Food and Hospitality World January 1-15, 2014

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EDITOR’S NOTE

The art of giving

I

t was interesting to glance through a recent survey that termed India as the most giving nation in the world as we are pretty generous in our outlook towards charity and donations.

This is truly some comforting piece of information, especially when we are not used to hearing too many positive things about our country. Taking this discussion further, companies across the world are getting reasonably serious about CSR, and India too has made it mandatory for organisations to set aside two per cent of their profits toward CSR initiatives.

But, at times, one is forced to think about the term CSR, is it truly achieving its purpose towards genuinely helping the society at large or is it just a fashion statement or an eye wash of sorts to clock in a CSR initiative. There has been a long standing debate on how meaningful and effective CSR needs to be and that the time has come to look beyond tree plantation, blood donation and maintenance of local area gardens and façades.

While working towards the desire to

HEAD OFFICE Food & Hospitality World MUMBAI: Rajan Nair, Dattaram Kandalkar, Manish S. Global Fairs & Media Pvt. Ltd 2nd 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 manish.shringarpure@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

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

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FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

January 1-15, 2014

“There has been a long standing debate on how meaningful and effective CSR needs to be and that the time has come to look beyond ”

‘give back’ to the society/community, the question lies on whether new rules passed by the government actually make companies contemplate on their CSR initiatives.

This doubt arises from the recent rule that the corporate affairs ministry made under the draft CSR rules of the Companies Act 2013, stating that the CSR corpus would include two per cent of the average net profit, any income arising there from, and surplus arising out of CSR activities. It would be best if companies indulge in CSR voluntarily and out of convention than just convenience.

But being an optimist, I think the beginning has been made and we can all hope for a healthier, happier and honourable 2014.

January 2014 also brings to our readers India's leading hospitality trade exhibition Food Hospitality World (FHW), and as always we promise to offer our delegates a fruitful buyer-seller meet. Here's wishing all our readers a progressive and prosperous 2014.

REEMA LOKESH Editor

Tel: 040-23418673/23418674/ 23418675 (Tele-fax)/66631457 Fax: 040-23418678 E-mail: ashwanikumar.shukla@fhwexpo.in

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CONTENTS Vol 2 No.8 JANUARY 1-15-2014

INTERIORS & DESIGN

Chairman of the Board

Viveck Goenka Editor

Reema Lokesh* Assistant Editor

Steena Joy Associate Editor

Sudipta Dev CONTENT TEAM Mumbai

Kahini Chakraborty Rituparna Chatterjee Niharika Shukla

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Kolkata

Joy Roy Choudhury DESIGN National Art Director

Bivash Barua Deputy Art Director

Surajit Patro Chief Designer

Pravin Temble Senior Graphic Designer

Rushikesh Konka Layout

Ratilal Ladani Kiran Parker Scheduling & Coordination

Rohan Thakkar Photo Editor

Sandeep Patil MARKETING General Manager

Sachin Shenoy Marketing Team

Dattaram Kandalkar Rajan Nair Manish Shringarpure Ashwani Kumar Shukla Sreejith Radhakrishnan Pranshu Puri Yoginder Singh Ajanta Sengupta NATIONAL FOOD & BEVERAGE SALES

PEOPLE,PLANET AND PROFITS

Hotel companies are proactively engaging in corporate social responsibilityinitiatives in an effort to reiterate their commitment to a greener planet and the socio-economic welfare of local communities (26)

P14: NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

P16: PRODUCT TRACKER

INTERNATIONAL FOOD &

P37: LIFE

Soumodip Ghosh Rahul Bisht Marketing Coordination

Darshana Chauhan

Changing dynamics of overseas education

P39: MOVEMENTS Fairfield by Marriott, Bengaluru Rajajinagar

General Manager Manager

Bhadresh Valia

MORE THAN 100 CHEFS TO CHALLENGE THEIR CULINARY SKILLS AT GICC 2014

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KRISPY KREME OPENS FIRST OUTLET IN NORTHERN INDIA

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HOSPITALITY, DEFENCE ARE KEY MARKETS FOR TURKEY MEAT

THE SPIRIT OF SAYAJI THE LATE OWNER OF SAYAJI HOTELS, SAJID RAZAK DHANANI, WAS A COMPLETE PEOPLE’S PERSON

SPA & WELLNESS EDGE

OSIM uAngel

PRODUCTION

B R Tipnis

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MANAGEMENT

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas

Chandra Shekhar Sasi Kumar G Keshav Barnwal

HOSPITALITY SALES

MARKETS

THE LANGUAGE OF ART EACH JUSTA HOTEL BRINGS TOGETHER THE VALUE OF ART AND INDIAN CRAFTS WHILE PROMOTING INDIAN ETHOS

P50: WEEKEND Scene and heard by Marcellus Baptista

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A SPA GATEWAY MALAYSIA IS NOT JUST THE LAND OF DIVERSE CULTURES, MESMERISING SKYLINE AND SHOPPING, IT IS ALSO HOME TO THE FINEST SPAS IN ASIA

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INTELLIGENT LAUNDRY INVOTECH LAUNDRY SYSTEM INTEGRATES THE LATEST RFID TECHNOLOGY TO MOST EFFICIENTLY MANAGE INDUSTRIAL LAUNDRY OPERATIONS

Food & Hospitality World Published for the proprietors, Global Fairs & Media Private Limited, by Vaidehi Thakar at Express Towers, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021, and printed by her at Indian Express Press, Plot EL-208, TTC Industrial Area, Mahape, Navi Mumbai. Editor : Reema Lokesh* (*responsible for selection of news under PRB Act). @ 2012 Global Fairs & Media Private Limited. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in whole or part without the Publisher's permission is prohibited.

MARKETS

More than 100 chefs to challenge their culinary skills at GICC 2014

Kyndal India to set up malt distillery plant in Scotland

FHW Staff Mumbai

Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai

THE EIGHTH EDITION of the Great Indian Culinary Challenge 2014 (GICC), a major event of Food Hospitality World (FHW) exhibition, is set to witness participation from more than 100 chefs working with various leading hotels and hotel management institutes. GICC is supported by the Western India Culinary Association (WICA). GICC 2014 event will be judged by Chef Vernon Coelho, president, WICA; Chef Salil Fadnis, executive chef, Sahara Star, Mumbai and general secretary, WICA; and Chef Sabyasachi Gorai, executive chef, Ai, New Delhi. The 21st edition of FHW 2014 will be held at MMRDA grounds, Bandra Kurla Complex from January 23-25, 2014.

GICC is a food preparation competition involving senior and apprentice chefs from India. The competition provides a professional platform for culinary professionals in India to showcase their individual and collective skills, learn, share experiences, partner,

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The competition provides a professional platform for culinary professionals in India to showcase their skills and network in a competitive environment.

FHW is organised by Global Fairs & Media – a joint venture between Hannover Milano Fairs India and The Indian Express. The FHW exhibition is expected to host around 300 national and international exhibitors from different segments of the hospitality industry like F&B, interiors, kitchen equipment, housekeeping, bakery to name a few. The international exhibitors will consist of compa-

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January 1-15, 2014

nies from eight countries.

Apart from GICC, other featured events will include panel discussions-Hospitality Think Tank: The GM's Conclave, where general managers from leading hotel groups will share their insights on the topic - F&B: The Game Changer. The Hospitality Knowledge Exchange: Rooms of the Future will focus on state-of-the-art technologies and emerging trends in room design and interiors across all segments of the hospitality sector.

The Power of Purchase will witness purchase managers and decision makers of leading companies expressing their opinion on the topic The Timeless Procurement Challenge of Supplier Price versus Cost - Can we nail it?

The panel discussion has been organised in association with Hospitality Purchasing Managers' Forum (HPMF).

Besides these, other events such as Bar World, where wine and alcohol will be showcased, and tea and coffee tasting and sampling event will be held on all days of the exhibition.

KYNDAL INDIA, an importer, maker and distributor of premium spirits, has partnered with John Fergus & Co, promoted by Ian Palmer, to set up a new malt distillery and bonded warehouse in Glenrothes, Fife, Scotland. An investment of 6.7 million pounds has Siddharth Banerji been made in the project. Kyndal India has also received a grant of 1.58 million pounds from the Scottish government’s Food Processing Marketing and Co-operation Grant Scheme (FPMC) and Scottish Enterprise support of 240,000 pounds Regional Selective Assistance (RSA). Spread across 17 acres of land, the facility is expected to be operational by 2015. The project will focus on exporting to markets like India, Africa and the Far East. The project will aim at increasing Scotland's exports to India by offering high-quality and a wide range of premium scotch and ad-mix whisky brands to the Indian consumer and the HORECA (Hotel/Restaurant/Catering) sector.

Speaking about the reason for starting the project, Siddharth Banerji, managing director, Kyndal India stated, “We saw opportunities in emerging markets for the food and beverage industry where the demand for scotch is likely to grow manifold with the rationalisation in import duty structure. In order to maximise this huge opportunity, we have partnered with John Fergus & Co. The project will help us launch high-quality premium scotch and admix brands for the discerning Indian customers. It will also contribute to the expansion of the scotch whiskey industry in India by offering a new range of brands with a taste profile closer to the palate of the Indian consumer apart from bringing heritage of expertise and knowledge that Scotland has in the whisky segment to the country.”

Under this project, Kyndal Group will be producing Single Malt Scotch, Blended Scotch and ad mix whisky. “It is a long term decision that will help Kyndal Group to build malt whisky stock and have BIO brands. This project is likely to generate new exports worth 3.6 million pounds from Scotland over the next three years,” added Banerji.

MARKETS

AIH is now an IATA authorised training centre FHW Staff Mumbai APEEJAY INSTITUTE of Hospitality (AIH), an initiative of the Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels, is now an IATA authorised training centre in Navi Mumbai. It will offer the IATA foundation course in travel and tourism. This is a six months programme and the learning hours at the institute are six hours per week.

The batches are both weekdays as well as weekends so that students from other disciplines and professionals can also take up the course.

The eligibility for the programme is 10 + 2 / Undergraduate / Graduate in any discipline.

On successful completion of the programme, the candidates will be awarded the International Certification from IATA, Canada.

AIH will offer placements through campus interviews in international and domestic airlines, airport operations, travel agencies, tourism organisations, travel portals, airline back offices, hospitality and many more. The travel and tourism industry employs more than 200 million individuals worldwide, (source: IATA) in diverse areas such as travel sales, ticketing, hotel guest services and administration, nature reserve guides, cruise ship marketing, group sales, tour operations, packaging, specialty travel sales and attraction management among others. Responsible travel and tourism aims to bridge cultural differences, fostering an environment which enriches our lives through the bringing together of people for leisure, family get-togethers, business and educational purposes.

The candidates will get to acquire the knowledge and skill to work in an ever growing industry that contributes to making the world a global village. The international travel and tourism industry is expected to grow more than double in size in next decade.

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

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January 1-15, 2014

The IATA foundation course in travel and tourism is a comprehensive course to begin a career in travel and

tourism industry. It is a global qualification that certifies that the candidate has achieved a certain level of professional

competence. Facilities include air-conditioned class rooms, audio visual aids, access to library, internet lab and well

equipped computer lab for GDS. The institute has fulltime IATA qualified and experienced faculty.

MARKETS

Three Grand Mercure properties to open in India in 2014 Targets to open 50 properties under various brands

Samode Safari Lodge joins Relais & Chateaux global network Sudipta Dev Mumbai SAMODE SAFARI LODGE at Bandhavgarh, a part of heritage hotel group Samode Hotels, is the latest inclusion in the exclusive club of Relais & Chateaux luxury network.

The property that comprises of 12 villas, is located near the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve that has one of the largest concentration of tigers in the world. “We fell in love with Africa when we visited there several times and thought of creating something close to the experience here in India.

This led to building the Samode Safari Lodge. We have stuck to the basics of Samode style but did some innovation for this property,” said Yadavendra Singh, owner, Samode Hotels. Pointing out that this property is now a part of Relais & Chateaux family, Singh hoped that the association would continue for a long time.

