EDITOR’S NOTE
Capital thoughts
T
he capital of India has undoubtedly a certain buzz to it. From FICCI to CII, FHRAI to ASSOCHAM and of course the ministry of tourism they are all headquartered there. Events, announcements, speculations, there never seems to be a dull moment or dearth of news that comes out of this political hotseat. While speaking on the sidelines of one such recent event in New Delhi, the secretary of tourism, Lalit Panwar, clearly stated the need for skill development and the power of the human capital. Identifying the right talent and more so, the retention of talent and skilled resources are matters of serious concern in the hospitality space. Our cover story touches on this very critical topic and experts who have been associated with the hospitality space have expressed their concern and have also given concrete solutions to tackle the issue. At yet another event in New Delhi, Suman Billa, joint secretary, tourism, Government of India, clearly mentioned that we would need 1,90,000 rooms
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CHENNAI: A K Shukla, The Indian Express Ltd, New No.37/C (Old No.16/C), 2nd Floor,Whites Road, Royapettah, Chennai - 600 014 Tel: Board: 28543031/28543032/ 28543033/28543034 Fax: 28543035 Mobile : 09849297724 E-mail: ashwanikumar.shukla@fhwexpo.in BENGALURU: Sreejith Radhakrishnan, The Indian Express Ltd, 502 Devatha Plaza, 5th Floor, 131 Residency Road Bengaluru - 560025 Ph 080-22231923/24 Fax: 22231925. Mobile: 08867574257 E-mail: sreejith.radhakrishnan@fhwexpo.in HYDERABAD: A K Shukla, The Indian Express Ltd, 6-3-885/7/B, Ground floor V.V. Mansion, Somaji Guda, Hyderabad - 500 082
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“The growing strength of India's Tier II and Tier III cities are also opening new doors and opportunities and training human capital will also require a fresh module and strategy”
in the next five years and to match this demand, getting the right people is the need of the hour. In our cover story, thought leaders have also clearly stated that the growing strength of India's Tier II and Tier III cities are also opening new doors and opportunities and training human capital will also require a fresh module and strategy. Whilst discussing the potential of the Tier II and Tier III segments, this also carries an inspiring story on a visionary who came, saw and conquered this very space in the hospitality segment. Anil Madhok, entered India's next level of cities way before anyone did and today he stands proud with a robust portfolio of properties that offer a quality brand in the interiors of the country as well. V Resorts is also clearly aimed at expanding its network in offbeat spots of India. Like always, this issue of FHW too has a lot to learn and unlearn from. REEMA LOKESH Editor
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CONTENTS Vol 3 No 21 JULY 16-31, 2015
HIGH SPIRITS
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 Mitesh Manjrekar Photo Editor Sandeep Patil MARKETING General Manager Sachin Shenoy Marketing Team Dattaram Kandalkar Rajan Nair Ashwani Kumar Shukla Sreejith Radhakrishnan Prateek Sahay Yoginder Singh Ajanta Sengupta NATIONAL FOOD & BEVERAGE SALES Sasi Kumar G Keshav Barnwal INTERNATIONAL FOOD & HOSPITALITY SALES Soumodip Ghosh Dhananjay Makharia PRODUCTION General Manager B R Tipnis Manager Bhadresh Valia
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THE CHALLENGES OF
A PAIRING PREDICAMENT CHOOSING WINE THAT WILL TASTE GOOD WITH INDIAN FOOD IS QUITE A PAIRING DILEMMA
EDGE
TALENTRETENTION (20-24)
MARKETS
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PREFERRED HOTELS & RESORTS LOOKS AT ORGANIC GROWTH IN INDIA
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V RESORTS TO EXPAND PRESENCE IN OFFBEAT DESTINATIONS
CHEF’S PLATTER
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NO CHILD'S PLAY NICKELODEON SUITES RESORT EXPANDS FAMILY MARKETS WITH DIGITAL MARKETING
LIFE
P13: NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK Hotel Polo Max & Food Court, Allahabad
P14: PRODUCT TRACKER Gits
P32: MOVEMENTS Accor Hotels
P44: WEEKEND Scene and heard
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COOKING WITH A TWIST! CHEF ANSHUMAN BALI, EXECUTIVE SOUS CHEF, FOUR SEASONS HOTEL MUMBAI
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A PIONEER'S PATH ANIL MADHOK PIONEERED THE CONCEPT OF ENTERING THE SECONDARY AND TERTIARY MARKETS
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). Copyright © 2015 Global Fairs & Media Private Limited. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in whole or part without the Publisher's permission is prohibited.
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Preferred Hotels & Resorts looks at organic growth in India Existing partners like The Leela and Fortune Hotels to lead the growth Sudipta Dev Mumbai PREFERRED HOTELS & RESORTS is the world's largest independent hotel brand representing more than 650 properties globally. In India, the company has been in business since 2002 and currently represents 30 independent luxury hotels. “We are anticipating 50 per cent growth by 2018, and hope to have about 45 hotels. This is based on our current active development pipeline and some very advanced discussions,” said Saurabh Rai, area managing director, Preferred Hotels & Resorts. The growth, mentioned Rai, will largely be organic as the company looks at signing more hotels with its existing partners as the latter launches
new properties. The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, with eight properties, is currently the biggest partner of Preferred Hotels & Resorts in India. “They have a sturdy growth plan. There is a pipeline of five-six hotels, we will grow with them,” stated Rai. ITC is another important partner with four hotels, in Fortune Hotels and WelcomHotels space. The company is looking at Fortune Hotels to lead the next spurt of growth. “The hotels are managed by ITC and owned by independent owners so the investment in the partnership has to make sense for hotel owners,” averred Rai, adding that, they are in the process of earmarking a set of Fortune Hotels, existing and new, which will then be considered for
Saurabh Rai
partnership under the Connect collection. Pointing out that the Indian hospitality industry is largely skewed towards the branded supply, Rai stated, “We are aware about the realities of the Indian inde-
pendent hospitality space. We look at hotel owners who want to build a brand of their own. Given the limitations and opportunities in the market we have done a very accurate trend forecasting and we feel confident of our ability to grow.” The recent rebranding of Preferred Hotels & Resorts has been received very well by the consumer, according to Rai. “Earlier the focus of the company was B2B. The way the business of hospitality has evolved in the last eight-10 years the power has shifted to the end consumer. This consumer centric shift was the central pivot of rebranding. In India also keeping a clearer and stronger end consumer connect is important for us,” he said, adding that, the entire re-
branding of getting away from multi branded portfolio to become a singular brand of Preferred Hotels & Resorts has been the biggest initiative. Even the sub-brands are consumer defined experiential collections. The names of the five collections - Legend, LVX, Lifestyle, Connect, and Preferred Residences, give out the definition of the experience and are not standard industry criteria. The Legend includes The Imperial, New Delhi, The Leela Palaces (Udaipur, Chennai, Bengaluru, Goa and New Delhi); LVX includes The Leela in Gurgaon, Kovalam, Mumbai; Lifestyle includes (Raintree in Chennai, Zuri in Bengaluru, My Fortune in Bengaluru and Chennai) and Connect includes (Fortune Hotels).
The Weekend Plan to add 500 villas by 2020 Reema Lokesh Mumbai THIS IS AN IDEA that was born out of sheer need. The question here is where can families who own pets go for a weekend break? Hotels and resorts in general are not yet 100 per cent pet friendly in India. The second reason that further motivated the conceptualisers of ‘The Weekend Plan’ website (a dedicated site for premium weekend villa options in India) was the fact that where can a group of women go to if
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they truly want to party in privacy and enjoy their time at a swimming pool without being constantly worried about decorum and modesty, where she hopes to unwind without being judged. The answer to these questions was the `1.5 crore JV initiative between the Mafatlal Group and Forecast Group that gave birth to The Weekend Plan, an idea that was germinated by one of its cofounders Vridhi Dodani and Satish Dodani, supported by co-founder Chirag Mehta, of Forecast Group and
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MARKETS Nishant Amin. The three musketeers decided to offer their clients weekend villa options that come fully loaded with a cook (offering local cuisine options as well) and other facilities for a comfortable stay. Catering primarily to the family groups, it also targets all women travellers, senior citizen groups amongst others. Speaking passionately about the initiative, Dodani, says, “It was something that was born out of necessity and we are overwhelmed with the response it has generated in a short span of time. We are clear that our business has to
Their strategy does not stop at only renting out villas for weekend breaks. They go a step ahead and adopt the villas offer the best in villa options space and are only looking at offering specialised quality service to our clients from the hardware to the software. From indoor sports facilities, to outdoor adventure options, from an in-house cook to that of doctor on call, we have most of the requirements in place. We want to tap the only girls group segment, for which we have a few properties which are girl friendly with privacy and security and some also have indoor swimming pool facilities.” Amin added that, “Our aim is to constantly upgrade our product and providing quality service to our clients who should have a hassle free break."Dodani also adds that, "We are for the mothers who really needs her break, where her kids are looked after well
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at our villa." Their strategy does not stop at only renting out villas for weekend breaks. They go a step ahead and adopt the villas in a way by renting it out from the owners, taking over the maintenance and
upkeep of the place. They are also insisting on villa owners insuring their property for safety reasons and encouraging them to tie up with insurance companies. Further, the company has also introduced a policy of not charging pre-
mium rates on special weekends, which is a popular trend in this space. Mehta concludes that, “We definitely want to increase our footprint in other parts of the country. It will be interesting to pick up properties in areas
such as Sikkim, Coorg, Mt Abu, Kullu, etc. We have a reasonably strong presence in Maharashtra and have entered Goa, but this is just the beginning. The company aims to add around 500 villas in its portfolio by 2020.”
