Hotel Business Review (Sep-Oct 2019)

Sept-Oct ’19

1

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

T

he Indian hospitality industry is a major contributor to the India’s economic growth. With the introduction of e-Visa for foreign tourists this

trend is expected to continue. With the domestic economy improving, there are clear signs of increased domestic travel. Domestic travel has witnessed growth, attributing to the direct Travel & Tourism GDP. The demand and supply gap in India is visible in Mid-segment / budget hotels and there is need for more hotels. Various domestic and international brands have made significant inroads into this space and more are expected to follow as the potential for this segment of hotels becomes more obvious. Cover story examines various aspects of the midmarket segment and finds that macroeconomic data suggests that the road ahead will be bright.

To make a hotel successful and profitable Revenue management is undergoing a constant change, with the evolution of technology. Business story takes a look at the fast changing scenario and the increasing importance of revenue management, whose role is being perceived more as profit generating rather than managing revenue.

India has the largest population of young adults and they are the most aspiring segment interested in experimenting and innovation. Hotels look upon this segment as potential spenders for the multiple services offered by them. The feature story finds how hoteliers are strategising to take the major share of this segment by offering them unique experiences.

Wellness & Medical tourism is a market which the tourism and hospitality industry of India and as well as the government of India cannot afford to leave unexplored. Current issue focus on how entrepreneurs in wellness industry and hospitality industry take the challenge for effectively tapping the growing demand of this vertical.

In the management section read about the key traits that make for a noteworthy Hotel PRO. Also other sections covered are property and housekeeping.

We wish all our esteem readers Happy & Prosperous Diwali and 550th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Devji.

2

Sept-Oct ’19

Resident Editor Sharmila Chand (Delhi) Ashok Malkani (Mumbai) Layout & Design Hari Kumar V Abhishek Singh Rathore Production Assistant Jyoti Gupta Advertising Sales Delhi: Debabrata Nath, Sumesh Sharma Director Sales Sanjay Anand Mobile: +91 9811136837 Director Operations Rajat Taneja Mobile: +91 9810315463 Editorial & Advertising Offices: Delhi: Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 206, Samrat Bhawan, Ranjeet Nagar Commercial Complex, New Delhi-110008 Phone: 91-11-25704103, 45093486, 45084903 Mumbai: Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 105, 1st Floor, Aarpee Centre, Gufic Compound, 11th Road, MIDC, Near Tunga Paradise, Andheri (E), Mumbai-400093, India Phone: 91-22-28395833 E-mail: info@hammer.co.in © 2019 Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher.

Hammer Hotel Business Review is a bi-monthly magazine, printed, edited, owned and published by Rajneesh Sharma on behalf of Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 206, Samrat Bhawan, Ranjeet Nagar Commercial Complex, New Delhi. Printed at Print Creations, C-112/3, Naraina Industrial Area, Phase-1, New Delhi.

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.

Disclaimer: The editor and publisher believes that all information contained in this publication are correct at the time of publishing.

Content published not necessarily are the opinion or view of the editor and publisher. Editor and publisher declines any responsibility for any action taken based on the information contained in this publication, including liability for error or omission.

Annual subscription rate within India is Rs. 600 and for overseas it is US $110, for surface mail. Single issue is available for Rs. 100 in India and US $25 for overseas. Cheques are payable to Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd.

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

24

Departments

The Rise of Economy Hotel Segment Event 04

Business 30 Revving up the Revenue

FEATURE

36

Target, Engage and Win Millennial Business in Hospitality

Focus

42

News 10 Appointment 18 Product Preview

58

Interview 60

Travelling for Health

management

46

Checklist for a Communications Champion in Hotels

property 50 Classy Hospitality in the Wild

housekeeping 54 Vacuum Cleaners

Cover Pic: ibis Kolkata Rajarhat

Sept-Oct ’19

3

Event

Hotel Business Review

‘PASTRY QUEEN INDIA’ 3rd Edition HAMMER & Italian Exhibition Group (organiser of Sigep show), in association with Epicure, announces the third edition of The Pastry Queen India. The competition is open to Lady Professional Pastry Chefs, citizens of India, above the age of 21, working at leading hospitality organisations in India. The winner will earn the right to represent India at LADIES WORLD PASTRY CHAMPIONSHIP, SIGEP, Italy, to be held in January 2021. The travel and boarding expenses to SIGEP for the winner along with the mentor will be borne by the organizers. The last date to apply as a contestant is October 25, 2019.

The two day competition will be held at Gurgaon’s ‘Indian School of Hospitality’ from November 30 - December 01, 2019, aims to recognise creativity and innovation of the Lady Pastry artists and further recognising them on international platform.

The Pastry Queen-India is an exclusive event in India which provides a leading p l a t fo r m fo r t a l e n t e d La d y Pa s t r y professionals to showcase their skills of pastry arts. During the competition, the contestants will be judged on their professional skills, and ability to provide a practical demonstration of trends and progress in pastry arts.

The Theme of the competition this year is “Leonardo da Vinci” and will be illustrated through a work of art made of sugar and pastillage, used harmoniously to create the required products. The selected candidates will receive further training at ‘Indian School of Hospitality’ to further hone up their skill to compete at international level at SIGEP 2021.

The competition is created as per the international standards and the competitors will have to show world class skill in Sugar

4

Sept-Oct ’19

Arts. Sugar Art is a rare skill in India and very few can actually create this work of art in India. The competition will see this exclusive art during the event made by the best in India.

The eminent competition jury members for this year competition are Chef Parvinder Singh Bali, Corporate Chef Learning and Development, The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development, Chef Avijit Ghosh, Corporate Pastry Chef, Hotel LeelaVenture Ltd., Chef Manisha Bhasin, Executive Corporate Chef and Chef Arvind Prasad, Director of Academics, Whitecaps International School of Pastry, Bengaluru.

According Sanjay Tandon, Managing Director, Epicure Frozen Foods India Pvt. Ltd., “The Pastry Queen” has set its s ights on becoming a gold-standard international event in the pastry-making world, guaranteeing a professional platform that will showcase the category and encourage valuable feelings of goodwill, quality, passion and love for the profession, not to mention creativity, collaboration and respect. All are part of the professional ethic that underpins the sector, giving it solid roots and a constructive vision for future.

We are proud to be associated with it since its inception in India and it is our endeavour to raise the stock of pastry chefs through events like these.”

Dilip Puri, Founder & CEO, Indian School of Hospitality says, “The Indian School of Hospitality is delighted to host Pastry Queen India. The competition is a great platform to showcase the amazingly talented women who are transforming the pastry arts landscape in India – and in turn help inspire and encourage the up and coming generation

of aspiring pâtissiers and bakers. Our college itself has a 50/50 ratio of male to female students in our culinary programmes, and we are continuously working towards bringing more awareness of culinary arts to young women everywhere.”

S a n j ay A n a n d , D i re cto r, H a m m e r Publishers, avers “When we got an opportunity to go for SIGEP as a part of jury few years back, we were really happy to see the scale of the event and the number of countries as participants. India was not a part of it.

We looked at it as an opportunity to work it back in India. SIGEP supported us completely and here we are with our third edition now.

The event is getting recognition slowly and steadily in India and we are proud to say that our Lady Chefs are on the global platform now which instills great confidence in them.”

About SIGEP and Ladies World Pastry Championship: Held every two years, SIGEP is a specialist trade fair held in Rimini, Italy since 1979, dedicated to pastry chefs and ice cream, chocolate and bread makers from around the world.

LADIES WORLD PASTRY CHAMPIONSHIP SIGEP 2021, Rimini, Italy is intended specifically for Lady Pastry Chefs from around the world, to give them a unique opportunity to put their skills to the test and find new inspiration for a successful and stimulating career. A high-calibre professional event, run in accordance with the strictest and fairest of professional standards and held in Italy - the cradle of confectionery and pastry-making art.

For in depth information on Pastry Queen India, please visit: www.pastryqueenindia.com

Sept-Oct ’19

5

Event

Hotel Business Review

Food & Hotel India (FHIn) 2019 The three day Food and Hotel India Expo’s (FHIn) 2nd Edition 2019, organised by the Informa Markets in India, concluded successfully in Mumbai on 20th September 2019 with a 64% growth in visitor footfalls.

Attendees were introduced to top of the line products & solution providers and project holders within the HORECA industry (Hotel/ Restaurant/Catering), who shed light on India’s business and market share in Food & Beverages, Tea & Coffee, Beer, Wine & Spirit, Sea Food, Meat, Bakery, Commercial Kitchen and Refrigeration Equipments; Hotel Housekeeping, Hospitality Technology and Interior Designs, Retail & Hospitality Food Services and more.

The expo was inaugurated by Anurag Katriar, President, NRAI. Other Guest included - Param Kannampilli, Chairman and Managing Director Concept Hospitality; Chef Manjit Singh Gill - President IFCA; Thomas Schlitt, MD, Messe Dusseldorf India; Pankaj Shende, Senior Portfolio Director, Informa Markets in India and Abhijit Mukherji, Group Director, Informa Markets in India.

FHIn was marked by the presence of buyers that comprised major hotels, restaurants, catering, food retailers chains, companies. The expo attracted interest from the hotel owners, consultants, department heads, food retail sector that included food importers, distributors, modern traders, food ecommerce companies to source the right products.

Yogesh Mudras apprised participants on how the demand for food and beverages has increased corresponding to the growth of the Indian population and the economy.

He explained the potential that platforms such as FHIn19 provides for India’s Food, Hospitality and Tourism Industry to establish business opportunities in Asia, as it connects International Brands with the largest gathering of decision makers, specifiers and end users in India.

FHIn 2019 witnessed interactive sessions: Hospitality Strategy Summit (HSS2019) ( fo r i n d u s t ry k n ow l e d g e exc h a n g e ) : included sessions such as – ‘Leading through Disruption: Staying Ahead of New Consumer Trends’, ‘New age trends in coffee technology’, ‘Time to Whet your Appetite’, ‘Extending hospitality to the Environment - Is it easy being Sustainable?’ and ‘Recruiting, Staffing & Training for Profitability’.

6

Sept-Oct ’19

Hospitality Technology Conclave: included a session on ‘Embracing Smart Technology in Hospitality - Tech Gurus Bring in Reality Check’. It spoke about how in an increasingly crowded and competitive industry, hotels groups across the world are embracing and experimenting with smart technology in hotels to deliver innovative and groundbreaking experiences.

A Master Class-Kitchen Planning and Designing session on ‘Sustainable Kitchens – Designing for Energy Efficiency & Reduced Foot Print’. The session talked about how the hotels, restaurants, food delivery kitchens, hospitals and cafeterias catering are high growth businesses today.

Infocus – North East: This session focused on The North East of India – as a potential Hospitality Hub. The Purchase Punch: focused on ‘Where the procurement function is headed in the lead up to 2020’.

Housekeeping Seminar: that talked about Laundry Lessons – by Leading Housekeepers telling what’s hot and What’s trending in Food Space with The Godrej Food Trend Report.

J o u r n ey to E nt re p re n u e r – C h ef Rahul Akrekar’s shared his “Journey to Entrepreneurship” where he highlighted his career transition to becoming a Chef after spending ten years in Engineering.

Raw to Refresh: Top Chefs from the industry went head to head in innovative Cook-offs in the Industry.

India International Culinary Classic 2019 (IICC): Culinary talents across India displayed their food mastery, seeking accreditation and feedback to escalate their level to excellence.

Participants were judged by a panel of acclaimed chefs. The winners for the top five categories of IICC included Chef Ruchika Khedkar from the Oberoi, Chef Deepak Bhatt from The Sofitel & Ashish Rajbhar from Sahara Star, Chef Samruddhi Salunke from The Oberoi and Chef Ram Singh from

Taj Sats and Chef Rajesh Sajvan, from The Grand Hyatt.

The Barista Championship: an exclusive affair at the FHIn which was a professional competition authorized and judged by industry stalwarts. It aimed at providing a platform for coffee professionals and enthusiasts to share their knowledge, and to compete and celebrate this beverage segment.

Prowein Education Campaign India in association with Messe Dusseldorf India, drew special attention to the Indian liquor business game plan for the future.

EVENTS’ CALENDER Fi and Hi India 2019 21-23 October 2019 Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon, Mumbai www.figlobal.com/india

International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) 7-11 October 2019 Las Vegas convention centre, NEVADA www.ibie2019.com HKTDC Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair 7-9 November 2019 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre hkwinefair.hktdc.com SIAL Middle East 10-12 December 2018 Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre ADNEC, Abu Dhabi, UAE www.sialme.com

Sigep 2019 19-23 January 2019 Rimini Expo Centre, Italy www.en.sigep.it

SIRHA 2019 26-30 January 2019 Eurexpo, Lyon, France www.sirha.com/en

Gulfood 2019 17-21 February 2019 Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Dubai www.gulfood.com

Sept-Oct ’19

7

Event

Hotel Business Review

HostMilano 2019

T

he 41st edition of HostMilano 2019, at fieramilanountil, once again proved to be the melting pot of innovation and new trends this year. The hospitality and outof-home markets have always anticipated new lifestyles and HostMilano is the place where they are previewed.

This year again, HostMilano witnessed the entire HoReCa world present in one exhibition. From bean to cup and from flour to oven, passing through the latest machinery and formats; the various sectors of professional hospitality unite once again on the stage of the HostMilano during 18-22 October 2019. It is the focus on innovation that makes HostMilano unique in the panorama of trade shows. It is here that companies present an often exclusive preview of genuinely new products, featuring the most advanced technology.

According to data from the Ulisse Information System analysed for HostMilano, worldwide Professional Equipment sales reached a turnover of 54.8 billion euros in 2018, with Italy among the world’s leading exporting countries.

This year there were 2249 exhibitors at the show, 3.8% higher than in 2017, of which 1,360 were Italian and 889 international from 55 countries. Among those showing increase from the other European exporter of the sector was Germany, which increased its presence by 7%. And 20% growth came from the United States. Growth is also seen in countries such as Belgium (+20%), Greece (+23%) and the United Kingdom (+12%). In absolute terms, the top 10 exhibiting countries were Germany, Spain, France, USA, Turkey, UK, Netherlands, Greece, Switzerland and Portugal. New entries included Albania, Argentina, Colombia, Latvia and Lebanon.

This year the special focus areas were Bakery/Pizza/Pasta sector where, compared to the previous edition, the number of exhibitors has grown by about a fifth (+19%), while overall the macro-area in which it is combined with Food Service Equipment has grown by 8%. Companies in the Gelato/Pastry macro-area with Bars/Coffee Machines/Coffee-Tea/Vending Machines also increase by 8% compared to 2017.

8

Sept-Oct ’19

O v e ra l l , Fo o d S e r v i c e E q u i p m e n t , together with Bakery/Pizza/Pasta, was the most represented area (43.8% of the total companies), followed by Bars/ Coffee Machines/Coffee-Tea/Vending machines (37.6%) and Furniture/Tableware (18.6%), the latter becoming increasingly representative for the high-end lifestyle.

At a time when the global economy shows growing signs of a slowdown, the merchandise categories represented at HostMilano continue to show particularly positive dynamics, especially in exports, as emerges from the Ulisse data.

Over the last decade (2009-2018), the worldwide Food Service Equipment trade increased by an average 6% a year, while Furniture and Tableware increased by almost 5%. The trade of Coffee & Coffee Machines – Vending has recorded an average annual growth of 8% and the Gelato and Pastry sector has marked increases of more than 4%. Prospects are also encouraging for the medium term.

In 2019-2022, the global Food Service Equipment trade is expected to grow a further +5.2%, with Furniture and Tableware rising +4.8%. The Coffee & Coffee MachinesVending sector will witness an increase of +6.4% and Gelato and Pastry will grow by +3.9%.

With the collaboration of ICE Agenzia, more than 1,500 hosted buyers came to Milan from 80 countries (mainly from the USA, Canada, Middle East, UAE, China and Russia), with an 80% turnover and an

increasingly comprehensive combination of profiles, and more than 100 accredited international journalists.

The global outlook of the exhibition is completed by the ‘BeMyHost’ project, with a total of 20 Host Ambassadors -- international and Italian influencers with thousands of followers.

With more than 500 events created to satisfy even the most demanding palates, with national and international competitions, cooking demos, pastry-making and bartending, as well as in-sights on tomorrow’s hot topics.

After three successful editions, with more than 150 awards and 20 special mentions assigned to key players in the Italian and international HoReCa world, SMART Label, Host Innovation award makes its return.

The competition is held by Fiera Milano and HostMilano in collaboration with POLI. Design, a Consortium of Milan’s Polytechnic University and with the support of ADI, the Italian Industrial Design Association.

Once again this year, a jury of seven highly experienced professionals in the fields of design, hospitality and energy saving was called upon to assess the rate of innovation and smarter solutions among the 214 entries submitted: university lecturers, professionals and national and international experts who selected 61 winners: 47 were awarded the Smart Label, 6 the most prestigious Innovation Smart Label, 3 the sustainable Green Smart Label and 5 the special mention

by Iginio Massari.

Sept-Oct ’19

9

Sarovar opens Haveli in Mandawa Sarovar Hotels and Resorts announced the opening of The Messenger – Harlalka Haveli, A Sarovar heritage hotel, located in the Shekhawati region of Mandawa; famous for its quintessential Havelis, Forts and Baolis.

The Messenger- Harlalka Haveli, A Sarovar heritage hotel, is owned by Sukhani Group of hotels, a well-known name in the hospitality sector in Rajasthan. This boutique hotel is almost 275 years old and comprises of 11 luxurious rooms, welcomes discerning travelers to an experience that is filled with opulence and enigma offering an authentic Haveli experience. The hotel features perfect blend of old and new world by coalescing old world charm with modern comforts. Equipped with all modern facilities, the hotel offers Haveli Café- All day dining, Outdoor swimming pool with Jacuzzi, Travel desk and Wi-Fi. The hotel is in close proximity to famous tourist attractions that hold historic importance and of interest to thousands of history buffs and tourists such as Gold Painted Haveli, Local Museum, Thakurji Temple, Harlalka Well and Sonthalia Gate.

Commenting on the development, Anil Madhok, Executive Chairman, Sarovar Hotels Pvt Ltd. says “We are delighted to expand our presence in a region which holds such a rich historic significance. The old traditions and the lives of people living here can be experienced first-hand at the hotel. With our focus on providing quality accommodation and services, priced attractively, the hotel will ensure an outstanding stay for our guests travelling to this region”.

Evolve Back Luxury Resorts Chosen as ‘Monument Mithra’ Evolve Back Luxury Resorts has been chosen as a ‘Monument Mithra’ by the Ministry of Tourism under their ‘”Adopt a Heritage” campaign. A MOU between the Ministry of Tourism and Evolve Back resorts was recently signed. Evolve Back has been formally entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of three monuments in Karnataka — Lotus Mahal, the Elephant Stables and Pattabhirama Temple — in partnership with the Archaeological Survey of India as outlined in the vision proposal.

