Express Hospitality September 16-30, 2013

VOL .8 NO.23 PAGES 112

MANAGEMENT Shaping God’s Own Country, the PPP way Innovate to sustain: Indian Restaurant Congress 2013 Edge The PACSys bridge 16-30 SEPTEMBER 2013, ` 40

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Protect, Preserve and Prosper

T

The mood of our country is definitely sombre, as crucial factors such as socio-economic disturbances invoke a feeling of uncertainty. From industrialists to economists, from the rational to the pessimists there is a sense of staidness in the air. From safety and security concerns (unfortunately increasingly so for women) to that of financial issues, there is a lot that needs to be put on track, which should be both concrete as well as in conscience.

These times are tough for any business or sector, with tourism being no exception. In fact, tourism is probably one of the only sectors that is highly sensitive to both manmade and natural upheavals. Apart from tackling external pressures, the sector also faces its own internal challenges across all segments, be it inbound, outbound or domestic.

The tourism industry needs to have the 4 T’s strongly in place to tide over troubled times - taxation issues, transportation on land and air, trained and skilled manpower and technology. The industry is making an attempt to address few of these issues and to build awareness, namely the role and relevance of social media to business, the growing link between technology and tourism and also the age old factors of taxation and infrastructure bottlenecks. But things

HEAD OFFICE Express Hospitality MUMBAI: Rajan Nair, Dattaram Kandalkar The Indian Express Ltd, 1st Floor, Express Towers, Nariman Point, Mumbai-400021. India Tel: 6744 0000 / 22022627 Fax: 022-22885831 E-mail: rajan.nair@fhwexpo.in; datta.kandalkar@fhwexpo.in Branch Offices : NEW DELHI: Pranshu Puri, The Indian Express Ltd, Express Building (Basement) 9 & 10, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi - 110 002 Tel : 011- 23465670 Fax : 011 - 23702141 E-mail: pranshu.puri@fhwexpo.in Our Associate: Dinesh Sharma Mobile: 09810264368 E-mail: 4pdesigno@gmail.com

6 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

CHENNAI: A K Shukla, The Indian Express Ltd, New No.37/C (Old No.16/C), 2nd Floor,Whites Road, Royapettah, Chennai - 600 014 Tel: Board: 28543031/28543032/ 28543033/28543034 Fax: 28543035 Mobile : 09849297724 E-mail: ashwinkumar.shukla@fhwexpo.in BENGALURU: Sreejith Radhakrishnan, The Indian Express Ltd, 502 Devatha Plaza, 5th Floor, 131 Residency Road Bengaluru - 560025 Ph 080-22231923/24 Fax: 22231925.

E-mail: sreejith.radhakrishnan@fhwexpo.in HYDERABAD: A K Shukla, The Indian Express Ltd, 6-3-885/7/B, Ground floor V.V. Mansion, Somaji Guda, Hyderabad - 500 082 Tel: 040-23418673/23418674/

“Acompany enhances its credibility further if it treads the path of responsible and sustainable tourism.

Responsible tourism is the need of the hour – it is not an option but an obligation”

23418675 (Tele-fax)/66631457 Fax: 040-23418678 E-mail: ashwinkumar.shukla@fhwexpo.in KOLKATA: Ajanta Sengupta, The Indian Express Ltd, National Highway 6 (NH 6), Mouza-Prasastha & Ankurhati, P.H. Domjur, Dist Howrah Kolkata - 711409 Mobile: 09831182580 Email: ajanta.sengupta@expressindia.com KOCHI: Sreejith Radhakrishnan, The Indian Express Ltd, Sankoorikal Building, 36/2248, Kaloor, Kadavanthara Road, Opp. Kaloor Private Bus Stand, Kaloor - 682 017 Tel: (0484) 2343152, 2343328 Fax: 2343153 E-mail: sreejith.radhakrishnan@fhwexpo.in

need to move faster with assured results. Keeping in view the dynamic and volatile socio-economic changes in the global space, survival depends heavily on innovation and the mantra seems rather clear — innovate or stagnate. Those who get it right now will be the ones who will survive in the future.

As we stand today, hospitality and tourism does not restrict itself only to its core and basic role. A company enhances its credibility further if it treads the path of responsible and sustainable tourism. Responsible tourism is the need of the hour — it is not an option but an obligation. Innovative and sustainable niche tourism ideas and products need to be made a reality. The 48th Annual FHRAI Convention rightly focuses on this vital element of tourism. Of course, lastly the best of plans may fail without real-time team work. Partnerships will help the sector grow stronger and faster and it is time the fashionable word PPP is put into active and authentic work across the country, especially in the tourism space.

Protect, Preserve and Prosper needs to be implemented wholeheartedly.

REEMA LOKESH Editor editorial.eh@expressindia.com

JAIPUR: The Indian Express Ltd, C-7, Dwarika Puri,Jamna Lal Bajaj Marg, C-Scheme,Jaipur - 302001 Tel: 0141-370002/371272 Telefax: 91-141-376606 BHOPAL: The Indian Express Ltd, 6,Vidya Vihar, Professors Colony, Bhopal - 462002, Madhya Pradesh Tel: 0755-2661988 AHMEDABAD: Sachin Shenoy, The Indian Express Ltd, 3rd Floor, Sambhav House, Nr.Judges Bunglow Bodakdev,Ahmedabad - 380 015.

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CONTENTS CHEF’S PLATTER Vol 8 No.23 SEPTEMBER 16-30, 2013 Chairman of the Board

Viveck Goenka Editor

Reema Lokesh* Assistant Editor

Steena Joy Associate Editor

28

Sudipta Dev CONTENTTEAM Mumbai

Kahini Chakraborty, Rituparna Chatterjee, Niharika Shukla

MAINTAINING AUTHENTICITY CHEF SHUBHENDU KADAM BELIEVES IN BRINGING AUTHENTICITY AND INNOVATION TO THE PALATE

HIGH SPIRITS

Kolkata

Joy Roy Choudhury DESIGN National Art Director

Bivash Barua DeputyArt Director

Surajit Patro Chief Designer

Pravin Temble Graphic Designer

Rushikesh Konka Layout

Ratilal Ladani,Kiran Parker Photo Editor

Sandeep Patil Advisory Board

SUSTAINABILITY THE GAME CHANGER Sustainabilitywill in manyways redefine how the hospitalitysector in India would need to operate in the not so distant future.It will be the game changer in manyways,irrespective of the size of the property,the categoryor location (36)

Anil Madhok,Rajeev Chopra, Santosh Shidhaye,Homi Aibara, Param Kannampilly,KVSimon, Jiggs Kalra,Jose Dominic,Raju Shahani,N S Bhuie,Nirmal Khandelwal,Muralidharan Menon, Narendra Verma,Prakash Mankar, M Narayanan

P35: NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

MARKETING Deputy General Manager

Interview: Dr Rajashree Ajith, director, KITTS

P64: LIFE

P66: MOVEMENTS

Marketing Coordination

Absolute Hotel Services India

08

BIRLA KERALA VAIDYASHALA TO EXPAND FOOTPRINT IN WEST & SOUTH INDIA

09

CHAKAN PUNE GETS ITS FIRST INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY

Darshana Chauhan Rohan Thakkar

Rational

Mohan Varadakar General Manager

B R Tipnis Manager

TECH TALK

P106: PRODUCT TRACKER

CIRCULATION

PRODUCTION

DEFINITIVELY AUSTRALIAN AUSTRALIAN WINE IS STILL A NOVELTY FOR MOST INDIAN CONSUMERS THOUGH THE MARKET HAS GROWN OVER THE YEARS

Trident, Hyderabad

Dattaram Kandalkar,Rajan Nair

Sr .Executive - Scheduling & Coordination

30

MARKETS

Sachin Shenoy Marketing Team

Cover

P107: WEEKEND Scene and heard by Marcellus Baptista

12

ANDAMAN’S SINGHOTEL HOSPITALITY FOCUSES ON INDIAN TOURISTS

62

SUSTAINABLED LIGHT A NEW DESK LAMP BUILT FROM RECYCLED WASTE DOES MORE THAN LIGHT UP A ROOM

Bhadresh Valia Express Hospitality Reg.No.MH/MR/SOUTH-44/2013-15, RNI Regn. No.MAHENG/2005/21391. Published by Vaidehi Thakar on behalf of the Proprietor The Indian Express Limited from Express Towers, 2nd floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021 and Printed by her at the Indian Express Press, at Plot No.EL-208, TTC Industrial Area, Mahape, Navi Mumbai 400 710 (Editorial & Administrative : The Indian Express Ltd, 1st floor, Express Towers, Nariman Point, Mumbai-400021).

Editor: Reema Lokesh*(* Responsible for selection of matter under PRB Act) Copyright @ 2011 The Indian Express Ltd. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in any manner, electronic or otherwise, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is prohibited.

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Hotel brokerage: Looking beyond Indian shores Cross border transactions to bring more dynamism in the market Sudipta Dev Mumbai INDIA'S LEADING homegrown brand in hotel brokerage, Ace Hotel Brokers (AHB) has been bringing sellers and buyers of hotels, motels and resorts onto one platform. The company has a pan-India interest in India, while in the US it has been particularly focused on deals in Florida. “Florida is a good market because of Universal Studios where the tourist inflow is very

Santhana Raman

high,” said Santhana Raman, CEO, Ace Hotel Brokers. The company is now looking at Manhattan, New York.

Remarking that almost 25 per cent of hotels in the US belong to the Gujarati and Punjabi communities, Raman stated, “We have a sound knowledge of the American hotel industry and how it operates. We are now trying to bring many non-branded hotel companies to India. As the USD is now very strong they are trying to enter emerging countries, including India.”

AHB is also advising Indian hotel companies to go overseas.

“We are educating non-hoteliers to become hoteliers, and bringing new investors to the hotel industry. In terms of developing portfolio, many successful Indian people have invested through us in the US,” stated Raman, adding that in India AHB has been aggressively trying to bring two-three star hotels into

the branded segment.

Apart from hotel projects, the focus segments also include travel, spa, cruise and restaurants. The services include buying and selling advisory, feasibility study, branding, brand

upgradation, financial closure, cross border transaction, etc.

Starting with the transaction for land for The Leela in Chennai followed by Taj Gateway in Chennai, AHB has done many deals in Hyderabad and Kochi

also. “We are a pan India company working on big ticket deals.

The grievance of the industry is that land prices have gone up because of which new buyers are unable to make profit,” mentioned Raman.

Birla Kerala Vaidyashala to expand footprint in West and South India Steena Joy – Mumbai BIRLA KERALA Vaidyashala (BKV) integrated retail chain of Kerala Ayurvedic wellness and treatment centres plans to expand its footprint in the West and South India.

Speaking to Express Hospitality, Paul Thomas, business head (BKV) revealed, “Our vision is to bring age-old benefits of Ayurveda to the common person as the main stream mode of treatment. And promote preventive cure in the form of wellness and revitalisation therapeutic services. Currently, BKV's business model is focused on expanding majorly in the Western and Southern region of India. We intend to expand in the West with multiple centres in Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad,

8 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

Surat and Vadordara and in the south at Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru and in Kerala at Calicut, Thiruvanathapuram and Ernakulam.”

Thomas added, “We intend to start 20 new centres in the current fiscal year at the above-mentioned locations.”

BKV excels in providing authentic Kerala Ayurvedic wellness therapies and curative treatments at its Ayurvedic day care and stay care Medispas across the country.

Currently BKV operates 23 centres pan India, of which are 10 day care ayurvedic medi-spas in Mumbai, three in Bengaluru, one in Pune, Puducherry and Chennai each and the rest in Kerala. There are two stay care ayurvedic medi-spas which are located at Wada (ISKCON) and Nasik for inpatient facilities.

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Refuel introduces range of healthy,bacteria free food in India Niharika Sukhla New Delhi REFUEL HAS introduced a range of healthy food which is nutritious and bacteria free, with an aim to target people between the age group of 20-40 years who are health conscious and aware of nutritious food. The company launched its first outlet in Delhi at Select City Walk, Saket. Refuel offers four categories each in food and drinks. The vegetables used in the salads and other food products are slightly cooked be-

All beverages & snacks by Refuel have gone through testing by culinary experts fore serving to make it free of any kind of germs. The product range includes smoothies, shakes, juices, salads, wraps, sandwiches and desserts.

Talking about the company's expansion plans, Vikram Khosla, managing director, Refuel said, “ The company plans to open 100 outlets in India within three years. All beverages and snacks provided by Refuel have gone through testing by culinary experts and nutritionists. The philosophy behind this idea has been simple i.e. to provide healthy food to people in their busy lifestyle. India lacks the segment of healthy fast food. We plan to open up outlets in Dubai and UK after India.� The company has opened another outlet in Delhi airport and plans to open up more outlets in Mumbai airport, Jaypee Hospital(Noida), DLF Promenade, Sector 29(Gurgaon), Momentz mall, PVR Cinema, Mall of India and Spark, Kamla Nagar.

9 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

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Chakan,Pune gets its first intl property Sudipta Dev Mumbai RECENTLY OPENED in the automobile and industrial hub of Chakan, Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan is the fourth hotel of Marriott International in Pune, the 19th in the country and the 10th Courtyard property in India. “The 175 room hotel complements all our other Courtyards by maintaining the brand standards. We have a strong pipeline of Courtyards in the future,” said Rajeev Menon, area vice president – South Asia & Australia, Marriott International.

With three more Marriott

10 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

hotels opening in the next one and a half months across the country, the hospitality major currently has 45 hotels under construction in India. There will be 50 operational hotels by 2017.

“We are doing 12 to 15 deals a year which is a healthy base. All our hotels are very successful in this market and the country. We have seen India as a decades long success story. Success of the Marriott brands would not have been possible without the support of local community and customers. All our hotels in Pune have shown exemplary growth,” mentioned Menon. The company has added a thousand rooms in Pune in the last four

years. Chakan is home to 700 industries and the property is well positioned for the business trav-

eller saving them the long commute to Pune. Ritu Chawla, general manager, Courtyard by

Marriott Pune Chakan stated, “This is a milestone property of Courtyard in India. In a business district like this we are bringing in the best international dining options along with Kolhapur type Maharashtrian cuisine.”

In keeping with the concept of the auto culture of Chakan, the banqueting places have been named after some of the most iconic names from global auto history - Rivaz and Lenoir. There is also a place for showcasing car launch. Taking into position the unique location of the property , it is also being showcased as a perfect weekend getaway for families and an off-site location for corporate retreats.

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Companion Travel Free offer on Buddhist Circuit Special Train ETW Staff – New Delhi INDIAN RAILWAY Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC ) has come up with an exclusive offer for Indian nationals to experience the rich culture and spiritual heritage of India and travel in the footsteps of Lord Buddha. IRCTC has introduced a Companion Travel Free offer for Indian nationals travelling on the national tourism award winning – Mahaparinirvan Express – Buddhist Circuit Special Train for trip commencing on October 5,

This offer will help experience the rich culture and travel in the footsteps of Lord Buddha 2013.

The all inclusive price for two people would now be `70, 000 for AC First Class and ` 57,000 for AC 2 Tier Class.

This comprehensive tour package of 7 Nights/8 Days begins and ends at Delhi Safdarjung railway station. The package includes journey by an exclusive tourist train, hotel accommodation, road transportation in AC Deluxe buses, all meals, sightseeing, entrance fee, tour guide service, travel insurance, onboard security, etc.

The journey covers Bodhgaya, Nalanda, Rajgir, Sarnath, Varanasi, Kushinagar, Lumbini (Nepal) Sravasti and Agra. Tourist and pilgrims from over 30 countries have travelled on this train in the last six years and have enjoyed the hospitality offered by IRCTC. This train is mainly targeted at Buddhist pilgrims visiting India.

11 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

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Andaman's SingHotel Hospitality focuses on Indian and Chinese tourists Sudipta Dev Mumbai THE LEADING hospitality group in Andamans, SingHotel Hospitality has five existing properties in the destination.

The company has identified three new islands in Andaman where it plans to add 600 rooms in the next five years.

“As our brand is looking to cater to Indian travellers, we are focusing on leisure destinations where Indians are travelling the most. Europe is one of the places where we will be seen venturing into by next year. Our current projects are in Havelock Island, Neil Island and Port Blair,” said Tanveer Singh, director sales and marketing, SingHotel Hospitality.

As a brand, the company is focused on the leisure segment.

Pointing out that with the changing market dynamics and recession in the West, the inflow of foreign tourists has de-

clined, Singh added that the company is now focused on targeting Indian and Chinese tourists. “Our brand caters to the Indian customers' needs.

SingHotel as a brand plans to provide luxury, which is easy on the pocket of the Indian traveller. Three-star and four-star category hotels and resorts best serve the purpose of the discerning Indian traveller, who wants all facilities and amenities, and yet value for money,” he mentioned.

The company also has plans to expand in mainland India.

“We are looking at metro cities, and our first project will be inaugurated by this October in New Delhi,” informed Singh.

Pointing out that Andamans is the Caribbean of the East, Singh remarked that the market potential is vast and tourism by the year is growing at the rate of 20 per cent. “We are the largest hospitality provider in the islands and look

Tanveer Singh

forward to going very strong on consolidation. Andamans International Airport will be inaugurated soon, so all eyes are set on that, as the islands will become very accessible globally,” he stated.

The company is planning

to take up green initiatives and setting up organisations to promote sustainable tourism. “Andamans is very pristine and virginal, we want to encourage tourists to cherish it and not disturb the same,” he said.

Hafele India plans to open 250 stores by2020 Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai HAFELE INDIA recently launched its design centre in Bhandup, Mumbai where it showcased a premium range of kitchen and furniture fittings, architectural hardware and bathroom collection of high-end brands like Asko, Bertazzoni, Falmec, Liebherr, Webert, Vauth Sagel and Blum targeted at luxury hotels, restaurants and apartments. During the launch, Hafele India also introduced a limited range of bathroom fittings for the first time in India which focused mainly on shower systems, sinks and

12 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

taps.

Hafele India, which has its design centre in Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad along with 54 franchisee stores all over India, is planning to expand this base further by opening 250 stores by 2020 through its franchisee store concept.

Speaking on its future expansion plans, Jurgen Wolf, managing director, Hafele India stated, “We are now planning to expand our current store base and our target is to open 250 stores by 2020. This is our core value retail strategy where we give our customers access to our products through our franchisee shops.”

Jurgen Wolf

Our core value retail strategy is to give our customers access to our products through our franchisees

The stores will come up in malls and high-street spaces with 40 to 50 per cent investment coming in from franchisees and remaining being

invested by the company. The stores will be targeting the premium residential class.