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V Resorts to expand presence in picturesque, offbeat destinations Sudipta Dev Mumbai V RESORTS offers experience based holidays to its guests in picturesque, less explored, offbeat locations. Currently, there are seven resorts in Uttarakhand (Sattal, Bhimtal, Ramgarh, Dhampur Corbett, Pauri, Rajaji National Park and Mussoorie), two in Himachal (Narkanda and Kullu), one in Rajasthan (Auwa - Pali district) and a Training & Recreation Centre in Delhi. In the next three - five years, in addition to expanding to various picturesque remote locations of India like Andaman & Nicobar islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu, etc, the company plans to expand internationally by adding destinations like Nepal, Bhutan, Bali, etc. “We are the only chain that is completely asset light, focused on experiential holidays, providing standardisation of services by consolidating various different properties under a
single brand umbrella. Our goal is to provide our guests with a new experience each time they plan a vacation with us. Therefore, each resort has a unique positioning and experience – Sattal is our lake resort, Fort Auwa our heritage resort, Narkanda – a skiing resort, Rajaji – a jungle resort and so on,” said Aditi Balbir, co-founder and MD, V Resorts. She added that each place has unique local activities designed to hear and live the local stories, local cuisines and local staff to complete the experience. Many interesting activities are offered in these resorts, which are of particular interest to urban travellers. “However, we do understand that a minimum level of comfort and service is desired by our guests. Therefore, we are not rural stays, in fact quite the opposite,” stated Balbir. The properties are both brownfield and greenfield projects. The common elements that form the USP of the brand are – sit amidst nature as
Aditi Balbir
the resorts have private balconies, verandahs and sit out areas to relax and enjoy the views; rooms are designed to feel like home but equipped with all modern facilities; activities are unique and taken from the local surroundings. For instance, Sattal is a birding destination while Pauri is good for fishing. “Enthusiasts from across the world travel to Pauri to catch the huge Mahaseer fish found in the Ganges. At Auwa we have a village walk where
customers can learn the local trade like pottery. Most of the properties are ideal for trekking – we usually equip our guests with a utility belt and an energy drink, some supplies and a map so they can carry on the activity themselves. We also have options for our guides to meet them at common points and serve refreshments within the forest,” explained Balbir. The food is sourced locally and at most times V Resorts ties up directly with farmers for fresh
produce and local ingredients. The restaurants also have local themes and flavours. The focus of the marketing strategy, informed Balbir, is to increase organic searches, create content around offbeat places, have presence across various social media platforms, and promote the recently launched membership program. “We are also seeking partnership with like-minded brands like NatGeo, Wildcraft, Woodland, etc,” she added.
Swosti Group to set up luxury resort at Chilika FHW Staff Mumbai BHUBANESWAR-BASED Swosti Group will soon be expanding its hospitality portfolio with the launch of its high-end luxury resort – Swosti Chilika Resort on the banks of the Chilika Lake, the country's largest coastal lagoon. Confirming the development, JK Mohanty, managing director, Swosti Group of Hotels-Resorts-Travels-Education said, “Swosti Chilika Resort is being developed on a nine acre
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parcel of land located on the banks of Chilika Lake. The work at the site has started and the resort is likely to be operational partially from October next year.” “We have received the required environmental clearances from the authorities for the project. Chilika Lake is one of the major attractions of highend domestic as well as international tourists. By putting up an international standard luxury resort at Chilika Lake and ensuring our highest service standards, we are confident
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that this resort will fill-up the requirements of both high-end domestic and foreign tourists visiting the area as well as boost the brand image of Odisha,” he added. The group has engaged one of the most renowned international architectural firms from Thailand for putting up this resort, which will have 70 keys with a mix of presidential suites, villas, quad villas, spa villas and the hotel block. The major attractions of the resort are houseboats, spa, spa on the houseboats, yoga centre,
lush green landscaping, business centre, library, handicrafts souvenir shop, water sports, water scooters, facilities for water surfing, boating facilities around 26 hideaway islands. The other facilities will include horse riding, kennel, badminton and tennis court, mini golf course, bird watching tower, bicycle tours for foreign tourists, village tours, boat restaurants, lake side open air tandoor restaurant, a sports bar, facilities for conference, lawn for marriage facilities. Cooking classes for foreign
tourists will be another added feature of the resort. The group currently operates two hotels and a resort, including the 60keys Swosti Hotel and 140 keys Swosti Premium, in Bhubaneswar. The third property, Swosti Palm Resort (20 keys) is a beach-front resort located at Gopalpur-on-Sea. The company has also acquired land parcels for hotel and resort projects at other popular coastal tourist spots of the state like Puri, Satpada and Bhitarkanika for future expansion.
MARKETS
Trontek launches Wi-Call brand in India Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai TRONTEK, an importer and distributor of certified leaded electronic components with a wide range of products including resistors, capacitors, diodes and batteries in India, has launched the Wi-Call (Wireless Calling) brand for the Indian hospitality industry. There are two products under the Wi-Call brand - Wi-Call WaterProof Coaster Queue Management System and Wi-Call Table Call Paging System. The Wi-Call WaterProof Coaster Queue Management System consists of one transmitter and many hand held waterproof coaster pagers. Speaking about its functioning, Hardik Trivedi,
Hardik Trivedi
national sales manager, Trontek explained, “After the customer has placed an order, he is provided with a waterproof coaster pager. When the order is ready, to page the customer's coaster pager, the kitchen counter person will enter the pager number on the transmitter and will press send. The customer will immediately receive an alert on his waterproof coaster pager either through flashing of lights, beeping or vibration. This will work within a radius of 500 metres. ” The Wi-Call Table Call Paging System has been designed to help guests contact their servers directly from their table. A guest can push a button (one button or three button mode is available) on the table unit to contact the server. A message will be trans-
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mitted to the server's pager, informing him the specific table and type of service requested. “There is also a billing option
available; the guest need not wait but can simply press the button and the server will bring the bill directly. Through this
product, we want the guest to avoid using hand gestures to call out to the server,” added Trivedi.
Both products can be used across hotels, clubs, restaurants, resorts, etc. The products have been imported from Korea.
MARKETS
Mirah Hospitality acquires 30% stake in Hopping Chef FHW Staff Mumbai MIRAH HOSPITALITY has recently acquired 30 per cent stake in Hopping Chef, a brand by Gritty Foods LLP that supplies chefs to homes. Hopping Chef was launched in December 2014 as a platform to provide fine dining service to those who are looking for good food at their convenience and in the comfort of their homes. Gaurav Goenka, managing director, Mirah Hospitality said, “This association marks a new beginning. It will enhance the strength of Mirah as a brand, which is looking for growth both organically and inorganically. Until now Mirah has always been in the brick and mortar space. However keeping in mind the latest trend and flourishing prospects in the online space, Mirah decided to diversify its portfolio to the online food space as well. Hopping chef
will help Mirah to enhance its current portfolio. I am happy to share that, in the past few years, we have grown without compromising on quality. With this new alliance, I am hoping to provide quality chefs to those who are looking for a global food experience.” Hopping Chef founded by Shaival Chandra, Dhaval Udeshi and Sid Ugrankar is currently valued at `10 crore. With the investment from Mirah Group, the brand will be expanding its network to Bengaluru within two months followed by four other metros in a span of the next six months. Currently the brand has 15 chefs on board, which will be increased to around 75 to 100 to keep up with the geographical diversifications planned. Shaival Chandra, founder and CEO, Hopping Chef said, “An investment from a well established hospitality group like Mirah will boost Hopping Chef and will open newer av-
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enues. Mirah Hospitality is known for their unconventional approach to business and I am hopeful that Hopping Chef with this arrangement with Mirah Hospitality will establish footprints in new geographies.” It is interesting to note that like any other sector, the hospitality industry in India is poised to register higher growth rate over the next five years. By the year 2020, the Indian food market is expected to touch the 40 trillion mark. Some of the avenues for future diversification: ■ Private dining– creating an experiential dining experience at the comfort of your home ■ Meal boxes – creating special Bento boxes with curated meal to be delivered to your doorstep ■ Make it yourself kits ■ Retail products ■ Cooking session ■ Pop up restaurants
Commeasure signs more than 50 hotels as customers in Kerala FHW Staff Mumbai COMMEASURE, one of South Asia’s fastest growing hotel booking platforms, has signed more than 50 hotels as its customers in Kerala. Some of these hotels include Deshadan Cliff and Beach Resort (Munnar), XL Home Stay (Kochi), Misty Green Homestay (Thekkady), South Regency (Kochi), JJ Cottage (Munnar) and San Mike Homestay (Kochi). With Commeasure’s cloud based technology platform, these hotels can now directly distribute inventory on their own branded website and other online channels, further, ensuring that customers have a seamless experience while making a booking. “Kerala is one of the top tourist destination. As the influx of tourists increases here, smaller hotels find it difficult to compete as they do not have online presence to engage with their customers directly. The Commeasure platform enables smaller chains and independent hotels, which lack in resources to invest in technology to seamlessly distribute their inventory online and lower their cost of distribution by providing them a bouquet of services. We aim to level the playing field between small chains/independent hotels, making the hotel’s own brand
Commeasure enables smaller hotels to invest in technology web and mobile sites as good as the ones operated by multi-national hotel chains and large online travel agents. Besides, we offer a success-based model where our hotel customers are charged only on the basis of the business generated via the Commeasure platform. Kerala is an important market for us and we see high demand here,” said Amit Saberwal, CEO, Commeasure. “Customer dynamics are changing rapidly in our industry owing to the changes in user behaviour brought about by technological advancements. Commeasure’s plug and play solution is a must have for the hotel owners to maneuver their way through the changing landscape and to focus on their real task at hand, which is customer bookings. With Commeasure, we’ve seen an increase in our online bookings – both from third party booking sites as well as our own hotel website,” said Maggie Felix of Misty Green Homestay, Thekkady.
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Accor hosts 1st Accor India Hotels Partner’s Expo 2015 FHW Staff Mumbai ACCOR INDIA recently hosted its first ever Accor India Hotels Partner’s Expo 2015 in Mumbai and Delhi, thus becoming the first international hotel chain to conduct an India hotels specific Expo. The Accor India Hotels Partner’s Expo showcased over 31 hotels from across 17 key cities in India spanning seven brands ranging from luxury, leisure, upscale, mid-market, budget and economy. Accor’s MICE and wedding offerings were showcased through their world-class conference and exhibition facilities such as the Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre (NHCC), Lavasa International Convention Centre (LICC) and the Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach (NVVB). Nikhil Dhodapkar, regional director, sales and marketing, Accor India said, “The Accor India Hotels Partner’s Expo provides an ideal platform for us to engage with our meetings, corporate to explore potential business developments. It also gave us an opportunity to update our customers on the key growth areas of our footprint and brand innovations not only in our region but also on Accor globally. Customers were also given an insight to understanding our brands and new developments within Accor. The Expo aim at showcasing various brands of Accor in the lucrative weddings, MICE, luxury and leisure segments. With the recent announcement of Accor’s appointment to manage the Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Centre, it further reinforces the importance of MICE business in our corporate strategy for the Indian market.” The Accor India Hotels Partner’s Expo is an annual sales and marketing initiative organised by Accor India.
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HRAWI vouches for better regulation with FSSAI’s restructuring FHW Staff Mumbai THE HOTEL AND RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION OF WESTERN INDIA (HRAWI) has advocated the restructuring of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to further strengthen its functions and to better regulate the Food Business Operators (FBOs) in the country. As specified by FSSAI, August 4, 2015 is the last date to acquire licenses to operate FBOs. HRAWI has appealed to the FBOs to obtain licenses and be
acquiescent with FSSAI’s guidelines prior to the deadline. The HRAWI has also expressed apprehension concerning the large unorganised FBOs and FSSAI’s role and reach to keep these in its purview. Bharat Malkani, president, HRAWI said, “The fact that FSSAI will have a much better and robust infrastructure is good news not just for the hospitality industry but for the common man who consumes outside of home. We are glad that the health ministry has stepped up and we support the call unanimously. However,
there is also the unorganised part of this sector that needs to be kept in FSSAI’s ambit. Our concern remains that street vendors and eateries which are non-compliant to standards, continue to operate and could pose serious health hazards.” There are approximately 250,000 road-side eateries in Mumbai, serving anything from vada-pav to tandoori chicken. They operate on the footpaths or above gutters with indigenously built stalls and they use the nearest source of water to wash or rinse their utensils.