“Adopt A Heritage” campaign was rolled out by the Ministry of Tourism in 2017. Its purpose is to involve the private sector in adopting one or more of the many reputed historical monuments located at various sites across the country.

These adopters are given the title of ‘Monument Mithras’ (Friends of Monuments) and are to collaborate with the Archaeological Survey of India in carrying out repairs, upgradation, beautification and protection of designated historical monuments and their surroundings.

Oriental Spice Relaunched at Pride Oriental Spice, the pan-Asian specialty restaurant at Pride Plaza Hotel Aerocity, New Delhi has re-launched with an enriched new menu, elegantly appointed interiors and live kitchen. The new menu offers pan-Asian delicacies with a choice of Thai and Chinese.

“We are delighted to re-launch Oriental Spice with revitalized menu, décor and live kitchen. The ethnic artifacts and personalised services make sure that you relish the experience of watching the chefs dexterously slicing and dicing the ingredients. The entire menu is served through the live kitchen to all guests,” said Food & Beverage Manager Prithipal Singh.

Under the supervision of Executive Chef Vikas Pant, Chef Bam Bahadur heads kitchen with a menu that features dim sum, salads, soups, rice & noodles, and desserts.

10

Sept-Oct ’19

Sept-Oct ’19

11

Hotel Business Review

N ews Sca n

Sarovar Hotels Expands Portfolio in Haryana

Radisson Hotel Group to Open Spanish Restaurants

Sarovar Hotels Pvt. Ltd. has expanded its presence in Haryana with the new signing in Panipat. The mid-scale hotel, Geeta Sarovar Po rt i co, i s a co nve n i e nt l y located off National Highway No. 1. Upon completion by the end of 2019, the hotel will offer all facilities and services of an upscale hotel for its business /leisure travellers, Sarovar Hotels said.

“Panipat is a growing city with significant flow of business.

We are delighted to mark our presence in this growing market and look forward to offering Sarovar’s signature hospitality to o u r g u es ts , ” s a i d A j ay Bakaya, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts.

The hotel has 50 rooms including suites, with a multi cuisine restaurant, rooftop swimming pool, lawn and banquet hall for business and social gatherings, ensuring a comfortable stays for the discerning guest.

Radisson Hotel Group has signed an exclusive master franchise agreement (MFA) with Tapas Club, a popular Singapore-based food and drink (F&D) brand, to roll out a series of s t y l i s h S p a n i s h restaurants across its extensive portfolio of hotels in India.

Under the new deal, Radisson Hotel Group will have exclusive use of the Tapas Club name in India, allowing it to introduce premium Spanish cuisine to its guests, who are always on the lookout for new experiences.

These lively restaurants will also attract local residents and non-resident guests to dine at Radisson Hotel Group’s hotels. The company plans to open more than 10 restaurants in the next four years.

“Tapas Club is an excellent strategic fit for our business in India, where F&D trends point to the rising popularity of innovative cuisine.

We are excited to introduce a new era of dynamic Spanish dining, tailored to Indian palates, to our hotels across the country. We aim to become flagbearers of Spanish cuisine in India,” said Katerina Giannouka, President, Asia Pacific, Radisson Hotel Group.

Tapas Club was conceived to bring contemporary Spanish cuisine to the Asian market. Already present in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, its restaurants specialise in authentic dishes that embrace the vibrant colors and flavors of the Iberian Peninsula.

Radisson Hotel Group now operates 94 hotels in India, making it one of the leading international hotel operators in the country.

This strategic partnership with Tapas Club is the latest in a series of moves to enhance the group’s F&D offerings in India.

Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield wins Award InAzia, the Asian restaurant at S h e ra t o n G ra n d B e n g a l u r u Whitefield Hotel & Convention Center has won the Best Regional Thai Restaurant of The Year – South at the ninth edition of the Indian Restaurant Congress & Awards.

The coveted awards recognise exceptional restaurants on account of their distinguished excellence, marked by qualities and services that surpass any competition.

“Our team is extremely elated at the win. After a thorough research process, we were distinguished as the best in the Southern market. The team’s impeccable performance and aspirations to always be top-notch has been recognized and appreciated,” said Faiz Alam Ansari, General Manager, Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel & Convention Center.

12

Sept-Oct ’19

Outdoor Furniture WICKER | STRAP & ROPE | TEAK Dining | Living| Loungers | Umbrellas/Parasols Accessories | Cabanas/Gazebos

CORPORATE OFFICE: 22, Swarn Park, Mundka, Nangloi, New Delhi Contact: +91 11-28345872/3 | +91 9810265873

VETRA STUDIO: 402, Near Ghitorni Metro Station, Opp Pillar no.117,M.G.Road, New Delhi Contact: +91 9599881172 www.vetrafurniture.com

info@vetrafurniture.com

vetrafurniture Sept-Oct ’19

13

N ews Sca n

Hotel Business Review

IHG Signs Holiday Inn Hotel in Dehradun InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed a management agreement with Devatva, a joint venture of Sara and Halwasiya Group, for Holiday Inn Dehradun Mussoorie Diversion Road. Located on the main road that leads to Mussoorie, one of the most popular hill station in northern India, the hotel will open its doors and welcome guests in 2023.

Adding to the convenience of the guests, the new Holiday Inn hotel will be located at a 20 minutes’ drive from the city centre and only a 50 minutes’ drive away from the nearest airport. Given the strategic location, the hotel will be well positioned to cater to the demands from both leisure and corporate travelers visiting Dehradun.

On opening, the newly built hotel will feature 140 rooms and will offer an array of facilities including an all-day dining restaurant, a bar & lounge, an outdoor pool and a gym.

Additionally, the hotel will feature a business centre, boardrooms and an events venue to accommodate over 500 guests, in order to cater to the demands coming from MICE and corporate segments.

“We are delighted to partner with Devatva for our first Holiday Inn hotel in the capital city of Uttarakhand. Dehradun is one of the gateways to a number of pilgrimage, tourist destinations and cantonments in the upper and lower hills of Himalayas, and is visited by travelers in significant numbers,” Sudeep Jain, Vice President, Development, South West Asia, IHG, said in a statement.

14

Sept-Oct ’19

Accor Launches Brand ‘greet’ As customers tend to focus more on hotel experiences that respect people and the world around them, the Accor Group this year launched “greet”, a new alternative hospitality and sustainable tourism offer that combines environmental considerations with a socially responsible approach for travelers seeking authenticity.

The latest addition to the group’s economy segment, greet is a community-based, responsible and non-standardized brand.

Partnerships Serving Franchisees The greet concept offers a flexible business model for partners, and a new hotel experience for customers. One of the brand’s key strengths is the freedom and great flexibility it offers to hotel owners under its banner. The only guidelines are that greet hotels must include a number of the brand’s key features, including its logo in the common areas, a large table d’hôte for sharing special moments, and ensuring that 20 per cent of rooms can accommodate between 4 and 6 people.

Each hotel owner is free to express himself/herself while staying true to the three ways of being greet: by salvaging objects sourced via second-hand networks or from eco-responsible suppliers; by upcycling unusual decorative items; and by revisiting these objects to repurpose them and give them a second lease of life.

“Since its creation, Accor has always been attentive to the needs of its partners and franchisees. Through our plan to expand our portfolio of brands, launched by Sébastien Bazin, we are upholding our commitment to always offering unforgettable experiences to our customers while simultaneously supporting our network of franchisees,” said Franck Gervais, CEO Europe Accor.

“With the launch of greet, our aim is simply to provide an ideal solution to independent hotel owners by offering a brand that combines the regeneration of existing hotel structures with cost control, both in terms of renovation and redevelopment of the spaces,” Gervais said.

The greet brand has joined forces with several leading charities, including Emmaüs, which will enable owners to source second-hand furniture and designs made using recycled items, as well as Valdelia (an eco-organisation providing a comprehensive solution to collect, recycle and re-use old furniture from all types of organizations) which will strengthen the connections with these networks.

Another flagship partnership has been launched with “L’atelier Consommateur & Citoyen” (“The Consumer & Citizen Workshop”).

The aim of this partnership is to work with a group of consumers to create avenues for progress in order to fine-tune the greet concept and make it the leading sustainable hospitality model.

“These partnerships are essential as they help to turn our commitment to giving second chances into reality, both for our franchisee partners and our customers. greet is an inclusive brand, where the community genuinely plays a key role. We firmly believe that it is by working together, by creating synergies at both national and local level, that we will be able to have a positive impact on our society,” Gervais said.

Development Outlook With the opening of its very first hotel in the heart of the Burgundy vineyards in France in April this year, the brand has displayed a real desire for growth. Accor Group hopes to open 300 greet hotels throughout Europe by 2030. The greet network will quickly extend to various European destinations.

Exhibits True Passion In Steel...

VENUS INDUSTRIES Office / Showroom:- 1-Basai Road, Moti Nagar, New Delhi - 110015, India ; Tel: (91-11) 43163300 Manufacturing Unit :- Plot No. 386, Phase -1, Industrial Estate HSIIDC Barhi, Sonepat, Haryana.

Email: v_khurana@venusindustries.in ; Web: www.venus industries.in

Cutlery

Chafing Dishes

Tableware

Buffet

Trolleys

15 Hotelware Products Sept-Oct ’19

Hotel Business Review

N ews Sca n

Zone by The Park Launches 2 New Hotels

National Tourism Award to India Expo Centre & Mart

Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd’s upscale social catalyst brand, Zone by The Park recently launched two new propeties in India. While the Zone Palace in Jaipur, Rajasthan was launched in September, Zone

by The Park Dimapur in Nagaland became the 11th property of the brand and the very first one in the North-Eastern part of the country.

The newest addition

by Zone by The Park is strategically located 6 km away from the Dimapur Airport to e n s u re h ass l e - f re e commute option for business as well as leisure travellers. The hotel will have 71 rooms including one Presidential Villa and two Independent Villas “We are extremely excited to open Zone by The Park Dimapur which is the popular commercial capital of Nagaland, Dimapur, in the North-Eastern part of the country. It was our conscious decision to tap Dimapur, as we want to have a slice of Zone in every city,” said Vikas Ahluwalia, GM and National Head, Zone by The Park Hotels.

Zone Palace in Jaipur is the brand’s second hotel in Jaipur, have 93 rooms. The brand has its presence in cities like Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Jammu, Jodhpur, Raipur, and Gurugram, and coming up in Tirupati, Srinagar, Vijayawada and Goa.

India Expo Centre & Mart (IEML), Greater Noida received an award for Best Standalone Convention Centre of India during announcement of National Tourism Award

by Ministry of Tourism in late September. Rakesh Kumar, Chairman, IEML and Sudeep Sarcar, Chief Executive Officer, IEML received the award.

Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu, was the Chief Guest of the National Tourism Awards 2017-18 held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

India Exposition Center and Mart Ltd. (IEML) was set up in 2006 as a public-private partnership company. The initiative was taken jointly by Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), Greater Noida Development Authority and stakeholders from the handicrafts and textiles sector.

On the reciving the award, Kumar said that IEML has now started several verticals such as organisation of own events on hospitality, i.e. India Hospitality Expo, and Academy on Trade Fair Management.

Kumar explained that the centre is spread over an area of about 60-acre land. It is fully equipped to hold large sessions of more than 15,000 people with multi parallel sessions along with expo, lounges, multi-cuisine restaurants and other support facilities. This is the only centre in India having three helipads for the movement of VVIPs and more than 3MW roof top solar system.

The Ritz-Carlton Debuts in Pune The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in October opened its second hotel in India, The Ritz-Carlton Pune which features 198 guestrooms, including 35 plush suites.

“We are extremely pleased to debut The Ritz-Carlton Pune in this city. This will be our second ‘Ritz-Carlton’ branded opening in the country after Bengaluru,” said Neeraj Govil, Senior Vice President, South Asia at Marriott International.

Celebrating the region’s distinct culinary scene, The Ritz-Carlton, Pune captures the essence of the destination with five signature dining experiences. Gourmet world cuisine at Three Kitchens and Bar welcomes guests by offering three residential-style kitchens.

The modern Japanese restaurant Ukiyo features a long sushi counter and robata grill complemented by an expansive selection of sake while The Ritz-Carlton Tea Lounge brings the time-honored custom of afternoon tea to the city.

Vida Bar & Grill is a craft cocktail destination and Aasma, a rooftop lounge serving Indian cuisine, captivates with 180-degree views of the golf course and inventive adaptations from the royal kitchens of India.

16

Sept-Oct ’19

We Know what productivity means to you.

A LOT !

Inspire Experience Perform

Strolleys & Trolleys

Furniture

FURNISHERS www.mehtafurnishers.com

Baskets

Accessories

No.1, Chotey Lal Park, Main Najafgarh Road, Opp. Kirti Nagar, New Delhi-110015 Tel. : +91-11-25442200, 25412250, Mobile : +91-9811114668 E-mail : mehtafur@gmail.com

• Practical designs • Protective sleeves to reduce scratching • Superb Quality • Option of Pneumatic wheels for transit vibration reduction Sept-Oct ’19 17

Appo intments

Hotel Business Review

Siddharth Pandey Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre and Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) has appointed Siddharth Pandey as the new Director of Revenue for their dual property.

Pandey will be responsible for forecasting and strategizing monthly growth targets and driving the hotel’s fair market positioning.

In his career spanning over 10 years, Pandey has headed operations for renowned hotels such as Four Seasons Bangalore, The Westin, Park Hyatt.

Parul Sethi Novotel Hyderabad Airport has appointed Parul Sethi as Director-Sales. In her present role, Sethi will be leading the corporate and event sales for the brand.

Sethi comes with experience of over 13 years in sales and marketing. She has worked with several hospitality brands including Novotel Hyderabad Convention Center, Hyderabad Marriott & Convention Centre and Taj Group of Hotels in various leadership roles and has handled different portfolios ranging from marketing, sales and business operations.

Amit Sangwan Fairmont Jaipur has appointed Amit Sangwan as their new Director-F&B. Sangwan comes with more than 16 years of experience, nationally and globally.

Sangwan will be responsible for overseeing the food quality and costs in achieving customer satisfaction, menu planning, outlets profitability, menu planning, and business development.

Prior to joining Fairmont Jaipur, Sangwan, who calls himself a food enthusiast, was associated with renowned hotels like Pullman, Novotel and Leela, to name a few.

Ojas Vagal Ojas Vagal has been appointed as Assistant Director of People & Culture at Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru. His career spanning 13 years with Hyatt Hotels International took him from Mumbai to Goa via Bangalore, where he played a pivotal role in the rebranding of the first Hyatt Centric hotels in the country.

Vagal started his career in operations as F&B Server in Grand Hyatt Mumbai and ascended to Assistant Restaurant Manager, Learning Manager, Employee Relations Manager and Human Resources Manager.

18

Sept-Oct ’19

Rahul Makhija The Park Mumbai has appointed Rahul Makhija as Director of Operations. With Makhija on board, the luxury hotel aims to elevate the overall guest experience by setting new standards in services for unparalleled experience. His responsibility as Director of Operations includes managing the complete pre- opening planning operations of the hotel.

Makhija began his career in hospitality at The Oberoi Rajvilas back in August 2003. Over time, he subsequently moved into various managerial and senior managerial positions.

Vipul Mishra Vipul Mishra has taken charge as the Commercial Director of Hilton Mumbai International Airport. Mishra comes with over 14 years of experience of working with varied hotels in India and abroad.

In the new role, he will be responsible to help the brand to maintain a trajectory of growth for the hotel and oversee the development of talents in the sales and marketing team.

Prior to joining Hilton Mumbai International Airport, he has worked with many well-known chains like Hyatt, IHG, and Jumeirah.

Manuj Ralhan Manuj Ralhan has been appointed as Hotel Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru. He will be responsible for overseeing the smooth functioning of the hotel.

The two decades of his experience in the hospitality industry inludes stints at The Oberoi, Taj, Shangri-La, Conrad, Intercontinental and JW Marriott, where his last assignment was in Pune as Director of Operations. With four previous openings under his belt, Ralhan specialises in pre-opening hotels, especially in the luxury space.

Rohit Pandey The Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel has appointed Rohit Pandey as the new Director of Operations. With close to two decades of experience in the hospitality industry, Pandey in his new role will be leading business and strategic operations of the property.

Prior to joining Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel, he was the Executive Assistant Manager at Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya. In his previous job, he was responsible for recruiting, selecting and developing department’s managers.

Ap p oi n tm en t s

Hotel Business Review

Rubin Cherian N ovote l H yd e ra b a d A i r p o rt h as appointed Rubin Cherian as the hotel’s new General Manager. In his new role, Cherian will focus on enhancing overall guest experience at the hotel, bringing about growth in revenues, and develop a talented and committed team to manage the hotel operations.

He has been associated with Accor for over 16 years, having worked at, Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach, Novotel Bengaluru Outer Ring Road, ibis Bengaluru Hosur Road and ibis Hyderabad Hitec City.

Deepika Lohani Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park has appointed Deepika Lohani as the new HR Manager. She comes with over 8 years of experience in HR domain.

Lohani is responsible for conducting talent recruitment/acquisition strategies across all levels of staff and establishing and maintaining relationships with hiring managers to stay abreast of current and future business hiring needs.

She is responsible in setting up HR policies to improve transparency and clarity at all levels & automating overall HR processes.

Sudip Sinha Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield has appointed Sudip Sinha as the new F&B Manager. Sinha will be responsible for managing the overall operations of the food and beverage department.

As leader of the team, he reviews and introduces new menus, upholds menu standards, conceptualises and improvises, increases food & beverage profitability.

With experience of over 15 years, Sinha has gained extensive knowledge during his time at some of the most prominent hotels in India.

Tania Thomas Tania Thomas has been appointed as Marketing and Communications Manager at Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel and Convention Center. She has 10 years of experience in marketing communications, public relations and digital and social media marketing.

She is responsible for developing annual marketing communications plans, monitoring trends within the industry and maintaining relationship with the media. Thomas has been associated with leading hospitality chains like Marriott, InterContinental and Hyatt.

Anitha Simon Anitha Simon is new Director of Human Resources at Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa. Bringing with her 13 years of experience in the service industry, Simon takes on a leadership position to create a positive environment.

As the Director of Human Resource at Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa, Simon will implement her interpersonal communication skills, critical thinking, budget handling, counselling, and management skills to further boost the dynamic energy at the resort.

Debarati Bose JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu has appointed Debarati Bose as Director of Sales and Marketing. Bose will play a pivotal role in driving and overseeing all aspects of sales and marketing strategies, optimising the hotel’s revenue and market share.