Established in 1954, Relais & Chateaux will be complet-

ing 60 years in 2014. Currently there are 520 members in 62 countries. Joerg Drechsel, founder of Malabar House in Kochi, the first Relais & Chateaux property in India, and currently the chairman of the Asian chapter of Relais & Chateaux said, “Relais & Chateaux is an association. It is not a marketing company. It is not a chain of hotels or hotel companies, but a family of like-minded hoteliers. It is an exclusive club of hotels and restaurants. Food is an inte-

Relais & Chateaux is not a marketing company but a family of like-minded hoteliers

10 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD January 1-15, 2014

gral part of Relais & Chateaux culture. Relais & Chateaux properties are operated by passionate owners and we are happy that Samode Safari Lodge is joining us. The property has blended sophisticated Rajasthani essence with wildlife lodges of Africa and created something unique.”

Samode Safari Lodge conducts two scheduled safaris every day. Guests are accompanied by guides and naturalists. The architecture of the property has been inspired by local culture. The property comprises of two main lodges with lounges on the top floor.

Samode Hotels is one of Rajasthan's leading heritage hotel groups that is owned and managed by the descendents of the royal family of Samode. The properties in Rajasthan include Samode Palace, Samode Haveli and Samode Bagh. Samode Safari Lodge Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh is the group's first property outside the state.

Rituparna Chatterjee Pune ACCOR IS PLANNING to open three Grand Mercure properties in 2014. The three properties will be located in Vadodara, Goa and Bengaluru. Vadodara will have its first Grand Mercure which will be a 146 room inventory.

Presently Bengaluru has a Grand Mercure property in the form of serviced apartments which will be re-branded to suit the consumer and owner/developer preference in India. Speaking about the reason for choosing Vadodara for the brand, Lokesh Sabharwal, vice president, development - India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Accor stated, “ Vadodara is just one of the markets, we have Grand Mercure properties under development in Goa, Bengaluru and some other markets. But Vadodara is the first city where the brand will be first launched because this city is an important centre in Gujarat. Vadodara is a cosmopolitan and dynamic market. As a company we are not just focused on being in the metros but also going out in key cities/markets.”

Adding to this, Jean Michel Casse, senior vice president, operations - India, Accor stated, “Grand Mercure is existing but it is more recognised as serviced apartments and we are rebranding and re-launching this brand to make it specific to India. Novotel and ibis are standardised brands but we need to have more flexible brands like Grand Mercure that will be cus-

Lokesh Sabharwal

Jean Michel Casse

tomised to be more friendly to the Indian market and international travellers visiting India.”

Accor currently has eight Novotel properties in India including Novotel Pune which was launched in December 2013. The company has 12 Novotel properties under construction in India, of which seven are likely to open by 2015, two of which will open in Kolkata and Maharashtra in the the first quarter of 2014. All the Novotel properties will spread across Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Agra, Lavasa, Goa, Pune and Ahmedabad. The first quarter of 2014 will also see the opening of ibis in Delhi Aerocity.

MARKETS

StayWell Hospitality aims to open 18 properties in India by 2015 Signs two contracts with VSR Infratech for properties in Gurgaon Niharika Shukla New Delhi AUSTRALIA-BASED StayWell Hospitality Group has signed two contracts with VSR Infratech to open serviced apartments in Sector 68, Sohna Road and Sector 114 Avenue in Gurgaon. The serviced apartments in Sector 68 Gurgaon will comprise of 86 apartments and Sector 114 Avenue will have 120 apartments. The investment for Sector 68 Gurgaon is `60-70 crore and Sector 114 Avenue is a `70-80 crore project. These two projects are expected to be launched by January 2016.

The company ventured into India in 2012 and has signed seven properties under the Leisure Inn brand in Jaipur, West Gurgaon; Sector 114 Gurgaon; Mumbai; Greater Noida; Hyderabad; Raipur and one property in Goa which is under the Park Regis brand. The company aims to open 18 properties in India by 2015.

Speaking about the company's future expansion plans, Rohit Vig, managing director, StayWell Hospitality India revealed, “We are planning to expand towards central and southern Mumbai. After this contract, we will have 34 properties glob-

As our properties will be around Gurgaon, it will be suitable for business and leisure travellers ally under the two brand Park Regis and Leisure Inn.” Adding to this, Rakesh R Jain, director, VSR Infratech stated, “We are coming up with more than 500 serviced apartments in our mixed-use developments. The projects are being developed and managed by V-Square.”

The serviced apartments in

Sector 68 Gurgaon will have an all day dining restaurant, gym, spa and a swimming pool.

Guests can stay in the apartments from five to seven days to a year or two. “As part of our company's strategy we are focusing more on the growth in serviced apartments. Since our properties will be located

around the corporate hub of Gurgaon, it will be suitable for both business and leisure travellers, ” stated Simon Wan, CEO and managing director, StayWell Hospitality Group Global.

StayWell Hospitality Group manages multiple serviced apartment properties in Australia providing one and two bedroom apartments. The 14 Australian properties are located in Sydney, Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville, Hobart and Launceston. It also has properties in New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, United Kingdom and UAE.

MARKETS

'The potential in the market is beginning to attract new entrants' Sterling Holiday Resorts (India) which pioneered the timeshare concept in the country had to make significant investments in educating the market and in infrastructure and human resource skills. Ramesh Ramanathan, managing director, feels that the product has evolved with changing consumer holidaying patterns and aspirations. By Steena Joy Over 25 years, how has the timeshare segment evolved in India?

The Indian consumer of today is more discerning and seeks to explore a wider range of destinations and new holiday experiences. There is also an apparent shift from annual vacations to multiple short breaks with family and friends. According to industry estimates there are only around 350,000 Indian families who have invested in a vacation ownership plan, against an estimated potential market comprising of 110 lakh households.

What has been Sterling Holidays' contribution to building the time share market in India?

When Sterling entered the vacation ownership market, the concept was very new to India.

Not only did Sterling have to make significant investments in educating the market about the concept and the joy of holidaying with family and friends, but the company also had to accomplish the daunting task of simultaneously investing in infrastructure and human resource skills to deliver memorable holidays to customers.Sterling’s pioneering spirit also led the company to invest in developing new holiday locales. Sterling was the first to open a major resort in Munnar. Sterling opened a resort in Puri in the late 1900's and more recently in Karwar – an untouched and unexplored coastal town on India’s west coast.

After a terrific start, the company saw some rough patches. What went wrong?

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Vacation ownership is a cash flow positive business model, where members pay up-front for their future vacations. In 1996, we were generating healthy cash flows through timeshare sales. This gave us the confidence to embark on a five star resort project with two huge golf courses in Noida with the ambition of entering the luxury holiday experience segment. It is at this time, with the entry of multinational companies, consumers interests shifted from future holidays to luxurious white goods. Unfortunately, sentiments also began to dampen with the Asian financial crisis. Added to which, the timeshare industry saw the entry of strong competition in the form of Club Mahindra, backed

by Mahindra Group. In 18 months, our total sales had started dropping drastically, debts increased, occupancy levels dropped, and legal complications increased unfortunately. We have however regained lost ground, because of multiple efforts in the organisation.

What was the strategy used to regain profitability? How has the value of timeshare unit sales moved?

Ramesh Ramanathan

In 2011, we embarked on a resort renovation programme to bring our owned resorts to contemporary and best-in-class standards. Today, we have completely renovated three of our resorts in Kodaikanal, Munnar and Ooty. We have also simultaneously been working on renovating the inventory across other Sterling resorts and to date, have completed work on almost 50 per cent of our owned inventory. As the work progresses, we are currently anticipating that we will complete the current renovation programme over the next 18 months. We have added eight new resorts since 2011 in Cor-

The vacation ownership segment is interesting as it can be a debt free business. This segment enjoys upfront cash inflows by way of member acquisitions

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January 1-15, 2014

bett, Dharmshala, Gangtok, Goa, Karwar, Lonavala, Thekkady and Yelagiri.

In FY13, the company added 3,409 new Vacation Ownership members as compared to 2,490 in the previous year, an increase of 36.09 per cent. Average occupancy levels have also increased from 19 per cent to 43 per cent over the past three years.

What is your total room inventory? How have the occupancy levels fared in this recession?

Currently we have an inventory of 1512 rooms with plans to add another three to four resorts in the near future and the option to start greenfield projects in 15 additional sites. Since our core business is vacation ownership, our occupancy levels are not affected by economic cycles and we are actually seeing year-on-year growth.

Do you think non-metro cities offer potential for a timeshare product?

The resilience in the Indian economy appears to have penetrated in the smaller cities as well, opening up these markets to large retailers and big brands. Apart from this, the potential customer segment from non-metro cities are equally getting exposed to higher lifestyle standards, as they have started travelling across the globe. It is this hypothesis that makes non-metro cities a potential future market for Vacation Ownership.

Why are there not many players in the timeshare segment in India?

There are more players en-

tering the market now. While Sterling and Club Mahindra are the leading players with a wide resort network and large membership base, you now see a host of smaller players entering the market in the last couple of years. This indicates that the potential in the market is beginning to attract new entrants. As the number of companies in the segment increase, it will be good for the industry as awareness, understanding, desire and purchase will lead to accelerated growth.

How would you describe the financial health of the timeshare industry today?

The vacation ownership segment is interesting as it can be a debt free business. This segment enjoys upfront cash inflows by way of member acquisitions. This upfront cash flow constitutes to the maximum amount of finances or capital structure. Apart from this, there is always a healthy occupancy level at the resorts due to members holidaying, one-time hotel stays, and MICE events.

This means that there are additional sources of revenue in terms of F&B and holiday activities.

What are your projections for the timeshare industry in 2014-15?

Much depends on the Indian economy overcoming its current problems of high inflation, high interest rates and slowing growth; all factors which are dampening business and consumer sentiment leading to postponement of what is considered as discretionary spending.

MARKETS

Hospitality, defence are key markets for turkey meat Sudipta Dev Mumbai POPULAR in the Americas, Europe and the Middle East, turkey meat is still a novelty in India. Owned by Dan Turk Farms and Services, the Dancing Turkeys brand recently entered the India market with turkey meat products. The hospitality sector is currently the biggest target market for the company with the defence sector following next. “From the overall vertical perspective the hospitality segment is the first that we want to address – hotels, QSRs, fine dining restaurants. There is not a single brand which has a whole range

of turkey products – we are not just turkey meat suppliers but have a ready to cook range, processed as well as deli category. Chefs know all about turkey meat which they have being buying from overseas.

We are already in talks with leading hospitality groups,” said Sameer Mathur, managing director and CEO, Dancing Turkeys.

Banking on the nutritional value of turkey meat that is high in protein, low in cholesterol and negligible fat, the company is targeting the defence sector to provide nutritional food to the personnel working in the armed forces.

“In the US and Europe turkey

meat is recommended for pregnant women and children as they require protein. Education is there another important market segment for us,” mentioned Mathur. He points out that the export market is an-

other big area, particularly North Africa, Middle East, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia.

The company is sourcing the meat from some farms in south India. It has a facility in

Mysore for frozen product line, while the processing unit for ready to cook range is in Mohali. The future plans include an integrated facility in Himachal Pradesh. The state, according to Mathur, is ideal in terms of infrastructure and climate.

The company has tied up with leading chefs to create recipes for processed meat, which would go a long way in generating awareness about turkey meat among the masses. “Our vision is to be the number one brand for turkey meat outside the US,” asserted Mathur. A digital campaign has also been launched for generating interest.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas SIX SENSES HOTELS RESORTS SPAS has announced eight development concepts set to open over the next 36 months. Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain, the 113 suite and villa resort is the only resort located adjacent to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Chinese province of Sichuan, set to open in 2014. The 32 suite Six Senses Mont Blanc, nestled in the French Alpine area of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains will open in 2015, while Six Senses Bhutan which will have 82 guest suites will open in 2016. In 2016, the company will open Six Senses Wuma, located in the Jhih-ben hot spring area of Taitung in southeastern Taiwan, which will comprise of 50 suites and villas; Six Senses Ninghai in China will have 129 villas and Six Senses Freedom Bay will feature 73 pool villas and pool suites, a private Beach Club and 53 residential units. Six Senses Uluwatu, 120-suite and villa resort is an integration of Balinese cultural expressions through design. Six Senses Gammarth is ideally located on the Mediterranean Coast near the capital of Tunis offering 67 suites and pool villas plus 31 residences.