Malkani added, “We suspect if these eateries have licences to operate a business let alone having the licence to serve food. Maintaining cleanliness and hygiene are a distant dream and yet they continue to thrive. By running businesses without licenses they are discounted on taxes. Obviously they are making profits and eating into businesses of the certified FBOs and most importantly they are a threat to health.” “At present, the industry is so hard-pressed with taxes that new investors are keeping away from the business. Old
hotels are finding it difficult to survive. In the scenario, FSSAI’s intervention will help the industry in the long run. We hope that there will be a hard check on eating joints for licenses and defined food safety standards which will not only restrain illegal operations of FBOs but will also help to regularise the standards of the Indian food industry on a whole,” said Malkani. The HRAWI has also indicated that they may schedule a training session shortly for FBOs who seek guidance on the matter.
Holiday Inn partners with Roadtrippers FHW Staff Mumbai THE HOLIDAY INN brand has entered into a new collaboration with the web and mobile travel platform Roadtrippers. The Holiday Inn brand’s Journey to Extraordinary campaign, which launched in the summer of 2014, continues this summer with a focus on celebrating the joy of travel and the shared experiences travellers have while on the road. Heather Balsley, senior vice president, Americas Brand Management, IHG said, “When we launched the Journey to Extraordinary campaign in 2014, guests told us that they had their own stories of journeys and experiences at Holiday Inn hotels that they wanted to tell.
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We heard them and through this relationship with Roadtrippers, we want to celebrate each and every one of those journeys. This programme is the perfect opportunity to connect with our guests who are passionate storytellers through a platform like Roadtrippers, which appeals to travellers eager to share their stories.” Joining forces with the Cincinnati-based Roadtrippers is a natural fit for the Holiday Inn brand, as both companies were born out of the quintessential American road trip. More than 60 years ago, Holiday Inn brand founder Kemmons Wilson took a road trip with his family. Frustrated by the lack of consistent, familyfriendly lodging available, he decided to create his own hotel
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More than 60 years ago, Holiday Inn brand founder Kemmons Wilson took a road trip with his family. Frustrated by the lack of consistent, family-friendly lodging available, he decided to create his own hotel brand brand, and the Holiday Inn brand has been championing enjoyable travel for guests ever since. The brand has introduced a new page on the Roadtrippers site called Extraordinary Journeys featuring user-generated content curated to inspire readers and fuel them to experience their own journeys. Cur-
rently, eight one-of-a-kind adventures – from one traveller’s exploration of the Apostle Islands Ice Caves to another’s motorcycle trip across the longest railroad trestle in the US – are highlighted, and over the course of the summer, the brands will collaborate with the Roadtripper community to put fans in the driver’s seat and fea-
ture more of their powerful stories on the “Extraordinary Journeys” page and across both brands’ social media channels. Joshua Smibert, chief operating officer, Roadtrippers said, “At Roadtrippers we believe you’re always five minutes away from something interesting. Of course, the adventure is not just in discovering these places, but also in sharing the experience with others. Our travellers, like guests of Holiday Inn hotels, have asked to share their adventures with the larger Roadtrippers community. So we are excited to collaborate with the Holiday Inn brand and extend our platform to tell some of these interesting stories and encourage all people to connect around the joy of travel.”
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Hotel Polo Max & Food Court, Allahabad HOTEL POLO TOWERS Group has launched Hotel Polo Max and Food Court in Allahabad. The hotel features 51 rooms with all modern amenities, complimentary wireless broadband access and imported Grohe showers. A large state-of-the-art banquet facility is also opening soon. The highlights of the Food Court includes large screens for sporting events, one of the widest menus with a variety of cuisine from all over the world, and music.
Six Senses Spa, Greece SIX SENSES SPAS' LATEST addition to its worldwide spa portfolio at the Belvedere Hotel, is its second Six Senses spa in Greece. Opening in early July, the spa has been inspired by the hotel’s design, reflecting the traditional Myconian architecture with a contemporary interpretation. The three treatment rooms, one double and two single, feature steam showers and daybeds. For nail aficionados, there’s an intimate manicure area plus a separate pedicure area with seating built into the floor and wall. There is a wide selection of Six Senses signature massages, body treatments, rituals as well as beauty services on offer.
The Fern Hotels & Resorts CG HOTELS AND RESORTS has launched two business hotel under The Fern Hotels & Resorts portfolio. The new properties have been launched in Mundra in the Kutch district of Gujarat and the temple town of Amritsar in Punjab. The Fern Residency-Mundra offers 74 guest rooms and a wide selection of local and international cuisines at Laziz, an all day dining restaurant, along with a 24 hours Cafe Rolling Beans and 24 hours in-room dining. The Fern Residency-Amritsar offers 48 guest rooms accompanied with multiple dining options like Flavour, an all day dining restaurant, 18 hours Cafe Velvette and 24 hours in-room dining.
Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing, Beijing MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL Group has announced that it will manage another luxury property in the heart of Beijing, scheduled to open in 2017, in the Wangfujing district of the capital city. Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing will feature 74 guestrooms and suites and two restaurants offering one of the finest cuisines in the city. Both restaurants will have access to a rooftop garden terrace, while the bar will be connected to a private courtyard. Other facilities will include a spa, an indoor swimming pool and well-equipped fitness centre.
Taipei Marriott Hotel,Taiwan MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL has announced the expansion of its global portfolio with the anticipated July opening of the Taipei Marriott Hotel, the first Marriott Hotel in Taiwan. Taipei Marriott Hotel offers 320 well-appointed guest rooms and suites as well as four restaurants and a lounge. The Taipei Marriott Hotel offers the largest state-of-the-art convention centre in Taipei, with 3,000 sq mtr of pillarless, flexible space that can be transformed into up to 12 meeting spaces, as well as a 1,260 sq mtr Grand Ballroom.
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PRODUCT TRACKER
Gits GITS HAS INTRODUCED instant mixes of Bombay Halwa, Phirni, Kheer Vermicelli and Kheer Rice for the auspicious month of Ramzan. Gits Vermicelli Kheer, also known as Sheer Khorma and Gits Basmati Rice Kheer , is a must-have dessert during the festive month. For all the weight-watchers and diet conscious people, Gits Bombay Halwa is a great option as it is made from china grass (agar agar) making it easily digestible. One can also try out Gits Phirni, a great cold desert option for the joyous occasion. Gits provides recipes with interesting variations that can add creativity to the taste and aroma to the desserts.
Dom PĂŠrignon Vintage 2005 Dom PĂŠrignon Vintage 2005 wine's rich bouquet reveals itself in successive waves- first the intense fruit, more black than red which then melts into silvery minerality. It has notes of praline and coriander complimenting the wine. The wine has a strong character and powerful presence. The product has been priced at `21, 287 in Mumbai and `19,990 in New Delhi.
VitrA VITRA HAS INTRODUCED its newest assortment of classic collectionMetropole. Created by NOA design group, Metropole is a consummate bathroom series designed with the urban future in mind- from hotels and malls to office and residential buildings. The washbasins are built with Integra space saving siphon with hidden overflow channel which are developed for superior hygiene. The optimal depth of the bowl prevents dirt build up on the surface; residues will easily wash down the siphon. The special bowl of the WC pan features a channel free design that rules out germ reproduction and provides superior hygiene. The water distribution tool can be removed for cleaning. Another innovation is the WC pan with a liquid cleaner tank.
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CHEF’S PLATTER
Cooking with a twist! A specialist in Mediterranean and Arabic cuisine, Chef Anshuman Bali, executive sous chef, Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai believes in constantly reinventing to toss up new culinary experiences for guests and maintaining a work-life balance even in the kitchen By Rituparna Chatterjee
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URING the course of his three year graduation programme at the Institute of Hotel Management Catering & Nutrition, Lucknow (IHM Lucknow), Chef Anshuman Bali, now the executive sous chef of Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai, discovered his flair for cooking when he started receiving words of appreciation from his college faculty members. “At IHM Lucknow, I got trained in different aspects of hotel management from front office to housekeeping. But it was during the practical sessions at the kitchen that I realised my flair for cooking as I received words of appreciation from my faculty. It was then that I decided to make this the focus for my future growth,” reminisces Chef Bali, a specialist in Mediterranean and Arabic cuisine. After graduating from IHM Lucknow in 1999, Chef Bali went on to pursue the Taj Management Training Programme (TMTP) in Operations/Food Production. Under this programme, each year Taj fortifies its operations functions with raw talent from the best hotel and graduate schools in the country to mould aspiring hotel professionals into future business managers. This programme was the beginning of the aspiring chef's culinary journey. Post the programme completion, he went on to work with the Taj Palace New Delhi and the Taj Mahal New Delhi as a management trainee and chef de partie. Following this, he had
Chef Anshuman Bali
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CHEF’S PLATTER
his first experience of working abroad with expat chefs during his stint at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. “It was a new experience for me during my two years there. When I went abroad, my focus was to learn new styles of cooking, and experience a bigger world of cuisine. But I didn't notice much of a difference, for the products and cuisines that you get in India is almost at par with what is available abroad. The only difference is that the hotels abroad aren’t as stringent with costs as they are in India,” explains the chef. Soon after, Chef Bali returned to India and joined The Imperial New Delhi in 2005, followed by a short stint at the Radisson Blu Hotel Noida and seven years at The Oberoi, New Delhi before joining Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai in 2014. Throughout his decade old journey, he has encountered several obstructions ranging from creative blocks to operational challenges. “When you are at the learning stage, there are no challenges as there is no dearth of knowledge which you can amass from people. But after a certain point, you reach stagnancy and have an urge to learn more. Furthermore, there are days when you black out, sit in one corner and think, and suddenly an idea strikes in your mind, you do Google research and start building on that. Apart from these you sometimes also face operational challenges like unavailability of ingredients, talent drain, etc,” rues Chef Bali, adding that, team mentoring is an equally challenging task in the kitchen. “You have to do what you preach, you need to walk the talk. The more you ensure that your staff has a worklife balance, the more they will be happy with their work. We also need to be hands on with them during times of crisis and that is how you gain respect,” he believes.