She comes with a rich experience of over 12 years in the sales and marketing.

Prior to this, she worked at The Oberoi Group of Hotels & Resorts. She joined the JW Marriott Pune as the Director of Sales and Marketing.

Ashwin Mathur Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai has appointed Ashwin Mathur as its Hotel Manager. He was Director of F&B at the Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai in Vietnam.

M at h u r w i l l ove rs e e t h e d ay - to day operations and will be further s t re n g t h e n i n g t h e s e rv i ce s a n d experiences to the guests.

After completing his Bachelors in Hotel & Tourism Management from the Institute of Hotel Management, Bengaluru, Mathur’s journey with Four Seasons Kuda Huraa in Maldives as Assistant Manager in Food & Beverage.

Sunil Narang Fo u r S e as o n s H ote l M u m b a i h as announced the appointment of Sunil Narang as the General Manager.

He moved to Switzerland to join Les Roches International School of Hotel Management for his Bachelor’s degree, and thereafter began his career in hotels that now spans over 20 years. His Four Seasons journey took root in Boston. His blossoming career then took him to Four Seasons in Maldives, Toronto, Scottsdale, Las Vegas and Shenzhen, among other places.

Sept-Oct ’19

19

Rep or t

Hotel Business Review

Radisson Starts New Responsible Business Training Program

T

aking responsibility for the environment and local community has long been important to Radisson Hotel Group. It has been a vital part of the group’s broader commitment to sustainable development since the group launched its first environmental policy in 1989. To step up the group’s efforts in this area as part of its five-year strategic plan, a global and cross-departmental team has revamped the existing “Responsible Business” training program, which was first launched in 2001.

Introduced in late August, the new programme will be rolled out worldwide over the next 16 months. It is the first time that the training programme has had global alignment across the group’s 1,100+ hotels in operation, delivering consistent knowledge levels and action on topics such as carbon footprint reduction, water savings, meaningful community engagement and tackling modern slavery. By end of 2020, Radisson Hotel Group aims to complete training in all of its hotels.

To collect relevant feedback and ensure that the content is relevant in the near 100 countries where the group operates, the

project team has completed training pilots from Sydney to St Petersburg and from Brussels to Cartagena. These pilots have also helped to identify how the programme can achieve a key aim – to drive responsible business in every hotel and corporate office.

“Our responsibility for people, community and planet is borderless, so global alignment on our Responsible Business program is a key driver for Radisson Hotel Group. The new Responsible Business training program aims to engage and align all our team members – helping them to have a stronger impact on our group targets, as well as global efforts to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development goals,” Sven Wiltink, Director Responsible Business EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) and Training Project Lead, said in a statement.

Living & Leading Responsible Business The new Responsible Business training program consists of two pillars: Living Responsible Business and Leading Responsible Business Living Responsible Business is a classroom

training. All hotel team members will be invited to follow and complete the training.

The interactive training covers topics such as ethics, diversity, inclusion, community support, eco-footprint reduction, and sorting waste, besides more sensitive topics like tackling sex trafficking and forced labour.

The training is available in 21 languages and gives participants the required know-how to truly put responsible business into practice, both at home and at work.

Leading Responsible Business is a comprehensive and engaging e-learning tool with a target-driven and interactive approach.

The e-learning explores how responsible business can be practiced by group and hotel leaders, integrating it into all company departments and operational activities.

The e-learning covers topics such as eco-footprint reduction, youth employability, responsible recruitment and sourcing, promoting human rights, and Radisson Hotel Group’s partnership with SOS Children’s Villages – as well as the involvement of external stakeholders such as guests, suppliers and owners.

Somany Ceramics Eyes Bathware Appliances to Boost Growth Somany Ceramics Limited, a leading player in the tiles and sanitaryware industry, has ventured into the bathware appliances segment to accelerate growth. Taking a major step in that direction, the company has launched Somany Water Heaters in this festive season.

“We are planning to expand the brand from just tiles and sanitaryware to other areas that are relevant within the bathroom space,” Abhishek Somany, Managing Director, Somany Ceramics, said on the launch of the new product.

“Although, we are entering into a new segment, it has a synergy with the existing line of our business. Furthermore, our venture into the division of bathware appliances is inspired by providing a one stop solution to consumers for all their bathware needs, these precision-crafted artistic masterpieces are sure to set trends

20

Sept-Oct ’19

in the industry,” he added.

The company is confident that over a period of time, bathware appliances will emerge as a significant revenue contributor considering the size and growth of this industry.

The bath fitting industry is estimated to be Rs 2,300 crore market, split equally between organised and unorganised players and is growing at 15 percent to 18 percent per annum.

“We would leverage our existing retail

and distribution network for the product segment. Additionally we will also be looking at expanding into the electrical channel dealers. At present we have about 500 dealers and 2,000 retailers for our bathware segment,” the Somany Ceramics MD said.

Somany is targeting Rs 8-10 crore in sales revenue from geysers in the first year and Rs 75-100 crore in the next five years. The company will be targeting the mid-to-premium category of the business pyramid. Somany has also started getting into alliances with interior designers in metros and in tier-1 cities as they influence the decision-making of home owners, while they go for buying bathware appliance for their houses.

“We will be a dominant player in the segment over a period of time,” said the Somany Ceramics MD.

Sept-Oct ’19

21

Rep or t

Hotel Business Review

HPMF Convention at Kochi

T

he 9th edition of the annual convention of Hospitality Purchasing Managers’ Forum (HPMF) and the 7th edition of Procurement Excellence Awards 2019 was organized at Grand Hyatt in Kochi, recently.

The event spread over 4 days concluded on October 13 and was attended by more than 250 delegates from all across India and other countries like Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and UAE. This year the theme of the function was ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ a Sanskrit word i.e a philosophy that inculcates an understanding that the whole world is one family. It is for the first time that the prestigious convention was organized in Kochi after successfully hosting previous editions in Varanasi, Jodhpur, Bhuvaneshwar, Mumbai and other cities 0f touristic importance.

On the day one, delegates were given warm Kerala Style welcome with floral garlands and tilak amidst playing of drums and nagaswaram.

Afterwards the day programme was scheduled to engage and acquaint the delegates with art, culture, back water, calmness of the most serenely beautiful state of India. The day ended with gala dinner organised at a unique venue, a 76 year old Cochin Harbor Railway station. The station has been lying unutilized for many years

22

Sept-Oct ’19

and it was reconditioned by the authorities for the HPMF event. The Buffet for the evening was laid on the platform and a stage was set up on the tracts for a bollywood style entertainment programme.

Day two begin with pooja at Lord Ayappa temple where all delegates graced the holy venue in typical traditional dress Mundu (dhoti) and Melmundu (shoulder towel) by men and

Sustainability Statement HPMF strives to inspire and encourage the hospitality industry to pledge its contribution to preserve & conserve our Environment and its precious natural resources. HPMF is committed to contribute to the Nation’s Mission of reducing the impact of Global Warming & Climate Change to save the planet & support the various important missions set by our Honorable Prime Minister like Swaccha Bharat, Make in India, Smart Cities, Clean & Green India, Single use plastic ban, Use of Green Energy, Water conservation and many more. HPMF is committed to work together with all its stakeholders to achieve Environmental stewardship for a better tomorrow. HPMF will consistently educate its members about the eco friendly procurement practises and also will provide required know how to the able vendors.

Date: 11th October 2019 Place: Kochi Mohan Deshpade

Nitin Shankar Nagrale

Mala Singh

Chairman HPMF

Founder & General Secretory HPMF

Chairperson - Global Sustainability Council HPMF

Saree by women delegates. The event was inaugurated by Jose Dominic, Founder Chairman of CGH Group who emphasized on Purchase managers to look beyond pricing, quality to developing local destinations, communities and reducing carbon footprint. ‘The old mantra of winning through competition is over; the time is to collaborate to win. In the changing scenario the purpose of the tourism industry is not just to serve tourists but also to deliver benefits to local communities’, he said.

A panel discussion on ‘Is HPMG doing enough for The Hospitality Procurement Fraternity’ kept the delegates well engrossed after the presentation by the main patron ‘Orient Lotus’.

The evening witnessed the most awaited part of the event HPMF Procurement Excellence Awards. The sit down dinner award ceremony was an evening of praise, celebrations and overwhelming emotions as stalwarts from the Purchase fraternity were recognized. This year HPMF decided to honour Navratna’s from the sports field for their excellence and outstanding performance in different sports. The awardees were Akansha Singh (Basketbal), Jaya Sharma (Cricket), Dilip Tirkey (Hockey), Abhilasha Mhatre (Kabaddi), Girish Sharma ( Badminton), Col. Ranveer Jamwal (Mountaineering), Ameya

Waingankar and Akash Anand (Martial Art) and Suyash Jadhav (Para Swimmer). Speaking on the occasion Nitin Nagrale, Founder & General secretary of HPMF said ‘that the core objective of our Forum is to educate purchase managers to make them confident and thereby self-reliant. He said that despite a number of challenges, HPMF team has tried to put together the best ever convention in Kochi’.

The day Three went on with a mix of powerful presentations by lead patrons, to Panel Discussions on ‘Plastic Ban’, ‘Multi Functionality of Procurement Heads’ to Motivational talks. The important aspect of the event was that on first 2 days of the event the delegates had a dedicated time slot to interact with good 62 top suppliers from

various product categories. The day ended with Kumblangi Village tour where traditional Kerala dishes were served to the delegates.

Comprehensively convention witnessed gripping discussions among the industry experts, developing synergy with the vendors and other important issues.

HPMF is a consortium of purchasing managers from the hospitality industry.

One of the core objectives of HPMF is to encourage procurement of high quality and high standards of products to upgrade the overall standard of the industry. Training and development of procurement professionals, co n s o l i d at e d p ro c u re m e n t , p ro d u ct standardisation, volume discounts, improved professionalism in purchasing process, green initiatives, corporate social responsibilities are some of the key elements of HPMF. The 10th HPMF Conventions and Awards, 2020 is announced to be held next year in, Dubai.

HPMF 2019 PROCUREMENT EXCELLENCE AWARDS SUB NAME

WINNER

DESIGNATION

ORGANISATION

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

ARUN AJINKYA

PURCHASER

GOBINDDHAM MANJHAND DARBAR, MUMBAI

LIVING LEGEND

BALACHANDRAN KOTTUVALA

LIVING LEGEND

HARISH KUMAR

MOST IMPACTFUL PROCUREMENT PERSON OF THE YEAR

MAHESH BALI

ASS.DIRECTOR OF PURCHASE

CLARKS EXOTICA, BANGALORE

MOST PROMISING FUTURE LEADER OF THE YEAR

NITIN FADTHE

MATERIALS MANAGER

ALILA DIWA, GOA

PROCUREMENT PERSON OF THE YEAR (MALE)

SHIBIN JOSEPH

ASST MANAGER MATERIALS

GRAND HYATT, KOCHI

PROCUREMENT PERSON OF THE YEAR (FEMALE)

RITAA MAKHIJA

MANAGER PURCHASE AND STORES

AAURIS HOTEL, KOLKATA

VENDOR RELATIONSHIP

TEAM PROCUREMENT

(GANESH SUBRAMANIAN)

URBANEDGE HOTELS, CHENNAI

GREEN INITIATIVES

TEAM PROCUREMENT

(NARESH SAINI)

ALILA FORT BISHANGARH

St.MARK'S HOTEL, BANGALORE

Sept-Oct ’19

23

Hotel Business Review

Cover Story

The Rise of Economy Hotel Segment Factors like surge in middle class, increase in business and leisure travel, higher economic growth, urbanisation etc. have resulted in bolstering mid-market or mid-priced (often referred to as economy/budget) hotels in India’s hospitality sector. Historically, the midmarket hotels fell short on standardisation. However, things have changed. Over the years, a more uniform product profile with product coherence and consistent hotel specifications have been observed with several international brands entering the market. The past few years have seen an influx of about two dozen mid-market brands. This has been mainly due to the expanding domestic tourism, increasing foreign tourist arrivals, forex earnings growth etc., which has put the Indian hotels industry – particularly the mid-market segment – on an upswing. Ashok Malkani examines various aspects of the midmarket segment and finds that macroeconomic data suggests that the road ahead will be bright.

24

Sept-Oct ’19

Cover Story

Hotel Business Review

F

or over half-a-decade, the big boom in the hotel industry, which was driven by 5-stars and 4-stars, has waned. The announcements of opening of new big budget luxury hotels have come to a trickle. And while the action at the top of the pyramid seems to be fizzing out, a silent revolution is believed to be taking place at the bottom with the rise in the budget/economy hotel segment. It is believed that OYO (Own Your Own) Rooms, Airbnb, Zo Rooms, et al have been the game changers. The technology driven aggregation of this format has led many nouveau entrepreneurs to follow suit resulting in a surge in the growth of budget/ economic hotels.

The influx of these budget brands could be attributed to the extremely competitive pricing introduced by them. This, in turn has given a boost to domestic tourism. Figures from India’s ministry of tourism show that the number of tourist visits within India across the different states, or domestic tourism visits, totaled 16.5 billion in 2017, up 2.3% over the previous year and rising from 526 million visits a decade earlier.

So, is price the only factor – or a dominant reason for the growth of budget/ economy hotel segment?

Sunil Bhatia, Director Sales & Marketing, The Mirador Hotel Mumbai, declares, “There has been a perceptible presence of Budget Hotels in the last 2 decades or so and their

increase has purely to do with the quality offered at an acceptable price. Till the start of the 21st century, the budget category hotels were always there, however in the non-branded segment. This segment has now become more streamlined in terms of offering customer experience and a standardised product”.

Thameem Mohamed, Director of Sales, Courtyard by Marriott Bengaluru ORR (Outer Ring Road) is of the opinion that budget hotels have grown in popularity because “the investment cost, from an owner’s perspective, is much smaller compared to a full service hotel and hence the overall risk

of the investment. Saving on items such as swimming pool, room size, multiple restaurants and manning are just a few big ticket items from a long list of advantages of select service hotels. Also, cost of operating a smaller facility lead to higher profitability and healthy GOP’s.”

Mayukh Ray, General Manager & Chief Operating Officer, Altair Boutique Hotel, Kolkata declares, “In the hotel business the larger profit margins are generated by room inventory. Budget hotels are doing well because the cost of set up is low and they offer very limited F&B options. The amenities and services offered are minimal which means the cost of operations is very low

Sept-Oct ’19

25

Cover Story

Hotel Business Review

helping in achieving higher profit margins.”

Sarbendra Sarkar, Founder & MD, Cygnett Hotels & Resorts disclosed that Cygnett, which provided a wide range of hospitality solutions, Upscale – 5 star to Midscale, Budget and Economy, was responsive to the demands of a rapidly changing world without compromising on the founding tenets of hospitality – quality, comfort, and outstanding service. “These three are our major focus areas followed by technology.

We are running a hotel management company like other competitors, but we are stepping it up with a clear difference in our offerings from the competitors.

“The previous couple of decades have seen Indian hospitality grow exponentially, offering diversified solutions to cater to various categories of consumers. With the rise of the middle class and disposable income, the demands and behaviour of the customer are changing. For the value-driven volume customer, seeking a full-service, the hotel continues to drive the growth in mid-scale space. It is leaving the economy segment far behind, which is yet to fully find its footing in the Indian market. In addition, guests are looking for experiences. Cygnett focusses on such customers.” He added that Cygnett had a portfolio of 7 brands among which were Lite and Express which catered to budget travelers looking for selective service.

aggregation based model that merely helps customers book a room with good facilities at low fares in hotels. It takes commission from these aggregated hotel rooms after a

Sarbendra Sarkar

Role of Aggregators in Promotion of Budget Brands Since it is believed that aggregators like OYO and Airbnb are responsible for the promotion of budget/economy hotels can they be considered as budget hotels? The answer would be ‘No’. OYO Rooms” is a hotel

26

Sept-Oct ’19

Thameem Mohamed

customer pays for the stay at that particular hotel. Airbnb is an online marketplace which lets people rent out their properties or spare rooms to guests. It takes 3% commission of every booking from hosts.

So how do these aggregators compete with budget/economy hotels which are keen to do business on their own?

Mayukh states that Airbnb affects budget hotels only located in tourist sites. “OYO hasn’t been able to build a strong brand apart from a few pockets.”

Sarbendra avers that companies like OYO and Airbnb operate in a different business model and have different concepts.

“India being a highly populated country offers all types of guest profiles seeking different experiences and offerings. We bifurcate with them via offering full-service hotels as compared to BnB concepts.

Cygnett will continue to grow with its values delivering high value to our guests and clients. While these companies (Airbnb and OYO) focus on technology more than on service we, at Cygnett do the opposite. Even though our USP is technology, the core will always be the warmth of service and the true ‘Cygnetture experience’. We have specially designed services to cater to this niche segment of the audience with our Cygnett Lite and Cygnett Express brand. Here, we lay emphasis on budget accommodation, without compromising the service quality. It’s like getting the service of a midscale hotel at the price of a homestay.”

Sunil disclosed “ Airbnb has been around for a while now and is extremely popular in destinations where families would like to vacation. Of late their offerings have prompted the corporate traveler to consider them in Major cities. At a price point perspective, even OYO may be a brand to look at for a traveler; however there are stark inconsistencies in their pricing and customer experience offerings. There is an initial impact on budget hotels due to brands such as these, however the conscientious traveler understands the value of safety and security, hygiene, food standards, and 24x7 customer service which the established budget hotels can provide, along with years of their understanding client needs.”

But while most feel that aggregators like OYO and Airbnb are popular only in vacation destinations Thameem is of the view that “Airbnb & OYO is a win win for both consumers and service providers (predominantly smaller chains and standalone hotels). Consumers are spoilt

Cover Story for choice with hotels at competitive prices and hotels get much needed online visibility and footfall gained from these platforms.

The same cannot be said about larger hotel chains who have ventured into this segment as their primary focus will be to get these customers to directly buy from them.”

Budget Hotels’ Growth While a recent industry report shows that there has been a downturn in investment of capacity building in the luxury/premium hotels, there is a belief that the growth of economy hotels is possible only in Tier II and III cities. So is the budget hotel growth possible only in these cities?

Thameem does not agree with this view.

He iterates, “Current trends show massive expansion of select service hotels in metro cities. India is deemed as a price sensitive market and majority of travel in metros are from corporate clientele who look to save costs by choosing quality economy hotels compared to premium of full service hotel options”.

Sunil too agrees with the view that metros too have a potential for budget hotels. He adds, “They are very much needed here as one always requires value for money places to stay at, whether on an official or personal basis.”

Mayukh concurs by stating, “They are popular with a certain segment across cities and mostly in metros where the star hotels are priced on the higher side.”