Known as the tallest residential building in the world, built on one of the most expensive pieces of land, Six Senses World One is located at Mumbai’s Worli district. Six Senses will manage the entire club house designed for residents and

select external guests. The company also has projects lined up in Pune- Evason Pune Belmondo and Evason by Six Senses will manage the entire club house which is approximately 6,400 square metres (69,000 square feet). Six Senses Spa at Al Bustan Palace sits 300 metres (980 feet) from The Ritz-Carlton managed resort in its own wadi (valley) complete with two secluded beaches. It follows the shape of the landscape and is hence built over three floors.

Le Cirque Signature, The Leela Mumbai MACCIONI RESTAURANT GROUP has announced the launch of Le Cirque Signature at The Leela Mumbai.

Le Cirque Signature offers signature and most popular specialties from the brand’s famous restaurants around the world along with new creations for Mumbai epicures

by Chef Matteo Boglione from the flagship Le Cirque, New York. Located on the hotel's top floor, Le Cirque Signature offers a 65-seat dining space, a highly personalised bar area, well-stocked wine cellars and an intimate private dining room.

Shanghai Club,WelcomHotel Holiday Inn Mauritius Airport Dwarka, New Delhi SHANGHAI CLUB, the Chinese cuisine and sushi bar restaurant of ITC Hotels, has opened with a new look at WelcomHotel Dwarka, New Delhi. Chef Liu Wen, former executive chef in Beijing’s Sichuan Restaurant and Sushi Master Venecio Cadavida will helm the daily functioning of the restaurant. An engraved texture mural of a cherry blossom tree adorns one of the 50 feet wall of the restaurant.

Thick slabs of red wood envelope the contemporary sushi bar and serve as tables, as an alternative there are mattress seating with lap tables for a more traditional Japanese dining experience.

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS GROUP has announced the opening of Holiday Inn Mauritius Airport on the island’s south east coast. The hotel’s food and beverage outlets include - an all-day dining restaurant, ‘1933’and a bar lounge, ‘Piper Navajo’. The 140-room hotel is surrounded by gardens which can be viewed from the hotel’s large terraces, including one adjoining ‘Piper Navajo’, and a north-west facing pool terrace with a stepped, infinity pool. Holiday Inn Mauritius Airport boasts of 450 sq mt of meeting space, including a boardroom and four meeting rooms with garden break-out access.

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MARKETS

Krispy Kreme opens first outlet in northern India Niharika Shukla New Delhi KRISPY KREME, US-based international retailer of premiumquality sweet treats, including its signature original glazed doughnut, recently opened its first outlet in the northern region, in New Delhi, at Select City Walk.

The company entered the India market in January 2013 and presently has five outlets in Bengaluru. The company functions with two master franchisees in India with the southern and western region being handled by Citymax India, which is a part of the Landmark Group of Dubai while the northern region is being handled by Bedrock Foods.

Krispy Kreme will be launching its sixth outlet in Bengaluru this month. “We have received an encouraging response from the public within the first week itself. We plan to expand further with 35 outlets in the northern region in the next five years. To make the doughnuts suitable for the India market we have made sure that the doughnuts are 100 per cent vegetarian. We currently offer 16 flavours and are planning to come up with new ones once we see the customers response to the existing range,� said Amiteshwar Singh Sethi, manager, marketing and communications, Krispy Kreme, North India.

PRODUCT TRACKER

OSIM uAngel

OSIM INDIA has launched OSIM uAngel, a lifestyle sofa that transforms from a small sofa into a full-body massage chair.

This sofa comes in five home-interior colours - celestial white, stellar red, mystique grey, green and cosmic blue. OSIM uAngel presents a suite of five professionally designed massage programmes such as neck and shoulders, lumbar, relax, energise and de-stress. OSIM uAngel is priced at `1, 50,000.

Natural Variation from Pergo PERGO has come out with its patented design feature Natural Variation, a unique production process that gives each plank a chalked and rustic look and creates endless pattern variations like wood. Natural Variation is offered in classic plank format with four bevelled edges featuring Pergo’s new Embossed-In-Register surface texture. Decors vary from light blonde oak to dark coffee, with grey and taupe in between. All Natural Variation products feature the company’s TitanX surface, which makes them suitable for high-wear domestic environments as well as moderatewear public areas. Other patented technologies include PerfectFold for easy installation and Compact SoundBloc for built-in sound reduction. The planks are available in 1226 mm x 400 mm and are priced at `235/sq ft.

Ceramiche Trea LIVING IN STYLE has launched its new collection of artifacts from Ceramiche Trea. The high quality ceramics are imported from Italy and include big sized items like indoor fountains, vases, columns, lamps, etc in gold and platinum. All the items are hand crafted.

Tangerine Home Couture INDIAN HOME VARIATIONS has launched Tangerine Home Couture, a collection which comprises of an array of bedsheets, comforters, duvets, pillow cases, towels, napkins and shower curtains. In addition to bed and bath products, Tangerine Home Couture also has a collection of mugs, handbags, bath mats that are coordinated to represent each colour.

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MARKETS

Park Hotel opens GSO in India FHW Staff Mumbai PARK HOTEL GROUP has announced the opening of its ninth global sales office (GSO) in New Delhi. The group is also establishing its tenth GSO in Jakarta, Indonesia. The establishment of the GSO is part of the group’s strategy to expand and strengthen the group’s sales network and global customers reach across key source markets. Travellers from India and Indonesia constitute part of the group’s top 10 source markets for its portfolio of hotels. Mohd K Rafin, chief corporate officer, Park Hotel Group said, “The group is actively expanding across Asia Pacific and with the two new GSO in India and Indonesia, it is an opportunity for us to capitalise on these major markets.”

“India and Indonesia have always been our key source markets. With a dedicated sales office in New Delhi and Jakarta, we are able to provide better support to global customers and partners at a local level and to attend to their requests more efficiently. This would also provide us the opportunity to better tap

on the existing and potential distribution channels in these countries. Extending our network reach is in line with our strategy to build brand preference through effective communications and our commitment to deliver exceptional service with love and passion,” he added.

The GSO in India will be headed by Sheema Vohra, director of sales for GSO India, New Delhi. Vohra will manage the development and execution of a strategic sales plan across India to promote Park Hotel Group’s

portfolio of hotels. She will also oversee the management of global corporate accounts in India and the expansion of corporate, leisure and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Exhibition) segments while building long-standing relationship with key business partners.

Park Hotel Group’s sales network also comprises of offices in major gateway cities around the world, namely Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tokyo, London and Australia.

WTTCII announces new office bearers for 2014 FHW Staff Mumbai THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of World Travel and Tourism Council, India Initiative (WTTCII) was held on December 5, 2013 in New Delhi. The following have been appointed as office bear-

ers of WTTCII for the year 2014: Dipak Deva, chief executive manager, destination management, India and South Asia, Kuoni Destination Management has been appointed as chairman, WTTCII for the year 2014. Deva, who was the vice chairperson of WTTCII

for the year 2013, takes over from Priya Paul, chairperson, The Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels who completed her term.

Manav Thadani, chairman, HVS, South Asia has been appointed as vice chairman of WTTCII for the year 2014.

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SPA & WELLNESS

A SPA GATEWAY T

HERE ARE countless number of spas and wellness centres in Malaysia. “The age old traditions and concepts in Malaysia have been incorporated into an array of wellness and spa treatments offered to the tourists. Malaysia’s multicultural diversity is the sole influence for the variety of wellness secrets acquired from the Chinese, Indians and the local Malays. Further, being one of the oldest rainforests in the world with over 8,000 herbal species, Malaysia’s spa treatments are based on the medicinal values of these herbs,” says Manoharan Periasamy, director, Tourism Malaysia.

Malaysian spa treatments primarily consist of aromatic essences of herbs like Serai (lemongrass), LimauPurut (kaffir lime), Sireh (betel leaves) and Pandanus as opposed to sweet smelling rose or lavender fragrance of the west. Malaysian beauty treatments adapted from Malay, Peranakan, Borneo, orang asli cultures are already appearing in several spa menus nationwide.

Various spas in Kuala Lumpur are well-known for a unique range of treatments they offer, providing one with an experience of a lifetime. For instance, The Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur is the most serene and mesmerising experience. You can escape into their massage therapies, body treatments, salon services, facial treatments and much more. The Swasana Spa, Impiana KLCC Hotel Kuala Lumpur is made for the hectic traveller as it allows them to indulge in their tranquil treatments, like hand and feet care therapies, facial care and relaxing baths.

The Spa, at Traders Hotel

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Malaysia is not just the land of diverse cultures, mesmerising skyline and shopping, it is also the home to the finest spas in Asia

in Kuala Lumpur (KL) by Shangri-la is located at the rooftop of the hotel. It offers a splendid view of the KL skyline.

Mandara Spa of Sunway Resort & Spa, Kuala Lumpur is well equipped with two double spa suites with steam and shower, three single spa suites, four single spa rooms, one Thai massage room, outdoor verandah, manicure and pedicure pavilion and a Relaxation Pavilion. Signature Spa of Shangri-La Hotel Putrajaya lets you pamper your mind as you spend your time trying their body scrubs and wraps.

St Gregory at The Parkroyal Hotel in Penang is a perfect place to experience a rejuvenating experience. This spa is known for its body massages, extensive range of facial and other therapeutic treatments such as Thalgo marine facial and massage treatments.

Heavenly Spa at The Westin Langkawi Resort and Spa Langkawi is an airy beach front property which enhances your relaxing experience. The Four season Resort Langkawi has a unique set of treatments that are divided into air, water, light, nourishment yoga and wellness services.

V Botanical Spa at The Andaman Langkawi is the first spa in Southeast Asia to offer 100 per cent certified organic food grade products.

Perched high on a verdant hillside overlooking the Datai Bay and nestled amidst the serenity of an ancient rainforest, V Botanical Spa offers unique treatments such as the signature Kahuna Wave Massage, the award winning 'Chi Tsang' and Gem Stone Facial that won the 2011 Harpers Bazaar award for 'Best Healing Hands'.

SPA & WELLNESS

England's leading spa town is a hub for spa education The University of Derby Buxton, hailed as the best in the world for spa management courses, is fast becoming recognised as a global hub for spa education and training

T

HE UNIVERSITY of Derby Buxton is helping to meet an industrywide shortage of professionally qualified managers identified by an international survey. "I've studied the educational market and I believe that Buxton is doing this better than any University in the world.” says Anna Bjurstam, leading spa expert.

Worldwide, 180,000 people work as spa managers - but there are currently only 4,000 students enrolled in spa management degree programmes, a Spa Management Career Trends Survey undertaken in response to a Global Spa & Wellness (GSWS) report has revealed.

The survey was led by Swedish spa expert Bjurstam, who told the 2013 Buxton Spa and Wellness Conference that the University was "a pioneer in spa management internationally" because it gives students hands-on experience in realworld work situations.

Bjurstam, a 'master of spa' who has advised on setting up spas in 60 countries, says, "If the industry knew how good your students are, then they would be standing in line to employ them."

Victoria Higgs, programme leader BSc (Hons) International Spa Management at Buxton, says Anna's comments, coupled with the demand for professionally-trained spa managers, added up to a ringing endorsement of the university's realworld learning ethos.

"It's about putting business and management training into the spa context using experien-

tial learning," says Higgs. Combining on-the-job training with academic studies had this year led the university to beat Oxford and Cambridge in a league table of graduates gaining work within six months of receiving their degrees, whether they were in spa management, culinary arts, sports or outdoor leadership.