Cuisines of the future Today, Indians are avid travellers well-acquainted with the food available globally. Hence,
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There is a challenge from the supply chain all over India in terms of getting the best product. All the good products get exported from India
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QUICK BYTES ■ Favourite cuisine: Mediterranean and Arabic ■ Favourite book: 'Yes, chef' by Anthony Bourdain ■ Favourite destination: Kerala ■ Favourite restaurant: threesixtyone° at The Oberoi, Gurgaon
when they return after their travels to the country, they expect a familiar taste that they have experienced during their travels. “This proves challenging for chefs as they try to match up to their guests' expectations but at the same time enables them to get their skills up to the mark,” avers Chef Bali, adding that, chefs need to constantly experiment and innovate to offer new culinary experiences to their guests. “A recent trend is the increasing use of local ingredients and the growing popularity of fusion food. For instance, if you are preparing a risotto with khichdi, it creates a 'wow' factor among guests,” mentions Chef Bali. Over the years, many innovations have taken place in the foodscape of India including the introduction of fusion and molecular cuisines. However, today regional cuisine seems to be coming into the limelight. “Garhwali cuisine and cuisines from the hilly regions of India are coming to the forefront. Furthermore, organic food is gaining momentum and chefs are promoting it. Once we have tapped into deep-rooted regional cuisine, there could be a fusion between north Indian and regional cuisine as well. For instance, Garhwali cuisine doesn't have biryani, but preparing biryani in that style will give newness to the cuisine,” suggests Chef Bali. Despite the rapid evolution of the cuisine culture in the country, the F&B sector continues to grapple with many constrictions. “There is a challenge from the supply chain all over India in terms of getting the best product. All the good products get exported from India, and what we are left with is what we have to choose from. We are one of the biggest suppliers of sea food to Europe with south India being one of the major exporters. If we can tap that market and prevent the best of ingredients from going out of the country, then it will help this industry,” points out Chef Bali.
CHEF’S PLATTER
Celebrity Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s Recipe App on Windows Phone
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ICROSOFT recently announced the availability of celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s Recipe App, developed in association with Hungama Digital Entertainment, on Windows Phone 8.1. Windows Phone users can now learn and cook various cuisines from a repository of more than 8,500 recipes from India and around the world, all handpicked by celebrity Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and his team of culinary masters. Commenting on the announcement, Joseph Landes, general manager – developer experience, Microsoft Corp (India) says, “Technology simplifies all that we do today, and food is no exception. Increasingly consumers are looking for ways to easily access new recipes as well as step-by-step instructions for preparation. The Sanjeev Kapoor app is for people who love to experiment with food – both pro chefs as well as home cooks – and we believe it will make cooking fun.” Chef Sanjeev Kapoor says, “The one thing I have always heard from people is that I have made cooking easy for them, I would say that with this new app Sanjeev Kapoor’s Recipes, I have made it fun as well. This app is like a well laid out buffet, there’s something for everyone. From recipes for everyday dining to festive specials or just a meal for two. There are even recipes that can help you whip up a meal with just whatever’s available in your fridge. The best part about this app is that logging in will win you points as well as exciting gifts. Need anything more?” Users can register on the app with their email IDs or log in using their social media credentials and earn reward points for every activity they perform on the app.
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HIGH SPIRITS
Apairing predicament Choosing wine that will taste good with Indian food is quite a pairing dilemma. However, hotels, restaurants, wine consultancy firms, and wine importers and distributors across India are taking multifarious initiatives to help solve the plight of this 'marriage' By Rituparna Chatterjee
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f all the different aspects of wine and food pairing, wine and Indian food is the most controversial. Among all cuisines, Indian food has the maximum notoriety for being hard to pair with wines, principally for two reasons. The first reason is that Indian cuisine is too varied, has layers and a myriad of complex spices and flavours to try and match with a single wine. More often, the predominant flavour of the dish is influenced by the curry or the method of cooking, i.e. dum, tandoor, fried, rather than the meat. “So the conventional rules of pairing white meat with white wine and red meat with red wine simply does not apply. One has to keep in mind the predominant flavour of the dish and the method of cooking to decide what wine might be best suited with the dish. Also, unlike in European cuisine where vegetables mostly play the role of an accompaniment, in India vegetarian ingredients very often feature as the main dish on the plate. Hence, one must re-think the
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HIGH SPIRITS
traditional wine pairing rules to accommodate a vast variety of vegetarian cuisine,” advices Sonal Holland, divisional head - wine and beverages, ITC Hotels in India and wine educator, consultant, writer and broadcaster. The second reason is that chilli in the food is a huge challenge. For it burns your taste buds and impairs your tasting apparatus, making any kind of food and wine appreciation difficult. “So whilst moderately spicy dishes can be paired with refreshing, fruity and maybe even off-dry (slightly sweet) wines, very hot dishes are probably best consumed with many glasses of water,” suggests Holland. However, we need to go past the masala and chili as being obstructions to pairing Indian food with wine avers Nikhil Agarwal, sommelier and founder, All Things Nice. “For one, we cannot generalise Indian food, and the amount of masala and spice used for a meal to be had with wine can always be controlled. Two, the world of wine is so large with so many styles that there is always a wine out there to go with even the spiciest food available,” explains Agarwal. For instance, try the deadly bhut jolokia in a dish with trockenbeerenauslese from Germany. Spice can always be cut with the fruitiness or sweetness in wine and the bold gravies can always be paired with powerful reds. Even a simple biryani can be enjoyed with a chilled rose. “It’s all about experimentation and unless we open ourselves to giving pairings a chance we'll never know for ourselves just how good Indian food and wine is,” adds Agarwal. Reiterating Agarwal's viewpoint, Craig W Wedge, brand director, FineWinesnMore and Fratelli Wines opines that everything goes with something. For instance, the vibrant acidity of Riesling or Argentine Torrontes, or the crispness of New Zealand Sauvignon or the juiciness of Chenin and
Sonal Holland
Nikhil Agarwal
partner,” explains Wedge. Following a similar path, All Things Nice has been organising educative tastings for the trade or consumers to explain how Indian food and wine can be paired and has been creating experiences revolving around different kinds of Indian cuisines paired with wines. “We take it a step further as well, we pair every course with an Indian and international wine to dismiss another notion that Indian food should be paired with Indian wine only. At Celebrating India's Finest, we even showcased Indian artisanal cheese to go along with the wines,” states Agarwal.
Craig W Wedge
There is lack of knowledge among Indians when it comes to pairing Indian food with wine for most believe that they cannot be paired. Moreover, the trend of Indians consuming wine with food isn't yet that popular in the country as compared to its western counterparts Chardonnay sits well with all types of Indian food, as does the spiciness of cool climate Shiraz or the chewy warmth of Grenache and the velvety smoothness of Merlot.
A flair for taste Unfortunately, in India there is lack of knowledge when it comes to pairing Indian food with wine for most Indians believe that they cannot be paired. “I think that people who don't know too much about wine make their assumptions based on what they read in various publications. Unfortunately, our mediums are also unaware about Indian food and wine pairing so they don't talk about it,” asserts Agarwal. Moreover, the trend of Indians consuming wine with food isn't yet that popular in the country as compared to its western counterparts. It is not what we have been doing for several years. Even ayurvedic principles em-
phasise that we should not be consuming any liquid (even water) for half an hour before or after our meals. But as we are slowly opening up to the concept of food and wine pairing, we are attending wine and food pairing events and dinners. “I have often noticed at these dinners that wine enthusiasts first enjoy the wines, but once the food is at the table, they forget to take sips of wine in between,” explains Holland. Despite the controversy surrounding this marriage between Indian food and wine, hotels, restaurants, wine consultancy firms, and wine importers and distributors across India are taking several initiatives to help demystify this controversy. At ITC Hotels, the aim is to create and curate world-class wine and food experiences for its guests by hosting regular wine pairing events where it showcases how globe's finest
Foreseeing innovation
Indian cuisine can be paired well with the globe's finest wines. Its restaurant (Indian, Pan Asian and European) menus regularly feature recommended wine pairings where it encourages sampling a different glass of wine with each course/dish. “We are also increasingly catering to the corporate world through specially curated wine evenings involving a wine workshop to learn about wines and food pairing concepts, followed by a wine and food paired dinner,” mentions Holland. For FineWinesnMore, it is all about wine first and the 'art of the table' second. “When we built our tasting room, its sole aim was to talk about wine and all its faces. But we now find that our educational platform extends more and more from wine and food events to wine list and menu consulting to all manner of situations where food is considered with wine as a
Innovation is the way forward for Indian food and wine pairing. Increasingly, consumers are enjoying tasting menus where the food is presented in bite size portions that lends itself well to being paired with a 50-60 ml wine pouring. Even with Indian cuisine, which was traditionally served to be shared at the table, there has been more of individually portioned and artistically presented portion sizes. “I also believe that the Tempranillo red grape variety lends itself well to Indian cuisine. It will increasingly feature as a top wine to be paired with Indian food. We are also likely to see a lot of Tempranillo being grown and produced in India over the next few years,” predicts Holland. While Wedge opines that there will be a further opening of food and produce channels from various parts of the world. “Eclectic cuisine and organic are words and forms that I see making a big impact on the market in the not so distant future. As for wines, light bright varietals and things a little bit out of the ordinary will gain prominence. I see food and wine in general becoming more popular. I also foresee people drinking their everyday glass of wine with their everyday home cooked food.”
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cover ) THE CHALLENGES OF
TALENT RETENTION Acquiring the right talent at the right time will always be a key focus in the hospitality industry. With newer hotels and brands entering the Indian market, the human resource departments are adopting strategies to attract and retain the best talent, both fresh and lateral hires BY KAHINI CHAKRABORTY
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eing an industry that is closely linked to the the country's tourism growth, the hospitality sector has been continuously seeing a high number of employee turnover. The two most important reasons for the same being-quality of leadership and overall work culture, and impact on family life. Dissatisfaction with current compensation and benefits, growth opportunities abroad and completing higher studies are also common reasons for attrition across hotels in India. Attrition rates
across hospitality industry in general are unsustainable and probably in the range of 35-40 per cent per year. The reasons are many but the most significant one is no doubt the fact that whilst significant growth in room inventory supply in the last few years has exploded the demand for human capital, the supply especially of quality manpower has severely lagged behind. There is a critical mismatch between skills and talents needed on the one hand and that of supply on the other hand re-
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sulting in the available ‘hot talent’ being pursued by all key industry players leading to short tenures everywhere. Gurmeet Singh, area director of human resource, India Subcontinent, Marriott International Inc opines, “I firmly believe that once people have understood the needs and demands of their particular job, their cultural learning and intellectual stimulation comes to an end rather soon, causing people to lose interest in their jobs and start looking elsewhere.” Re-
taining the right talent has always been an issue in the hospitality sector. The investment that goes into recruiting, training and honing on-the-job skills leads to both tangible and intangible loss when a productive resource leaves the organisation. The entry of international hotel chains and mushrooming of high-end hotels in the tier-II and tier-III cities has been driving the attrition. This apart, cruiseline opportunities are a big lure for hotel management professionals because of non-
taxable big pay hikes. "Off late hospitality professionals have had multiple career options ie multiplexes, retails chains, BPOs, multi-national companies, banks and other financial organisations. Preference for hospitality professionals is on an increase as grooming and etiquette become their second nature," says Geeta A Sundrani, director, Oasis Human Resources, adding that, “hotels want more number of female employees compared to male employees. They look to
(
THE MAIN FOCUS
“Once people have understood the needs and demands of their particular job, their intellectual stimulation comes to an end” Gurmeet Singh, Area director of human resource, India Subcontinent, Marriott International Inc
“Employee attrition to a certain extent is healthy and even desirable” Ashwin Shirali, Regional director, human resources, AccorHotels India
have atleast 20-25 per cent female employees but they are not able to get that many number. A good hotel would have atleast a minimum of 15 per cent female employees.” Carefully formulated longterm strategies need to be worked out to prevent this loss and retain the people asset who hold the key to business survival and growth in the services-focused industry. Commenting on the same, Ashwin Shirali, regional director, human resources, AccorHotels
India states, “Employee attrition to a certain extent is healthy and even desirable as it allows an organisation to let go of the ‘old’ and usher in the ‘new’ in terms of skills, energy, enthusiasm and passion. The challenge is when the level of attrition crosses acceptable levels not only in terms of numbers but also when it is high quality talent that walks out of the door making attrition highly dysfunctional impacting organisational business results.”
