Hotel Business Review (January-February 2015) by Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd

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Jan-Feb ’15

Editorial

HOTEL Business Review

HOTEL B u s i n e s s

R e v i e w

An Exclusive Business Magazine for the Hotel Industry

Publisher cum Editor

Rajneesh Sharma

rajneeshhammer@gmail.com

Associate Editor

Swarnendu Biswas Resident Editor

Sharmila Chand (Delhi) Ashok Malkani (Mumbai) Layout & Design

Hari Kumar V Narender Kumar

Production Assistant

Mamta Sharma

Business Co-ordinator

Pooja Anand

Advertising Sales

Delhi: Debabrata Nath, Sumesh Sharma Mumbai: Rajesh Tupsakhre Subscription Sales

Dattaram Gangurde Director Sales

Sanjay Anand

Director Operations & Finance

Rajat Taneja

Editorial & Advertising Offices: Delhi:

Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 1202, Pragati Tower, 26, Rajindra Place, New Delhi-110008, India Phone: 91-11-45084903, 25854103 Telefax: 91-11-25854105 Mumbai:

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E-mail: hammerpublishers@vsnl.net Website: www.hbrmag.com © 2015 Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. No article can be reproduced in part or as whole without prior permission of the Publisher. Hammer Hotel Business Review is a bi-monthly magazine, printed and published by Rajneesh Sharma on behalf of Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 1202, Pragati Tower, 26 Rajindra Place, New Delhi. Printed at Print Creations, C-112/3, Basement, Naraina Industrial Area, Phase- 1, New Delhi 110 028. Annual Subscription rate within India is Rs. 450 and overseas US $110, for surface mail. Single issue is available for Rs. 90 in India and US $25 overseas. Cheques are payable to Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. Editorial Policy : Editorial emphasis in Hammer Hotel Business Review

magazine is on educational & informational material specifically designed to assist those responsible for managing instututional Hotel business. Articles are welcome and will be published on the sole discretion of the editor.

Jan-Feb ’15

Revenues of the hotel industry in India are growing, but the revenue growth and profitability in the industry are still not encouraging. Succinctly, by and large, the Indian hotel industry is still grappling with the gap between more supply and less demand, which in turn is resulting in muted revenue growth. This is the right period for innovations to bloom in this industry. Their introduction and sustained continuation can give a significant boost to the ARRs across Indian hospitality industry, even in the short-run. It can be safely believed that out-of-the box innovations for the Indian hospitality industry of the present and near future are expected to be channelised through the route of post-modern information technology and the perennial values of personalised avenues of guest satisfaction. In fact, marrying technology with personal touch should be the mantra to attract the new generation of discerning guests from domestic and inbound segment. Already many creative measures to attract the guests are very much forthcoming across the industry. In the Cover Story of this issue, we have discussed some innovative steps taken by the hotels to attract guests and increase revenues. Of course, the use of sophisticated technology to market a hotel or to enhance guest satisfaction of a hotel and carrying out professionally impeccable personalised hospitality to complement these techno savvy measures are needed for bringing about success in today’s hotel business. But they are necessary factors and not sufficient ones for bringing about enduring success in the Indian hotel business of the present times. There are other parameters to be taken into account too for ensuring long-term success in the Indian hotel business. For example, difference in the quality in the management of personnel can make the difference between a successful and a relatively less successful or unsuccessful hotel operations. Reward points program is another pragmatic measure towards facilitating a hotel’s success. The various ways to make the hotel business a successful enterprise are being discussed in our Business Story. In the Feature section, we have covered a unique resort, where most of the guests do not come for a conventional holiday as such, but for getting cured of their ailments. And most of the guests at the resort are inbound tourists. More resorts or rather holistic health retreats like the one covered here can give a much needed momentum to our tourism and hospitality sector. We have also covered the newly launched Zone By The Park —Coimbatore in our regular Property section. The hotel is slated to be a haven of social interaction for modern business and leisure tourists. Bar, if creatively positioned can raise the bar of a hotel or a resort, both in terms of reputation and revenues, and thankfully many hospitality properties of these days are realising this. In the F&B section, we have explored the pragmatic ways in which bar and lounge can appreciably enhance the hotel’s business. Overall, some interesting industry related topics are being presented here between the pages of this issue, which we hope our regular readers as well as the new readers at Aahar 2015 would appreciate. Of course, as is our tradition, the opinions and perspectives of the articles and features are complemented by the hard-nosed facts of our News and Events section to give our readers an engrossing time.

HOTEL B u s i n e s s

inside

R e v i e w

An Exclusive Business Magazine for the Hotel Industry

COVER STORY

To improve their performance several hotels in India have undertaken innovative and sustained measures to be more guest-friendly. Technology has been playing a crucial role in the endeavour to grow revenues and in managing costs.

BUSINESS Hotel business does not only involve erecting a hotel building and providing various services generally associated with a hotel within that building.

FEATURE

The solitude and unspoiled greenery of the place managed to transmit a much needed sense of serenity to my city-jaded and tension afflicted nerves, which probably seeped into my soul too.

PROPERTY

PROFILE

OPERATIONS

ENGINEERING

The newly opened Zone By The Park - Coimbatore offers comfort and luxury in a price-friendly package. Zone By The Park - Coimbatore is aimed to be a fresh take to enjoy the city and is slated to become a haven of social interaction for modern business and leisure travellers.

Nirupa Shankar is a dynamic young hotelier who seems to have the potential to bring an impetus of innovativeness in the Indian hotel industry; an industry which badly needs innovation to enhance its rate of growth.

F&B

Signature bar & lounge in the hotel can be a good profit garnering opportunity. It can also negatively affect your balance sheet, even seriously. Across the nation, hotel bars & lounges are making their marks.

DEPARTMENTS 04 Event

SPA

The Deltin hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spa at Daman offers a relaxing well-being break, which is characterised by soothing ambience and an array of relaxing therapies.

News Scan

24 Report 28 Appointment 54 Focus 74

Product Preview

Business Opportunity

76 Interview

Cover Pix: Grand Mercure Goa Shrem

Jan-Feb â&#x20AC;&#x2122;15

Event

HOTEL Business Review

Hotel Investment Forum India

Nirupa Shankar of Brigade Hospitality Services Honored at HIFI

he 7th annual Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) took place during 14th-15th January 2015 at the Leela Ambience Gurgaon Hotel & Residences in Gurgaon. The conference welcomed nearly 350 delegates, which comprised players from the Indian hospitality industry. HIFI is hosted by BHN and Horwath HTL — India. Here it deserves a mention that BHN is a global leader in developing and organising conferences for the hotel and tourism investment community. Horwath HTL (Hotels Tourism and Leisure) is a renowned hotel, tourism and leisureconsulting brand, with over 50 offices in 39 countries. The opening plenary sessions of HIFI 2015 included a keynote presentation by Deep Kalra, Founder & Group CEO of MakeMyTrip.com. SC Sekhar, Sr. Executive Vice President of ITC Limited, Hotels Division, moderated a special session featuring hospitality industry leaders and key government officials. Members of this panel were Nikhil Desai, Managing Director, Goa Tourism

Jan-Feb ’15

Development Corporation, Subhash Goyal, President, IATO, Kapil Kaul, CEO, CAPA South Asia, Vikramjit Singh Oberoi, Chief Operating Officer, The Oberoi Group, and Lalit K. Panwar, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India. During the plenary sessions on the morning of Thursday, 15th January, Vijay P. Thacker, Director, Horwath HTL — India moderated a panel of Indian hospitality industry leaders, discussing strategies for success. The panel consisted of Kapil Chopra, President, The Oberoi Group, Rajiv Kaul, President, The Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts, Rajeev Menon, AVP, Marriott International, and Dilip Puri, MD-India & Regional VP-South Asia, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Also on the morning of 15th January, Manvi Sinha Dhillon, Consulting Anchor for ET Now & Times Now, hosted an exclusive interview with Atul Chordia, Chairman of Panchshil Realty. HIFI 2015 offered two focused educational tracks — the Developers Track and the Product Track. The Developers Track showcased key

geographical development opportunities, such as the resort and leisure markets, the industrial corridors, Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh, North-east India, Mumbai and Delhi, and religious destinations. The Product Track emphasised opportunities and challenges in the hot and happening sectors of the hotel industry , including mid-scale and budget hotels, meetingsfocused hotels, and lifestyle hotels. The HIFI Awards recognised key leaders in the hotel industry. The HIFI Hall of Fame Award was given to JW Marriott, Jr., the Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board, Marriott International, Inc. This award was accepted on behalf of Mr. Marriott by Simon Cooper, President & MD, Asia Pacific, Marriott International, Inc. The Rising Star Award South Asia was awarded to Nirupa Shankar, Director, Brigade Hospitality Services. The Rising Star Award South Asia, created by ISHC in conjunction with HIFI, is presented to a candidate 35 years of age or younger, currently working in investment and/ or development in the hotel industry and living and working in the Indian subcontinent region. Narendra Somani, CMD, TGB Banquets & Hotels Ltd. received the Aatithya Ratna Award. The Aatithya Ratna Award was established to honour an individual who exemplifies the spirit of hospitality. The HIFI Deal of the Year Award winners were also announced. The winner for the Development of the Year (Budget and Mid-Priced) was Holiday Inn Express, Mahindra World City Chennai. The winner for the Development of the Year Award (Upper Mid-Scale and First Class) was Novotel Kolkata Hotel and Residences. The Development of the Year (Upscale and Luxury) was JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa. HIFI concluded with a panel presentation hosted by Manvi Sinha Dhillon. The panel, titled 2020 Vision – A Focus on the Future, was comprised of Mike Crawford, President, Asia Pacific, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Thorsten Kirschke, President, Asia Pacific, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, and Rakesh Sarna, Managing Director & CEO, Indian Hotels Company Ltd.

Jan-Feb ’15

Event

HOTEL Business Review

Ambiente 2015 Scripts a Success Story

he Ambiente 2015, which was held in Frankfurt, Germany during 13th to 17th February 2015, attracted 4,811 exhibitors from 94 countries. In the 2014 edition of the show there were 4,749 exhibitors from 89 countries. About 53 percent of the visitors at the show were from outside Germany. The top ten visitor nations after Germany were Italy, France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Spain, the US, Switzerland, China, Turkey and Poland. Altogether, 135,000 buyers from 152 countries attended this leading trade fair of the consumer-goods sector. The event was spread across an area of 328,500 square metres. “Ambiente is the world’s leading trade fair for the consumer-goods market and this year’s edition was more international than ever before. The standard of visitors here is outstanding,” proffered Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt GmbH. There was an increase in the number of visitors from important European consumer-goods markets, such as Denmark, France, Portugal and Spain. Above average increases were also noted in the number of visitors from Asia,

Jan-Feb ’15

especially from the world’s most populous consumer-goods markets, China and India. Trends and new products in the Living, Dining and Giving sections, as well as an impressive programme of events with famous stars and designers, were the defining features of Ambiente 2015. Compared to the last edition of the event, the degree of visitor satisfaction with the fair rose by one percentage point to reach 97 percent, which has been a record for this show. Manfred Morthorst, CEO of IHR, said, “Ambiente remains the most important fair in the world

for us. Here, we reach our German and international customers. This year, there were more international visitors than in the past. Europe, the USA and Canada were well represented. For us, this year’s Ambiente has been highly satisfactory – despite our initial scepticism. The mood was very good and we not only welcomed more visitors but also took more orders.” Ambiente 2015 was a success for the vast majority of the 1,161 exhibitors taking part in the Living section with the visitor standard, the propensity to order and the number of new contacts remaining stable at the last year’s level. Ferry Mulder, CEO of Exotica Cor Mulder GmbH, was very pleased with his customers’ willingness to order: He said, “We are highly satisfied with the fair as a whole. There were numerous customers, especially on the first two days, and we took many orders. The remaining days were also good. We gained lots of new customers from outside Germany and welcomed many national customers.” The emphasis on the contract business at the fair was also a success with 270 exhibitors participating in this year’s ‘Contract Business’ programme, which was launched in 2012. This year’s Ambiente Partner Country was USA and American product design was honoured in a special presentation created by Brooklyn-based designer Scott Henderson. Additionally, there were numerous activities and events revolving around the Partner Country on USA Day. The guest of honour on USA Day was the renowned actress and director Helen Hunt, who had the opportunity to discover modern design for the kitchen and table during a tour of Ambiente. The highlight of the Partner Country activities was the reception on Monday evening when the name of the next Ambiente Partner Country was announced. It is Italy. The next edition of Ambiente will take place during 12th – 16th February 2016.

Jan-Feb ’15

Event

HOTEL Business Review

EVENTS’ CALENDER Aahar 2015 10-14 March 2015 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi www.aaharinternationalfair.com

Welcoming Aahar 2015 Aahar International Food & Hospitality Fair 2015 will be taking place at its regular

EDT Expo 25-28 March 2015 Istanbul, Turkey www.cnredtexpo.com HOTELEX 2015 30 March - 2 April 2015 Shanghai New International Exhibition Center, Shanghai, China www.hotelex.cn

venue of Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. This would be the 30th edition of Aahar. Aahar is regarded as the largest fair in the food & hospitality sector in India. The mega show for the food & beverage and hospitality industry would be taking place during 10th-14th March 2015, during 10.00 am to 6.00 pm. The event would be meant exclusively for the business visitors during 10.00 am -2.00 pm on all the five days, and would be open for the general public during 2.00 pm- 6.00 pm, on all its five days. The event will be spread across halls 6, 7, 8, 9,10,11, 12, 12 A, 14, 15 & 18. Aahar 2015 will cover two separate but concurrent exhibitions. ‘Hospitality India’ will cover hotel & restaurant equipment and supplies and ‘Food India’ will be covering food, processed food & beverage products. The organiser of the event is India Trade Promotion Organisation(ITPO). The event is supported by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India(MOFPI). The associates of the forthcoming mega event are Association of Resource Companies for the Hospitality Industry of India(ARCHI), All India Food Processors Association, Hotel & Restaurant Equipment Manufacturers’ Association of India, Food and Hospitality Support Association of India(FHSAI), Forum of Indian Food Importers, and Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). In the 2014 edition of Aahar, the event was spread across an area of 44298.85 sq. m. Aahar 2014 attracted 776 exhibitors, which included 48 exhibitors from 18 overseas. Besides exhibitors from India the exhibitors from Australia, Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, UAE & USA also participated at the trade fair. The event also garnered 23586 business visitors, including business visitors from overseas. More than 94 percent of the participants at Aahar 2014 indicated that their objectives were achieved. Besides facilitating business, Aahar as a platform provides great opportunity for the food & beverage and hospitality industry to disseminate/gather relevant information and gauge trends, that can greatly benefit many participants. It is hoped that the 2015 edition of Aahar would supersede even the noteworthy achievements of the Aahar show, which was held at Pragati Maidan in the last year. 8

Jan-Feb ’15

SIAL China 2015 6-8 May 2015 Shanghai New International Exhibition Center, Shanghai, China www.sialchina.com HOFEX 2015 6-9 May 2015 Hongkong Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong www.hofex.com Anufood Eurasia 14-16 May 2015 Tuyap Exhibition Center, Istanbul, Turkey www.anufoodeurasia.com Thaifex World of Food Asia 20-24 May 2015 Impact Exhibition and Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand www.worldoffoodasia.com AMBIENTE INDIA 25-27 June 2015 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi www.ambiente-india.in HEIMTEXTIL INDIA 25-27 June 2015 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi www.heimtextil.in

Jan-Feb ’15

HOTEL Business Review

Preferred Residences Brings Space, Privacy, Luxury and Convenience Preferred Hotel Group has introduced the Preferred Residences, a worldwide collection of exceptional villas, bungalows, condominiums, and other idyllic units available at renowned luxury hotels and resorts. The new Preferred Residences offers membership-free vacation experiences that marry the flexibility, space, and privacy of a luxury residence with the anticipatory service, bespoke amenities, and quality assurance of a personalised, world-class independent hotel stay. “Preferred Residences allows us to satisfy a growing demand from our guests who want access to the private residence experience but are also resistant to relinquishing the convenience of staying in a luxury hotel or having to subscribe to a membership-based service,” said Lindsey Ueberroth, President & CEO of Preferred Hotel Group. “Whether catering to an executive who needs an impressive apartment for a business meeting or to a large family that wants more space to simply let loose, Preferred Residences is a premier resource that helps travelers book with confidence, knowing that their

N ews Sca n accommodations are backed by our brand’s 45-year guarantee of excellence in quality and service,” she pointed out. To ensure diversity in terms of destination, style, and setting, Preferred Hotel Group has hand-selected the first 18 hotels and resorts – all of which are existing members of its ultra-luxury Preferred Hotels & Resorts or Preferred Boutique brands – that now have their residential units represented within the new Preferred Residences collection. All these units feature expansive living spaces, state-of-the-art kitchens, and custom furnishings; some offer spacious outdoor areas, private pools, and complimentary benefits such as resort car services. Preferred Residences also offers a selection of luxury serviced residences through its Preferred Serviced Residences collection. Ideal for business or leisure travellers seeking a solution for extended stays, these properties present luxury furnished apartments with spacious living rooms, fully equipped kitchens, master bedrooms, and personalised amenities such as concierge services, housekeeping, fitness facilities, business centers, and dining lounges. Currently, the portfolio features luxury serviced residences in key cities across the United States. Here it deserves a mention that Preferred Hotel Group represents 650 fine hotels, resorts, and serviced residences in the world.