Different aspects of Budget Hotels Budget hotels have made it possible for people seeking affordable accommodation to add to the growth of tourism sector.

Hotel Business Review

International companies are also increasingly looking at setting up such hotels. There have been several pros and cons in the growth of this segment.

Mayukh believes that increasing number of hotels provides more employment opportunities in the sector however, “the flip side is the sliding ARRs (Average Rate of Return).” He also adds, “Brands always have a better success ratio. The reason being that first time traveller will book a branded hotel while searching online. The adaptations that have to be carried out by this segment is in providing personalised service which our culture is accustomed to and F&B preferences to suit the local palette”.

Sarbendra avers, “Factors such as the rise of middle sector income and massive infrastructure development are opening new doors for economy hotels’ sector. Indian travellers have steered away from unbranded, unorganised, low service accommodations – which was the norm for the nation for decades. There is, however, a change in this mindset.”

Sunil says, Budget hotels sector has opened up and brought more confidence in the Leisure/Tourist Market segments.

Travellers have an ease of locating and staying at a good hotel. Also with the Udan domestic airline plan taking off, many airlines look at such budget hotels for their Crew Stay provided the basic safety and hygiene standards are met. Even those flying on these routes need an affordable place to stay as per their requirement.

“Brands, with their reach and loyalty programs, do offer a certain experience which frequent travellers are used to, however standalone economy hotels in that

Sept-Oct ’19

27

Cover Story

Hotel Business Review

segment offer unique experiences as many services and facilities can be customised as per client experiences.”

Thameem disclosed, “It has to be noted that larger hotel chains have realised the potential of economy hotels in South Asia and have already began expansion on this front over the last 5 years. Majority of the hotels opened by these chains in the recent past have been select service brands. This by itself speaks volumes of the long term potential this segment holds.

“As far as the concept that brands or chains having an edge over stand alone hotels are concerned, I would say that currently it is a level playing field. OTA’s such as Makemytrip, Yatra, Expedia & Booking. com and aggregators such as OYO & Airbnb have a formidable online presence and actively compete with larger hotel chains.

This is healthy for both customers as well as hotels. An advantage larger chain possesses is the loyalty points and service standards maintained across cities, which is a strong influencing factor for consumers.”

educating customers about these brands and their identity.”

Mayukh states, “The larger hotels have invented their second level brands as they want to have a larger share of the pie. Their existing presence in the market helps in garnering business. As far as their popularity, as compared to stand alone economy hotel, is concerned I think they will always have an upper hand.”

Sunil adds, “International brands would be interested in investing in economy hotels in India if the local laws and taxation encourage an ease of setting them up. International as well as Indian Brands does a proper survey of the area before setting up a hotel with anticipated demand, business and tourist potential and surrounding community eco systems which would help the entity to sustain and grow. Factors like cost of land and construction, manpower, break even time are all considered. The scope on entering this market for companies is always directly related to the economic activity of

Large Chains Investing in Budget Segment With popularity of budget hotels, several global branded luxury hotel chains have also ventured into budget hotel segment under different names.

According to data from global hospitality advisory firm Horwath HTL, in 2002, some 6,000 of the 26,000 branded rooms across India – less than 25 per cent – were midmarket ones. Since then, while the number of branded rooms has increased five times to 125,000, the size of the mid-market segment has increased about nine times to 53,200.

The mid-market segment today accounts for 43 per cent of all branded rooms in the country.

Thameem disclosed, “Larger hotel chains such as Marriott, Hilton, Accor & IHG have already ventured into this segment and have seen tremendous success in the recent past.

This trend seems to be growing and we will eventually have a strong portfolio of branded hotels across metros as well as tier II & III markets”.

He continued, “International chains have numerous brands under their portfolio. The introduction of a certain brand is done after taking into consideration various factors.

Each brand is unique and holds its own identity which customers relate to. Since India is a relatively new market for these brands, a lot of investment is made into

28

Sept-Oct ’19

Sunil Bhatia

Mayukh Ray

the area and country at large, however with the current economic cycles which we are going through, a calculated action plan would work better.”

He continues, “Several international luxury hotel groups have also segmented into economy hotels under a different brand name so that it does not liquidate the effect of the higher end brand/s of the hotel group and a clear perception is created as to what the client can expect from each brand and segment.”

Tech Savvy As technology becomes increasingly pervasive in everyday life, travellers are becoming more tech savvy which, in turn is compelling hotels to make technology the key weapon in their arsenal.

Sarbendra avers, “Technology can be a game-changer in any industry if used rightly. Cygnett is a very strong tech-savvy and progressive brand. Technology is a core enabler in our USP. We have our own state-of-the-art, next-generation technology platform called the “Cygnett CX”. This platform seamlessly integrates with our cognitive website. We are also brainstorming to identify how we could use Artificial Intelligence in our system as well. Our use of advanced technology has enabled us to receive an award for “The Best Technology Driven Mid-Market Hotel Chain” in India.”

Mayukh iterates, “New age economy hotels have to be tech savvy, as they need to save on manpower and rely on automation.

Also they need to be present in the digital space as guests mostly book online. These hotels are investing in technology, like having smart electronic gadgets across the hotel. The rooms are more functional with less frills. Voice activated devices like Alexa is very common. We, at Altair Boutique Hotel Kolkata, invest in high speed internet connectivity, easy to use wardrobes, functional washrooms and healthy food options across our group economy room inventory.”

Sunil disclosed, “Technology, from using a phone as a key card to Internet of things (light switches, TV remote etc controlled by one device) is slowly being incorporated in certain new age hotels. There is pre booking of rooms via the Hotels App, doing Pre registrations which are also possible.

Slowly, more automation may take place in the form of vacuum cleaning robots (which has already started in certain public areas of Singapore), Self-check in Kiosks (Already

Cover Story

Hotel Business Review

there in the Airline Segment) and revenue management.”

Thameem is of the view that hotels, in general, need to keep updating themselves to stay relevant with new age travelers.

“Improvements such as internet speed, AV facilities such as smart TV’s in room, mobile check in and interaction with guests on social media platforms to serve and engage are a few of them.”

Future of Economy Hotels India’s population, according to a report, is expected to grow to about 1.5 billion by 2030. The middle- class, which comprises one of the main target clientele for the economy/budget hotel segment, is expected to grow from 80-90 million to 750million. So, what according to industry are the prospects for the growth of this segment?

Sunil declares, “It is very bright provided the hotels get it right in terms of product designing, placement and pricing. Guests are always looking for new experiences and any stays which are value for money with great services and facilities would always be accepted. International and Domestic Tourists and even Corporates look for such hotels as there are travel and stay budgets

which need to be adhered to. Even tourists paying on their own whether directly or via a Travel Agent, look for the best deal which includes stay in a safe and decent hotel.”

Mayukh concurs, by adding, “There is not only growth in business but also a considerable growth in the tourism industry over the years. In Kolkata, the increased growth in room inventory will result it to be a ‘Convention City’. We now have huge convention centres and one of the finest in the country with adequate inventory across categories to host large MICE events. With

the growth and development of tourism in both the hills & sea side accessible from Kolkata, the transit travel is also bound to grow. The economy hotels play a vital role in growth as they help accommodate all segments of business.”

Thameem too believes that there are plenty of opportunities in this segment.

“However,” he adds, “it can be further propelled if the government introduces some incentives for such investments to be made.

With India still emerging as fertile investment grounds the opportunities are limitless.” n

Sept-Oct ’19

29

Business

Hotel Business Review

Revving up the Revenue Revenue is extremely essential for the progress of any industry.

Revenue management in the hospitality industry is undergoing a constant change, with the evolution of technology.

Besides earnings from room rents, Revenue management is forecast to expand to other avenues like restaurants, room service, laundering, etc. in the hotel industry. Ashok Malkani takes a look at the fast changing scenario and the increasing importance of revenue management, whose role is being perceived more as profit generating rather than revenue managing. The focus on profit is expected to increase as revenue managers use new methods to better understand customers and improve margins. As hotels compete with their rivals the role of revenue management is expected to play a more dominant role in the progress of a property 30

Sept-Oct ’19

R

evenue management is an essential part of running a successful hotel as it lowers operating cost of the property. One can say that revenue management entails offering the perfect room at perfect cost to the perfect client at the perfect time. But it is not just about rooms. Currently it is extending to conferences, restaurants and other recreational facilities like spas.

With stiff competition between properties, it is believed that revenue management becomes all the more relevant.

But what exactly is revenue management?

Sucheta Jadhao, Director of Revenue, Sofitel Mumbai BKC states, “Simply put, revenue management is the skill and strategy of allocating the most optimum room at the best price and at the right time. It involves taking pricing decisions considering the diverse distribution channels according to room demand and supply. Along with room pricing, revenue management also accounts for other factors such as pricing based on the quality of offerings, brand goodwill, discounts, holiday packages, merchandise marketing, revenue from events and similar.

“Revenue management is especially relevant to the hospitality industry, as the movement of demand and supply of rooms and corresponding guests is quite a dynamic trend. With the growing competition of hotels in and around the

city, the decision to optimally price rooms based on data-driven forecasts becomes all the more significant in order to maximize revenue growth.

Being a guest-oriented industry, it is essential to have a staunch revenue management system based on which one has to make knowledgeable decisions to strike a balance in periods of low demand as well. A stable revenue management aids the hotel team in making the most out of the existing room inventory and in achieving and improving overall resource management.”

Vinay Singh, Director of Sales & Marketing, Renaissance Mumbai & Lakeside Chalet, Mumbai - Marriott Executive Apartments, sums up revenue management as revenue maximization. He adds, “A lot of industries follow the same, with the two biggest industries being the airline industry and the hospitality industry. It is dependent on three key factors; time, situation and demand, that helps you optimize the revenue in any industry. Typically, it requires businesses to make effective use of performance data and analytics to predict demand, establish a dynamic pricing model and maximize the amount of revenue that the company brings in.

“With increase in the competition and number of properties across the globe, it is essential for hotels to have proper revenue management teams in place to analyze the present trends and be at par with our competitors. It is also vital to ensure that we

Business are not losing out in terms of occupancy, ADR (average daily rate) and fair market share. It is also crucial that the hotel is equipped with all the necessary tools and mechanisms to determine the positioning with respect to competition hotels. For example, intelligence reports like STR reports help determine the ranking vis-à-vis competition, as well as help in controlling the fair market share (Revenue Penetration Index). It is imperative to understand the positioning of your property with competition. Marriott International was one of the first companies that gained awareness regarding the potential of revenue management in the hospitality industry.”

Dilpreet Kaur, Revenue Manager, The Suryaa New Delhi, affirms, “Revenue Management in today’s world is extremely important concept to anticipate and plan according to the demand in the market and to have the Hotel’s pricing strategies placed correct accordingly to optimize the financial results for the hotel.”

She continues, “Revenue management is a data driven approach to drive the revenues upwards in graph. Unless we do so we will not be able to optimize the available business and it also helps forecast as what is in for the hotel in future dates to sell the same product in higher price and maximize to avail the fair market share.”

Jagdish Singh Koti, Revenue Manager, Holiday Inn Chennai OMR IT Expressway, avers that it is much more than offering a perfect room at perfect cost. “It is predicting future and putting your best foot forward by responding to market behavior. This forecasting extends to all sections like rooms, restaurants, et al.”

He cites the importance of revenue management thus: • It focuses on each group or department within a hotel on the actions to be taken to increase profitability.

• It makes overall company more efficient by driving down the costs.

• It leads to innovation in both the creation of new products and services and their pricing.

• It helps in improving demand forecasting.

• It gives the hospitality personnel an idea of how to manage revenue flow.

• It helps in gaining competitive intelligence and market awareness • It helps a person to critically consider a condition and also provide the best techniques towards a possible hotel management system.

It reduces the time and costs associated with traditional pricing tactics.

Nitesh Rana, Cluster Revenue Manager, Aloft hotels succinctly puts it as “the act of skillfully, carefully and tactfully managing,

Hotel Business Review

controlling and directing capacity and sources of income, given the constraints of Supply & Demand. In a nutshell, providing the right product to the right customer at the right price is the art of revenue management.

“The relevance of revenue management is the most in this dire competitive environment.

We can see a sizable difference with the introduction of revenue management practices and systems.”

Relation between Revenue and Data Management Most revenue managers believe that Data Management and revenue are interconnected.

So what is the relation between the two?

Dilpreet Kaur explains that data and facts help one to understand the historical demand and the booking patterns of your hotel and also helps to forecast business accordingly.

Jagdish Singh maintains that data is the very essence of revenue management. “Every decision is based on the trends depicted by data. But at the same time having lot of data does not guarantee any help until and unless you are aware of the logical combination which needs to be driven out of the data, that’s where revenue management comes in. Data available in website analytics, efficient benchmarking information, review score analytics all help.

Revenue managers need to manage this information and translate it into digestible information for stakeholders at all levels in hotel organizations.”

Sucheta opines, “The entire revenue management system of a hotel is based on data related to past and future bookings and historic demand, supply. Data such as upcoming festivals, holidays, weather forecasts, are also critical in formulating revenue and pricing decisions. As rooms are a limited inventory source, records are an important back-up to formulate rates and consequently arrive at the identified financial results. The software’s that are now available help us with crunch data into various parameters, such as guests’ length of stay, nationality, sourced business rate segmentation, booking place and more, which assists us in improving our revenue management decisions.”

Vinay Singh professes that analysis and comparison of the correct data is key to identifying the growth and maximizing revenue in any industry. “It is essential to have an overview of the past trends and future analytics, without which accomplishing revenue management becomes very difficult. For instance, while following a particular trend, if our competition hotel is selling at a certain rate and at the same time, we are selling for a 25% lower rate, we lose out on the opportunity of capitalising on the natural demand which exists. In doing so, not only do we lose out on the potential ADR and the penetration index dips, analysis of the overview will also make one realise the decline in the RPI resulting in a negative fair market share. Hence, the emphasis and importance of the two together which eventually leads to a better yield in revenue maximization.”

Marketing and Revenue Management

Jagdish Singh

Sucheta Jadhao

Revenue management and yield management go hand in hand to maximize the hotel’s performance. Market intelligence like supply and demand helps in marketing the property and increasing the revenue. Marketing is also essential for revenue management.

Sucheta explicates “Yield management is indeed closely inter-dependent to revenue management in terms of profit maximization.

However, yield management is a more targeted approach to increase the volume of sales by leveraging principally room pricing, whereas revenue management takes into factor a host of other aspects.

“As market supply and demand have a crucial role to play in determining revenue management strategies, it is of paramount importance to monitor the same regularly. The pricing would need to be updated constantly each day based on the on-going supply of

Sept-Oct ’19

31

Business

Hotel Business Review

rooms and guest demand. The best way to manage this is to keep an eye on the trends and update one’s database corresponding to the demand. At Sofitel Mumbai BKC, we manage to determine demand through various sources such as researching the major events that are taking place in the city, big MICE events blocks that have been closed in the city, auspicious wedding dates and most importantly the hotel bar pricings, based on daily pickup trends for the next 3 months.

“The marketing team of the hotel has a direct impact on the revenue management team. Promotional activities and marketing efforts of a hotel help boost sales and thereby garner growth. Effective collaboration between both teams leads to increased bottom line sales, positively impacting various other internal metrics. The data records leveraged by the revenue management team can help the marketing team to make more informed promotional decisions whereas an in-depth understanding of guest segmentation and behaviour shared by the marketing team, aids the revenue team to focus on profitable areas and address challenges.”

Vinay Singh adds, “Within the hospitality industry, revenue management and yield management are two of the most useful tools available to managers, which allows them to maximize the amount of money they make from guests. The two concepts can be used in conjunction with each another, since they deal with slightly different things. Yield management’s focus on maximizing revenue from hotel rooms alone is important, because it allows owners to optimize the very core of their business. However, the wider focus of revenue management complements this because it allows owners to maximize the overall revenue generated by their hotel.

“It is imperative for teams to understand the future trends in terms of the demand analysis.

During busy periods in a city, when there are international conferences, conventions, exhibitions and city centric events, the demand is much higher than supply. While an international exhibition attracts worldwide travelers leading to a higher demand during the season, the lack of maximizing on the same demand in terms of ADR based on your inventory, could lead to losing out on the opportunity. Hence, planning the pricing and distribution keeping the future trends of the city in mind is extremely essential to generate higher yields.

“In addition, keeping in mind business and city hotels, the pricing is of utmost importance, especially the variance during the weekdays

32

Sept-Oct ’19

and weekends being separate. While weekdays can be higher considering corporate led business, the weekends can have a lower rate since they focus on staycations and leisure activities. Marketers are experts at creating demand by inspiring people to commit to hotel products and services. By knowing when marketing places offers into the marketplace, revenue managers can create better, more accurate forecasts in relationship to demand.

This knowledge leads to better revenue optimization.

“Hotels that have their marketing and revenue management departments in sync have reported an increase in revenue of more than six percent, along with increased market share, and an increase in demand for shoulder and low-demand periods. Collaboration between these departments makes providing the right price to the right customer at the right time, a reality. Pricing is the revenue manager’s forte. They use data driven software and tactics to accurately set rates and prices that optimize revenue according to different market conditions and demand. Since marketers create offers and promotions that drive demand, it’s important for them to have access to the right pricing information that will help generate revenue. However, unlike marketers, revenue managers run transactional data reports every day.

Dilpreet Kaur

Vinay Singh

“The transactional data contains facts that ties campaign offers to revenue. By working with marketing, revenue management can see which campaigns make money and, more importantly, how much money the campaigns bring into the hotel. When these reports are provided to marketing, it completely changes how marketers communicate with the product or service. In addition, revenue managers and marketers also discover that through regular communication they can significantly impact the hotels’ bottom lines. Blending these two valuable job roles together, it is a win-win situation for everyone involved, including the hotel.”

Nitesh asserts, “Revenue management is a larger term, yield management falls under revenue management practice. Yield Management, on the contrary, is a function of revenue management.

“The dependence on market intelligence is extremely high. In Marriott International, we are proud that our systems are capable to compute all variables for market intelligence. To an extent Revenue Management & Marketing are inter-related but in our organization this is not the case.”

Jagdish Singh dislosed “As a pricing strategy, yield management is concerned with generating the maximum possible revenue from a perishable inventory. Within the hotel, this means it is concerned with using data to ensure the right room is sold to the right customer, at the right time, for the highest possible price. Revenue management is not only concerned with earnings from room rent but also other sources like food, laundry services, etc.”

He added that successful revenue management was done by keeping an eagle’s eye, not only on new developments, but also on central and state government’s strategies as well as using market intelligence reports like STR and TravelClick.