Retention strategies Elaborating on the company's different employee retention strategies starting from a trainee to senior employee, Shirali says, “There are differences in retention strategies across the hierarchy as employee expectations and needs are different. We do believe that a happy and satisfied employee will be unlikely to leave in a hurry. At a base level, at AccorHotels, therefore we guarantee for all our associates across all hierarchical levels a
work environment; that is caring, respectful, nurturing, trusting and upholds ones dignity, confidence, well-being and selfesteem; that promotes diversity by forbidding any form of discrimination with regard to gender, age, family situation, race, physical disabilities; that rewards and recognises talent by creating an environment in which any employee can be promoted to any position within the organisation, provided he or she has the necessary skills, personal qualities
“Right attitude and aptitude are important” Ritu S Verma, Regional director, human resources, South Asia Starwood Hotels & Resorts India
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cover )
“At Sarovar we keep ourselves one step ahead and well prepared through proactive recruitment and operational strategies” Zubin Ghiara, VP - human resources and development, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts
“Off late hospitality professionals have had multiple career options ie multiplexes, retails chains, BPOs, multi-national companies, banks and other financial organisations” Geeta A Sundrani, Director, Oasis Human Resources
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and accomplishments; that pays a fair wage and benefits in keeping with the specificities of talent and in tune with market benchmarks; which supports personal development by initiating a career path process when new employees are hired, by anticipating, listening and responding to employee needs and expectations, by regularly conducting opinion surveys to give employees a greater voice within the organisation, by providing all employees with visibility on their career development prospects. For employees who are more senior, the focus apart from the above is aimed at providing superior training and development opportunities to allow them to rise to their full potential; offering multiple platforms to be visible; providing challenging job roles and assignments to allow the employee to improve employable skills and enhance the feeling of self-worth and self-esteem.” AccorHotels in India has a virtual training academie which offers a variety of structured learning experiences to assist employees meet their professional development needs, promote the acquisition and development of skills to improve the quality of service offered to customers. Academie Accor offers more than 150 leadership, behavioural related training and offering different training solutions to various needs. Academie Accor Online University offers training solutions to help managers learn at their own pace. While for Marriott, Singh states, “A people strategy is not effective if it doesn’t include a comprehensive and effective methodology to hold on to the employees whom you’ve worked hard to hire into your organisation. Our retention strategy is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach, and we work with our teams across all our hotel units to aggressively drive retention across all levels and disciplines. One of our key initiatives has been to promote and develop home grown talent at our junior, middle and senior management levels through various different self-paced, online and classroom workshops
Our retention strategy is not a ‘one size fits all’ approach, and we work with our teams across all our hotel units that cater to different requirements of the organisation.” On the other hand, Starwood has multi-pronged strategy for retention which is a part of our overall HR Strategy of ADR (Attract, Develop and Retain). Ritu S Verma, regional director, human resources, South Asia - Starwood Hotels & Resorts India informs, “One of our key strategies - Starwood Careers Month is set to be a refreshed extension of the successful Starwood Careers Day. We are proud to celebrate and focus on Starwood’s distinctiveness that sets us apart passionate people, our 10 compelling lifestyle brands, belonging to something bigger through our involvement in the communities in which we operate; and embracing what’s new through our culture of innovation. Starwood Careers Month will not only focus on recruitment but will also comprise of activities revolved around talent diversity and internal talent career growth and development.” Zubin Ghiara, vice president- human resources and development, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts highlights that at
Sarovar Hotels, the retention strategy begins with the recruitment process. “We ensure that we hire employees who believe in long term commitment and have a desire to grow. We then invest in their learning and growth through continuous training and education schemes. Our team of HR professionals ensure continuous employee engagement initiatives, creating a fun work environment by involving employees in sports, CSR and other talent based activities. We follow a clearly defined appraisal system linked to a variety of reward and recognition programmes. Employees at all levels benefit from Sarovar being a progressive, growing organisation,” he adds.
Key essentials Every hotel wants to attract the best and brightest talent, but management of human capital detemines the success of the future. At Marriott, the company believes in hiring for attitude, training for skill, and developing people for the company’s future growth needs. “Our time tested strategy to recruit employees is spearheaded by peo-
ple who know the hotels best: its own staff. We believe that everyone at Marriott should be and is involved in attracting talent to the company. In addition, every unit HR leader is assigned external talent targets, to bring in to our organisation, and we have seen that such relationship driven initiatives have proved successful at all times of need,” mentions Singh. Verma points out that 'right attitude' and 'aptitude' are important. “We at Starwood hire candidates who have the potential to learn, evolve and grow with the company, those who are willing to embrace the Starwood Cares culture and make a valuable contribution while realising their own personal and professional aspirations. We don’t just provide a job, we provide a career. Inter personal skills, team work, communication skills, empathy and an ability to flex your style are key skills required to excel in this industry,” she adds. Sarovar’s recruitment parameters at the junior level are largely behavioural. At the senior level the company focuses on experiential parameters. “We ensure that all employees joining Sarovar Hotels are career oriented, stable, have a passion for excellence, a strong desire to grow and are customer focused,” stresses Ghiara.
Global practices Starwood recognises that its 145,000 worldwide employees are key to the company’s success. They acknowledge this by recognising 'knowledge and growth through learning' in their value statement. This emphasis on learning enables Starwood employees to continually meet the company’s high standards and keep pace with the constantly changing conditions of the hospitality industry. “Our strategies for ensuring employee retention and growth include creating an inclusive work environment, following a clearly defined vision, mission and credo, creating updated and realistic operational policies and procedures and establishing a safe, fun, performance-driven culture,” emphasises Ghiara.
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cover ) Marriott International is an associate driven organisation its policies and practices resonate with the company’s core philosophy of ‘taking care of the associates so that they take care of the guests’. The company is extremely focused on knowing how the associates feel about working in the organisation, and every year in June, an online engagement survey is conducted across all our 4200 hotels and business units, spread over more than 70 countries and in nearly 24 different languages. This survey reveals the pulse of the organisation, and lets them know how associates rate their work culture amongst the parameters of overall engagement, leadership, teamwork, quality of life at work, and total rewards. This serves as a thermometer to continuously improve year on year, and work towards retaining our associates.
the organisational values and culture to take root and exercise a consistent and meaningful role in the success of the organisation; loss of guest recognition and consequential adverse impact on guest perception and satisfaction; enhanced pressure on remaining team members as there is always a time lag for new staff to come aboard and start delivering; feeling of uncertainty at the work place as familiar faces keep leaving causing even otherwise loyal team members to feel unstable and insecure; inability to build a meaningful talent pool as people are not just around long enough to be judged and evaluated; and continuous
investments in training and development for newly joined associates leading to enhanced costs that could have been avoided. Shirali further mentions, for AccorHotels in India, attrition will be a key challenge going forward and they have an active retention strategy to ensure that key talent and those occupying critical roles remain with the organisation and is developed to staff the growing pipeline. The seven pronged strategy to retain talent spans: Ensuring a non-hierarchical, informal, transparent, culturally sensitive work environment that exemplifies Accor values; early identification of ‘High Performers” and “High
Potential” across all levels and functions in a scientific manner to ensure development and thereby retention; ensure the talent pool has high visibility within the country and outside as well; ensure we pay a premium salary and benefits package to the members of this talent pool that is benchmarked with the best in competition; offer strong, pro-active and tailor made training and development opportunities including on the job missions and special projects to ensure that they are ready to occupy positions of higher responsibility; ensure that the talent that is so developed and trained is deployed in preference
Measures for challenges “Some amount of employee attrition is inevitable,” says Ghiara, adding that, the younger generation of employees would like to see quick progress in their careers. Many are adventurous and would like to explore other industries. “At Sarovar we keep ourselves one step ahead and well prepared through proactive recruitment and operational strategies. We also believe in nurturing relationships with all our employees, past and present. We welcome good performers to return to the team,” he mentions. Acknowledging the fact that every organisation suffers when good people leave, Singh reasons this by stating, “This can be reflected in its customer dissatisfaction, loss of sales, increased of cost of turnover, loss of reputation, reduction in quality of workforce and increased workload of existing employees, to name a few. Healthy attrition is always welcome, as it helps churn in fresh talent and new ideas, however, not to the extent that it becomes overwhelming and alarming.” Pointing at other challenges, Shirali says that enhanced recruitment and retraining costs usually estimated to be close to six months’ salary; inability of
Healthy attrition is always welcome, as it helps churn in fresh talent and new ideas, however, not to the extent that it becomes overwhelming and alarming
24 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD July 16-31, 2015
to all other talent internal and external in the numerous opportunities that arise in the Group; and India wide Recognition Rewards across all functions and levels that brings on centre stage the best talent and allows our associates to see how merit is rewarded. Ghiara boasts, “In the 20 years I have worked with Sarovar Hotels, I have witnessed an organisation with no politics, freedom to function, rewards for results achieved and growth in the team at each and every level of the organisation. The ethics and values on which the organisation rests, the policies that interpret those values and the positive physical work environment make Sarovar the strongest player in the hospitality field.” The first Marriott hotel in India opened in Goa in 1998. In 2015, the company has 28 operating hotels in India across various brands and locations, and a staff strength of nearly 7,500. Elaborating on the same, Singh says, “Today we can boast about our crop of home grown senior managers who started their careers with us as line level associates or as supervisors – 90 per cent of our senior leadership has been grown from within, including some of our general managers, and this is testament to our culture to promote and develop talent from within. We run our own internal executive and managerial development programmes at each of our units, and nearly 95 per cent of our junior management has been developed and promoted from within, and this has played a key role in our retention as well as Marriott being the best employer in the hospitality industry for the past so many years.” Marriott's hiring philosophy is simple - hiring for attitude and training for skill. “Our associate-driven culture; and our passion for developing our people has been the key reason why our company has been recognised as a Best Employer for the past 10 continuous years in India,” highlights Singh. At Accor, at their India hotels over 45 per cent of the managerial teams are staffed from within and over 80 per cent of their general managers are from within the existing talent pool.