An Award for Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences, Accor’s flagship property in eastern India, has bagged the prestigious HiFi award for the Best Development of the Year 2014 in the first class and upper mid-scale category. HIFI or Hotel Investment Forum India is an important hotel investment conference in India. It is the annual meeting place for the leaders in the Indian hotel and tourism industry to discuss important trends, network, identify new opportunities, and do deals through a combination of plenary sessions, breakout panels, and interactive workshops. Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences serves business and leisure travellers in the heart of prime New Town precinct in Kolkata. With 347 well-appointed guest rooms, suites and serviced apartments, the Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences is Kolkata’s largest five-star hotel. Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences is designed for the MICE sector with large banquet facilities and conferencing venues and services. It also have the city’s only outdoor banqueting facility on the terrace for over 1000 guests. This is besides its multiple dining options. Apart from catering to the busy business travellers, the hotel offers several recreational choices for the leisure travellers.

Jan-Feb ’15

HOTEL Business Review

The Keys to Success Keys Hotels & Keys Resorts, a chain of business hotels in India, has won the prestigious TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice 2015 award. Through this award, the popularity of Keys’s properties becomes evident because the guests contributed towards this award by voting in huge numbers and reflecting positive sentiments in reviews. Keys Hotel Temple Tree, the four-star property located at Shirdi in Maharashtra, topped the chart amongst 53 other hotel properties located at Shirdi. Located in close proximity to the Sai Baba Temple complex, this property also ranked 4th in the ‘TripAdvisorTop - 25 Family Hotels’ category in India. Similarly, Evershine - A Keys Resort, an upscale five-star property in Mahabaleshwar located amidst fragrant strawberry valleys, has been ranked 8th in the ‘TripAdvisorTop - 25 Family Hotels’ category in India. On this achievement, Shoumo Mukherjee, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Bergrruen Hotels Pvt Ltd. said, “We are humbled to receive this honour. We extend our gratitude for the extensive support and feedback from our guests. This is a proud moment for the entire Keys family as being positioned amongst the topmost hotels by TripAdvisor, a renowned travel portal that helps millions of travellers across the world find the perfect hotel for both

Jan-Feb ’15

N ews Sca n holiday and business trips. We at Keys Hotels, are committed towards providing our guests with the best in class services and will continue to strive towards upholding their trust across all our properties.” Here it deserves a mention that Berggruen Hotels launched its first brand Keys Hotels in January 2007 and positioned it as mid-market chain of hotels. Keys Hotels currently boasts of 36 franchise hotels in India, including those under development. Of the total current portfolio of Keys Hotels, 15 properties are in operation.

Thermaline 80/90 a Prime Cooking Equipment Electrolux Professional has won a coveted award for its innovative thermaline 80/90 premium modular cooking solution. The thermaline 80/90 range took top prize in the ‘Prime Cooking & Ranges’ category of Catering Insight magazine’s Catering Equipment of the Year awards for 2014. The awards celebrate the best new additions to the UK’s foodservice equipment market over the past 12 months and provide a valuable snapshot of the evolution in the commercial kitchen arena. The Catering Equipment of the Year awards offer a guide to 50 of the best foodservice equipment launches in the UK market this year, with a single winner picked for each product category based on three criteria — innovation, functionality and commercial appeal. The judges’ verdict was: “There have been some fantastic developments in the combi oven market this year as other shortlisted entrants in this category testify. However, as far as cooking ranges go, Electrolux has really moved its modular cooking platform forward this year with a Swiss-produced line that delivers on energy efficiency and impresses with its sleek design.” Developed in Switzerland, thermaline 80/90 was launched in January of this year as part of the thermaline Made to Measure (M2M) range, and seamlessly connects the multiple applications of a high-productivity kitchen. Packed with innovation, the equipment allows operators to reduce energy consumption in kitchens whilst offering state-of-the-art features such as an Aquacooker for multipurpose cooking (sous-vide, bain-marie, pasta cooker), a high power chargrill, and built-in refrigerators and freezers.

Jan-Feb ’15

HOTEL Business Review

Radisson Blu New Delhi Paschim Vihar Awarded at India Travel Awards Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar has been honoured with The Best Business Hotel 2014 — North India by India Travel Awards. India Travel Awards are supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and esteemed trade bodies like IATO, PATA , ADTOI, ATOAI, OTOAI and many more. On this occasion, Barun Jolly, General Manager Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar said, “Winning The Best Business Hotel 2014 — North India at India Travel Awards is indeed a recognition of the world class facilities and service excellence that Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar has been offering by achieving the highest international standards in the hospitality industry. This award confirms our commitment in delivering consistent outstanding services to our guests.” “The relentless efforts of my award-winning team have proved to be quintessential in bringing this award of repute to Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar,” he noted further.

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Hotel Formule1 Opens in the Heart of Pimpri Hotel Formule1 by the world’s leading hotel operator Accor is now present in the heart of Pimpri, in Pune. The launch of this hotel has brought the Formule1 network to six hotels in India. Hotel Formule1’s presence in India is in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Gurgaon, Pune Hinjewadi, Pimpri, and Greater Noida. Hotel Formule1 Pune Pimpri provides both great comfort and value. The hotel features 117 stylish and compact rooms equipped with amenities including flat screen LED televisions, storage area, free hi-speed Wi-Fi, comfortable beds and soundproof windows. Other facilities and services in the hotel include Café F1, which is open 24/7, refreshing buffet breakfast, 24/7 security, ample parking spaces and garden area. Philip Logan, Vice President, Hotel Formule1 India, said, “Hotel Formule1 seeks to reach out to aspiring young travelers throughout India. We are here to create a niche segment of Rest Assured hotels, which provide guests with comfortable hotel stays and memorable experiences.” “The opening of Hotel Formule1 in Pimpri, Pune marks our sixth hotel in India and our second property in Pune, Maharashtra,” he added. Hotel Formule1 Pune Pimpri can cater to both business as well as leisure travellers. Hotel Formule1 features PAYBACK Rest Assured rewards to add more value to the traveller’s stay, wherein she/he can earn and redeem points at the hotel as well as at over 50 PAYBACK partner brands. The hotel is located close to Pune Expressway, Auto Cluster Exhibition Center, Sahara Sports Venue and many educational hubs. Vineesh Kurup, General Manager, Hotel Formule1 Pune region, said, “Hotel Formule1 Pune Pimpri will attract travellers due to its optimal location, great value and quality services and facilities, ensuring a comfortable and rest assured stay.”

HolidayIQ.com Wins Best Travel Website Award Travel and holiday information portal HolidayIQ.com has won ‘Best Travel Website’ award at the 5th India Digital Awards. The award was presented to the Bangalore-based company by the India Internet and Mobile Association. HolidayIQ.com competed with renowned brands like MakeMyTrip, Goibibo to win the award.

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HOTEL Business Review

Electrolux Boosts Brand with a New Visual Identity In the recent past, Electrolux introduced a new visual identity for the company brand. Refreshing the iconic logotype and setting new distinctive standards for imagery and colours, the design is created to have more stopping power and stand out from the crowd, wherever consumers meet Electrolux. “Electrolux is on a journey to become a world-class consumer marketing company, with a clear focus on consumer-driven innovation and strong brands. A key ingredient of this is to create an exciting and differentiating brand experience that is consistent across every consumer touch point. Our new visual identity will help us achieve that, in a digital and retail landscape that has changed dramatically over the past years,” said MaryKay Kopf, Chief Marketing Officer of the Electrolux Group. The new logotype introduces the company name in a new font, exclusive for Electrolux, and puts greater emphasis on Electrolux’s timeless symbol, first used in 1962. “With such a distinctive symbol at the forefront, it communicates in a modern and innovative way while maintaining the associations of trust and quality that consumers have come to expect from our brand,” MaryKay Kopf stated further. “A visual identity is much more than a change of logo and color palette. It represents a new sense of Electrolux as a brand, what we and our products and services stand for and how we want to be perceived,” she elaborated, while pointing out that “The new visual identity will build greater recognition by engaging people in a positive and emotional way; helping to inspire them, identifying key benefits and finding what they are looking for.” The new visual identity will be seen everywhere where consumers meet Electrolux – in-stores, online, on packaging and through mobile devices. The change in logo will happen in phases and the process had started from 14th January 2015.

E-Hotel Adjudged the Best Small Hotel from India E-Hotel, probably the sole luxury vegetarian boutique hotel in Chennai, was adjudged the ‘Best Small Hotel’ from India in the category of Asia-Pacific, at the International Hotel Awards, which was held at the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square recently. The hotel received this internationally acclaimed award with a 5-star rating in the Asia-Pacific category as the ‘Best Small Hotel’ in India. Hotels and hospitality related companies from more than 50 countries competed at the International Hotel Awards. Gaurav Gupta, the General Manager, E-Hotel, received the award. On receiving the award, Kavita Singhania, the Managing Director, E-Hotel said, “I am feeling extremely happy and proud over the fact that E Hotel has been conferred with the prestigious IHA award and that too in its first year of operations. This shows our commitment towards maintaining high product quality and guest experience, which are also our main ethos.” The awards were demarcated into various regions which were Asia-Pacific, Arabia & Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe and the UK. The award winners in the 17 categories were judged by highly seasoned professionals, who together covered the entire gamut of hospitality disciplines.

Sinclairs Hotels & Resorts Enhances its Portfolio Sinclairs Hotels & Resorts has announced the opening of its luxury resort named Sinclairs Retreat Kalimpong. This is the sixth property in the Sinclairs chain. Kalimpong is a picturesque hill station in the state of West Bengal. As far as the chain’s presence in the north of West Bengal goes, Sinclairs Hotels & Resorts has properties in Siliguri, Darjeeling, Dooars and now in Kalimpong. The resort is spread over five acres of landscaped greenery. The resort does justice to the awe-inspiring natural beauty of the hill station with many wonders of nature. The resort overlooks the Himalayas and a 16

Jan-Feb ’15

forested valley, making it an ideal retreat for tourists and for hosting business meetings without distractions. It has a total of 48 rooms and suites exuding luxury and comfort. The rooms

have a traditional fireplace, private balcony and garden. The resort has fully equipped banquets and conference halls, fitness center, spa, swimming pool and a reading lounge. The multi-cuisine restaurant, coffee shop and Spanish bar comprise the food & beverage offerings at the resort. The banquets and well designed gardens can make the property a wedding destination. Till recently, a constraint for travellers visiting the tranquil Kalimpong known for its natural beauty was the paucity of quality accommodation. Now with the opening of the Sinclairs property this gap can be addressed to some extent.

Jan-Feb ’15

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HOTEL Business Review

Association of Hospitality Professionals Awards Young Creative Chefs Association of Hospitality Professionals hosted the 5th YOUNG CHEF’S CHALLENGE 2015’ award ceremony at The Hans Hotel, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi. The award ceremony was graced by the Chief Guest, RK Okhandiar, Director (Commercial &

Marketing), ITDC and other renowned names from the hospitality fraternity. The young culinary professionals from different hotels demonstrated their skills, knowledge and innovation under one roof. YOUNG CHEF’S CHALLENGE 2015 awards were presented in six different categories and the Chefs who won the awards included Chef Pranab Nayek of Old World Hospitality (International Cuisine), Chef Zaheer Alam, The LaLiT (North Indian), Chef Radha Krishna, Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Sahibabad (Kebabs), Chef Sanjeev Kashyap, Old World Hospitality (Confectionery), Chef Kuldeep Singh, Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Sahibabad (Kitchen Artist), and See Pee Singh, Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Sahibabad (Halwai). On this occasion, Sireesh Saxena, Joint Secretary, AHP, said, “The prime objective of the YOUNG CHEF’S CHALLENGE is to establish a professional platform for culinary professionals from the hotels and restaurants to display their skills, creative talent and share experiences in a competitive environment. We, at AHP are delighted to receive an overwhelming response from the talent in the industry. The innovation and the efforts put in by the participants have been remarkable and exemplary.”

Jan-Feb ’15

Oracle Launches Oracle Hospitality Oracle has launched Oracle Hospitality Global Business Unit to accelerate development of innovative cloud, mobile, and guest experience technology. With hundreds of thousands of systems already deployed in hotels, restaurants, cruise operations, and other venues on all seven continents, Oracle Hospitality extends MICROS’ commitment to providing fast, reliable service and solutions to customers, both large and small. The launch of Oracle Hospitality combines the deep domain expertise of MICROS, which was acquired by Oracle in 2014, with the power of Oracle’s scale and innovation, to help customers succeed in an environment that has been fundamentally changed by the rise of social, mobile, and cloud technologies. Oracle’s platform for the hospitality industry offers comprehensive and integrated software, modern cloud offerings, and hardware solutions for hotels, casinos, table and quick-service restaurants, sports and entertainment venues, and for cruise operations from small independents to large global chains. Leveraging Oracle’s integrated technology stack and cloud portfolio, Oracle Hospitality brings great technical breadth, depth, and scale combined with significant R&D and dedicated resources focused on serving the needs of the hospitality industry. Oracle Hospitality can help the hospitality industry in various ways, which are as follows: Exceeding Guest Expectations — Guests now expect the delivery of personalised experiences through the entire guest journey, both on and off property. By offering comprehensive, integrated systems that serve guests during every interaction, hospitality businesses can inspire loyalty, surpass guest expectations, and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving industry. Realising Faster Time to Cloud — Oracle Hospitality’s comprehensive, scalable, and globally deployable cloud solutions enable the hospitality sector to accelerate its move to the cloud in response to fast-changing guest expectations. By eliminating the cost and complexity of managing on-premises applications, hospitality organisations can now better focus on their guests and their business, delivering a consistent experience across venues. Leveraging Mobile Innovation — Mobile is a catalyst behind the radical changes and guest expectations in the hospitality industry. Oracle Hospitality delivers fully integrated mobile solutions that enable staff to conduct transactions and have informed engagement with guests anywhere onsite, not just from behind a counter. Simplifying their IT Architecture — Comprehensive integrated solutions take advantage of Oracle’s proven technology to help drive greater business benefits, speed time to value, and reduce total cost of ownership.

Gains of ITC ITC has won the bid to acquire Park Hyatt Hotel property in Goa. The name of the hotel is Park Hyatt Goa Resort & Spa. The five-star deluxe beach resort is owned by Blue Coast Hotels. The successful bid of ITC was Rs.515.44 crore. The hospitality property was put on public auction by IFCI Ltd. According to PL Suri, who heads the Blue Coast Hotels, Park Hyatt Goa Resort & Spa was kept as a collateral against loan taken from IFCI and has been put on the block by the state-owned finance company without mutual consent. Besides Park Hyatt Goa Resort & Spa, Blue Coast Hotels owns hotels in Delhi, Chandigarh and Amritsar. According to ITC, IFCI has informed that ITC had been declared as the highest/ successful bidder for Park Hyatt Goa Resort & Spa, along with land and built up area of the hotel together with all buildings and structures and plant and machineries. The aforesaid assets of Blue Coast Hotels were placed on public auction by IFCI. After winning the bid to acquire Park Hyatt Goa Resort & Spa, located at Cansaulim, Goa, the ITC Hotels gained 1 percentage on the BSE.

Jan-Feb ’15

N ews Sca n

HOTEL Business Review

The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts to Enter Nepal The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts and Summit Group of Nepal recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the presence of the Prime Minister of Nepal, Sushil Koirala, to collaborate on the first of four hotels to be developed to be established across Nepal, under The Leela brand. This can be construed as the beginning of a new era of partnership in tourism between India and Nepal. The Leela Kathmandu, the first of the series of these four hotels to become a reality, will be a five-star deluxe hotel to be built in the heart of Kathmandu. It is expected to be completed within 36 months. The Leela Kathmandu will be located close to the Narainhity Museum. Summit Group, which has extensive interests in real estate, hotels and allied businesses, will develop the property, while The Leela Group will market and manage it. This proposed property in the Nepal’s capital would be followed by a hotel in Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, as

part of The Leela Group’s plans to pave a Buddhist trail from Nepal to Bodhgaya, Nalanda, and Varanasi in India. Other places in Nepal where hotels are being planned under the Leela banner include Pokhara. Emphasising the crucial role travel and tourism plays in the economic development of the country, Vivek Nair, the Chairman and Managing Director, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts said, “We are delighted to begin our foray in the international markets with Kathmandu. Given the potential of tourism worldwide, we look forward to

expanding our footprints in India and overseas.” The Leela Kathmandu will be designed by the internationally renowned architect, John Gerondolis. The slated to be Kathmandu property will draw heavily from the rich Newari tradition that dominates the Kathmandu valley. The hotel is expected to have oversized guest rooms and suites, signature restaurants, lounges, banquet facilities as well as a state-of-art spa and fitness studio. The Leela’s high standards of excellence will also ensure exclusive services for the corporate sector. “The Leela Kathmandu will be a part of our Group that has established high standards of excellence and personalised service in catering to upscale segments of corporate, leisure, and adventure tourism,” asserted Nair. “It will be even brighter if Nepal augments its infrastructure in terms of enhanced hotel accommodation, world-class airports, and highways,” he added.

