace Perpetua Kumar, who retires after a 20 year journey with the Taj Group who has lead the Vivanta by

ager of Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur and has also served as resident manager at Taj Lands End, Mumbai.

The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore RAGHU MENON has been appointed as general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Banga-

Armed with an MBA in Hospitality from Les Roches International School of Hotel Management in Switzerland with a concentration in finance and a BSc in Management from Purdue University USA, Shervani along with his MBA class was working as a strategic consultant for the Beau Rivage Palace hotel, Lausanne before returning to India. He had also worked with Bharti Airtel, Gurgaon in 2010 as a consumer engagement executive and further joined Lemon Tree Hotels, New Delhi as an assistant sales and marketing manager in September 2011.

JW Marriott Mumbai

Vinod Valson

Raghu Menon

Taj, Yeshwantpur for over four years as general manager. Valson is an alumni of the Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Mumbai.

lore. He has over 16 years of experience of working with international hotel brands across Australia, Asia, Middle East and the United Kingdom. Menon’s most recent role was general manager of The RitzCarlton, Shenzhen, China prior to which he was the hotel manager of The Ritz-Carlton & JW Marriott Hotel, Beijing. He is a graduate of International College of Hotel Management in Australia.

SANJAY UMASHANKAR has been appointed as general manager of Vivanta by Taj – President, Mumbai. Prior to this, Umashankar was general manager of Blue Sydney, Australia where he introduced new strategies to improve occupancy and diversified the market mix. Of his 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Umashankar has spent the last 11 years with the Taj Group. During this time, he has been the general man-

Shervani Hospitalities AHSAN SHERVANI has been appointed as vice president of Shervani Hospitalities.

RITESH KUMAR CHOUDHARY has joined JW Marriott Mumbai as director of food and beverage. He has 10 years of experience in delivering and sustaining revenue

Ahsan Shervani

52 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD January 1-15, 2015

RANJAN KUMAR DAS has joined as general manager of VITS luxury business hotels, Mumbai. Das has been associated with the hospitality industry for the last 16 years and has worked in various capacities. He started his career in the F&B service department and worked with various hotel of repute, before joining Sarovar Hotels as a training manager. His job profile included training, talent nurturing and preopening. He worked his way up to the position of general

report to Greg Dogan, president and CEO, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts. In his role as CMO, Taylor will oversee all functions across Shangri-La’s sales and marketing division, including revenue management, sales, digital marketing, brand communications, loyalty and partner marketing, customer insights and relationship management, reservations and distribution and corporate communications.

The Andaman, Langkawi Ritesh Kumar Choudhary

targets in the hotel industry and is adept at planning, supervising and managing food and beverage operations. Before making his way to JW Marriott Mumbai, he was associated with various hotels like the Taj Group and the Leela Group.

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts

Sanjay Umashankar

VITS

STEVEN TAYLOR has been appointed as chief marketing officer (CMO) of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts effective January 5, 2015. Taylor will be based in the group’s corporate office in Hong Kong and will

CHRISTIAN METZNER has been appointed as general manager of The Andaman, a Luxury Collection Resort on Langkawi Island in Malaysia. Metzner joins the 178-room resort from the The Astor Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Tianjin, where he was general manager from April 2012. He was also previously the hotel manager of the The Westin Tianjin in China. Earlier stints include his role as director of sales and marketing for The Westin Tianjin and director of revenue management for The Westin Beijing.

Millennium & Copthorne Hotels RICHARD ONG has been ap-

manager and has managed their properties in Shirdi, Lucknow and Delhi.

pointed as general manager operations – Asia of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels (M&C). Ong will assist the senior vice president, Asia, based in Singapore, to oversee the operations of M&C’s 13 regional hotels. Ong has more than 30 years of hospitality experience across countries such as Singapore, Australia, China, Japan and Korea. Prior to joining M&C, Ong was the general manager of ANA/Crowne Plaza Osaka, Japan.

Centara Hotels & Resorts ANDREAS FIENBORK joins Centara Hotels & Resorts as corporate director of sales for DACH and Eastern Europe. His responsibilities cover all German-speaking countries in Europe. Fienbork underwent a three-year apprenticeship programme in hotel management at Hilton Park Hotel Munich in Germany before becoming, in 1992, managing director of a privately owned Bavarian-style restaurant in Munich. Prior to his current appointment, he had been senior tourism manager for Chic Outlet Shopping at Ingolstadt Village and Wertheim Village, two luxury shopping destinations in Germany.