The Buxton Spa and Wellness Conference has been growing in size and global influence year by year. Three of the five speakers at the 2013 event were international experts.

Buxton is recognised as England's leading spa town, and at

the conference, Bjurstam also says, "I've studied the educational market and I believe that Buxton is doing this better than any University in the world. A £32 million-plus project is on to transform the Grade I listed Crescent (directly opposite the Pump Room) into a five-star 79bedroomed spa hotel using Buxton’s natural thermal waters, due to open in 2015.

Buxton is host to an annual Wells Dressing Festival established in 1840 and three wells are dressed in the town every year.

Market Place Well and St. Ann’s Well in The Crescent are

dressed by volunteers and the Children’s Well in Spring Gardens is dressed by pupils from Buxton Community School with teams spending as many as 300 hours on just one creation.

"One of the reasons is that you pass on hands-on knowledge. It's not just about running a spa, it's about giving treatments.

That's such an important factor, knowing what it is like to do eight hours of massage, five days a week. You can't understand it unless you have done it," says Bjurstam, who owns Raison d'Etre Spas and is also vice president of Six Senses Spas and responsible for its 30 spa portfolio.

The survey The Spa Management Career Trends Survey has been released in response to a Global Spa & Wellness (GSWS) report

which raised issues around a lack of trained spa managers, spa specific training courses and investment into training. The survey indicated a huge gap between what spa managers know is important and what they feel has actually been attained in training The initial report, released at the 2012 GSWS entitled Spa Management Workforce & Education: addressing Market Gaps, said that there are currently 4,000 students worldwide enrolled in spa management degree programmes. However there are 180,000 spa managers working in the industry worldwide, and this figure is growing, indicating that the number of spa management degrees available are not meeting the industry’s hiring needs for welltrained personnel.

The follow up survey, carried out by a sub-committee led by vice president of spa & wellness at Six Senses Hotels Anna Bjurstam, came to several conclusions after surveying 548 participants of whom hold various managerial roles in the spa industry. The findings of the nonscientific survey suggested that spa associations from around the world should have a hub for mentor/mentee connections, which are severely lacking at present.

When asked about formal training, 32 per cent of respondents said they had not taken a single spa specific management training course and 37 per cent said they felt the majority of their spa management education came from on-the-job learning.

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INTERIORS & DESIGN

THE LANGUAGE OF ART Bringing together the value of art and Indian crafts along with promoting Indian ethos, each property of Justa Hotels & Resorts exhibits unique experiences through its hospitality culture

By Niharika Shukla

B

ELIEVING that art is the ultimate expression of culture, Ashish Vohra, founder and CEO, Justa Hotels & Resorts and his wife have gone the extra mile to incorporate various artistic designs of the regions into the interiors of their properties. The main agenda of the company has been to develop as an inspirational Indian brand delivering unique experiences to its guests. As art precedes over just the decor in each of the properties, it is the melange of these paintings and artistic designs on the walls that play a dynamic role in depicting the warm Indian culture and hospitality. Their commitment towards creating a special niche for small luxury hotels, can be seen in the company's logo which denotes a tree, an eternal symbol of life. Designed by Mrinal Dey, a young, talented painter from Shantiniketan, the logo is augmented by a vertical strata of rainbow colours, the hues of which are reflected in the art, fabric and furnishings used at Justa.

Presently with 11 properties operational across India, the company started its business in 2005 in Bengaluru and stands on its four foundation pillarsluxury, contemporary, green and Indian. The company has grown organically and has a mixture of own hotels, revenue share and management contract model. Speaking about

his passion for art, Vohra says, “Art connects the past to the future. I wanted to provide a format which would help in defining luxury and also provide a visual treat for guests.

Hence we are giving a chance to young talented artists and reviving various art forms of our culture. It is a corporate social responsibility programme which we have taken up as we want our guests to know more about our art and heritage.”

The company recently entered Rajasthan with a hotel each in Udaipur and Chittorgarh. Talking about the latest developments, he highlights on Lake Nahargarh Palace in Chittorgarh which is set in the middle of a private lake and is surrounded by 80 acres of land and abundant wildlife. “This property was a Hunting Lodge made by the Royal Family of Salumber & Parsoli. It was then bought over by late Maharaj Nahar Singh Ji of Ralavata and developed by his son Raja Jitendra Singh Rathore of Ralavata into a magnificent palace,” he reminisces. The resort has 35 lake view rooms around a lush green courtyard, an all day dining restaurant, conference hall and an infinity pool and spa. On the other hand, The Rajputana, Udaipur located near Math Savina, 10 minutes from the city centre is set against the backdrop of the Aravallis. The resort comprises of 46 rooms, an all day dining restaurant

20 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD January 1-15, 2014

Ashish Vohra

with an Alfresco dinning, a bar by the pool garden and a ‘Winter Grill by the Poolside’, a conference hall, massage centre and a swimming pool making it an ideal choice for both the business and leisure travellers.

Taking centrestage Highlighting on the intricacies of the art work done in these resorts in Rajasthan, Vohra informs that Abhijit Mukherjee from Kolkata has contributed his paintings which are a modern interpreta-

tion of Rajasthan's culture and heritage which have been done using fine water colours on canvas. “The famous Pichwai paintings which have been displayed in both these resorts are one of the most antique paintings done on cloth many centuries ago and are used mainly in temples,” he mentions.

The uniqueness of the Pichwai paintings work style revolves around the figure of Shrinathji as a manifestation of Lord Krishna. The paintings have themes such as raas leela, holi, Govardhan puja or Annakut.

The style of these paintings is from the Nathdwara School where big eyes, wide nose and heavy body characterise the works. Elements such as moon, lighting, stars and sun also get prominent place in the paintings.

INTERIORS & DESIGN that, “Today Indian as well as foreign travellers are recognising our work as our focus on art has come out as a different and prominent feature of our resorts. Our guests ask us to give them diffent rooms each time they stay with us as they want to see the artwork displayed in the other rooms as well. This

Both these resorts showcase sculptures of Lord Buddha and women in various poses in the lobby. “Hailing from Udaipur as a sculptor Amba Lal has showcased his stone art work while Karina Pawar has showcased her painting skills using bright colours to paint women's faces,” he mentions.

Others who have contributed their art to these resorts include young talented painters from Kolkata like Tamal Krisna, Tapas Ghosal and graphics by masters like Jogen Chaudry, Sonath Kar, Prashant Phirangi, Vishwanath, Ajit Seal, Atul Saikia, Deepak Rajbhir, Ganesh Doddamani, K Seshagiri Rao, Kali Krishna, Kanwar Deep, Khandelawal Pawar, Kishore Rao and masters of Madhubani paintings like Malleshi Hullen, Manoj, Mohan, Mrinaldey, Pinaki Barua, Somnath Baumi and Tapan Mitra amongst others.

Different experiences The decor in each of its resort across India reflects the culture and art of the particular region. The design philosophy of the resorts are based on balance of colour, form, proportion, scale, light, art, which has been juxtapositioned with the old and new. “Every effort has been made to use materials and techniques that illustrate the concept of layering, textures, mystery, unveiling, etc. Textiles that have been used in the decor have a sense of modernity yet are ornate, opulent, but intensive,” Vohra explains.

The company has been getting positive responses from its guests, he points out, adding

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kind of response acts a great boost for us and makes our artwork more soulful.” The company has also been in the forefront to work towards environmental conservation.

Steps such as solar and biofuel hot water system, recycling of linen and towels to reduce water and detergents

usage, CFL and LED lighting in most parts of the hotel, efficient waste management - recycle bins used across the hotel to segregate bio-degradable and non-recyclable waste, window films placed to reduce heating and cooling loads, procurement of recycled goods/materials, materials in

the hotels procured through organic fair trade, cruelty free processes and child labour free products and services and rain water harvesting to reduce global warming and carbon footprints, in conserving energy, water and efficient management of waste have been undertaken in both the resorts.

cover )

PEOPLE, PLANET AND PROFITS Hotel companies are proactively engaging in corporate social responsibility initiatives in an effort to reiterate their commitment to a greener planet and the socio-economic welfare of local communities

BY KAHINI CHAKRABORTY

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(

S

upporting the three main pillars of sustainable development - social, economic and environmental, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a serious initiative that hotels and other sector companies are either looking at or are already undertaking for the betterment of the people and the planet. Even though there are many interpretations and definitions for CSR, according to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD): “Corporate social responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large.”

While working towards the desire to ‘give back’ to the society/community, the question lies on whether new rules passed by the government actually make companies contemplate on their CSR initiatives. This doubt arises from the recent rule that the corporate affairs ministry made under the draft CSR rules of the Companies Act 2013, stating that the CSR corpus would include two per cent of the average net profit, any income arising there from, and surplus arising out of CSR activities.

Welcoming the proposal, Punish Sharma, area general manager, Meluha The Fern opines that the new rule is an excellent directive to encourage businesses to consciously work towards social initiatives. “However, the activities which can be termed as CSR need to be defined in order to rule out a possibility of unscrupulous activity as well as ex-

Indian corporate houses now need to look beyond the traditional outlook of 'charity' and develop more concise and holistic CSR strategies haustively include all current initiatives of companies. Further companies should also be encouraged to report CSR initiatives to encourage stakeholder scrutiny and build trust,” he strongly cautions. Opining the same, Aradhana Lal, vice president corporate communications and sustainability initiatives, Lemon Tree Hotels says, “The new bill will certainly ensure that companies across the board spend on CSR activities. However, a strong belief and commitment is required to make any CSR initiative sustainable over the long term and its best when companies do it voluntarily and out of conviction.”

Further the proposal specifies that funds can be utilised in areas such as eradication of hunger and poverty, education, reducing child mortality, environment sustainability, upgrading vocational skill and social entrepreneurship. The draft provisions also state that corporates who undertake CSR activities through trusts or societies set up for the purpose would have to specify projects and establish a monitoring mechanism to ensure that funds are appropriately utilised. There are, however, limitations on contributions to trusts not set up by the company, and would only qualify if the trust has an established track record of at least three years. Upbeat on the proposal, Yasmin D Poonegar, director of

Corporate Communications, Hyatt International South West Asia is also in agreement, stating, “This is a landmark decision making India among the first nation to have social welfare spending as part of company statute by law. In order to maximise the impact of their CSR efforts, Indian corporate houses now need to look beyond the restricted and traditional outlook of 'charity' and develop more concise and holistic CSR strategies with potential for large-scale social and economic impact as well as mold business health.”

Brand building Still why engage in CSR activities? According to some, companies need to practise CSR because it is the 'right' or moral thing to do and profit making should not be the motive for businesses. While on the other hand, businesses should indeed be driven by profits alone, and CSR, is actually in line with its ultimate goal as it helps to become more profitable in the long run.

However, the ability to make a significant difference in communities and the society at large, has clearly been identified by guests as a major measuring tool for a hotel’s positive perception and acceptance by consumers.

While financial economics is still important, the increased complexity of global markets, sophistication of consumers, as well as

THE MAIN FOCUS

the increased importance of environmental and social welfare, have changed the way successful organisations look at CSR. Today, fulfilling CSR is not just a mere compliance to corporate functioning norms but instead has evolved into a platform to building a responsible brand image that draws much required attention from interested and potential stakeholders. The benefits of an effective CSR approach to an organisation can include a diverse range of positives like - stronger employee performance and profitability, enhanced employee relations and company culture, improved relations with stakeholders, access to international social welfare opportunities and stronger relationships with communities and legal regulators.

Indeed hotels today have come a long way from being stylish establishments of hospitality services to a more matured role of responsible corporates fulfilling sustainable corporate philanthropy efforts. This evolution in a hotel is deeply appreciated by guests and helps add a more human touch and appeal to a brand, thereby building on consumer acceptance. Hence, “an effective and well – implemented CSR plan can offer variety of potential business benefits such as operational efficiency, motivated employees that experience pride at work, enhanced customer loyalty; stronger relationships with communities and regulatory bodies; and more importantly an improved and trusted brand image,” highlights Sharma.