Hyatt Place Expands its Presence in India Recently Hyatt Place Pune/Hinjewadi became a new addition to the Indian hotel industry. It is the first Hyatt Palace hotel to open in western India. The newly opened hotel is strategically located at the entrance to the fast-growing IT city of Pune, Maharashtra. This is the third Hyatt Place hotel to open in India, following the 2012 opening of Hyatt Place Hampi in Southern India and the November 2014 opening of Hyatt Place Gurgaon/Udyog Vihar in Northern India. Hyatt Hotels Corporation and GHV Hotel (India) Pvt. Ltd. have announced the opening of Hyatt Place Pune/Hinjewadi in the recent past. Here it deserves a mention that Mumbaibased GHV is India’s leading infrastructure company, established over four decades ago. GHV has recently forayed into the hospitality sector with Hyatt Place Pune/ Hinjewadi being their first brand hotel. Strategically located in the heart of Phase 1 of Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, Hinjewadi; right off the Mumbai-Pune 20

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expressway and just 45 minutes from the Pune airport, Hyatt Place Pune/Hinjewadi comes across as an upscale select service hotel designed for the multi-tasking traveller. The hotel is located in close proximity to major companies like Infosys, Cognizant, Persistent, Wipro, Cisco, and Siemens among others. “The opening of Hyatt Place Pune/ Hinjewadi marks a significant milestone for the Hyatt Place brand as it continues to expand throughout India and around the world,” said Pablo Graf, Senior Vice President of Operations for Hyatt, Southwest Asia. “The opening of Hyatt Place Pune/ Hinjewadi marks our foray into the hospitality sector, and furthermore, reflects our excitement about the Indian lodging market and its potential,” said Mushtaq Vijapura, Chief operating Officer, GHV Group. “Hyatt is a globally recognised hospitality company with deep roots in India, and we are excited to collaborate

with Hyatt in a growing market such as Hinjewadi, Pune. The location, product and the Hyatt Place brand gives us confidence of the hotel’s imminent success,” he pointed out further. “As Hinjewadi, Pune continues to grow and thrive economically, we are excited to add to the momentum by introducing Hyatt Place Pune/Hinjewadi to the area,” said the General Manager of the newly launched hotel, Swarendra Sahay. “We are confident that both business and leisure travellers will appreciate the hotel’s open, intuitive design and casual atmosphere and practical amenities, such as free Wi-Fi and 24-hour fresh food offerings,” he added. Hyatt Place Pune/Hinjewadi has 117 spacious rooms. One of its important features of the hotel is the 2,660 sq. ft. of flexible, high-tech meeting and function space. A 24-hour gym featuring cardio equipment with LCD touch screens, and an outdoor swimming pool are among the other features of the hospitality property.

Jan-Feb ’15

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HOTEL Business Review

Exuding Luxury, Resonating Mythology Sarovar Hotels & Resorts has touched yet another strategic destination by launching a brand new property — Marasa Sarovar Premiere at Tirupati. Uniquely conceptualised and designed around the Dasavataras of Lord Vishnu, the five-star property offers a combination of divinity inspired aesthetics that is targeted to connect with the soul. Marasa Sarovar Premiere Tirupati is probably India’s first hotel, which has been inspired by the 10 avataras (incarnations) of Lord Vishnu. It aims to provide luxury yet affordable accommodation for the discerning guests. Located on the Karakambadi Road, Upadhayaya Nagar, the property comprises 121 aesthetically designed rooms and suites. With the launch of Marasa Sarovar Premiere, the religious tourism of Tirupati, especially from high-end travellers who prefer and afford five-star luxury, can receive a further impetus. Anil Madhok, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts said, “The holy hill of Tirumala is, on any given day, filled with tens of thousands of devotees, many of whom have endured long journeys to see the powerful Lord Venkateshwara here, at his home. It is one of India’s most visited pilgrimage centres. The existing demand-supply gap in this temple town offers huge opportunity for hospitality brands. Every brand which was earlier in the luxury segment now wants to have a piece of the business here. We believe that TirupatiYatra is

Jan-Feb ’15

no longer about an arduous journey to meet Lord Balaji; it is nirvana luxe.” In the context of this launch, Rishu Roshan, General Manager, Marasa Sarovar Premiere, shared, “Design of the hotel embodies the classical introverted Hindu temple plan in order to optimise on land space and context. The central open courtyard with the lotus restaurant and the all-pervading water body form the core of the hotel, spatially and experientially. At the heart of the experience is the worship of the Lord Vishnu, symbolised by the Dasavatars or the ten incarnations.” Here it deserves a mention that the ten different avtars of the Lord Vishnu are represented in different facets of the luxury hotel.

A Strategic Partnership Niraamaya Retreats, a Jupiter Capital Venture, has recently announced the strategic alliance between its retreat in Kovalam – the Niraamaya Retreats Surya Samudra, Kovalam — and Relais & Châteaux, a global fellowship of individually owned and operated luxury hotels and restaurants. The formal induction of Niraamaya Retreats Surya Samudra, Kovalam into the Relais & Châteaux family took place at the retreat in Kovalam, on the 22nd January, 2015. Speaking on the sidelines of the announcement of their alliance with Niraamaya Retreats Surya Samudra, Kovalam, Joerg Drechsel, Chairman of the Asian Chapter, Relais & Châteaux, said, “Relais & Châteaux is not about marketing or franchise, it is an exclusive association of the best Chefs and small luxury hotels of the world. It is very difficult to become a member of this club. Relais and Châteaux is delighted to bring aboard the Niraamaya Retreats Surya Samudra, Kovalam under its stamp. This is one of the most beautiful beach resorts in India.” The plaque commemorating the alliance between Niraamaya Retreats Surya Samudra, Kovalam and Relais & Châteaux was unveiled by Manu Rishi Guptha, CEO, Niraamaya Retreats and Joerg Drechsel. Speaking on the occasion, Manu Rishi Guptha said, “It is a moment of immense pride and achievement for us. I am humbled by this recognition which is the result of hard work and dedication of our associates and team over the last few years. This alliance has set the bar higher, and has inspired us to not only maintain excellent standards, but to further the high standards in gastronomy and hospitality. We definitely want to leave our legacy in the hospitality industry and this alliance is another step forward in that direction.”

Jan-Feb ’15

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HOTEL Business Review

Kerala Tourism Announces New Initiatives

t doesn’t deserve a mention that Kerala, popularly known as the God’s Own Country, is one of the great holiday destinations of India. From scenic natural beauty to rich tapestry of cultural traditions and heritage, and from fascinating wildlife to tempting cuisine, the state has a lot to offer to the domestic and inbound tourists. The state has attracted global attention of tourists for its various fascinating tourist spots. Here it deserves a mention that the foreign tourist arrivals to Kerala during the year 2013 was 8, 58,143, which was an increase of 8.12 percent over its previous year’s foreign tourist arrival figure of 7, 93,696. The domestic tourist arrivals to Kerala during the year 2013 was 108, 57,811, which showed an increase of 7.75 percent over its previous year’s domestic tourism figures of 100, 76,854. But thankfully Kerala Tourism is not resting on its laurels. Government of Kerala has rolled out a lot of initiatives till date to give an impetus to its tourism. ‘Seaplane Project’ and ‘Project Muziris’; being the latest projects, which were rolled out last year in order to enhance the travel experience in Kerala and to add to the state’s array of attractions. Where the former project is aimed towards improving last mile connectivity by air to

Jan-Feb ’15

its destinations across the state, the latter is directed to reinstate the historical and cultural significance of the legendary port of Muziris, which is situated in central Kerala. For the Seaplane Project, the immediate plan is to provide service initially in the priority circuit, consisting of the three airports of Trivandrum, Cochin & Calicut and the prime destinations viz. Astamudi, Punnamada, Kumarakom, Bolgatty and Bekal in the state. There is more in terms of initiatives of Kerala Tourism. Recently, a Kerala Tourism road show was held in Mumbai. There Mrs. Anupama TV, Additional Director General, Kerala Tourism told that in the year 2014 the Hop on Hop off Boats service was started as a part of Kerala Tourism’s many other initiatives. As part of its innovative water-based tourism facilities, the Kerala Tourism Infrastructure Ltd., under the state’s Department of Tourism, launched the Hop-on Hop-off boat service and Water Taxis for the first time in India, in the backwaters of Kochi and in the Spice Route project of Muziris. Anupama TV also said that they were planning to launch the season 2 of Kerala Home of Ayurveda, Kerala Backwaters, Responsible Tourism, and Spice Route in the forthcoming fiscal year, which would be during April 2015-March 2016. Furthermore, Kerala’s initiative to revive and promote the two millennia-old spice route, that links the south western coast of India up to Europe, has received a boost, with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) pledging support to the venture. The marketing initiatives for the year 2015 are aimed at Value of Money off season packages targeting some important cities of the country namely; Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and

Surat. Furthermore, the state endeavours to be part of all international and domestic trade fairs and road shows pertaining to travel and hospitality like MITT Moscow, TUR Gothenburg, ITB Berlin, TTF Chennai, IITT Mumbai, TTF Bangalore, IITM Kochi, ITM Chandigarh and many more. Kerala Tourism has also come out with a unique nature based soft adventure

holidays program, which is aptly titled NATVENTURE. The idea behind this is to use the key tourism facets of the state — wildlife, hill stations, beaches, backwaters, etc. and engage the possibilities of adventure activities they offer. Kerala Natventure activities include trekking, camping, rock climbing, wildlife safaris, bird watching, cycling, kayaking, canoeing and paragliding. Another proactive tourism initiative of the state is the launch of the new ‘Great Backwaters’ campaign. The campaign aims at unveiling the state’s majestic backwaters as a single unique destination. Moreover, Bakel has been introduced as a new tourist destination in north Kerala. Here it deserves a mention that from a seasonal tourist destination, Kerala was positioned to an all season destination through a successful Dream Season campaign launched during the off-season.

Oct-Nov ’14

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Jan-Feb ’15 25 PLEASE VISIT US DURING AAHAR 2015 FROM 10th MARCH 2015 TO 14th MARCH 2015 AT HALL NO 9, BLOCK NO 9-41, STALL NO A&B

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HOTEL Business Review

Some Tourism Boosting Measures in the Union Budget

Arun Jaitley

n the Union Budget 2015-16, the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s proposal to have the visa on arrival facility for 150 countries, in stages, following the success of the same issued to tourists and travellers from 43 countries can give a fillip to the inbound tourism and consequently, lead to a better growth for the Indian hospitality sector. Presently, visa on arrival facility is extended to only 43 countries. This move by the Finance Minister is also expected to generate more jobs in the Indian tourism industry. Of course, as tourism is an important contributor to India’s GDP, this move may give a significant boost to our overall economy too. According to World Travel and Tourism Council, based on its direct, indirect, and induced GDP impact, travel & tourism generated 6.7 percent of India’s GDP during 2013. It is lamentable that many of the World

Jan-Feb ’15

Heritage Sites of India are in a bad shape and has received gross state neglect in the past. In this regard, Arun Jaitley’s call for making the Cultural World Heritage Sites of India more tourist friendly is more than welcome. Jaitley pointed out that facilities at India’s 25 Cultural World Heritage Sites were deficient and called for development of the locations. This again may give a fillip to the domestic as well as inbound tourism as these sites have great tourism potential. According to Neelu Singh, COO of the online travel portal, Ezeego1.com, “We are happy with the thrust in the Union Budget on domestic and inbound tourism where there is proposal to develop key tourist destinations and sites and making them more tourist-friendly, such as the World Heritage Sites of old Goa, Hampi, Elephanta Caves, Leh Palace and Varanasi temple town among others. This measure will help attract a lot of heritage and religious tourists. ” “Furthermore, the government has highlighted the desire to incentivise cashless transactions which is a positive

Neelu Singh

Bharat Malkani

development for online sites such as Ezeego1.com. With individual tax payers getting tax benefit up to income of Rs 4.44 lakh, disposable incomes will increase, which is likely to indirectly induce leisure tourism. The budget also pays heed to positioning India as a safe country for single female travellers by increasing contribution to the Nirbhaya Fund,” she noted further. However, the increase in service tax can attract flak from the industry. “In the 2015-16 Union Budget, the Government has proposed the increase in service tax. According to us, service tax is an irrational inclusion in the ever increasing tax list and additional burden on the hospitality industry. The move only shows that the Government is traveling in the wrong direction. This is directly going to impact the customers. We had expected that this ‘Pro-Tourism’ Government would concentrate on some critical areas keeping in mind the hospitality industry’s point of view. But this is major disappointment,” expressed Bharat Malkani, President, Hotel and Restaurant Association (Western India).

Jan-Feb ’15

Appointment

HOTEL Business Review

Sushil Amlani Sushil Amlani has joined Cygnett Hotels & Resorts Pvt. Ltd. as the Director, Business Development. He would be looking after the development of Cygnett Hotels and Resorts Pvt. Ltd. Amlani has almost 20 years of rich professional experience. During his previous tenures, he was associated with top hospitality players like Accor, Premier Inn and Best Western Penninsula. He has been instrumental in working out modalities for certain business tie-ups with leading business and budget hotels. He is well equipped in handling hotel pre- launch sales & marketing, and post-launch sales. His other professional experience encompasses association with real estate projects, this being a part of his consulting experience.

Mallika Chatterjee Mallika has been promoted as the Director of Sales and Marketing for JW Marriott Hotel Pune. With over 10 years of experience in hotel sales, Mallika, in her new role, will lead the sales & marketing team of the hotel, and will be overseeing reactive and proactive sales functions as well as the PR and marketing portfolio for the hotel. Having been with Marriott for about six years, Mallika has been instrumental in the opening of Courtyard by Marriott Pune Hinjewadi and Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan.

and people management which make her a great team mentor. Dr. Rashmi’s key accomplishments include spearheading the set up of Leela Spa Academy. Dr. Rashmi holds a Bachelor’s Degree in naturopathy and yogic science and diplomas in beauty therapy and facial treatments. She has also successfully completed certificate courses in Reiki and mental health development.

Abhijit Chitnis Abhijit Chitnis has been promoted to the position of Market Director of Sales & Marketing – Pune for Marriott Hotels India. Chitnis has been the Pre-opening Sales Leader for both the Courtyard by Marriott Pune Hinjewadi as well as the JW Marriott Hotel Pune, both of which are success stories for the company. Chitnis was instrumental in successfully bringing the Marriott brand into Pune, with its first Courtyard opening in 2009. With his strategic focus on marketing in the digital and social space, he has played a big role in establishing JW Marriott Hotel Pune as a hospitality destination in Pune. He also has had earlier stints with Hyatt and Starwood.

Ayesha Bhalla With a career span of 16 years in the hospitality industry, Ayesha Bhalla has recently assumed the position of the Director of Sales & Marketing at the JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai Sahar. Before assuming her present position with JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai Sahar, Ayesha was the Director of Sales and Marketing at The Oberoi, Bengaluru. Ayesha began her career with Holiday Inn Worldwide as a Sales Executive.

Dr. Rashmi Ambastha Dr. Rashmi Ambastha has joined JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai as the Director of Quan Spa. She has 10 years of experience in spa and fitness. She has had experience of working with reputed hotel chains like The Leela and The Oberoi Group. Her key areas of expertise include pre-opening and set up management, spa team training, marketing promotions

Jan-Feb ’15

Neesha Mohapatra Neesha Mohapatra has been newly appointed as the Director of Human Resources for JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai Sahar. Prior to joining the JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai Sahar, Neesha was the Director of Human Resources at Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel and Lakeside Chalet, Mumbai — Marriott Executive Apartments.

Jan-Feb ’15

Appointment

HOTEL Business Review

Neesha brings to the table rich experience that enabled her to manage the human resource function at various prestigious hotels, which included right from training and nurturing the right talent, formulating HR and administrative policies and developing strategies in alignment with the organisation’s goals and targets. Her vast portfolio includes prestigious names like the Unison Hotels Group, The Leela Group and the InterContinental Hotels Group before she made her entry into JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai Sahar. She has also worked with prestigious names like Accor & ITC. She has also been awarded the ‘Best HR Person of the Year’ in 2009 by Hotelier India.

Anmol Pancholy Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre (NHCC) and Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) have announced the appointment of Anmol Pancholy as the Director of Sales. In his current role as the Director of Sales, Pancholy will be leading the corporate sales and will be focusing on increasing the business for the property. Prior to joining the Accor Group, he was working with the Taj Group & his last assignment was as the Head of Sales at Taj Falaknuma Palace Hyderabad.

Vishal Bharti Courtyard Marriott Agra has announced the appointment of Vishal Bharti as its new General Manager. With a rich experience of over nineteen years in the hospitality industry, Bharti will be responsible for the day-to-day operations and will also help achieve the vision of the hotel. He has prior experience of working as the General Manager of Trident, Agra. He began his career as a Management Trainee with the Taj Group where he served for ten years. Post

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that, he joined The Oberoi Group where he was recognised and acknowledged for his self-motivated and focused approach in each of his assignments for almost a decade. Bharti holds a Diploma in Hotel Management from IIHM – Aurangabad.

Venus Patni Venus Patni joined the team at Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon as an Assistant Housekeeping Manager. With the change in leadership, Patni has now been appointed as the Housekeeping Manager. In this new role, he will be responsible for managing all aspects of the housekeeping department of the hotel. Congratulating Patni on the promotion, Kanika Hasrat, General Manager at Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon said, “The Housekeeping Manager plays a crucial role to provide highest levels of comfort to the guests and to ensure immaculate standards of cleanliness and hygiene in all areas. I am thrilled to see Venus grow in keeping with Marriott’s mantra for associate growth and we are certain that Venus will continue to keep our guests happy and build more future leaders for us.” Patni has been associated with Marriott International for more than two years. Previously he worked with The Oberoi Group and Jaypee Sports City.

Saroj Muduli Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon has appointed Saroj Muduli as the Executive Sous Chef. Muduli comes with vast experience and expertise in all aspects of kitchen operations in an international hotel chain. In this new role, he will support Chef Amit Dash, Executive Chef, Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon in overseeing the operations, trainings and ensuring excellence in the kitchen department. Having served in various food and beverage positions, Muduli is a seasoned culinary professional bringing over a decade of experience with him. Prior to joining Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon he was working with Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre where he served as a Junior Sous Chef. He has been associated with the Marriott family for more than five years. Prior to that, he worked with The Taj and The Oberoi Group.