STRATEGY
MARKETING YOUR RESTAURANT WITH LIMITED BUDGET A restaurant is an important source of revenue for any hotel. Surya Kanta Jana talks about the many out-of-the-box efforts which can ensure that a hotel restaurant can add to the bottomline in today's competitive times
A
restaurant can be a great advantage to a hotel - it introduces an extra resource of revenue, adjoins to the base line, and is an eye-catching feature for guests. Running a restaurant from within a hotel also guarantees a positive amount of business coming your way. Restaurants with a ‘celebrity’ or renowned chef, and ones associated with familiar, well-liked brands have a superior chance of breaking through the stigma linked with being a hotel restau-
rant. Customer entrance is an additional key part as exterior openings separate from hotel lobbies assist to present the restaurant as an impartial entity. With the right promotion, within the hotel and outside of it, restaurateurs can determine the amount of business occurring ahead of hotel guests. Depending on where you live, the chances to promote your hotel restaurant will differ; though, there are a number of different methods that you can try to amplify your exposure and raise
your restaurant’s status.
Involve in public events Nonprofit groups and businesses frequently hold profit and blowouts to lift money for a reason or an association and want restaurants to contribute food and effort. While these proceedings do not straightforwardly get public in your restaurant, they can afford publicity to new spectators. Satisfying every request that comes your way is not possible, so it is significant to choose the right community proceed-
ings. Consider the dimension of the occasion and select ones that will present the maximum amount of coverage without getting lost in the mix. Put your best foot forward and provide one of your best signature dishes so that people are forced to come back to your restaurant and try other dishes on your menu.
Cause marketing Cause marketing is a type of marketing that engage the mutual efforts of a for profit business and a nonprofit organisa-
Surya Kanta Jana
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DELHI HOSPITALITY MARKET tion for common benefit. If done appropriately, cause marketing can make regular business for your restaurant. Say for example; a Dine for a Purpose benefit that associates a restaurant with a limited or nationwide cause. You can prefer to give a segment of the payoffs from specific dishes or drinks or from whole meals on a selected date or dates. This type of attempt will correlate optimistic thoughts with your restaurant and fetch people in more habitually.
Active media plan Media relations are an essential element of any flourishing marketing campaign. With today’s growing media scenery, there are various types of channels that you should be engaging with on a regular basis including broadcast, print and digital/social. Apart from the news stations, start involving with some of the local food bloggers in and around your city. These people have a lot of influence on the local society and can be a great resource for your business. It will be a mistake if we didn’t
take in social media as a part of your promotion. Social media is an important platform to connect with clients and is rather easy to add in. You can often post new recipes of unique or seasonal dishes on Facebook and share photos and updates on Twitter. Connect fans and persuade them to share their input, for example, ask them to select the next special for the menu through a selection process. Lastly, make a YouTube channel for your restaurant. Short cooking displays are comparatively easy to put together and upload to YouTube. You can also post them on your Facebook page and tweet the links through Twitter. Video posts regularly acquire the most concentration complied by pictures. Social media is somewhat through which you can incorporate as much or as little as you want. The more energetic and appealing you are, the more helpful it will be to your business. How can you bring success to your restaurant without marketing? As we’ve seen with the alternative above, one sure ex-
Make a YouTube channel for your restaurant. Short cooking displays are comparatively easy to put together and upload to YouTube.You can also post them on your Facebook page and tweet the links through Twitter pense in use of a restaurant is marketing. What if the hotel has determined that there is no advantage to marketing the restaurant owing to its position or less budget for any particular campaign? How can a Food and Beverage division show a profit on what becomes a pleasant amenity to the guest ?
Unique events An additional way to fill seats is to work additionally with your local wine and liquor dealers to set up special happenings in the restaurant space. Dinners served in numerous courses and
balancing it with wine and beer and other comparable events have turn out to be accepted over the past few years. These days, we’re seeing a growing tendency with whiskey tasting banquets as well. By functioning with liquor representatives, you can frequently get exceptional pricing to help trim down the expense and boost your profit. Moreover, they can assist to promote the event through their database and tap other links to fill up the space with the preferred figure of people. These particular events offer you an opportunity to showcase your
restaurant; your chef, staff to people that may not have otherwise stepped into the restaurant.
Closing for meal periods It is significant to note once more that breakfast is a must for most AAA ratings. If administration discusses closing during lunch and/or dinner, they must also think of an alternate position outside the hotel – such as a lounge - for diners to go to. Without a well known chef or brand name at the back of your hotel restaurant, times are challenging in a hard-hitting surroundings. Whether the executive management team wants to assign funds to the marketing of the restaurant or has determined to hold off, there are strategies that you can utilise in your hotel restaurant to boost income, fetch in more external customers or reorganise your procedures. At times it involves being original with your liberty, mounting joint venture and thinking outside the box. (The writer is general manager, Hive Alwar)
RESEARCH
What drives loyalty programs? A report says features and benefits prove key to member satisfaction regardless of the number of hotel brand locations
H
OTEL LOYALTY and reward program features and benefits - earning and redeeming rewards - prove key to member satisfaction regardless of the number of hotel brand locations, according to the J D Power 2015 Hotel Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report released recently. The report measures customer satisfaction by examining six factors (in order of importance): account maintenance/management (23 per cent); ease of redeeming points/miles (22 per cent); ease of earning points/miles (18 per cent); reward program terms (16 per cent); variety of benefits (16 per cent); and customer service (5 per cent). Satisfaction is measured on a 1,000point scale. Overall satisfaction with hotel loyalty/rewards programs improves to 701 in 2015 from 676 in 2014. Although all brands ranked in the study have varying number of hotel locations, program loyalty /reward currency value resonates with program members driving satisfaction. For brands with many and convenient locations, members earn points each time they stay, and the points they accumulate can be redeemed for a variety of goods and services including future hotel stays, shopping, dining, travel and transportation, or the points may even be gifted/donated. Brands with a lesser number of locations may not have a point system, but might offer a tiered system whereby members can earn level-based privileges, such as free upgrades and hotel credit. “Given that the ease of redeeming and earning points/miles are two the of the top three factors driving satis-
faction across all hotel loyalty/rewards programs, it’s important to recognise the power of perception when it comes to program benefits. Loyalty/Rewards brands that satisfy the needs of their members are more likely to build loyalty and drive recommendations via word of mouth and
positive reviews,” says Rick Garlick, global travel and hospitality practice lead at J D Power.
Key findings There is a significant 134 point gap in overall satisfaction between members who have the ability to earn points when
making product and/or service purchases (819) and those who do not (685); the next largest gap (119 points) is in the ability to earn points at restaurants (802 vs. 683, respectively). Word of mouth is a key driver of member satisfaction. Satisfaction is highest among the 11 per cent of members who
choose their loyalty program based on positive reviews award or online ratings - (815) and is second highest among the 14 per cent of members who choose based on the program’s reputation (800). Convenience of location is the primary reason customers enroll in hotel loyalty/rewards programs, with 41 per cent of members choosing their program based on convenience of locations where they travel. Satisfaction with loyalty programs is highest among Gen Y members (745), compared with an average of all other generational groups in the study (692), which includes Pre-Boomers, Boomers, Gen X and Gen Z. Additionally, satisfaction among Gen Y members is highest across all factors, averaging 28 points higher than the other generations. Further, their loyalty is on par with other generational groups. Recommendation from hotel staff continues to be a key driver of customer awareness and adoption of hotel loyalty programs, with 41 per cent of members learning of their rewards program from a hotel employee during checkin/check-out, down from 43 per cent in 2014. Among members who are delighted (providing a rating of 10 on a 10-point scale) with the variety of program benefits available, 86 per cent say they “definitely will” recommend their loyalty/rewards program. The 2015 Hotel Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report is based on responses from more than 2,900 US consumers who have joined a hotel loyalty plan. Invitations to participate in the online survey were sent via email to panelists in February 27, 2015, through March 9, 2015.