Given the volatile economic scenario of India, Hafele India

is currently holding back its expansion plans and is observing the market scenario before widening its store base further.

When asked about the future plans of opening another design centre in Mumbai or elsewhere, Wolf revealed “We have made a huge investment in this centre which is over `five crore. If it does not give us the footfall we are looking for, then we will go into the town and do something smaller, say 3000 or 4000 sq ft. The problem is always if the store is smaller you can't show, if you can't show you don't sell. So the experience in the store diminishes.”

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Burgs aims to open 30 stores in three years Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai MUMBAI-BASED burger restaurant, Burgs has aggressive expansion plans pan India.

Presently the company has five outlets in total, four in Mumbai and one in Pune. It is now looking at expanding to cities like New Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, taking the count to 200 stores in a period of 10 years and 25-30 stores in the next three years as part of its short term expansion plans.

Talking on the company's investment plans for the expansion, Subroto Mukherjee,

CEO, Burgs stated, “The initial growth of the company has all been funded by the promoters and directors and further growth will also be through the same route of internal accruals. However to fuel exponential growth we may consider private equity or other forms of funding with the right partners. At the moment we are not considering franchising but may look at that option after hitting a critical mass.”

The quick service restaurant (QSR)segment in tier II and tier III cities has witnessed rapid growth com-

It is the tier II and III segments that will give exponential growth pared to metros. Elaborating on this, Mukherjee opined, “Beyond a point it is the tier II and III segments that will give explosive and exponential growth. The earning verses

Subroto Mukherjee

expenditure ratio is much higher in these cities than in the metros and the disposable income along with the evolution of the consumer is fueling this growth.” The company is

not looking at tapping the smaller cities as of now.

On the future trend of the QSR market in India, Mukherjee said, “Home grown brands with knowledge of the Indian sub continent and the consumer is going to play the most important role in deciding the forward path for all players. We will also see more and more home grown brands growing along with healthy and necessary competition coming in from international players and this will open up the market even more and the customer will have varied choices.”

13 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

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'Cuisine Cultures of Western India' launched at HRAWI regional convention EH Staff Pune THE 17TH REGIONAL convention of the Hotel & Restaurant Association Western India (HRAWI) that was held in Pune recently witnessed an impressive gathering of hospitality industry delegates from Western India. One of the highlights of the convention was the launch of the book 'Cuisine Cultures of Western India' by Chhagan Bhujbal, minister for tourism, Maharashtra. The book brought out by Express Hospitality on the special occasion, and as the name suggests, focuses on the culinary highlights of all the five western India states – Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Goa and Chhattisgarh, and Union Territories of Daman, Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

Speaking on the occasion,

Bhujbal focused on many significant issues that have an impact on the hospitality industry. The theme chosen for this year’s regional convention being 'Tourism : Awakening the Sleeping Giant', Dinesh Advani, president, HRAWI said, "In a vast country like ours, with its multidimensional tourist attractions, substantial efforts must be made by the central and state governments to further attract tourists to India and showcase the canvas of our diversity.

Given the potential of the tourism industry in generating employment and earning valuable foreign exchange for the country, its importance cannot be undermined.” He mentioned that HRAWI has presented to the government of Maharashtra the need to implement tourism zones in the city of Mumbai (four zones have been ear-

marked), which will increase the number of tourists without compromising on the law and

order situation. “We are hopeful that once this is implemented as a pilot project in Mumbai, we

can replicate this in other cities of Western India,” stated Advani.

Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre to launch online tool for event planners Kahini Chakraborty Mumbai SUNTEC SINGAPORE Convention & Exhibition Centre will be launching an interactive online tool for event planners in the fourth quarter of 2013. The tool will enable organisers and planners to visualise their event, configure their floor plans and select their F&B options and other amenities using the new online customer portal. Talking exclusively to Express Hospitality, Arun Madhok, CEO, Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre said, “With event organisers’ evolving requirements moving towards a CONFEX (conference + exhibition) model instead of the traditional model of host-

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ing exhibitions and conferences separately, we realised that it was imperative to provide more flexible and customisable space to our clients. Our clients and their dedicated Suntec experience manager are able to access the same set up plans and documents to work from. Changes and requests are made directly in the system and confirmations are updated in real time. This means that by the time clients arrive on site, everything will be set up according to their specifications. This is particularly useful for clients who are based overseas and provides a realtime platform of communication and planning with Suntec Singapore.”

Understanding that the

Arun Madhok

MICE industry in Asia operates under a business climate that is constantly demanding flexibility in space packaged with the latest technology, the centre's new building has been refurbished.

“With over 42,000 sq mtrs of flexible customisable space, Sun-

tec Singapore facility can cater to events from 10 to 20,000 persons, making it a world-class venue located at the heart of Asia's most integrated meetings, conventions and exhibitions hub,” he highlighted.

With an aim to continue promoting Singapore as a dynamic business event destination, Singapore Tourism Board and Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre have always worked closely together with local travel partners and key MICE and event company operators in India. “Through joint regional and international marketing initiatives with our joint marketing alliances which include internationally renowned hotels, we will continue to posi-

tion Singapore as an ideal MICE venue with much to offer organisers and delegates alike,” he added.

As per latest statistics from Singapore Tourism Board, Singapore still remains one of the key destinations for India and travellers from India are ranked among the top five of their worldwide visitors.

“Hence, we see the potential in the Indian market to grow in the long term. Past experiences from events of Indian organisers have showcased an enthusiastic mass congregation of MICE travellers to Singapore proving that our venue is ideal as we provide a high level of flexibility and functionality,” Madhok pointed out.

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LuLu Thrissur introduces new menu called 'Kerala Fusion Funda'

EH Staff Mumbai LULU INTERNATIONAL Convention Center and Garden Hotels, Thrissur, Kerala is adding to its menu the 'Kerala Fusion Funda' at its LuLu Clay Oven Restaurant.

The new menu features traditional Kerala cuisine fused with north Indian, Chinese, Western and Italian cuisines to form completely new dishes.

LuLu Clay Oven Restaurant offers Avial Pasta, fusing together the traditional avial of Kerala with the Italian Pasta. The Chicken Rasam, is a typical rasam of south India, with a touch of Thai style chicken preparation. The Beef Butter Masala is the typical butter masala for chicken, which is blended with beef and prepared in the same style. Tapioca Biriyani with Chinese chicken, Red Angel (tomato based soup

with freshly squeezed coconut milk and Kerala tempering), Mutton masala Fuyong, Rawa Brownie with vanilla ice-cream are some of the dishes in this section. For fusion dessert there is the Vattelappam Custard with Figs and Honey Sauce which blends the nadan Vattelappam with the English custard enhanced with fig and honey sauce. The new menu also offers a low-calorie fitness diet section featuring everything essential for a balanced diet with lots of greens and proteins, along with suitable non-vegetarian cuisines. Lulu does not use MSG or nonpermitted colours in food.

The roots of fusion cuisine are ancient since culinary heritage has being exchanged for centuries. But the concept became popular in the 1970s when several French chefs began to combine traditional French food with Asian cuisine, especially food from Vietnam and China. The concept quickly spread to other major European cities, along with the American coasts.

Some of the most well known examples combine European and Asian foods. These cultures have wildly divergent culinary traditions, combining the centuries of cooking tradition of both continents to create astonishing dishes.

The global outlook of the high-end customers, their exposure to other cuisines has been a major factor in popularising these experimental dishes. The desire to taste new dishes and at the same time the nostalgia of the homemade food has been blended to create this menu.

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Tourism gets an infrastructure boost in Dadra & Nagar Haveli

Carlson Rezidor to launch Radisson Blu brand in Guwahati Joy Roy Choudhury – Kolkata

Sudipta Dev Mumbai LOCATED 180 KM from Mumbai on NH8, the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli is going through an active phase of developing its tourism infrastructure.

“In Dadra and Nagar Haveli we are creating a river front on the Daman Ganga.

Five acres of land have been allotted for a new state museum. We are developing a lake front in Dudhni. The lion safari is also being improved with three more lions being brought from Junagadh,” said GS Meena, special secretary tourism and collector, Dadra and Nagar Haveli. While Meena is in charge of Dadra and

16 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

Nagar Haveli, he is also on the committee for Daman and Diu. He added that infrastructure development is taking place very fast, with widening of roads and beautification of the cities. “Electricity, water supply and sewerage, everything is on the improvement track,” mentioned Meena. A marketing plan will be launched soon to highlight the many attractions of the destination.

He is hopeful that after the launch of the marketing plan both the industry and common public will know more about the area, this will also go a long way in attracting hospitality investors.

Meena pointed out that many hotels are coming up in Dadra and Nagar Haveli. “This year 150

rooms have been added. In Daman and Diu also many hotels are coming up. In Diu a golf course is on the anvil,” he mentioned.

Though not yet on the tourism radar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli is known for its many destinations of natural beauty, including the lion safari, deer park and natural beauties of Sahayadri Hills. According to Meena, there are no law and order issues. “There is a good environment for development of hotels since there is no entertainment tax or luxury tax,” he stated.

While heritage structures are being restored in Daman, the 15th and 16th century churches are also getting a facelift in Diu. Daman is also getting an oceanarium and a museum.

CARLSON REZIDOR Hotel Group, the international hospitality group would soon launch its Radisson Blu brand in Guwahati, thus expanding its footprints in the North-East region of India. Commenting on the development, Raj Rana, CEO, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group South Asia stated, “The soon-to-be-open Radisson Blu Guwahati, is our first hotel in the far eastern part of India. This beautiful hotel located in the heart of Guwahati includes 196 well-appointed rooms, four restaurants, including a bar, all day dining and a Thai specialty restaurant, as well as flexible and extensive banquet spaces of almost 11,000 sq. ft.”

Further elaborating on the growth plans, Rana said, “We are in pace to open over a dozen hotels this year to further strengthen our solid footing and maintain our position as the number one international hotel operator in the country by number of hotels, with 63 hotels in operation and another 32 under development across our five brands in India. By 2020, we hope to more than double our presence in India. Our growth is fueled by our strong, long standing relationships with developers based on our strong track record of delivering results and creating value for hotel owners.”

Speaking on the hospitality market of Gawahati, Rana stated, “Guwahati is an emerging market in the eastern part of India with great transport connectivity links from all parts of India. It is also a significant business and tourism hub.

Guwahati is one of the fastest developing cities in India and is often referred to as the gateway of North Eastern region of India.” The hospitality chain has leading hospitality brands like Radisson Blu, Park Plaza, Country Inns & Suites by Carlson, and Park Inn by Radisson in India, which cater from mid-scale to premium segments.

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Thomson Trading achieves 25 yrs of excellence EH Staff – Mumbai THOMSON TRADING Agencies has completed more than 25 years in the hospitality sector and has succeeded in serving as a one stop shop for the hospitality industry having branches in Trivandrum and Kottayam.

Since its inception in 1986, Thomson Trading Agencies has grown into one of the leading distributors and suppliers of food items all over Kerala. The company is also known for providing effective and prompt service in supporting hospitality, wholesale and retail industry.

Thomson Trading Agencies has a wide range of products from reputed companies The company has a wide range of products from well known companies to meet the needs of hospitality industry like Druk, Morton, Maharaja, Tasty, Mapro, Bambino, Elite, FunFoods, Kellogg’s, Bagrry’s brand breakfast cereals, Kannan Devan Tea and Tetley Tea Bag, Tata Kappy, Mr. Bean coffee, Everest Masalas, Callebaut chocolate slab, Baker’s, Fruitoman’s, Bush International corn flour, Custard powder, Leecheen, Golden Star, Kim’s long and short noodles, M B sugar cubes & sachets, Ajanta Dairy, Western Farm Fresh and Venkys Chicken to name a few. The firm serves all major retail chains like Lulu Hyper Market, Future Value Retail, Reliance Fresh, Spencers, Nilgiris, Pothys Super Stores, Subsidiary Central Police Canteens, Supplyco, Margin Free Markets, Indian Naval Canteen Stores and all other major wholesale and retail outlets and bakeries.

17 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

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Peerless General Finance infuses around `40 crore in its hospitality arm EH Staff Kolkata KOLKATA BASED The Peerless General Finance & Investment Company (PGFI), has invested an additional equity capital of nearly `40 crore in Peerless Hotels Limited (PHL), its hospitality arm to fund its expansion plans. S K Roy, managing director, PGFI said, “PGFI has invested additional equity capital of `39.97 crore, with the prior approval of regulatory authority to enable PHL to finance new projects.”

The construction of Peerless Tower with 47 rooms adjacent to The Peerless Inn, Kolkata has already started and is expected to be completed in the current year.

The 121-keys Peerless Inn, will also undergo renovation by the end of this fiscal year to match the new rooms of Peerless Tower.

The company's resort in Andaman is also undergoing renovation of its 16 rooms and four cottages, which were affected during tsunami

The construction of Peerless Tower with 47 rooms adjacent to The Peerless Inn, Kolkata has already started and is expected to be completed in the current year. The 121-keys Peerless Inn, will also undergo renovation by the end of this year and had to be structurally rehabilitated. These rooms and cottages would add to the current inventory of 30 keys running.

To widen its presence,

PHL has planned a new hotel at Puri for which land has already been acquired and is also scouting for suitable land parcels at some of the major cities for building new

hotels. Plans are also under way for opening branches of Aaheli, PHL's signature authentic Bengali cuisine restaurant in Kolkata and other metros of the

country.

The PHL sources indicated that business in Andaman has picked up a lot with increased air-connectivity with different metros and cities of the country. Furthermore, Corbyn's Cove, the only sea-beach resort, which is just opposite to their property has been developed by the local government as a tourist spot and water sports have been introduced that is attracting more inbound tourists into the region.

Winterhalter launches newPTSeries dishwashers EH Staff Mumbai WINTERHALTER has launched PT Series, a new generation of dishwashers, for the first time in India on August 30, 2013 in New Delhi.

Winterhalter, which is a commercial dishwashing designing and manufacturing company, first introduced this series in Europe before launching it in India, which is the only market in Asia to introduce the series. Speaking

18 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

about the PT Series, Sanjeevak Marwaha, managing director, Winterhalter said, “As compared to the GS-500 version, the PT Series version is far more superior in its functioning and performance, satisfying the immediate needs of our customers and people in the hospitality industry.”

This new series function at high speed because of their washing pressure adjustment, automatic temperature adjustment and clouding sensor which gives the dishes a complete hy-

gienic wash. The dishwashers are also economical as they comprise waste water heat exchanger and energy light which saves valuable energy and reduces operating costs. The series is easy to use and controls many functions automatically which makes it comfortable for daily use. Ergonomics and cryptoclimates have been given focus along with focus on operations of the series. The dishwashers provide the option of choosing from varied software features for glasses, bistro,

cutlery and pizza dishes.

The PT series are available in five different models - P-50, PT-500, PT-M, PT-L and PTXL. PT-500 which is the basic Winterhalter pass-through, provides an option to select one of three different options with the help of LCD control panel. Its main features include elliptical wash fields, integrated softener, active energy management system and quadruple filtration system.

Some of the common features of PT-M, PT-L and PT-XL in-

clude machine descaling programme, ECO special programme, special silent programme, active energy management, guided self cleaning programme, PINprotected chef level, hygiene tank heater and integrated rinse aid dosing device. The presence of magnetically driven rinse system in PT-L and PT-XL helps decrease rinse water usage, cuts chemical and energy consumption and effectively reduces operating costs.

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WICAto organise Chef’s Connect 2013 EH Staff Mumbai THE WESTERN INDIA Culinary Association (WICA) will host its third culinary conference 'Chef ’s Connect 2013' on September 28, 2013 at Holiday Inn Mumbai Airport. Talking about the conference, Chef Salil Fadnis, secretary, WICA said, “This year the theme of Chefs Connect 2013 is 'Green' with noted environmentalist, Sunita Narain, director of Centre for Science & Environment who is one of the main speakers. Master chef Imtiaz Qureshi and MS Gill, president, Indian Feder-

Chef’s Connect 2013 will include knowledge sharing sessions, product demonstrations, WICA Annual Awards and panel discussions

ation of Culinary Association and corporate chef, ITC Hotels will also be addressing the conference. Other speakers will include Anjan Chaterjee, MD, Speciality Restaurants and Dr Satish Pai.” Chef’s Connect 2013 will include knowledge sharing sessions, product demonstrations and WICA Annual Awards. The gathering will also witness a line-up of presentations, panel discussions and demos put together for a wider audience. Leading industry experts will be there to share their knowledge, experience, and latest industry trends and developments. Corporate chefs, executive chefs, senior chefs, jun-

ior chefs, and chefs from various other establishments, educators, principals from reputed educational institutions and faculty members will be attending the conference. The conference will also have a separate agenda for students of culinary institutes.

Last year WICA successfully organized Chefs Connect 2012 which was attended by almost 250 chefs, culinary students, and others from the food industry. The meeting was addressed by filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar, restaurant entrepreneur and ex VP, Taj Hotels; Camelia Panjabi, food safety expert; Dr V Pasupathy and Ralph Freyner, VP - Asia Pacific, Marriott Hotels.

Laucala Island Resort gets a submarine for its guests EH Staff – Mumbai DIETRICH MATESCHITZ, co-founder of the energy drink company Red Bull, has purchased DeepFlight Super Falcon submersible for Laucala Island, the private island resort located in the Fijian Pacific archipelago.

The two–person winged submersible craft will be delivered to Laucala Island Resort in September 2013, available for guest use starting November 1, 2013. For an additional activity fee of US$ 1,700 per two hour voyage, hotel guests can discover the pristine waters of the South Pacific Ocean without getting wet.

DeepFlight Super Falcon, Hawkes Ocean Technologies’ production manned submersible, will provide an unforgettable and safe underwater adventure for guests.

Designed for comfort and 360 degree viewing from acrylic domes, guests can sit back and relax while observing magnificent coral reef, abundant fish, and sharks, amongst other marine life.

"Laucala Island provides the most exclusive and authentic ex-

20

EXPRESS HOSPITALITY

September 16-30, 2013

Set upon a private island of 3,200 exclusive acres in the Fijian Pacific archipelago, Laucala Island brings a new meaning to the term ‘all-inclusive resort’ perience available, and this submersible will provide guests with an unparalleled experience which will remain with them long after they check out. The waters of Laucala Island, Fiji are the most gorgeous in the world and we are happy that our guests will have the opportunity

to experience it in a different way," said David Stepetic, GM, Laucala Island.