He continued, “One of the greatest challenges faced by hotels today is the increasing number of hotels in the market. The supply is more than the demand and hotels now have to fight harder than ever to capture a fraction of the business. It’s not enough just to be the newest, trendiest hotel on the block anymore. Today’s consumers expect an exceptional service and inclusions at bare minimum prices. Hotels have to stand out from the crowd and continue to excel in overcrowded marketplaces. The rate and demand strategy brought to the table by revenue management, with the creative edge offered by marketing it can give the competitive advantage that makes

Business

Family Perfumers Since 1850

all the difference between success and failure. Hotels have to make efforts to drive bookings away from OTAs and onto their websites.

“To be a top performer in today’s competitive hospitality landscape, revenue management and marketing must play a leading role in hotel’s strategy.”

Dilpreet Kaur declares, “Yield Management shares many similarities with the concept of revenue management. Yield management focuses on selling the right room in right amount and attain maximum occupancy whereas revenue management consists of much more things than just achieving occupancies.

Revenue management is all about data and facts, as it helps you to understand the historical demand and the booking patterns of your hotel and also helps to forecast business accordingly.

“There are various tools that help in keeping a close watch on the comp-set trends, strategy and availability of rooms and this helps the revenue managers to determine their own strategy to capture market opportunity. Hotels where marketing and revenue managers work in collaboration achieve higher results. Marketing techniques helps us to win business and drive it through our brand website.”

Technology & Branding The days when travelers sought accommodation by perusing through local newspapers and booking rooms on the phone are now a thing of the past. Today marketing and sales is a more vibrant and complex activity. The revenue managers have to deal with multifaceted stakeholders. This is complemented by a proliferation of new brands, ever-increasing rivalry, and a race to introduce new tools before competitors do.

So what are the latest technological tools to enable higher income for hotels and what is the relationship between revenue management and brands?

Jagdish Singh is of the opinion that though hospitality was a business which still needed the human touch AI (artificial intelligence) integration was in continuous evolution. Technology has helped in providing one integrated platform where one could synchronise the available data. “Technological developments are pushing revenue managers into a logical obligation to become acquainted with advanced technology implementations. Plenty of technologies are available nowadays that are supposed to make the life of both hotel operations and consumers much easier and significantly more efficient.

“Branding is indirectly adding value and revenue, but calculation of ROI is very much needed to balance the branding effort and the real materialisation of the same.”

Sucheta declares, “As hoteliers are looking for increased tools to maximize revenue, the role of technology is becoming indispensable to assist the revenue team’s decisions. In hospitality, the guest is always the prime focus and the continuing change in their behavior has been due to advancement in technology.

As technology advances, and people start adapting to these changing trends in technology, the hospitality sector cannot be left behind and hence has to update and upgrade to meet with guest expectations. Electronic devices such as the mobile phone and wireless communication systems that enable voices, text, and data communication among employees, managers, departments, and guests are now being adapted by hotels and restaurants to monitor room availabilities and vacancies.

“At Sofitel Mumbai BKC, apart from the above mentioned

Largest Collection of Blended

Essential Oils for Oil Diffusers Lemongrass Lavender Jasmine Sandalwood Agarwood Frangipani Mandarin

Green Tea Vanilla Rajnigandha Lemon Citronella Lily and much more!

We assist brands in creating their unique Olfactory Logo, their fragrant Identity their unique Signature Scent.

To know more about Scent Branding, get in touch with us at sales@vedicaroma.in or visit www.thearomadepot.com or 0808 15 VEDIC For complimentary samples & catalog, please send your Business Card on 95 192 11233 Our Aroma Specialties have been used by India's Leading Brands

Sept-Oct ’19

33

Disclaimer: All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. All company, product and service names used in this

advertisement are for identification purposes only. Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement.

Business

Hotel Business Review

techniques, we are using a revenue software known as EZRMS, which reads and understands the various trends that are currently playing in the market and assists us with future forecasts relating to rooms. OTA’s (Online Travel Agents) insights which provide us with a rate shipping tool, Social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin which improve visibility and our own brand website are a few examples of technology that help assess our revenue management as well as increase visibility.

“The impact of revenue management is not immediately evident and measurable.

However, the pricing of a hotel’s products does significantly impact guest’s perceptions and expectations. Direct pricing of a luxury hotel brand’s offerings creates a reputation for the brand based on its attributes and lineage. It is important the pricing of rooms and F&B at a hotel is set as per the clientele it is looking to attract. Guests must be notified and educated that room rates tend to vary based on demand and at the same time, hotels must ensure to keep a consistency in their pricing to assure guests of their brand credibility.

Dilpreet Kaur avers, “There are many tools available in market today to aid Revenue Management which helps in budgeting, forecasting, comp-set analysis and more. It helps predicts the consumer behavior and optimize product profitability and focus on volume business.

“Brand image of the hotel also gives an opportunity to maximize in revenue. Branding not only drives the customers to the website but also compete more strongly against competitors on OTAs. Brand enables you to control your online presence with help of the content and the reviews given by the customers.”

Vinay Singh revealed, “Hotels invest big in their revenue management software. These significant investments mean it’s extremely important to recognize that the revenue management technology brings unrivalled advantages to a hotel’s business. With technology systems continually improving, redesigning and updating workflow, it’s become increasingly challenging for users to keep up with all of the ‘newness’. The few advantages of technological advancements nowadays are remote accessibility, optimal pricing, online reputation insights, powerful analytics etc. On the technology front the continuous improvement also results in more data being collected, analyzed and leveraged to drive sustainable income growth. Majority of the hotels worldwide have subscribed to various intelligence reports. Our property,

34

Sept-Oct ’19

Without revenue management the positioning and brand value come to doubt.”

Future of Revenue Management

Nitesh Rana Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel & Lakeside Chalet – Mumbai, Marriott Executive Apartments, heavily depends on STR reports, Hoteligence and TravelClick etc. to understand data analytics and effectively focus on improving and enhancing our revenue management.

“As far as branding is concerned, it plays a crucial role in any industry. Stronger the brand recognition, more are chances of garnering business opportunities; in turn assisting the growth in revenue management. As revenue management evolves with the industry and the world around it, revenue managers need to stay on top of their game by paying close attention to new trends as they arise. To achieve the crucial revenue-management goal of optimizing profits by managing the availability and price for hotels, one must have an in-depth understanding of the digital-distribution and traceability mechanisms for those services, all within a well-defined strategy to create a positive impact for the brand.

“Few elements that have direct impact on the revenue and distribution is price parity, online reputation management, loyalty based pricing, advances in group bookings, personalisation to drive direct bookings etc. The rate and demand strategy brought to the table by revenue management, in tandem with the creative edge offered by marketing, can lend the competitive advantage that makes all the difference between success and failure. Hence to be a top performer in today’s competitive hospitality landscape, revenue management and marketing must play a leading role in the hotel strategy.”

Nitesh adds, “The wide use of RMS like IDEAS have made revenue management accessible to small hotels also. The latest technology which is currently under development is the introduction of Artificial intelligence to revenue management.

“Revenue Management has a direct effect on branding because of the core marketing concept of STP. We are the custodian of STP.

There has been a trend of elevating the role of revenue management in the hotel industry. Several hotels are seeking analytical overview and strategic knowledge to make key decisions. Revenue managers are increasingly participating in executives committees with a similar status as that of directors of marketing and sales departments. Many hotels are now not having a revenue manager but a director of revenue management. So what is the future of revenue management and managers?

Vinay Singh states, “The revenue profession in the hotel industry has grown up: there are revenue analysts, revenue managers, directors of revenue, even vice presidents and other executives which makes it fair to say that the revenue profession is emerging as a champion of progress and a key to profitable growth in businesses that understand how mission-critical it is to drive revenue. Revenue professionals will use the understanding of the potential upside of meaningful consumer insights, faster and better analytics, constant connectivity and responsiveness without forgetting that the fundamentals of hospitality never change. The future of Revenue Management is exciting and it is unfolding at a rate that was unimaginable a decade ago.”

Sucheta declares, “In the coming years, revenue management will further benefit from the technological advancements in the field.

The on-board focus on customer engagement and bookings on digital platforms will see a continued surge. As revenue managers explore newer avenues to increase profitability, hotels will benefit as guests from all over the world are connected and aware of the available amenities and on-going offers.”

Jagdish Singh affirms, “The future of Revenue Management is likely to be more than total revenue management or lightning fast market report generation or individualised room rate adjustment on the fly. If the fine balance between human strategy formulation, decision making and the application of artificial intelligence is found, good things are likely to happen.”

Dilpreet Kaur sums it up thus: “Future of Revenue management is very promising as without that it will be difficult to imagine optimizing the Hotel’s revenue. And as the revenue management evolves with the industry and the world around it, the Revenue Managers need to stay on top of the game paying close attention to changing trends.” n

WE TAKE CARE OF YOUR DISHWASHING Your Dishwashing Specialist.

Commercial dishwasher for perfect cleanliness & hygiene.

Effective Filtration

High Performance

Saves Water

User Friendly

Saves Time

High washing Capacity

Commercial Dishwasher Range:

Under Counter Dishwasher

Hood Type Dishwasher

Detergents Range:

Rack Conveyor Dishwasher

Multi-tank Rack Conveyor Dishwasher

PAN India Service Support & AMC Service Toll Free Help Line No.

1800 1035 913*

(Mon to Fri, 9:00 AM to 7:30 PM; Saturday: 10 AM to 4 PM, Sunday & Public holiday- Closed)

Head Office :

Winterhalter India Pvt Limited

Plot no 269, Sector 7, IMT Manesar - 122050, Haryana www.winterhalter.in I email: info@winterhalter.in

Sept-Oct ’19

35

Feature

Hotel Business Review

Target, Engage and Win Millennial Business in Hospitality

By Sharmila Chand

T

oday, Millennials spend 70% more on experiences than purchasing items.

These young adults seek experiences with travel rather than settling down. They are passionate about travel and willing to spend extravagantly in hotels that cater to their taste and demands.

T h i s m e a n s h ot e l s h av e h a d t o accommodate this new generation. But what exactly attracts these millennials? We ask hospitality experts and get to know the tricks of the trade.

Offers Exclusively for Millennials Sudip Sinha, Food & Beverage Manager, Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield Group Discounts - Now-a-days, millennials make the most of every occasion and enjoy celebrating in big groups. Our offers like 20% discount on F&B or a special beverage package of INR 1000++ per person offers unlimited IMFL for a group of 6 and above.

36

Sept-Oct ’19

Set meals - For Millennials, time is precious and they prefer having a set menu that saves them from the hassle involved in choosing from a regular menu. We at the hotel believe in offering a specially crafted set menu at our specialty restaurant Whitefield Bar & Grill and Alto Vino.

Touchpoints - The hotel keeps into account various touchpoints that will engage millennials. For example, we offer our guests tasting samples of the varied selection of beers at Whitefield Bar and Grill before ordering the one which suits their tastes best.

Fitness and Wellness Offerings - Millennials are more appreciative of fitness and wellness offerings during their stay than elderly guests. We therefore offer special physical training sessions to our guests along with complimentary rejuvenating spa treatments at Serena Spa. We also provide fitness center memberships for locals with personalised attention to their fitness regimes at our state of the art fitness center.

Roopa Singh, Director of Rooms, JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa Millennials are the next evolving luxury travelers. As a luxury resort we strive to target these millennials and provide them with an insight into the scenic beauty of Mussoorie through the experiences at JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa. Catering to their needs, we have carefully crafted some exciting and unique packages to attract millennials to the resort.

To name a few, ‘Pay less Stay more’ which offers a lavish buffet breakfast and 15% discount on F&B and Spa on minimum of 3-night stay; ‘Pay for 2 Stay for 3’ is a great option for a trio of friends or travelers. While, if one opts for the ‘Suite dream package’, they can avail a 20% off BAR rate or an exciting meal for a day. ‘The Family Retreat’ is the most exciting package that offers 50% off on additional room for kids making it a perfect family stay in the serene destination

Feature

Hotel Business Review

of Mussoorie.

Vikas Sharma, General Manager, Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel Gachibowli At Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel we aim to appeal our millennial guests through various ongoing offers that are unique, vibrant and appealing to youngsters.

H a p py H o u rs at L i n k - O u r 2 4 / 7 neighborhood café, Link, allows millennial guests to unwind post work and grab a drink with friends or colleagues with exciting Happy Hour offers.

Zega Lunch Offers (Dim Sum Offer / Late Night Happy hours) – The signature PanAsian restaurant, Zega, provides guests with exclusive lunch offers for a quick bite during a work break and extended happy hour offers for those working late for a healthy and scrumptious meal.

Vikas Kumar, General Manager, The Westin Pushkar Resort & Spa Millennials seek for exclusivity and are keen to explore destinations that are filled with exciting experiences and unique attractions. Keeping this in mind, we at The Westin Pushkar Resort & Spa have a host

THE NEW GENERATION OF DISHWASHER • no manual drying • no manual polishing • intelligently connected

Vikas Sharma of offerings for them. Mix, The Bar is a lively, soulful affair that gives a new heart to Pushkar’s social scene. We serve an innovative cocktail portfolio- handcrafted by our mixologists, with two seating levels that allows privacy for millennials.

Somali Bajpai, Marketing Communications Manager, Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla

Millennials are undoubtly the largest consumer demographic group in today’s world. Hence, it is very interesting to analyse their spending capacity as well the spending behaviour that makes them crucial for any hotel’s revenue targets. At Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla, we have curated interesting offers and packages keeping millennial preferences in mind.

Happy Hours and Bond over Spa at Spazzo - We celebrate 11 am to 3 pm as Happy Hours at Spa where we offer 50 percent off on all spa and salon services during weekdays. We observed that while millennials love to indulge, a lot of them are apprehensive of entering a five star hotel.

Happy Hours at Spa help us connect with a new set of customers who fall in love with us and come back for more.

Another interesting offer is Bond over Spa where we encourage the guests to come in a pair to avail a special package at half of its original price. Again, it’s a new concept where we tell them to ditch the regular coffee meet ups and have a great SPA Party (we call it Sparty) with us.

Collaboration with food aggregators and online platforms - It would not be an irony

WORK SMART, NOT HARD!

• no steam escape Dishwashing with HOBART: it couldn‘t be easier! www.hobart-export.com

Hobart India Avinash Singh: +91 9818004147 Avinash.singh@itwfeg.in Razi Haider: +91 9920384666 Razi.haider@itwfeg.in

Sept-Oct ’19

37

Feature

Hotel Business Review

With our Pheras by the pool side, the couple can exchange their vows amidst the picturesque surroundings, theme based mandap and the poolside ambience.

Exclusive Experiences

“Our industry is a service industry, so the focus should definitely be on ‘experiences’. As a hospitality brand we have focused on Influencer Engagement, which has proved to be beneficial to us as the property accounts for Instagram worthy posts.

We also promote through Social Media amplification, On-ground amplification in source market.

Apart from these we also follow User Generated Content amplification and word of mouth publicity when marketing to the millennials” Roopa Singh, Director of Rooms, JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa if I say that this generation of millennials is married to their mobile phones. Keeping this insight in mind, we have collaborated with various online platforms such as DineOut, NearBuy, Gourmet Passport and Zomato where we offer lucrative 1+1/2+2 offers for our guests. Since millennials depend a lot on ratings, online reviews, deals & packages before finalising a venue, our presence on such platforms is a must.

Corporate Lunch Deals - We are a business hotel with lot of corporate offices in the vicinity. To tap that market, we have recently introduced a special Corporate Lunch Offer at our global cuisine restaurant Edesia. Under this offer, the guests can enjoy lunch buffet at a special price of INR 1600 AI on showing a valid corporate id. This is a steal deal for all the millennials working at the corporates since Edesia boasts of one of the largest buffet in the capital.

Pheras by the Pool for weddings Millennials love unique wedding concepts.

38

Sept-Oct ’19

Roopa Singh, Director of Rooms, JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa Uttarakhand is famous for mountains, valleys and rivers. So, we arrange for a unique dining experience close to a stream for the travelers who want to experience the natural beauty of the state far from the hustle bustle of cities. The guests also get to experience the scrumptious local cuisine with a closer look at the culture and traditions of the Garhwal community during their visit to Sainji, the unique corn village of Uttarakhand. The adventurous treks and trails in the Himalayan pine forest and overnight camping is an additional incentive for the adventure seekers.

Neeraj Lumb, Director of Rooms, Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel & Convention Center Knowing how tech savvy and dependent the millennials are on their phones, we have introduced mobile friendly services. At Marriott International we offer our guestExpress Check in, an option to check in from their mobile phones. The feature notifies them about the status of the room even before they arrive at the hotel. Guests have an option to communicate with the hotel staff anytime through their mobile apps using the chat option. Online chat is a 24*7 service they can use for a quicker response and to

“The hoteliers should make sure they have a prominent presence on the social media. The millennials are tech-savvy and believe in realtime connecting, our hotel uses Hyper for a smooth communication between the staffs and guests. We are a ‘Community’ oriented hotel and we provide our guests with all the facilities they need during their work trips” Neeraj Lumb, Director of Rooms, Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel& Convention Center

avail any hotel service at their fingertips!

Powered by High Tech Services Somali Bajpai, Marketing Communications Manager, Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla Let me begin by sharing few insights about millennial behavior:

Feature “For millennials, socialising in the lobby is one of the most memorable experiences they take from their visit. This is a place where they delve into new friendships, discuss stories, crack jokes, share meals and exchange experiences. The lobby at Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield has also been designed keeping in mind all these factors. This place is like a social hotspot that enables them to relax in a lounge atmosphere, offering intimate tables-for-two, where they can converse with a glass of wine or enjoy a gourmet treat or even have an impromptu meeting or and some break out discussions” Sudip Sinha, Food & Beverage Manager, Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield

• Millennials prefer self-service • They prefer customisation over generalisation • They are technology freaks and super connected over different devices and platforms • They appreciate and value brand engagement on social media and pro actively share their reviews and experiences online • They love to celebrate festivals, occasions, popular days with their friends and family and hence are on a look out for attractive deals and packages Keeping these points in mind we curate special packages, theme based experiences in order to attract the millennials. While geo targeted ads and SEO remains our key online media strategy, we focus on content marketing in a story telling format to keep our audiences hooked.

Presence on various online platforms such as TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Expedia and Make My Trip is a must considering the fact that millennials will research well before finalising on the hotel. A good way to attract a millennial guest would be to offer a virtual tour of the property on these platforms that would encourage them to make your hotel a preferred destination.

Additionally, a personalised touch by the staff would not only be noticed but also acknowledged on the social media platforms. At Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla, we offer special rates and packages during festivals & important occasions to increase the foot falls. In a

nutshell, it is important to think and act like a millennial to devise hotel strategies for this consumer group.