Jan-Feb ’15

HOTEL Business Review

Cover Story

Evolution in the Indian Hospitality Business The Indian hospitality industry has seen a healthy growth during the preceding year (2014) as compared to the year before. Though analysts and research agencies claim that the outlook for the industry will remain subdued, the industry is optimistic. To improve their performance several hotels in India have undertaken innovative and sustained measures to be more guest-friendly. Technology has been playing a crucial role in the endeavour to grow revenues and in managing costs. Ashok Malkani seeks the opinions of industry stalwarts about the Indian hospitality industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance during the past year, and the innovative steps taken by the hotels to attract guests and increase revenue. 32

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HOTEL Business Review

he Indian tourism and hospitality industry, which contributes to 6.23 percent of the National GDP, has emerged as one of the key drivers of growth among the services sectors in India. The Indian hotel industry’s revenues are expected to enhance by 7-9 percent during 201415, which would primarily be driven by incremental rooms and food and beverage incomes, ratings agency ICRA has said. But that does not mean everything is hunky dory with the Indian hospitality industry. According to the ICRA report, “The outlook for the Indian hotel industry over the next 12-18 months is expected to remain subdued, given the gap between supply and demand. However, measures by the government of India to drive tourism through several strong policy initiatives could bring in stronger demand, supporting the industry over the next 12-18 months.” Industry occupancy levels have witnessed improvement in the current fiscal. However, it has been geographically concentrated in pockets like Mumbai. But ICRA pointed out that there continues to be lack of traction in ARRs even in markets like Mumbai, which has been maintaining a steady Rs. 100-200 discount on year-on-year basis. Average daily rates (ADRs) continue to suffer due to under-cutting of prices and nearly doubling of inventory in key markets like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Chennai. ICRA stated that the average room rates (ARRs) were expected to be largely flat while occupancies were estimated to improve by 2-4 percent during 2014-15.

Hotel chains are hopeful that the introduction of electronic visa on arrival scheme, introduced late last year, will attract more foreigners to the country. At the same time, hoteliers also feel that the incessant barrage of negative international press about women’s safety concerns in India has influenced a slowdown in the inbound leisure business. Overall, the hoteliers in India are preparing themselves for a slightly better but nevertheless a difficult year ahead. Only a slight improvement in room demand is expected across major cities of the country.

Mixed Reactions As far as 2014 is concerned the hoteliers gave mixed signals. Speaking about the Indian hospitality industry’s performance in 2014, Chander Sarvagyam, Group CEO, TGB Banquets and Hotels Ltd., said, “Overall it was not a great and satisfying year for the Indian hospitality industry. Room wise, it was a disaster,

whereas on the food & and beverages (F & B outlets & banqueting) front, the growth was there but marginal.” Sahdev Mehta, GM, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pune - Chinchwad, however sounded optimistic. “After three years of struggle, in 2014 there was a slight upswing in nationwide occupancies. An increment in the number of domestic tourists has been noticed, which has been probably a result of the depreciation of the rupee against the dollar,” he proffered. “The newly elected Government at the centre which is giving great emphasis on tourism, does portend good opportunities for the hospitality sector. The focus on development of quality infrastructure, promoting India as an investment destination and also the partially implemented visa on arrival will surely give the industry stimulus for the next two quarters till long-term sustainable inbound demand is created,” Mehta observed. While analysing the ongoing 2014-15 fiscal for the Indian hospitality industry, Nischint Pathania, General Manager, Ramada Powai Hotel & Convention Centre, said, “The first half was average with October being a weak month due to a lot of holidays & festivals coming in the month. November was a very good month for the hospitality business.” “The 2014 was a year of hope for the Indian hospitality industry, similar to many other businesses during that time. Whilst the year did not post the desired growth numbers needed for the industry, it certainly arrested any further fall. Major Indian cities are already seeing the demand revival from corporates,”

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HOTEL Business Review

explained Vinay Gupta, Vice President, SAMHI Hotels. “The market sentiment seems to be improving. There has been some movement on projects in the city that had been stalled for a while. With clarity in policies, we can expect more companies investing in hospitality sector, in India,” affirmed Gagan Deep Singh, General Manager, Courtyard by Marriott Pune City Centre. “2014 had seen an upward swing in the Indian hospitality business, especially post the national elections. Many international associations continue to look at the Indian business environment to be the next upcoming market, resulting in multiple international conventions being held in India. Corporates have shown an overall increase in travel spend, resulting in growing occupancies for the hospitality industry in the year,” iterated Megha Ajgaonkar, Director of Sales and Marketing, Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel & Lakeside Chalet, Mumbai –Marriott Executive Apartments. Mohammad Labban, the General Manager of Hyatt Regency Pune, stated that 2014 was extremely good for the Indian hospitality industry. “There was significant growth as compared to the last year. There are many new hotel brands that have entered the hospitality industry in India. Hence, there has been an increase in employment opportunities too. The Indian hospitality industry has

Nischint Pathania

emerged as one of the key industries; driving growth of the service sector in India,” he elaborated with uncommon enthusiasm. Though the reactions are mixed, it is believed that the government policies will encourage tourism, leading to better results for the Indian hospitality industry. The government measures like extension of tourist visa on arrival (VoA), electronic travel authorisation (ETA), are likely to trigger an uptake in tourism and hospitality business in 2015. Some of the other incentives offered by the government are: Issuance of visa on arrival for tourists from select countries like Finland, Japan and New Zealand. Capital subsidy programmes for budget hotels. Elimination of customs duty for import of raw materials, equipment, liquor, etc. 100 percent FDI allowed through automatic route in hotel and tourism sector. Five-year income tax holidays for 2-4 star hotels established in specified districts having UNESCO-declared ‘World Heritage Sites’.

in, which the Hilton has rolled out. This process allows the guest to check-in even before he/she arrives at the hotel. Not just that, the guest can look at the hotel floor plan and choose his/ her room with personalised amenities wanted by him/ her. It is the next generation of hotel arrival experience. Hotel operators are looking to engage customers on multiple levels through the phone. It is going to revolutionise the way we sell and operate hotels. The importance of collecting a more accurate data base is becoming an essential part to give every guest more personalised service,” explained Mehta. “By and large, in 2014, besides upgradation to RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and OTA (over the air) penetration, the TripAdvisor ratings were the main change makers for the industry to respond to guest feedback, albeit with controversies,” opined Kamlesh Barot, Director of VIE Hospitality and past President, FHRAI (2011-12) and HRAWI (2010-12). “Through the Marriott mobile app, an entire experience has been created for the guests to facilitate navigation through the app and ease the booking process. Marriott also launched the mobile check-in and check out service this year. Another focus for the company this year has been to focus more on rewarding the Marriott Rewards members with the global ‘Members Get More’ campaign,” pointed out Singh. “2014 saw the Ramada offering 1 hour free Wi-Fi in the lobby to all our guests and higher speed paid access

Embracing the Innovations

Mohammad Labban

Jan-Feb ’15

During the recent years, hotels in the country are also introducing an array of innovative measures to increase occupancy levels. “Most hotel brands are opting to give more control into their guests’ hands. A good example for this would be the integration of the e-check

Gagan Deep Singh

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Megha Ajgaonkar

in our rooms. We also upgraded our existing infrastructure for the same. In banquets and conference rooms, where the guests often conduct training programmes, we have introduced websites to facilitate them in these programmes,” disclosed Pathania. “Social media marketing has become the norm. Using the traditional press media to reach out to guests has decreased. We have been pioneers in launching a tablet menu for our Skky

restaurant in 2012 and are looking to move all our restaurants to tablet by this year end. Room automation is also being done in a big way with single tablet/ console controlling lighting, locking, etc. Smart phone check-ins are also being adopted by some bigger chains,” Pathania added further. “Emphasis at Hyatt Regency Pune, has been mainly on offering great connectivity. For example, we are offering hi-speed Internet connection, faster services on online portal, and even minor services like SMS and updates on

pick-up and drop, etc.,” stated Labban. “Technology, of course, has played a major role in changes for the better. Express check-in, online booking, social network, digital technology, etc. have been the major advancements seen in the Indian hotel industry during the recent times,” pointed out Sarvagyam. Megha averred that digital age had taken centrestage in the Indian hotel industry. “During 2014 many enhancements and advancements in technology were adapted by the industry. Marriott for example launched

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Kamlesh Barot

Sahdev Mehta

Chander Sarvagyam

their Mobile Check-in / Check-out App, enabling their loyal members to enhance their arrival experience with quick mobile check-in, thereby saving them the time and effort of waiting for their room keys at the reception,” she articulated. Gupta stated that growth in digital business in the country had led to the development of various mobile-based applications in the Indian hotel industry – ranging from booking the hotel room to opening the room doors! “There has been greater awareness among the hotel developers in the country to build more efficient hotels. The larger proportion of new development is in favour of midscale and economy hotels, as against the luxury end,” he averred. “At SAMHI, we have been able to maintain our capital expenditure well below the industry stated averages. Further, we are investing heavily into energy efficiency area – such as LEDbased lighting, heat exchanger for air-conditioning and hot water system,

and smarter room design to control operating costs,” Gupta elaborated. According to him, “The online travel agencies have also moved forward with increased penetration in the consumer market by introducing end to end travel plans with the ease of a click.”

relevant to provide the services and exceed the expectations of every guest,” he viewed. “The social media will continue to be a very important part of the hotels’ business,” Barot concurred. “While there is potential for renewed growth both domestically and internationally, hotel companies will consider ways to effectively leverage the power of technology to enhance customer experience. The loyalty programs will continue to be a key differentiator for the customers to choose where they would like to stay and the added benefits offered by the companies will always attract the brand loyalty within customers and companies,” Labban pointed out. “The increased traffic through online booking channels is helping the hotels to improve their average rates as well. This buoyancy in the market is anticipated to continue in 2015 as well, resulting in much focus on online booking channels along with other conventional sources of capturing the increased travel demand,” declared Megha. Overall, the general consensus of the Indian hotel industry is that the changes which were adopted by the industry in a big way during 2014 would continue in 2015 and beyond. There would be further changes too.

Vinay Gupta

Jan-Feb ’15

The Road Ahead The question remains how far these trends are relevant for the hospitality industry of India in 2015, and will these trends continue to hold guest attraction during the coming years? “In the coming year, we will continue to focus on enriching the mobile booking experience for the guests and we will focus on many more aspects of the guest experience at the hotel which can be directly controlled by the guest from his/her device,” aired Singh. “Online reservation pattern will keep on increasing and use of revenue management will increase. As far our hotel is concerned, we have put in a new booking engine to facilitate easier booking options for our guests. More energy efficiency and energy management will be the focus as HLP costs have gained importance in maintaining hotel expenses under control. Room automation and smartphone as your room key are some of the latest trends which will continue to grow next year as well,” elaborated Pathania. Mehta agrees with the concept of the popularity of social media. “Social media will continue to be a very important part of the hotels’ life, in the Indian hotel industry. Also the detailed collection of data from each guest will be very

Further changes are expected not only in the digital area but also in F&B service, room décor, etc. Read all about the near future trends that the industry would undertake during the year, and the improved services that hotels are expected to offer to the guests, in our next issue.

Jan-Feb ’15

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HOTEL Business Review

For Making Hotel a Success Starting a hotel is not an easy task, though it is a potentially profitable venture with huge scope for expansion. Hotel business does not only involve erecting a hotel building and providing various services generally associated with a hotel within that building. Besides huge investment with a relatively high gestation period, running a hotel business requires sophisticated management and time to time innovation. The hotel business in India is extremely competitive and a hotelier needs to come up with a concept that would make the hotel outstanding and remarkable, which would induce its guests to share their pleasant experience at the hotel with their family, friends and even colleagues. A successful hotel needs creation and execution of exceptional services to pamper the guests. Ashok Malkani takes the views of the industry experts on how they make their hotel an unforgettable experience for the guests. Take a leaf from their experiences to make a success of your hotel.

hotel business is not a business where you can afford to enter without the right information, and the requisite expertise and financial strength. The stakes are too high in this business. First of all, it is important to conduct a feasibility study of the area where you want to site your hotel. A feasibility study would help you to determine if it is a worthwhile venture and how profitable your hotel venture is likely to be. It would also help you find the most suitable location for your hotel. The most important part of the hospitality industry (yes ,the name gives it away already) is the hospitality factor, or

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service. This is more important than style and glamour and in fact, should be rated above any other facet of the hospitality business. You can have the most beautiful hotel with the most amazing features, but without good guest service it is doubtful to succeed. The challenges of starting a hotel business are: The hotel business is highly capitalintensive It is also management intensive. You will need hands-on manpower 24/7 to ensure smooth operations and success of the hotel. Â Hotels are also location sensitive

Especially, in the Indian context, the licenses and approvals for starting a hotel are many, which together adds up to the challenge of operating the hotel business Hotel business are very much sensitive to trends Like any other businesses, the performance of the hospitality industry depends upon the performance of the general economy of the country. In fact, the hospitality industry is very much sensitive to economic fluctuations and business sentiments. When people are counting their pennies, they are less likely to travel for leisure, which results in negatively affecting the hotel business.

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Especially, in the sluggish times, to garner more footfalls, hotels need to come up with creative ways. Like in almost all areas of life, often the best ideas in the hotel business aren’t always the most conventional ones. Marketing your hotel has also to be innovative. As a hotelier, having an innovative marketing campaign is the key to increasing your sales. A creative approach based on the principles of marketing can set your hotel apart from the crowd.

Factors Contributing to Success Innovation is of course, very much important and crucial to the success of the hotel. But innovation is not the only criteria for success. In order to be competitive, hotel operators need to supplement the innovative exercises with pragmatic measures. They need to spot the crucial areas to improve the occupancy rate, and exploit them better. If you ask Sahdev Mehta, General Manager of DoubleTree by Hilton

Sahdev Mehta

Hotel Pune — Chinchwad for factors contributing to the success of a hotel, his succinct answer is: “People, people and more people.” This merely means the team working for making the hotel an ideal abode for the visitors. “A hotel has to be world class in its category. And every team member contributes to this by bringing his/her personality, his/her unique talent

to the mix. The performance of each and every team member influences the guest experience. High quality service with that personal touch which makes the guest feel at home. Obviously location, segment, demography are huge factors but at the end of the day finding the customer, and converting the customer to a loyal one thereby retaining him/her is the way to have enduring success in this business, ” explained Mehta. “Quality management and customer satisfaction have and will always be primary to the success of any hotel. In addition, there are several other factors which have evolved with changing consumer demand. Flexibility and competitiveness are other aspects which can impact the business of the hotel. However, eventually, the success of a hotel lies in its service delivery, which is entirely dependent on how we treat our customers,” averred Philip Logan, Vice President, Hotel Formule1. Mehta opines that in today’s highly competitive hospitality industry, hotel

Jan-Feb ’15

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HOTEL Business Review

as real estate cost, construction costs, etc. can be shared by other investors, making the hotel project more viable,” he pointed out. Harjeet Wasan, Vice President, Tux Hospitality, is of the opinion that it is important to have a USP to survive any potential excess supply or a downturn in the market. “Different visitors have different needs from the hotel and its facilities. We have segregated the facilities according to the type of room a visitor chooses, but we guarantee 24 hours efficient service to our guests,” he averred. Philip Logan

operators need to be vigilant and aware of customers’ needs and demands. “As such there is a need to acknowledge both the internal and external factors that influence occupancy rate, in order to gain a sustainable competitive advantage. Consequently, there has been a tremendous urgency for hotel operators to further improve their organisational performance,” stated Mehta. “Several factors contribute to the success of a hotel, and understanding what they are and how they work together can help your hotel succeed. When you are contemplating the opening of a hotel business, you need to create a business plan that outlines all of your business operations, including personnel needs, all budgets, sales and marketing procedures, manufacturing processes and revenue projections, and of course location and cost control measures,” pointed out an expert in the hospitality industry. Vilas Pawar, CEO, Choice Hotels, believes that to make a good return on investment (ROI) in hotel business there is a need for taking a multi-use development approach. “This way, the hotel becomes a part of a larger development and costs such

Jan-Feb ’15

Innovative Concepts Logan agrees with the USP concept of Wasan. He stated, “Nowadays, every hotel must strive for that one remarkable experience. With the onset of online guest reviews and social media, there is always an immediate need to be omnipresent for the guest. Exciting and fresh designs of hotels and rooms are one crowd puller. The innovative concepts are about creating a ‘wow’ factor and surprising guests with little pleasantries. This goes a long way not only to increase clientele but also in retaining them and making them our loyal guests,” he pointed out. Mehta declared that an innovative step towards achieving success of a hotel would be the smart phone. “It is still in a nascent stage but it provides a huge opportunity for the hotel industry to explore. It gives hotels the ability to cut the fluff and reach the potential customer directly with customised offers. It can be a game changer and first mover advantage will determine great success,” he reasoned. According to him, “The way we sell hotels in India is still very old school. There will be a radical shift in the times to come. Online is the future in hotel selling in India.” “Successful hospitality management requires innovative and strong marketing strategies to tackle the present day’s competitive business market. Relationship marketing, partnership marketing and strategic alliances, technology, guest preferences, media planning, all these does contribute to the success of a hotel,” explained Shashi Razdan, Director of Sales & Marketing, South Asia, Golden Tulip Hotels & Resorts/Louvre Hotels Group. Several hotels are adopting novel methods like optimising their website, using U Tube, providing service above

Shashi Razdan

and beyond what is usually offered by the hotels, like a free or discounted cocktail hour for all guests. One hotelier suggested giving those who are staying in the room an option of what the room will smell like when they get to the room each night! Mehta believes that interaction with the community is a way of attracting guests. “Consumers nowadays shop much differently than what they did in the past; gathering information from the Internet before ever making a purchase. The same applies to hotel stays. By starting a hospitality or travel blog, you increase the quality content on your website, which drives your online presence and improves your search rank,” he opined. “The interaction with the community in hotel business is very important, so tying up with local magazines as well as organisations, by sponsoring events, the hotels can have a positive impact, and contribute towards enhancing its image. Online reputation is also a big factor for us to attract new guests. You should be prompt in replying to the reviews and ratings on popular platforms like TripAdvisor and have a dedicated engagement on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. This doesn’t only create awareness about the hotel but also increases the trust that guests have in your services and products,” he elaborated further. “As far as DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pune — Chinchwad is concerned, we want to be an active player in the community upliftment. The hotel does a lot for the underprivileged around us and creates fun activities for all. For example, every Friday we have a chai and wada pav fete on our parking lot for all rikshawalas. It has become such a huge success that it

Jan-Feb ’15

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HOTEL Business Review

has now acquired a life of its own now. This shows that we are relevant in the community,” Mehta cited with his hotel’s example. Razdan stated that as far as Golden Tulip Hotels & Resorts/Louvre Hotels Group was concerned they believe in delivering international standards, with local flavours, to all their guests. Logan says that as far as Hotel Formule1 is concerned, it is the only low cost hotel brand in India to offer a reward points program and this is a great tool to attract guests. “Formule1 recently also announced the launch of their toll free helpline number. The 24x7 toll free number aims at creating a connectivity bridge between the hotel and its customers across India. This, along with our multi-device friendly website, definitely attracts guests,” he proffered. Creating better beds, hiring a celebrity Chef, adding a bar concept with a famous mixologist at the helm, making an interactive meeting space, etc. are all innovative ideas that hoteliers have come up with to increase revenues.