Once owned by the Forbes family as a private island escape, Laucala Island was purchased in 2002 by Mateschitz and launched in 2011 as the southern hemisphere’s largest private is-

land resort. The resort is 85 percent self-sustainable and prides itself on an integral philosophy, incorporating elements of the entire island into each guest’s experience, from island - made spa products to cuisine derived from indigenous plants, fruit and aquatic life. Laucala aims to be-

come the best South Pacific resort within the next year, with the goal of being known as one of the three best luxury resorts in the world by 2015.

Hawkes Ocean Technologies is an innovation engine for the future of manned and unmanned underwater vehicles. In addition to offering advanced personal submersibles for private ownership, the company also provides design, engineering and prototyping services for a wide range of underwater technologies. Hawkes Ocean Technologies is based in the San Francisco Bay area.

Set upon a private island of 3,200 exclusive acres in the Fijian Pacific archipelago, Laucala Island brings a new meaning to the term “all-inclusive resort.” A luxury private island resort, Laucala is set amidst coconut plantations, sandy beaches, turquoise lagoons, rich green mountains and breathtaking natural beauty. The resort has 25 villas and has activities ranging from pro golfing to beachside horseback riding to watersports and more. The resort prides itself on an integral philosophy, incorporating elements of the entire island into each guest’s experience.

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Home-Like Hotels adds 500 serviced apartments at H2O Residency,Greater Noida EH Staff – New Delhi TO FURTHER ADD to the destination attractiveness of Greater Noida, Home-Like Hotels is adding the 500-key H2O Residency to its portfolio. Created by Imperia Structures, H2O Residency offers serviced apartments that are specially designed to cater to the needs of MICE, corporate and leisure travellers.

Home-Like H2O Residency is a complete first-of-its-kind in NCR homestay option. “H2O Residency is part of a multi-dimensional 20-acre complex with breathtaking surroundings. The complex includes a

world-class IT Park that is coming up shortly. And with a state-of-art health-club, swimming pool, retail mall, multiple fine-dining and recreational options, the complex will soon be a complete home-to- office hub where you can live-work-play 24x7,” said Brajinder Singh Batra, director, Imperia Structures.

“Apart from conference, event and exhibition clients/delegates of Home-Like H20 Residency will also be of use for inbound tour operators for their transit tourists travelling towards Agra or coming for the F1 races. Situated between two world heritage cities, H20 Residency units will be more accessible and afford-

Compared to the hustle and bustle of a hotel, H20 Residency will provide a more personalised housekeeping service, buffet lunches/dinners and an in-house cafeteria

The Leela Palace NewDelhi introduces exclusive floor for single ladytravellers EH Staff New Delhi THE LEELA PALACE New Delhi has transformed one of its guest floors into an exclusive one for single lady travellers. Kamal florr offers exceptional features and amenities created to provide seamless safety, maximum comfort and privacy.

To ensure the highest level of security, Kamal is equipped with CCTVs and has a restricted elevator access. The experience begins at the touch down where the guest is received by a hotel representative at the airport.

There is courtesy arrival and departure transfers in a BMW sedan that offers an option of enroute private dining food order

22 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

able compared to rooms in Delhi,” stated Amrik Singh Khokhar, MD, Home-Like Hotels.

Compared to the hustle and bustle of a hotel, H20 Residency will provide a more personalised housekeeping service, buffet lunches/dinners and an in-house cafeteria. A business traveller can check-in for

service. All rooms ensure the grandeur of a palace combined with views of the city. The guests enjoy a choice of lifestyle magazines and newspapers, yoga mat, gourmet corner and fullyequipped executive table. The expansive bathrooms have highend female essentials, hair-dryers, mood lighting, hands-free telephones and mirror televisions. It has dedicated female personnel.

Kamal will also allow private access to the spa leading to the relaxation room with space for a personal yoga session. In order to help guests unwind after a long day, it offers complimentary hour long spa treatment with a choice of a facial, massage and 30 minute reflexology by

highly-trained therapists.

Commenting on the launch, Kunal Chauhan, resident manager, The Leela Palace New Delhi said, “Reiterating our commitment towards our valued female guests, we are proud to introduce Kamal, designed exclusively for them. Packaged with unmatchable services, unique features and personalised attention, I am confident that Kamal will become the preferred choice for every single traveller.”

The residential experience continues seamlessly with priority on table reservations at the palace restaurants, appointments at the Spa, unpacking and packing services by the butler and more.

two to three nights or may stay several weeks or even months.

The per-night rates generally drop for a longer stay. Guests can also avail on-demand pickup-n-drop services from major business areas in NCR. Lawn facilities for large parties or board rooms for smaller meeting can also be made available in the complex.

“Our H20 Residency units are built for the most sophisticated business traveller of today.

We offer world class service at a reasonable price, and our guests will know that they are getting their value for money. H20 Residency will start operations from October 2013 onwards,” added Khokhar.

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Jukaso Group ventures into vacation ownership EH Staff – New Delhi JUKASO GROUP has announced its venture into vacation ownership (time share) business. With a vision to become a dominant player in the domestic market by 2017, the group is working on acquiring vacation properties in destinations like London, Dubai, Goa, Mussoorie, Nainital and in south India.

Speaking about the new business, Rajiv Khanna, chairman, Jukaso Group said, “There are currently only three lakh time share members in India whereas the potential consumer base is over 100 million. With quite an extensive base of rooms to start with, we feel we have an edge in the market. We are also the only ones to offer properties in Europe to begin with for time share.” With an investment of ` 400 crore in the next three years for hotel development, the group plans to double the inventory of hotel rooms for its time share members.

“At Jukaso, we aim to deliver the best experiences to our guests. Not only will we provide value for money services but also will add innovative features which have never been experienced in the concept of vacation ownership,” said Rominder Khanna, COO, Jukaso Resorts.

Jukaso Group is confident of designing the best vacation product for Indian consumers which will be launched in the third quarter of FY 13- 14. The core team has started work on the product design, hiring and setting up of best processes.

Already 80 personnel from the current market leader have joined Jukaso for its new venture. Started seven decades back in 1942, Jukaso group is known for the service and professional management in the industry particularly in North India. The group runs hotels, palaces and resorts in Delhi, Gurgaon, Pune, Vishakapatnam, Varanasi, Dharamshala, Corbett, Mahabaleshwar and Switzerland .

23 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

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UP to get second IHM in Jagdishpur EH Staff – New Delhi THE UNION CABINET recently approved the proposal for setting up the Central Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition (Jagdishpur) Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 with a funding of ` 47.86 crore.

This will be a non-profit central autonomous society.

The Memorandum of Association and rules and regulations of the society will be similar to that of other 21 Central Institutes of Hotel Management (IHMs) already in existence.

The proposed Central IHM will be managed by a Board of Governors comprising of 12 mem-

bers, with the chairman to be appointed by the central government. The institute will be constructed in Jagdishpur, Distt Sultanpur (UP) on five acres of land to be provided by the government of Uttar Pradesh free of cost. It will have a hostel for 400 students and 30 room Applied Training Centre (Hotel), for giving hands-on commercial training to students passing out from the institute.

Construction work will be done through any central or state agency. While the institute will be completed in 24 months, the hostels will come up in 30 months. The staff will be recruited in 2014-15, and classes will commence from 2015-16.

This decision will increase

the availability of seats for BSc degree programme in Hospitality and Hotel Administration, diploma/ certificate courses and short term skill development courses in the field of hotel management. Each year, 120 students will receive BSc degrees in Hospitality and Hotel Administration and 160

diploma/certificate courses. Besides, 300 students will receive short term skill development training.

The ministry of tourism has till date established 21 IHMs in different parts of the country for development of adequate human resource for the country's hospitality and tourism in-

Construction work will be done through any central or state agency. While the institute will be completed in 24 months, the hostels will come up in 30 months

dustry. Besides 14 State IHMs financially assisted by the ministry of tourism, have also become operational under various state/Union Territory governments. Also 15 IHMs under various state/Union Territory governments sanctioned by the ministry during the 11th Plan are at various stages of completion/ construction. Most of the larger states have been sanctioned two or more IHMs. However, Uttar Pradesh presently has only one IHM located in Lucknow. In keeping with the mandate of the government to ensure equitable development of all the regions in the country while setting up such facilities, it has been decided to locate the new IHM in Jagdishpur.

Asian Congress 2013 witnesses 23 concierges of Les Clefs d’Or India EH Staff Mumbai THE EIGHTH UICH Les Clefs d’Or Asian Congress was recently held in Bangkok, Thailand under the leadership of Edwin Saldanha, president, Les Clefs d’Or India and zone director Asia – UICH Les Clefs d’Or. Approximately 265 concierge members from 20 countries all over Asia including 23 members from India attended the Asian Congress. Michael Romei, general secretary and Colin Toomey, first vice president, UICH International Executive Committee attended the event.

The theme of the Congress was 'A look at Asia; the power of Connectivity and Solidarity'. The host hotel was The Amari Watergate Bangkok where Prapute Khonthon is the chief concierge and secretary of Les Clefs d’Or Thailand. The general assembly offered speeches from Asian Organising Committee as well as witnessed the pinning ceremony of new members from Myanmar and Cambodia. Les Clefs d’Or India now plans to host the 10th Asian Congress in 2017 which brings all the Asian countries together for growth of tourism and hospitality in these regions.

24 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

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B3 adopts green practices for sustainable development EH STAFF Mumbai B3, AN ENGINEERING company in India, has adopted green practices such as solar energy, recycling and efficient waste management and LED lighting to reduce their consumption of conventional energy sources and their carbon footprints. Established in 1999, the company has three manufacturing facilities in south India producing equipment for commercial kitchens, domestic kitchens, hospitals, retail, engineering and architectural applications. The three manufacturing facilities – one automated and two for custom made equipment - are spread over 4491 sq mt with ultra modern machinery and technology.

The company which follows a global business model has been harnessing the benefits of ultra modern technology coupled with machinery sourced from around the globe to make optimum use of resources, time and energy. The company focuses on research and development to offer regular innovations in both products and processes. Global innovations that further enhance production capabilities or process results are constantly monitored and adapted to their production lines. The company has twenty-eight points of quality checks in the manufacturing process, which conforms the product to global standards.

They have adopted the metric system of measurement to ensure precision and accuracy.

Being an active exporter, their parameters are set on American and European certications like European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group (EHEDG), American Welding Standards (AWS), American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) and CE (European Conformity).

Regular upkeep and maintenance of their machinery as well as ensuring mandatory use of personal protective equipment are followed at all their facilities.

25 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

CLEANING & HYGIENE SOLUTIONS

A MARKETING INITIATIVE

Challenges on the floor Commercial establishments are increasingly shifting to mechanised options for handling the task of floor cleaning for optimising both, manpower and the bottomline, says Ramesh Kanna

O

F LATE, the medium to large sized commercial establishments are increasingly shifting to mechanised options for handling the task of floor cleaning. Though the conversion is still far from complete, one can observe a more focused transition by facility managers and housekeeping companies towards mechanisation for optimising manpower and a healthy bottomline. Just consider the fact that development of commercial space in India is annually growing at 8-10 per cent - we only have to look at how publicprivate partnership is engineering airport modernisation with larger and bigger floor spaces.

Thus, the scope and role for state-of-the-art highly floor cleaning are today wider than any time in the past.

Let us focus on the issue of maintenance of hard floors.

When it comes to internal (hard) floors, options of wet cleaning have always been preferred as long as they do not interfere with the daily operations on the floor or undermine the occupants’ comfort or safety. Usually this is achieved by by using machines known as Automatic Floor Scrubbers or AutoScrubbers which combine two important cleaning tasksscrubbing and vacuuminginto a one-step operation that involves scrubbing the floor clean of light debris, dust, oil, grease and other kinds of floor stains and vacuuming the slurry using a ‘squeegee’ system. The result is a clean and dry floor, ready to walk on almost immediately.

26 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

Choosing an AutoScrubber There is a wide range of options in the market when it comes to auto-scrubbers.

The challenge lies in choosing the right machine which would optimise your investment and maximise the bottomline without compromising the output. A decision can be made on the basis of answering the following simple questions: ● What is the total (carpet) area to be cleaned? (This is different from the floor’s built-up area) ● What is the available cleaning time? (in hours) ● Whether cleaning can be performed during operational hours? ● Are there constraints like adequate manpower, water supply, location of power outlets, etc.?

drical scrubbing head and an automated system for dispensing a cleaning solution and then sucking it up with an a u t o - s c r u b b e r s q u e e ge e attachment at the back of the machine. So, in one sweep over the floor, the operator can dispense the cleaning solution onto the floor, scrub the wet floor and then vacuum it dry. An Auto-Scrubber usually has a separate dispensing (solution) tank and a collection (recovery) tank to store clean water separately from the dirty water. Some higher end models, in order to serve the dual purposes of

The anatomy of an Auto-Scrubber

reducing the machine size and improve water economy, use the advanced ‘membrane technology.’

Auto-Scrubbers are of two main types: Ride-On and Walk Behind.

These machines have either rotary (disk) or cylin-

‘Ride-on’Auto-Scrubbers

after operation.

for large floors Ride-on models, which are usually battery operated, are suitable for large areas like malls, airports and hyper markets which demand a cleaning efficiency ranging from 35,000 to 80,000 sq. ft. per hour. One needs to choose the right model after analysing the site, the nature of dirt generated and other constraints in achieving the required cleanliness within the prescribed time. Of all available factors, one needs to specially look at the issue of the machine’s productivity in

terms of consumption of water and battery power as these determine the cleaning time cycle. It is usually 70 per cent of the productivity as shown in the sell sheets, since about 30 per cent of the time cycle is spent on preparing the machine before and

Walk-behind Auto-Scrubbers for smaller floors Walk-behind machines are preferred when the total cleanable area is less than 75,000 sq ft. Cable operated and battery operated versions are available. The battery operated versions is better suited for a floor area of more than 50,000 sq ft where it would indeed be a cumbersome exercise looking for power outlets spread across the entire floor. The walkbehind machines usually start with a 10-litre tank capacity and can go up to 85 litres.

Whatever auto-scrubber one chooses, it will always be advisable to limit an individual machine’s operation to well under five hours per day.

So, when the area is too large to be managed within five hours, it will be ideal to increase the number of machines. This will involve a higher capital cost but it will more than make it up in terms of cheaper maintenance, higher productivity and lower running cost. The machines will survive longer beyond the period of amortisation. One must also keep in view the fact that the

machines will be used mainly by janitors with limited technical skills and a certain amount of rough usage is inevitable.

and remain intact with the machine. This would avoid damages. For battery operat-

ed machines, please see that the machine is placed in the ‘charging’ mode till it gets

completely recharged. This would ensure that the desired no. of charge-dis-

charge cycles is achieved.

The writer is Senior Marketing Manager, Diversey India Pvt Ltd

Maintaining the AutoScrubber It is always advisable to get these machines covered under comprehensive or Labour AMC, in order to ensure smooth operations and reduced down time.

For daily operations, after each use the dispensing (solution) tank and especially the collection (recovery) tank should be emptied and rinsed out thoroughly to prevent dirt scale build up. All the maintenance parts are to be removed from the machine, cleaned and refixed. The consumable parts like the pads/brushes, vacuum hose and squeegee

should also be rinsed clean to extend their life. If the squeegee is not cleaned, the chemical residue will harden the rubber over a period of time and cause loss of vacuum airflow, resulting in higher costs of repairs.

Storage When storing an AutoScrubber, the solution and recovery tanks should be left open to allow ventilation and to prevent odours from building up. Storing the machine in areas which are open or unsecured, infested with rodents or other pests, which can damage the wiring and hoses, must be avoided.

Please remove the floor pads and scrubbing brushes from the machine and hang them on the wall to air dry. The cables and hoses should be wound up in coils properly and it should be ensured that they do not fall on ground

27 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

CHEF’S PLATTER

MAINTAINING

AUTHENTICITY From being a participant in the All India Chef Competition to serving Dr Manmohan Singh during the Asian meet, Shubhendu Kadam, executive chef at Courtyard by Marriott Pune City Centre, believes in bringing authenticity and innovation to the palate

By Rituparna Chatterjee

A

JOURNEY THAT started in 1996 with the All India Chef Competition, was a memorable milestone in Chef Shubhendu Kadam’ life that triggered his passion for the profession. He got the opportunity to be a part of this culinary competition as a representative of his college, Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition Goa. “That was the starting point and I realised that this would be my future. From there on, there was no looking back,” reminisces Chef Kadam who is presently executive chef at Courtyard by Marriott Pune City Centre. After completing his diploma in Hotel Management and Catering Technology, he went on to become a commis - II chef at Hyatt Regency Delhi and went on to work with Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa, Vivanta By Taj Fort Aguada, Goa and the LaLiT Golf & Spa Resort Goa. However, the inspiration that led him to mastering the art of cooking came during his training at The Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai, “It was during my training at The Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai where I witnessed some great chefs create magic in the heat and pressure of the kitchen.

This was the only inspiration I needed and I realised that

28 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

being a chef is like being an artist and you have to be creative. In this profession you are driven only by raw passion, positive energy and satisfaction that comes back to you on seeing the product which you have been instrumental in creating. Delighting the guest with your creation is a chef ’s biggest inspiration,” he muses.

Before joining Courtyard by Marriott Pune City Centre, Chef Kadam was the pre-opening executive chef at Radisson Blu Resort Goa where he was involved in creating contemporary menus and setting benchmark standards for the products that were offered. His association with Marriott Hotels and Resorts began with Goa Marriott Resort & Spa where he worked as a sous chef till moving onto Philippines to work at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel for three months. His stints in various top hotels have led to him to specialise in Asian and Teppanyaki cuisine where he believes in preserving the authenticity of the ingredients to delight the customer's culinary taste. “I believe in preserving the originality and authenticity of a cuisine, avoiding any distortion of basic flavours, simplicity of presentation and maximum use of fresh local produce,” advocates Chef Kadam which is also his signature style of preparing a dish.

Photo courtesy: Courtyard by Marriott Pune City Centre

has moved away from basic cooking to creating innovative F&B concepts, managing costs, manpower planning, recruiting the right talent and lastly being a brand ambassador for the hotel,” he opines.

“Innovation is required to

keep the interest alive and to avoid monotony, I ensure my team maintains the originality of basic gravies and sauces and then on, we are at liberty to experiment with the rest of the ingredients,” explains Chef Kadam.

“A chef is an artist. Fire and raw produce is his only playground. Being a chef is all about passion and creativity.

Firstly, it is really important to understand the basic subject, and then the vast intricacies that different cuisines offer. It

is a never-ending learning experience. It takes hard work, time and patience just to understand the basic transformation of raw material into work of art that will be remembered by our guests forever,” concludes Chef Kadam.