Sudip Sinha, Food & Beverage Manager, Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield Millennials are tech savvy and quite open to change. At Bengaluru Marriott Whitefield, we understand this and go beyond to innovate and keep up with the ongoing trends. We have designed our lobby and Executive Lounge keeping all these factors in mind, with The great room concept, our hotel knocks down the architectural barriers creating adaptable spaces that are ideal to work and with easy access to the latest technologies. Also, the complimentary Wi-Fi and printer access allows our guests to prep for their meetings or get work done between their appointments.

Roopa Singh, Director of Rooms, JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort and Spa has features like Jack Pack and I-Home that allows the guests to access all hotel services digitally and quickly. However, the need of the hour is to take a short break from technology and steal time for oneself.

So, we have come up with an initiative of The Freedom Box, wherein we request our guests to take a digital detox and enjoy the setting of the picturesque surroundings of the resort more than anything else.

Mareno ALI Group srl Via Conti Agosti, 231 31010 Mareno di Piave (TV) - Italy +39 0438 4981 mareno@mareno.it www.mareno.it Sept-Oct ’19

39

Feature

Hotel Business Review

“We offer an exclusive dinner experience for couples amidst the picturesque sand dunes of Pushkar. The open and welcoming desert landscape makes for an idyllic set up where guests can discover the mesmerizing magic of the destination over an elaborate meal carefully crafted by our team of chefs. Taking care of the interests of our millennial guests, we extend an array of engaging activities like horse riding, camel riding, archery, pot making, block printing and gulkand farming, which lends an insight into the vibrant culture of Pushkar” Vikas Kumar, General Manager, The Westin Pushkar Resort & Spa

have a holistic and wholesome experience even when on the go.

Tips on How Brands can successfully Market to Millennials Sudip Sinha, Food & Beverage Manager, Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield • By offering affordable services and great deals on group bookings • Being technologically friendly is essential to keep with the momentum of millennial guests • Offering engaging and recreational activities appeals to our guests and ensures they have an enjoyable and amusing stay • Offering wellness and fitness services to guests during their stay allows them to

Somali Bajpai, Marketing Communications Manager, Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla Up your online game - Ask yourself questions like - Is your website up to date?

Does booking through it take less than a minute? Does your hotel have actively managed social media accounts across a range of platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter etc? Do they drive traffic for direct bookings?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, your online booking channels are not optimised, and you are almost certainly losing customers to your rivals. It is equally

“Talking about millennials in the hospitality industry, their entire experience – right from making the reservation to checkout, checking out reviews, following recommendations from the influencers is done online. That’s why; hoteliers must find newer ways to market their properties to this young, tech-savvy and demanding generation. Our social media marketing strategy includes Geo Targeted Ads on Facebook and Instagram, Search Engine Optimization, collaboration with online platforms, content marketing and interactive posts for Top of Mind Awareness & Recall.

The effect of technological advancement is not restricted to online platforms but also experiential while they stay at the hotel such as sensory lights, on voice command devices and much more!”

Somali Bajpai, Marketing Communications Manager, Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla

40

Sept-Oct ’19

important to request your guests to leave their reviews on these platforms that would encourage future business.

Engage with social media influencers to curate interesting content around your hotel - Be it rooms, spa, food & beverage or weddings. These stories go a long way influencing the customer’s mind without them realising it. Similarly, content on hotel’s owned social media platforms needs to be interactive and engaging for guests to connect with the brand.

Make your hotel instagrammable and experiential - This is a free yet most impactful kind of marketing that would reach the masses. The activity starts right from the hotel décor, fun concepts, unique dining experiences, artistic backdrops, live performances which could be amusing for the millennials.

Sustainable offerings - As a brand, we need to be more environment friendly and socially aware. It is important to adopt and promote the sustainability practices at the hotel. This could be as simple as ban of plastic straw to water conservation practices. Millennials would appreciate such efforts from the hotel and such endeavours go a long way.

Experiential concepts - Millennials are adventure seekers who want to explore and learn while they travel. Right from curating interesting food experiences to spa sessions, fun activities inside hotel to local tour to the city, it is very important to create a personal experience for every guest that he or she will take with himself. Even a simple activity like coffee art or towel art can do the trick while a Farm-To-Table or Eat-Like-A-Local is a sure shot victory. n

Sept-Oct ’19

41

Focus

Devaaya Ayurveda & Nature Cure Centre, Divar Island, Goa

Hotel Business Review

Travelling for Health

By Jhuma Biswas

I

ndia’s immense tourism appeal and potential are not only because of its natural splendours, historical legacies, deep religious resonance and its exciting wildlife and adventure offerings.

The country has also emerged as an important medical tourism destination.

Medical tourism is generally regarded as the practice of travelling to another country with the sole or primary objective to seek medical services. The medical tourism industry in India was worth 3 billion USD in 2015.

According to the statistics of the Ministry of Tourism, India’s medical tourism industry could grow to 9 billion USD by 2020.

Availability of skilled doctors and topnotch healthcare infrastructure at much lesser cost as compared to that of many developed countries, and the growing popularity of yoga and Ayurveda in the west are some of the reasons for the growing popularity of India as a medical tourism destination. People from developed countries are travelling in hordes to India to avail our relatively affordable (as compared to many countries in the west) but top-notch healthcare facilities.

According to www.indiahealthcaretourism. com, India has a good number (22) of JCI (Joint Commission International) accredited hospitals and compares well with other

42

Sept-Oct ’19

countries in Asia. These set of approved hospitals in India can provide care at par or above global standards.

As per the same website, India has the largest pool of doctors and paramedics in South Asia (1.2 million Allopathic doctors.

0.17 million dental surgeons, 2 million nurses).

A Buoyant Sector No wonder, medical tourism in India has seen an amazing growth of 111 percent during 2015-2017. In 2015, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs 2,33,918 foreign tourists came to India for medical purposes.

And according to the information from the Ministry of Home Affairs, 4,95,056 foreign tourists visited India during 2017 for medical purposes. According to the information provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs, 4,27,014 foreign tourists visited India for medical purposes during 2016.

We can very easily gauge the impressive growth of this sector and also its potential growth, in India, in the near future. Medical tourism is a market which the tourism and hospitality industry of India and as well as the government of India cannot afford to leave unexplored. In this regard, the step taken by India’s Ministry of Tourism to expand the scope of e-visas for medical visits is praiseworthy.

One of the ways to more effectively tap this vibrant and growing market is to build more and more multispecialty hospitals with the objective of providing impeccable healthcare infrastructure and quality healthcare personnel at affordable cost. The supply side of medical tourism in India should match up to its frantically growing demand side.

I know this is easier said than done but the state government and the Union government and as well as the private players should take this challenge for effectively tapping the growing demand for medical tourism in India.

Another way is to come up with more and more quality Ayurvedic resorts and retreats, which can cater to the impressive demand among foreign travellers to avail India’s ancient and time tested therapies to solve their post-modern day lifestyle induced health problems with affordable cost. In this regard, our hospitality industry can play a significant and intelligent role.

Resort to Holistic Well-being We already have some wonderful Ayurvedic resorts in our country but we need more to tap the expected growth in the number of medical tourists to India, in the near future. Take the case of Devaaya Ayurveda

Focus & Nature Cure Centre in Divar Island, Goa. This scenic resort amidst coconut groves and lush greenery is surrounded by the Mandovi river. Its holistic health programmes include Panchakarma Package (of 15 days, 22 days and 30 days duration) and Wellness Package.

Here Ayurvedic treatments are conducted in mud and thatch hut.

The Panchakarma Package is a means to detoxify, cleanse and rejuvenate your body.

The resort recommends that guests plan their Panchakarma Package in consultation with its doctors if they are suffering from a particular disease, in order to achieve optimum results.

Th e b as i c t re at m e nts of t h e Panchakarma Package include Abhyanga, Svedan, AntarSnehan, Virechan, Basti, Shirodhara, Pizichill, Sarvangdhara, Navrakizhi, Nasya & health consultation.

After this initial treatment, additional therapies are carried out according to the specific disease of the patient and length of the package. As some of the therapies are intensive and require rest between the therapies, the package includes occasional rest days too.

Hotel Business Review

The Zuri Kumarakom, Kerala Resort & Spa

The Wellness Package at Devaaya Ayurveda & Nature Cure Centre is designed to relax and rejuvenate your body, relieve your mind of stress and revitalise your energy, which can help you to enjoy life better.

The treatments in the Wellness Package may include Abhyanga, Svedan, Nasya,

ShiroDhara, Karnapuran, Synchronised Abhyangam, Padabhyanga and health consultation.

The resort offers training courses in Ayurveda too of 15 days duration. They are conducted at Devaaya, for minimum 10 students and the courses are inclusive of

Sept-Oct ’19

43

Focus

Hotel Business Review

Kalari Kovilakom, CGH Earth, Kerala

yoga and meditation.

Kairali –The Ayurvedic Healing Village, located in Pallakad, Kerala, is another great wellness destination where traditional and authentic Ayurvedic therapies, treatments and medications along with Yoga and meditation can lead you to holistic well-being. The retreat is situated at the foot of Nilgiri and Annamalai ranges of Western Ghats. Here healing therapies are advised after the doctors analyse the body of the patients/guests.

Authentic Ayurvedic massages are provided at Kairali –The Ayurvedic Healing Village, where natural oils and herbal powders play crucial roles. Panchakarma therapy is one of the most rejuvenating and detoxifying treatments that Kairali offers with the help of trained experts.

Various other Ayurvedic packages are available that the guests are recommended.

The serene atmosphere and the yoga and meditation sessions are also an added feature for Kairali. These offerings present at Kairali make for a memorable stay infused with well-being.

Another top-notch Ayurvedic resort is The Zuri Kumarakom, Kerala Resort & Spa. Situated on the shores of the Vembanad Lake, the longest backwater lake in Kerala, the resort offers mesmerising views of the serene and languid backwaters of Kerala.

At t h e Z u r i Ku m a ra ko m , o n e ca n experience vibrant local culture, the mouthwatering local cuisine and the rich repository of flora and fauna, while surrounded by luxury, and impeccable service. Here the comprehensive Ayurveda experience covers Rejuvenation Package, Panchakarma Package, Detoxification Package, and Weight Management Package.

44

Sept-Oct ’19

The Rejuvenation Package at the resort, according to the resort’s website, can help to slow down the ageing process. “The major benefits of this treatment is to prolong life span, strengthen sense organs, improve memory, obtain perfect health, youthfulness and increased physical endurance,” states the website.

This Panchakarma programme includes treatments using medicated herbal oils and also Vastis (medicated enemas which will help in removing the toxins away from the body), which can revitalise and detoxify your body. “The major benefits of this programme are to prolong life span, strengthen sense organs, improve memory, obtain perfect health, youthfulness and increased physical endurance,” notes the website of Zuri Kumarakom.

The Weight Management programme at the resort has treatments which include body massages and dry scrubs with special herbal powders and internal herbal medicine to follow up with. According to the website, through this programme there can be a possible weight reduction of approximately 2-5 kg in two weeks. “The effect of the slimming may show only after a week and the extent of weight loss will largely depend upon the body constitutional type of the individual, hormonal imbalances, if any and hereditary factors. There can be a possible weight reduction of approximately 2-5 kilos in two weeks,” notes the website.

Need a Broader Perspective These three expressions in hospitality only give a glimpse of the medical tourism benefits on offer in India. There are many other wellness resorts in India which offer wonderful

options for medical tourism. They include names like Kalari Kovilakom, CGH Earth, Kerala; Somatheeram Ayurveda Village, Kerala; Ananda In The Himalayas; Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat & Spa in Pune among others.

But we need many more world class Ayurvedic resorts and retreats (and not only in scenic locations but all around India) and state-of-the-art conventional hospitals to further strengthen our image as a medical tourism destination and keep the competition at bay. We also need them on humanitarian ground.

When we talk of medical tourism, we often forget the domestic medical tourists, such as persons who travel from say Bihar to Delhi or Mumbai to get treatment for his/ her critical or chronic disease. They cannot pay like the foreign tourists, but they need quality medical care as much as the foreign tourists do and they too contribute to our tourism and hospitality industry.

This above-mentioned measure of developing more numbers of highly affordable state-of-the-art hospitals and Ayurvedic resorts and retreats can cater to the huge numbers of domestic medical tourists more effectively.

It is time we give a more broader perspective to the definition of medical tourism and create more and more quality healthcare institutions which are not only affordable to the foreign tourists but also our domestic tourists.

At the same time, on the supply side, s t re n g t h e n i n g of t ra n s p o rtat i o n a n d sanitation infrastructure, as well as more serious concern to the safety of women travellers can contribute to the growth of our medical tourism industry. n

Sept-Oct ’19

45

Management

Hotel Business Review

Checklist for a Communications Champion in Hotels Part-1

By L. Aruna Dhir

W The author is a Hospitality & Feature Writer and Columnist for some of the world’s highest ranked Hospitality publications. Her industry writings are used as references in case studies and hotel schools. She is a recognised and national-poll winning Corporate Communications specialist, PR Strategist and Writer. A seasoned hotelier, she loves to present hospitality industry watch, insights, case studies and analysis to her ever-increasing base of global readership. She has over two decades of experience in Hospitality Communications and Brand Management and has worked with some of the best global hotel companies - The Imperial New Delhi, The Oberoi, New Delhi, Hyatt Regency Delhi. Aruna was appointed to the Board of Association of Emerging Leaders Dialogues (AELD), as the second Indian representative and the only woman leader from India.

46

Sept-Oct ’19

ith over 20 years of experience in the Hospitality Industry and having worked with a handful of market leaders and game changers, I find myself in an enviable position to impart some Gyan to those who are starting up in this fascinating industry or are wishful entrants into the world of ‘Hospitality Public Relations’.

W h at m a kes m y ex p e r i e n ce s o remarkable? I worked with Hyatt Regency, in the mid to late 90s, at the height of its glory when the Hyatt was singularly known all over the world to introduce exciting, n eve r - t r i e d - b efo re fo o d & b eve ra g e concepts and India was no different being an emerging key market:– Oasis - the rocking discotheque, TK’s – the teppanyaki oriental diner, Djinns – the first of its kind club / nightspot in India with its novel theme and concept dining & entertainment, India’s first Truffle promotion at La Piazza, Hyatt & Fashion – with its David Shilling, Ravi Bajaj, Ritu Beri shows.

From late 90s to early 2000 I got onto the Oberoi bandwagon and got introduced to the epitomical concept of hoteliering. The Oberoi was and is the grand daddy of the Indian Hotel landscape and a recognized Hotel chain giant internationally. In my time with them I witnessed the launch of the Vilases (the Palace hotels that continue

to top the international awards list since their inception) in India and the opening of the Spa scene.

While at The Oberoi, I conducted an Image Study and Positioning Analysis of their unit in New Delhi, organized Focus Groups for market research, brought about Graphic Consistency and Standardization of Business Communication to The Oberoi, New Delhi and became a part of the hotel team that saw the introduction of B.O.S.S – Brand Oberoi Service Standards, akin to what global stars like the Four Seasons, Ritz Carltons, Shangri-Las and Mandarin Orientals espouse and exhibit in their organizational personalities.

Then came the biggie. In 2002 I helped re-launch The Imperial in Delhi as India and Asia’s finest luxury hotel of historic relevance; wherein I got my hands dirty creating a Brand, establishing the Brand Identity and reinforcing the Brand Image.

The mandate involved setting up the PR Department from scratch (yes, even the printer and the scanner), developing PR training modules, writing out an array of PR specific manuals, establishing synergies between the PR department and all the other departments – the entire nine yards.

And the best part - my very small team and I did it alone, without any external help of agencies, consultancies et. al.

Management Ad d i t i o n a l l y, w h i l e o n a C u l t u ra l Ambassadorship to the United States, I e n j oye d t h e p r i v i l e g e of e i t h e r a professional orientation or an insider’s look at some of the finest international hotel brands – Ritz Carlton in Pasadena, L.A., The Pierre – then a Four Seasons Hotel in New York, Marriott in Washington D.C, Loews L’Enfant in Annapolis, Fairmont and Campton Place in San Francisco.

Hotel PR is, obviously, different from PR in other industries. Understandably so, as the brand, its image and the product you are selling here are completely different from what is on the plate i n F M CG, D i p l o m at i c, G ove r n m e nt , Finance, Automobile, Insurance, Health, Pharmaceuticals, Real Estate and other industries. The other places may, variedly, have elements of Investor Relations, Corporate Affairs, IPO announcements, Lobbyism and the like woven into the broad Communications or Public Relations role. Public Relations in the Hospitality industry is significantly different and specific to the industry form.

So what are the key traits that make for a noteworthy Hotel PRO. To be safe and so as not to show any bias, I present my list in an alphabetical order.

Advertising Ace More often than not, the aspect of brand advertising is part of your portfolio. So, on one hand you will need to understand the need from your top boss or the Sales & Marketing Head or the Director of Food & Beverage, develop a brief and then have an interface with your advertising agency so as to convey the company’s expectation in terms of creatives and the main idea. You must, then, know all about pegs, pitches, 4 Ps of Marketing, artworks, positives, final proofs, colour separations, media buying and the annual media plan.

O n t h e ot h e r h a n d , yo u m ay b e required to write out and develop the advertisements all by yourself. Just as I did at The Imperial. Of course, it is backbreaking work but who said Hotel PR would be a smooth ride, all fun & games, wining & dining. The huge reward – the pride and satisfaction of seeing my “The Imperial Experience” advertisements splashed in media as far and wide as The Times of India, International Herald Tribune, Condé Nast Traveller, Travel & Leisure.

Agency Ally As the Head of PR of your hotel or hotel chain, you have a host of agencies reporting to you – PR Agency, Advertising A g e n cy, M a r k e t Re s e a rc h A g e n cy, Database Agency and so on.

Please understand that you are on the same page with them and are not, in any way, in competition with them.

Even if they are on the other side of the fence, they are, still, your extended team members. Pool in, assimilate and bring in different talents into the common area to devise strategies, solve problems, generate solutions, ideate and co-create.

Brand Builder Being in Communications you are the chief custodian of the Brand. And with direct access to the media, you are the key Brand Ambassador.

With all the Communication tools and PR strategies at your disposal, you are in that enviable position to build a brand and reinforce its image consistently in the minds of the relevant publics.

Cause Célèbre Apologies for the offbeat pun, but at least I managed to grab your eyeballs.

By virtue of your position, you end up hobnobbing with celebrities all the time – you plan events around famous artists and musicians, you lunch with a film star or dine with a famous author.

Also, on account of your role, you are in that unique place, unlike most others, where you actually get to build personalities and create celebrities.