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EVENT TRACKER Date
Event
Venue
July 17 - 20, 2015
TCFB Taichung
Taichung (Taiwan)
September 6 - 8, 2015
Specialty Chocolate Fair
London
September 6 - 8, 2015
Speciality Chocolate Fair
London (UK)
September 18 - 20, 2015
Inter-Tabac
Dortmund (Germany)
September 24 - 26, 2015
Coffee International Fair
Belo Horizonte (Brazil)
Sept 28 - Oct 1, 2015
Food Hospitality World
Panjim, Goa
October 2015
Organic Trade Forum
Cologne (Germany)
October 1 - 3, 2015
World Tea & Coffee Expo
Mumbai (India)
October 2 - 4, 2015
Tulburel
Chisinau (Moldova)
October 6 - 8, 2015
Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show
Orlando, FL (USA)
October 6 - 9, 2015
HORECA Ukraine
Kiev (Ukraine)
October 8 - 10, 2015
Herbal Asia
Kuala Lumpur
October 23 - 25, 2015
Coffee Fest
Portland, OR (USA)
October 23 - 27, 2015
Host Milan
Italy
October 1 - 30, 2015
Iran HVAC&R
Tehran (Iran)
November 2015
Coffee Expo
Guangzhou (China)
November 2015
Tea Expo
Macau
November 1 - 3, 2015
GASTE
Leipzig (Germany)
November 3 - 5, 2015
Restaurant. Shop. Hotel
Minsk (Belarus)
November 17 - 20, 2015
SIMEI
Milan (Italy)
November 21 - 25, 2015
IGEHO
Basle (Switzerland)
December 1 - 3, 2015
VS Pack
Cognac (France)
December 7 - 8, 2015
Hospitality Facilities Management Forum – Sarasota
Sarasota, FL (USA)
December 14 - 15, 2015
World Tobacco Middle East
Dubai
February 15 -17, 2016
Vinisud (exhibition of Mediterranean wines and spirits)
Montpellier (France)
February 15 -17, 2016
Food & Bev Live
February 7 - 10, 2016
SMAHRT
Toulouse (France)
April 12 - 15, 2016
FHA
Singapore
July 25 - 27, 2016
WINETECH
Adelaide (Australia)
September 21 - 23, 2016
Fi Asia
Jakarta
November 29 – Dec 1, 2016
Vinitech-SIFEL
February 2017
Tecnovid (vine-growing techniques and equipment show)
Zaragoza (Spain)
March 19- 22, 2017
Bibac Expo
Antwerp
September 11 -15, 2017
Drinktec (beverage technology)
Munich (Germany)
28 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD July 16-31, 2015
Dublin (Ireland)
Bordeaux (France)
TECH BYTES
No child's play Nickelodeon Suites Resort expands family markets with digital marketing
T
he Nickelodeon Suites Resort has produced millions of dollars in additional revenue and repeat business with Digital Alchemy's email and social media outreach. Nickelodeon Suites Resort's digital marketing for hotels ensures its whimsical style of family fun stays on guests' radar between visits. The Nick Hotel was once a Holiday Inn Resort. In 2005 the property converted to a familythemed independent. Nick Hotel is affiliated with Nickelodeon, a leading children's cable channel. The property brings Nickelodeon's programming to life for guests and their families. Kids mingle with show characters and the property’s entertainment team conducts poolside casting for nightly Double Dare Live shows in its very own Studio Nick. Best of all, a 400gallon tank of Nickelodeon’s signature green goo stands ready to slime courageous guests daily. "The property’s new life as a themed independent was our opportunity to innovate," says Tony Aslanian, Nickelodeon Suites Resort’s director of sales, marketing and revenue strategy. The property chose Digital Alchemy for advanced CRM and targeted digital marketing. Digital Alchemy also provides secure, cloud-based data collection and warehousing to track, deliver and retrieve guest information for effective marketing. "Digital Alchemy's E-Relationship tool interfaces directly with our PMS and Nick Hotel Club database. Digital Alchemy mines guest data for stay-date preferences, favourite activities and other information to create customised email messages with very high open and response
rates,” explains Aslanian. The system also sends personalised automatic-response confirmations, pre-stay messages, thank you notes, and guest satisfaction surveys. He adds, "75 per cent of our marketing budget is digital. Our primary marketing partner is Digital Alchemy. We meet monthly to analyse marketing campaigns and assess results. We review message effectiveness and how we utilise the data to reach target segments. We attribute millions of dollars in revenue to Digital Alchemy’s email strategies. We've seen the US$ 20,000 - 30,000 in revenue from typical campaigns jump to US$ 100,000 -150,000 with Digital Alchemy’s best practices." Prior to Digital Alchemy, Nickelodeon Suites Resorts was e-blasting to its entire database twice a month. But open rates dropped, opt-outs climbed and ROI sagged. Digital Alchemy recommended that Aslanian’s team segment campaigns based on location, past stay dates, and which guests opened property emails. The Nick Hotel also created messages that established a conversation with recipients with an appropriate call to action. Open rates for Nick Hotel's newsletter jumped from 9.6 per cent to 30.5 per cent for segmented campaigns in 2015 and ROI also climbed 300 per cent for some campaigns during this time period. "When we include a specific benefit in the subject line, 'book now and save 20 per cent,’ the ROI jumps. The word 'free' – as in 'book one night; get one free' – also boosts ROI. Video clips generate more interaction. So does a ‘book now’ button,” says Aslanian. He also talks about how today the Nick Hotel focuses on mobile marketing. "A majority of guests use mobile to access our
emails,. "The subject line is important for mobile and the first 20-30 characters must capture the recipient’s attention. Digital Alchemy designed our mobile guest satisfaction survey. And we created easy 'click to call' navigation. We have an incredible open rate on mobile marketing with over 22 percent of our revenue booked through the mobile platform in 2015. This is a 105 per cent increase from 2014,” he reveals. The Nick Hotel leverages social media for its current marketing success. Early Facebook testing looks extremely promising. "Digital Alchemy integrated Facebook messaging with our email campaigns. We have over 125,000 Facebook fans, a very high level of response to our messages, and a relatively low cost per 1,000. We have more than 20 times the industry standard shares for this type of campaign. Digital Alchemy is certified and experienced in social media marketing for hotels. It is a valuable marketing partner,” concludes Aslanian.
When we include a specific benefit in the subject line, 'book now and save 20 per cent,’ the ROI jumps. The word 'free' – as in 'book one night; get one free' – also boosts ROI FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD
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July 16-31, 2015
TECH IN THE NEWS
Connecting with the new age traveller Sabre releases new travel trend report: The Future of Hotel Booking – A Guide to Hotel Retailing
S
abre Corporation recently released a new travel trend report that outlines a clear path to help hoteliers successfully retail to modern travellers. Sabre’s report, The Future of Hotel Booking – A Guide to Hotel Retailing, explores recent technological innovations within retail, tech, media and travel industries and offers practical, actionable recommendations to help hotels apply these practices to a successful retailing strategy. The report identifies 10 distinct trends powered by technology within three key focus areas – World as Media, Intimate Intelligence and Instant Service – and examines the applications to the hospitality industry. The explosion of consumerfacing technology services has multiplied the paths to purchase and inundated consumers with information from price comparisons and reviews to promotions and deals. While this rapidly expanding travel marketplace is an advantage to travellers, it presents a challenge for hotel brands looking to connect with their guests in a meaningful way, particularly when it comes to booking a stay. As a result, hotels must develop retailing strategies across channels including online, social media, mobile apps and aggregation websites to meet connected travellers’ growing demand for interactive, personal and immediate
service and offerings. Alex Alt, president, Sabre Hospitality Solutions, says,“Technology presents the single largest untapped opportunity in the hospitality industry today. The goal of this report is to help hotel owners, operators and brands leverage the retailing best practices of other industries into successful strategies to grow revenue and cultivate loyalty.” The report’s key findings on hotel retailing success include: Convert through context: Whether offering deals or perks at the right moment or providing relevant follow-ups or reminders, technology increases conversion rates by capitalising on moments when travellers are more inclined to complete a transaction. Reduce friction: Technology that identifies pertinent booking details, uses known data to auto-fill forms or creates one-click transactions can close the gap between discovery and purchase and smooth the booking process. Sync the cross-channel experience: Integrated technology systems can share data across channels and devices so travellers have a unified and consistent experience at every stage of the purchase path regardless of where they book. Help guests envision the ideal trip: Virtual reality and live-streaming platforms allow hotel brands to immerse their
30 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD July 16-31, 2015
guests in the sights, sounds and feel of a destination before booking. Use customer data and preferences to treat guests like old friends: Every interaction that a customer has with a brand’s digital or physical property gives the hotel insights to uniquely tailor every touch point with that individual guest. Sabre solicited input from some of its hotel customers in preparing the report. Hotel operators confirmed their desire to take a customer-centric approach to retailing: Kristie Goshow, senior vice president, commercial Viceroy Hotels & Resorts
commented on the importance of an omni-channel strategy in achieving Viceroy’s retail goals. “Our goal is to engage consumers on their path from discovery to purchase. We must sell the way our customers wish to buy and ultimately, that means we need to distribute ourselves ‘brilliantly’ across all consumer facing touch points,” she said. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants distribution director Nadine Pagel spoke on the importance of creating a unique, personal experience for Kimpton guests. “In the decisionmaking process, first impressions are paramount. We
believe in delivering highly personalised guest service anchored by local insights and recommendations, all before you even walk in the door – that’s what makes the Kimpton experience truly unique,” commented Pagel. In addition, The Future of Hotel Booking shows how the identified trends could impact the traveller experience by looking at five different scenarios that follow travellers with differing needs and reasons to travel throughout their booking journeys. The Future of Hotel Booking was commissioned by Sabre and conducted by PSFK Labs.
HOT SEAT
A pioneer's path One of the leaders of the Indian hospitality industry who pioneered the concept of entering the secondary and tertiary markets almost two decades back, Anil Madhok, managing director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts, talks about his life's journey By Sudipta Dev
H
ad a young Anil Madhok joined the Army, instead of appearing for an interview with the Oberoi Hotels just 25 days before he was supposed to join the Indian Military Academy, it would have inked a different story in Indian hospitality. The year was 1966. “The Oberoi Hotels had advertised for management trainees. I think May 23rd I had joined them while the date for reporting to IMA was June 17th,” says Anil Madhok, managing director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts. He considers the 25 years he had spent with the Oberoi Group as probably his best years. “It is a great institution to learn from and luckily I did very well,” he says. He was a GM and VP operations, and was abroad with them for five years - in Colombo and Singapore. After he left the Oberoi Hotels, Madhok went to Dubai for 18 months which gave him time to introspect. “I had by then decided that I wanted to work for myself. I strongly believe if you succeed in a company there is no reason why you can't succeed for yourself. Options were going into fast food, starting a restaurant chain, getting into catering, these didn't appeal to me as a main focus,” he says, pointing out that he couldn't fight with the big boys then. “Big hotels meant big money - someone spending `200-300 crore would be unlikely to look at me as I did not have the infrastructure that I have now,” he states, adding that when he went to smaller cities he was shocked at the condition of hotels. There were a lot of small owners who had properties but did not know what to do about it.
A different league Sarovar Hotels was founded in 1994. The excellent reception Madhok found in these small cities took him by surprise. “People were very keen to have a professionally managed company manage their hotels. What I did was immediately set up sixseven sales offices as I knew the first question would be - how will you fill up my hotel?” he adds. There was also a government rule that anybody with over `five crore loan if he wasn't a hotelier had to bring in a management company. Then Tourism Finance Corporation Of India (TFCI) asked Madhok about his experience in international market. “At that time I had a friend in Park Inn and Park Plaza, they had been to India and didn't succeed. So I talked to them and signed a franchise for India without any payment. At least when I went to TFCI I could tell that I have a foreign brand too,” he remarks. That was just the beginning. Today the company operates about 70 hotels with plans to reach the target of 100 properties in three years. Institutional catering is one the segments Madhok plans to particularly focus on in the future. “We started 15 years ago with ISB in Hyderabad, we are now doing IIM Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Kozhikode, along with HUL Training Centre,” he mentions. Sarovar Hotels entered Africa 15 years ago, but the real interest happened in the last four-five years. “We now have three hotels in Africa, and the fourth one is coming up. The hotels are in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam,” informs Madhok. Having pioneered a whole
new concept in Indian hospitality of entering the tier II and tier III cities, it is interesting to know Madhok's views of the current trend with global hospitality majors entering these markets. “In the beginning it was different when we were the only ones. In view of the competition coming in we are constantly upgrading our infrastructure and in a management company infrastructure means systems, latest technology and people. You have to make sure that you are better and competitive. Luckily we have the cost advantage as these foreign companies operate at high costs,” he points out.
Matter of integrity
Anil Madhok
People were very keen to have a professionally managed company manage their hotels. What I did was immediately set up six-seven sales offices as I knew the first question would be - how will you fill up my hotel?