Being a chef is like being an artist and you have to be creative. In this profession you are driven only by raw passion However when it comes to the Indian palate, the original Japanese style of cooking is used with Thai, Malaysian and Chinese influences on the grill. “In general, the Indian guest is more comfortable and understands these cuisines a little better because of the abundant use of spices, chilies and coconut-based curries, which for us is comfort food,” he adds. Chef Kadam was also selected to lead the culinary team to serve the Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh and the Indian delegates for the Asian Meet at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel.

Wearing multiple hats Since the time he started pursuing his career as a chef, he has witnessed a diversification of the chef's role that is no longer limited to the kitchen but incorporates a diverse portfolio of other responsibilities. “Today a professional chef has to be a skilled, multi-tasking manager. He has to be technically sound in the trade. The role and responsibility of a chef

29 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

HIGH SPIRITS

A

LL THINGS NICE RECENTLY organised an Australian Wine Programme at Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai which included wine flights, set course wine dinners, a Masterclass session, and a chef and sommelier wine dinner, showcasing some of the most luxurious Penfolds wines, which is Australia's most iconic wine brand. “The brand is very famous. We have been selling and distributing Penfolds in India for about 12 years,” says Andrew O'Brien, general manager, South East Asia, India and Korea at Treasury Wine Estates, who represent Penfolds.

Treasury Wine Estates is the largest listed single play wine company in the world and is listed on Australian Stock Exchange. It is predominantly an Australian company. "We actually make wines in three continents, but predominantly this promotion that we are doing here is for our Australian portfolio. Penfolds, Lindeman's Rosemount - they are big brands in Australia. Then there are smaller boutique brands like Coldstream Hills, Devil's Lair, T'Gallant from some of the smaller viticulture regions that we own. My role to come here was to support All Things Nice in the the initiative with the Taj, and with our most iconic Australian wines – Penfolds,” mentions O'Brien.

Nikhil Agarwal, sommelier and director, All Things Nice is officially a certified A+ wine educator from Australia's governing wine body. “What we wanted to do is serve Australian wines in a big way,” says Agarwal. There were tasting flights showcasing white wine, red wines at restaurants and bars; set course menus paired with wines at all the restaurants- Wasabi, Zodiac Grill, Souk, Golden Dragon, Masala Craft. There was also a Masterclass on Australian wines. The initiative was also supported by the Australian

30 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

Trade Commission. “They have helped promote it. The idea is to do it again and again once every year,” mentions Agarwal.

Focus on education

DEFINITIVELY

AUSTRALIAN Australian wine is still a novelty for most Indian consumers though the market has grown over the years. An Australian Wine Programme was organised in Mumbai recently to showcase some of the best wines – from big names like Penfolds to smaller boutique brands. The focus is now on educating the hospitality sector who will in turn educate the consumer

BY SUDIPTA DEV

The Masterclass looked at a broader cross section of wines from Australia - different grape varietals from different regions.

It was an interactive class.

“There were different ownerships and wide variety of wines.

A mixture of small producers and large producers. What was interesting was that 50 per cent of the participants were females.

It was great to see a terrific mix,” adds O'Brien. It was marketed to The Taj database which included the Inner Circle members and All Things Nice member base.

O'Brien points out that in terms of global consumption trend France and Italy lead in per capita consumption. Italians and French drink about 80 bottles of wine a year, while Australians consume about 40 wine bottles a year and Americans about 13 bottles. “We did the sums on India – for 1.3 billion people the per capita consumption is one millilitre of wine per head of population.

Right now the consumption is very small, but the population is very large so it is very exciting for us as an organisation to be at the grassroots of it right now. We see the emergence of middle class, we also see female consumption growing. While the beer and whiskey market is very strong, but when you have a market of 1.3 billion people, with 200 million cases of whiskey being sold and only 200,000 cases of wine you think there is an opportunity.

We are trying to come at an education end. Our role is to educate the hospitality industry using companies like All Things Nice on the ground to help us expand our education footprint,” states O'Brien.

O'Brien adds that they have

to work out how they can educate at the hospitality end who can in turn educate the consumers. “It is really at the grassroots level, but it is exciting as we have seen some growth in the market. There are difficulties with so many states and union territories in India - all with different taxation laws, registrations, lots of issues, but we are here for the long term,” he adds.

Penfolds ethos is about sourcing the best grapes possible and it does not matter where it comes from. “For example the iconic Chardonnay Yattarna we source now predominantly from Tasmania and we have made a recent acquisition to buy more vineyards in Tasmania. Grange, the iconic red wine that we make generally comes from South Australia, and it is often from Borossa valley, but at the same time we source grapes from all across South Australia and some of the other states. We are in the heart of wine making region in Australia - the spiritual home is in Macgill, which is only 15 km out of Adelaide city centre.

It is probably the only working winery that is within the CBD of the city,” informs O'Brien. Penfolds wines range from `1500 to `75,000 for a bottle. Every month for Wine Australia (the body that has certified Agarwal) , there will be trainings for con-

Right now the consumption is very small, but the population is very large so it is very exciting for us to be at the grassroots of it sumers and F&B trade. “We will also be working with brands like Penfolds. Australian wine is close to me, it is casual but of very high quality,” sums up Agarwal.

Andrew O'Brien

Nikhil Agarwal

31 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

EASIER CREDIT TO MSME SECTOR ADVERTORIAL

'THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IS A VERY IMPORTANT SECTOR IF ONE SEES ITS CONTRIBUTION TO NATIONAL INCOME' DEBABRATA SARKAR, CHAIRMAN & MANAGING DIRECTOR, UNION BANK OF INDIA speaks about the evolving hospitality industry, the growth possibilities, the challenges and how the Bank can help this sector to meet their capital requirements

INTERVIEW With high capital costs and still higher cost of funds in terms of interest, hotel projects are struggling to survive and grow despite the growing demand for hotel rooms across the country.

How does Union Bank plan to address this problem of the hoteliers?

Room demand for premium segment hotels was sluggish in 2012-13 on account of the uncertain macroeconomic environment which impacted both business and leisure demand for the hotel industry. Also, there is an oversupply of premium segment rooms across key desti-

nations in India. If one sees the evolving demand pattern as well as the supply pattern of hotels coming up across the length and breadth of the country, there is considerable heterogeneity in the category of hotels and their service model. Taking these factors into consideration, one has to evaluate the viability of upcoming as well as existing bor-

32 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

rowers in the hotel industry holistically.

Further, there are some regulatory nudges to encourage credit supply to this sector. As per the RBI notification, three-star or higher category classified hotels located outside cities with population of more than 1 million are classified under Infrastructure Sector. In our Bank, the rate of interest for loans to hotel industry if classified under Infrastructure ranges from BR+1.50% to BR+3.00%.

If it is not classified under infrastructure then ROI is in the range of BR+3.00% BR+5.50% depending upon the credit rating of the borrower.

The present Base Rate is 10.00% w.e.f. 08.07.2013. Further, in case of good and viable projects, we may also consider some concessions in applicable rate of interest to meet the high capital requirements of hoteliers.

What are the Bank's strategies in terms of funding small and mid-sized (SMB) hospitality / tourism projects?

In today’s scenario, the business model of hotel industry is such that the major portion of revenue is coming from banquets and food/beverage business and as such traditional strategies based on level

of occupancy and average room rates have become less significant. Accordingly, the lenders have re-oriented their loan evaluation model while approving credit to borrowers.

While lending to hospitality projects, especially small and mid-sized hospitality/tourism projects, the following factors are taken cognizance of i. Demand/supply position of the city / location ii. Demand drivers for the city/ location iii. Prevailing and expected

occupancy rates, average room rates and revenue per available room in the city / location iv. Location of the project v. Extent of Competition under hotels industry in the city / location vi. Food and beverage business in the city/location.

These factors/parameters are not exclusive but taken as complementary so that all available information is evaluated while processing any loan application. Current difficul-

ties notwithstanding, which are in line with slowing income in economy, we see a lot of demand in hotels and hospitality industry. The small enterprise of today will grow to be medium and large enterprise of tomorrow. We are very much vigilant to this macro-industry dynamic and have positioned ourselves accordingly.

Though there is increased consciousness on quality aspects, our thrust is to tap the latent as also expressive demand of this sector.

Tell us about the major loan products of the Bank, which offers easier credit to this sector?

There is whole bouquet of schemes being offered catering to the demand of the hospitality industry. Mostly it is a project specific financing to the industry. However, we have designed a product namely “Union High Pride” to cater to the need of mid corporate segment of the hotel industry who generally require credit facility in the range of Rs 5 crore to Rs 25 crore.

“Union High Pride” borrowers also benefit from several amenities including multicity cheque books subject to fulfillment of criteria. There is a time frame for sanction/renewal of “Union High Pride” proposals- within 15 or 7 days respectively from the date of submission of proposal by the party for fresh and existing accounts. The borrowers having multi-city trade dealing can utilise our CMS product on attractive terms.

EASIER CREDIT TO MSME SECTOR ADVERTORIAL

Banks and financial institutions are often not willing to fund start-up standalone ventures. Is this also the case with Union Bank? If no, then how is the Bank helping in funding start-up standalone projects?

Union Bank of India takes pride in sharing the dreams of its customers. We believe in enterprise and honor the entrepreneurs with a dream. We believe in growing along with the customers. Be it start-up standalone ventures or the seasoned players, we decide

the proposal purely on merit and a on case-to-case basis.

Like any other industry, the business specifics do need to be attended while evaluating any proposal. In case of the hospitality industry, apart from the location where the hotel operates, the success of a hotel depends on tie-up arrangement for operations with the well known brands in the industry. Affiliation to key international and domestic brands ensures that the hotel can improve occupancies on the back of loyalty programs

and distribution networks of the brand. We are also aware that the presence of a seasoned hotel operator (through a management contract) increases the prospects of hotel operations being carried out optimally.

The hospitality sector has been long demanding infrastructure status from the government to borrow funds at low interest rates to create capacity but the government is yet to accept their demand. As a sea-

soned banker, how do you think that such a move will help the hospitality industry to attract cheaper credit from banks?

The hospitality industry is a very important sector if one sees its contribution to national income. Through its many backward and forward linkages, the sector is inalienably interlinked with economic life of a nation. Moreover, the sector is facilitator as also beneficiary . At present, three-star or higher category classified hotels located

outside cities with population of more than 1 million are classified under Infrastructure sector. The difference between the lending rates to Infrastructure Sector and other general sectors is normally 1.50% - 2.50%. Thus, there are visible benefits if the sector earns an infrastructure status. We may further consider concessions in rate of interests in case of viable greenfield/brownfield hotel projects on a case to case and merit basis.

UNION BANK LAUNCHES INNOVATIVE LOAN SCHEME FOR SWEET-MAKERS IN WEST BENGAL Good news for the small and medium sweet-makers and traders, planning to make it big

Raman Aggarwal GM, Union Bank of India

and modernise their production units and refurbish their outlets.

The Bank, thanks to the farsightedness and acumenship of its chairman & managing director (CMD), Debabrata Sarkar, who observed during his several international stints that inspite of its world-wide fame and popularity, the Bengali sweet industry, which is an integral part of the Bengali culture was lacking the on the hygiene and branding part.

Brainchild of the CMD, the

way to gain economies of scale.

Union Bank will offer loans ranging from ` 2 lakh to upto ` one crore for procurement or replacement of plant & machinery, for renovation or for furnishing of new shops as well as to meet working capital needs.

The rate of interest varies between 10.5-11 per cent for micro and small enterprises based on the quantum of the loan .

To induce the millions of sweet-makers who keep on pro-

loan scheme will help these outlets to modernise their operations, conform to the latest safety and hygiene norms and embrace technology in a bigger

ducing these delicacies day after day in dingy shops with little modern technological support or financial help. For these units, the bank has kept the

I

N AN EFFORT, which will go a long way in solving the problems of the sweet manufacturers and traders specially in the MSME sector, Union Bank of India, has recently unveiled an innovative cluster specific loan scheme for century old 'sweet-producers' strewn across state of West Bengal to help them renovate

rate at 10.25 per cent a year for a minimum borrowing of ` 2 lakh.

Collateral or security is waived as the loans will be covered under the 'National Credit Guarantee Scheme'.

If borrowers do not want the guarantee-cover to avoid paying an annual guarantee fee (0.50 per cent of the outstanding loan), they have to give 100 per cent collateral. The loans have to be repaid within a maximum period of 84 months or seven-year including moratorium period in line with the projected cash flow.

"Small-scale sweet shop owners will benefit the most if they use the finance in improving their production facilities, safety & hygiene issues and

packaging of the products," says Raman Aggarwal, Field General Manager, Kolkata.

The Bank has already sanctioned 117 loan applications amounting to Rs. 8 crores and another 90 are in the process of getting the approval from the Bank, which again amounts to Rs. 8 crore. Though the quantum of loan is small but it has made a huge difference to hundreds of sweet-makers in Bengal. “The Bank has formed a team of officials, who are visiting the field to create awareness about the scheme. Our thrust will be on renovation, hygiene and proper packaging and marketing of the Bengali sweet industry,” said Aggarwal.

“The Bank has even relaxed the norms to overcome the gaps in the maintenance of financial records by these small entrepreneurs.”

33 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Trident, Hyderabad THE OBEROI GROUP has announced the opening of Trident, Hyderabad. Located in the heart of the information technology hub, HITEC City, the hotel has 323 well appointed guest rooms and suites which are the largest in Hyderabad. The hotel offers extensive conference and banquet facilities. The dining options at Trident, Hyderabad include Amara, an all-day dining restaurant offering the best of world cuisine. Kanak, the Indian restaurant which serves the finest in Indian cuisine with a strong regional influence from Hyderabad. Tuscany is the Italian restaurant with a relaxed ambience; this restaurant offers a display kitchen with a wood fired pizza oven and a wine tasting room offering a selection of fine wines. Ninety Six, the bar at the hotel serves a selection of spirits, wines and cocktails.

Clarks Inn Agra CLARKS INN GROUP of Hotels has announced its first foray in Agra, the city of Taj Mahal, with the signing of a 58-key property in the city. Clarks Inn Agra is slated to open doors next month. The hotel boasts of contemporary design with state-of-the-art modern facilities.

The hotel offers a variety of accommodations to suit different needs, restaurants, a well-equipped gymnasium, swimming pool,banqueting and conferences.

Its main hall can accommodate more than 500 guests.

Maritime by San Lorenzo,Taj Lands End, Mumbai ITALIAN FLAVOURS travel to India this summer with the opening of Maritime by San Lorenzo at Taj Lands End in Mumbai. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the iconic Knightsbridge restaurant San Lorenzo, owned by Lorenzo Berni, will make its international debut with this venture. The new restaurant will serve hearty Italian specialities, drawing inspiration from Lorenzo Berni’s family recipes served at the West London restaurant. Alessandro Bechini and Marco Foroni, two San Lorenzo trained Italian chefs will spearhead the launch of Maritime by San Lorenzo in Mumbai while playing a pivotal role in ensuring the authenticity of the dishes.

Paying homage to true, rustic Italian gastronomy, the menu at Maritime by San Lorenzo comprises San Lorenzo’s signature dishes, from Risotto with prawns and courgettes to Tagliata of chicken breast with balsamic sauce. Consistent with Indian culinary habits, the menu will feature plenty of vegan and vegetarian options.

35 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

cover ) SUSTAINABILITY

THE GAME CHANGER Sustainability will in many ways redefine how the hospitality sector in India would need to operate in the not so distant future. It will be the game changer in many ways, irrespective of the size of the property, the category or location

BY SUDIPTA DEV

F

rom high-end luxury resorts to business hotels in metros and standalone properties in tier III cities, the hospitality sector in India is waking up to the reality of adopting sustainable practices.

And, it is not just about a change of heart but the more practical matter of green savings. The next decade is expected to bring about definitive change in how hotel companies will formulate their green

36 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

strategy.

With guests getting more educated about environmental concerns afflicting the world, increasingly they want to see if the hotel they would be staying in is participating in any sustainable development initiative.

While it is true that today only a matured segment of travellers are conscious of responsible

tourism, as this debate gets more momentum, the trend will percolate to the emerging segments of travellers as well.

The good news is that by 2023, India’s mid-market hotel segment would be safely classified as mature, believes Param Kannampilly, CMD, Concept Hospitality. He avers that the luxury segment is already ma-

ture, “Brands servicing the budget segment will continue to strive to establish themselves. Hotels will be viewed as an ‘asset’ and we will see the rise of asset managers. Environment and sustainability will truly be at the forefront of hotel operations. Of course, as forecasts go, almost no one could foresee our present situation a decade ago.” The company has the fastest growing environmentally sensitive hotel chain in India, under its brand The Fern Hotels & Resorts. “We will continue our focus on the three ‘R’s - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle of operations. The Fern is the leading

(

THE MAIN FOCUS

F HRAI S P E C I A L environmentally sensitive hotel brand; we will work hard to continue that leadership,” adds Kannampilly.

The new measure of luxury Concerns about sustainability will be the most important factor – this will be the single most significant trend in the industry. The question that will arise is whether sustainability and luxury are friends or foes.

“Sustainability is paramount, luxury cannot be at the cost of sustainability. It is no longer negotiable. Those who will not recognise it or take cognisance of it need to be beware – hospitality and tourism in particular is a fragile industry because when people travel they have to change travel patterns to reduce carbon footprint. More and more airlines are now doing research on this,” states Jose Dominic, managing director, CGH Earth.

In mature markets increasingly the customer is choosing greener options. Sustainability is expected to be an overriding factor. Dominic points out that in hospitality the emergence of the conscientious customer will lead to emergence of the conscientious enterprise. “This is the central theme of the FHRAI Kochi convention. You cannot have a hotel which falls foul of the centre of sustainability or responsible tourism. The more focus on luxury a property has, the more sustainable and inclusive it has to be – this is the new measure of luxury. Luxury cannot be a burden on society. The more stars you want requires you to be more green,” he asserts.

It is disappointing that globally and in Indian hospitality, hotels have not gone into sustainability at the chain level.

This, believes Dominic, will be a new shift for their survival.

With GDP rising, number of people coming into middle class will be more who will also holiday more. “The industry response is to take advantage of that. You will see increase in

37 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

cover )

“Sustainability is paramount, luxury cannot be at the cost of sustainability.

It is no longer negotiable” Jose Dominic MD, CGH Earth

“Environment and sustainability will truly be at the forefront of hotel operations.