Different initiatives So how are hotels engaging themselves into the betterment of the society? Businesses like Meluha The Fern, which follows the 'triple bottom line' approach, utilise their potential to drive transformational change in

“Hyatt Earth drives environmental stewardship across our hotels” Yasmin D Poonegar Director of corporate communications, Hyatt International South West Asia

“Our differently abled employees are at par with the other employees” Dhunji Kavarana Area Manager (West) and GM, ITC Maratha

“Employee engagement through CSR activities is a key benefit” Graham Grant GM, The Leela Palace Udaipur

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cover ) “CSR can offer a variety of business benefits” Punish Sharma Area GM, Meluha The Fern

“A strong belief and commitment is required ” Aradhana Lal VP - corporate communications and sustainability initiatives, Lemon Tree Hotels

“CSR focus areas for most hotel companies differ” Andreas Kraemer GM, Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat & Spa

“Serving the community is an important part of doing business” Neesha Mohapatra Director of human resources, Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel & Lakeside Chalet Marriott Executive Apartments

societies through innovative systems and processes even as they generate economic wealth. Talking about why CSR activities are becoming important for hotels, Sharma points out, “CSR activities are increasingly becoming important for hotel companies in order to safeguard natural resources on which their very sustenance is dependent, to enrich societies in which they play an integral role, to build trust with all stakeholders, and to ensure sustainable growth. UNIDO defines CSR as 'being the way through which a company achieves a balance of economic, environmental and social imperatives (triple-bottom-line- approach), while at the same time addressing the expectations of shareholders and stakeholders.”

In the case of Lemon Tree Hotels, they currently have 147 employees with disabilities (EWDs) in their teams. “They work across different areas of all our hotels e.g. housekeeping, kitchen stewarding and F&B service. This is currently just under six per cent of the total staffing of the 24 hotels we own/operate across India. Our CSR initiative is more of an extension of our natural affinity for creating an equal space for all our people. It is a part of our corporate philosophy. And so, when it came to HR practices at our hotels, this became an unspoken value which we instilled in our team,” elaborates Lal. Even though it has been only a year of operations for the property, Andreas Kraemer, general manager, Hilton Shillim Estate Retreat & Spa boasts of the effort that the hotel is taking to engage the local community and mould people who are interested in making a career in the hospitality space. “Hence we are giving them the product and training,” replies Kraemer. The CSR focus areas for most hotel companies differ with the international groups introducing their global corporate responsibility platform in India. Another such example is Marriott International which holds its strong, ingrained Marriott ‘Spirit to Serve’ heritage. Renaissance

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CSR activities are becoming important for hotel companies in order to safeguard natural resources on which their very sustenance is dependent Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel has been constantly contributing to the society through its initiatives. “Renaissance’s spirit to serve the community is demonstrated every day by associates as we extend our help to support local, national, and international CSR initiatives and programmes. Serving the community is an important part of doing business 'the Marriott Way and Rising Star' is our contribution towards making the world a better place to live in,” says Neesha Mohapatra, director of human resources, Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel & Lakeside Chalet Marriott Executive Apartments.

“To achieve our goals, Hyatt Thrive focuses on four areas that we believe are essential to a thriving community - environmental sustainability; economic development and investment; education and personal advancement; health and wellness.

The two programmes - Hyatt Earth and Hyatt Community engage our associates around the world in these four areas. Hyatt Earth drives environmental stewardship across our hotels, while Hyatt Community strengthens our community impact through volunteerism, philanthropy and disaster relief,” says Poonegar. In the Leela Group, it is the chairman Capt CP Krishnan Nair who inspires the entire group’s CSR activities.

There is a programme called as Leela Cares for social and environmental activities. The ITC Group has a number of projects focused on education, community, health, environment, etc. At ITC Maratha, Mumbai, it is the fact that the hotel has employed a respectable number of differently abled people in various key

departments like housekeeping, F&B production, HR, front office. “We’ve made sure that they are at par with the other employees. This initiative speaks volumes about our culture of inclusiveness,” states Dhunji Kavarana, area manager (West) and general manager, ITC Maratha.

Engaging manpower Among the many initiatives that hotels are associated with, there are of course a few projects that are close to the heart of the organisation/ hotel. Graham Grant, general manager, The Leela Palace Udaipur avers that the project that provided training and employment to underprivileged students from local community, is something that the hotel is particularly proud of.

Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel has been associated with a few local NGOs from around the vicinity to whom the hotel’s support and contribution has been valuable.

For over two years now, the hotel has been actively involved to make a significant difference to the life of aged people at the Little Sisters of the Poor.

Lal mentions that Lemon Tree Hotels is the largest buyer nationally of tribal art from Bastar, Madhya Pradesh. This enables the group to support poor tribal craftsmen in this region and allows the chain to showcase their art extensively across its hotels. It is also a large supporter of art objects promoted by People for Animals (PFA). This money helps support the initiatives undertaken by PFA for the welfare and care of animals across India. “By engaging in a cross section of CSR initiatives, we are able to leverage our effort

on a larger scale and in different ways. This has helped us widen the impact over the years,” replies Lal. On the other hand Meluha The Fern, an Ecotel Hotel and a Gold rated LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified hotel is passionate about conserving the environment. This passion resonates in their CSR programme which is focussed on Millennium development goalEnsuring environment sustainability. “Along with innovative environment friendly systems and processes implemented in the hotel, we also undertake environment awareness programmes such as cycle rally on Car-free Day, clean-up drive at Powai lake after the Ganesh idol immersion, vermiculture demos to citizens, switching off non-essential lights during Earth Hour, educating guests about the environment practices followed in the hotel, ecoantakshari competitions, ecoGanesha competitions, environment awareness with students, best out of waste competitions etc,” informs Sharma, adding that, “We begin with an initial assessment of our core objectives, risks and opportunities of our business to formulate an effective CSR strategy. This helps in creating positive change while reducing the negative impacts of our business. In order to be sustainable over the long term our CSR programme involves the entire value chain of owners, architects, operators, employees, suppliers and hotel guests.

Further the activities we organise as a part of the programme are creative, innovative and encourage employee participation. Also these initiatives are communicated to all stakeholders and the community,” says Sharma.

Hyatt recognises that different areas have different social development needs. “Hence to better the chance of fulfilling our organisational welfare objectives we first identify the environment’s most pressing issues, draft solutions and in the end

( work on sole or collaborated focused efforts towards achieving our objectives. We are continually working towards spreading awareness that in today’s world, financial balances are not the sole aim of business,” mentions Poonegar.

There are many tangible as well as intangible advantages of CSR activities for a hotel. The key ones, believes Grant, are employee engagement through CSR activities and guest participation and acknowledgment being a responsible company.

According to Lal, it makes sense to impart relevant employability skills to EWD’s (employees with disabilities) in those job profiles where their disability is not a disadvantage.

“So we try for optimal placement – giving differently abled employees roles or placing them in positions where they are not at a disadvantage (for instance, in workplaces where there is significant noise, it can actually be an advantage to have a hearing and speech impaired employee in that area),” says Lal, pointing out that, EWDs have a greater sense of loyalty to the organisation and the turnover ratios in this group is much lower than that of the company overall. For them, being given an opportunity to make a living for themselves and becoming a part of society makes them feel proud and happy and hence loyal to the organisation. “Due to these two outcomes, they can then be employed routinely and on an equal footing with other people (rather than as a CSR or charitable initiative) which is the only sustainable policy in the long run,” she adds.

Many challenges More than challenges, industry experts feel that a lot of time needs to be spent in understanding what the company’s CSR approach should be. Lal exclaims, “In our case we needed to learn and understand what infrastructure and environment needs to be built at our hotels to ensure that the EWDs are easily able to perform their job.”

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January 1-15, 2014

Also despite rapid advances, CSR in India has been facing numerous problems like lack of transparency, absence of well-defined CSR norms and regulations, nar-

row perception of corporates towards CSR, lack of community engagement and participation in CSR activities, low awareness level, etc. Another significant challenge is to jus-

THE MAIN FOCUS

tify spending on activities which have immeasurable intangible benefits. “A debatable solution is to organise activities which tangibly benefits both the company as well the

community. However, the new mandate of two per cent diversion of profits into CSR now assists organisations in justifying the same,” affirms Sharma.

ADVERTORIAL

KERALA TOURISM

RESPONSIVE T WEB DESIGN Kerala Tourism's official website has been relaunched with a responsive design optimised for viewing on multiple devices, including mobile phones and tablets

26 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD January 1-15, 2014

he website, www.keralatourism.org, has been rebuilt with HTML 5 which offers a far superior browsing experience for users than before, and an interface that automatically gets customised for the device accessing it, be it a laptop, desktop, a smartphone or a tablet. The award-winning website hosts 1,500 images and 3,000 videos and provides a virtual tour of destinations besides interactive tools such as intelligent itinerary planner, online galleries, video quizzes, webcasts, ebooks and e-newsletters. The contentrich portal has all the information that a traveller to Kerala would need. “As we expand our tourism promotional

activities to more countries, we are also taking every effort to ensure all our services are world-class. Kerala is keen to attract the tech-savvy global traveller and we are happy to be offering them the incentives to visit our state,” says A P Anil Kumar, tourism minister, Government of Kerala.

A pioneering effort Kerala Tourism’s website is currently available in 18 languages, including seven Indian languages. On an average, the site gets more than 250,000 visits a month. “Kerala Tourism has been a pioneer in using information technology for destination promotion and we have kept pace with advance-

ADVERTORIAL

ments that have transformed the way people are travelling worldwide. Our focus now is on maximising the use of technology not just in promotion but also across all our products and services,” says Suman Billa, tourism secretary, Government of Kerala. Since its launch the redesigned website has been getting steadily increasing page views. For the tech-savvy traveller who switches constantly between multiple gadgets, the new Kerala Tourism website provides a uniform, high-quality viewing experience on all de-

vices, large and small. “The new website has a very contemporary design that is visually appealing, with a clutter-free interface and easy access. We will be adding more videos, images and interactive content in the future,” adds S Harikishore, tourism director, Government of Kerala.

The official website was launched in 1998 as an HTML website with a weekly e-mail newsletter. It has since won numerous awards, including the prestigious Award of Excellence instituted by the Government of

India for the Most Innovative Use of Information Technology and Best Tourism Website Portal during the years 2000-2001, 2002-2003, 2005-2006 and 201011. International recognition for the tourism department's online initiatives came in the form of the Pacific Asia Travel Association's (PATA) Gold Award for the best website in 2010 and the PATA award for the best ENewsletter in 2005 and 2012. In terms of web traffic, the site was among the top 10 tourism websites in Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

Suman Billa

S Harikishore

A rejuvenating experience Hindustan Beach Retreat, a newly opened beach hotel at Vakala in Kerala is offering a refreshing experience to its guests through its beach side setting, ayurvedic treatments, wide delectable food and drink options to name a few

H

INDUSTAN Beach Retreat is the new beach hotel in Kerala’s emerging beach tourism circuit -Varkala. The resort is a venture of Hindustan Textiles Group, one of Kerala's leading exporters of cotton handloom furnishing fabric and ready wear, based in Kannur since 1939. The resort enjoys proximity to the sea and boasts of 27 well appointed rooms, each one with a sea view. The resort has an exotic seafood restaurant in the roof top, a multicuisine restaurant overlooking the pool, a pool side barbeque and a roof top conference hall with sea view.

Recently, Slow Motion – The Cocktail Lounge, a well stocked bar was opened at the resort.

Ayurvedic wellness The resort boasts of an ayurvedic spa called Turtle Bay which offers ayurvedic treatments that vary from one to three days - ayurvedic de-stress programme for one day, ayurvedic detox and de-stress programme for two days and ayurvedic refreshment programme for three days along with various other treatment

packages that vary from five to 28 days – The first category includes - relaxation and rejuvenation programme (Rasayana Therapy), purification and detoxification programme (Panchakarma Therapy), spine care and neck care programme, stress and strain relief programme, skin care and beauty care program, body slimming programme and aphrodisiac therapy (Vajeekarana Therapy).