Technology as Mainstay Modern hotels are now jumping onto the tech bandwagon to satiate the desires of tech-savvy young generation. Some of the international hotel chains abroad, besides offering the traditional front desk experience, are offering check-in via a lobby ambassador holding a special iPad. Guests can also use a nearby kiosk to select a room, inquire about an upgrade, and obtain an RFID key. (That’s a card key with a fancy chip inside, so it can’t become demagnetised, saving you those frustrating calls/trips back to the front desk!) “We have launched a toll free helpline number for our customers to reach us anytime. Moreover, we have property management system with cloud based technology and revenue management systems which aim to make the entire operation more efficient and seamless. In terms of services, we also have provided 24 hour vending machines which provide snacks and important basic essentials at market prices, thereby removing any uncertainties for availabilities. We are making all attempts to digitalise guest experience which means easy and quick approach. We also ensure hi-speed free WiFi in all guest areas,” articulated Logan. “The E-Checkin will be very relevant

Jan-Feb ’15

by several hotels to boost business is partnering with airlines for promotion of the hotel. Some airlines maintain affiliate agreements with local hotels; typically promoting the hotel in exchange for a small commission. “We do tactical promotions to reach out to frequent fliers. It does help in creating brand awareness to the right kind of target audience,” disclosed Logan. “We have designed certain value packages (Hotel+Airlines) to promote our hotels and they have given us certain incremental room nights to most of our hotels,” averred Razdan. Harjeet Wasan

to make the guest’s arrival more convenient and efficient. It’s a great way to start a stay! Also the proper integration of a CRM system, which delivers accurate guest information, allows us to provide more personalised services and make the guest’s stay a customised experience. And we have had many wonderful stories on that note,” declared Mehta. Razdan is of the view that big beds, clean bed sheets, etc. are no longer enough to satisfy the guests. They want something more. “Changes in lifestyles have also increased the demand on the level of service required in hotels. Guests are becoming more tech-savvy. Travellers expect the latest technology available in the guestrooms so that they can stay connected with their businesses and home twentyfour hours a day. We ensure that the guests have a memorable and unforgettable experience during their stay in all our hotels by providing the latest technology and services,” he explained.

Partnering with Airlines One of the methods being adopted

Vilas Pawar

Employee Satisfaction and Flexibility To put it simply, quality management is multifaceted and goes beyond the concept of customer service to include additional factors such as employee satisfaction and involvement. A single random interaction with a hotel employee can make the difference between a satisfied customer, an impressed customer or a customer who goes online and writes a bad review about his/her hotel experience. By concentrating on employee satisfaction along with customer service, a hotel can increase the likelihood that all its employees will provide excellent customer service as well. Yes, flexibility remains the keyword. It is the key factor in quality management as well as being a critical success factor for the hotel industry. Customers can have completely different expectations from a hotel, so Managers need to be given the authority to make decisions to accommodate them when possible. A Manager constrained by an inflexible set of policies may be unable to solve a customer’s problem and consequently may not earn that customer’s loyalty and good word of mouth in the future. Conversely, a Manager bestowed with the authority to make exceptions when she/ he deems appropriate is expected to be in a much better position to earn a good reputation for customer service. Without adequate attention to employee satisfaction and without being flexible, it would be very difficult for hotel operators in India in the near future, and even in the present times, to attain the desired level of success, even if all the other above-mentioned factors are being adhered to. n

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Retreat to Wellness By Swarnendu Biswas

ndia is an ancient land of amazing dichotomies. Its public healthcare may be in a pathetic condition, but its potential for medical tourism, especially for the inbound tourists, is very high. On September 2014, KPMGFICCI released a study titled Medical Value Travel in India. According to the study, India has been placed among the top three medical tourism destinations in Asia. The study views that medical tourism sector in India was estimated at 78.6 billion USD in 2012, and it was poised to grow at an annual rate of 15 percent to attain a figure of 158.2 billion USD by 2017. Besides medical tourism, wellness tourism is also a niche segment which together can bring impressive dividends for the Indian hospitality industry. However, to make medical tourism and wellness tourism to achieve their desired potential, we not only need more numbers of world class hospitals, but also more numbers of world class health and spa resorts which can find solutions to chronic ailments that the western world has been struggling to find. And the five millennia old medicinal system of Ayurveda, together with yoga are the two cornerstones on which the wellness tourism of India should be developed further. I got the opportunity 44

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to visit one such haven in the God’s Own Country, where the concept of holistic wellness, inspired by the ancient medicinal system of Ayurveda, is inherent in its day-to-day working philosophy.

Welcome to Nature The solitude and unspoiled greenery of the place managed to transmit a much needed sense of serenity to my cityjaded and tension afflicted nerves, which probably seeped into my soul too. The gently flowing water body interspersing the greenery further accentuated the feel

of calmness. My companions in the tour also reciprocated the same view. It is a place where one can lose oneself to find one’s self…The warm welcome with the cool water of green coconut promised of the shape of things to come. We were at Kairali — The Ayurvedic Healing Village, located some 10 km away from the Palakkad town of Kerala, and just a few kilometers from the world’s biggest mountain pass, that passes between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It was formerly known as Kairali Ayurvedic Health Resort. Established in 1999, the Ayurvedic

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Healing Village has emerged as a wonderful health resort for inbound and well-heeled domestic tourists where they can get treated of their chronic ailments through holistic character of Ayurvedic medication, amidst scenic surroundings, and can also get their city-jaded nerves refreshed in the process, amidst scenic environment of greenery and serenity.

Background The health resort or the retreat described here is under the ambit of the hospitality division of the Kairali Ayurvedic Group. This is a wonderful eco-friendly resort cum treatment centre by the Delhi-based Kairali Ayurvedic Group, which through its Ayurveda-inspired holistic well-being packages over the years has created a prominent place in the wellness tourism scenario of India. Headed by Gita Ramesh and KV Ramesh, the group has 25 Ayurvedic treatment centres in India and 10 in abroad, the first of which was established at Andheria Modh, New Delhi, in 1989. Kairali Group’s first wellness center was launched in New Delhi in the form of an Ayurvedic day spa. All the treatment centres of the group offer an extensive and compassionate consultation by a doctor, and a rejuvenating course of Ayurvedic treatments and therapies which are delivered by a team of highly trained personnel. It was the huge success of its Kairali Ayurvedic Treatment Centres which prompted the group to start its hospitality division in 1999. Kairali — The Ayurvedic Healing Village is the maiden endeavour of Kairali Hospitality, which has been followed by another resort in Rishikesh, in the state of Uttaranchal.

Healing, not Holidaying Coming back to the healing village, I found a hard time negotiating the healthy food on offer, which was not at all suitable to my cultivated and unhealthy tastes. “It is not your conventional resort, where people come for holiday and fun and games. It is a place where most of the guests have come and do come to get cured of their health problems,” asserted Sankalp Bansal, the Executive Director of Kairali Ayurvedic Group with a gentle reprimand, as he saw me fussing over the complete vegetarian diet of the healing village on the first day; a seemingly bland diet(for my tastes) which is also less salty, less spicy and less oily than your average diet. In fact, very few guests at the resort may come at the place purely for having a conventional fun-filled holiday, dotted with excursions and artifact shopping expeditions. The healing village spruced with modern facilities offers

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Kairali Products: Propagating Holistic Health Kairali Ayurvedic Group has presence in 10 countries and has a wide range of Ayurvedic herbal remedies to offer. Kairali’s impressive repertoire of Ayurvedic products includes over a hundred authentic herbal medicines, skin care products, body products and spa equipments. The Kairali Ayurvedic Group’s range of products includes 24 proprietary medicinal products too. Kairali Group manufactures and produces authentic traditional Ayurvedic medicines as well as patented remedies, which according to Dr. Saravan, are suitable for addressing a host of modern day ailments. The products are produced at the two factories. One of them is at Pollachi, Tamil Nadu and another is at Palakkad. Its Ayurvedic medicines are not only used at the group’s treatment centres and resorts, but also made available to various Ayurvedic pharmacies and to numerous Ayurvedic doctors for retail/prescriptive purposes. The group’s spa franchises proliferate through three continents.

Abhilash K Ramesh personalised treatments and numerous detoxification programmes oriented around addressing specific maladies, such as stress relief, arthritis, migraine, post pregnancy care, beauty enhancement and weight loss. The team of three expert doctors prescribes the medication and monitors the cure of the guests at the resort. After a careful consultation with one of the highly trained doctors, you can choose (on the basis of advice of the doctors) from a range of Ayurvedic treatments and/or special health and beauty care packages, specifically designed to treat modern day maladies like stress, respiratory problems, eye ailments and skin diseases. “A full range of traditional Ayurvedic treatments is available at the resort, and nothing pleases us more than seeing our guests get relief and remedy from chronic health problems after just a few weeks of guidance from our world-class team of doctors and ministrations from our expert masseurs,” observed Abhilash K Ramesh, Group Director — Kairali Ayurvedic Group. “The heart and soul of the property is based on ancient and perennial knowledge system of Ayurveda. We have tried to implement the precise instructions of authentic Ayurveda in every aspect of daily life at the retreat,” elaborated the entrepreneur further. No wonder the place was voted as one of the world’s top 50 wellness destinations by the National Geographic Traveler, after investigating hundreds of places to create a list of the best wellness havens in the world. Kairali — The Ayurvedic Healing Village was also voted among the ‘Top 5 Health Resorts in India’ by India Today 46

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magazine, in 2012. And foreigners it seem are greatly impressed by the healing facilities offered at The Ayurvedic Healing Village. “About 65 percent of our guests are inbound tourists, and among the inbound tourists at our healing village, most of them are from Germany, though we get lots of inbound tourists from other countries as well,” articulated Ramesh. I had a discussion with a German lady and an Ethiopian man, who came here for treatments. They seemed to be fairly satisfied despite the only vegetarian and ‘healthy’ diet and prohibition on drinking and smoking at the resort. I had two massages at the spa with the false hope of curing my chronic pain in loins that arrives habitually on the arrival of winters, and though I didn’t even expect temporary relief, to my surprise I managed to get that. “ If you had only taken a 14-day treatment with us, we would have relieved you of your pain in loins permanently,” asserted Dr. Saravan, one of the three doctors at the healing village. He informed that the therapies based on Ayurvedic principles at the resort are not only without side effects, but often are personalised in character.

Sustainable Character The pragmatic philosophy of sustainability is ingrained in the character of the health resort, whose green ambience is dotted with plants having medicinal properties(in Ayurvedic treatment). Many of these trees also have delicious fruits like jackfruit, star fruit and guava among others. The resort is spread across 15 acres and beyond that there is about 40 acres of paddy fields and vegetable gardens, which is owned by the Kairali Ayurvedic Group. The 40 acre area has been leased to the local farmers at a very affordable cost for their livelihood. A part of their organic produce is in turn purchased by the group and is used by the resort for the guests’ consumption. Besides fresh and organic food served at the two Ayurvedic Canteens of the resort, the other eco-friendly attributes of the property are reflected in its sewage treatment plant, in its rainwater harvesting facility, its CFL lighting in rooms, and in the eco-friendly construction of its 30 cottages. “Our sewage treatment plant is used to treat the impurities in water and oil and the so called ‘wasted’ water left after

Sankalp Bansal in conversation with the writer

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HOTEL Business Review

the treatment is used for gardening,” informed Raymond PJ, General Manager, Kairali Ayurvedic Group. He also informed that the coolness of the ambience as a result of it being nestled in greenery had helped the property to not opt for centralised airconditioning, thereby saving energy in the process. “We discourage wastage of water and frequent changing of linens in the rooms,” offered Raymond. He also talked about enhancing the rainwater harvesting capacity of the resort. The healing village or the resort comprises 30 cottages or villas(depending upon how you look at them), of which 27 are interestingly named after Malayalam zodic signs. The cottages, according to Raymond, are segmented into four categories — Deluxe, Classic, Royal Villas and Suite. The Suite is the highest among these four categories, in terms of facilities, followed by Royal Villas, Classic and Delux respectively. “We have four Deluxe category cottages, which are ideal for one person, 17 cottages under the Classic category, seven Royal Villas and two Suites,” stated Raymond. I would not say that the rooms are embodiments of unbridled opulence, but they are spic and span and are spruced with a fairly impressive range of amenities suited for modern day living. “The roofs of the cottages are made with mud tile and red brick, and red oxide and mud are used in flooring of the cottages, which give the floors a cool and pleasant feel,” informed Bansal. Moreover, the raw materials used for the construction of these picturesque cottages are locally sourced and involves low maintenance cost. In fact, most of the people engaged in the resort are also local, which further endorses the Kairali Ayurvedic Group’s emphasis on the culture of sustainability.

Food for Health As discussed before, the inherent resonance of wellness of Kairali — The Ayurvedic Healing Village is very much evident in its food & beverage offerings too. There are two canteens at the resort with seating capacity of 30 each, where guests can come for breakfast, lunch and dinner. According to Ajosh Joseph, F&B Manager of the resort or the healing village, every day the menu changes for the general guests, though the menu

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never wavers from its healthy stance. It is always less spicy, low on salt and less oily than your average diet. However, every day at the breakfast table you can get a different fruit and a different fruit juice, which I liked very much. Though the menu changes every day, but on a given day the menu is fixed for all general guests. That is the guests can order only those items on a given day which are placed on the menu on that day. “And for patients with some specific ailments like patients afflicted with diabetes, obesity, etc. diet chart is prepared after consultation with the doctors and food and beverage as per that diet chart is administered to them,” explained Joseph. “We not only know the guests for whom special diet chart is being prepared but also their room numbers and their specific ailments, which ensures that we never make the mistake of administering them a different diet than what is being prescribed for them,” he pointed out further. Most of the vegetables served are grown on the organic farmland surrounding the center. “We have four types of diet here, which are classified as Panchakarma Diet(for those taking Panchakarma treatment), Diabetic Diet, Strict Diet(for addressing the weight loss) and Normal Diet,” expressed Joseph. To those not in the know, Panchakarma happens to be cleansing of the body according to principles of Ayurveda. Regular yoga and meditation sessions, a visit to the gym and spa, walk through the herbal garden and a dip in the swimming pool(preferably in the summers) complement the healthy sojourn at the place.

The Business in Leisure A spacious air-conditioned conference hall with a capacity of 40, and a wellappointed board room with a capacity of 20, provide the perfect settings for educational retreats and conferences The resort offers gym, tennis courts, badminton court and a jogging track for guests to address their fitness concerns and their love for sports. The indoor recreation room of the resort offers billiards, carrom and a cards table among other amusements. Those with ongoing business responsibilities can make use of the resort’s business center, which is equipped with a cyber café, photostat machines and fax machines. The guests can also avail the services of an astrologer. The tour of the herbal garden with Dr. Saravan helped us to get a passing awareness about the Ayurvedic medicinal applications of the plethora of plants dotted throughout. Overall, despite the gentle chirping of birds, time seem to stand still here, just like the placid waters of the swimming pool.

The Sights and Sounds However, for tourists who are looking for a conventional holiday, I must say that there isn’t much to see in and around the health resort, except for the Malampuzha Dam and Garden, the Palakkad Fort, built by Hyder Ali of Mysore in 1766, and the snake park. But despite the paucity of conventional tourist attractions around the healing village, I made a mental note of visiting this unique expression in hospitality again, in the near future, as I boarded the flight to Delhi, from Coimbatore. For as I said before, it is a place where one can find a healthier and a rejuvenated yourself. n

Jan-Feb ’15

F&B

HOTEL Business Review

Raising the Bar By Sharmila Chand

signature bar & lounge in the hotel can be a good profit garnering opportunity. It can also negatively affect your balance sheet, even seriously. While some hoteliers perceive food and beverage as merely a necessary amenity, passionate hotel owners and operators view their F&B as an opportunity to increase the bottom line impressively and engage the local community. Across the nation, hotel bars & lounges are making their marks. Take the case of the pub, Geoffrey’s at Hotel Royal Orchid, Bengaluru, which has been instrumental in influencing a lot of travellers to make Hotel Royal Orchid their preferred hotel to stay in Bangalore. ”The popularity of the pub instantly gives the hotel a tag of a happening place,” stated Chetan Tewari, the hotel’s Manager. The pub offers an attractive option to unwind at the hotel, without having to step out in to the din of traffic & crowd. “With a strong image and high

Jan-Feb ’15

recall value, there is no surprise that more than often our pub becomes the talking point for attracting room revenues. It is a hot spot of action; it hosts regular events like celebrity DJ nites, jazz nights, ladies’ nights, etc. which keep both the local community and the in-house guests engaged,” he added further.