We will continue our focus on the three ‘R’s, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle of operations” Param Kannampilly, CMD, Concept Hospitality

38 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

both mature and emerging travellers in India. Today all chains are in the business sector – the difference between leisure and business will be more marked,” he says, adding that, customers will be more demanding in the leisure segment. Further, a hotelier's investment will be critically scrutinised. Local factors will also become important. For instance, local source of ingredients, creating harmony between community in the village and the entrepreneur, etc.

Emerging trends In terms of sustainability, the priorities for the hospitality industry are very much aligned with the challenges that India will need to address over the next decade. “The primary focus will be on reducing water and energy consumption to help the country conserve these precious resources. Last year’s power outages in Northern India have shown that we all need to work together to tackle these issues , both by reducing demand and finding more sustainable sources,” says Jean-Michel Cassé, senior vice president, Operations, Accor India. This will require hotels to invest in efficient technologies – such as low-energy lighting, next generation heating and cooling systems, water recycling facilities and so on – as well as provide training to employees on best practices to improve environmental performance. “These actions – specifically those related to reducing energy consumption – will also have a knock-on effect of helping reduce hotels’ carbon footprint, thus limiting air pollution in our cities,” adds Cassé, pointing out that hotels will also need to focus on reducing the amount of waste they send to landfill. This will be achieved not only through recycling programmes, but also by working with their suppliers to reduce packaging waste and find innovative, greener alternatives to existing products.

Community engagement is a key factor in any sustainable

Lake Cleaning Activity by Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre (NHCC)

Environmental practices at CGH Earth

hospitality initiative. It will increasingly become important for hotels to work in tandem with local communities, listening to their concerns and finding win-win solutions.

“Whether collaborating with local farmers to source ingredients that would otherwise be shipped in, providing training and employment opportunities for local students, or working with local operators to build sustainable eco-tourism offerings, there’s a lot hotels can do in this space to be a better neighbour,” affirms Cassé.

Emergence of alternate green accommodation options like plantation stays, eco resorts, rural homestays, etc, will become an important trend in the future. “There is no other alternative. These will become

mandatory — not just a memorable holiday but a transformative holiday. People's expectations of holidays will be raised so the hotel industry also has to go through similar transformation,” states Dominic. Kannampilly also believes that ‘alternate’ green accommodation is an excellent option and is here to stay, “Perhaps we may have another brand that makes environment their USP. Brands like the Raintree are already operating. Though, I definitely see companies emphasising their green credentials to a greater degree. This is a good thing.”

Important trends are ecotourism, pilgrimage tourism and family holidays. “Our focus in the green strategy is to use possible resources to conserve

water and energy in all our activities,” states Harihar Patra, director-marketing, Toshali Resorts International. Talking about the role of a hospitality company like Toshali in popularising green hospitality Patra says that the vision of the organisation is to ensure customer delight, but at the same time making the organisation slim and reduce the cost of operation during energy consumption like the overheads of heat, light and power cost. “We will try to synergise all these factors so as to make it all sustainable,” says Patra, conceding that as a hotel company the biggest challenge is how to survive when there is a constant pressure on cost, competition and changing preferences of customer, therefore all the

( stated approaches should be integrated to achieve the sustainability.

THE MAIN FOCUS

F HRAI S P E C I A L

Green savings The fact also remains that green is good for business - for strengthening market differentiation and giving a fillip to the bottom line. This has been proven time and again by hotels who have, over the years witnessed their commitment to environmental concerns pay high returns as a result of reduced operational expenditure.

The return on investment in most cases varies from six months to 10 years, but the savings are substantial. Identification of these benefits has been a significant aspect for the growth of green hotels worldwide. Rajesh Kr Gupta, general manager, The Orchid, Mumbai states, “There seems to be a very close co-relation between financial performance and sustainable hospitality trends in the coming years. Access to financing, vetting of new technology prior to being used, bench marking and auditing to ensure you are on the right track, financial analysis to enable informed CAPEX decision making, simplified procurement and project implementation and continuous, systemised operational training seem to be the most significant sustainable hospitality trends emerging in India in the next 10 years.�

Apart from continuing to work on the parameters laid down by the HVS for Ecotel Hotels, Gupta mentions that they plan to take the efforts further - to have a focused community involvement through ALM’s, targeting school / college audiences, and partnering with green initiatives taken up by corporates as well as the government.

The investment should not be just limited to conserving the resources but educating all the stakeholders - from employees to guests and suppliers.

The International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA)'s Evolution programme is a software programme on a website which

39 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

cover ) can help the hotel control waste, in particular electricity and water. This is of much importance in a country like India where electricity is a major problem, The programme not only reduces waste but also helps in decreasing operating costs.

“With PLANET 21, our sustainable development programme, we have made 21 commitments to improving our environmental and social performance” Jean-Michel Cassé, Senior VP, Operations, Accor India

“Since some of the components are expensive to construct the property as per green hospitality standards, so it should be consulted with the design team to give shape to the property accordingly” Harihar Patra Director-marketing, Toshali Resorts International

40 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

Green strategy The Accor takes a holistic approach to sustainability, placing it at the heart of its business strategy. “With PLANET 21, our sustainable development programme, we have made 21 commitments to improving our environmental and social performance,” mentions Cassé. These commitments cover a range of topics including the health and wellbeing of the guests and employees; reducing water and energy consumption; promoting locally and ethically sourced products; protecting and promoting biodiversity; and ensuring the diversity and employability of employees. According to Cassé, each of these commitments is linked to a concrete target for 2015. Targets include a 15 per cent reduction in water consumption, 10 per cent reduction in energy use and carbon emissions and a 100 per cent ban on endangered seafood such as shark’s fin. In addition, 95 per cent of hotels will offer health prevention training to employees, 80 per cent will offer healthier menu options, and women will comprise at least 35 per cent of hotel managers (with an ultimate goal of 50 per cent).

“Our hotels in India take these commitments seriously.

For example, Novotel Hyderabad International Convention Centre has inaugurated a stateof-the-art sewage treatment plant, which will help reduce water consumption, with the treated water used for gardening. And Novotel Hyderabad Airport has installed a solarpowered hot water heater to reduce the hotel’s reliance on diesel-powered generators.

The move is expected to pay for itself in three years’ time, while

Restaurant at Toshali Sands Ethnic Village Resort in Puri

limiting its carbon emissions,” states Cassé. He acknowledges that as an industry leader, the company has both the responsibility and an opportunity to make a difference, “With a network of over 3,500 hotels worldwide, we do not only have the possibility to make a major impact, but we can also serve as a thought leader in the field of sustainability.”

Even hotels like Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport have a focused green strategy.

The programme Green Engage includes measuring and tracking energy, water and waste reductions, access a checklist of recommended actions to help reduce impacts, and creates an action plan. “Our innovative online sustainability system is designed to help hotels reduce energy costs, with hotels achieving energy savings, further cementing our place as an industry leader in sustainability. We are going to follow these measures in the future as well,” says Suraj Kumar Jha, general manager, Holiday Inn Mumbai International Airport. He however feels that while alternate green accommodations will become popular to a certain extent the kind of luxuries a star hotel provides is a different ball game altogether.

“Also these options are common outside the city areas. For executives visiting metros and tier II cities, the regular hotels are go-

The pertinent questions is – with the growth of the hospitality sector in tier II and tier III cities and other smaller towns, will this change be reflected in these locations as well. “I believe, the trend will change in smaller town properties also.

Small is beautiful - scale up in size does not mean scale up in experience,” asserts Dominic.

Kannampilly agrees that the three ‘R’ apply as much to small towns and locations as to the large ones, “The challenges are unique to each project. In small towns, where our ‘The Fern Residency’ mid-market brand is progressing well, the need will be to work very closely with the local administration as their infrastructure is the challenge.”

Once operators in these locations understand that sustainability is not just a feel good measure but is fundamentally good for business, it will go a long way in changing the mindset. Sustainability also offers hospitality companies increased business opportunities. Cassé states that for example, over two-third of corporate and leisure guests have indicated they take a hotel’s environmental and social performance into account when they choose a hotel or meeting venue. And over half have said they would be willing to pay slightly more to stay at a ‘greener’ hotel.

Green practices in the smaller town hotels need to be initiated by familiarising the owners particularly from the beginning of the property construction till it get operational as well as in its day to day opera-

Rajesh Kr Gupta

Suraj Kumar Jha

ing to be the only options,” he points out.

Beyond location

( tion of the property. “Since some of the components are expensive to construct the property as per green hospitality standards so it should be consulted with the design team to give shape to the property accordingly,” says Patra. The staff need to be trained continuously to adhere the green practice. Gupta avers that the long term benefits of green practices must be explained to any new hotels/projects coming up and also when the already existing ones are going for re-classification. The state governments and star classification agencies can play a crucial role in this factor. “A successful example of an Ecotel Hotel can be highlighted to further emphasise on this point. Also special waivers from the government and continuous education / training can play an important role,” adds Gupta.

Accor hotels in the Asia-Pacific region have been particularly committed to improving their environmental awareness and performance. Accor’s reforestation programme, Plant for the Planet, focuses on supporting local agroforestry projects around the world. Over 1,400 Accor hotels have joined the Plant for the Planet programme since it was launched in 2009. “These hotels encourage guests to mitigate their impact on the environment by reusing their towels. In return, the hotels pledge to contribute a portion of their laundry cost savings to tree planting projects around the world, including in Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. So far, thanks to the laundry savings generated by this programme, Accor hotels have funded the planting of three million trees worldwide,” informs Cassé.

One of the challenges going forward is the availability of people. There are three factors for sustainable tourism – the customer , the environment and community interest. “One has to ensure that the kingship of the customer does not trample on the environment or the community,” concludes Dominic with great conviction.

THE MAIN FOCUS

F HRAI S P E C I A L

41 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

F HRAI S P E C I A L

STRATEGY

Shaping God’s Own Country THE PPP WAY

W

ith two projects worth over `5,500 crore, Kerala is the frontrunner among states that have projects under bidding in the public-private-partnership (PPP) model in the ports sector, said a study conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham). As per the re-

42 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

port titled 'Port Developments in India', the Kerala projects represent a share of 40 per cent in value terms. While two projects worth over `6,200 crore are under construction in the state, one completed project, worth over `700 crore, has been put to service delivery, the study said.

Kerala has adopted the best method to draw investment to the state especially in sectors where investors fear to tread alone. Suman Billa, tourism secretary, Government of Kerala affirms, “Some

projects do not straightaway attract investment but which also have the potential to catalyse the growth of tourism in Kerala. We take up these kind of projects on PPP model. We are planning waterway transport on the backwaters, ropeways in hilly terrains and an holistic health resort with all services like spa under one roof. For all these ideas we will support private participation. Hopefully we will soon have one international convention centre in Thiruvanathapuram based

Since the inception of public-privatepartnership (PPP) in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, this model of partnership has sufficiently contributed to major infrastructure development worldwide. In India, Kerala is a perfect example of success in this collaborative business model.

BY STEENA JOY

on the PPP model.”

CIAL – A pioneering idea Kochi can proudly claim to have the first Indian international airport built successfully on the PPP model. It is now high time to replicate this success. Experiences in the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and Ireland, have shown that other sectors of urban development such as education, waste management, water, transport and road sector can also qualify to benefit from the PPP model.

However a concrete guideline is necessary to be followed for the success of the project. Intensive PPP can also be exploited for sustainable and organised urbanisation. The PPP business model is an excellent way to involve private sector in the national mission of urban development.

The idea to float an airport under PPP was first mooted by then district collector of Ernakulum, V J Kurian, IAS. Today the Cochin International Airport (CIAL) stands

F HRAI S P E C I A L as a fine example of a pathbreaking idea where NRI investors joined hands with the Government of Kerala and the airport service providers to build an international airport.

Spread over 1300 acres of land and developed at a total cost of around `2,830 million, the airport is praised by many experts including World Bank and is still a study/research subject at Harvard University.

CIAL is the fourth largest in India in terms of its international passenger volume and as far as infrastructure facility is concerned, it is in the seventh largest position among airports in India.

A helping hand The state government had set up Tourist Resorts Kerala

(TRKL) to help incubate certain key sectors that were earlier not attracting private investment like hospitality.

“Unlike now when many hotels are being set up in Kerala, we did not have quality international hotel brands coming

to the state due to high land costs, etc. So TRKL was set up to help private investors build hotel projects here.�

TRKL has a 33.3 per cent stake in a joint venture, Taj Kerala Hotels and Resorts (TKRL) which operates three

43 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

F HRAI S P E C I A L

Suman Billa,tourism secretary,Govt of Kerala speaks on the state’s PPPscenario Your comments on Kerala's success in implementing the PPP model in tourism.

The phenomenal growth that tourism has seen since it was declared an industry in Kerala in 1986 has largely been due to the successful synergy between private and public sectors. The Government’s efforts have been directed towards creating an environment to facilitate private investment, which in turn is vital to the development of tourism infrastructure and services.

Do you think other states in the country should adopt the PPP module for tourism projects?

The growth model we have adopted for Kerala Tourism is customised for our specific conditions and our needs. It is a fact that PPP has been quite successful for our state.

However, each state will have its own requirements with regard to tourism development, promotion and marketing. It should be up them to decide which model works best.

You are also chairman, KTIL. What is the role of KTIL in PPP? Kerala Government’s

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EXPRESS HOSPITALITY

September 16-30, 2013

tourism policy encourages private investment, especially small and medium level investment, adhering to the state’s principles and practices on sustainability.

KTIL, whose mandate is tourism investment promotion and infrastructure development, supports projects that are in keeping with this policy.

KTIL, in its original avatar as Tourist Resorts Kerala (TRKL), pioneered

the PPP model in tourism infrastructure development in Kerala. Today, we also function as facilitators of partnerships between resident entrepreneurs and non-resident Keralite (RENRK scheme) to strengthen business-tobusiness interactions within the private sector.

KTIL is also engaged in building up fully government-owned projects such as the Sarovaram bio-park

at Calicut, Heritage Tourism Circuit in Thalassery , the sea plane project, etc.

What kind of investments do you see in PPP projects in Kerala Tourism in the future?

Development of destinations, setting up basic infrastructure at existing and new destinations, and projects such as theme parks are areas where we expect

The phenomenal growth that tourism has seen since it was declared an industry in Kerala in 1986 has largely been due to the successful synergy between private and public sectors

to see PPP models implemented in the future. The goal is to ensure the quality of infrastructure and services, and provide worldclass experiences to tourists without causing detriment to the environment or the social and cultural fabric of Kerala.

Tell us about the Ente Naadu NRK Meet initiative.

Ente Naadu Resident Entrepreneur – Non Resident Keralite (RE-NRK) is an innovative partnership model that leverages the investment power of Kerala’s 10 million-strong community of expatriates.

As a facilitator, KTIL uses its expertise to identify investment-worthy and feasible projects from entrepreneurs within the state and presents them to NRKs who may be interested in investing.

The Ente Naadu meet was first held by the Government of Kerala in Kochi in 2008 to provide a platform to bring entrepreneurs and investors together. More than 500 participants, from India and abroad, attended the meet which showcased potential investment opportunities to benefit from the tourism industry.

F HRAI S P E C I A L properties: Gateway Hotel at Marine Drive, Vivanta by Taj at Kumarakom and Taj Gateway at Varkala.

Now TRKL has been rechristened as Kerala Tourism Infrastructure (KTIL). The focus has now shifted from PPP to the macro sector of infrastructure, so the new name connotes this shift in focus.

Not surprisingly, KTIL has been entrusted with the state government's prestigious seaplane project. It is apt as Anilkumar S, managing director, KTIL has been director, hydel tourism for almost a decade and has been instrumental in expanding hydel tourism beyond the hills of Munnar. Anilkumar says, “Kerala has some God given

advantages like our backwaters and natural breakwaters which make perfect waterdromes for the introduction of sea planes. An added advantage is that maintenance for sea planes operating in our fresh water bodies will be phenomenally lesser compared to those operating in a saline environment.” Another project KTIL will be implementing is the Veli Tourism project. “The Veli project will also be planned on the lines of the Cochin International Airport (CIAL) with a group of stakeholders including NRIs.” KTIL will be launching soon Travel Hubs along the highways and in major destinations under the name Takea-Break. “We will be using pre-engineered structures us-

Anilkumar S

ing galvalium sandwich panels so that they are easy to assemble and are also maintenance free. Sanctions have come for the first one on the NH-MC Road Link Bypass at Santhigiri. There is a lot of tourist traffic here due to the ashram.To make the wayside amenity revenue generating,

we have incorporated a food court, information kiosk, gaming consoles and restrooms with recliners, etc. along with toilet clusters and bath cubicles.”

Anilkumar also informed that KTIL plans to start a Tourism Incubation Centre to promote young entrepreneurs to become stakeholders in niche areas like adventure tourism, caravan tourism, hot air balloon, local crafts, etc.

Kerala has also used the PPP business model in education. Housed in a palace on a five acre lush-green campus at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Institute of Tourism & Travel Studies (KITTS) has completed 25 years of tourism education. Commenting on how the private-public part-

nership with the state government helps in synergising training and skill development, Dr Rajashree Ajith, director, KITTS says, “The association with Kerala Tourism helps students in getting exposure in training and sharpening their organising skills by being part of tourism events conducted by the department. The institute also plays a major role in conducting research studies on behalf of the department of tourism and participates in policy development in tourism. The private sector participation helps in organising training programmes, refresher programmes, and industry-institute partnership in orienting manpower for delivering quality service etc.”

45 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

F HRAI S P E C I A L

SPOTLIGHT

Involving local communities in Responsible Tourism At the International Conference on Responsible Tourism (RT) organised in Kumarakom recently, local communities were urged to make decisions and set priorities on how to make their towns and villages better places for people to live and better places for people to visit – the idea central to Responsible Tourism

T

ravellers and destinations hosting them are growing increasingly aware that tourism is not just about taking photographs, enjoying hospitality and taking back memories; it is about putting something back into conservation efforts and into local communities.

Speaking at the International Conference on Responsible Tourism (RT) in Kumarakom, Kerala recently, Dr Harold Goodwin, a professor at Leeds Metropolitan University and the director of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism, said it is time to turf out ‘freeloaders’ who add no value to the places they visit; and attract people who contribute something to the community by way of employment and revenues, cause the least pollution, contribute to the conservation of heritage and who will enjoy, repeat their visit and recommend it to others.

The aims of RT must in-

46 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

clude sustainability, improved living standards of local people, lower carbon emissions and animal welfare. The goals for achieving the triple bottomline – economic, social and environmental – should be set locally with the complete involvement of the local people, he said.