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weekend

Scene and heard

With Marcellus Baptista

Joyful journey

Ileana D'Cruz, Karan Johar and Nimrat Kaur at the KJo for Gehna launch at Aqaba

High fashion The cheer was on at Aqaba, the restaurant, bar and club, as it proved to be an excellent venue for the launch of the KJo for Gehna collection for Gehna Jewellers. Hosted by Sunil and Kiran Datwani of Gehna Jewellers, it saw the presence of Ileana D’Cruz and Nimrat Kaur who were the muses for the collection by Karan Johar. A fashion show featuring Neeta Lulla’s collection inspired by Karan Johar’s line was part of the proceedings at the al fresco section of Aqaba. Besides the outfits, seen was the elegant mix of dramatic designs and minimalist luxury in the jewellery, a composition of flamboyant cuts and meticulous designs brought together with riveting concepts. And occupying pride of place was the Skyy vodka bar that offered vodka cocktails, Glengrant single malt, Campari cocktails and also Johnnie Walker Black Label for diehard blended Scotch whisky fans.

The second edition of the spirited Johnnie Walker – The Journey drew a tremendous response at Mehboob Studio. Britain’s Got Talent winner Paul Potts, Australia’s renowned physical theatre group Dislocate, American jazz fusion band Snarky Puppy and Simon Greene of Bonobo (Live) were there to perform to the packed house. Guests sipped the various Johnnie Walker labels as they soaked in the ambience and sounds. And holding forth on the exciting event was Bhavesh Somaya, marketing and innovation director, Diageo India who felt delighted that this second edition had succeeded, once again, in delivering the inspiration it promised last year and that this platform represented a confluence of cultures and inspiring content from around the world that has resounded with the aspirations and sensibilities of the audience.

Priyanka Chopra and Jayesh Desai at the Hoppits launch at JW Marriott

Sweet seduction

Priya Dutt at Johnnie Walker - The Journey at Mehboob Studio

Chocolate lovers rejoiced at the launch of Hoppits, a premium chocolate bar with unique combinations from the Schmitten umbrella of the Rajhans Group. The action was at JW Marriott with actor and singer Priyanka Chopra announced as brand ambassador of Hoppits. The talk was on these chocolates that come in four variants: rich caramel with golden nougat, roast almond with white nougat, dark chocolate with granola and nuts, dark chocolate with granola and fruits. The talk was also about Schmitten, premium chocolate made from Swiss technology and equipment from the UK and Europe with seven exciting variants. And sharing this chocolate excitement was Jayesh Desai, chairman, Rajhans Group.

Arty feast

Sonal Singh, Amin Jaffer, Hariprasad Chaurasia and Deepanjana Klien at the Christie's preview at the Taj

The Crystal Room of the Taj took on an appearance of art gallery as Christie’s unveiled 80 works of art from its second sale in India at a cocktail soiree. It was time for the sound of music with the legendary flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia performing in front of Tyeb Mehta’s iconic work Untitled (Falling figure). Later, guests lived it up with the choicest wines, beers and spirits at the bar and tasty hors d’oeuvres doing the rounds. Present were William Robinson (International Head of World Art, Christie’s), Sanjay Sharma (MD, Christie’s India), Dr. Amin Jaffer (International Director of Asian Art, Christie’s), Paul Hewitt (MD of Growth Markets, Christie’s), Deepanjana Klein (International Head of Department for Modern and Contemporary Indian Art), Sonal Singh (Head of Department, Christie’s Mumbai), Nishad Avari (Associate Specialist in Contemporary Indian Art) and Raj Sehgal (MD, Credit Suisse Private Banking in the Middle East and Indian Subcontinent).

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weekend

E V E N T S

WINE EXTRAVAGANZA The Consulate General of the United States in Mumbai along and the US Department of Agriculture recently organised a master class on US West Coast wines at ITC Grand Central, Mumbai

FESTIVITY GALORE Pastonji, ice cream and beverages manufacturer, recently tied up with Jai Hind College as a health drink partner for the college's Talaash 2014 festival held in Mumbai

CELEBRATING WITH CHILDREN Kanika

CLEAN INDIA Sterling Holiday Resorts (India) recently launched a nationwide initiative to contribute to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan campaign which encompasses cleaning up public spaces in and around the company’s resorts and offices

PERFECT PARTNERSHIP L-R- Tim Guillois, CEO, The Links India; Rashmi Uday Singh, food writer and television host; H E François Richier, ambassador of France to India; Jean-Michel Casse, senior vice president operations, Accor India; Catherine Oden, director, Atout France in India, and Hicham Lahkim Bennani, Air France at an event to mark Accor's partnership with Air France and Atout France held at the ambassador's residence in New Delhi

66 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD January 1-15, 2015

Hasrat (centre), general manager, Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon and Chef Amit Dash (left), executive chef, Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon along with children from an NGO, Harmony House, unveiled the Croquembouche tree and Gingerbread house to mark the beginning of the hotel's Christmas celebrations

HANGOUT PACKAGE L-R: Vijay Subramaniam, managing director, BACARDI; Deep Kalra, CEO and founder, makemytrip; Esha Gupta, Indian actress, and Rajesh Magow, CFO and co founder, makemytrip at the launch of BACARDÍ Goa Party Hangout package in New Delhi

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.