Think your General Manager, Executive Chef, Spa Manager, the much awarded Head Concierge, Sommelier, Horticulture Manager; even the Chief Engineer or Head of Security at times.

But please, under no circumstances, be under the false assumption that you are a celebrity yourself. Always the king maker but never the king. Be proud of your work, unique set of skills, your remarkable contribution but do not harbour any affe ctat i o n s a b o u t yo u r p owe r a n d position.

Sadly, I have seen Indian Hotel PR Managers have a huge attitude stemming out of their Hotel’s brand reputation and their position in the hotel and PR industry.

From Rome to Paris, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to the United States spanning both east and west coasts, I

Sept-Oct ’19

47

Management

Hotel Business Review

have interacted with PR people from these regions. And they all have been polite, practical and professional. So do yourself and your official significant others a favour and drop that attitude.

Corporate Citizen By that I mean Corporate Social Citizenship.

As the PR Head of your hotel or hotel chain, the onus of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) lies with you. Along with the top boss, it is you who has to develop the CSR plan and budget. You need to focus on the kind of charities you think your organization should associate with in sync with its brand personality – so it could be environment, disabilities, AIDS Awareness, Slum Children, Education for the under-privileged etc. As a CSR team lead then, it is you who is responsible for the implementation of the CSR Plan.

On account of your media associations, of being a spokesperson for your organisation and because of the linkages with other visible publics and their forums, you are a prominent figure in your own right. Use this privileged position to cultivate your own leaning towards personal causes and lend your support, as an individual, to the causes you espouse.

At Hyatt Regency I created the Hyatt Environment Brigade along with the Training Director. At The Oberoi, I stretched o u t to t h e Wa l k fo r A I DS ca m p a i g n and volunteered with the Blind Relief Society. This is to say that along with the CSR, develop a strong focus and commitment towards PSR – Personal Social Responsibility.

and a Crisis Management Manual during peace time and bring them to effective use in times of crises. Be astute, be quick on your toes, be accessible, communicate and be responsive (NO “no comments” line; at least as far as possible, otherwise you let the contradictory viewpoint go to print uncontested), be practical and wisely honest, bring together the key handlers on the same page, cut out grapevine as much as you can and centralize information dissemination.

Database Doyen Databases are the lungs of a Hotel PR Pro, as much as they are of any other PR expert. Since your job entails organization of events, sending out of invites, posting out Direct Mail and mailing Newsletters

48

Sept-Oct ’19

Documentation Don As a Communications Crusader, your work involves documentation, filing, maintaining archival backgrounders and reportage.

You not only organize the publicity for your organization but must also share the coverage with the significant publics through media reports.

Then, there are manuals and SOPs to be documented; collateral to be archived for future reference; press and general events to be kept record of; Best Practices to be chronicled.

In fact, most of your work is such that it needs to be systematically filed and documented for reference, training and as record management.

Events Enterpriser

Crisis Crackerjack From finding a staple pin in the Crab lunch of a Food Writer, high society escorts conducting business from your hotel lobby, Restaurant Manager failing to recognize the big-headed and irrepressible Restaurant Critic, Housekeeping staff leaving dust and dusters in the suite of a renowned Hotel Reviewer to finding a depressed, Page Three figure trying to drown herself in the Presidential Suite Jacuzzi or a Celebrity TV Personality jumping off the eighth floor terrace to his untimely death – you have handled all this and more.

And this wide range of situations is what makes you a Pro at handling crisis at work and being at the helm of Issues Management.

Develop a Crisis Handling Program

teams are integrated well and understand the importance of keeping clean and upto-date database at all times. Otherwise, imagine the downside – the cost incurred and the embarrassment drawn in for dispatching newsletters to corporate clients who have long moved on to a different organization.

And yes, this aspect takes into account intelligent and effective maintenance of the electronic database too. A lot more so now, when we all seem to exist in a virtual world and everyone is just a click away.

and other marketing literature, you must keep the Hotel Database clean, updated and dynamic.

There are two ways of doing this – If you are responsible for the Hotel chain then you must employ a good Database Management Agency. And they must be bloody good and responsible set of people who collect, maintain, clean and mine your data. If you have a smaller database for your Company then handling it yourself with your own team and the extended teams from Sales & Marketing and Food & Beverage is the way to go.

Also, please make sure that all sets of

The Hotel PR Head is also the Chief Events Manager. There are hotel events that you plan either by yourself or with your Food & Beverage and Banqueting teams or with an Event Management Agency that you employ for a said event; all depending on the size and importance of the event.

Then there are certain internal events that you helm with the HR Department and as part of your Internal Communications Strategy.

So, there would be art exhibitions, music concerts, sports days, golf tournaments, celebrity tennis matches or cook-ins, supper theatres, book launches, specialty speaker engagements, Children’s day, charity auctions... the palette is as checkered and vibrant as your imagination, creativity and your organization’s stance.

Food Fan About 50 % of your work centers on Food & Beverage Marketing. There are Press lunches and dinners to organize, F&B newsletters to produce, marketing collateral to develop, media talents such

Management

Hotel Business Review

as chefs, sommeliers, bartending showmen to get interviewed, Press Releases and backgrounders to write, innovative food events to create along with the Kitchen’s and F&B team – be it Progressive Dinners, Wine Dinners, Exotic Food Promotions or Country specific Food Festivals.

Which means that you need to like the subject of food – not just as something that sustains you or that you relish in it’s out of the ordinary avatar but also in its pedagogical relevance; understand the culinary nuances; know a sizeable amount about different kinds of foods, ingredients and cuisines. This knowledge should also encompass drinks and wines as an additional area of interest.

Additionally, you need to cultivate shades of a food stylist and hone your photographic eye so as to ensure that your food shots are special, uniquely shot and good enough to eat; because it is your food shots bank that will assist you in a whole lot of your marketing and PR initiatives.

websites and newsletters – external, internal and special, visualize promotional material, create invites, build up business communication manuals and develop standardization of communication and graphics used by the Hotel. This has helped me hone my designing skills and bond strongly with the design team, data operators, graphic specialists and the like.

I have been fortunate to have worked with Brands that gave me a freehand for creativity and graphic representation so much so that I, often, wore a twin hat of an in-house Graphic Designer.

Re ce nt l y, a j o b d es c r i pt i o n fo r a Communications position with an international hotel giant significantly stated Photoshop as part of the key skill set in the desired candidate. So, inclination towards designing and graphics is something that will always stand you in good stead; either to do things on your own or even to be able to get the best out of your creative guys.

Graphics Groupie

Guests Galvaniser

In my career, I have had to develop

Guests are one of the key stakeholders for

you. They stay in your rooms, they eat in your restaurants, they use your spas and fitness centers and they are your loyalty club members. So you must meet them frequently and get to know them.

Every hotel has mini events such as GM’s cocktails or one-on-one dinners planned for the long-stays, Annual parties for another set of guests, Year-end galas for yet another set and so on. You must be an integral component of it and be a part of the matrix known well by your guests.

One of the finest tricks I have learnt from the international General Managers I have worked with (and it is true that the foreign GMs, even South-east Asian for that matter, engage far more in this than their Indian counterparts) is to do Lobby duty. Just be in the Lobby during meal times or at the beginning of important events or in the evenings when guests return to their rooms and see how easily you begin to recognize guests, develop a rapport and seal a bond with them.

I hope you enjoy my ABC of PR. I will run through the gamut of the remaining traits in Part 2 of this article in next issue. n

2 MEGA EVENTS. 2 DATES.

TWICE THE EXPERIENCE.

www.fhaHoReCa.com

SINGAPORE EXPO

www.fhaFnB.com

31 MAR TO 03 APR

SINGAPORE EXPO

FEATURING:

FEATURING:

> Bakery, Pastry & Gelato

> Food & Beverage

> Foodservice & Hospitality Equipment

> Food Ingredients

> Hospitality Style

> Food Processing & Packaging Technology

> Hospitality Technology

> Wine & Spirits

> Speciality Coffee & Tea

co-located with ProWine Asia (Singapore)

Pre-register your visit now! www.foodnhotelasia.com/pre-register

Organiser

Join us on Food&HotelAsia #FHA

Sept-Oct ’19

49

Property

Hotel Business Review

Classy Hospitality in the Wild

By Jhuma Biswas

A

leisurely holiday or a weekend gateway at The Tiger Groove Corbett – A Jakson Resort can not only help you give a quiet retreat to the splendours of green nature, far away from the tension, deadlines, humdrum and din of city lives where often 24 hours are packed like sardines. Such a holiday can also excite the city-bred tourists’ wild adventurous streak, as the resort, located 6 km deep inside the forest in the heart of a quaint village named Kyari, has varied wildlife scattered around it.

Jim Corbett National Park is not far from the resort, where one can indulge in jeep and elephant safaris, and if your luck permits, you can even shoot the tiger too with camera, of course. We couldn’t spot any majestic tiger but did capture on camera plenty of other wildlife in our Jeep Safari through the Jim Corbett National Park. May be next time…

The property can be accessed through a 20 minute drive from Ramnagar station, which again is only 65 km from Nainital. The drive flanked by jungles with curious herds

50

Sept-Oct ’19

of deer peeping into our eyes took us to the resort nestled in greenery, in the early hours of dawn. The chirping of unknown birds did further enliven the mood.

I realised it as a place where one can lose oneself to find one’s self, and not only with meditation and yoga.

“Today’s post-modern India has a huge

market potential for leisure travel amidst natural surroundings, far from the noise and tensions of city life. This potential induced us to include this property in to our company’s hospitality division’s ambit,” explained Sameer Gupta, the Chairman and Managing Director of Jakson Group when I had an interaction with him after coming back to Delhi.

First Glance

Sameer Gupta

The eight-year-old property is sprawled across three acres and comprises 50 luxurious rooms, a swimming pool with clear blue waters, a multi-cuisine restaurant where the courteous and experienced staff is always eager to present you with tasty delicacies, and two stately banquet halls and three lawns for MICE options. Just beside the resort flows a seasonal river.

The property was leased by Jakson Group on 15th May 2019.

The rooms of the resort are segmented into four categories - Palm Groove Deluxe, Palm Groove Suites, Mango Groove Premier

Property

& Mango Groove Cottages. The degree of opulence may differ in the categories of rooms, but exhaustive range of facilities, comfort and style are their common factors.

According to Soraya Rebello, Vice President, Strategic Operations, Jakson Hospitality and CSR Head of Jakson Group, “The peak season at the resort is approximately during 15th April -15th Julyand then again during 15th October to 15th January.”

From 15th July to the middle of October the occupancy at the resort is generally low, at around 30 percent.

“After the leasing of the property to Jakson Hospitality, the hotel is being repositioned as a mid market leisure family destination for the environment & health enthusiasts,” she expressed.

Creating Memories Back to Delhi, I had a little conversation with Sandeep Talaulicar, Managing Director, Jakson Hospitality, regarding the fascinating property. “For guests in this property,we focus on creating memories. The forest around us is God made. What we are in control of is the impeccable hospitality on offer. A warm, comfortable rooming experience, fun and engaging entertainment options, and the food and beverage experience that reminds you of your grandmother are our hallmarks. Each and every staff of our resort is trained to create memories for our guests,” asserted Sandeep.

My experience resonated with his words.

According to him, the USP of the resort is “offering five-star hospitality experiences at four-star prices.” Sandeep pointed out that “enhanced service standards with customised experiences

Sept-Oct ’19

51

Property

Hotel Business Review

hospitality options like a naturalist giving seminars on the flora & fauna of the place & taking our guests out on special forest trails. Our little guests (kids) will be taught forest survival techniques & our gardeners will be conducting technical sessions on how to make manure out of waste,” she elaborated.

The resort has an array of indoor and outdoor sports options to indulge on and it is soon having a massage parlour. Soraya also informed that they would be offering acupressure therapy & dry massages, which can relax the tired city jaded bodies.

Sandeep Talaulicar can make all the difference to the guests at the resort.”

One of the attractions of the resort is dining at the ‘Machaan’ which is located 25 feet above the ground. Here you can have breakfast with views of green forests and blue mountains. “There are many other experiential options offered or to be offered to the guests at the resort to create lasting memories. Nature walks, river side breakfasts, cycling, para motoring, jeep safaris, forest picnics, rock climbing & rappelling are some of the activities conducted or facilitated by the resort,” offered Soraya.

You can enjoy a varied range of dishes at the restaurant of the resort. In line with its ethos of sustainability, the property gives due weightage to local cuisine. The scrumptious Kumaon Thali available in vegetarian & non vegetarian variants, and organically grown farm produce are the highlights of the multi-cuisine F&B offerings at the property.“Furthermore, we emphasise on home style food & local fresh water fish,” Soraya asserted.

About the future plans for the resort, Soraya sounded equally enthusiastic. “A BBQ restaurant will be opened in November 2019, which would be nestled in a mango grove. We will also have more experiential

52

Sept-Oct ’19

Business and More The hospitality property can come across not only as an ideal haven for leisure tourists but also to the MICE crowd. Amidst the solitude of real jungle the corporate crowd can get the conducive infrastructure and atmosphere for brainstorming on succeeding in the noisy corporate jungle.

The property can also be a wonderful destination for destination weddings.

There is a conference hall on the ground floor which can accommodate 100 persons in theatre style seating and on the first floor there is a banquet hall, which can accommodate 350 persons. Moreover, there are three banquet lawns with varying crowd capacities ranging from 150 to 500 persons. Needless to say the conferencing options are spruced with post-modern infrastructure.

After a day-long meeting if you want to let your hair down, just head to the music room. “We have a sound- proof music room for small parties that does not disturb the wildlife,” Soraya pointed out.

Moving Around Besides the above-mentioned activities and of course, the jungle safari in the Jim Corbett National Park, there are lots of sights and sounds in and around to explore during your stay in the resort.

Garjia Temple near river Kosi, Corbett

Soraya Rebello Waterfall, Sunrise Point – the highest peak in the Jim Corbett National Park which provides the perfect vantage point to have a panoramic view of both Kosi and Ramganga rivers as well as the Bhuwankhal village - are only some of them.

Future with Vision But do all these guest-friendly facilities and activities would necessarily fetch the desired revenues for Jakson Hospitality? Sandeep, as expected, sounded quite confident on this score. In fact, he has a very scientific and philosophical take on the subject. “Revenues are the function of employee satisfaction and guest satisfaction; if we continue to focus on employee satisfaction and guest satisfaction in a big way, desired revenues will follow. Philosophically put, we focus on good Karma & have faith that the fruits will follow,” he explained with a smile.

Sameer not only mirrors the optimism of Sandeep but nurtures the vision to extend the portfolio of Jakson Hospitality further.

He is extremely enthusiastic of the potential of leisure tourism in general, and wellness tourism in particular, in the context of India’s evolving hospitality industry.

“We are envisaging to come up with six properties within the ambit of Jakson Hospitality within the next two-three years, and all of them would be in close proximity to the abundance of nature,” the corporate honcho observed.

I couldn’t help admiring his business vision, for millions of people like us whose souls have become jaded by day-to-day tensions and frantic pace of post-modern living, do long to return to nature to find the much needed solitude and also to rejuvenate themselves. I could already feel the forests calling me… n

Sept-Oct ’19

53

Housekeeping

Hotel Business Review

Vacuum Cleaners T

oday the commercial and industrial users have got a wider choice of cleaning equipment available in the market. In the recent times fairly large number of companies has ventured in the business of manufacturing & trading international brands of vacuum cleaners.

The 80s witnessed a revolution in the terms of mechanisation of cleaning. Today, it has become a competitive alternative to manual cleaning, and has become the most widely used method. There are several reasons for this, including the change in the economical climate plus there is better technical backing that supports existing methods.

Ideally a vacuum cleaner is the most effective and efficient cleaning equipment, reducing the time and effort required for periodic cleaning. It is dependable; need lesser amount of maintenance. Before making a right choice one must ascertain what a vacuum cleaner includes and how it works.

Despite the fact that vacuum cleaners have been around in the country since the early sixties, the concept took off widely in the last few years only.

A vacuum cleaner has essentially the following parts: • A nozzle (an accessory item such as a

54

Sept-Oct ’19

floor brush, crevice nozzle, etc.)

• A set of flexible hose and extension wands (rigid pipes) to connect the nozzle w i t h va c u u m c l e a n e r a n d p rov i d e a comfortable handle to the operator.

• The main unit of the vacuum cleaner comprises the container in which the dirt and debris are collected, a separation device or devices - like cyclone pre-filter and/or main filter (possibly assisted by a paper bag).

• A ‘vacuum generation unit’ (VGU) - a single or multistage centrifugal blower or

a turbine blower.

• Other body parts, wheels, trollies etc.

The Technology The VGU of the unit creates suction resulting into Airflow. This airflow is directed through the filters and pipes to be eventually released at the nozzle opening.

The energy and force exerted by the moving air on the dirt, forces it to move from the source point i.e. floor, carpet or furniture to the container of the unit through the pipes.

As we have seen airflow is the most important of all factors, which determine the working a vacuum cleaner. It is the force exerted by the moving air, which actually picks up the dirt and moves it into the bag or dirt container.

The airflow is given in cubic meters per hour (CMH) or cubic feet per minute (CFM) for a vacuum cleaner. While the airflow rating is not a direct rating of the power of the suction motor, it is affected by its suction. The airflow rating is typically obtained by measuring the airflow through the vacuum cleaner with no hose or attachments connected to it.

One must keep in mind that the same air moves through the entire vacuum cleaner system so the actual airflow in use is proportional to the amount of suction

Housekeeping produced by the motor and inversely proportional to the total resistance to air flow throughout the system.

The air is motivated to move by the reduced air pressure created by the suction motor. The easier it is for the air to flow, the better the cleaning performance will be.

Also, the stronger the suction created by the suction motor, the better the airflow will be.

There are many variables, which affect the actual airflow in a system, which are not reflected in the airflow rating.

In addition to the resistance within the actual vacuum cleaner, there is resistance caused by air turbulence in the hose and tubing, restriction where the cleaning nozzle contacts the floor, as well as increased resistance within the filtration system as the unit fills with dirt. Therefore, it is important to compare the sealed suction along with the airflow when comparing different vacuum cleaners.

The Right Choice To be able to decide on the types of vacuum cleaner needed one has to first assess the nature of the cleaning jobs to be carried out in his premises.

Look around the area to be cleaned, paying close attention to the variety of surfaces, which need to be cleaned. These may include carpeted and non-carpeted floors, upholstered and wooden furniture, stairs, door frames, window sills, Venetian blinds, drapes, picture frames, ceiling fans as well as small nooks and crannies. They require cleaning to maintain a healthy environment.