Acknowledging that today word of mouth reputation can make or break a company, Madhok stresses on the importance of integrity, “Today we deal with 90 owners, we follow the principles and there is complete transparency. It is their asset that we are controlling so obviously they have reason to be concerned. Today nobody asks us anything, but one has to build that relationship. I have seen too many management companies come and go.” He has some sound advice for the young breed of hoteliers. “They should first make a career in the hotel industry. It is essential for them to learn and not to be in a hurry. And when they do start their own business they should not be in a hurry to make profit,” he asserts. On a personal front, he says his biggest entertainment is to catch up with three grand children. “I like to read. I am going to be 70 soon. I lead a fairly disciplined life, which is good,” he concludes with a smile.
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July 16-31, 2015
MOVEMENTS Accor Hotels LOUISE DALEY has been appointed as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Accor Hotels Asia Pacific. She has worked at AccorHotels for 25 years in senior executive roles and as the company’s representative on joint venture businesses, she was previously CEO for Accor Plus. Prior to this, Daley was CFO for Accor in the Pacific, as well as director of Accor’s joint ventures Accor Vacation Club, Reef Casino Cairns (a public company), executive health solutions and Accor Advantage Plus. In addition to these roles, she was chairman of the Accor Corporate Social Responsibility Com-
Novotel Imagica Khopoli. Srirangam’s international experience of handling leading MICE, leisure and wedding properties is the biggest asset for Novotel Imagica Khopoli. He has worked in countries like Dubai, Egypt, Abu Dhabi, Canada, Bermuda and the Caribbean. He has opened Novotel Hyderabad Airport and launched Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences.
JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity has appointed COREY E ASATO as chef de cuisine at Akira Back, the sig-
Cybiz Superbrands
Giovanni Ricci
sador Hotel in San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy as the chef de partie. Between 1992- 1999 he worked as sous chef at various places like Hotel Sabbiadoro in San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy, Club Hotel in Riccione, Italy, Restaurant Amici of Fridland, Germany to name a few.
RezNext has announced additions to its senior management team. Joining the company are BALAJI VISWANATHAN as chief financial officer, BARTI
SOMAASUNDARAM as chief technology officer, DHIRAJ TRIVEDI as president, revenue management services and RON BIALKOWSKI as senior VP operations. Viswanathan has over 18 years of experience working with blue chip companies in
Balaji Viswanathan
Dhiraj Trivedi
Barti Somaasundaram
Ron Bialkowski
RezNext
Louise Daley
Chef Corey E Asato
mittee in the Pacific. She now takes on one of the most senior roles within AccorHotels Asia Pacific, working closely with chairman and CEO, Michael Issenberg and the executive team.
nature restaurant that specialises in Japanese cuisine with a Korean essence. He started his career in January 2004 as kitchen manager for UNLV International Gaming Institute Banquet Hall, Las Vegas, Nevada. In May 2009, he moved on to co-own his own company- Island Breeze Lunch Wagon and Catering- Las Vegas, NV. Following this stint, he then worked as the sous chef at Island Sushi and Hawaiian Grill @ Plaza Hotel and Casino- Las Vegas, NV before moving to Kumi Japanese Bar + Restaurant By Akira Back @ Mandalay Bay Hotel.
SRINIVAS SRIRANGAM has been appointed as general manager of the soon to be launched
Srinivas Srirangam
GIOVANNI RICCI has been appointed as Italian chef de cuisine at K3, JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity. He started his career as a commis chef at Hotel Dolomiti in San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy. After this stint, he joined Ambas-
32 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD July 16-31, 2015
PUNEET VERMA has been appointed as CEO, Cybiz Superbrands. He was amongst the core team of five individuals who established the RE/MAX brand in India, thereby making him an integral part of the Cybiz family. Since his induction over eight years ago, he has added a lot of value to the group by conducting intensive research and surveys and infusing his theoretical insights into practical knowledge. He has trained over 50 batches of franchise sales consultants under his supervisionand
has conducted over 400 Franchise Roadshows, Seminars, Expos across India.
India and the Middle East. At RezNext, he will be responsible for leading finance functions, compliance and regulatory matters and driving improvements through financial business transformation. Somaasundaram will be responsible for strengthening the technology platform, identifying new opportunities to expand product features and offerings and providing a robust technology infrastructure to RezNext’s growing customer base. He has over 14 years of expertise in the travel technology industry where he has held various leadership roles across software development, technical operations and test engineering disciplines. Trivedi will lead the revenue management service function delivering industry leading revenue consulting for RezNext’s customers, helping them maximise their revenue potential. Bialkowski will lead efforts to consolidate account management, onboarding and support functions to scale up operations as the company quickly expands across markets. He has over three decades of experience in the travel technology space managing multiple IT functions including applications development, quality assurance, project office, and data warehousing.
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maxellplastindia@hotmail.com July 16-31, 2015 43
weekend
Scene and heard
With Marcellus Baptista
Take a bao!
Suchitra Pillai and Narayani Shastri at the launch of Brewbot Eatery & Pub Brewery
Brew for you AN EXCLUSIVE MICROBREWERY came to town with the launch of Brewbot Eatery & Pub Brewery. The cheer was on at the party to encourage guests to sample the freshly-brewed beer. On offer was a variety of in-house craft beers created by international award-winning brewer Julie Bagget. Conceptualised and founded by Ketan Gohel, Anand Morwani and Ansh Seth, the launch party co-hosted by Suchitra Pillai saw the likes of Shruti Haasan, Rajneesh Duggal, Shruti Seth, Gauri Pradhan, Manasi Scott, Sandhya Mridul, Shveta Salve, Shibani Kashyap. Narayani Shastri and Vikram Raizada. The funky and quirky interior, designed by Ayaz Basrai of The Busride Project, was much admired as were the brews with signature tastes, aroma and identity, complemented by some fantastic food.
FOODIES WERE IN for a treat as The Fatty Bao, the Asian dining and fun bar experience that has been a hit in Bengaluru, came to Mumbai. There were two celebratory evenings, hosted by Sabina and A D Singh, MD, Olive Bar and Kitchen along with chef Manu Chandra and Chetan Rampal, both partners of The Fatty Bao. Guests relished the delicious baos, pork belly, brie tempura, dim sums as also the signature cocktails like Bora? Bora, Mickey Ninja and Fatty Sour. The interiors designed by Anshu Arora with Ayeshe Sadr and Ishaan Dasgupta of 211 Studio contributing to the joyful art on the walls were much appreciated. The arches framed almost all private dining spaces and created cozy nooks, yet maintained a visual connect with the main space. Neha Dhupia, Rahul Bose, Eli Avram, Simone Singh, and others were there.
Shriya Saran at the launch of The Fatty Bao
Alfonso Del Portillo at the Diageo Reserve World Class at China House
Raising the bar SHAKING AND STIRRING UP the action at China House were 20 mixologists competing in the seventh edition of the Diageo Reserve World Class. Alfonso Del Portillo from Drinks on MG, Bangalore, adjudged India Bartender of the Year, will represent India and compete with the world’s best bartenders at the Diageo Reserve World Class Global Finals in Cape Town in September. Runner-up Bensan Varghese from Arola, JW Marriott, Mumbai and second runner-up Mayur Marne from Hakkasan, Mumbai were also impressive. The top 20 bartenders were judged by Bhavesh Somaya, Head of Luxury, United Spirits Ltd, Will Thompson, Global Brand Ambassador, Don Julio, Alex Sanchez, Executive Chef, The Table, Zbigniew Zapert, Reserve Brand Ambassador India and Nicholas Ord, Reserve Brand Ambassador India.
Daddy dearest THE SMOOTH AND MELLOW Johnnie Walker Blue Label with its rounded nose and dry smokiness was happily sipped at the Johnnie Walker Blue Label #DateWithDad night at Taj Lands End. This splendid soiree to celebrate a father’s unmatched guidance and inspirational role in an individual’s life saw actor-producer John Abraham present a fitting tribute to his father Abraham John as they came together for the unique campaign. Moderating the proceedings with finesse was Boman Irani. And as part of the Johnnie Walker Blue Label #DateWithDad campaign, three winners got an opportunity to dedicate a message to their father and also win goodies. John Abraham, Bhavesh Somaya, Abraham John and Boman Irani at the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Date with Dad night at Taj Lands End
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weekend
E V E N T S
GASTRONOMIC DELIGHT Khushii, a non-governmental organisation led by a team of philanthropists and headed by former cricketer Kapil Dev, treated 60 under-privileged children to food at The Epicuria Mall, Nehru Place
NEW BEGINNING Ashwin Rodrigues, winemaker and founder of Good Earth Wines at a classical soiree held by Karl Lutchmayer to relaunch Good Earth Wines in India
INDIA'S FINEST (Right) Nikhil Agarwal, sommelier and founder of All Things Nice at the third edition of ‘Celebrating India’s Finest’, an evening recognising winners of the ‘Indian Wine Consumer Choice Awards' 2015 held at Le Pain Quotidien, Mumbai
FAIRY TALE EXTRAVAGANZA Disney’s 'Beauty and the Beast', jointly produced by Broadway Entertainment Group and NETworks Presentations with Garuda Indonesia as the official airline sponsor, opened at The Venetian Theatre in Macao
GREEN FOCUS NanoWin High-Tech Foldable Electric Scooter at the Taiwan Green Products Pavilion, organised by the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT), MOEA, Taiwan, and implemented by the Green Trade Project Office (GTPO), at Inorbit Mall, Mumbai
GRAND LAUNCH (Third from left) Chef Ranveer Brar, MasterChef India judge, celebrity chef and brand ambassador of SunGold Kiwifruit in India at the launch of Zespri International's SunGold Kiwifruit in the country
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July 16-31, 2015
weekend
E V E N T S
HEALTHY INITIATIVE Hotel Marine Plaza, Mumbai on the occasion of 'International Yoga Day' organised yoga classes at the hotel
EXPANDING PORTFOLIO InterContinental Hotels Group recently signed a management agreement with a real-estate investor and developer in Vietnam, M I K Corporation for a 300 room Crowne Plaza hotel on the island of Phu Quoc
SPECIAL EVENING Sula Selections, the import arm of Sula Vineyards and the exclusive importer and distributor of Hardys wines of Australia in India recently hosted Australian cricket legend Glenn McGrath (right) on his first tour of India as Hardys Brand Ambassador at the Cricket Club of India, Mumbai
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July 16-31, 2015
SCALING HEIGHTS The Concierge Association of the Western Region Concierges, led by its leader Albert Amanna from the InterContinental Hotel, climbed about 2500 feet above sea level to deliver raincoats, books and basic stationery to a village school there
POPULARITY VOTES Let’s Relax Spa, a day spa chain managed by Siam Wellness Group Public, has been awarded 'Best of Spa' at ‘The Best of Thailand Awards Voted by Chinese Tourists’ organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand at the Central Post Office in Bangrak, Bangkok
DISCOVERING MUMBAI Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel hosted a local excursion for its guests and the local community to celebrate its fourth annual Global Day of Discovery in the city
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