“Kerala has managed to achieve so much in responsible tourism in so short a time due to the strength of its local bodies, the Panchayats, which are taking and exercising responsibilities” he said today while speaking on the challenges of achieving RT. “While Kerala has made a lot of progress in the economic development of villages through responsible tourism, it is time for it to set a ‘stretch target’ and take it to the next level.”

On the first day of the conference, which was organised

by Kerala’s Department of Tourism in association with RTSchool@KITTS, Goodwin detailed the developments in

RT over the past five years at the plenary session themed ‘Looking Back, Moving Forward’. Suman Billa, secretary, Kerala Tourism, moderated the session.

Speakers from other parts of the world provided examples of successful RT practices. Dr Adama Bah, the Travel Foundation project for The Gambia and founder of the Association of Small Scale Enterprises in Tourism (ASSET), explained about the RT campaign in the West African nation to protect the interests of small, local businesses and ensure that they benefit from tourism. He said members of ASSET are mainly craft market vendors, local guides, fruit and juice sellers on the beach, small guest houses, tourist taxi drivers, etc, who have now been classified by the Gambian government as formal businesses and given operational licences.

Other support measures include training, microfinance,

product development, linking of horticulture with tourism that has benefited women farmers, improved access to markets and promotion of indigenously made products.

Dr Karma Tshering, the chief for Nature Recreation and Ecotourism in Bhutan, spoke about the Himalayan kingdom’s tourism policy that aims at “high value and low impact” and a revenue generation mechanism that ensures relatives high earnings for low tourist arrivals.

He said Bhutan’s tourism policy that draws influential and socially responsible tourists has helped preserve the pristine natural landscapes and culture and traditions unique to the region, at the same time generating revenues and employment.

Models of RT followed in post-war Sri Lanka were detailed by Srilal Miththapala, an experienced tourism professional, who said sustainability

was not just about the environment but made good business sense too. Concerns have been raised about overexploitation of resources and the negative impact of eco-tourism on the island nation which is blessed with abundant natural resources. Sri Lanka has now drafted policies that aimed at regulating exploitative practices, involving local people in tourism and its hotels are increasingly adopting greener measures, he said.

Mason Florence, executive director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO), explained the difference RT had had made to tourism along the six-nation Greater Mekong Sub-region.

Member nations of Mekong Tourism – Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam – have benefited greatly from the common marketing of travel experience along the stunningly beautiful river along nature and cultural trails.

Field experiences on RT in India were shared by hotel groups that have been recognised for adopting sustainable tourism practices, including the Bengaluru-based Our Native Village, Uravu and Vythiri Resorts in Wayanad, Coconut Lagoon of CGH Earth Group at Kumarakom and Basis in Athirampuzha.

On the second day of the conference a panel discussion was held on RT classification system introduced by the Kerala Government. U V Jose,

F HRAI S P E C I A L

addl. director (planning & projects) Department of Tourism, explained the basis of Platinum, Gold and Silver classification of hotels and the criteria on which the points are awarded.

Panelists included Jose Dominic, managing director, CGH Earth and Baby Mathew from the Somatheeram Group. Harik-

ishore S, director, tourism, chaired the discussion.

Dominic proposed the idea of a 'mentorship clinic' where industry experts could come, hear out ideas from entrepreneurs wanting to set up micro enterprises, and provide them with advice on how to start the business.He said sustainable and innovative ideas such as

‘eco-camping’ could also be promoted. “This requires very little land, maybe an acre and a half. Guests can come with their own camping gear. All you need to do is provide them with basic facilities like water, toilets and some lights; attach Kudumbashree to that and maybe they can provide a simple meal too,” he said.

Jose said the Department of Tourism was fully supportive of eco-friendly projects. In Kumarakom, the department plans to develop six kilometre of cycling track along the canals this year, he informed.

“We have identified the locations and it is a testament to the strength of responsible tourism that the local people are happy to open up their land for this initiative,” he said.

B K Saroop Roy, state project co-ordinator, Responsible Tourism Initiative, KITTS, who summed up the discussions at a session held on the environmental responsibility of RT, said experts, specialists groups and organisations must come forward and contribute ideas on carrying out reliable impact assessment of tourism and ca-

pacity studies on destinations – an exercise that is vital for planning strategies for sustainable and responsible tourism.

Among the key recommendations at the session was the need for a pool of ideas and resources that can be accessed by all stakeholders in RT and better documentation of best practices from the tourism industry, case studies and reports that can be learning tools for practitioners. He said the official RT website of the Kerala government could be a resource to post these ideas and reports for all stakeholders to access. An exhibition was held along the sidelines of the conference featuring handicraft and indigenous products made at RT destinations across the state.

47 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

F HRAI S P E C I A L

EVENT ROUNDUP

Innovate to sustain The restaurant business in India has been growing rapidly with many foreign brands venturing into the Indian market. At the Indian Restaurant Congress 2013 held in New Delhi recently, industry experts opined the need to keep the sustainability quotient high

By Niharika Shukla

T

he Indian Restaurants Congress held recently in Delhi witnessed an impressive gathering of professionals and entrepreneurs from the hospitality industry.

Organised by Franchise India, the third national convention on the business of restaurants brought out debates on topics such as starting a restaurant, raising capital, multi-unit ownership way, partner and trade and explore restaurant franchising. Kickstarting the conference, Anjan Chatterjee, founder and MD, Specialty Group of Restaurants; Ajay Kaul, CEO, Jubiliant Foodworks and Gaurav Marya, chairman, Franchise India opined that the restaurant business in India is growing at a rate above the world’s average yearon-year growth. Talking about issues like Food Law and Policy and what makes western brands a success in India Chatterjee said, “It is important for restau-

48 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

rateurs to maintain food consistency quotient as consumers are travelling abroad and experimenting a lot. Today every consumer loves to be pampered.”

Adding to that point, Kaul opined, “It was difficult to talk about pizzas earlier as a preference over the traditional chappatis but over the years the shift in preference to pizzas was not easy. So the proposition of value for money has to be kept in mind by restaurateurs for establishing any new concept. However developing a discrete marketing strategy is very important.”

The sessions threw light upon some of the important themes such as what is in store for financing restaurants, how the modern day franchise owner’s model is changing, how inspired staff can turn customers into fans, eating out trends for casual dining and quick service restaurant industry, new gastronomy for in-hotel

and fine dine restaurants, the business case for menu, R&D and supply chain success: food technology, supply chain and menu innovation, location of the restaurant, integrated marking approach and the comprehensive operations management solution for restaurants. Food market is estimated at ` 75,000 crore currently and is expected to reach ` 1,37,000 crore by the year 2015 as per the research at the convention.

Taking the sessions further AD Singh, MD, Olive Bar & Kitchen said, “A lot of entrepreneurs are losing their money by venturing into the restaurant

business. The industry is very tough and margins are not good.

Entrepreneurs should approach an already established company in this industry when venturing for the first time and keep the factor of innovation in mind.”

Some of the other keynote speakers present at the conference included: Eric Ho, founder, YO YO Group; Gaurav Ahuja, COO, Red Ginger Hospitality; Sharad Sachdeva, COO, Lite Bite Foods; Ranjit Shastri, Stern Fisher Angel Network; Hemendra Mathur, SEAF, India Investment Advisors; Sameer Akhil Kachru, director, Go Chaatzz; Atul Bhatnagar, COO, National

The proposition of value for money has to be kept in mind by restaurateurs for establishing any new concept

Skill Development Corporation; Venkatraman Girish, senior VP, HR, corporate affairs and administration, Jubilant Foodworks and Nilesh Mitra, senior director, HR, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.

While Sameer Akhil Kachru, director, Go Chaatzz talked about operational audits and checks being the lifeline of business, Rahul Chowdhri, director, Helion Venture Partners highlighted on how today different models of dining have emerged.

According to him in any restaurant business people tend to pay more attention towards the front end of the business. However back end is equally important. Discussing how to avoid pitfalls when franchising Chetan Arora, master franchise, north and west – Subway India said, “It is important initially to work with someone who has a business plan, can organise, manage and understands the system.”

F HRAI S P E C I A L Innovative need The second day of the event had speakers such as Masterchef Sanjeev Kapoor from Khana Khazana, Akshay Bector, MD, Mrs. Bector's Food Specialities and Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi, director, Turban Tadka Hospitality speaking on menu innovation, shift in dining attitudes, a family friendly menu with kid meals and bringing breakfast in the menu engineering.

Serving unique needs and menu innovations and bringing the kitchen to the front of the house(transparency) were the topics looked upon in the next session wherein Chef Paul Kinny, executive chef, Koh-Intercontinental Marine Drive said, “We were the first restaurant to have an i-Pad menu.

Through this our main motive was to give customers the idea about details of the dish and what it is going to be like. It is also important to have multifunctional and smart equipment for efficient functioning.” Adding to the

Gaurav Marya

Anjan Chatterjee

topic Chef Shipra Khanna, winner of Masterchef India Season Two pointed out, “It is extremely important that not just the food but the entire dining experience is made brilliant.” “Food industry has become much more competitive in the past seven years. Re-

search, knowledge, development, innovation and professional excellence are some of the important factors to be kept in mind when getting into this industry,” said Chef Abhijit Saha, founder and director, Avant Garde Hospitality.

Chef James Baika, Kofuko, Japan; Tejinder Singh, country head, F&B, ITC; Sanjay Khajuria, senior VP, corporate affairs, Nestle India; Chef Gautam Mehrishi, corporate chef, Sun N Sand Group of Hotels; S Viraraghavan, director sales and marketing, Cargill India; Dheeraj Gupta, MD, JumboKing Foods; Rajeev Dhingra, founder and CEO, WATConsult; RN Kalita, director- catering services, IRCTC and Anand Sinha, head – sales and marketing, Zomato were some of the other notable panelists present at the convention.

The sessions came to an end with a tasting session of Mrs. Bector's Cremica's freshly prepared snacks. The distribution of awards for the year 2013 took place in the evening where the

contribution of market leaders and innovators from the hospitality industry were given national recognition. Some of the winners included Dominos Pizza India for best customer service by restaurant, BTW India for best regional QSR chain (north), Underdoggs Sports Bar and Grill for best regional restro pub (north), Cafe Coffee Day for best menu R&D and innovative culinary award, Cookieman – Australian Foods India for national best bakery and confectionery chain of the year, Punjabi by Nature for best regional Indian Cuisine Restaurant chain, Mainland China for best regional Chinese restaurant, Anjan Chatterjee for the restaurateur of the year, Olive Bar & Kitchen for best restaurant, Chef Abhijit Saha for best Chef of the year, Satiram Yadav, Bittu Tikkiwala for lifetime achievement award, The Pint Room for best creative concept award of the year and La Riviera – Pullman Gurgaon for best regional foreign cuisine restaurant of the year.

49 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

F HRAI S P E C I A L

GM SPEAK

Sustainable style While blending traditional elegance with ecological balance, The Raviz, on the banks of the famed Ashtamudi Lake in Kollam in south Kerala, is also changing the way tourists look at this cashew trading port town. By Steena Joy

T

he location of The Raviz Kollam on the banks of the serene Ashtamudi not only means breathtaking views of the Ashtamudi backwaters, but also an architectural style that is sustainable.

Urban designer and heritage conservator, Prof Eugene N Pandala, who is also the architect of The Raviz Kollam, points out that it was The Raviz has an architecture style derived after a lot of research. The property offers an experience, a journey through the natural and cultural heritage of the Veenad, the Portuguese, the Dutch, the English and the Travancore kingdoms, which had a strong presence in the ancient historic port town of Quilon (now called Kollam). “Not many travellers know about Kollam which was in British era known for its cashew

50 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

trade. It is more a business destination. The Raviz Kollam has helped to change this. Tourists are now coming to Kollam for leisure. Kerala Tourism is also promoting these new destinations like Kollam and Bekal. Response has been good. We did almost 35 per cent ARR last year, and this year we expect to do about 45 to 50 per cent� says Arun Kumar, GM, The Raviz Kollam.

and the use of waste laterite pieces over fibrocement landforms to create water bodies to make this project a unique ecological journey.

The lobby of The Raviz is designed to continue the tryst with nature. The centre of attraction is a snake boat filled with all kinds of spices (Kollam is known as a

Ecological experience The Ashtamudi lake is an ecological hotspot. The site on which the resort stands is itself a lateritic formation, and the local stone was laterite so the natural option was to use it. The architect has used the incredible possibilities of laterite boulders to create hideouts and improve safe breeding for fish and crabs,

Arun Kumar

centre for spices) complemented by ancient looking fans near the front desk turning slowly on mechanised rollers.

The porch is a difficult implementation of the roofing done in the radiating rafter style of the Travancore region. It is complicated, costly and the knowhow to implement this roofing rafter system is disappearing. All these long rafters are without any joints: that was the traditional rule. The timber used in the structure was mostly traditionally cultivated timber. Jackwood and Anjali wood were used commonly for building the auspicious elements of the property like the front porch.

The Raviz Kollam has used natural building materials as far as possible with no reservations about using glass and concrete wherever it was necessary, but

to the minimum essential. Local artisans, craftsmen and masons were engaged to implement the project. The plot on which The Raviz now stands was originally a fish processing factory which was not demolished but integrated into the design of the hotel.

The hotel has three meetings facilities: The Senate, The Empire and The Majlis. Kumar adds, “The main business in Kollam is MICE. Leisure will take time to come here. It is easier to sell Kumarakom than Kollam.

As of now it is not a repeat destination but we are hoping that soon visitors will want to come back. Also the seaplane project can boost tourism to new hotspots. The state government is setting up a waterdrome in Kollam.The high end traveller will definitely use the seaplane

F HRAI S P E C I A L transport especially rich NRIs and sheikhs of the royal family from the Middle East.” The government has also taken up a highway project in this district for which land has already been purchased. A second bridge is also coming up so this will make the town much more accessible from Thiruvanathapuram.

Food for the soul The resort has nine specially designed chambers allotted to Ayurveda & spa and a meditation room. “Lot of room sales are based on wellness especially Ayurveda. So there is a lot of potential. We have the Veda, the holistic Ayurvedic Spa where we offer authentic ayurvedic treatments. We are the only Green Leaf certified wellness centre in Kollam,” informs Kumar.

As for gastronomic indulgences, Kerala's first Greek restaurant will open soon at The Raviz Kollam. The restau-

rant to be named Pergola will have 42 covers and serve Greek cuisine. The restaurant will offer alfresco dining on a

terrace overlooking the Ashtamudi Lake on the banks of which the hotel stands. Chef Sunil Nayar, executive chef at The Raviz Kollam says, “Keralites are opening up to experimenting with new cuisine and flavours. As many of them are travelling globally they are exposed to international cuisines.

So we feel that Pergola will be a great value add to The Raviz Kollam. Greek cuisine has a lot of similarities to Arabic cuisine and Middle East food is very popular in Kerala due to the job market.” Kumar agrees with Chef Nayar. “Keralites are open to experimentation and a lot of people are travelling the world so they are exposed to international cuisine. Which is one of the reasons we have received a good response for our Sunday

Brunch. The 800 members on our loyalty card programme also use the brunch activity.”

The Raviz Kollam is owned by the RP Group headed by entrepreneur Dr Ravi Pillai. The Middle East based conglomerate recently acquired The Leela Kovalam (though the hotel is still being managed by The Leela group). Another owned property is The Raviz Kadavu, a leisure resort with 123 rooms. A fourth hotel is coming up at Kozhikode. The Raviz Calicut will be a business hotel with 70 rooms and is scheduled to open by this year-end. More sooner, The Raviz Dubai is slated to open this September-October.

The 126 room business hotel is located in Bur Dubai and will be owned and managed by RP group.

51 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

F HRAI S P E C I A L

INTERVIEW

'MARKET RESEARCH INSPIRED US TO DEVELOP A WORLD CLASS PRODUCT' Launched in 1995, HOTSOFT has been providing internet enabled hotel business solutions to the hospitality sector. Jobi John, director, Datamate InfoSolutions talks about how the software has been simplifying hotel management systems. By Niharika Shukla What is HOTSOFT? HOTSOFT is a fully integrated software product that supports the management of hotels and resorts of any size operating in single or multiple locations. It is a group of powerful modules that addresses various operations in hospitality business and works efficiently to ensure operational and cost efficiency, speed of response to customer requirements and thereby support business profitability and customer satisfaction.

In a competitive customer centric environment, running a hotel or resort needs a proper infrastructure backing and an impeccable process.

HOTSOFT HMS is a fully integrated suite of products consisting of modules that can be easily added or expanded allowing effective and easy management from smaller operations to global, multi branded network of hotels and resorts. It can be deployed in any size environment, from a single property with a front office to a large, full fledged hotel with various departments like food and beverages, sales and marketing, online reservations, back office, asset management, etc.

In addition, HOTSOFT offers products for a hotel chain's corporate office, including central reservation systems for both centralised guestroom and function space sales, Enterprise Information System and Customer Rela-

52 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

tionship Management (CRM) package specifically designed for the hospitality industry.

How did the idea of launching HOTSOFT develop?

In 1994-95, while the local hotel industry was struggling to manage their increasing customer demands in line with the global standards, in the absence of any cost effective software solution, Datamate thought of researching and bringing out an affordable solution to support the industry. While the available solutions were expensive, our dedicated effort and market research inspired our team to think globally and develop a software solution locally. And ultimately when launched in 1995, the product was well accepted by the industry which further inspired us to conduct more research on it and bring continuous improvement to create the current world class product.

How do you think it benefits the hotel industry?

The hotel industry is benefited by way of overall opera-

tional efficiency improvements, F&B cost controls, manpower savings, inventory controls etc. Moreover our HOTSOFT central reservation system with payment gateway is fully integrated with our property management systems which eliminates the data entry challenges at the reservation/ front desk. Since it is seamlessly integrated, the live inventory of availability of rooms communicated online to customers is 100 per cent accurate.

HOTSOFT helps the management to generate extra revenue through application like online reservation sys-

tem. It prevents revenue loss that can happen through wrong billing, pilferage, stock mismanagement, expiry of goods, human manipulations, etc. It provides real-time reports of hotel operations to the management at any time.

Laguna Beach Hotel & Spa (Mauritius), California Suites (UAE), Grand Suite (Qatar) and Crystal Suites (Oman) are some of our international clients. KTDC Hotels & Resorts, Regent Lake Palace Group of Hotels, Edassery Group of Hotels, Saj Group of Hotels, etc are some of the hotel chains using HOTSOFT HMS to manage their business activities. Ramada Resorts(Kochi), The Quilon Beach Hotel (Kollam), Udaya Samudra Hotel (Kovalam), Vythiri Resort (Wayanad), Lake Forest (Wayanad), Cardamom County (Thekkady), The Elephant Court (Thekkady), etc are some of our other projects in India.