The second category includes therapeutic and curative programmes like diabetes and hypertension treatment programme, allergic disorders treatment programme, arthritis treatment programme, etc.

Other facilities Hindustan Beach Retreat also offers backwater cruises, heritage tours and 'Shraadh' pujas on the legendary Papanasam beach. Varkala is renowned for its 2000 year old Janardhna temple; Sivagiri Mutt – the final resting place of Sri Narayana Guru, a great social reformer of Kerala; nature cure centre; mineral water springs on the beach, etc.

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January 1-15, 2014

ADVERTORIAL

KERALA TOURISM

'More inventory is being added year on year in Kerala' Situated on the backwaters of Vayalar and strategically located between Kochi and Kumarakom in Kerala,Vasundhara Sarovar Premiere offers its guests a luxurious stay in the heart of Kerala. Anand Nair, general manager, Vasundhara Sarovar Premiere talks about the uniqueness of the resort and the problems plaguing the hospitality sector in Kerala

By Rituparna Chatterjee What are the unique propositions of your resort?

One of the main USPs of Vasundhara Sarovar Premiere is its location. The resort is 30 minutes drive from Kochi and is centrally located between Kochi, Alleppey (Alappuzha) and Kumarakom making all the major tourist visit points within a short drive of not more than 45 minutes. The resort also has other USPs. The base category of room size starts at 520 sq ft and goes up to 975 sq ft for Vasundhara Suite. Guests get to choose from seven different categories of rooms including floating cottages and houseboats. The floating cottages are large (750 sq ft) rooms that are floating on the waters of a private lake within our resort with an exclusive king size jacuzzi in the deck of every room. We have something for everyone in our resort from leisure travellers, honeymooners to family vacationers. The resort has residential conferences and has facilities to host family get-together. We have the space and design to cater to the specific requirements of any of these segments of travellers.

What is the portfolio of travellers visiting your resort?

We cater to a mix of all segments of travellers as we have

seven categories of rooms. We can cater to family, honeymoon, leisure and also inbound and domestic clients. We have Ayurvedic treatments rooms,conferences,backwater cruise.

What marketing strategies have you adopted to promote your resort?

We participate in online promotions, media advertisements, international and domestic trade and travel fairs, event sponsorships and we also promote the resort through Sarovar's extensive sales network.

Can you share your views on the hospitality scenario in Kerala?

More inventory is being added year on year in Kerala.

International chains are opening up and there is stiff competition with Indian chains and standalone brands. The inven-

28 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD January 1-15, 2014

tory increase has not really yielded more business as there has not been any major spurt in tourist flow into Kerala. This has lead to price cuts thereby resulting in lower revenues and even lower margins. Overall in-

bound and domestic flow of clients to Kerala have been slightly low this year in comparison to previous year. One of the main reasons have been the high rising airfares coupled with high government taxation

for hotels. Moving forward there has to be a significant change in the government policies especially for the airline and hospitality industries to increase both inbound and domestic tourist flow.

TRIBUTE

Sajid Dhanani

The spirit of Sayaji The late owner of the Sayaji Group of hotels, Sajid Razak Dhanani, was a complete people’s person, which is still reflected in the everyday functioning of the hotel chain. Hitesh Varma, CEO for business hotels, Sayaji Hotels, fondly remembers his late owner and shares with us his vision. By Reema Lokesh

H

itesh Varma, CEO for business hotels, Sayaji Hotels, proudly affirms to his late owner Sajid Razak Dhanani's belief that the core essence of Sayaji Hospitality commitment is to make people happy. It revolves around the sentiment to make the guests feel comfortable, feel free to demand, not get intimidated and experience the same warmth, personalisation and concern as one would feel at a friend’s place. Varma spent about four years in the company in two stints. “Earlier I joined Sayaji as quality head in 2008-09 for a year.

Post which, I was inspired by him to start my own venture in Hyderabad. However I was called back to join as CEO for business hotels by Sajid sir (as I fondly called him) in 2011. I chose to handover my business to

my partner and come back as both of us shared common views on culture and values for our organisations,” reflects Varma.

The man and his vision Varma adds that the vision of Sajid sir was to provide unparalleled personalised services, true value for money, innovative product, genuine care and concern for the guests. “He would always think of catering to all segments and age groups within his

Hitesh Varma

30 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD January 1-15, 2014

properties. All his hotels had this unique comfort that would appeal to all. He envisaged building a chain of 40 hotels in the next five to seven years. Also the Barbeque Nation chain was planned to grow to 100 branches in the next few years as well as to take it international,” explains Varma.

Highlighting his personal traits, Varma shares with us that Sajid sir was a very humble amd caring human being. “He always shared all his success with his team who he treated as family. He had a special gift of innovation and was a true visionary which is evident from his hotels and restaurants. He was always a firm believer that 'Change is the rule of the game'. He led his team from the front by demonstrating true customer first service. He was very fond of children and

youngsters. Always dressed in casuals, he was a prominent figure in the hotel lobby, meeting and greeting people at length,” reminesces Varma.

He added that professionally, Sajid sir was a true leader as he would get down to the basics for any challenge with the team. He had a strong belief in his team and the inculcated some great values in the group like his pathbreaking decision of a ‘No tips policy’ across the group hotels at Indore, Pune and Barbeque Nation which the team still follows religiously. “He held very strong business ethics, his own value system and shared the company’s success with employees. He would support lot of social causes like organising Fun & Food evening for about 1200 specially kids every year on the hotel’s anniversary,” recalls Varma.

TRUE HOSPITALITY

I

t was in the month of October 2012, when I (Reema Lokesh) had the opportunity to stay at the Indore property of Sayaji Hotels. Unfortunately it was also during that same period the owner of the group Sajid Razak Dhanani fell ill - an illness that took away one of Indian hospitality’s most promising entrepreneurs. However, his work and his commitment to offer his guests the best in the business reflecting genuine hospitality is reflected in both the tangible and intangible elements of the group. I must confess, before I stepped into a truly hospitality setup I did enter with a mental block thinking it will be a homegrown hotel chain in one of India’s upcoming metro cities. However, I was pleasantly surprised to experience realtime hospitality and warmth without the typical fanfare and professional smiles.

The staff at the hotel is the true asset and this was a perfect endorsement of its owner's commitment to ‘true hospitality’.

Future vision The new management team led by his sons, Raoof Dhanani for the hotels and Kayum Dhanani for Barbeque Nation, are equally determined to take Sajid sir's vision further. “The hotel division is already lined up to add three new hotels in 2014 - one each at Kolhapur, Indore and Baroda. Many more projects are in the pipeline. Barbeque Nation will have 45 outlets by this year end and will begin its international operations at Sri Lanka and Dubai by next year.

The signature restaurant Mediterra will enter Mumbai and Pune shortly,” informs Varma.

Further, the group is also entering into the business segment with new hotels at Indore and Baroda. “Our banqueting is poised to grow sub-

stantially with cities like Pune, Mumbai, Baroda and Bhopal being added in the catering business shortly.

Bhopal has already seen some of the flavours and has evoked tremendous response. We

plan to take our specialty restaurants, Mediterra and Chopstick City to other metros in the coming year. We are also willing to gradually explore other management and lease contracts for hotels

overseas. We are also proud to share that Sayaji Hotels and Barbeque Nation have been consistently ranked amongst the top hotels and restaurants in online customer reviews and guest feedbacks. The

journey in the last year has been of transition and challenges but we have continued our commitment to our guests, through hard work and genuine efforts,” says Varma.

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January 1-15, 2014

INTERVIEW

'We have honed our craft of service and hospitality' The Chumbi Mountain Retreat Resort & Spa (TCMR) was patiently crafted by its owner, filmmaker and hotelier Ugyen Chopel, to offer the world a premium hospitality experience that reflects the true spirit of Sikkim.

By Reema Lokesh The Chumbi Mountain Retreat as you mentioned was a labour of love?

TCMR is definitely my labour of love and commitment. I always wanted to make a hotel which would be different and something which reflected everything that Sikkim was all about. I believe there is no substitute for hard work.

This is something I keep telling my staff. I simply had to make the best hotel in the region and nothing less. Today when people say nice things about the place, I feel all the pain was worth it. No pain no gain, no guts no glory.

What were the challenges that you faced?

TCMR is the first five-star hotel in the north east to be wholly owned and operated by a north eastener. It is a big thing for us. Our entire focus was on one aspect, TCMR had to look, feel, smell and exude everything that was Sikkim. It had to give a sense of place which no hotel was doing in this part of the world. There were many challenges. The difficulties of construction in remote mountain terrains itself

is a nightmare. Everything down to a pin had to be carted from 140 km of treacherous mountain roads. We never had big budgets to hire expensive architects, consultants, designers. Out of compulsion I along with my faithful and conscientious team had to multitask and wear many hats. At times it was frustrating but eventually satisfying as the final product stands testimony.

Can you share with us the USP of the property?

TCMR is very special that’s why our publicity caption reads: Not just another resort.

There are many layers to the resort, many stories to be told.

I hate it when we have guests who check in, go to their room, watch TV, order room service, do the mandatory sight seeing and check out the third day, For me it's like a man in the art gallery who walks past beautiful work of art and heads to the cafeteria as they serve good samosas. When we have taken interested guests around they find the place mesmerising and fulfilling. I have personally trained my front office staff to conduct the tour around the

32 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD January 1-15, 2014

Ugyen Chopel

resort which takes approximately one hour and they do it well. The architecture with its skilfully set stone work, detail hand carved woodwork, recreation of almost extinct Sikkimese architecture form the base of the facade. TCMR is based on a sustainable hospitality model, from architecture to human resource.

How are you planning to market this niche product in national and international markets?

I feel like I'm an artist who has done a painting and while painting never thought who I was going to sell it to. Luckily the social media has helped and even in our soft opening we have had celebrities like Richard Gere, Mallisa Matthison, some Bollywood actors and many high profile guests staying with us. In fact, we are expecting a big Mumbai production house film shoot in February 2014. We have a steady and active Facebook account. We have also been running a hotel, the Chumbi Residency, in Gangtok, for the last 16 years and we have a good database of travel agents we work with. But I agree we need to do more.

Is there any support provided from the Sikkim Government?

TCMR is sole proprietorship entity under the Chumbi Group of Hotels, which is owned by me. The Sikkim government is a very benevolent government. We have been fortunate to take advantage of its facilities. The North East Council gives 30 per cent capital subsidy on capital expendi-

ture which is a big moral booster for us. Our chief minister and all his hard work has paid dividend and put us right at the top of the tourism map of the world.

Are you looking at a management contract for the property or will you go it alone?

Some of the best hotels in the world are family run hotels. When I interact with guests personally they feel so happy. We have been in the business for a long time now and we have honed our craft of service and hospitality, but now I feel I need time for myself and my family, I want to go and make the films I have always wanted to, see my daughter grow up, give time to our monastery restoration work which I am handling right now, and spend more time with family and friends. As we speak we are being wooed by every big chain in India today and that's also thanks to social media. We are talking to all of them. If I find that it's worth our while and if they share the same love and passion for the property, who knows we might tie up with one of them.