While complete periodic cleaning is required for most areas, there are some areas, which need more frequent cleaning such as high traffic areas, shop floors, etc. Also, one may need to do ‘wetcleaning’ - i.e. removal of water from the floor, oils, and chemical spillages, etc., particularly after scrubbing canteen floors, kitchens, and shampooing of carpets.

Thus it is important to select vacuum cleaner on the basis of jobs to be undertaken, area and the frequency of jobs.

The types of materials used to construct the external structure and internal parts of a vacuum cleaner play a major role in the length of its span as well as the extent of maintenance expenses. Typically, vacuum cleaners are made of a combination of metals and various

synthetic plastics.

With the development of plastic industry, many metal parts are now replaced by much lighter and often-stronger plastic spares. While reducing the production cost considerably, this change over has made vacuum cleaners much lighter and easier to use. The key to durability often relies on the excellence of design besides the types of plastics used.

Complete range of Cleaning Chemicals

Efficiency The quality of the filter can have a significant impact on the airflow through the system. While the filter media must be able to stop the fine dust and allergens, it should present the least amount of resistance to airflow. The total resistance of the paper bag is inversely proportional to the total area of the filter media. In other words, doubling the area of a filter surface will cut the total resistance to airflow in half.

For any given airflow, the speed of the moving air is inversely proportional to the area of the opening through which it is passing. A narrower opening in the nozzle will produce a faster airflow velocity, enacting more force to pick up the dirt. This is why a small attachment is more effective in picking up stubborn dirt.

For best performance, the nozzle should be designed, so that it will produce similar airflow velocity across the complete width, not just near the air passage leading from within.

For Laundry

• SUPER BRIGHT-HD-ULTRA For removing oil/blood/grease stains.

• SUPER BRIGHT-WHITNER

To improve reflectance of both coloured as well as white clothes.

• SUPER BRIGHT-OPAL

To clean heavily soiled fabric & imparts high cleaning properties.

• SUPER BRIGHT-FABRIC SOFTENER

With anti-static properties, it improves the whiteness or brightness of clothes.

• SUPER BRIGHT-SOUR

Removes excess alkalinity, chlorine & detergent from the cloth.

For Housekeeping • CRYSTAL

Ready to use liquid glass cleaner.

• SANITEX

Sanitizer cum floor cleaner.

• TILEX

For tile cleaning.

Carpet Cleaning A standard vacuum cleaner relies primarily on its airflow to pick up dirt and carry it into the dirt container. This works quite well for cleaning non-carpeted floors with a floor brush as well as dusting wooden furniture, cleaning upholstered furniture and catching those small corners with the smaller attachments. The bristles on a floor brush help to gather the dirt and grit, while keeping the airflow very close to the floor surface Moving air alone is far from a d e q u ate w h e n i t co m es to removing deeply embedded dirt in carpets, since it is nearly impossible to have the airflow re a c h t h e d e e p d i r t w i t h sufficient velocity to motivate it to move from its place. Most standard carpet nozzles have a stationary brush strip which aids in the removal of

Available Concentrated range for Glass /Floor / Toilet Bowl Cleaning.

Also available liquid cleaner for Dish Wash, Utensils, Crockery and for anti-germicidal treatment.

Ask for our detailed catalogue having information of 100 plus cleaning chemicals.

NAVIN POLYCON

Delhi Off.: 81, DSIDC Sheds, Scheme-I, Phase-II, New Okhla Indl. Complex, New Delhi-110020, Phone: 26387377, 26386392, 26386507 Fax: 011-26386063 Mobile: 98102 59863 E-mail: navinpolycon@rediffmail.com www.navinpolycon.com Agra: M/s. Camex India, Ph.:0562-2620720 / 6541904 Mobile: 9837077627 Contact: Mr. Sachin Jain Bangalore: M/s. Celestial Health Care, Mob.: 09343047197 Fax: 080-5504757 Contact: Mr. John Brito Calcutta: Ph.: 033-24554959, 24551558 Contact: Mr. Vipul Jodhpur: M/s. Chemtech Corporation, Mobile: 09829188885 Contact: Dr. A. Hussain

Sept-Oct ’19

55

SERVING THE INDUSTRY FOR OVER 2 DECADES

Housekeeping

Hotel Business Review

dirt, lint, hair, threads, etc., near the carpet surface, but still falling far short of reaching dirt near the base of carpet nap. Grit, with its sharp edges and corners, is one of the primary causes of carpet wear. The revolving brush roll was developed to make a huge difference in the effectiveness of a vacuum cleaner in removing the deeply embedded dirt. Its high speed brushing action and agitation fluff the carpet nap, giving it a fresher look.

Vacuum cleaners specifically designed to clean carpeted floors have motor or turbine driven revolving brush rolls with rows of bristles and sometimes beater bars as well. These brush rolls revolve at a very high speed, agitating the carpet fibers in the process. The effect of this is to loosen dirt and move it toward the top, aiding in its removal from the carpet fibers. The suction from the motor pulls the carpet under the nozzle up against it, bowing it backward slightly.

This helps to separate the nap, enhancing airflow through besides allowing bristles to sweep the dirt and grit upward. When beater bars or stiffened bristles are included on the brush roll, they tap the carpet back quickly. Due to inertia, the grit and dirt want to stay stationary as the carpet moves downward. The combination of the high speed brushing and beating actions is very effective in moving the dirt and grit upward in the carpet fibers so the air flow can carry them away.

Brush Rolls Most manufacturers use plastic, acrylic or wooden brush rolls with the bristles embedded into the roll. Some of the higher quality vacuum cleaners use steel brush rolls with replaceable brush strips and ball bearings. Brush rolls come in many shapes and sizes. Some are round, others are contoured or auger in shape.

Some have few bristles and no beater bars. Others have many bristles and beater bars or bristle stiffener bars. Even the speed at which they rotate varies from model to model, some as high as 6,500 rpm. Don’t let the speed of the brush roll mislead you though. Some of the fastest revolving brush rolls have very few bristles on them.

To distinguish between the two types of carpet cleaning nozzles with revolving brush rolls, they are often referred to as a motor driven power nozzle and an air driven turbine nozzle. When using a power nozzle, the electric motor actually adds power to

56

Sept-Oct ’19

the cleaning system. A turbine nozzle should not be confused with a motorized power nozzle. When a turbine is used instead of an electric motor, the power to drive the brush roll is actually removed from the airflow, reducing the velocity of the airflow through the system.

Both types of nozzles incorporate a revolving brush roll similar to that used in the upright type of vacuum cleaner to deep clean the carpets. The better ones use a non-slip cog or gear type of belt for better power transfer from the motor or turbine to the brush roll.

Paper Bags When it comes to cleaning performance, there is a tendency to look primarily at the power of the suction motor and the amount of bristles on the brush roll. While these are important considerations, the quality and size of the paper bag are very important factors as well. The quality of the bags filter media affects both its ability to retain the fine dust and allergens and its ability to allow air to easily flow through it.

The size of the bag will determine how easily the air flows through it as well. A

good quality filter bag is a very important vacuum cleaner component. Care should be taken to replace that with an equally high quality filter so that good vacuum cleaner performance is maintained.

Therefore, if two different size bags are constructed of the same quality filter media, the larger one will enhance the cleaning performance by making it easier for the air to flow.

D ete r m i n i n g t h e a ct u a l f i l t rat i o n efficiency of filter bags can be a frustrating experience. While some manufacturers give complete specifications, many describe that in terms of particle size or efficiency percentages only. Phrases like “retain dust down to 0.1 micron in size” can be quite misleading, since the actual percentage retained at the size may be quite low.

Some manufacturers even state a percentage on the same package as the above mentioned phrase, but that will not indicate the actual efficiency at the stated particle size. Even the best high filtration paper bags will have an efficiency of about 75 percent at 0.3 µm (micrometers formerly microns) compared to 95 percent at 0.3 µm for Filtrete filter media bags and 99.97 percent at 0.3 µm for HEPA filter media. To obtain net filtration efficiencies over 99 percent at that particle size requires the use of additional Micron, HEPA or ULPA filters in completely sealed systems.

Warranties and after sales service Always select a brand on long reputation to stand by. Purchasing a vacuum cleaner imported by a ‘make-a-quick-buck vendor’ can create problems should warranty repairs become necessary. So, the availability of after-sales-service and spares must be necessarily taken care of.

Even the most durable vacuum cleaners require some periodic maintenance to keep them performing well. Some vacuum cleaners need disposable paper bags routinely. Various additional filters need to be changed from time to time in order to keep air flowing freely through them.

S o m e c l e a n e rs w i t h m oto r d r i ve n revolving brushes have rubber belts, which stretch and slip more as time passes. They should be changed at least once a year to assure good power transfer to the brush roll. Bristles on the revolving brush rolls, wear short or become soft with use. They need to be replaced once in five years or so. Changing bags, filters, belts and bristles as needed, will go a long way. n

Sept-Oct ’19

57

Hotel Business Review

Modern Shaving Preparation

Infinity Hygiene Care is a leading manufacturer of Shaving cream and shaving gel under brand name of ‘Protector‘. This ‘Protector‘ shaving cream is more softens and moistens the skin and the hair, thus making shaving more comfortable and contributing to smoother skin. The advantages of using this cream, rather than soap, oil, or just water, are many. The skill work force under watch full guidance of management company are constantly working hard to maintain of product to be supplied to their supplier across the country for hotels and hospitality industries.

Infinity Hygiene Care

Shoe with Style

Founded in 1965 Empire Shoes became one of the most esteemed names in the shoe and leather industry after its first showroom at Colaba, Mumbai was established.

After half a century of offering excellent products and service, the tradition today, is carried on by the family’s third generation run by Qais Ajani. He aspires to manifest the expertise of the last sixty years and bring it forward digitally, enabling the brand’s visibility and accessibility across India as well as internationally.

Empire Shoes has expertise in designing and manufacturing footwear with the highest quality, in the least amount of time. The footwear is sleek, modern, and stylish, yet classically simple emphasizing both, comfort and value.

They supply formal shoes and safety gear to multiple hotel chains such as the Taj, Hyatt, Marriott, Sofitel, Novotel, Sheraton, Renaissance, Park, Hilton and Fortune Hotels to name a few. They also supply to well-known restaurant chains such as Rajdhani, Bayroute, Yauatcha, Nara - entertainment companies such as PVR, and hospitals such as Lilavati, to name a few.

Empire is known for the quality and reliability. They understand the buyers requirements and accordingly design shoes as per the specifications.

Empire Shoes info@empireshoesintl.com

58

Sept-Oct ’19

P ro d uct Previ ew

World’s first ‘Two-Level-Washer’

“Sometimes double doesn’t make sense. Sometimes it does.” This is HOBART’s slogan for promoting their latest invention: The world’s first Two-Level-Washer. The newly developed dishwasher has a second wash chamber for simultaneous washing. This means two levels are available for double the washing volume. It is another great benefit that the Two-Level-Washer with its compact design does not take up more space in the kitchen than a conventional dishwasher.

Whether plates, coffee cups or GN pans: The HOBART Two-LevelWasher not only increases the volume but also the flexibility in terms of different types of wash ware.

For example, while porcelain plates are being washed in the upper level, the bottom chamber of the dishwasher provides space for saucers, pans, cooking pots, cutlery or salad bowls. The kitchen staff save lots of time and have different wash ware ready for reuse when they need it.

Heavily encrusted food on cutlery and cooking utensils is one of the most challenging tas ks . To c l e a n t h e was h ware, manual pre-treatment in a sizeable sink is usually required. The space for this, however, is often not available in small kitchens.

Two-Level-Washer impresses not only with its compact design, but also with its range of several wash programmes. Thus, while cups and plates are washed in the upper chamber, heavily soiled wash ware such as pots, pans or cutlery is washed in the bottom chamber with the specially developed utensil wash programme. Thanks to the extended washing duration, the soaking effect is integrated into the washing process. Pre-treatment of the wash ware is therefore no longer necessary. Up to three racks can be washed in the upper wash chamber at the same time.

With the new HOBART WASHSMART app, a comprehensive overview of the status of your Two-Level-Washer is available at a glance. Among other features, the app informs the user well in advance of maintenance due dates and indicates the current operating costs and chemical consumption. Based on this data, the user can avoid standstill and re-order consumables directly via the app. It is also possible to contact the HOBART customer service or an approved service partner directly. WASHSMART furthermore provides illustrated instructions so that users can troubleshoot minor faults themselves.

Hobart India Razi.haider@itwfeg.in

Pr odu c t Prev i ew A d v e r t is e r ’ s I nd e x Company

Page No.

akasa international

29

charnock Equipments pvt. ltd.

05

fha 2020

49

gralite india biotech p. ltd.

21

home comfort texo fab

14

home zone india

43

IFB INDUSTRIES LTD.

11

india international hospitality expo bic infinity hygiene care

12

itw india pvt. ltd.

37

kesri transcontinental

01

LA SCENTEUR FRAGRANCE TECHNOLOGIES PVT. LTD.

07

laxmi brush company

16

loomcrafts furniture india pvt. ltd.

09

mastech services

47, 39

mehta furnishers

17

metro plus life style

27

mkn india

51

modern cosmetic india

10

modi woodspace pvt. ltd.

13

navin polycon

55

QUARTZ HOMECARE (I) PVT. LTD. bc RANS TECHNOCRATS (iNDIA) PVT. LTD.

41

remington steel arts

58

sony india pvt. ltd. Gate fold trend n design

53

Vedic Aroma Lab

33

venus industries

15

vista hospitality

59

whirlpool of india ltd.

fic

winterhalter india pvt. ltd.

35

worldex india exhibition & promotion

45

Sept-Oct ’19

59

Intervi ew

Hotel Business Review

Building Efficient Processes Sanjay Pagi, General Manager, Mercure Goa Devaaya Retreat Sanjay Pagi, General Manager of Mercure Goa Devaaya Retreat brings over two decades of hospitality and management experience to his role at the new Mercure Goa Devaaya Retreat. As the GM, he spearheads the operations, ensuring its growth and expansion through innovative strategies. With a comprehensive understanding of managing teams across diverse markets, Sanjay’s core expertise lies in delivering successful outcomes by empowering effective teams and building efficient processes.

In an exclusive interview with Sharmila Chand, he talks about the distinguishing features of the property, his mantra of work and more...

What is the USP of your property?

Mercure Goa Devaaya is among the best healing resorts in the country. Situated on the serene Divar Island in Goa, it provides a holistic treatment through Ayurveda, Naturopathy and Yoga under one roof and follows integrated alternative medical treatment. It is currently a preferred destination for treatment seekers from across the globe because of its exquisite location, professional service and above all the best in healing and tranquility.

Tell us about your green initiatives?

M e rc u re G o a D eva aya ret re at i s committed to developing and maintaining an environment that fosters a transition towards sustainability that aims to transform into a sustainable community to contribute positive environmental and social benefits.

We have the planet 21 Accor Sustainable Development program, which covers all of Accor’s environmental and social initiatives.

We also work together to do regular facility maintenance and monitor energy consumption, water consumption, electricity consumption, among other aspects. We also engage in a diverse set of sustainabilityrelated activities such as planting trees to conserve, organic farming, cleaning programs (Swatch Bharat campaign), awareness campaigns, initiatives & activities to commemorate World Environment Day/ World Earth Day, deployment of eco-friendly technologies, Reusing waste papers.

What is the marketing strategy you have adopted?

I personally believe word of mouth is the best marketing tool and we are also very active on social media, print media, and television. We participate in all the hospitality trade fairs and road-shows domestic & overseas to promote and make our presence felt. We have onboard Ms. Hema Malini, who

60

Sept-Oct ’19

endorses the brand.

What distinguishes your property from others in the same bracket?

As we are located on Island, this is a paradise for people looking to stay away from the busy city life and surround themselves by greenery and mystical Mandovi River with a healthy environment with no sound of vehicles and zero pollution. We have proven track record of healing in the field of Ayurveda and Yoga over a decade and now our collaboration with World’s top hospitality player “Accor” for limitless hospitality distinguishes us from rest in similar category.

Please tell us about the F&B offerings at your property?

With food being a central component of wellness programmes, the retreat site offers an eclectic range of healthy dining options.

Manos offers satvic food and beverages with a scenic view overlooking the Mandovi river, while Jetty restaurant provides healthy snacks and juices, along with poolside restaurants Malar and Amboi, which are ideal places to enjoy one’s meal. Smoke and alcohol-free environment at Mercure Goa Devaaya Retreat makes it the perfect venue for rejuvenating and healing from the stresses of modern life.

We serve organic vegetarian meals with no oil, no sugar or preservatives. Our guests’ diet is tailor-made for each by our dietician based on each one’s body constitution or Body Dosha (Vata/Pita/Khapa).

Tell us about the new initiatives you have taken in your property?

We have set-up a Naturopathy centre at Mercure Goa Devaaya Retreat that combines age-old therapies with modern treatment modalities with a goal of preventing and curing illness. The retreat has a dedicated team, that has been trained in holistic care and offers

treatments like acupuncture, hydrotherapy, mud therapy, colon hydrotherapy, spinal spray, hip bath, arm & foot bath, sauna bath, enema and a range of, therapeutic, Swedish, deep tissue and lymphatic drainage massages.

We have also constructed a large pavilion, with ventilation and natural light to practice healing yoga and calming meditation.

What do you enjoy most about being at the helm of affairs?

Being a General Manager of the hotel, I play a larger role in the organization to keep my staff and guests happy. My role becomes more of a mentor and needs to function as a coach who derives excellence from my team.

The connect with my team gives me a lot of joy and a happy customer makes me satisfied the most, as they are our loyalty ambassadors.

How do you de-stress?

I am calm, relaxed and a mentally strong personality by nature. I firmly believe that situations and surprises are part of life, both personally and professionally.

I don’t consider situations as hurdle, but take it as part of my learning and deal with it on merit. I swiftly work towards putting things into perspective to see how I can deal with it and find amicable solution. I also practice the relaxation techniques such as Pranayama.

What is your working Mantra, your guiding philosophy in work?

Hospitality industry is often has been described as a ‘people business’ and we can achieve excellence with training and empowerment. I am a firm believer of decentralising the decision making process with pre-approved boundary lines with strict adherence to processes and policies. I also encourage my staff to be decisive and take charge when they perceive any negative moment of truth.

WWW.IHEXPO.COM

61

INDIA EXPO CENTRE AND MART, GREATER NOIDA, DELHI NCR

8 5 0 + E X H I B I T O R S | 2 5 , 0 0 0 + V I S I T O R S | 3 8 , 0 0 0 + S Q M . S PAC E

We thank our exhibitors and visitors for the support extended in creating the Hospitality and F&B Show India had been waiting for.

India's Biggest Hospitality and F&B Show now all set to become Asia's Largest

Sept-Oct ’19

66

May-June ’19