Tell us about some of its features.

HOTSOFT HMS comprises of more than 25 differ-

An important milestone in KTDC-Datamate relationship is the implementation of CRS, through which the room reservations of each KTDC hotel can be controlled and monitored from anywhere

ent modules which are used for a variety of purposes.

They are customisable as per the requirements of each hotel. Integrated online reservation with payment gateway, advanced dashboard with analytic charts, quick flash reports, automated mails of MIS reports, comparison graphs in analytical reports, multi branch accounting and consolidation, centralised purchase management, automated purchase intends generation, SMS alerts to management for immediate actions, customised packages for reservations, touch-screen billing interface and punch card/bio-metrics attendance integration are some of its features.

How did the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation benefit from the case study done by HOTSOFT? Relationship between KTDC Hotels & Resorts and Datamate InfoSolutions began in the year 2003. After the successful trial runs HOTSOFT HMS was implemented in various units of KTDC in 2004. The financial auditors of KTDC approved the audit methods of HOTSOFT Finance Module in the year 2008. As per this, HOTSOFT Finance Module was implemented in various units of KTDC in 2008. Financial transactions and accounts were systematised in the year 2009. Before this systematisa-

F HRAI S P E C I A L tion, auditing of financial accounts in each KTDC Unit was pending up to four-five years. Datamate team worked with KTDC head office audit staff for the financial auditing of each KTDC unit. As a result, now the financial accounts audit of each KTDC unit is up-to-date with the help of HOTSOFT HMS. Another important milestone in KTDC-Datamate relationship is the implementation of centralised reservation system (CRS), through which the room reservations of each KTDC hotel can be controlled and monitored from anywhere at any time. This facility has enabled the booking of rooms in 29 hotels of KTDC through their website. Guests can directly book the rooms according to their choice and make the payment instantly.

The benefits of this facility are: the rooms are booked much earlier, KTDC is getting the reservation money well in advance and creating huge revenue, and they are not spending money for making that particular sale or as travel agent commission.

What can you say about the future of HOTSOFT? We designed this product with the future needs of the hotel industry and continue to research to make it at par with any world leader in this domain.

We are sure we will be able to deliver higher value with affordable price to local and global customers. As of now our software system manages about two million room nights a year and we strongly believe that this scope will grow to 20 million by 2020.

As a premium brand Datamate has developed 'Purple Keys HMS', which can be utilised to manage the activities of five-star and above categorised hotels and hotel chains. Datamate looks forward to expand the area of operations to more countries and other regions worldwide.

Since the hospitality industry is growing, incredible opportunities are ahead for HOTSOFT HMS.

53 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

HOSPITALITY INSIGHT

THE TECHNOLOGY OF BAKING Pegged as one of the fastest growing industries in India, baking, is not only witnessing an emerging middle-class with a fondness for baked indulgences but also the need for more technologically advanced equipment to service their demands

BY RITUPARNA CHATTERJEE

T

he increasing disposable income of people and expansion of retail segment has lured many domestic and international bakery chains to expand in India. Moreover, a growing number of urban population with an increasing exposure to western foods and a preference towards healthy living is leading to the diversification of the bakery products. Increasingly, consumers are seeking luxury products with low-fat content, better taste with natural and organic ingredients like whole wheat breads and multigrains.

With this sudden change in consumer taste and lifestyle, there is an increasing requirement to offer a healthier and diversified bakery products to them. “The choice of breads and consumption has suddenly exploded with the fast changing lifestyle of the Indian population. This change has made the bakery products mandatory in many of the homes with increased demand for varieties on the breakfast table,” states Pradeep Dinakaran, marketing manager, Bakers Shoppee.

Along with consumption habits bringing about change in the bakery industry in India, significant modifications are also being caused by the influence of the western culture on the Indian consumer, inflow of western tourists and informed Indian traveller who is being exposed to a diverse culinary culture abroad. “The worldwide foreign travel from and to our country and the influx of multinationals and their culture has influenced the baking industry to a very

54 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

Shamsudheen K.V

Rajendra Mittal

great extent. In India of late there is a fancy for far Eastern cuisine that is on the increase giving a further impetus to the bakery industry. As health consciousness is spreading, more and more of baked

products and recipes are being preferred over fried recipes. Moreover, the Food Safety Regulations and competition in the industry has necessitated every operator to vie for European and

American standards plus a range of upgraded varieties,” explains Dinakaran.

The availability of a wide selection of breads and bakery foods has necessitated the diversification and upgradation of technology to remain competitive for survival and to cater to the needs of demanding consumer. Hence, apart from offering general equipments like planetary mixers, combi ovens, flour sifter, rack ovens, cookies machine among some, the bakery equipment manufacturers are coming up with a complete range of donut baking machine, pizza rollers and sheeters, and even photo

printing machine to print images directly on cream cakes for decoration to name a few.

The technological advancements have also witnessed fuel efficient equipments like infrared burners that emit less pollution along with teflon-coated materials that offer durability and hygienic food processing.

Need for innovation This innovation in technology is being witnessed in both high and low market segment.

“The innovation which has been brought in the current market is industrial automation in higher market segment with large players and in the

HOSPITALITY INSIGHT lower markets it is the speed of production and lesser fuel consumption,” reveals Niranjith Pravin Dev, director, Arun Rega Bakery Machineries, further adding that, “In the current market trend the technology that was once available with only overseas players are now available to local players that is well suited for the pockets of evolving Indian entrepreneurs.”

However, the bakery equipments that are available in the Indian market are mostly imported, explains Rajendra Mittal, managing director, Mittal International, stating, “About 70-80 per cent of the bakery products like combi ovens, friers are imported from the US and Italy because of the poor quality of equipments in India. Also, the demand for bakery equipments in India isn’t as high as in Italy, which records 20 per cent to 25 per cent more demand than India, since they are a bakery eating country unlike us.” The bakery equipment manufacturers and suppliers market are also facing other challenges like labour issues, lack of availability of raw materials and high production cost. Adding to it is fierce competition from large international and domestic players. “One of the challenges is the the presence of many big players in the suppliers chain

Pradeep Dinakaran

Niranjith Pravin Dev

offering good products. Moreover, very few companies have a research and development department. Plus, the Indian government does not provide the required support to this industry,” reveals Mittal.

Despite the many challenges faced, there are ways to overcome them. First, is the

need to minimise production costs through reduced imports. “ If we can produce raw materials instead of resorting to imports, the production cost will be much less and even the middle class population will find the products easily affordable thus generating more consumers,” suggests

Dinakaran. Adding to this, is the need to change with upcoming trends and a relaxation in government rules and regulations. “Proper planning and time management, better innovation than upcoming markets like China, relaxation in government regulates, better marketing strategy, better

One of the challenges is the the presence of many big players in the supplier chain offering good products. Also, very few companies have a R&D. Moreover, the Indian government does not provide the required support to this industry

productivity considering health, safety and environment, coping with new upcoming markets, ease from licensing departments will definitely improve this industry to some extent,” elaborates Shamsudheen KV, managing director, Paramount Group. With the growing potential of the Indian bakery market, there is a lot more that can happen in this industry in future like frozen technology revolutionising the baking industry with roundthe-clock availability of baked products. The market will also continue to experience rapid growth in the next 25 years in terms of technological advancement and value-formoney products. “Food processing and production is not a field to die down as it constitutes one of the very basic needs for human life. In fact if we stay updated with the latest technology, it is affirmative that we can survive in this market,” states Dev. Because of this huge potential of the bakery market to grow and evolve to cater to different requirements of the people, the future of the bakery equipment market might witness decentralised production and distribution.

55 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

HOSPITALITY INSIGHT

REVOLUTIONISING BAKING Baked food, once considered poor man's food, has now become an essential part of the Indian diet with a majority of population demanding baked items that can match up with new trends in the global market. Catering to their needs are the bakery ingredient manufacturers who are evolving and innovating themselves to cater to the demanding customer.

BY RITUPARNA CHATTERJEE

T

he bakery market has witnessed a dramatic change over the last decade with consumers showing gravitational shift towards ready-to-eat and healthy food products. Urbanisation, which has largely contributed to this change in people's consumption pattern, has led to the uneven distribution of bakery units in various states. “It has also evolved from being a traditional market to a highly segmented, globalised and cosmopolitan industry focusing on consumer needs.

New conceptual products are gaining market share which were earlier non-existing like artisan breads, doughnuts, pretzels. Such kinds, which previously constituted a part of entire portfolio, have now evolved as an altogether independent segment to cater,” states Amit Agrawal, managing director, Calpro Food Essentials.

56 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

Ongoing growth The bakery industry currently stands third in terms of revenue generated by the processed food sector with wheat flour and vegetable processing industries being first and second respectively. The bakery industry which had a market size of US$ 4.7 billion in 2010 is expected to reach US$ 7.6 billion by 2015. “The Indian bakery market is currently growing at a rate of 12 per cent to 15 per cent, and with the lifestyle of the people and increased frequency of munching between the meals, consumption of bakery products and snacks is going to go up and will continuously increase with the same pace,” adds Dr. K D Yadav, senior vice president technical, Kamani Oil Industries.

The bakery market which primarily constitutes the organised sector (star rated hotels, restaurants, big catering companies, retail chains, coffee chains,

airline catering) and the unorganised sector (smaller bakeries and home enterprises) have shown potential growth and are serving separate baskets of product portfolio to different consumers.

Moreover, the bakery industry is also witnessing more development in the tier II and tier III cities as compared to metros because of the former's increased buying power and a need to westernize their lifestyle.

“Several states in the tier II market have already started replicating the trends that have been adopted by metropolitan cities.

Although tier III cities are yet to make a mark, the change has already set in because of frequent inflow and outflow in population,” explains Agrawal.

Increasing competition The rapid growth in the bakery industry has led to a continuous increase in global, national and regional players. Further-

HOSPITALITY INSIGHT would have their own market and the only trick is how you market it,” adds Agrawal.

Though health and taste are the basic platform of consumer choice, the preferences of young

children and adolescent group are going to gain better mileage with time concludes Sanghvi.

Prakash Sanghvi

Dr. K D Yadav

Amit Agrawal

more, the global retail chains are offering new products to mass consumers and influencing their buying behaviour thereby demanding constant innovation from national and local players to stay in the competition.

“Users should continuously be giving new ideas and innovation to the products. We now see a lot of entrepreneurs who have really made a mark by giving quality products and are updating with far more advanced markets. In Delta Nutritives, we undertake tours to our overseas principals, and give our chefs training so that they can apply the new techniques back home,” says Prakash Sanghvi, director business development, Delta Nutritives.

Since the Indian consumer is open towards innovation, there are many new bakery products that are being customised to the Indian taste. “These blends

57 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

HOSPITALITY INSIGHT

THE ART OF BAKING Having attracted a diverse group of students from neighbouring countries and states as well, the Institute of Baking & Cake Art in Bengaluru is geared towards becoming the learning hub for baking aficionados

BY RITUPARNA CHATTERJEE

T

HE Institute of Baking & Cake Art (IBCA), one of the leading bakery training schools in India, has been attracting a diverse portfolio of students from different geographies. Since its inception in August 2002, the small setup offering home and commercial bakers a chance to learn and update their techniques, today has more than 25 different courses. “Being in a niche space of learning, we want ourselves to be known as a baking hub for all those who relate to the subject and are associated with it. We make people learn the trade and offer services for their development,” explains Manish Gaur, director of training, IBCA. Over the years, the institute has been attracting people from different regions and professions. “Our participants are mostly entrepreneurs and enthusiasts who want to learn the trade as a hobby or for commercial purposes. There are also participants from different fields like doctors, engineers, advocates, artists or others, who try their hand at learning the completeness of baking and venture out for starting their own business. We have also trained second and third generation of bakers in the country and have attracted few students from neighbouring countries like Europe, Africa and US,” states Gaur.

Started by him and his father M K Gaur, director, IBCA, the purpose behind setting up this institute was to introduce and offer specialised bakery training and offer appropriate and adequate facilities that were lacking in the industry before. “Around 1997-2000, I was working as a part time/full time trainer in catering colleges and hotel man-

58 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

Manish Gaur

agement institutes in Bengaluru as a bakery and confectionery trainer. The idea came in because I always faced a problem of getting the right infrastructure and ingredients from these institutes and I felt there should be a space which can be completely bakery related, which gives the completeness of learning,” reminisces Gaur.

IBCA offers multiple courses ranging from the three day home baking course to entrepreneurs' bakers course, extensive baking and confectionery course to specialised cake decoration course, home baking course and a diploma in baking, confectionery and cake art. Recognised by the Government of India, the Ministry of Labour has authorised the institute to conduct two month vocational training in baking (VTB). “We also issue our certificate to each and every participant of all courses, which today is well recognised by the baking and hotel industry,” adds Gaur.

The institute is wellequipped with machinery, large

learning space, confectionery, cake decoration and creative area, library, lab, discussion rooms and more for holding theory and practical classrooms for commercial baking. Apart from infrastructure, the training school also offers placement facilities. “We help students with placing them in star hotels, bakery setups or chain stores production spaces. Many students have used our certification to travel to Australia, Europe, Arab countries for further studies and jobs. Student internship is generally referred to commercial setups,” mentioned Gaur.

The institute advocates baking as a specialised art through simplified baking techniques and reasoning. “Whether working with bread, designing cakes or creating cookies, we always teach the basic techniques and try reasoning them, rather than keeping in mind only ingredients or specific tools. We have always been taught simplified baking and make sure to teach the same within our classes for better absorption of understanding of

these tips and techniques,” explains Gaur. He further adds that along with students, the faculty members consisting of full time trainers and industry professionals are retrained and updated on the latest techniques through regular discussions and training programmes.

With the bakery market in India continuously evolving, there has been a growing interest among women to take up baking as a profession. “Women are understood to be more creative and today with many variety of products being offered to the customer, women understand the necessities better than men. Although in larger spectrum men are taking over women in big bulk production, whereas women are getting to be working on personalised production,” opines Gaur.

Currently the bread and allied baking segment in India is witnessing a growth of 12 per cent followed by 10 per cent growth of the cake and confectionery segment, thereby giving more opportunities to people to

have their own start ups, and operational bakeries to expand their production and employ more labour. However, the bakery industry is also witnessing several challenges. “With new technology as well as ingredients being available, the older bakers are being threatened, as they are limited with knowledge.

Manpower is the biggest threat to the industry as educated manpower availability is fewer, than the not-so-knowledgeable, but hands on experienced labour.

Support from the hospitality and baking industry as well as government in taking steps towards manpower search and education can overcome the human resource availability for better productivity,” states Gaur.

Despite the challenges faced, the bakery market in India seems to have the potential to become as specialised as its western counterparts but with a personalised touch, explains Gaur, “Interestingly Indian baking has evolved in its own unique way by offering egg-free products as well as blending daily foods as filling like in puff patties or pizza in a spicier form. As observed, many Indian sweet manufacturer are trying their hands in baking and will surely blend in uniqueness with traditional ingredients and processes.”

Anticipating the future trend of the bakery market in India, where whole wheat is largely consumed, Gaur affirms there will be an emergence of whole wheat as an alternative to refined or plain flour, not only in bread but also in cakes and cookies. Along with this, commercial baked products produced under hygienic conditions would also be available in railways stations, trains and tourist bus stops.

BUSINESS AVENUES BAKERY SPECIAL

EXPRESS HOSPITALITY

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September 16-30, 2013 59

BUSINESS AVENUES BAKERY SPECIAL

EXPRESS HOSPITALITY

PETTINICE RTR ICINGS The Original

Make your cake – ‘A piece of art’ Bakels Ready to use Icings Available in: White, Almond, Chocolate, Black, Red, Green

INDO BAKELS PVT. LTD. 43-C, MITTAL TOWER, NARIMAN POINT, MUMBAI – 40021 Phone: +91 2287 3636/ Fax: +91 22 2202 0065 sales@bakels.in/inbakels@gmail.com www.bakels.in/www.bakels.com CUSTOMER CARE NUMBER: +91 922 360 3636

60 September 16-30, 2013

EXPRESS HOSPITALITY

BUSINESS AVENUES BAKERY SPECIAL

EXPRESS HOSPITALITY

EXPRESS HOSPITALITY

September 16-30, 2013 61

TECH TALK

SustainabLED light A new desk lamp built from recycled waste does more than light up a room

E

NERGY EFFICIENT, elegantly designed and made in the USA, the HeronLED Personal Task Light is shining a warm, white and sustainable light on hotel desks across America. Manufactured from recycled computers, printers, and other electronics, the HeronLED Personal Task Light is the newest green product from Pineapple Hospitality. It casts a warm white light on hotel desks and uses 10 times less energy than conventional lamps.

The HeronLED Personal Task Light is the first made-inUSA hotel LED desk lamp to earn the ENERGY STAR and is the only one to be made from recycled computers and other electronics, known as e-waste.

Its sleek, ergonomic design fits any room dĂŠcor, providing better lighting for guests while reducing energy costs.

Manufactured by LittleFootprint Lighting, a pioneer of sustainably designed LED task lighting products, the lamp uses

62 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

only four watts - seven to 10 times less energy than conventional desk lamps. The replaceable LED bulb lasts 15 years or 50,000 hours. The HeronLED's adjustable, ergonomic design allows guests to focus the light where it is needed and provides a warm, white light of 220 lumens.

Designed and manufactured in the USA, the lamp carries a five year warranty. Hoteliers benefit from substantial energy savings, low maintenance, and added LEED credits.

The HeronLED also casts a light on a property's environmental efforts, according to Ray Burger, CEO, Pineapple Hospitality and a pioneer in the greening of the hospitality industry. "Guests want to stay in hotels that are green and committed to environmental initiatives," Burger asserts. "And while back-of-the-house efforts are key to realising cost and energy savings, they are not immediately apparent to the guest. The HeronLED makes a powerful, highly visible statement about a hotel's commitment to sustainability, and sup-

Guests want to stay in hotels that are green but lack of investment in guest satisfaction is clearly an issue port of green, American-made products while meeting the needs of the guest."

Increasingly, guests are demanding not only sustainable

products, but also effective, welldesigned lighting fixtures," notes Burger. "The Great Recession's impact on the hospitality industry is still being analysed. But a

lack of investment in guest satisfaction is clearly an issue."

Burger cites a 2012 JD Powers survey that showed guest satisfaction at a record low, with complaints about Internet service, excessive charges and poor or inoperative lighting at the top of the list. "Saving energy with inadequate lighting solves nothing," says Burger.