EVENT TRACKER DATE

EVENT

VENUE

January 14 - 15, 2014

HIFI

Gurgaon

January 16 – 19, 2014

Salon Du Chocolat- Seoul

Seoul

January 21 – 25, 2014

IICF

Bengaluru

January 22 - 23, 2014

BIOVAK

Zwolle (Netherlands)

January 23 - 25, 2014

Food Hospitality World

Mumbai

February 6 - 9, 2014

Bioenergy Expo

Verona (Italy)

February 6 - 8, 2014

World Tea and Coffee Expo

Mumbai

February 7 – 10, 2014

Natura

Nantes (France)

February 11 - 13, 2014

Tea & Coffee World Cup - Europe

Warsaw (Poland)

February 12 - 15, 2014

BioFach 2014

Nuremberg (Germany)

February 13 - 15, 2014

African Fine Coffee Conference and Exhibition

Bujumbura (Burundi)

February 23 - 27, 2014

GulfFood

Dubai

February 25 - 27, 2014

Meetings Africa

Johannesburg (South Africa)

March 5, 2014

Essential Cafe Live

Esher (UK)

March 6 - 9, 2014

Natural Products Expo West

Anaheim, CA

March 7 – 9, 2014

Coffee Fest- New York

New York

March 8 - 12, 2014

INTERSUC

Paris

March 16 - 18, 2014

International Boston Seafood Show

Boston

April 11 – 13, 2014

Tea and Coffee World Cup Europe

Warsaw (Poland)

April 8 - 11, 2014

FHA Singapore

Singapore

April 13 – 14, 2014

Natural Products Europe

London

May 3 - 6, 2015

TuttoFood

Milan

May 6 - 8, 2014

Coffee fest- st.louis

St.Louis, Mo (USA)

May 30 – June 1, 2014

Seafood Processing Europe

Brussel

June 1 – 30, 2014

Semana Verde de Galicia

Silleda (Spain)

June 24 – 27, 2014

Fispal cafe

Sao Paulo

August 14 - 16, 2014

Hong Kong International Tea Fair

Hong Kong

September 4 - 6, 2014

Expo Chocolate

Mexico City

September 7 - 9, 2014

Speciality Chocolate Fair

London

September 24- 26, 2014

COTECA

Hamburg (Germany)

Sept 28- Oct 26, 2014

BIBAC Expo

Antwerp (Belgium)

October 23- 25, 2014

Triestespresso Expo

Trieste (Italy)

November 1, 2014

Seoul International Cafe Show

Seoul

November 14 -17, 2014

Gluten Free Expo

Brescia (Italy)

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

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January 1-15, 2014

TECH TALK

Intelligent laundry The InvoTech Laundry System integrates the latest RFID technology to most efficiently manage industrial laundry operations, hotel and hospital laundries

A

T THE RECENT HITEC tradeshow in Minneapolis, InvoTech highlighted its newest UHF-RFID system for hotel uniform and linen management. The system streamlines and automates laundry operations to cut labour costs and provide real-time information to lower operating expenses.

Touch-Screen simplicity directly reduces labour hours and establishes reliable inventory accountability,” says Oswald Lares, InvoTech director of sales. “The bulk Cart Reading Station’s ease of use is thanks to the TouchScreen interface.

The Laundry Cart Reading Station instantly identifies and counts linen items and uniforms without hand sorting,” he adds. Lares noted that the system displays inventory report totals on screen and automatically emails configurable reports to management for real-time

accountability. InvoTech also demonstrated its latest Mobile Software and UHFRFID handheld reader that utilises wi-fi communication to count uniforms and linens quickly and accurately.

The system automatically tracks and manages laundry activity for customer-owned and rental uniforms and linens. The RFID technology works by electronically reading RFID tags attached to the uniforms and linens, allowing them to be automatically identified, counted and tracked.

The system also facilitates sorting and validates pick-ups and deliveries at customer locations.

The InvoTech Laundry System will enable your business to best manage the customer-owned and rental inventory, automatically track laundry activity by customer, and facilitate sorting by customer, and sorting of uniforms by customer employees. The system accurately records laundry activity and provides billing reports by customer,

and customer departments.

The usage and aging of uniforms and linens is monitored to maintain quality standards and forecast purchases. The system also manages repairs and alterations of uniforms and linens, and monitors laundry staff productivity of various laundry functions, such as special treatments, pressing, folding, and sorting. The customer billing reports can include charges for repairs and special treatments.

Labour savings The InvoTech Laundry System eliminates many labour intensive manual tasks, such as separating and hand-counting uniforms and linens coming into the laundry

or items being shipped to the customer. The system also automates recordkeeping, which eliminates manual errors. InvoTech’s Laundry Cart Reading Station automatically processes entire laundry carts full of uniforms and linens coming into the laundry or being shipped out.

RFID portable handheld readers are used for validating pick-ups and deliveries at customer locations, or Laundry Cart Reading Stations can be installed at the customer sites. Additionally, the UHF RFID Machine Linens & Laundrycustomer can use the InvoTech Uniform System or InvoTech Linen System which interfaces with the InvoTech Laundry System.

InvoTech’s Linen Bundle Reading Stations provide the highest level of quality control by ensuring that each bundle of linens has the correct quantity, all linens are the same type of linens and for the same customer, and none of the linens in the bundle are overused and need to be replaced.

The automated uniform and linen tracking and recordkeeping cuts labour costs and provides real-time information for ongoing cost saving benefits.

InvoTech’s Laundry System adds greater efficiency and management control to laundry operations. It can be used in: ●Commercial laundries with

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January 1-15, 2014

large rental programmes laundries serving multiple properties ●Clean room laundries ●Laundries serving hospitals ●Laundries with sterile packs and biohazard items. ●Captive

Wireless technology InvoTech’s expertise in UHF-RFID solutions enables its laundry system to deliver accurate inventory and billing statements, reduce costs and boost efficiency and customer satisfaction. InvoTech applies the latest RFID and wireless technology to enable 100 per cent control of laundry operations while it eliminates the need to hand count or individually scan items. The system lets operators instantly read

and record hundreds of item in seconds. Daily processes are streamlined with InvoTech’s Laundry System.

The system eliminates manual tasks and human error, gives operators total control, and makes accurate information always available.

The UHF-RFID tags have a read range of up to six to seven feet with a life of at least 200 wash cycles. They withstand the most rigorous laundry requirements including sterilisation and high-pressure water extractors. InvoTech strategically locates appropriate UHF-RFID equipment around the property where needed. These reading stations record the

tunnel washer loads

The UHF-RFID tags have a read range of up to six to seven feet with a life of at least 200 wash cycles. They withstand the most rigorous laundry requirements including sterilisation and high-pressure water extractors UHF-RFID laundry tags attached to each item as uniforms pass within range. InvoTech knows exactly what transpired with every read – what happened and where

and when it occurred. InvoTech provides: ●Laundry cart reading stations that record what is coming in and going out ●Conveyor antennas to read

●Pre-wash stations that track

stain removal ●Laundries serving hospitals.

The InvoTech Laundry System also has the unique capability to validate all laundry pick-ups and deliveries at customer locations. InvoTech processes hundreds of items in a matter of seconds using portable laundry cart readers and hand-held readers. Pickup and delivery quantities by type are immediately available. Customers know exactly what they have received, and what the laundry is responsible for. InvoTech provides vital customer information, eliminates disputes with customers and fosters enhanced customer relations.

Top 5 trends in hotel technology With technology adoption on the rise, the expectations of travellers have also increased manifold. Thus a hotel’s technology offerings play an important role for guests when they are booking an accommodation

E

REVMAX, the hotel online distribution and channel management solutions provider, has unveiled an infographic to assist property owners around the world to

know about the latest technology trends topping the charts this season.

One of the current trends listed by eRevMax deals with device and entertainment autonomy. A SmartBrief poll showed that 45 per cent of hotel guests travel with two de-

36 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD January 1-15, 2014

vices and 40 per cent with three or more. Thus, ensuring guests have electronics (adequate and easy-to-reach plugs, bandwidth capabilities) and ergonomic support (seating and surfaces) becomes essential for hotels.

Another important tip by

the hotel solutions provider is to leverage the billboard effect, defined as the increase in offline bookings of a property when it is listed with an Online Travel Agency (OTA). An experiment conducted by Cornell University observed that one of the participant hotels experi-

enced an impressive 14 per cent increase in direct bookings when it contracted with an OTA. Besides, Average Daily Rate (ADR) increased by 1.5 per cent during OTA listing of the same property.

Accordingly to the infographic, 38 per cent of the guests reported that Wi-Fi was the priority factor while booking a hotel. Also, a whopping 85 per cent of travellers said they wanted access to free Wi-Fi in hotels. eRevMax suggests hoteliers to provide the service for free to guests who enrol for their select programmes, for starters. Such services may be made exclusive for gold and platinum level members or accessible in lobbies of full-service properties.

These are important insights for property owners and serve as helpful reminder to get thinking about what is important to guests who want to stay connected virtually.

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

Changing dynamics of overseas education Devaluation of the Indian rupee has made overseas hospitality education an unattainable dream for many students. There is however hope for the few who are determined to follow through with their dream

By Akshay Kumar

I

ndia has witnessed a significant depreciation in the value of its currency in recent years, which has had an adverse impact on many sectors, including the overseas education business. Since the past two years many higher education aspirants have backed out from their decision of studying in prestigious hospitality institutions abroad. “The overseas education industry has seen a significant downfall in the past two-three years. It has dashed the dream of many students who wanted to go abroad for hospitality education. Students are delaying their planned schedules and are not preferring countries with higher currency values,” says Aslam Shaikh, director, Aliff Overseas. He, however, mentions that there is still a significant segment of students who are career oriented and determined to face the situation.

“Such determined students do

not cancel their plans under any circumstances,” asserts Shaikh.

Singapore was the first market which was affected due to the recession. Singapore dollars shot up suddenly two years ago, which was discouraging for students. Shaikh however believes that there is a silver lining in the cloud - globally many countries are facing a crisis of quality immigrants which has made them to think out-of-the-box. He points out that countries like Germany initially used to offer higher education in their national language German, but due to the lack of efficient and quality immigrants they have started higher educational courses in English, which would encourage the Asians to study and live in Germany. Apart from introducing such courses, 100 per cent scholarships are being provided by some universities.

Many new markets are opening up for quality education, one

Germany has started higher educational courses in English, which would encourage the Asians to study and live there such country is Ireland. “This country has good educational facilities but the students are not aware of the same,” says Shaikh, adding that countries like Canada, Australia and New Zealand are also offering excellent opportunities. These three countries also have lenient permanent resident policies, wherein a category of foreign immigrants can learn as well as earn, and acquire a permanent resident status easily.

From the past five years Aliff Overseas has been successfully operating in this unpre-

dictable market. They have facilitated many student and faculty exchange programmes. “Due to globalisation, it has become very important to understand the culture as well as the needs in other parts of the world, which makes such programmes very important. International internships have also become a new trend which helps the students to survive in the global market. Some students are even ready to intern without stipends, just to get the experience,” states Shaikh.

Internships and practical work are an important aspect

of hospitality education. “The educational system of our country is excellent for theoretical knowledge, but has somehow neglected the practical experience part. Countries like Switzerland have adopted the apprentice system, where a student studies for six months and gains experience by working for six months. This system gives the student a fair knowledge of both, which helps in the future employment process,” explains Shaikh.

Anthony Erb, director of international marketing and dean international programmes, BHMS Switzerland, says, “Unemployment is a global issue, expectations of the graduates do not match the real openings and opportunities. Students have good theoretical knowledge but lack soft skills. Adopting policies like the apprentice system helps both the employer and the employee in a great way.”

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January 1-15, 2014

CAMPUS NOTES

Swiss hospitality schools ranked among world’s best

Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, Les Roches International School of Hotel Management and Glion Institute of Higher Education are ranked among the world’s leading hospitality management schools for an international career

E

cole Hôtelière de Lausanne, Glion Institute of Higher Education and Les Roches International School of Hotel Management have been ranked among the top three hospitality schools for preparing students for an international career in hospitality management in a recent survey. Les Roches and Glion are both members of the Laureate International Universities network.

Conducted in May and June, 2013, the survey included a large sample of hiring managers from luxury international hospitality companies around the world, more than 50,000 hoteliers in 80 countries. The survey was conducted by Tay-

lor Nelson Sofres (TNS) Travel & Tourism (UK), the world’s largest provider of custom research and analysis. The 2013 survey established the relative 'ranking' of international hospitality management schools providing university-

According to the survey, 56 per cent of industry managers based in luxury hotels prefer graduates who have trained in more than a single country. The survey covered more than 50,000 hoteliers in 80 countries

38 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD January 1-15, 2014

level degree programmes.