Chetan Tewari

There are many trendy lounge bars and pubs at the hotels across urban India, which are attracting brisk crowd. Aura Bar & Lounge at The Claridges, New Delhi has been a meeting hub for many years. Recently it has been renovated and reopened with a new look and introduced an extensive F&B menu. “We have opened doors of our bar lounge with a new fresh look, with an extensive F&B menu for guests to savour the diverse food selection paired with the beverages of their choice,” stated Atul Lall, VP Operations and General Manager of the hotel. “A significant change includes the introduction of a unique east European and Russian flavours infused menu, with Russian delicacies such as pelmeni, pierogies, caviar as well as other favourites like smoked salmon, cheese and cured meats,” observed Lall. “Guests now get a chance to savour the diverse food selection, paired with the vodka or cocktail of their choice. This has been further complemented by

F&B enhancement of the bar’s ambience with rich champagne gold interiors, teamed with soothing European lounge music. These together provide an ideal setting for evening drinks and hors d’oeuvres for our patrons,” pointed out Lall. However, according to Rahul Singh, Food & Beverage Manager, Holiday Inn Jaipur City Centre, for hotels bars have always been more than a necessity. “Indeed operating a bar capitalises a great business opportunity and the bar can turn out to be a great revenue generator for the hotel,” he expressed. “People prefer to come at our bars as couples for a chat or in groups to enjoy evenings. We offer them a choice of two bars in our hotel – Ten Kings Bar, and Road House Bar and Grill, with both the bars having different concepts,” informed Singh. “Ten Kings Bar is a 19-cover quiet bar with slow soothing music where you can be yourself while reading books or can have discussion with office colleagues, while Road House Bar and Grill is a 110-cover American style bar & grill

HOTEL Business Review

Atul Lall

which is ideal for chilling out. Both bars can play a different role to the same client, depending on his/her different mood,” elaborated Singh.

Recipe for Success However, the questions remain that how to ensure the bar lounge is packed, the reviews great and the revenues strong?

You need to have a passionate team with the requisite expertise, and this should be supplemented with a clearly defined concept. Your budget and financial expectations from the bar lounge should be pragmatic and based on research. Translate your budget and financial expectations into a marketing and business plan. “Consistency in the food & beverage, offering of great service, innovative events, engaging our patrons in activities like ‘make your cocktail’, good music & celebrity visits are some of the things that we focus on for a top of the mind recall for our pub,” asserted Tewari. “And needless to say, it has helped us a lot in accelerating our business,” he added. The location of the bar and lounge should guide its attractions. “Being a City Centre Hotel, we are in the vicinity of a huge number of corporate houses. We have started happy hours from 11am to 7 pm during Mondays–Fridays, which is a drawing factor for people who prefer to come over for a drink with friends or office colleagues before reaching their

Jan-Feb ’15

F&B

HOTEL Business Review

homes,” Singh reasoned. “Besides, we do Saturday Nights at Road House Bar and Grill. The rustic ambience turns to flashing laser lights where the guests groove on to the music till late nights,” Singh stated further. Marketing a bar & lounge requires constant attention to remain trendy and viable. Bars and lounges should use social media in a big way to reach their target

audience. For Tewari, “Online and offline awareness, through campaigns and word of mouth helps.” “Marketing plan for bars and lounges should focus on targeted events and promotions, which appeal to international as well as local guests,” opined Singh. “Our marketing and promotional strategies for future business of bars would be derived through international DJs/artists, expat mixologists and molecular cocktails,” he informed.

Ambience, Décor and Music

“Controlling over pouring, spills, waste, mistakes and going for competitive pricing structures contribute to a profitable bar. No matter the cause, the only way for keeping these costs under control is to have proven systems in place for inventory control, training, strict service and settlement controls, cash monitoring procedures and financial reporting tools that alert you when costs spike high.” Rahul Singh, Food & Beverage Manager, Holiday Inn Jaipur City Centre

Jan-Feb ’15

Decor and ambience matter, especially for a bar & lounge. Try to create a unique identity for your bar and lounge and consider having a creative graphic designer to create a unique logo for your bar & lounge. If budget has room for it, bring in an interior designer to create a fresh look for your bar & lounge that is distinct from the hotel’s design. Pay attention to the bar’s entrance. The guests usually prefer to walk-in from the main street. If you can’t make this happen, you can still create a special arrival experience maybe with the use of curtains, lighting, signage or even a door to further create a separation from the hotel. Take some time to choose the right kind of music. The music you choose should ideally be different for different times of the day and night. For example, the early hours should have softer vibes and the decibels can go up later. Create your own atmosphere by playing music specifically geared towards your bar’s concept. For example, if you are serving Mediterranean cuisine, introduce your guests to a new wave of

Mediterranean music. Music provides an easy way to get creative and to play around with a variety of different experiences, which can grab the attention of your guests.

Bar Menu Planning The menu plays a big role in creating the right buzz. Consider hiring a Consulting Chef to help develop the right menu to introduce that wow factor in your bar lounge. Also consider hiring a Mixologist to create a unique cocktail menu for the bar. This menu should reflect the concept of the bar and lounge and add to the vibe of the outlet. More recently, there is a strong wave of hiring a good Wine Sommelier who knows how to create a decent wine selection in the menu and the specialised ways of offering it besides organising wine tasting sessions. “Items which are great for sharing and small plates are becoming more popular, as are any food item that promotes socialising, camaraderie and fun. Design your bar menu to focus on food and beverage pairings as well,” Singh concluded. Tips to Run a Profitable Bar in a Hotel By Chetan Tewari — Hotel Manager, Hotel Royal Orchid, Bengaluru

• Make the liquor companies your best buddies. Give exclusivity to those who have a diversified portfolio and get the best deal from them. • Do not always try to control cost but try to manage cost effectively. • Do not block your money by over stocking. • Create a ‘die for’ signature drink for your bar.

Jan-Feb ’15

Focus

HOTEL Business Review

Endeavouring to Optimise Guest Experiences Through Innovation The Golden Tulip hotels chain traces its roots back to the early 1960s, when the first Golden Tulip hotels opened its doors in the Netherlands. Since then, the chain of hotels has expanded across the globe, and has been always in step with the changing needs and expectations of its customers. As part of the Louvre Hotels Group, this worldwide hotel chain operates three well-known hotel brands: Tulip Inn, Golden Tulip and Royal Tulip. Each establishment in the chain combines the hotel chain’s commitment to high international standards with the unique personality of the people who manage it, and the local flavour. Launched in India, in 2007, Golden Tulip Hotels South Asia currently has 16 operational properties all over the country. It continues to expand its footprints in Asia with the launch of four new properties in the premium and luxury category, by the first quarter of 2015. In the recent past, the company has launched a five-star property named Royal Tulip Luxury Resort Coz Bazaar Bangladesh. Recently Ashok Malkani interviewed Vimal Singh, Managing Director, Golden Tulip Hotels South Asia to get details about the hotel chain’s expansion plans as well as to get his views on the Indian hotel industry, in general. Excerpts from the interview follow: Please give us a backgrounder of the Golden Tulip Hotels Golden Tulip Hotels constitutes a part of Louvre Hotels Group, which happens to be amongst the top 10 largest chains in the hospitality industry worldwide, with 7 brands ranging from 1 to 5 stars and over 1,315 hotels in 54 countries. Can you explain about the association of Golden Tulip Hotels with Louvre Hotels? Golden Tulip Hotels is a part of the international hospitality chain named Louvre Hotels Group — the world’s 10th largest hotel group . Louvre Hotels joined forces with the Golden Tulip Hospitality Group in July 2009. Give us a brief idea of the entry of Golden Tulip Hotels in India and its progress Launched in India by me, in 2007, the Golden Tulip Hotels now has 16 operational properties all over the country. The Golden Tulip Hotels chain has three to five star properties in major metros and tier II cities in India ranging from three-star (Tulip Inn), four-star (Golden Tulip) and five-star( Royal Tulip) hospitality properties. What are your future plans for the Indian hospitality industry? Our goal is to create a portfolio of hotels, each with clear positioning, that would showcase our strong brand, along with innovation to optimise guest experiences. Our constant endeavour is to target growing cities with considerable business and leisure potential. We are investing in building our infrastructure and human capital to provide support to all our hotels. 54

Jan-Feb ’15

Golden Tulip Vasundhara, a four-star contemporary business hotel in Delhi/ NCR is coming up. Besides these we are also launching Golden Tulip Neemrana, and Royal Tulip Luxury Resort Shimla. What is the role of online channels in today’s Indian hotel industry? The growth of Internet has opened up new opportunities for hotels and resorts to market their products through various other platforms, including their own website, online travel agencies (OTAs), etc. Today, a sizeable share of hotel inventories are sold online and the trend is catching up in a big way as awareness about the online tools is growing in the market. Therefore, it is imperative for hotels to develop a direct online channel to reach out to all segments. Would you say that there is more demand for budget hotels rather than five- star luxury hotels these days, in the context of the Indian hotel industry? The last one decade saw the rise of many budget and economy hotels in the country. More than 80 percent of the growth in new hotels were in the budget segment. While large luxury brands had the concentration in metros and tier I cities of the country, budget hotels went to emerging/potential markets in terms of leisure/business destinations. These included industrial towns, pilgrim destinations, leisure travel destinations including offbeat travel and corporate hubs. What is the USP of Golden Tulip Hotels? What differentiates us from our competitors is that each of our hotels, be it

in India or abroad, successfully retains the charm and traditions of the local regions and offers an aesthetic blend of modern amenities, international standards and latest technology. The Golden Tulip Group also runs a series of loyalty programmes worldwide in the form of the Ambassador Club, Flavours, and Connections which give us an edge over our competitors in terms of customer service and offerings. For instance, in India, Golden Tulip Hotels has retained the spirit and charm of the traditions of each city where it has presence, along with the latest technology to provide its guests with a unique and memorable experience. Kindly throw some light on the latest developments pertaining to Louvre Hotels Group Louvre Hotels was recently acquired by Jin Jiang International Holdings, China’s biggest hotel company, from the US investment group Starwood Capital. The new owners have asked us to put together a plan to acquire assets in India and grow the brand inorganically rather than organically. The new management has aggressive investment plans. Until now, Louvre Hotels has grown its portfolio in India through management contracts. Louvre Hotels now plans to grow in India by acquiring assets, which is unlike the trend in the industry where hotel chains are mostly growing through management contracts. The group is also open to portfolio acquisitions in the country. I believe that would be the best way to grow the brand rather than growing by single asset acquisition.

Jan-Feb ’15

Sp a

HOTEL Business Review

Wellness by

The Deltin By Sharmila Chand

he Deltin hotel’s spa at Daman offers a relaxing well-being break, which is characterised by soothing ambience and an array of relaxing therapies. The spa is located at the lobby level of the hotel. Here a highly experienced and professional team of therapists make sure that the healing power of each treatment is not simply due to the

Jan-Feb ’15

technology or high-tech equipment, it is also deeply influenced by the transmission of positive energy. The spa is geared to provide the right balance between mind and the body. The spa has soothing environs. Earthern pots, locally procured, adorn the ceiling. Kaddappa is used to clad the walls, which is a very cost-effective material. The Buddha, reclining

in position, made in GRC (glass reinforced concrete) depicts the right mood, which is tailored for relaxation. The spa rooms are exclusively designed, giving a touch of Indowestern style. There is a signature therapy which is named as ‘The Deltin DUO Massage,’ where two therapists perform; mirroring each other’s movements.

Sp a

HOTEL Business Review

Meet the Spa Manager I had an interaction with the Spa Manager of The Deltin, Daman. Mahalakshmi Pillai gave some useful information and insights on the Indian wellness industry. The excerpts of the interview follow: Give your perspective on the spa scenario in today’s India It is only during the last six to seven years that spas have gained popularity in our country. This sector is growing rapidly due to the growing awareness among the Indian wellness industry’s target profile about the concept of wellness. We are a therapeutic sector and as more awareness on the benefits of therapeutic treatments develops we need to keep up with the expectations. Moreover, there has been a shift in the way spas communicate with their guests these days as compared to the way they communicated say five-six years ago. The communication has become more interactive through mediums like Facebook, Twitter and guest reviews on various portals plus due to widespread awareness in the guests. On an average, the guests have become more knowledgeable. It is not uncommon to see them having a healthy interaction with the masseur to ensure they get exactly what is suited for them. What are the current top trends in the spa business, in the country? Branded skin-care treatments and natural products are the newest trends in the Indian spa industry. The industry is evolving and today many skin treatments are formulated by facial experts. Earlier, traces of precious metals like silver, platinum and gold were infused into beauty products. The current trend in spa treatment is to infuse the extracts of precious and semi-precious gem stones in skin-care products. Skin-benefiting antioxidants are now being used for the spa massages, a trend which is gaining momentum. Use of rare fruit extracts in the spa products are also being seen. Instead of using one product to treat a single skin problem, the current trend is to use multitasking beauty products. You can find products that have two, three or four beautifying uses. Consequently, some popular brands have launched products that are four-in-one.

affordable and customised service options.

What are the key challenges in opening a spa? A few points need to be remembered and heeded upon before opening up a spa. They are the location of the spa, budget and financing involved, market survey for customer expectations, product selection, initial marketing, ongoing training, and the sustainability factor. How do you think the spa business in India can grow? First creativity and innovation must be the core value of this business. Every employee, guest, vendor, contractor, etc. associated with the spa business must know the value of creativity and innovation and support these values. Moreover, the prices for spa services are generally high and thus they limit the spas’ accessibility to many potential consumers. This is a challenge that needs to be countered. At the same time, I must add that spas have been able to develop comparitively affordable services and are offering entry price point services for new spa goers. How can hotels and resorts in India generate more business from spas? Under the present scenario, one of the most successful strategies used by hotel and resort spas to expand their market share is to begin opening their spas to the local guests, while at the same time providing more

How do you decide on the spa menu? What factors have to be kept in mind to chalk out a decent spa menu? Following questions help me in designing my spa menu. They are: Will your spa provide all the services your client needs? Will they have to go somewhere else to get a certain treatment? Will you be able to provide creative and unique services for your guests that they cannot get anywhere else? Are the guests looking for quality spa service at value price? Or are they willing to pay high prices for exclusive treatments and spa products which yield the desired results? What do you enjoy the most about being a Spa Director? I enjoy meeting and greeting guests and suggesting the right therapy that will cater to their needs. I love experimenting and making new oils, which focus on the well-being of the body. Can you elaborate a bit on The Deltin DUO Massage at your spa? This massage is performed by two therapists, mirroring each other’s movements. In my opinion, this synchronised massage is the ultimate indulgence and can be like experiencing two full body massages at the same time. Here the masseurs use the client’s body as a form of canvas onto which they choreograph slow, detailed moves of varying paces and pressures. The duration of the massage varies between 30 to 45 minutes. What is your favourite treatment to receive and why it is so? Aromatherapy has been my favourite treatment from the day I entered the wellness industry. This massage is done with the breathing exercise and promotes healing. It relaxes the soul, mind, and balances and harmonises the body. It calms you down, relaxes you and it also helps in eliminating toxins.

Jan-Feb ’15

Property

HOTEL Business Review

Zone By The Park – Coimbatore Endeavours to be a Social Hotspot By Sharmila Chand

he newly opened Zone By The Park — Coimbatore offers comfort and luxury in a price-friendly package. The Park Hotels, pioneers of luxury boutique hotels in India, has recently launched the first property of its ‘designconscious, price-conscious’ brand, — Zone By The Park — which has come up in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. More properties within the ambit of this brand are to become realities in

Jan-Feb ’15

Jaipur, Mahabalipuram, OMR Chennai, and Raipur in Chhattisgarh. Overall, we can say that Zone By The Park brand is conceived as a chain of upscale hotels, which is/would be designed to go beyond just superior rooms and services experience and become a hub of social interactivity for the modern business and leisure travellers. Zone By The Park — Coimbatore is aimed to be a fresh take to enjoy the city and is slated to become a haven of social interaction for modern business and leisure travellers. Zone By The Park— Coimbatore, which is located just 15 km from the famous Perur Pateeswarar Temple and 130 km from the Parambikulam National Park, goes beyond the usual elements of a typical city hotel. With casual out-of-the box spaces which act as ideal platforms for making

Good To Know The built-up area of Zone by The Park — Coimbatore, located on Avinashi Road, is 50,000 sq. ft. The Park Hotels group has partnered with Saraswathy Enterprisers, promoters of Pazhamudir Nilayam, which has a chain of fresh fruit and vegetable outlets across Tamil Nadu, to establish the hotel. It is a managed property by The Park Hotels. Room rates vary from Rs. 3000 – Rs. 5000 Room Category – Zone Rooms + Zone Suite No. of room in each category – 55 Zone Rooms + 01 Zone Suite. On the top floor will soon open a gym, a roof top restaurant and a pool. The next Zone By The Park project is expected to be launched in Jaipur, this year.

Sp a Property

HOTEL Business Review

Designed to Succeed By Sharmila Chand

“We are delighted to launch the first property of ‘Zone By The Park’ in Coimbatore, which will cater to the design conscious guests. Over the years, we have noticed a growing demand for a new kind of a hotel, for a new kind of traveller, someone who is moving up the ladder and is at ease with herself or himself. Leveraging this opportunity, we have created a mid-segment ‘design-conscious, priceconscious brand, that is Zone By The Park.” Priya Paul, Chairperson, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd.

connections and exchanging ideas, a happening bar, colourful restaurants and buzzing nightlife, it is a vibrant place where people will be tempted to make new connections, refresh and recharge themselves. There are nooks for modern gizmos, well-planned storage spaces, a lively casual lounge named Z Bar, and many extras that will have guests coming back for more. “As a second generation

entrepreneur in the business of fresh fruits and vegetables, I was looking to diversify into newer segments, including hospitality. This brand is a felt need for Coimbatore.” Dorairaj Chinnaswamy, Managing Partner, Saraswathy Enterprisers

I had an interaction with Santosh Kutty, the General Manager, Development and Operations, Zone By The Park hotels. With an enriching hospitality experience of 22 years in India and Maldives, Kutty joined The Park Hotels in 2011. In his current role, he is responsible for driving the operations and development of Zone By The Park, which include developing new units, strategy development and execution. His areas of expertise include brand development, multi-unit operations, seeding new ventures, managing hospitality assets, leveraging real estate, strategy development and execution. Kutty was also awarded with the Hotel Manager of the year in 2011, by FHRAI. The excerpts of an interview follow: What is the target profile of the guests for Zone By The Park?