Affordable, effective and elegant, the HeronLED is a viable alternative for properties of every size and category.

TECH TALK

The PACSys bridge Hotel energy management solution is the need of the hour that new hotels can implement at project stage, but what about existing hotels?

P

ACSys is a power automation solution which can be installed without any infrastructural change to the existing electrical setup and is integrated with most of the PMS softwares available in India. PACsys with setup boxes placed at main floor MCB panels helps hotels to save around eight – 15 per cent without any electrical wiring to individual rooms with added advantage of monitoring and controlling hotel guestrooms remotely with android smart applications.

PACsys is a backend application to PMS (Hotel management software, presently integrated with IDS, WinHMS, Hotsoft, Lucid, Cognizant, Promise, Fourth Dimension, etc.). It acts as the bridge between the hotel guestroom/ banquets, lights, AC and PMS. The hotel rooms, or complete floors can be activated/deactivated based on the forecast booking, during lean seasons of 20-30 per cent occupancy the complete floor can be deactivated virtually. Exiting is the ACEC unit, for existing hotels to keep the rooms healthy by periodically running (every one hour) the rooms air condition at low speed for vacant rooms and even for occupied rooms but guest out when key tag been removed.

The hotel guestroom and banquets

power automation solution through hotel PMS and PACsys Room Automation System for Guest room/Banquets/Board rooms/Cooridors, etc will enable to control lighting and air conditioning through any hotel front office software or PMS. Hotel owners/directors or centralised office can monitor room sales real time remotely.

PACsys is a bridge between room power and hotel software: ● Power Saving of 8 – 15 per cent recorded in hotels post installation ● Power the room will be activated only on doing check-in in the front office software ● Data through PMS to tally with actual occupancy ● Housekeeping cleaning to be parameterised for 15 to 20 minutes and no air

Room Sales Revenue can be controlled remotely real time through web based software

condition is activated Visiting option of 10 minutes with air condition and complete power ● Banquet Halls air condition and power will be activated only on booking in the HMSPre function facility for banquets with no air condition supply ● Corporate office to switch of complete floors on Off Seasons ● Time based automation for peripheral lightings and corridors ● Manual bypass recorded Room Sales Revenue (which is the major chunk of hotel business) could be controlled remotely real time through web based software. ACEC – This is a module placed at the individual room of size 5”H and 2” W. The main purpose is to activate the AC to run in a low setback temperature in the room periodically to keep the room cool and healthy.

This system will enable hotel to run air condition for the checked in room and guest away and/or vacant room to maintain constant conditioning so that the upholstery, carpets, etc are not affected with humidity and no stinking of the rooms.

12ACU –is the newer system of managing special tariff of 24 hours check in and 12 hours air condition usage. Here the guest themselves can use air condition for 12 hours when ever during his stay. The touch panel with digital display will show the total hours of air condition used and remaining hours. ●

63 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

CAMPUS CALLING/ INTERVIEW

‘OUR FOCUS IS ON MAKING KITTS an institution of international excellence’ Housed in a palace on a five acre lush-green campus at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Institute of Tourism & Travel Studies (KITTS) has completed 25 years of tourism education.

Dr Rajashree Ajith, director, KITTS speaks about the institute's Responsible Tourism initiatives and how the private-public partnership with the state government helps in synergising training and skill development. By Steena Joy What are the professional courses offered by KITTS? The Kerala Institute of Tourism & Travel Studies was established in the year 1988, as an autonomous institute, under Government of Kerala. This ISO 9001 certified institute is actively involved in conducting academic courses, training programmes, and research and consultancy. Under the leadership of its chairman, the minister for tourism, Government of Kerala and vice chairman, principal secretary –tourism , Government of Kerala.

Headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram, the institute's hospitality division is at Malayattoor, Kochi. Realising the immense employment potential of the industry, KITTS has opened up study centres at Thalaserry and Kannur.

In 2008 the institute launched MBA in Travel & Tourism affiliated to University of Kerala and applied for AICTE. KITTS is also an accredited Distance Learning Centre of IATA and is included in the knowledge network and depository library of UNWTO. Being the nodal agency for implementing Responsible Tourism in the state, Skill

64 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

Development in Tourism and Hospitality Management and Hunar Se Rozgar Tak programme of Government of India, the institute provides maximum field experience and practical insight to the students. The Academic Committee under the chairmanship of the principal secretary, tourism, Government of Kerala has eminent academicians and industry representatives as its members to supervise the aca-

demic programmes. KITTS is in the process of starting a new MBA programme in Tourism and Creative Management and a BBA programme in Tourism Management.

What are your initiatives in Responsible Tourism (RT) ?

KITTS is currently the nodal agency for implementing RT initiative in the state. RT is now operational in major destinations in the state like Ko-

valam, Kumarakom, Thekkady, Kumbalanghi, Vythiri, Ambalavayal and Bekal. Our initiatives in RT include: l Streamlining economic activities in RT destinations like local procurement by tourism industry, skill development programme for local community members to equip them to supply products locally as well as to provide employment. l Developing Village Life Experience package in all destina-

tions (already operational at Kovalam, Kumarakom and Wayanad). l Operationalised RT Classification Scheme for accommodation units. Classification has been done for all properties at Kumarakom. Now in the process of spreading out to whole of the state. l Centre for Responsible Tourism Studies – We are planning to start Masters and Certificate courses in RT full time and in distance education mode. Discussions are in progress for collaboration with international universities. Management Development Programmes will be conducted for international and national participants. Looking at the poverty alleviation aspects and sustainability elements, KITTS would also offer consultancy services in RT. How do you see KITTS in another 25 years down the lane?

For the past 25 years, the institute has dedicated itself in catering to the human resource requirements of the tourism industry by conducting industry demand driven courses, organising training, and extending research and consultancy serv-

CAMPUS CALLING ices to the stakeholders in the tourism sector. Besides developing human resources, the institute is actively involved in extension activities that will support policy makers to accomplish their socio-economic and environmental objectives on the development front. For strengthening and promoting sustainable development of tourism, KITTS was instrumental in developing and executing a successful model for Responsible Tourism in Kerala which is acclaimed globally. Under this banner, we provide a platform for practitioners, policy makers, academicians, NGOs, civil society to come and share their experiences on sustainable tourism periodically.

The information generated and experiences shared are disseminated widely to benefit the

global tourism sector. We also promote skill and capacity building programmes as part of pro poor tourism with the declared objective of proving quality service delivery to tourists.

Our future plans mainly focus upon developing the institute as an institution of international excellence. The programmes are focussed upon keeping up to international standards. We have plans for student and faculty exchange programmes, interactive classrooms and industry exposure for students at the international level. We aim at high quality academic dissemination, so that the institute becomes a model at the international level.

The institute has a private public partnership with Ker-

ala Tourism. How does this help in synergising education with practical training?

The association with Kerala Tourism helps students in getting exposure in training and sharpening their organising skills by being part of tourism events conducted by the department. The institute also plays a major role in conducting research studies on behalf of the department of tourism and participates in policy development in tourism. The private sector participation helps in organising training programmes, refresher programmes, and industry-institute partnership in orienting manpower for delivering quality service etc.

Skilled manpower is still a challenge for the industry. Do you have any skill develop-

ment programmes?

Considering the demand for skilled personnel in tourism, KITTS has launched a Free Skill Development Programme for the poor and marginalised segment with the financial support from the state government. Educated unemployed youth in the state between the age group of 20 to 30 were identified and enabled to join this scheme. These courses are being implemented in association with LSG’s, Kerala State Youth Welfare Board and Kudumbasree.

To commemorate its silver jubilee year, KITTS has announced student and faculty exchange programmes.

The formalities of a Student Exchange Programme with foreign universities are being com-

pleted. We are expected to receive a bunch of 30 students from the University of Konstanz, Germany by the end of this year.

How can the government support institutes such as KITTS to develop industry specific and futuristic courses?

KITTS has the flexibility to design and conduct courses that will meet the needs and requirements of the tourism industry. Normally we make a demand assessment of HR requirements from the industry and design the curriculum in consultation with the industry.

The draft curriculum thus prepared is then vetted by the Academic Advisory Council of KITTS headed by secretary for tourism, Government of Kerala.

65 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

MOVEMENTS Absolute Hotel Services India

The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi

Absolute Hotel Services India has appointed two new positions for the India region, effective immediately, with ARCHANA GHEMERI becoming director of spas and SHIVIKKA SUNEJA taking on the role of director of marketing communications. Ghemeri has been trained under RAISON D’ ETRE, a Swedish spa training consultancy and holds diplomas in advanced beauty and hair treatments, aromatherapy and cosmetology. She will be based in Alibaug and also look after the pre-opening and operation of all AHS spas in India.

The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi has announced the appointment of KANCHIT VONGVICHAI as chef de cuisine- That at EEST (authentic Asian F&B venue).

A Thai speciality chef , Prior to joining The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi, Chef Vongvichai was associated with renowned MAKMAK Thai restaurant in Montreal, Canada and was the master Thai Chef at the venue. He posses over 30 years of culinary experience and has worked with

Alila Hotels and Resorts

Julian Ayers

Vijai Singh

Demeiter Vaubell

Jork Bosselaar

Taufik Rachman

of India, the Middle East and South East Asia.

Five new general managers have also been named alongside three director of sales positions.

VIJAI SINGH has come on board at the historic Alila Fort Bishangarh as pre-opening general manager. JORK BOSSELAAR has been appointed as pre-opening general manager at Alila Jabal Akhdar, Oman. ANDREW TAN has joined Alila as general manager at Alila Jakarta. MARCO GROTEN has moved to Alila Villas Uluwatu as general manager in August. Groten first joined Alila

in February 2009 as the opening general manager for Alila Villas Soori.

Further to the property management team, DEMEITER VAUBELL, has joined the preopening team at Alila Jabal Akhdar as director of sales and marketing. Meanwhile, TAUFIK RACHMAN, regional director of sales, oversees cluster sales and marketing operations for Alila resorts in Indonesia and ANKUR RASTOGI, regional director of sales will manage sales and marketing operations for Alila properties in India.

Sean Brennan

Alila Hotels and Resorts has made two key regional appointments in line with the company’s expansion plans. JULIAN AYERS joins as regional vice president for India and the Middle East while SEAN BRENNAN has been promoted to regional vice president – South East Asia. In their new roles, Ayers and Brennan will oversee their respective region’s day-to-day operations, sales and marketing activities and manage future growth strategies.

They will be working closely with their regional development teams to help execute Alila’s growth plans in the key markets

66 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

Andrew Tan

Ankur Rastogi

Latha Nair

Neeraj Rawoot

DoubleTree Suites in Asia Pacific. She will be responsible for the overall management and leadership of the sales department.

RAGHU SAPRA has been appointed as general manager.

He joins as the pre-opening member of the first DoubleTree Suites in Asia Pacific.

Sapra brings to the hotel 17 years of industry expertise having had associations with established hotel brands like Marriott, Hyatt and Imperial New Delhi, amongst others.

NEERAJ RAWOOT has been appointed as the executive chef. He joins as the pre-

opening member of the first DoubleTree Suites by Hilton in Asia Pacific. He will be responsible for conceptualising, sourcing, and opening the hotel’s all day dining and pan Asian destination-Asia Alive, the lounge barEquinox, and select gourmet store- Grab and Go and manage the 24hrs In-room dining services.

DoubleTree Suites

by Hilton Bangalore

Marco Groten

DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Bangalore has appointed LATHA NAIR as director of sales. She joins as the preopening member of the first

some of the best hospitality chains and food and beverages brands in the world.

Raghu Sapra

Four Points by Sheraton Penang KURT VIEREN has been appointed as general manager of the Four Points by Sheraton Penang, scheduled to open in October 2013. His career with Starwood Hotels & Resorts began in year 2000 when he was hired as the front office manager at Le Méridien Grand Hotel Nuremberg in Germany. In 2008, he was transferred to The Palace San Francisco as its hotel manager.

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PRODUCT TRACKER

Rational RATIONAL has widened its range of accessories with versatile roasting and baking pans. They are an ideal tool to prepare international pan-fried dishes such as tortillas, paella, Swiss Rösti, quiche, pancakes as well as small pizzas and cakes in the SelfCookingCenter whitefficiency or CombiMaster Plus. The special Trilax non-stick coating also prevents the products from sticking. The roasting and baking pan has side handles and is easily stacked, which makes it very easy to work with. The roasting and baking pans are available in two sizes (Ø 16 cm and Ø 25 cm).

Rational´s new VarioSmoker allows chefs to smoke meat, fish and vegetables, and get a tasty, natural smoking flavor without having to buy a separate smoker. The VarioSmoker is suitable for smoking meat, fish, and vegetables, and works with conventional smoke materials, such as wood chips or pellets. The real, original, and individual smoke flavor is achieved by natural fillings.

HACCP Manager Kit from Mittal International MITTAL International has introduced the HACCP Manager Kit which provides software, hardware and PC interface for collecting, reporting, analysing and storing of product temperature records and checklist documentation. The handheld is a datacollecting instrument designed to simplify the gathering of temperatures and the documentation of corrective actions as well as managing standard checklist processes.

The database software allows for customising up to 300 menu items and the handheld can store up to 3000 temperature readings. The handheld also holds up to 1500 checklist records (150 questions) with yes / no or numeric answers, and corresponding corrective actions.

LUXURINO-EUROTOP FROM KURLON KURLON has introduced its new premium mattress-Luxurino-Eurotop. Made with the latest Motion Sensor Index (MSI) technology, Luxurino allows one to have a peaceful sleep with no disturbance even when one’s partner changes his/her sleeping posture. This innovation comes hand- in- glove with another international feature-the Visco Elastic Foam also known as Memory Foam which creates a mould to support the body in any sleeping position, thus enhancing one’s comfort. The mattress is priced at `42091 for queen size.

Dupont Sarona green carpets ECOSOFT has introduced Dupont Sarona carpets which is made of Sorona Yarn. DuPont Sorona renewably sourced fiber is proof of the company's commitment to create innovative solutions that helps reduce dependence on fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A leading biopolymer, Sorona

106 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 15-30, 2013

contains 37 per cent annually renewable plantbased ingredients. Compared to nylon 6,6 Sorona production uses 40 per cent less energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 56 per cent.

weekend

Scene and heard

With Marcellus Baptista

Lounging around

Sanjay Suri, Gul Panag, Sangeeta Bijlani, Anita Dongre and Purab Kohli at the Tigre Blanc lounge

Urmila Matondkar at the Lakmé Fashion Week opening party at China House

Sound start China House at Grand Hyatt comes well and truly alive during Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW).

And that was the case this season, too, as it was the venue for the opening party of Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2013 presented by fashion brand Gas. The sound of cocktail chatter was heard as also the sound of the songs spun

by the in-house DJ. A mix of people from the film, TV and glamour world were there as also folk from the fashion fraternity. Enjoying the opening party were Urmila Matondkar, Sanjay Suri, Anita Dongre, Rocky S, Meiyang Chang, Parvathy Omanakuttan, Sangeeta Bijlani among many others.

EVERYONE SAID CHEERS at the Tigre Blanc lounge at LFW with celebrity mixologist Ulric Nijs in attendance, creating exciting cocktails with the vodka that is said to embody the very essence of French passion and luxury.

The lounge was host to pre

and post-show parties for fashion designers Anita Dongre, Little Shilpa, Anushka Khanna and Amit Aggarwal. Seen having a good time were Juhi Chawla, Urmila Matondkar, Sangeeta Bijlani, Genelia Deshmukh, Anushka Manchanda,

Sangeeta Assomull and Sagarika Ghatge. The lounge was also the perfect setting to introduce guests to the Tigre Blanc Special Edition Gold Vodka, described as the ultimate luxury vodka – a silky smooth spirit that is at once sensual, strong and satisfying.

Midweek mania THE LFW midweek party gave an opportunity for cohost Yauatcha to showcase its culinary delights. Nitin Motwani from Yauatcha at Bandra Kulra Complex welcomed guests like Amrita Puri, Rohit Bal, Pria Kataria Puri, Nikhil Thampi, Nishka Lulla, Ken Ferns, Shruti Sancheti, A D Singh and many more who were in for a treat with a food feast of

duck roll, chive pan-fried turnip cake, shitake mushroom dumpling, chicken dumpling, baked chicken puff, chive pan-fried turnip cake, shitake mushroom dumpling and many more tasty items. And it was time for party people to get into the spirit of the night with Tigre Blanc vodka, Teacher’s scotch whisky and Fratelli wines.

Pria Kataria Puri at the LFW midweek party at Yauatcha

New on the block

Dino Morea, Kanchi Kaul and Shabbir Ahluwalia at the launch of Club Alibii

CHANGE IS the name of the game. Well, that seems to be the case of the nightclub Athena that was transformed into Privé and then Ghost that was short-lived to give rise to the latest avatar called Club Alibii. This latest club is being described as a sensualist’s playground of controlled

chaos, designed around seven the pretext of seven ‘sins’ of Greed, Pride, Indulge, Chill, Vanity, Lust and Passion.

Occupying pride of place is the centrepiece spiral chandelier with over 500 crystal tubes appearing to pour down onto the dance floor in an array of colours, while a floating round

stage features a DJ console and a private VIP booth.

Spotted on launch night were the likes of Sohail Khan, Malaika Arora Khan, Avantika and Yash Birla, Mugdha Godse, Dino Morea, Kanchi Kaul, Pria Kataria Puri, Rocky S, Sachiin Joshi and Aditi Govitrikar.

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weekend

E VE EV NE TN ST S

GLIMPSES OF HRAWI REGIONAL CONVENTION PUNE 2013

ESTABLISHING FOOTPRINT L – R: Deepa Harris, SVP sales and marketing, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces; Ranjit Shankar, GM, The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai; Prabhat Verma, COO, The Gateway Hotels & Resorts and Natarajan Kulandai, corporate chef, The Gateway Hotels & Resorts at the launch of the The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai

108 EXPRESS HOSPITALITY September 16-30, 2013

NEW HORIZON L – R: Douglas Martell, vice president operations South West Asia, InterContinental Hotels Group and Mohit Goel, CEO, Omaxe has signed an agreement for the new Holiday Inn called Omaxe New Chandigarh

REGD.WITH RNI NO.MAHENG/2005/21391, REGD.NO.MH/MR/SOUTH-44/2013-15,PUBLISHED ON 2ND & 17TH EVERY FORTNIGHT, POSTED ON 3,4,5 & 18,19,20 OF EVERY FORTNIGHT POSTED AT MUMBAI PATRIKA CHANNEL SORTING OFFICE.