“Glion continues to lead the world in providing the highest-quality international hospitality management education,” says Michael Huckaby, interim CEO of Glion.

“The goal of top international

hospitality management schools is to prepare managers to compete successfully in a rapidly changing world.

This survey, like a similar one in 2010, confirms that the hospitality industry understands and appreciates the unique nature of our education model, which combines practical instruction with academic study at different campuses and in professional internships abroad.”

According to the survey, 56 per cent of industry managers based in luxury hotels prefer graduates who have trained in more than a single country.

This is one of the strengths of the programmes at Glion and Les Roches. For example, Les Roches’ curriculum gives stu-

dents the opportunity to study at campuses in Spain, China and Jordan. “Our new Les Roches global bachelor’s degree and its internship component provide students with up to five destinations during their studies, which is unique for programs in hospitality management,” says Sonia Tatar, CEO of Les Roches worldwide.

Laureate Hospitality Education, a division of Laureate Education Inc., commissioned TNS to conduct the survey utilising 'blind' objective techniques. The survey results are statistically reliable at a 95 per cent confidence level. Similar results were obtained in a global industry survey conducted in 2010 by TNS.

MOVEMENTS Fairfield by Marriott, Bengaluru Rajajinagar PRANAY VERDIA has been appointed as general manager at Fairfield by Marriott Bengaluru, Rajajinagar. In his cur-

tration index, and get involved in revenue management. Previously, he has worked with brands like Lebua Hotel and Resorts and Radisson Blu Plaza.

SUNIL RAWAT has been appointed as director of food and beverage at Kempinski Ambience Hotel, Delhi. In his new role, he will overlook operations of the specialty restau-

ensuring the achievement of targeted sales.

The Khyber Himalayan Resort and Spa, Gulmarg RACHNA MEHRA has been appointed as director of sales at The Khyber Himalayan Resort and Spa, Gulmarg. In her new role, Mehra will be respon-

Pranay Verdia

rent position, Verdia will lead the management and will be responsible for the efficient functioning of the property. Verdia’s career in the hospitality industry expands over 13 years; most of them with the Marriott Group. Prior to this, he was associated with the Marriott hotel in Jaipur as the director of operations.

Kempinski Ambience Hotel, Delhi

Sunil Rawat

Rachna Mehra

rants, bar and banquet events along with concept creation, business plan and budgeting, staff recruitment and training, vendor development and marketing and F&B positioning.

Previously, Rawat worked as F&B manager at the Tangalooma Island Resort Moreton Island, Australia.

sible for conceptualising and implementing sales strategies and further strengthening the resorts efforts in driving more business from existing as well as new markets. Previously, she worked at the Shangri-La, Radisson and her last assignment was as sales manager at The Oberoi Group.

VIKAS BHOLA has been appointed as director of sales and marketing at Kempinski

MANUJ BAHL has been appointed as executive assistant manager at The Khyber Hi-

RAAG VERMA has been appointed as director of sales at Kempinski Ambience Hotel, Delhi. Apart from guiding the sales team and administering

Raag Verma

their daily operations, Verma will be accountable for supporting the team to achieve annual budgets, maintain market pene-

Kerzner International Kerzner International has appointed IVY KWAN as vice president of sales and marketing, Asia Pacific. In this new role, Kwan will drive the successful positioning of the One&Only brand in Asia Pacific, as well drive outbound sales for the Kerzner group. Kwan began her career at Shangri-La International Hotel Management in Malaysia where she grew from working as management trainee to director in eight years.

ment CHEF PANKAJ KALKO as its senior executive chef. In this new role Chef Kalko will oversee the operations of the hotel’s four restaurants, Kitsch – the all day diner, Addah – the

Kumar Shubham

eight years of experience in sales and marketing.

Relais & Chateaux Chef Pankaj Kalko

rooftop resto-lounge, Harajuku – Japanese fine dining restaurant, and House of Chai – outdoor tea lounge. Previously, Chef Kalko was the executive chef at Fortune Select Palms, Chennai where he was responsible for the overall operations of the hotel’s F&B outlets.

Vikas Bhola

Manuj Bahl

Ambience, Hotel Delhi. Bhola has over seven years of hotel sales, operations and management experience having handled portfolios in corporate, travel, trade and event sales.

In his new role, Bhola will be driving the business development and marketing strategies for the hotel, besides formulating budgets and

malayan Resort and Spa, Gulmarg. In his new role, Bahl will be responsible for planning and managing the day to day operations and will ensure smooth working of the new developments at the resort.

The O Hotel Pune The O Hotel Pune has appoint-

JAISAL SINGH, COO, Sujan Luxury Hotels has become the first Indian to be elected as the vice president and member of the board of directors of Relais

Courtyard by Marriott Gurgaon Courtyard by Marriott Gurgaon has appointed KUMAR SHUBHAM as assistant director of sales. In his current role, Shubham will focus on overseeing, implementing and executing all aspects of sales analytics in the property.

Shubham comes with over

Jaisal Singh

& Chateau. Two of Sujan Luxury Hotels' five properties were among the first few to be accepted as members of Relais & Chateaux.

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

39

January 1-15, 2014

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weekend

Scene and heard

With Marcellus Baptista

Opening act

Kangana Ranaut, Aditya Roy Kapur and Sushmita Sen at Grey Goose Style Du Jour at Four Seasons

Style statement IT WAS all very stylish at the second edition of Grey Goose Style Du Jour at the Mansion at Four Seasons Hotel. This exciting event, in collaboration with Noblesse, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar, saw Kangana Ranaut, Aditya Roy Kapur and Sushmita Sen, who have successfully created a unique sense of personal style both inside and outside their professional arenas, being honoured. Besides the fashion feast guests were in for a spirited time with special cocktails crafted for the occasion by Grey Goose India brand ambassador Nitin Tewari. Each vodka-based cocktail was an interpretation of the five style trends – from the bow and red gown inspired Film Noir cocktail to the touch of gold in the cocktail named Midas Touch.

FASHION RAN HIGH at the opening party of India Resortwear Fashion Week at F bar with E-sense Entertainment and glamour photographer Dabboo Ratnani unveiling the very first edition of the IRFW 2014 calendar. Shot at Ramada Caravela Beach Resort in Goa, it captured some varied style moments in the property. The star guests at this opening party were Vivek Oberoi, Kangana Ranaut, Varun Dhawan and Siddharth Malhotra. The mood was set with music by DJ Deepesh Sharma aka Mr. Right, as guests sipped premium spirits and beers and had a bite of the hors d’oeuvres on offer.

Bipasha Basu and Nandita Mahtani at India Resortwear Fashion Week at JW Marriott

Trendy terrace Dabboo Ratnani and Reema Rathod at the IRFW opening party and calendar launch at F bar

MANY PEOPLE had their very first discovery of the terrace at JW Marriott if they happened to attend India Resortwear Fashion Week. Yes, the terrace on the second level was transformed into a very stylish place for the three-day event. Established and emerging designers showcased their stuff to people from the fashion fraternity, glamour world and Bollywood. There were no showstoppers but the front row was filled with well-known faces.

The cheer was on before and after every show at the Finlandia bar that served not just that famous vodka brand but also Jack Daniel’s whisky. And the last night saw the after-party shift to Enigma.

Race and pace YOU HAVE to reinvent yourself to keep pace with the competition and stay in the race.

This was the case at Vicinia café and bar that threw a re-launch party and bar night, hosted by top model Carol Gracias. Getting into the spirit of the night at this Europeanstyle street-side café were the likes of Neil Nitin Mukesh, Rocky S, Anchal Kumar, Anupam Mittal. Deepti Gujral, Candice Pinto, Asif Azim, Sony Kaur, Junelia and Ash Chandler, Suchitra Pillai, Pia and Binal Trivedi among many more. Of course, Vicinia owners Gaurish Rangnekar and Neha Khatri were there to make sure that everyone had a good time and would come back for more.

Deepti Gujral, Hemangi Parte, Asif Azim, Candice Pinto and Carol Gracias at the re-launch of Vicinia

50 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD January 1-15, 2014

weekend

E V E N T S

CHRISTMAS CHEERS

Grand Hyatt Mumbai celebrated the ninth traditional tree lighting ceremony at the Courtyard with the American School of Bombay by lighting a 40 feet tall Christmas tree followed by choir singing by children from the school

Alila Diwa Goa celebrated its Christmas tree lighting ceremony along with volunteers from Tara Trust, an NGO supported by the hotel as part of its 'Gift to Share' programme

A RISING LEGACY L-R: Hemant Mediratta, vice president – sales, The Oberoi Group; Kapil Chopra, president, The Oberoi Group; Jay Rathore, general manager, The Oberoi, New Delhi; Vikram Madhok, managing director, Abercrombie & Kent India; and Vikram Oberoi, COO and joint MD of EIH, the flagship company of The Oberoi Group at a sit-down dinner organised for select 100 guests from the travel and trade industry to celebrate the legacy of The Oberoi, New Delhi

EXPANSION MODE METRO Cash & Carry opened its third wholesale outlet on Hosur Road in Bengaluru

GASTRONOMIC DELIGHT Hemant

A GALA EVENING L-R: Hugo Montanari, director - operations, The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore; Anupam Banerjee, executive chef, The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore and Nilesh Singh, executive assistant manager, Food & Beverage, The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore at a social gathering with renowned hair stylist Rossano Ferretti held at the sushi bar - The Market at The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore

Oberoi, corporate chef, Taj Hotels, unveiled the new menu - The Masala Art: Indian Haute Cuisine for Masala Art, the contemporary Indian restaurant, at Taj Palace, New Delhi during a Chef's Table event

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

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January 1-15, 2014

weekend

E V E N T S

FUN-FILLED EXHIBITION L-R: Bai Wei, GM, Heilongjiang Provincial Ice and Snow Art Development; Huang Hang Qian, director-general, Department of General Affairs of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in Macao; Edward Tracy, president and CEO, Sands China; Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director, Macau Government Tourist Office; Mark McWhinnie, Sr VP, Operations, The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel and Sands Cotai Central; and Tigress from Kung Fu Panda movie at the opening ceremony of the annual exhibition 'Ice World with the DreamWorks Gang' held in The Venetian Macao

TRADITIONAL WELCOME Passengers of Sea Dream Yacht Club, which docked for the first time at Mormugao Port in Goa, received a traditional welcome reception with Goan music organised by Goa Tourism

AIDING TOURISM L-R: Smita Rawat, group general manager, IRCTC and Vijayeswari, managing director, Ramoji Film City at the MoU signing ceremony in an effort to mutually promote and market their services to increase footfall into Andhra Pradesh and aid inbound tourism

MEAT UP L-R: Arabind Das, COO, Godrej Tyson; Celebrity chef Vicky Ratnani and Sushil Sawant, associate VP-marketing R&D, business development, Godrej Tyson at the launch of Yummiez Chicken Toppings in Mumbai

NEW STYLE L-R: Manu Sharma, GM, The Gateway Hotel EM Bypass Kolkata; GOING GREEN L-R: Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia, minister of state of power, Government of India; honourable president of India, Pranab Mukherjee presented the National Energy Conservation award to Manju Sharma, director, Jaypee Hotels for Jaypee Vasant Continental

52 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD January 1-15, 2014

Chef Natarajan Kulandai, corporate chef – The Gateway Hotel & Resorts; Renu Basu, global VP- sales, The Taj Group of Hotels; Prabhat Verma, COO, The Gateway Hotel & Resorts along with Deepa Misra Harris, senior VP- sales and marketing, The Taj Group of Hotels at the launch of The Gateway Hotel EM Bypass Kolkata

REGD.WITH RNI NO.MAHENG/2012/42381, REGD.NO.MH/MR/SOUTH-383/2013-15,PUBLISHED ON 2ND & 17TH EVERY FORTNIGHT, POSTED ON 2, 3, 4 & 17,18,19 OF EVERY FORTNIGHT POSTED AT MUMBAI PATRIKA CHANNEL SORTING OFFICE.