Zone By The Park will cater to the gap in the Indian hotel market, which is being felt by the growing number of domestic and inbound travellers, looking for budget travel. What is the USP of your property?

The USP of Zone By The Park — Coimbatore is certainly its location, design, services and ambience. The hotel has been designed in a way so that there is ample space for networking, dining, working, and entertainment. What distinguishes your property from others in the same bracket?

We believe that the design of our place inspires and encourages our guests to meet, mingle and share. The hotel’s design seeks to establish a connection between the traveller and the local culture by creating a contemporary collage of the country and its traditions. Besides these, the Zone By The Park — Coimbatore is poised to emerge as a social hotspot. The concept of ‘making the hotel a social hotspot’ is unique and first of its kind in India. What are some of the challenges

you have faced while developing this brand?

To carve a niche for ‘Zone By The Park’ brand in an already cluttered market was a major challenge. We wanted to differentiate from our competitors who are present in the mid-market hotel segment. We are confident that the brand is all set to lead a social shift in hospitality; taking the industry to a whole new level, and making the hotel a social hotspot. Could you reflect on the future plans and new initiatives you wish to undertake?

As part of the brand’s expansion plans, the second property of Zone By The Park is slated to be launched in Jaipur, in Rajasthan, soon. More hospitality properties under the ambit of the Zone By The Park brand will open in Mahaballipuram, Chennai and Raipur in Chhattisgarh, in 2015 itself.

What is your working mantra, your guiding philosophy at work?

Being able to cover the 360 degree aspect of work is absolutely imperative to excel in whatever I do. Besides that, managing change, motivating and developing the team, chasing targets and achieving excellence are few of my guiding philosophies at work.

Jan-Feb ’15

Property

HOTEL Business Review

Here the meeting zones are like creative studios, instead of formal closed office space, which can induce inspiring and quirky ideas. An open plan lobby that can be re-arranged for private events; a bulletin that connects the guests with the city’s action; and gaming consoles are some of the interesting attractions of this property. Also elevator has a map of all places of interest nearby, again a good idea for facilitating connectivity. The classy hotel is located only 4 km from Coimbatore Railway Station and only 8 km from Coimbatore International Airport.

“Coimbatore is an emerging tourist destination, attracting both modern business and leisure travellers. We are confident that Zone By The Park — Coimbatore will appeal to the consumers here and add value to their experience.” Vijay Dewan, Managing Director, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd.

Highlights of the Hotel The Smoothie Bar

Functioning as the health bar at breakfast time and as the local hangout during the day, it offers a range of concoctions focusing on fresh and healthy.

Multi-cuisine All Day Dining Restaurant — Bazaar Inspired by the multi-hued charismatic bazaars of India, Bazaar comes across as a multicultural potpourri of food, people and ideas. It is a free flowing world cuisine experience just off the lobby, with multiple service points and formats and innovative multi-pricing options. In an open and free-flowing plan, Bazaar encourages the discovery of new experiences, both in terms of culinary and social. Interactive service formats and live cooking stations such as The Pizzeria and The Wokerie open your mind to new flavours while you can get a new perspective on street food at The Street Cart, at the hands of its dramatic Chef and his theatrical cooking style. The Bazaar Wall is truly a highlight of the restaurant design which provides the perfect backdrop for the theatre of the marketplace cooking and eating experience, creating a visual display of local traditions, ornaments and decorative items like Pithalai Sombu, Goli Soda, Petromax Light, Idiyappam Press and a lot more. The ambience is neat with ample amount of daylight. The furnishings are bright and there are colourful matching with coloured glass water bottles on each table. 60

Jan-Feb ’15

Lobby

Lobby area is well designed with octagonal overhead lamps. It comprises a gaming area, a highly decorated auto selling ethnic stuff, and a 24x7 business centre. It is useful for many business visitors to have the business centre always open, which is a pleasant departure from the convention in the Indian hospitality industry, where in many hotels in India the business centre is kept open only during the day time.

The Rooms

56 rooms of Zone By The Park — Coimbatore are quite high-tech in character. They are spread across three floors. You can play your contents on the hotel’s TV by connecting your device to hotel’s TV via USB or HDMI port, etc. The power outlets support multiple formats, which is very useful for international travellers who may not have India specific power adapter. Rooms have safety lock, ironing table and iron box. Switches are very sleek and modern. Wi- Fi is free for all guests.

Jan-Feb ’15

Profile

HOTEL Business Review

Leading the Brigade By Swarnendu Biswas

irupa Shankar is a dynamic young hotelier who seems to have the potential to bring an impetus of innovativeness in the Indian hotel industry; an industry which badly needs innovation to enhance its rate of growth. She is the Director of Bangalore-based Brigade Hospitality Services. Brigade Hospitality Services’ ventures in the hospitality business include serviced apartments, lifestyle membership clubs, hotels, convention centres, catering & events, bakery and a stand-alone restaurant(Brigade Group had launched India’s tallest point for food and beverage outside of Mumbai which is named High Ultra Lounge, which gives wonderful views of the city of Bangalore). It handles two hotels — Sheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway and Grand Mercure, Bangalore. Here

it deserves a mention that Brigade Hospitality Services happens to be a subsidiary of Brigade Enterprises Limited. Brigade Enterprises Limited is Brigade Group’s flagship company. It has completed over 100 residential, commercial, retail and hospitality projects, covering over 25 million sq. ft. of developable area, during the past 28 years. Headquartered in Bangalore, the Brigade Group is one of South India’s leading property developers. “Both our hotels are owned by Brigade Enterprises Ltd. and managed by the international operators,” informed Nirupa, who joined the Brigade Hospitality Services in mid 2009, as a Management Trainee. According to her, Brigade Hospitality is more of a management company, which is the asset manager for the hospitality ventures of the parent company — Brigade Enterprises.

Background Despite the fact that she joined her family business(she is the second daughter of MR Jaishankar, the Founder and CMD of Brigade Group), her rise from Management Trainee to the position of Director within such a short span of time cannot be termed anything short of praiseworthy. In fact, she joined the Brigade Hospitality Services when the first Mercure hotel in India was just launched by the Brigade Group. The hotel was eventually re-branded as Grand Mercure, Bangalore. “I spent the initial few months in front line operations, getting to know the team better and understanding the strengths and areas of improvement for our existing operations,” she asserted, while pointing out “Initially, I was very new to the industry and didn’t know too many people in the hotel industry. However, attending some of the big hotel conferences helped in expanding my network, which is always an added advantage in this business.”

A Passion for Hospitality It was her passion for the hospitality business which induced her to join the Brigade Group. “My passion for hospitality came about as a result of heavy travelling during my teenage years. My parents would take my sister and I for many holidays across the globe and that helped me to develop an interest towards 62

Jan-Feb ’15

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HOTEL Business Review

critically analysing hotel lobbies, rooms and other hotel spaces. In fact, often our meal time conversations revolved around the architecture, design, décor, service and staff in the hotels, leading to a fascination that was crucial in influencing my decision to make a career in hospitality,” elaborated the charming hotelier. She thinks that she would have got into the hospitality business regardless of whether her family business was into hotel development or not. “But the fact that our hospitality business was on the cusp of growth was an added push for me to pursue this area of business,” she affirmed. Nirupa, who did her Masters of Management in Hospitality (MMH), from Cornell University in New York and was an intern at Four Seasons Hotel Singapore prior to joining Brigade Hospitality Services, said that she and Vineet Verma, the CEO of Brigade Hospitality Services, had the role of ensuring that the two hotels were performing to their market potential. “We do this by understanding the market conditions, ascertaining the performance of competition and assessing that with our own performance,” she proffered. According to Nirupa, at hotels under Brigade Hospitality Services they always preferred to provide value to the guests instead of giving discounts. “Added to this, our hotels are efficient and well planned, thereby giving operators the added advantage to enhance profitability,” said the entrepreneur. The Brigade Group, according to her, has “plans to develop another 7-8 hotels over the course of the next 3-4 years.” She

stackwell Stackable aluminum banquet and conference chairs

WA 21

WA 27

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The Two Hotels Centrally located near Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, Sheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway is set in an upscale lifestyle enclave. Here over 2,300 sq. mt. of event space comprises 19 unique venues, while six restaurants and lounges together offer casual or fine dining options. The F&B options at the hotel include Bene — a specialty Italian restaurant, Persian Terrace — a restaurant to explore the delicious tastes and flavours from the Middle-East, and Feast — an all-day fine dining restaurant where the cuisine on offer is varied and international. The hotel comprises 230 spacious guest rooms and suites, and also an infinity pool or man made lake. Angsana Spa, a well-equipped health club and state-of-the-art banquet and conferencing services are other important features of Sheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway. This hotel became a reality or rather a realty in the hospitality space during Nirupa’s continuing tenure; it was launched in mid 2011. Grand Mercure, Bangalore is located in the up-market

Flexiback chair

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Stackable steel tubular powder coated chairs

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elaborated in this regard. “We will be launching two hotels this year —The Grand Mercure Mysore and the Holiday Inn, Chennai on OMR. We have a business hotel planned in Kochi, another business cum leisure hotel planned in Mysore and three more hotels planned in Bangalore. We also have a hotel coming up in Gujarat as part of the GIFT city. Our hotels will either be smart five-star hotels or mid-market hotels,” she informed.

Glass top buffet tables

Multi-utility Conference Tables

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Banquet tables

Made in India at: 9 Baba Industrial Estate, Dangat Patil Nagar,Shivane, Pune, 411023 Contact: +91 8888 871869 / +91 9850 324262 — sales@stackwell.com / banquetfurniture@gmail.com

Jan-Feb ’15

Profile

HOTEL Business Review

Koramangala area of Bangalore and is only 5km from the business district of the city where you can find multinational companies. Besides being located close to the city center, the hotel with 126 spacious and well-equipped apartments is only 45km from the airport. Highlights of this all-suite hotel are built-in kitchenettes and private balconies. The five-star property has two restaurants – 12th Main, By The Blue, and one Bar among its F&B options. A business centre, a gym, a swimming pool, a spa and treatment rooms, and 24/7 Wi-Fi facility are other attractions of the hotel.

Zealous on Women’s Safety Nirupa-led Brigade Hospitality Services is extremely zealous about the safety of its women guests. “The country is not safe for women to travel alone, thereby deterring many women travellers from visiting the remote but beautiful parts of the country,” she lamented. This is a lost opportunity for the Indian hotel business too. These days, the safety of women has rightly gained lots of limelight, and lackadaisical attitude towards women’s safety in the country can cost loss of potential revenues in the tourism and hospitality sector. The unsafe atmosphere for single lady travellers can be one of the important reasons why India, despite having such natural bounties and historical splendours, had been able to attract only 6.8 million (according to United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s figures) foreign tourists during 2013. In 2012, the figure for foreign tourist arrivals in India was even more dismal; it was only 6.5 million. Whereas our neighbour China attracted 55.7 million foreign tourists during 2013. According to UNWTO’s figures, our country in 2013 ranked a pathetic 10th in the Asia and Pacific region in terms of international tourist arrivals. There is no denying the fact that the safety of lady travellers is one of the major factors to induce a hotel to attract single lady travellers, a segment which thankfully is increasing in numbers during the recent years. “The safety of all our guests is of utmost importance. However, specifically with regard to women guests, we do take specific measures. At Grand Mercure, Bangalore for instance, we have introduced a ‘women’s only floor’ with added security for single women travellers or groups of women guests. Apart from this, the hotel has a one touch dial/ distress call/ emergency number, which enables the guests to speak to the Manager on duty directly for any requests or challenges under distress 64

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situations, a measure which I believe can greatly strengthen the sense of safety and security among our lady guests,” elaborated Nirupa with an air of confidence. “At the Sheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway, all the hotel’s cars are equipped with GPS,” stated Nirupa further, a guest-friendly measure which can also bolster a single women traveller’s or a group of women only travellers’ safety concerns. “With us at Sheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway, confidentiality of women guests’ information is maintained before, during and after their stay by storing them in e-format with restricted access,” she added further. She also expressed that there was patrolling system by lady security guards in & around the rooms of single women travellers or rooms where groups of women guests stay, at the Sheraton Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway.

No Adventure? Adventure tourism is an area which is expected to gain momentum in the years to come. Especially, tailored packages for women only groups of adventure tourists can reap rich dividends for the hotel business, as women only groups are gaining currency in the Indian tourism industry. According to TripAdvisor’s annual Women Travel Survey 2014, nearly 47 percent of the 1068 women respondents said that they had taken leisure trips as part of a ‘group of women’. And 35 percent of the respondents said that they had travelled solo during the last two years. However, despite being a practitioner of adventure sports, Nirupa has not thought of introducing any initiatives for adventure sports enthusiasts in her hotels. She said that she had taken to bungee jumping, sky diving and scuba diving to overcome her latent fears and would not want to impose the same on her guests. Here it deserves a mention that Nirupa has done sky-diving in Pennsylvania, cave exploring in Kolar, Malaysia, scuba diving and snorkeling in Maldives and Bali.

Potential and Impediments I queried the dynamic lady with a ravishingly beautiful smile that which is/are the relatively untapped area/s of Indian tourism and hospitality business that if explored more proactively and creatively, can accrue great dividends in terms of revenues and profits for the Indian hospitality industry. “There is a lot of scope to increase MICE business in the country, but the push for this needs to come from the various state governments through creation of large exhibition and conference spaces to fit about 10,000 – 15,000 people at a time,” she averred. About the impediments towards the growth of the hospitality business in India, she passionately stated that “We urgently need better public transportation and better safety measures to encourage more foreign travellers to our country.” “The quality of our road and rail infrastructure needs to be improved so that tourists can travel in comfort,” she pointed out further. Besides the by and large sorry state of the transportation and safety infrastructure in India, the rigmarole of lengthy list of licenses and approvals to open a single hotel also peeves her. However, thankfully the impediments do not have the strength to deter her champion like spirit. She is all geared to lead Brigade Hospitality Services to the next phase of growth and development for she is not afraid to learn every day… n

Jan-Feb ’15

Operations

HOTEL Business Review

Water Damage Control in

Hotels

What appears to be a common water seepage problem can also structurally damage and weaken the property and the best damage control solution is to have the establishment in good repair at all times though a meticulous water damage mitigation programme By Jyotismita Sharma routes in the course and travelling a great distance from the original source, making it difficult, if not impossible, for repairing personnel to detect. The loss that such a leak may cause is humungous. For example, if a corroded pipe on top floor of a multi-storey building goes undetected, the damage can extend to several floors and make a hole in the pocket of the owners. Moreover, people are today aware that a damp room poses serious health risk and therefore not worth their money. It is likely that they would prefer a small neat accommodation with good indoor air quality than a damp luxurious suit with visible mould growth and invisible colonies of dust mites.

Sources of Hotel Water Damage

he sight of water damage is so ubiquitous that many assume it to be insignificant. However, the reality is completely different. Left unrepaired, even water seepage and leakage could spell major damage to a property, causing financial loss to owners not only in terms of incurring unnecessary maintenance cost but also by robbing them of their most valued customers. What appears to be common water damage can also structurally damage and weaken the property -- wood rot, peeling paint, and facilitating mould growth -66

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significantly lowering its value in the realestate market, damaging its reputation as a comfortable destination, and interrupting regular operations. An unrepaired leak originating on the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roof can put at stake the life of ceilings, walls and flooring underneath, besides electronics and the personal belongings of hotel guests. It can affect electrical wiring, creating a potential fire hazard. In fact, as is the nature of water, a small undetected leak can quickly slide down through a building, charting its own

Sources of water damage are hardly any different for hotels from residential or even office building. However, certain buildings that are located in areas that receive high rainfall and flood are more vulnerable to water damage. The roof on a building collects a lot of water, and inferior designs and downpipes can result in leaks. Moreover, to prevent blockages and overflows, which can escape back into the building, adequate maintenance of roof rainwater services is considered a necessity. Severe storms and flooding are powerful sources of water damage even in most welldesigned and well-maintained roofs and buildings. Secondly, the sophisticated plumbing

June-July ’14

Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review

Jan-Feb ’15

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Operations

HOTEL Business Review

hook-ups that are required today in view of the multiple high-tech appliances such as washing machines, coffee machines, refrigerators, ice machines, etc., can also be a potential source of water damage as they can cause leaks when installed improperly. According to leading global multi-line insurer Zurich Insurance Group, grey/ foul waters tend to present intermittent leaks, which can slowly build up over time, as these types of appliances are not in constant use. “Sprinkler piping and pump sets operate at high pressures, so any break in a line can give rise to rapid loss of large volumes of water,” it said. Sewage backup can also cause hotel water damage, contamination and potential health hazards. Thirdly, facility systems in a hotel can also be major source of water damage. Plant rooms, boiler rooms and HVAC installations bring additional large volumes of water into a building and any leak in

problems may cause water damages throughout the facility. In such cases, suggestions of professional basement waterproofing contractors can be sought.

