Q&A
Peppermint Hospitality to launch seven hotels this year How are you planning to position
What will be the mode of
Services) to provide us with a
Peppermint Hotels in the market?
operation of the group? What are
quasi – marketing department. We
What are the quality standards
the segments of the market you
are focusing on direct sales, travel
you offer?
target?
agents and other relationship
Peppermint is a lifestyle brand,
We are into leasing and
based marketing efforts to start
more than just a hotel brand. We
managing of hotels. We prefer for
with.
appeal to the value-conscious
investors and owners to build
What is your opinion on the
design-driven customer. Quality to
hotels to our specifications, which
prospects of the hospitality
us is not luxury. It is simply giving
we then operate.
industry in India? How much more
people more than what they need,
Our model is simple – we
space is there for development of
exceeding their expectations
target anyone with USD100 to
the industry with the foreign
every time, and going that little
spend, be it a leisure traveller or a
arrival rates to boom in the
extra mile, while maintaining costs
business guest. Both of them
coming years?
and profitability. Be it from the way
need to feel equally comfortable
The market has limitless
we design our rooms, our custom
in our hotels, and hence they are
potential. There are hundreds of
mattresses, extensive 24-hour
designed in such a way to suit
unexplored locations around India
services or everything that the
both types.
that have either not been
hotel offers is done at a high
What are your expansion plans for
developed, or aren’t even linked to
standard than any of our price
the group? Where are your
multiple modes of transportation –
competitors.
upcoming properties located?
take Hampi or Bandhavgarh for
We are opening seven
example. So the moment multiple
hotels this year in Baroda,
channels of travel open up, this
Bengaluru, Kumarakom,
country will see an exponential
Jaipur and Jodhpur, with
rise in tourism.
Gurgaon having opened
How important is a Hotel in
already. We will see more
developing a destination? What
openings in state capitals
has your company’s views in this
over the next two years
regard?
What is your marketing
Peppermint Hospitality has plans to launch seven hotels this year and more hotels in state capitals over the next two years. Arjun Baljee, Managing Director, Peppermint Hospitality, spoke to Asian Traveller about the mode of operation and marketing strategy. Excerpts:
Hotels and resorts have the
strategy? Will you be
ability to create destinations. Take
tourists, the local economy has
participating in the
Kumarakom as an example –
improved, roads are built, small
international marketing
however beautiful it might be, until
businesses have developed and
events straightaway?
it had quality hotels and resorts
employment has been created for
and tourism amenities were in
the local community around the
ourselves with HVS
place, the destination didn’t thrive
hospitality community. This is
(Global Hospitality
and develop. With the incoming
beneficial to all.
We have aligned
Festive time at The Leela Kempinski Kovalam
I
n continuing with their tradition, The Leela Kempinski Kovalam has celebrated the traditional cake mixing on November 8, 2010 in their infinity pool deck. This is been done every year in the first week of November, where in, the resort invites a select number of distinguished guests. Everyone participated in stirring this splendid mix to ensure that this ceremony
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heralds the festive season of Christmas and capture the spirit of New Year. This year, hotel has mixed almost 200 kg of different varieties of dry fruits with brandy and dark rum. This mixture is going to be kept in cool place, without being disturbed. The Leela Kempinski Kovalam will have the first batch of x mas cakes ready by the December 21.
ASIAN TRAVELLER
NOVEMBER 2010