How to Control Water Damage

these systems can result in extensive water flow throughout multiple floors, especially if these systems are located on the top floor or roof. The water supplies in some areas contain certain minerals, which can increase the corrosion rate of the water and make pipes and appliances vulnerable to damage. Fourthly, the basement can be major cause of concern because if equipment is stored in a humid hotel basement or the hotel has a damp crawl space, moisture

What Makes Your Property More Vulnerable to Water Damage? Several factors make a property more vulnerable to water-related losses: Age of structure: Like life, buildings may too los their sheen with age unless carefully maintained. Buildings that have crossed 20 years are likely to have a higher risk profile because of significant wear and tear on exterior envelope and interior infrastructure. It is only natural that piping and other systems in older facilities are more prone to failure. Building Height: High-rise apartment buildings or hotels may look very sleek, but they tend to have more water damage exposures. Individual apartments or units can have their own combined pressurised hot water and heating systems, and a failure in just one can lead to a large escape of water. More high-tech installations such as steam showers, jacuzzi spas, soaking tubs and built-in water coolers can contribute to the potential for water leaks. New Construction Materials: Use of new construction materials other than the traditional concrete and steel also raises the potential for significant water damage. With changing requirements and evolution of new sense of aesthetics, new materials like concrete forms, modular assemblies and engineered timber are preferred for building construction. However, since many of these newer materials are not always installed to the highest standards, they may not always protect from water seepages. Seasonal Storms: Where your property is located can also affect water damage. There is a higher potential for water leaks and infrastructure failure such as pipe breaks in places marked by intense seasonal storms. Lack of Maintenance: Any building where regular maintenance of the roof, windows, plumbing and HVAC is being deferred faces the potential loss of structural integrity.

Jan-Feb ’15

At times, hotel water damage restoration can be very expensive and therefore the best damage control solution is to have the establishment in good repair at all times though a meticulous water damage mitigation programme. Check Expensive Equipment: Such a programme can start with the check of critical and expensive equipment in the hotel as even spillage of water can damage that equipment. The next step is to identify the source of this leakage and fix it. Roof Inspection: As already mentioned, a well-maintained roof plays a very important role in arresting water damage. Besides regular maintenance, roofs must be inspected after rains and windstorms for any damage and if identified get it promptly repaired. But make sure that the roof is closely inspected -- the flashing, drains, downspouts and roof-mounted equipment such as antennas or satellite dishes. Strict Maintenance: Excessive wear and tear can cause water damages and the key to avoid it is to have a strict maintenance schedule for the building and equipment and also follow it. Eye on Nearby Construction: Besides your own building, preventing water damage also requires one to keep an eye on the new constructions and renovation projects nearby as debris from construction projects and landscaping can also clog drains during heavy rains. Emergency Response Plan: Having an emergency response plan can help deal with a real situation of water damage better, by limiting response time and also the extent of damage. According to Zurich, “This written plan should include details on what to do in the event of a leak or liquid damage, a repair vendor phone list and the designation of one person in authority to oversee the process.” Besides these, a more comprehensive plan may include determining an evacuation and shelter plan; training staff for emergency situations; investing in backup power and communication systems; protecting business data and carrying adequate business interruption insurance. n

Jan-Feb ’15

Engineering

HOTEL Business Review

Intricacies of

Ozone Washing If addition of ozone in commercial laundry can help the entrepreneurs cut cost by saving on energy expenditure and water consumption, it also has beneficial effects on the environment and health of laundry workers

ith disinfecting properties of ozone and its resource conservation benefits coming to light, the use of this gas in commercial and industrial laundries gained popularity in the last decade of the last century. It has emerged that use of ozone can help save a lot of energy in laundry. With the addition of ozone to commercial laundries, it is possible to effectively wash clothes in cold water, thereby saving a lot of energy spent in heating water. The process can also

curb the usage of washing detergent and water as ozone enhances the wash process and reduces wash cycles, leading to faster completion of wash loads. What is more, the gentler ozone water cycles can also help extend linen life by up to 25 percent. Cut in usage of chemicals harmful to clothes and reduction is rinse and dryer cycles also work to extend fabric life. It has also been claimed that ozonewash water has superior disinfecting properties, killing viruses in just 5-6

minutes. These are some of the benefits that ozone washing provides the laundry entrepreneurs and helps them cut cost. Many even claim that ozone washing is beneficial to the environment and also the operators who are at risk of exposure to many hazardous chemicals in conventional laundry. Studies have concluded that ozone laundering reduces the amount of laundry chemicals discharged to waste and upon ozonisation soils become more biodegradable. And as it cubs the usage and storage of laundering chemicals, the laundry workers may feel safer. However, it deserves here a mention that too much exposure to ozone can also be bad for health, especially as it can affect the respiratory system. But because of its powerful disinfecting properties, ozone-washing could be ideal in hospital laundries as it can curb hospital-acquired infection in patients by killing or making inactive harmful microorganism found in many soiled textiles.

What is Ozone? Ozone is created when air is exposed to either: ultraviolet light, lightening or man-made high voltage electric arcs. This causes some of the oxygen (O2) molecules to fracture into two Oxygen (O) atoms. These atoms then combine

Jan-Feb â&#x20AC;&#x2122;15

TRAFS

Jan-Feb ’15

Engineering

HOTEL Business Review

with other oxygen molecules, forming a molecule of ozone; consisting of a group of three oxygen atoms (O3). Ozone is very reactive and is nature’s own way of destroying pollutants and cleaning up the atmosphere. It works best in cold water as hot water breaks ozone down before it can perform as intended.

Ozone Laundry Systems Ozone Laundry Systems use an ozone generator which is usually integrated with existing equipment. Compressed air is forced through a high voltage electrical arc, which results in the conversion of oxygen molecules into ozone gas. The ozone is then dissolved in cold laundry wash water where it exerts its powerful cleaning action. Because it is so reactive, ozone readily attaches itself to fatty and other soils that bind dirt to clothing, destroying them rapidly. As one of the strongest known oxidizing agents, ozone is capable of breaking down virtually any organic soil into innocuous compounds such as carbon dioxide and water.

Jan-Feb ’15

Properties of Ozone Ozone is a gas with a pungent odour that is formed by the breakdown of elemental, diatomic Oxygen (02) and the recombination of a percentage of the oxygen atoms into a triatomic molecule (03). Although normal oxygen, a component of the atmosphere, is a powerful oxidizing agent in its own right, ozone has much stronger oxidizing properties and reacts more quickly, often in fractions of a second, with a wide range of substances. In addition, it is one of the most effective biocides known to science, better even than chlorine, bromine and other commonly used disinfectants. Unlike the latter substances, however, it does not form hazardous disinfectant by-products (DBP’s) such as dioxin and nitrites that are harmful to the environment or are toxic to animals and hurnans. Once ozone has fully reacted with substances in water or air, excess gas decomposes quickly to normal oxygen and is reabsorbed into the atmosphere. Ozone can be generated from two sources: ambient air or pure oxygen. Because it reacts so easily with other elements and is inherently unstable, it exists for only a short time before combining with another substance or reverting to normal oxygen. Accordingly, it must be generated on-site at the point that it is to be used. Unlike chlorine and other dangerous disinfectants, it does not need to be handled, transported or stored, thereby posing little hazard to personnel at the facility. Finally, when used in proper concentrations, ozone is an effective corrosion inhibitor, and in

the wash room context can reduce the need for substances like chlorine, which are vey corrosive for equipment and fabrics

Does ozone laundry really work? The potential of ozone in the laundry industry has led some manufacturers to build ozone-based washing systems and claimed them to be detergent-less laundry solution. However, testing consumerreports.org has revealed this year that at least two such laundry solutions marketed with similar claims – pureWash Eco-friendly Laundry System and Wash it Laundry System – are just true good to be true. However, a report based on the use of ozone laundry in a US hospital shows that ozone laundry really has the potential for cost savings from reduced hot water use. The hospital found that using ozonated water eliminates approximately 75 to 80 percent of hot water use, and the power bill declined by 25 to 30 percent. With such cost saving, it was estimated that the cost of ozone generators could be recovered within approximately two years of their installation. There are some more benefits when the system is installed and operated. For example, the laundry turns out much whiter, the report added. “You can set towels washed with ozonated water next to towels washed traditionally, and the superior whitening effect of ozone is immediately and dramatically obvious,” the report based on interviews with the managers of Penacook Place Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Massachusetts added. Besides helping to make the laundry more white and bright, ozone also makes the laundry more fluffy. The reason for this it facilitates to open the pores of the fabrics. The ozone laundry can be very much helpful in the hospitality industry too by contributing towards guest satisfaction. Ozone laundry can also help hotels to lower their environmental impact and can also lower their operational costs. Moreover the ozone generators require very little maintenance. There are some small filters that have to be kept clean, but according to the above-mentioned report, overall they perform well without much routine maintenance. n

Jan-Feb ’15

P ro d uct Previ ew

HOTEL Business Review

Tableware

One of the best-selling collections in the Skyra Professional Tableware range, the Rose Gold Chafing Dish Collection is also the most charming. It is available in 4 sizes from 2 Ltrs for home dinner parties to 8 Ltrs for larger events. Across all volumes is a single design language that features a beautiful Rose Copper Lid and Water Pan in combination with a Gold stand and finials. The classic contemporary forms are complimented by beautiful bead trimmed Handles and slim elegant legs. To finish the detailing are sleek slender rods that hold the burner holder in place. The base extremely de cluttered as a result of this design, enabling the focal points to remain on the gorgeous dome lids. SKYRA Professional Equipment Pvt. Ltd. gmsales@skyra.in

Outdoor Furniture

Trends change every season and at Vetra they totally live up to the changing demands and trends by adding new styles and designs. Vetra has been a part of the outdoor furniture market for many years, introduced synthetic wicker line in 2008 and now recently have introduced Sunbrella strap furniture and teak line. The strap and teak collection can comfortably be used indoors as well. The company has supplied furniture to numerous hotels, restaurants, cafes and other public places around the world. Being a manufacturer, every particular desire and requirement can be customised and made according to customer personal needs. The company can match craftsmanship with clients decor. The raw materials used are environment-friendly and recyclable. The USP of furniture is that it is maintenance free - just basic cleaning keeps it looking sharp for a lifetime. The range is the epitome of quality, design and durability. To add quality and glamour to furniture, they have tied up with a leading US based company called SUNBRELLA, which manufacturers fabric made of acrylic fibre that is excellent for the outdoors, requiring minimum care and maintenance. The company offers years of carefree warranty for its product against fading. Modi Woodspace Pvt. Ltd. anuj@vetrafurniture.com

Mattress

Simmons® Beautyrest® Hotel Legend series offers the trademark technology Simmons is known for, the Simmons®Original Pocketed Coil®. Simmons® Original Pocketed Coil® offers unsurpassed motion separation

and conformability, which allows the guest a restful and undisturbed sleep recharging them for their itinerary ahead. Every element in Simmons mattress is put through rigorous tests in accordance with the Cornell University Indentation Test to ensure assurance on quality and durability. Simmons Beautyrest® Hotel Legend series is available in 2 options. The Beautyrest® Hotel Legend I provides a firmer feel with its tight top finish, while the Beautyrest® Hotel Legend II offers a plusher feel with its pillow-top finish. Both options are also non-flip mattress providing housekeeping an easier task on maintenance. Simmons Bedding & Furniture (India) Pvt. Ltd. sushil.kumar@simmons.com.sg

Indoor & Outdoor Signages

For over 15 years, Solar (India) has been specialising in the design, manufacture and installation of the highest quality of indoor and outdoor signages. Solar India’s unique capability is to leverage a wide variety of imported machinery & equipment in combination with a high level of creativity to create one-of-a-kind signages are sure to leave a lasting impression. Over the years, Solar has worked with some of the most iconic brands in hotels, commercial complexes and institutions. Unlike most sign shops, Solar India is uniquely positioned with not only a talented in house creative team, but also various technologies. When used in combination, it results in the creation of unique & eye catching signages. A very wide range of materials is another big plus. Solar (India) solarind@vsnl.com

The information published in this section is as per the details furnished by the respective manufacturer/distributor. In any case, it does not represent the views of Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd.

Jan-Feb ’15

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

ADVERTISER’S INDE X COMPANY

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AMBIENTE INDIA 65 ARCHII 49 COIRFOAM INDIA PVT. LTD. BC COMBII ORGANOCHEM PVT. LTD. 27 EDT EXPO 2015 37 ELECTROLUX PROFESSIONAL FIC F&F GLOBAL PVT. LTD. 17 FCML DISTRIBUTORS PVT. LTD. 29 FRANCHISE INDIA BRANDS LTD. 21 HEIMTEXTIL INDIA 53 HI-AIM 69 HISCA 2015 61 HOME COMFORT TEXO FAB 12 HOTELEX SHANGHAI 2015 73 HOTREMAI 67 IFB INDUSTRIES LTD. 15 ITPO AAHAR 2015 56 MEHTA FURNISHERS 31 MKN INDIA 35 MODI WOODSPACE PVT. LTD. 13 PACIFIC MERCHANTS 39

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PUSHKAL TEXTILES 10 RAMSHA HOME & LIVING 23 RANS TECHNOCRATS (INDIA) PVT. LTD. 25 RELIANCE RECRON 01 REMINGTON STEEL ARTS 75 SHEELA FOAM PVT. LTD. 11 SIAL CHINA 2015 43 S.N. GLOBAL 45 SHANTI METAL INDUSTRIES 51 SKY ENTERPRISES 09 SOLAR (INDIA) 14 STACKWELL 63 SUPERSHINE LAUNDRY SYSTEMS PVT. LTD. 19 SYSTEMS INDIA PVT. LTD. 41 TRAFS 71 TREND N DESIGN 47 TRINITY HOME PRODUCTS 22 UNDP-GEF PROJECT ON CONCENTRATED SOLAR HEAT BIC VEDIC AROMA LAB 75 VELDEMAN STRUCTURE SOLUTIONS 07 VENUS INDUSTRIES 05 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY 75

* BIC - BACK INSIDE COVER * BC - BACK COVER

Jan-Feb ’15

Intervi ew

HOTEL Business Review

Prioritising on Relationship Management By Sharmila Chand

With 17 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Rajesh Rajpurohit, the General Manager, Holiday Inn Jaipur City Centre, has come a long way from being a smart Front Office Manager to Operations Manager, and subsequently he reached the position of General Manager. All this career progression took place in 10 years. His journey through continual learning and growth has been with several hotel chains, which include ITC Hotels, Taj Group, Sarovar Group, Wyndham Hotel Group and now IHG among others. He has cherished the relationships built with his colleagues and with guests as he said, “My personal strength is relationship management which helps me immensely in leading and growing with the team, in my capacity as the General Manager.” The excerpts of the interview follow: What is the USP of your property?

The USP of our hotel is the strategic location and our ability to cater to all variety of guests, ranging from leisure to corporate, with desired guest experience. Anyone and everyone with the power and money can build a hotel, however it is the personnel who really make the difference. It is the service attitude of our people with our continuous focus on forging stronger relationship with our internal and external colleagues is the biggest differentiator that makes our hotel stand out from others in the same bracket.

The differentiating factor of our F&B outlets is their authenticity as well as adaptability to the contemporary diners. Where Chao Chinese Bistro caters to fine dining Chinese cuisine enthusiasts, our Road House Bar and Grill is an ideal place to meet for every youngster who wishes to celebrate life with food and beverages. The immense popularity gained by Monarch, our Rajasthani & world dining cuisine outlet during the short span of time since its launch, is an example of the success of local and global approach in our F&B menu offerings.

What is the marketing strategy you have adopted to promote your property?

Could you reflect on the future plans and new initiatives you wish to undertake in your property?

I strongly believe in the quality of guest experience and the word of mouth marketing for our hotel and services. I believe every happy customer is the biggest marketing tool in herself/himself. What according to you is the role of F&B in getting business for a hotel? How much importance do you give to this department?

In the current scenario, F&B plays a significant role in the hotel industry. With our strength of four unique F&B outlets, in-room dining service and banquets, we offer a variety of F&B destinations. From contemporary Chinese bistro named Chao Chinese Bistro to the modern American bar & grill named Road House Bar and Grill, the focus is definitely to make a difference through our F&B operations. W ha t would yo u say i s th e differentiating factor of your F&B outlets?

Jan-Feb ’15

The team is constantly focussed on bringing new delicacies through our F&B outlets. Our focus will be on introducing food festivals to win the local as well as international palates. The colleagues will also be bringing the GREEN ENGAGE program to life at the hotel, in 2015. This year is very important for us and the team is strategically planned to exceed the guest expectations in the Jaipur hotel market. What is the most crucial issue to tackle in the Indian hospitality industry these days?

The crucial issue is to continually train & retain the talent in hotel operations and sales. With many hotel brands from across the globe being launched in our part of the world, every talented colleague of ours has options to take a career move. The art is in winning the talent with constant learning and development. What do you enjoy the most about

being at the helm of affairs at the hotel?

Being a General Manager of the hotel, the most amazing part is to keep the energy and focus of the personnel on track and in alignment with the hotel’s vision. My colleagues in the hotel are young and full of ideas, it is just the right direction and constant push which keep me well connected with the team. What is your professionally?

strength,

Perhaps my biggest strength on a professional scale is my ability to win people through strong relationships. It is my constant desire to nurture healthy relationships which helps me immensely in my profession. Like we say in hospitality, it is all about people. I am a strong believer of the same philosophy. I also make myself available 24 x 7 for the hotel. I have briefed my operations and leadership team to reach me at any point of time when they require any form of support. What is your working mantra, that is your guiding philosophy at work?

My mantra at work is to listen to everyone, using your experience and taking the step with right attitude and intention. We all make mistakes at work but when we have the right attitude and intention even mistakes can turn into learning actions and yield fruitful results. Anything else you would like to say?

Life in the hospitality world has been rewarding and enriching for me. It is our continual approach towards healthy professional relationships which will facilitate the growth of leadership.

Jan-Feb ’15

May-June ’14